Neil Ewins' study of the Staffordshire potteries in a period of great global change traces how ceramics production has been affected by globalisation in both familiar and unexpected ways.
Although many manufacturers such as Wedgwood initially moved production to cheaper labour markets in East Asia, others remained in or returned to England once it became clear that outsourcing manufacturing was affecting the brand value and customer perception of their products. Neil Ewins explores the complex behaviour of the UK ceramics industry, using a combination of evidence from the press, trade journals, ceramic objects, and primary interview evidence of manufacturers, retailers and a ceramic designer.
Ewins suggests that, although the surface designs of UK ceramics invariably reflect diverse cultural and stylistic influences, a notion of authenticity often still resides in the place and context in which the ceramic product was originally made. Overall, the book argues that UK ceramics remain culturally complex because of issues of supply and demand, and ties to heritage, imagined or otherwise. Within a context of globalization, the book highlights compelling issues which have huge ramifications on UK manufacturing futures.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Ceramics and Globalization is a thought-provoking book which provides the reader with a fascinating insight into the transformation of the UK ceramic industry between 1990-2010 through asking the thorny question "What does it mean to be 'Made in England'?" * Juliette MacDonald, Head of Design at the University of Edinburgh, UK * This is a fascinating book that unfolds many of the complexities of globalization related to the the UK ceramics industry and its perceived decline. Ewins reveals some surprising discoveries from a breadth of perspectives and sheds light on the many interpretations of "value", particularly with regard to the notion of provenance. * Sam Chung, Associate Professor of Ceramics at Arizona State University, USA * Good. Cheap. Fast. You cannot have all three! Ewins's research emphasizes the rapid deconstruction and sporadic reconstruction of the ceramics industry in the UK. This book reaffirms the invaluable human hand and how it is both a national and global treasure. * Kelcy Chase Folsom, Turner Teaching Fellow at New York State College of Ceramics, USA * [Th]e first of its kind and a key reference in future studies of ceramics manufacturing and globalization. The book's strength resonates through the rich articulation of a dynamic, responsive industry, emerging from Ewin's interweaving of information sources that connect global economic and social conditions driving market trends and perceived shifts in consumer taste. * Journal of Modern Craft *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Maße
Höhe: 157 mm
Breite: 234 mm
Dicke: 18 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-350-51426-3 (9781350514263)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Neil Ewins is Senior Lecturer in Design History and Theory at the University of Sunderland, UK. He has contributed articles to a number of edited volumes.
Autor*in
Jingdezhen Ceramic University, China
Introduction
Chapter 1: Globalization, the on-going debate
Organization
Marketing, consumption and meaning
Authenticity and craft
Localism, regional competitiveness and resilience
Summary
Chapter 2: The traditions - East Asian and Staffordshire Ceramics
Far Eastern ceramics and their influence
The Potteries, Staffordshire
UK ceramic bodies and styles
Artists, designers and marketing
Imports
The perception of Far Eastern ceramics
Deterritorialization and copying design
Changes in production
Repositioning of Staffordshire brands
Impact of the Far East on UK ceramic manufacturers
Changing lifestyles
Decline versus new businesses
Summary
Chapter 3: The Rise of Outsourcing UK ceramics
The outsourcing debate in the 20th and 21st century
Far Eastern outsourcing
Profits and outsourcing
Employment in the UK ceramic industry
Craft and quality issues
Design versus manufacture
Place of origin debate
Uncertainty of outsourcing
A political debate
Production back in Staffordshire
Summary
Chapter 4: The Impact of Far Eastern Outsourcing on the Marketing of UK Ceramics
An emphasis on the Staffordshire brand
Attachment to 'England' through branding
'Made in China', and celebrity endorsement
Impact of outsourcing on backstamps
Attachment to 'England' through design and decoration
Ceramic objects of deception
Denby and compartmentalization
Summary
Chapter 5: Outsourcing and its Impact on the Design Process
Hugh Saunders, tableware designer, Royal Doulton
Design development prior to Far Eastern outsourcing
Outsourcing by Royal Doulton
Quality issues
The centralization of design: theory and practice
Selective outsourcing
New technology
Summary
Chapter 6: Accentuating Place of Origin
Hand-made
Emma Bridgewater
Perception
Royal Stafford
Design and the marketing of 'difference'
Homogenization and ceramic design
Problems with outsourcing
Royal Stafford's backstamps and designs
Attitudes towards backstamping
Denby, 'Made in England'
Heron Cross Pottery
Repeat Repeat: perception and design agility
Big Tomato Company
Summary
Chapter 7: The Impact of Far Eastern Outsourcing on UK Ceramic Demand: the Retail Perspective
A retailers' perspective
A Wedgwood retailer in the North of England
Changing demand
Perception of Wedgwood
Status value
Wedgwood pricing
Supply problems
James Pirie of St Andrews, Scotland
Place of origin
Pricing
Thomas Goode, Mayfair, London
Summary
Chapter 8: UK Ceramic Manufacturing in Relation to Consumer Perception
Constructs
Commemoratives and collectables
Goviers of Sidmouth
Royal Crown Derby
Caverswall China
Moorcroft
Hybrid collectables
The New English
The Figurine Collective
Devaluation
Portmeirion and heritage
Exports and 'Made in England'
Summary
Conclusion
References
