Thursday 24 October 2013

Two exhausting days

It's been a couple of busy days.  I have been chasing applied art exhibitions.  Yesterday I went to the Contemporary Applied Art Gallery in Southwark, followed by the V&A Embroidery & Tapestry lecture.

The CAA gallery has a current exhibition of Model: Making which although detailed, did not particularly interest me.  Lots of 3D printing that shows the development from 2D to 3D in form. However the layout and lighting of lots of applied art pieces was fascinating.  It is a gallery that sells furniture, ceramic, glass, textile, metal and jewellery.  The exhibitions change every 6-8 weeks so there is good reason to return on a regular basis and it is also en-route to Tate Britain so easy to pop in.  I had quite a chat to the assistant and she said the jewellery and textiles were the best sellers, which surprised me a bit.  I thought textile would be passé but, having looked at what textiles were on display, there were some lovely screen printed cushions that fitted a lovely 3 seater bench (#1,600) and lots of lovely scarves priced from #45-#175, which might fit them into the trendy London gift market.

Helen Carnac had a panel of 5 enamel pieces c3" x 2", totalling #2,440.  These were individually drawn, scratched and rusted.  A very rough and ready finish but very, very appealing.  Jewellery was on display in various media and prices started at #30 to #150 depending on maker and media.  Ceramics and glass were lovely, and all showed the mark of the hand, often by making globular objects not perfectly spherical.  Absolutely lovely.  Clear glass was beautifully lit, so the imperfections in the glass formed shadows on a white wall.

The V&A lecture was great, but as it was about foreign embroidery and tapestry, and this is not my field, I'm not going to write up my notes!

This morning I had my swim, and during this, identified the conclusions about my practice that I want to draw in my presentation on Monday.  1. My work is all about me; 2. My work is all about women; and 3. It is all about respect and recognition of under-valued people. (This might also be the entree for thought for a Masters, in that I could also get very interested in work done by migrant workers).

Today I went with Jim to see the Pinpoint Exhibition at One Church Street.  Vanda was selected to exhibit and her combined found objects (broken scissors and chandelier pendant) looked fantastic.  I unexpectedly met friends from another textile group there.  It was most interesting to consider how different people read the exhibition.  Libby et al appeared to look at the work as textile makers, find their friends' and peers' work, recognise the familiarity and admire it.  Whereas I got the book of artists statements, identified the work that intrigued me, and read the artist's reasoning behind the piece.

I liked Richard McVetis' piece 5 O'clock Shadow.  This was a grid of tiny hand stitches, with a voided person towards one corner.  He referred to the majesty and grandeur of the hand, seeking silent and subtle qualities by filling space intuitively, making thought permanent and representing day-to-day activities.  This appeals to me as I like the mundane, and the link with the intimacy of hand stitch.  I also  very much like black and white at the moment (which is unusual for me, as I am usually a colourist).

Charlotte Brown had hand cast a lead medal, mounted on a fine knitted silk ribbon.  This was commenting on medals, awarded for heroics, that actually represent on a very grim situation. She used lead - a non-precious metal, and knitted silk worked on defunct machinery.  Her traditional techniques address human experience.  I very much comprehend this.  She is making "invested objects" - things imbibed with emotional worth that outweighs a material value.  She uses honest materials to disconcert and defy expectation in the manner in which they are combined.  Absolutely wonderful concept of materials.  Her practice is researched in Freud and repression - another field for me to read around (just not yet, save this one for later!).

I am now home, have made bread and soup, and we are just relaxing before tea.  Then tomorrow we rush off to Bradford to see Cloth & Memory 2.  But at least I can say I have taken on board the feedback to look at more applied art.

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