The Last of the Tile Makers

John Gallo | United Kingdom

Organization: Chappa

This essay portrays Keymer's last days, one of the oldest and most established industries in England, with clients such as the Queen, members of the Rolling Stones and of the Beatles.

Keymer is another secular industry disappearing due to the current consumer trends, based solely and exclusively on price instead of quality. Keymer´s tiles manufactured entirely by hand are more durable and do not lose their original colour after one year as happens with regular tiles. But these arguments are not, nowadays, valued; quantity overlaps quality on this mass consuming market. Even the ones who can assuredly afford this product, are only available to purchase products that guarantee their status is clearly visible to everyone.

Having exhausted its supply of clay on their Nye Road premises, in August 2014, Keymer had to end the production of handmade tiles and wyverns; finding new premises would be too costly. In Nye Road, Real Estate will flourish – blood, sweat and tears of skilled craftsman, now unemployed, will be buried underneath a brand new housing development.

www.chappa.co.uk

maria@chappa.co.uk

T: 0044 (0) 2079935131

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