A Darker Thread, 15th July - 21st Oct 2017

I'm delighted to share with you my latest curation project, A Darker Thread, which opens at Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen on the 15th July at 2pm.  You are warmly invited to join us when the exhibition will be opened by the noted artist and academic Angela Maddock.

About the exhibition:

A Darker Thread 

Wales has a much celebrated tradition of creating both utilitarian and decorative textiles of distinctive design.  From power-loomed blankets to hand stitched quilts, textiles are a key part of Welsh visual culture and history.

Whilst ‘A Darker Thread’ takes this heritage as its starting point, twelve contemporary artists, designers and makers have been invited to exhibit work which subverts these expectations. 

Exhibitors have been selected for their focus on the curious, the provocative, the humorous, or the unpredictable. Some work might still feel comfortably familiar through its materiality or typically ‘Welsh’ colour palette of black, ecru and red; much hopefully, does not.

The work all consciously or subconsciously references and questions Welsh culture or sense of place: its language, folk tales, music, landscape, industrial past or contemporary subcultures. A variety of making processes are exemplified, but all make use of thread in some form.  

Exhibitors: Alana Tyson, EleriMills, Indre Eujenija Dunn, Jayne Pierson in collaboration with Neale Howells, Laura Thomas, Llio James, Philippa Lawrence, Rhiannon Williams, RozanneHawksley, Ruth Harries, Sally-Ann Parker and Spike Dennis.

To compliment the exhibition, the gallery shop featured maker is Stephen Hughes who is showcasing his new collection of luxurious digitally printed scarves.

There is also a rich programme of events running alongside the exhibition, which you can see detailed below:

Open Studio / Textile Extravaganza, Model House Craft and Design Centre, 30th June - 1st July

On Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July there are a host of textile related activities and events happening at Model House Craft and Design Centre in Llantrisant. My good friend and fellow Model House tenant, Michelle Griffiths is hosting a 'Textile Extravaganza', and inaugural event for her soon to be launched Resist Studio and Gallery, which will specialise in textiles.

The main focus of the gallery/studio/study centre will be exhibitions featuring shibori/tie-dye, batik, ikat, cyanotype resists and eco resist printing. A strong focus on natural dyes as well as textile artists living/working in Wales will also be made, whilst also bringing international textiles to the locality.

The suite of rooms (which are currently going through a period of renovation turning them from graphic design offices into bespoke exhibition and workshop space) will host full and varied workshop programme plus a reference library, talks, lectures, masterclasses, and sewing for pleasure classes.

I'll be having an open studio all weekend, and will be offering 25% off all purchases. Other confirmed exhibitors / demonstrators and retailers include:

Susan Bowers - Patchwork & Quilting Demonstrations

Susan Briscoe - Sashiko/Quilting Japanese Textiles

Joan Gordon - Couture Dressmaking techniques with the sewing machine.

Michelle Griffiths – Tie-Dye/Shibori Demonstrations
Ruth Harries & Lisa Porch of Fibre Art Wales – meet the artist
Felicity J Warnes - Rare, out of print, and second hand textile books. Including books on embroidery, spinning, weaving, dyeing, patchwork, and quilting.

Michelle will also giving tours of the new gallery space and discussing her future plans for exhibitions etc.

Hope to see you there!

Model House Craft & Design Centre, Llantrisant, CF72 8EB
Llantrisant is located between Cardiff and Bridgend – just off Junction 34 of M4.

warp+weft exhibition at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff

To and Fro by Ainsley Hillard



Ann Sutton



Hiroko Takeda

 

X-Ray Deress by Kathy Schicker on wall, various structures by Ann Sutton in cabinet, and White Sac by Priti Vega on plinth



Hiroko Takeda in foreground, Nuno in background

Nuno



Maelstrom by Lucy McMullen, loaned by ASF Shetland



Ann Richards



Kase by Nuno on right, Arc by Laura Thomas on plinth



Arc by moi



Ismini Samanidou & Gary Allson




Gallery shot




Neckpieces by Makeba Lewis



Monoliths by Ptolemy Mann



Sue Hiley Harris and Ainsley Hillard



Light Flow by Priti Vega on wall

Gallery shot

Monoliths by Ptolemy Mann in foreground



Sue Hiley Harris

Thought I'd share with you some exhibition shots of the warp+weft exhibition in its latest venue - Craft in the Bay in Cardiff. It was wonderful to hang the show in such a different venue to Oriel Myrddin. The exhibition was able to take on a new dynamic, with different visual links between work. I was also able to add the fantastic Maelstrom  by Lucy McMullen, generously loaned by ASF Shetland. 

The exhibition closes at Craft in Bay on the 20th Feb, so you've just got a week to catch it before it moves on to its next venue, Smith's Row in Bury St Edmunds.

As part of the accompanying programme of warp+weft related events at Craft in the Bay, Dr Keireine Canavan will be giving a talk on Bedouin Al Sadu weaving in Kuwait on Saturday 19th Feb at 11am. £3 donation towards Craft in the Bay education projects. Booking essential.

 

warp+weft: cross disciplanary approaches to weave symposium at The National Wool Museum, 11th Sept 2010



Dr Jessica Hemmings. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.

 To mark the opening of the warp+weft exhibitions at Oriel Myrddin and the National Wool Museum, Dr Jessica Hemmings kindly put together a brilliant symposium exploring the unexpected connections with weave.

The day begin with Jessica's introduction, highlighting some wonderful examples of practice within the art textiles sphere which is woven, or references the process of weaving.  My absolute favourite example was the 'Wind up: Walking the Warp' project by Anne Wilson.  I thought the below image was so powerful - a real visual spectacle which to a non-weaver must seem utterly bizarre.  It's also a profound comment on the passing of time, the nature of craftsmanship, and the power of process.  You can read more about this intriguing project here: http://www.annewilsonartist.com/windup-chicago-walking.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28703188@N02/4250155682/

Anne Wilson, “Wind-Up: Walking the Warp,” 2008
Photo: Surabhi Ghosh

The first invited speaker was Professor Lesley Millar, well known for her high profile curatorial projects such as Cloth and Culture, 21:21 and Through the Surface.  Lesley spoke eloquently about constructed narratives implicit in the weave process, a concept harnessed to great effect by many of the artists she has worked with in her curation projects.  At the end of her presentation she told us of her newly launched web gallery / educational resource for textile art, Transition and Influence.

Professor Lesley Millar. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.

We then had a presentation from Dr Wayne Forster, Head of the Welsh School of Architecture, which recounted much of the dialogue between Wayne and myself exploring the common ground between the architectural and textile disciplines.  You may remember I blogged last year about the Architextiles series of workshops I ran with Wayne at the School of Architecture.  Wayne presented many of the examples of cross disciplinary works in both textiles and architecture we'd come across in our research and how this fed into the workshops we ran for the first and second year architecture students.



Dr Wayne Forster. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd

 Following a very tasty lunch in the Museum restaurant, we returned to lecture from Andy Ross, the Director of ASF Shetland, part of the Centre for Creative Industries in Shetland.  A trained opera singer, Andy ensured that anybody veering towards a post-lunch lull was re-energised.  He opened by singing a traditional weavers song, and then proceeded to explain his absorbing creative journey between textiles and music exploring where the crossovers are, such as in language and rhythm. He even got the delegates singing - quite appropriate for Wales!


Andy Ross. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd

 During a coffee break there was then a screening of two short films by Matt Hulse Light Work: many hands and Anne Wilson’s Walking the Warp.

To conclude Ruth Greany, a textile trend researcher for WGSN talked about her former career as a woven fashion textile designer for Woven Studio and her work now at WGSN, exploring how trends are researched, identified, synthesised and presented to clients.

Ruth Greany. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd

The symposium generated a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm on the day - a real feeling that the weave fraternity is starting to find its voice.  It was referred to time and time again by speakers and delegates that weaving has not been seen as a sexy discipline and as a result just hasn't been in the limelight such as knitting has in recent years.Craft skills are under threat, there aren't many job opportunities for weave students to aspire towards, and there isn't a strong collectors market for art and craft textiles.  But little is to be achieved by just repeating these laments.  Weavers need to be working harder to bring what they are doing to the fore.  The exhibitions I've curated had this very aim - to celebrate the achievements of the creative and entrepreneurial weave artists and designers working in this field, to both inform the public and to act as inspiration to other weavers.  We need to create our own opportunities and keep striving to create the most extraordinary woven textiles thus claiming our rightful place as an important and stimulating applied art / craft / design area.

As a result of spending two days at the symposium and the various exhibition openings talking to a veritable 'who's who' in the world of weaving, I've been mulling over how to continue the momentum of interest and energy thats seems to have started.  Ideas are already forming, and I'll tell you about them once they start to become reality.  One thing I have decided to start now is a new blog which will record all the interesting weave related items I find happening in art  design, craft, science, industry and academia.  I spend a little too much time researching online and it would be wonderful to be able to share the suprising, curious, intrguing, beautiful weave related images and links I find with you.  It will also review exhibitions I go to, books I read, and any other curious snippets of relevant info.  I hope it will in time become a valuable resource for students, researchers and curators who are exploring weave in all its guises, but also the general art/design/craft enthusiast.  There's not much posted yet (only just started!) but please subscribe and tell your friends and colleagues about it too: http://www.thewarpandweftblog.blogspot.com/ 

Warp + Weft exhibitions and symposium...

The following is a press release for a series of exhibitions I am curating or coordinating.....

Ismini Samanidou (Photo: Toril Brancher 2010)

Makeba Lewis (Photo: Toril Brancher 2010)

Hiroko Takeda

Laura Thomas (Photo: Toril Brancher 2010)

Ann Sutton (Photo: Toril Brancher, 2010)

The Oriel Myrddin Gallery in Carmarthen is delighted to be presenting a long overdue exhibition of unexpected woven textiles by contemporary artists and designers who show a respect for tradition, yet are embracing new technology, aesthetics and making methods.

With generous support from The Laura Ashley Foundation, Warp + Weft will tell the story of contemporary weave in this oft overlooked field with a series of stunning works by the following artists and designers:

Ainsley Hillard
Ann Richards
Ann Sutton
Hiroko Takeda
Ismini Samanidou + Gary Allson
Kathy Schicker
Laura Thomas
Lucy McMullen
Makeba Lewis
Peter Collingwood
Priti Veja
Ptolemy Mann
Reiko Sudo (Nuno)
Sue Hiley Harris

Warp + Weft opens to the public on the 11th Sept and closes on the 30th October. The gallery is open Monday –Saturday 10am-5pm and admission is free. For further information please visit the Oriel Myrddin website.

Alongside this exhibition there will be a satellite exhibition at the National Wool Museum in Drefach Felindre, Carmarthenshire. Warp + Weft: from handloom to production will showcase weavers who have developed their practice into the commercial arena through collaboration with mills to produce contemporary woven textiles products for both fashion and interiors that retain a distinctive craft aesthetic. An exciting array of covetable textile goods will be presented from the following companies and designers:

Cefyn Burgess
Dashing Tweeds
Donna Wilson / SCP / Melin Tregwynt
Eleanor Pritchard
Margo Selby
The Linen Shop
Tim Parry Williams
Wallace and Sewell

The exhibition opens on 4th September and will close on 8th January 2011. The National Wool Museum opening times: April–September: open daily from 10am–5pm. October–March: Tues–Sat
10am to 5pm. Admission is free. For further information please visit the National Wool Museum website: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/wool/

To celebrate the opening of the two exhibitions, we are delighted that noted textile academic Dr Jessica Hemmings is directing a one day symposium entitled ‘Cross disciplinary approaches to weave’ at the National Wool Museum on Saturday 11th September. Speakers confirmed so far include:

• Professor Lesley Millar, curator of a number of key textile exhibitions in the last decade, including “Textual Space” and “Cloth & Culture Now”.
• Andrew Ross, Creative Director of ASF Shetland and GlobalYell Music will be speaking about the relationship between weaving and music www.creativeindustriesshetland.org.uk
• Ruth Greany, Textile Trend Researcher for Materials at WGSN will be speaking about trends in woven materials.
• Screenings of short experimental films will explore the rhythms of weaving at the Dovecot Tapestry Studio by filmmaker Matt Hulse and Anne Wilson’s recent “Walking the Warp” project.
• Dr Wayne Forster, Deputy Head of the Welsh School of Architecture will talk about the parallels between textiles and architecture.

There are limited tickets available for this event so early booking is highly recommended. Further details and a booking form can be found here: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/whatson/?event_id=4380

Alongside these events there are two further textile exhibitions for you to visit at The National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire. Fibre Art Wales will be holding its first ever ‘textiles in the open’ exhibition across the dramatic landscape of the Gardens. Fibre Art Wales patron Mary Lloyd Jones will be exhibiting alongside the following members of the group:

Alison Moger
Bethan Ash
Claire Cawte
Laura Thomas
Lisa Porch
Louise Bird
Michelle Griffiths
Ruth Harries
Ruth McLees

In The National Botanic Garden Of Wales gallery, there will be an exciting exhibition showcasing the diverse work of selected graduates, students and staff, from the BA Contemporary Textiles course in the West Wales School of the Arts, Coleg Sir Gâr. Exhibitors include:

Anita Bowyer
Danie Carter
Debbie Smyth
Elspeth Morris
Kelly Jenkins
Lisa Connelly
Liz Miller
Paula Philips Davies
Shellie Holden
Zoe Gealy

Both exhibitions at The National Botanic Garden of Wales open on the 10th Sept and close on the 30th November 2010. The gardens are open daily from 10am-6pm until the 28th October. Between the 29th Oct-28th March the opening hours are 10am-4.30pm.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales admission prices:
Adults £8.00
OAPS £6.50
Children (5-16) £4.00
Under 5’s are free
Family (2 Adults & up to 4 children) £19.50

Further details can be found here: http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/

For further information about the exhibitions please contact:

• Curator, Laura Thomas, info@laurathomas.co.uk
• Warp +Weft, Kathryn Campbell Dodd, Oriel Myrddin Marketing Officer, KCampbell@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
• Warp + Weft: from hand loom to production: National Galleries and Museums of Wales, Curator, Laura Thomas, info@laurathomas.co.uk
• BA Contemporary Textiles Course Director, West Wales School of the Art, Paula Philips Davies, Paula.Phillips@colegsirgar.ac.uk
• Fibre Art Wales exhibition coordinator, Laura Thomas, info@laurathomas.co.uk

Mastercrafts, Friday 12th March, 9pm, BBC2

Sorry for the extended silence on this blog..... just been too busy! Hopefully over the next week or so I'll have a bit of a flurry of blogging to update you on all that's going on for me at the moment.

But to begin, for those of you in the UK, do watch this Fridays episode of Mastercrafts on
BBC2 at 9pm.... dedicated to weaving. The lovely Margo Selby is the master crafts person leading the novices through their introduction to weaving. (Am guessing that those outside of the UK may be able to watch it after its aired on the BBC iplayer service?)

A series such as this looking at craftsmanship in a serious way is long overdue. I've really enjoyed the previous episodes and as a result have developed something of a need to go exploring green wood and blacksmithing!

Margo did come to interview me with her novices at the beginning of filming last October in Origin and apparently a snippet of me has made the programme. Am more than a little worried as I'm neither photogenic or comfortable on camera so I'll be watching that bit through my fingers!

Anyway, just make sure you bookmark it!

Can't wait!

Origin: The London Craft Fair at Somerset House

Origin: The London Craft Fair at Somerset House

Week Two: 13-18^th October 2009, Stand E1

For the third successive year I am delighted to have once again been selected to exhibit The Resonate Collection of textile art at Origin 2009.

Please do pop along to see me if you're in London next week. Details are as follows:

• Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 6pm
• Late closing Thursday - open until 9pm
• Last admission 5:15pm (Thursday: 8:15pm)

Somerset House
Strand
London
WC2R 1LA

Ticket prices:

Full price single entry	£10
Concession single entry	£8
Season Pass (unlimited entry)	£15
Concession Season Pass (unlimited entry)	£12
Under 12 years	Free
Guest with registered disabled visitor	Free

An illustrated catalogue is included in the price of admission.

For any further details, please check out the Crafts Council Origin website:

http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/origin09/

Look forward to seeing you there!

YSH London TEN exhibition

I'm delighted that to invite you to come and see some brand new work at the YSH London Ten exhibition next week, part of the London Design Festival. I'm exhibiting alongside some fantastic textile artists and designers in a great venue. I'll be at the show on the first day (Monday) so let me know if you can make it along! Hope to see you there!



YSH Press Release:


Yshlondon.com presents Ysh London Ten :
An innovative Textiles, Fashion and Interiors exhibition featuring Ten of the best UK-based designers, artists and recent graduates. Held at the exclusive Westbourne Studios, London from the 21st of September to the 25th 10am to 6pm, come and view these ten leading designers and artists amongst the amazing exhibition space of Westbourne Studios.

Concetta Gallo / Berit Greinke / Arantza Vilas / Pippa Caley / Marie Molterer / Laura Thomas / Ella Robinson / Kitty Joseph / Chloe Scadding / Debbie Smyth

Ysh London will also be exhibiting street fashion photographs from contributors based in London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Tokyo and Shanghai, and www.Yshlondon.com will be online at the exhibition for visitors to try out.

Exhibitors are hosting a pop-up shop containing amazing take-me-home treats; after shopping at our pop-up shop, feel free to relax in the member’s only plush Westbourne Studio’s bar afterwards!

Free admittance
Westbourne Studios, 242 Acklam Road, London, W10 5JJ
Tube; Westbourne Park - Hammersmith and city line
Bus; 28, 31 and 328

Sense Art Fair, London,

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update to remind you that I'll be in London this coming weekend exhibiting at the Sense Art Fair. I'll be showing a range of my Resonate sculptures but also some brand new miniature pieces starting at £9.50. They measure 5x5x2cm.



Details are as follows:

http://sensesummerartfair.tumblr.com/

DATE:
Private View 24 July 2009
Friday 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Main Show 25 & 26 July 2009
Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00pm

TICKETS:
Register for your free private view ticket:
http://sensesummerartfair.eventbrite.com/

CONTACT:
jhanne[at]senseworldwide.com
debbie[at]senseworldwide.com

DETAILS:
You are invited to a Summer Art Fair. You can browse and buy a selection of art pieces made by members of the Sense Network.

The Sense Network is a collaboration of creative thinkers and doers from around the world.

The idea came about as the perfect vehicle to promote the idea of the Sense Network and the Sensers themselves. The idea is simple. This show will be a platform for artists on the Sense Network to showcase their work.

Hope to see you there!

Ashes Vessel

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I was recently commissioned to design and make a celebratory vessel to commemorate the Ashes coming to Cardiff for the first time. On Thursday 9th July the vessel was presented by the Welsh Assembly Minister for Sport, Alun Ffred Jones to Dr John Bannon, director of Cricket Australia, at a media reception at Cardiff Castle.

The Ashes Vessel, was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government in partnership with the Arts Council of Wales and Safle - public art Wales. The vessel takes its inspiration from the spin of a cricket ball and will not only be a commemoration of the first test match to take place in Wales, but also a symbol of friendship between Wales and Australia. The vessel will then be displayed in the prestigious Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

This commission is the first piece of work that I have made that moves away from my previous geometric forms into a more fluid aesthetic. The vessel which measures 55x18cm, contains 33 taut, twisted hand woven ribbons in gold Lurex and black cotton. As the ribbons cast their shadows on the surface below, the layered twists and turns have dramatic visual impact that changes as you move your vantage point around the piece.

Alun Ffred Jones said:
"The presentation of this artwork means that Australia are guaranteed a trophy whatever happens in the rest of the Ashes series! The form of the piece seems suggestive to me of the flow of a closely-fought test match, with high points at the beginning and end and with twists and turns throughout its course. In that way, I hope that it reflects this first test match in Wales and brings back fond memories of the event for our Australian visitors."

David Alston, Arts Director for Arts Council of Wales, said:
"Arts Council of Wales is delighted to be a part of The Ashes Vessel Artist's Commission. Laura Thomas, an exceptional young artist, who recently received a Creative Wales Ambassadors Award, has created a stunning piece of work which is a fitting reminder of this momentous occasion for Wales."

Below are some stunning photographs taken by Kutchibok Design showing the piece from various angles:







And here we have some photo's from the Media Reception at Cardiff Castle. These photographs are courtesy of Steve Pope of Sporting Wales and must not be reproduced without his express permission. Please contact him directly if you want to use these images: steve@sportingwales.com

'Second Chance' sale at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff - 6-7 Feb

This coming weekend 7-8th Feb I will be taking part in a special sale at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff. 11 members of the Makers Guild in Wales will be selling 'last seasons stock and slight seconds' at hugely reduced prices..... I will be selling work at up to 75% off. I will have a selection of Resonate artworks, plus cushions, scarves and other items for sale - basically I need to clear some space in my studio!

Please do come along and see if there is anything that takes your fancy!

It will be upstairs in the conference room, open from 11am til 5pm.

All sales will be cash or cheque only as this is an event separate from the gallery.

Please tell any friends about this event.

Hope to see you there.

Laura x

Images from the Model House Craft and Design Centre solo exhibition

Just thought I would share a few photographs with you from the little solo show that is on at the Model House Craft and Design Centre at the moment......



The exhibition is on until the end of August.......