Encouraging people to explore relationships with everyday objects and the environment

Celebrities, makers and academics are among those to submit items for the Green Making | Materials | Objects exhibition
Green Making | Materials | Objects exhibition in The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth. Dyed rainbow thread hung up on a grey wall, under the thread is jars containing thread and dye.
Lloyd Russell
A chopping board, a clothes peg and a travel mug feature alongside bespoke crafts from renowned makers across the South West in an exhibition this summer.
Green Making | Materials | Objects is open to the public until 24 August in The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth.
It aims to highlight the connections between eco-friendly practices, materials and sustainability, how that relates to the objects we have in our homes, and the impact it can have on consumer behaviour.
Split into three elements, the exhibition features beautiful objects from 15 professional makers and members of MAKE Southwest, including Jane Deane, Gabrielle Tymków and Christian Wilson. It also tells the stories of how they ensure their work has the least possible impact on their surrounding environment.
It includes some of the materials the craftspeople use on a daily basis, from clay and textiles to resources considered renewable, biodegradable, or recyclable. And it showcases a range of objects, with more than 100 people – including celebrities, artists and academics – being asked to suggest an item that not only holds special meaning and joy, but also conjures up a feeling of being sustainable.
Among these submissions are a fake hummus pot from comedian Alex Horne, a metal hole punch from curator and broadcaster Kathleen Soriano, a ceramic pot from chef Tony Singh MBE, and a clothes peg from British designer and inventor Professor Sebastian Conran. Some of these – and the stories behind them – are physically on show, while others will be shown on digital screens in the exhibition space.
The hope is that the stories and exhibits will encourage visitors to reflect on their personal relationships with objects and materials, and the importance of adopting more responsible ownership and consumer habits. To that end, it also features a pledge wall where people can post their thoughts on the exhibition and any actions they intend to take as a result.
The exhibition has been curated by Polly Macpherson, Associate Professor of Design Practice in the School of Art, Design and Architecture, and colleagues across The Arts Institute.

The designer William Morris was quoted in 1880 as saying ‘have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful'.

Somewhere down the line we have really lost sight of that, to the point where so many of the items we buy today are things we do not really need and are often quickly disposed of. In spite of that, every home features objects that have been part of families for generations, or that have been made by individuals using sustainable resources. That is the case with the objects featuring in this exhibition, and its aim is to celebrate those items and challenge elements of our modern way of life. I also hope it will encourage people to consider how they can think, act and live more sustainably now and in the future.

Polly MacphersonPolly Macpherson
Associate Professor of Design Practice

The exhibition builds on a creative industry project, The Green Maker Initiative, a collaboration between MAKE Southwest and the University’s Sustainability Hub: Low Carbon Devon project.
It was designed to explore and support individuals and groups of makers who were committed to reducing their environmental impact, with their work detailed in a book – The Green Maker Initiative Book, written by Ms Macpherson and Dr Emma Whittaker – which was published by University of Plymouth Press in 2023.
Green Making | Materials | Objects exhibition in The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth. Words 'making', 'materials' and 'objects' written on a white gallery wall with various coloured post-it notes underneath.
Green Making | Materials | Objects exhibition in The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth. A wooden table with an empty soy milk carton, 2 rolls of polyester thread, a glass jar and a worksheet.
Green Making | Materials | Objects exhibition in The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth. A grey vase with colourful drips.
Green Making | Materials | Objects exhibition in The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth. Colourful plastic debris.
Green Making | Materials | Objects exhibition in The Levinsky Gallery at the University of Plymouth. A piece of recycled plastic with a tag that says 'I was once plastic cutlery or a fridge'.
 

The Levinsky Gallery

Featuring exhibitions from world-renowned artists alongside new arts stars of tomorrow, The Levinsky Gallery offers a sometimes provocative, sometimes beautiful and always thought-provoking experience.

Previously featured artists include: Award-winning artist Trevor Bell, Turner-prize winning artist Douglas Gordon, leading graphic designer, Ivan Chermayeff, Dorothy Cross, one of Ireland's leading international artists and internationally acclaimed artist and sculptor, Peter Randall-Page.

All exhibitions are free and include related events for you to learn about the artists and exhibits through gallery tours and artists and curator talks, as well as fun events for the family.

Find out more about exhibitions at the Levinsky Gallery

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