Warp & Weft by Jessica Hemmings

Oh, am sooooo delighted to announce that the latest book exploring contemporary woven textiles by Jessica Hemmings has now been published, and yes, it features some of my work. I got my copy last week and its brilliant - lots to inspire and intrigue for all interested in textiles. Put it on your Christmas wishlist!

My other blog.....

Just a quick little reminder that I have just set up another blog, where I will be collecting together all the interesting weave related 'stuff' that I come across on my travels and online research.  I hope in time it will build up to become a valuable source of information for everyone interested in contemporary woven textiles in art, design, craft, fashion, science and industry.

Please do follow this link to the warp and weft blog and if you like what you see, subscribe and forward the info on to your contacts.

Many thanks.

Some more photo's from the warp+weft exhibition at Oriel Myrddin

Have been delivering a series of gallery talks at Oriel Myrddin over the past few weeks, and took the opportunity before speaking to my West Wales School of the Arts textiles students last week to take some more pictures of the exhibition. The show is on until the 31st October.

Ptolemy Mann in foreground, Peter Collingwood, Ann Sutton and Hiroko Takeda on wall.



Ainsley Hillard

Ismini Samanidou with Gary Allson

L-R Ann Sutton, Hiroko Takeda

Laura Thomas

Reiko Sudo, Nuno

Reiko Sudo, Nuno

Priti Vega

Sue Hiley Harris

Makeba Lewis

Ann Sutton

Hiroko Takeda

Ann Richards

Kathy Shicker

Lucy McMullen

Ann Sutton

Hiroko Takeda

Priti Vega in foreground, Peter Collingwood and Ann Sutton on wall

warp+weft gallery talk at Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen, 2pm, 22nd Sept 2010

Just a quickie to let you know I am giving a gallery talk tomorrow about the warp+weft exhibition I've curated at Oriel Myrddin in Carmarthen.  Its at 2pm.  Directions etc can be found here: http://www.orielmyrddingallery.co.uk/

warp+weft: from handloom to production, The National Wool Musuem, Drefach Felindre, Carmarthenshire

Being a little bit of a glutton for punishment..... no..... full of enthusiasm for celebrating what's happening in the world of weaving, I decided that I wanted to have a second concurrent exhibition running alongside warp+weft at Oriel Myrddin.  I approached the National Wool Museum with the idea of putting together a show celebrating the achievements of eight weave designers who've developed their practice by working with mills to put their designs into batch production, and I was delighted that the Museum loved the idea.

This is the first time that the Museum has given over a space in the building to a contemporary, temporary exhibition, so there was lots that needed to be considered for the first time.  I was also very keen that the show should have a publication to accompany it and was thrilled that The Worshipful Company of Weavers were able to support this element of the project.

The concept behind this exhibition was to show the initial hand woven samples that the designers produce when developing their ideas, colour palettes, and structural choices, alongside the finished mill woven products.  I wanted to give an insight into the development and refinement element of the design process that many designers go through.  For some the changes made are significant, for others barely noticeable to the untrained eye.  I also wanted to shine a light on this niche area of manufacturing that the British mills are so good at serving.

The designers in this exhibition are:

Donna Wilson for SCP
Eleanor Pritchard
Wallace + Sewell
Fran White, The Linen Shop
Dashing Tweeds
Margo Selby
Tim Parry Williams
Cefyn Burgess

Please do go and see the exhibition, which is on until 8th January 2011. 

Donna Wilson designed Nos Da fabric on the Eadie chair for SCP

Donna Wilson for SCP

Tim Parry Williams fabrics

Tim Parry Williams fabrics made into garments by other fashion designers

Wallace + Sewell

Wallace + Sewell

Wallace + Sewell handwoven samples

Light reflective jackets by Dashing Tweeds

Margo Selby

Fran White, The Linen Shop

Fran White's sketchbook and hand woven samples

Eleanor Pritchard

Cefyn Burgess

warp+weft, Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen

It's been nearly 2 years since I first started talking to Meg Anthony, the curator at Oriel Myrddin Gallery about warp+weft, an exhibition celebrating contemporary woven textiles.  Two years ago, September 2010, seemed like light years away...... well it soon came around!

The last couple of months have been an absolute hive of activity - I now have a much better appreciation of the background work that goes into curating an exhibition!  The catalogue itself was a huge amount of work, and I don't think I have ever laboured so much over my words.  The photography sessions with Toril Brancher were fantastic and even though it was agonising making some of the graphic design decisions such as what to put on the cover, I hugely enjoyed working with Heidi Baker, our wonderful catalogue designer. With Meg, I think we made a formidable team.

You may have read on my earlier posts that the connecting thread for the exhibition was that all the selected weave artists and designers take a decidedly unexpected approach to weaving. Ainsley Hillard incorporates a transfer print process to integrate ghostly images; Ismini Samanidou is collaborating with Gary Allson to make CNC drawings and milled wood surfaces deriving from her hand woven samples; and Priti Vega works with fibre optics, magnets, light reflective yarns, amongst other intriguing materials to create her striking works.  The show also includes some icons from the world of weaving - Ann Sutton, Peter Collingwood and Reiko Sudo (NUNO) - inspirations for all interested in the construction of ingenious textiles.

Below are a few images from the exhibition.  There will be more to follow.  Please do try and visit the show which is on until the end of October.  Please also buy the very lovely catalogue..... a bargain at £12.50!

The catalogue with Ptolemy Mann's Monoliths on the cover



The private view on 10th Sept 2010. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.



Arc, by Laura Thomas. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.

Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.



Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.



Makeba Lewis. Photo: Toril Brancher.



Priti Vega. Photo: Toril Brancher



Ann Richards. Photo: Toril Brancher

Nuno. Photo: Toril Brancher

Sue Hiley Harris. Photo: Toril Brancher

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