The theme of home life - the domestic scene - was interpreted by artists from around the country and featured a range of textile works from soft sculpture and 3D weaving to fabric collage and embroideries.
The Artists and Their Works:
Jane McKeating (Stockport) drew her inspiration from the different patterns, colours and paraphernalia of domestic surroundings and from the relationship between the inhabitant and her living space - formed in the "daily battle to keep the inevitable mess in order: the point where control is lost and confusion is rife".
Her works were created from pieces of cotton fabric which were dyed, painted, hand- and machine embroidered, cut layered, stitched and restitched. She used the 'Irish' industrial sewing machine to obtain the scribble effect of a crayon. Jane is a member of the Women Artists Slide Library.
A selection of cards featuring prints of Jane's work, were on sale in the Gallery.
Miranda Bune (Hereford)
Her works were in the form of wall hangings - hand painted, appliquéd and embroidered. Most of them were realistic scenes or still-lives of delightful detail; all were enhanced by highly decorated and finely detailed borders.
Sarah Platman (Somerset) having reduced her boyfriend's china from a 30 piece to a 19 piece set, decided to create a paper tapestry woven tea set, called "Ming Without The Sting".
Sarah weaves tapestries entirely from paper - including a paper warp- on an upright scaffolding frame. She uses any kind of pliable paper which has an interesting texture, colour or pattern. She adds additional colour with hand-painting, using inks, dyes or paints. She uses paper because: "it's a good excuse to read the Beano!"
Karl Eversley the Blackie artist in residence was working on 'Portrait of a Living Room' during this exhibition.
A Welsh dresser was also on display loaned by Ryan-Wood Antiques, Seel Street, Liverpool 1.
Links:
Machine Stitch: Perspectives by Alice Kettle & Jane McKeating