textiles2020: the show

Espacio Gallery, December 2020

In December 2020 we held a group show at Espacio Gallery – we were lucky to have chosen a week between lockdowns when the gallery was open!

You’ll find Matthew Ward’s virtual tours of the gallery here, and we thank him for many of the gallery photos on this page.

Thanks to everyone who visited the show, in person or online. We welcome your feedback – please leave comments at the bottom of this page.

Kate Beale

A single piece of flat white silk organza can be transformed into a delicate, asymmetric 3d form; it can be clamped, stitched and boiled to create beautiful shapes that seem alive, and have an energetic, almost pulsating quality. The organic, living qualities of these forms are enhanced through the use of vibrant colour. Each piece is dyed at least 3 times, creating intriguing layers of depth and texture. They are all alike, but each is unique. Suspended, they appear to float gently together in space.

Untitled – an installation

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Rachel Gillard-Jones

Rachel Gillard-Jones uses textiles found in the home to explore stitch, embellishment and fabric manipulation. Her artwork uses clusters as a form to showcase the stitches and techniques.  This exhibition focuses on textiles found in the kitchen, making something beautiful from items that are not normally considered for their aesthetic value.

The glorification of the domestic textile and the home setting seems particularly relevant now, as we are confined to the home in lockdown.

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

Many Hands Make Light Work

Many Hands Make Light Work, details

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Nina Gross

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

34 Days Missing

34 Days Missing, 180 x 150 x 30 (NFS)

Each strip of organza represents three of the thirty-four days that Alice, Nina’s sister, was missing. The pieces are themselves a reinterpretation of drawings, conveying the idea that memory is always a re-construction. There is a contrast between the desire to categorise and segment these memories neatly with the reality that they are not discrete units, but interchangeable flickers of clarity and haze. This is echoed through the transparency of the cloth and the change of perspective according to the viewer’s position.

34 Days Missing, Paper and ink (NFS)

These drawings were the starting point of the work, documenting the events and reports of the 34 days that Alice was missing. They take imagery and words from social media and news reports at the time, translating the digital footprint into something physical and tangible.

Each drawing has been re-interpreted in silk organza, using procion dye and hand stitch. Time is taken with each piece, quiet attention paid to each memory.

Days 1-12

Days 13-24

Days 25-34

Mournings

Small framed works of suspended silk organza and hand stitch. Displayed free-standing or hanging.

Instagram: @ninagrossartist

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Karina Haake

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

Karina’s work explores the influence of myth, dream and fairytale on her Scandinavian/Latin upbringing. In search of an image or concept that could capture the essence of these two distinct cultures, she discovered a photograph of herself as a young child, dressed up as Santa Lucia – the 3rd century Sicilian saint, celebrated in Sweden during the winter solstice; a symbol of light and hope even in the darkest of times. 

Inspired and fascinated by candlelight, fireflies, reflections and the Aurora Borealis – its angels and daemons, Karina uses drawing, collage, embroidery, embellishment and digital printing to express her deep love of colour on this journey from darkness into light. 

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Kathryn Hollingsworth

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

These wall hangings have evolved from Kathryn’s research into surgical sutures and studies of a healing wound. Through a process of abstraction combining lush colours and a technique called faux chenille – layers of fabric stitched and cut on the bias to create a tufted texture – she has created vibrant interpretations of bruising, cuts and raw flesh.

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Ceridwen Sooke

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

Lockdown Antidote

During the recent period of lockdown and pandemic Ceridwen has been exploring further the organic plant forms which she saw in her garden and in the surrounding countryside.  Her work continues to be based on her drawings and paintings which focus on close up details of structure, colour and texture.  Her interest has been in creating 3D pieces by taking very fragile materials and transforming them into stronger constructions while retaining their essential qualities of fragility, vulnerability and resilience.

Source material from my sketchbooks

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Annika Strandberg

Photos from Espacio

Annika is interested in story telling and where the tales might take us. A story is not fixed, it all depends on which way you look at it and the point of view. It can also change from day to day, the mood you are in and the opinions of others. In this work, Annika explores the relationship and interaction between different beings and invites the onlooker to make up their own story. What background stories could one of the Beings have? What could they be thinking? What might happen next?

Details

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Gill Swanson

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

Gill’s work explores colour and texture. Inspired by nature, much of her work has an organic style. By combining vibrant colours and textures and using a variety of techniques she seeks to create work that reflects the powerful colours of plants and flowers. She enjoys working in an intuitive way and as her directions change as she works, new ideas unfold along the way.

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Patti Taylor

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

The textile works depict fragments of such episodes – they show fragile human tenacity, brutal natural topography and inevitable tragedy.

All six crew were lost on the Brig Emma. These are the remains of their kit bags

Spurn Collage, details

Instagram: @patti.taylor44 website: www.patti-taylor.co.uk

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Veronica Thornton

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

The coastal work is inspired by aerial photography documenting changes of the last 20 years and visits to Happisburgh, Waxham and Winterton on the coast of East Anglia where the speed of erosion is clearly evident. Sea defences have been destroyed and breached, roads and buildings that were close to the cliffs twenty years ago no longer exist.

The Five coastal strips suggest erosion over a period of time and are read from left to right as the sea and tides eat away at the land until the original coast has almost vanished. Veronica uses an embellisher to fuse together recycled natural materials which are hand dyed. Areas are hand stitched to suggest texture of land and beach. She also incorporates fabrics which are frayed and distressed to demonstrate the fragility and changing nature of the coast.

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Yvonne Watts

Photos from Espacio, courtesy of Matthew Ward

Yvonne derives simple but dramatic botanical shapes from her own observational drawings of wild and exotic planting. These are used to create prints with polychromatic dye. She uses vibrant colours with layers of mark making to create highly imaginative compositions. She also uses paper mache and stitched organza to make tiny 3D plants.

Silk prints, 71 x 51cms. NFS

Collage compositions, 14 x 10cms. NFS

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