About Incisive Letterwork
Formed in 1988 by Brenda Berman and Annet Stirling. They first met at the City and Guilds of London Art School where they studied lettering with Bertold Wolpe. Brenda Berman had previously trained as a painter at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham, Annet Stirling as a graphic designer at the Akademie voor Kunst en Industrie, Enschede, NL.
Incisive Letterwork focuses on large scale architectural inscriptions and word sculpture. The physical aspect of working with raw stone, the exploration of the marks tools can make and a working relationship with a Dorset quarry all influence their designing and the way they carve.
In 1996 they were awarded a Churchill Fellowship and travelled in Italy studying marble and Roman and Renaissance inscriptions.
They have exhibited in most recent recent lettering exhibitions and continue to explore the boundaries of legibility and abstraction in letterform.
About Annet Stirling
When Brenda Berman retired in 2008 Annet Stirling continued the practise on her own, often assisted on big jobs by Ben Jones. He studied on the Lettering course at the City and Guilds of London Art School whilst Brenda and Annet were teaching there.
The working relationship with St Aldhelms Quarry in Purbeck is still ongoing and experimentation with the abstract possibilities of lettering and the Alphabet continues unabated.
Annet is a founder member of Letter Exchange of which she is the current treasurer.
She is also a member of the Buckinghamshire Craft Guild.
Incisive Letterwork CV
Education Annet Stirling
1977/80 Apprentice to Richard Kindersley 1972/76 Lettering, City and Guilds of London Art School 1970/1972 Graphic Design AKI Enschede Netherlands
Brenda Berman
1977 Lettering, City and Guilds of London Art School 1958 Painting, Bath Academy of Art, Corsham
Teaching Annet Stirling
1982-96 Lettering Department City and Guilds of London Art School
Brenda Berman
1980-96 Lettering Department City and Guilds of London Art School 1989-93 Head of Lettering Department City and Guilds of London Art School
They have also run 3 letter carving courses at Haysom’s Quarry Dorset
Professional Societies Annet Stirling
Founder Member Letter Exchange, Chairman 1994-97 , Treasurer 2012 - Fellow of Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society
Brenda Berman
Founder member Letter Exchange. Fellow of Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society
Collections Incisive Letterwork
Crafts Council Collection and numerous private collections, work in situ all over London
Publications Incisive Letterwork
‘Heavens Above’ published by igpublishers
Articles in various Crafts Magazines, Baseline, Forum, Sculpture Journal, Letter Arts Review, Alphabet and others.
solo exhibitions and curated exhibitions
2018 Curated ‘How do you want to be remembered’ LAC Snape
2007/19 Bucks Open Studios, yearly event Amersham
2015 Curated Cutting a Dash, Lettering Arts Centre Snape
2005 Heavens Above, Morley Gallery London
2001 The Ground Beneath Our Feet, Vardy Gallery Sunderland
2000 The Ground Beneath Our Feet, Morley Gallery London
Group exhibitions
2023 Buckinghamshire Craft Guild at Aylesbury Museum
2023 Wooburn Festival - Lead Artist
2021 On a knife Edge Lettering Arts Centre Snape
2019 Rock, Paper, Pixels Lettering Arts Centre Snape
2019 Lost Words Lettering Arts Centre Snape
2018 The Alphabet Museum Lettering Arts Centre
2018 An Elixir of Letters Chelsea Physic Garden
2017 Orchestra of Letters Lettering Arts Centre Snape
2016 The Space Between The Concert Hall Gallery Snape Maltings
2015 Cutting a Dash Lettering Arts Centre Snape
2015 Hopes and Dreams Letter Exchange, Snape and travelling
2013/14 26 Words Letter Exchange, London and travelling
2013 Adrian Henry Prize Twenty Twenty Gallery Much Wenlock
2012/13 Words Set Free Letter Exchange, London and touring
2012 Evolution: Frink and the next generation BU Atrium Gallery
2012 All that Glisters Oxo Gallery London and travelling
2011 Signs for Sounds Harley Gallery curated by Jeremy Theophilus
2010 Grammar and Heather Beetroot Tree Gallery Draycott
2009 Art and Memory Exhibition West Dean College Chichester
2009 Fresh Air Quenington Sculpture Trust Gloucestershire
2008 Living Language East Gallery Stratford London
2007/8 Henley Festival Henley on Thames
2007 Mill Dene Garden Blockley Gloucestershire
2007 Art Space Barn Galleries Henley on Thames
2005 The Standing Stone Wolsely Fine Arts London
2004 Living Letters The Prince’s Foundation London
2003 Presence and Absence Crawford Arts Centre St. Andrews
2003 Letter Exchange XV the Prince’s Foundation London
2002 Stone Words Needham Gallery London
2001 Exhibition of Inscriptions Roche Court nr Salisbury
2000 Views across the Lake Blickling Hall Norfolk
1999 Beyond Words Vardy Art Gallery, Sunderland
1999 The Pleasure of Influence Deans Court Wimborne
1998 The Art of Remembering Blickling Hall Norfolk
1998 Letter Exchange X Morley Gallery London
1997 Literary Quotations Wolseley Fine Arts London
1997 A Fresh Approach Orleans House Gallery London
1996 SSI 75th Anniversary Exhibition Leighton House London
1996 Words Revealed MAC Birmingham
1996 Individual Characters Southern Arts Touring Exhibition Service
1995 Codes and Messages Crafts Council London
1995 Works: Pure and Political with Ian Hamilton Finlay, Hamburg
1994 Letters of the Alphabet Cork Street Gallery London
1992 10 Maquettes with Ian Hamilton Finlay Victoria Miro Gallery London
1991 Beyond the Dovetail Crafts Council London
1989 Spirit of the Letter Crafts Council London