Back of the Mirror: Archibald Knox

Archibald Knox:

In the Ministry of the Beautiful

Liam O'Neil
Royal Oak Foundation
Grolier Club, NYC
September 29, 2011

Isle of Man, home to Archibald Knox

Thursday night at The Grolier Club, I was waiting for that golden nugget of information to fall.  It never did.  When I attend a lecture, a tidbit, no matter how small, can make the whole thing worthwhile.  I had no such luck listening to Liam O'Neil, founder of the Archibald Knox Society.  His talk did not prove enlightening, but it confirmed something I am more and more convinced of as I grow older:  childhood is everything.

Gravestone Ireland

Garden Pot designed by Knox

Jardiniere

Knox's designs for jewelery, silver, pewter, books, and even garden pots were based on his Celtic origins.  He worked for Liberty of London and is associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement in England, but his deep love of everything Celtic permeated his aesthetic.  His genuis was his ability to transform these iconic forms into something new.