Category Archives: 62 group of textile artists

Textiles: The Art of Mankind

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Just got my copy of Textiles: The Art of Mankind by Mary Schoeser. It’s an impressive and lavishly illustrated large tome 24 x 29 cms in size with over 1,000 full colour illustrations. Looking forward to reading and re-reading this fantastic reference book. I immediately looked in the index for my name as I had been informed that some of my work would be included in the book. Oh my goodness, my portrait of my husband in Barcelona ‘David as Dali‘ 2010 is there full page, in all its glory on page 350. My Grandparents portrait ‘Loaves and Fishes’ 2010 is also there on page 348. The book is  published by Thames & Hudson ISBN 978-0-500-51645-4 and is available on Amazon.

Review of the Knitting & Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace, 2012

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Now the dust has settled from my week in London I will show you some of the highlights of the 62 Group ‘Package Tour’ stand at Alexandra Palace. My favourite has to be Audrey Walker’s ‘Still Life’ a simple still life featuring a gin bottle. A masterful use of a simple straight stitch. The piece reminds me of what I was taught at Goldsmiths by Constance Howard in the 1970s which is that we stitchers don’t need to know hundreds of stitches we just need to use the ones we do know well. See my full review of the show at : http://www.textileartist.org/review-of-the-knitting-stitching-show-alexandra-palace-2012/

Two more highlights for me which show the diversity of the group are Heather Belcher’s felt ‘Blanket’ and Helen Weston’s ‘Chink in the Armour’ which are also shown below.


 

Link

Some Things never Change

The Knitting and Stitching Show is nearly upon us and I shall be travelling to London for the first show at Alexandra Palace next week. I am helping to install the 62 Group of Textile Artists’ ‘Package Tour’ exhibition and will also be on our Stand TGJ3 on Thursday afternoon.

My work ‘Some Things never Change’ can be seen in the exhibition. For more information about this work click on the “Some Things Never Change’ link above.

I am looking forward to seeing how fellow members of the group have risen to the challenge of fitting their work within a box of a set size. As I usually present my own work on a stretcher and sometimes frame it I decided to make my work as a hanging and roll it up to make it fit into the box.

It will be great to meet lots of new people at the show and there will be the opportunity to buy the 62 Group book, RADICAL THREAD, on the stand at a special Knitting and Stitching Show promotional price of £15 which is a saving of £4.50 on the recommended retail price. The book which celebrates our 50th Anniversary, is a great read.

Image

Paint • Stitch • in progress 2

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In the early morning listening to Radio 4 the news all seems to be bad. My most recent piece is called Some things never change. The need to make this work was triggered by an interview with a mother telling the reporter of the fate of her children aged 12,10 and 5 , killed by mortar fire in a war that was not hers. As a mother myself the interview deeply affected me. I have never been a particularly political person but I feel the need to speak out, in my own way, about the victims of these senseless conflicts. Born in 1913 my Dad was a child of the 1st World war, the so called the war to end war and I have used his image, along that of his siblings, as a mechanism to portray the plight of children still caught up in war in 2012. Thousands of kisses cover a concrete pillar for those who will never receive them. The images are of the work in progress.



62@50

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The 62 Group of Textile Artists, of which I am an exhibiting member, celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. Their largest exhibition of this celebratory year, 62 @50 opens tomorrow at the Holden Gallery in Manchester with the majority of the exhibiting members represented. I have had three pieces selected for the show and am looking forward with anticipation to seeing what other members have produced when I visit the gallery later this week. I am also looking forward to meeting visitors to the exhibition on 2nd and 3rd August when I will be stewarding. Find more information about this exhibition and my work for the show on my website : www.womanwithafish.com

one 3 pieces selected for 62@50

Stitch • Paint • In Progress

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 I decided I was getting a bit set in my way of working and becoming a bit formulaic! 

Time to experiment and take a slightly different direction. More of a development than a radical change but nevertheless a new challenge.

I have worked in mixed media before with varying degrees of success using photography and stitch and also weaving and stitch but this time I am combining paint with stitch.

Stitch is still very much the dominant discipline but in my new pieces, the paint , whilst bringing a new dimension is fully integrated with the stitch.

Offerings @ Collect

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I finally made it to Collect yesterday and there was a treat in store for me in the Project Space. I have been following Lucy Brown’s progress with Offerings on her blog and her work at Collect did not disappoint. The grey ribbon warp works really well within the space and there are little gems of intricate woven fabrics and flashes of coral to catch the eye. The show runs until Monday 14th May so do get down there if you can. 
See more of Lucy’s work at Unravelling Nymens

Interventions Exhibition, Platt Hall Manchester

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On a dull, drizzly day in February I visited  Interventions,the first exhibition of the 62 group’s 50th Anniversary year at Platt Hall, Manchester which runs until 19 May 2012.
The Gallery of Costume is housed in an imposing Grade 2* Georgian building set within
Platt Fields Park and I was looking forward to seeing how other members had responded to the Museum’s Collection. 
26 members of the group are represented in the exhibition and the work shown covers the 
whole gamut of disciplines. 
The main exhibition space is small but beautifully curated. The contrasting styles of work 
sit well together and give a glimpse into the ethos of the group.

The juxtaposition of Jeanette Appleton’s Dressed to Dine, a beautiful life size felted china 

collection, the contrast of hard and soft reminiscent of the work of Claus Oldenberg, and the cast concrete of Ann Goddard’s impressive piece Secret Support ( Extra Firm Hold) was sublime. 

images below : top : Jeanette Appleton : Dressed to Dine/ bottom: Ann Goddard ; Secret Support (extra firm hold)


Quite a few members used construction: of cloth, of paper patterns, of garments, of lace and of undergarments, as a starting point for their work whilst others found inspiration in the Museum’s Accessories Collection. Boots & shoes, hats, baby bonnets, bags, parasols, and neckties were all represented as was the Museum’s fascinating Button collection. 
A number of members used collected and/ or recycled clothing to give a more personal 
and autobiographical response. 
All in all I thought it was a great start to the year for the group.

Don’t forget you can buy the new 62 Group book RADICAL THREAD which showcases and celebrates 50 years of the group at www.62group.org

A Good Read

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What a stimulating day it was yesterday. First my copy of the new 62 Group book RADICALTHREAD dropped through the letterbox, closely followed by my copy of SELVEDGE magazine. Nether disappointed me.
Audrey Walker MBE, Alice Kettle, Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn, and Tilleke Schwarz are all in the RADICALTHREAD book which profiles 57 current members of the 62 group, including myself and gives an insight into the innovation and the creativity of the group which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.My piece Family with Fish is featured on page 112.

Preview the book
Order a copy of the book

I spent last night reading it and I can tell you it is a great read. Let me know YOUR thoughts on the book.

SELVEDGE magazine is an equally good read this month. My favourite article is written by June Hill and is called Strong Influence. It outlines the influence a good teacher has on their student. It was of particular interest to me as I was lucky enough to have been taught at Goldsmiths by Constance Howard, Christine Risley and Eirian Short who are featured in the article alongside Audrey Walker and Alice Kettle who are fellow members of the 62 group.
There is also a great article called Thouroughly Modern Mode which champions the allure of demure clothing.This definitely appeals to me. I gave up exposing any body parts in public years ago!

62 Group of Textile Artists 50th Anniversary Year

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Well the new year has started with a bang and the first 62 group exhibition of this, our 50th 

anniversary year starts on 11 January at the Gallery of Costume, Platt Hall, Rusholme, 

Manchester M14 5LL.


My new work A Lot can Happen in 50 Years (image below) can be seen in the exhibition which 

runs until 19 May 2012. More information about this work can be found on my website.

The new year also sees the publication of the new 62 Group book 

RADICAL THREAD • see a preview of the book • order the book