11 January 2012: Jo Mabbutt - "Gilded Glories"

Jo Mabbutt began her talk with a history of gilding from Tutankhamen’s death mask, through 16th century Italian risottos, palatial gilded interiors and exteriors, and Gustav Klimt’s erotic 'Golden Period' paintings to Richard Wright, the latest Turner Prize winner and 21st century designer food and alcohol.

Jo Mabbutt

Jo describes herself as "a decorative artist specialising in experimental surface decoration, combining gilding with print and hand painting". She works on a variety of surfaces, from paper to textiles to glass, and is currently developing ranges of gilded jewellery, fashion and interior accessories.

Jo Mabbutt

Lace is Jo’s inspiration and main material; she says "using antique and vintage lace to refashion into precious pieces appeals to me. Intuitive exploration with materials has resulted in contemporary surface treatments, which give my pieces a new fragility with jewel-like qualities".

Jo Mabbutt