Yesterday my duodidactic friend and I braved forecasts of apocalyptic rain to travel up to London to see Bite Size an exhibition of miniature textiles at the Diawa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. The day was gloriously sunny, and the exhibition was stunning, delightful, thought-provoking, and inspirational - so well worth the trip!
The work above, Flower Heads by Michael Brennand-Wood 25 x 20 x 20cm, is one of the brightest examples. So many of the pieces are understated but breathtaking in their achievement.
One such is Lead XV by Sue Lawty 24 x 24cm (above is a detail). It is woven lead. Extraordinary in that it is so simple, elegant, powerful, and quietly redolent of the heavy noise of early battle!
The exhibition is curated by Lesley Millar who has brought so much of what is happening in textiles to our attention over the past ten years or so. I suspect that she has also stimulated many artists into broadening their outlooks and their ambitions by bringing so many of them together, either directly in collaborations in the past (such as Through the Surface), or simply in introducing them and their work to each other.
I as an onlooker have certainly been a most grateful beneficiary, not only from the great input, but more important for me, has been the inspiration. It never ceases to amaze me that seeing brilliant work such as Eilish Wilson's Jabara 1 20 x 20 x 20cm(pictured below),
or Diana Harrison's Damage (work in progress) 22 x 23cm stretched on a square of tiny pins,
or Chiyoko Tanaka's Mud Dyed Cloth - Twig and White Dots #279 12 x 13cm (below)
none of which is remotely like my own work can have my brain buzzing with ideas on the train journey home, and through the night, and still developing now, .... And those ideas are for my work - again not anything like those images which I hold still precious in my memory.
There is an excellent and delightful small square catalogue which on each double page spread presents a large clear photo of each piece of work with a comment from the artist opposite, available for sale. If you go to the exhibition take your cheque book with you, because they can only accept cheques. And do go to the exhibition if you can!
4 comments:
...and a satisfying read. I enjoy these vicarious visits with you to the many exhibitions you visit. Perhaps one day I might be able to join you on one of those excursions.
I thought of you last night when we were at a concert. The lobby has changing displays of work by local artists, and this time it was of quilt work, mostly very contemporary in design and technique. I know you don't do 'quilt' per se, but it still made me think of you and so many other fabric artists whose blogs I read. Good thing I left my money at home though my favourite piece was not for sale anyway.
Thank you Marja-Leena.
It is interesting how many small displays at venues like your concert hall lobby can be utterly delightful - sometimes even more so than big exhibitions.
Thanks for this. It looked so exciting that I've booked for the talk by Lesley Millar in December. Hope they will still have some catalogues left, I doubt I can visit the exhibition before the 6th.
Mags, I hope that you enjoy the talk.
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