c r e a t i v e
Furniture Today Lectures and videos
Jeremy Broun's lifetime passion for wood and furniture has culminated in a major project called 'Furniture Today' - where he uniquely documents the designer maker revolution against a historical backcloth of furniture dating back to the Magna Carta. He tells the inside story of the 1970s British Craft Furniture Revival that he was part of and which has paved the way for the work of today.
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Watch the preview videos below
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Furniture Today Part One 51 minutes
In 2006 Jeremy Broun gives a personal appraisal of Furniture Today ‘in context’ demonstrating that it is no ‘here today gone tomorrow fashion thing’ but a quiet and solid underground movement that has been going on for the past 30 years or so, since the 1970s British Craft Furniture Revival, with its roots and influences deep in history. He challenges such prejudices that 'old is better than new' or that 'old and new cannot be mixed'.
Topics covered:
From Magna Carta to Victoriana - a snapshot of English period furniture. Twentieth Century Design Milestones Major movements such as The Arts & Crafts, Bauhaus, Memphis, A history of designer makers - an inside story. John Makepeace OBE, Alan Peters OBE both major influences.
Trailer for the 51 minute film
Furniture Today Part two 55 mins
With a brief recap on topics covered in Part One Jeremy Broun showcases the diverse furniture being created from the 1980s to the first decade of the Twentieth Century.
Topics:
Eighties Makers a culmination in interest of the designer maker movement. Unsung hero Andrew Whately was chief cabinetmaker to John Makepeace for 11 years. Showcasing of Nineties and 2K bespoke furniture. The Furniture Group and Cheltenham exhibitions run by Betty Norbury, Peta Levi at Bonhams, Jeremy Broun presents furniture on regional TV, Fred Baier punk furniture maker, Irish Create event 2006, Green Woodwork.
Trailer for the 55 minute film
Trailer for the 79 minute film
The V & A Furniture Futures Symposium A brief snapshot focusing on extracts from the lecture by David Colwell - global waste, plastics toxicity, renewable sustainable wood products, team bending. Cheltenham - The ‘Ascot’ of bespoke furniture making and a fairly good barometer as to what is happening across the UK landscape although not cutting edge design. Interviews with a furniture shop owner, editor of ex magazine editor Nick Gibbs and some critique by artist and writer Michael Wainwright. Jeremy Broun gets the public talking. A Tribute to Alan Peters OBE Jason Heap, organizer of ‘CCD’ launched the ‘Alan Peters Award for Excellence’ (now taken on by Jeremy Broun and Andrew Lawton) Andrew Lawton who worked with the great furniture maker talks about the last table that Alan worked on. Forest Woods - Jeremy Broun chills out with members of The Forest of Avon Wood Products Co-operative whose message is local sustainability. Epilogue What future are we leaving our young people? Are we slow to throw away the throw away society?
Furniture Today Part Three 79 mins
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The Golden Age of Design and Craftsmanship that Jeremy wrote about in 1990 continues and still there is great public ignorance about this valuable aspect of our culture! This update (2012) gives a representative glimpse of some of the diverse work being created and includes several interviews with makers and public.
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Topics
Part One & Part Two overview A history of furniture dating back to the Magna Carta highlighting the British Designer Maker (or Studio Furniture movement). Furniture Snapshot a musical slideshow of iconic and other distinctive furniture designs picked by Jeremy Broun. The Father of 20th Century British Furniture Design An interview with Ray Leigh who was part of the Gordon Russell story. Russell successfully embraced hand work with the machine
The Art of the Machine - Waywood Furniture workshop at the forefront of bespoke British furniture design, embracing computer technology with hand skill. Enriching the Language of Furniture - John Makepeace discusses some of his major work in 2011. Made to Sit an exhibition of chairs during the 2010 London Design Week. Whilst stewarding the show Jeremy Broun hijacked television celebrity Dame Esther Rantzen to come inside the gallery and sit on some of the chairs. The Pewsey Boys An impromtu interview with Fred Bair and his longstanding pal Johnny Hawkes still at the cutting eedge of innovation. From Silver Wire to Sailing cord Jeremy Broun discusses the importance of ‘method’ and his inspiration from Finnish woodworking. The XX Factor Rachel Hutchinson draws some of her ideas using thin plywood from female corsetry. She pays tribute to other women woodworkers such as Jakki Dehn, Lucinda Leech and Karen Hansen.