The Jameson Black Barrel Craft Market takes place in the Backyard of the Bernard Shaw in Portobello on Friday 27th Sunday 29th of November in association with Bodytonic and will feature of host Irish artisans and craftspeople working a range of different fields that showcase a continually growing appreciation for the level of skill, enthusiasm and history that is imbued in the products that they create. The lineup at the market ranges from Mamukka, run by a pair of Hungarian brothers in Kinsale creating bags from upcycled parts of boats, to Garvan De Bruir who creates exception leatherwork at his Kildare studio. There will also be demonstrations from the makers themselves, live music and food and drink pairings.
Ireland’s own craft traditions never disappeared, but since the depths of the economic downturn, the Year of Craft in 2011 and Irish Design 2015, the appetite amongst the public for quality, handmade goods has grown hugely, and Jameson, whose coopers still use the same traditional double-charring process on its barrels to produce the smooth taste of Black Barrel, is proud to showcase this array of talent found amongst the makers of Ireland. We chatted to three of the craftspeople who are taking part this November.
DE BRUIR
Garvan De Bruir grew up as someone who always made things with his hands, but it was during a year studying abroad during school in Auckland that he became fully immersed in the craft. “I discovered the potential of bone as a craft material, spending much of my time perfecting Maori bone carving. The school’s workshop facilities were amazing and I’ve rarely been far from a workshop ever since. Whether I use wood, metal, leather, bone – the material is second to the act of making itself… the hands-on element, right to the end of a project, is brilliant. The fact that the object can be realised within days or weeks instead of months or years keeps everything exciting too. Having the making skills yourself just ensures that a design can be executed exactly how you intend it.”
Although known for his work with leather, Garvan’s formal training came in furniture building, studying and working in Buckinghamshire in the furniture-making heartland of England. Having set up his own workshop in Kildare in 2008, the leather business evolved from within his furniture workshop. “I needed a laptop bag and had some leather I used for upholstery sitting on a shelf. Leather is such a great core material that you can engage it at different skill levels and still produce great objects. Although the early bags were relatively crude in terms of craftsmanship, the approach to form and structure had potential.”
De Bruir’s design process is driven by the structural demands of the piece, be it a bag, a scarf or a bow-tie, such as those that he will be demonstrating at the James Black Barrel Market. “For me, everything is a structure and comes with a physical brief, so a piece of furniture has particular structural demands; it stands up and supports an object, while a bag’s demands are related; it hangs and supports an object. With the functionality paramount, I like to work with as simple forms as possible. I’ve a really high regard for my raw materials, so I enjoy using large portions in clean, honest constructions.”
Traditional workmanship and materials ensure his objects will live and function for a long life, but De Bruir still embraces modern technology to supplement his old-school skills. “I cut many of my detailed bag components by laser based on digital files. It suits to use technology to facilitate production, but I still go on to stitch the bags on a 100 year old saddler’s sewing machine or my more timeless brad awl, needle and thread. So, yes to embracing digital technologies within craft, but you have to stay firmly linked with traditional skills and knowledge to innovate with such old materials into the future.”
