The Materials Foyer is a carefully-curated reference library in the heart of the Art School where students can learn more about what materials mean to conservators, carvers and artists. Its purpose is to draw attention to materials, create dialogue and acknowledge the breadth of processes used across our Historic Carving, Conservation and Fine Art departments. The Materials Foyer is curated to reflect the current Materials Matters focus. For the inaugural year of our Material Matters programme, we chose to focus on wood.

  • Japanned wooden box, Sayuri Morio
  • Monkeys for a private library, Robert Randall
  • Willow twigs; charcoal
  • Inked woodcut and print, Blaze Cyan
  • Sanovino frame, Borys Burrough
  • Rubia tinctorum, Rose madder pigment; Quercitron bark, Yellow pigment
  • Carved branch, Tatsuya Kimata; Maple leaf, Anne Petters
  • Bellows, Cassidie Alder
  • Gilded frame fragment analysis
  • Cauliculi frame, Michael Leal
  • Kerfing sample, Zoe Schoenherr; Research maquette, Joshua Vaughan
  • Green Man, David Mendieta
  • Bracket, David Mendieta
  • Wooden brush making process, Winsor & Newton
  • Corinthian half capitals, Borys Burrough and Sir Bannister Fletcher bequest
  • Female winged sea dragons, Anais Vlahakis

As an invaluable material for artists, designers, craft specialists and architects, wood has been used through millennia to make every kind of artefact from the most essential to the most ritually significant. With over 100 different types of wood harvested across the world, its cultural and historical impact is profound and enduring.

Japanned wooden box
Shellac, gum arabic, yellow ochre pigment, rabbit skin glue granules, whiting, mother of pearl

Sayuri Morio, BA (Hons) Conservation Studies student

Monkeys for a private library
3D resin printed monkeys at 1:10 scale, carved and painted limewood

Robert Randall, Senior Woodcarving Tutor

Willow twigs, charcoal, charcoal product, compressed charcoal, charcoal pigment

Inked woodcut in birch plywood and print on paper

Blaze Cyan, MA Fine Art graduate & Print Fellow

Sanovino frame
Carved limwood frame with pine subframe, gesso, water gilding

Borys Burrough, Diploma Ornamental Woodcarving & Gilding student

Rubia tinctorum roots, Rose madder pigment; Quercitron bark from eastern black oak, Yellow pigment

Winsor & Newton products

Carved branch
Italian rose marble

Maple leaf
Kiln fused and slumped glass frit

Tatsuya Kimata, MA Fine Art graduate
Anne Petters, Glass workshop technician

Bellows
Carved European walnut, leather, bronze

Cassidie Alder, Diploma Ornamental Woodcarving & Gilding graduate

Gilded frame fragment analysis
Acid fushin test (pink) to ascertain presence of proteins
Cross section in reflected light
Transverse section of wood sample, stained to highlight cell structure
Tangential section of wood sample
Cross sections in polyester resin
Thin sections on glass slides

Cauliculi frame
Carved limewood with water gilding

Michael Leal, Diploma Historic Woodcarving graduate

Kerfing sample
Meranti, latex

Research maquette
Birch plywood, hinges

Zoe Schoenherr, Artist Woodwork Fellow
Joshua Vaughan, BA Sculpture graduate and Artist Woodwork Fellow

Green Man
Copy from misericord, Lincoln Cathedral
Carved in English oak with stained and waxed finish

David Mendieta, Postgraduate Diploma Historic Carving Graduate

Bracket
Carved limewood with gesso and wax finish

David Mendieta, Postgraduate Diploma Historic Carving Graduate

Wooden brush making process
Series 7 Kolinsky sable brush
Liquitex Free-style 4 flat brush

Winsor & Newton

Corinthian half capital
Carved limewood

Original from Sir Bannister Fletcher bequest
Carved and painted limewood

Borys Burrough, Diploma Ornamental Woodcarving & Gilding student

Female winged sea dragons
Replacement of missing tail section and return to original decorative scheme

Anais Vlahakis, Postgraduate Diploma Conservation Studies student

The Materials Foyer is kindly supported by Winsor & Newton.

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