David Gates

BA(hons)

Senior lecturer, furniture design and craft

RAE Outcomes

Research interests
Contemporary furniture design; practice and theory, the role and necessity of making in contemporary culture; the sense of location and the modern vernacular; the legitimization of processes of making as an intellectual act; Craft knowledge and its relationship to languages and the establishment of an appropriate voice for contemporary craft practice.

Professional activity
David is currently specialist advisor for furniture to the Crafts Council Development Award and was awarded as highly commended in the Wesley Barrell craft award for established makers in 2006. He has recently been invited to chair two conferences on the crafts in 2008.

Selected Public Commissions

2007 - Paget school, Birmingham: Design and production of furniture for an inter-disciplinary reconfiguration of part of the school building with architectural, metal and colour specialists with Craftspace

2006 - St. Botolphs church, Aldgate, London: Design and production/installation of display system for Heirlooms exhibition, curated by Elizabeth Callinicos

2005 - Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton: Design and making of furniture for the Craftsense permanent handling collection, including a reading table and benches for a newly created public area. This was a collaboration with artist Helen Carnac

2003-2004 - St. Giles church, Farnborough, Kent: Grade II listed building largely dating from the middle ages. Design and manufacture of extensive cabinetwork and fittings to two vestries

2002: - University of Westminster, School of the Built Environment: Boardroom furniture

Selected Exhibitions

2007 - Origin, Somerset House, London

2007 - Collect, Victoria & Albert Museum, London

2006 - Lesley Craze Gallery, Clerkenwell, London

2006 - Wesley Barrell Craft Award feature at Origin, Somerset House, London

2004 - Cut and Paste, HUB centre for craft, design and making, Sleaford

2003 - Flow Gallery, London: joint show with Helen Carnac, silversmith

2002 - Still, Applied Arts Agency, London

Conference papers

2007 - Lost for Words; Developments in a New Language, New Craft Future Voices, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art

2006 - Value, Carry The Can, London