Unravelling History: Unpicking the Collections and Reworking Textile Traditions
at the Leamington Art Gallery.
The work of six internationally renowned textile artists from the Midlands.
Lismore's life-size fabric sculptures are constructed by hand. He wears many of his pieces and the faces are modelled on his own. Each piece is assembled from repurposed garments and objects collected over his time or gifted to him by friends, such as Vivienne Westwood.
His work is about embracing identity unapologetically. His sculptures often evoke the presence of armour, featuring chain mail, military badges and medals. Each sculpture bears the title of a military rank.
The Field Marshall incorporates some of Lismore's earliest experiments in painting on fabric, developed during lockdown. The design has been inspired by the bluebell flower.
The Field Marshall incorporates some of Lismore's earliest experiments in painting on fabric, developed during lockdown. The design has been inspired by the bluebell flower.
I saw an exhibition of his work in Coventry three years ago and you can see that here
For these quilts, Rainbow selected colours and patterns far removed from her usual palette. The combination of lime greens, magentas and oranges on a deep red background is unconventional, but creates a sense of balance and unity amidst the contrast. The aim is to express that harmony can be achieved despite our differences and that fostering greater understanding towards one another is essential.
Stephanie Redfern, Puppet Series (paper, fabric, mixed media)
These puppets (four) were envisioned by Redfern as characters for stop-motion animation. Each puppet is individually articulated and can be deconstructed for her to use. The ground material of the puppets and their mounts is Khadi paper: this cotton-based, heavy-weight, and can be stitched like textile. Each piece is heavily and intricately embellished with beading, fabric, paper and even ceramic.
Laura Kemshall, Everything You Could be
The Cat Who Walks by Herself
Best Beloved (mixed media: machine stitching, acrylic on cotton and canvas)
The subject of this series is Kemshall's daughter and two of their titles are from Rudyard Kipling's Just So stories.
The pieces are a reference to how a young person has the world at their feet and can be anything they want.
This quilt showcases Kemshall's skill mixing both stitch and painting techniques. She starts by creating a digital print, which she then uploads to her machine to produce the stitched pattern. Other areas are created with free-hand machine quilting and handpainted with acrylic.
Annabel Rainbow, Memento Mori - Throw Your Soul Open to the Sun, (mixed media (free-hand machine quilting, acrylic on cotton)
This quilt serves as a reminder to embrace the present and cherish the gift of existence, encouraging us to seize the day and find happiness amidst life's uncertainties. Inspired by Victorian samplers, it juxtaposes common hand stitch techniques with freehand machine stitching. 22ct gold leaf is used on the crosses to emphasise life's preciousness.
Annabel Rainbow, Memento Mori -Stepping Off the Edge, (mixed media (free-hand machine quilting, acrylic on cottong)
This quilt ponders life's transcience through images like egg timers, clocks and decaying flowers. A bronze figure stepping off the edge represents the journey into the unknown after death. A child's toy, honesty seedheads, and a raven, each carry symbolic meanings of protection, wisdom and fate. The piece includes stitching techniques that reference children's embroiders samplers.
Laura Kemshall, Hand Me Down, (mixed media: free-hand machine quilting, acrylic on cotton)
The passing of knowledge and skills through generations of women. The quilts feature the hands of Kemshall's grandmother, mother, herself and her daughter. Four generations of women, all together, all connected.
Jennie Moncur, Wafts and Waves, woven on a wool warp, with wool and linen weft)
Moncur uses colour in an abstract way to form 'jigsaw' compositions. Areas of single colours are juxtaposed with complex floral patterns, creating views of the natural world, framed in bold, fragmented architectural forms.
Inspired by WH Auden's Madrigal, Frost felt an empathy with the coal miners of the Midlands. The sharp angels and dark tones of the painting evoke an industrial landscape under a grey sky. Madrigal marks a turning pointin Frost's artistic development, where he moved away from traditional compositions and began to embrace the abstract style he would make his own.
Linda Kenshall, Madrigal Study Panel, (mixed media: free-hand machine quilting, acrylic on cotton and canvas)
Linda Kemshall, Madrigal, (mixed media: free-hand machine quilting, acrylic on cotton and canvas)
Reflecting the industrial subject matter of Madrigal, Kemshall uses overlapping applique and acrylic paint over dark ground cloth to suggest a built-up, congested street scene in places, and a transparent overlay hints at the smoke of industry.
Linda Kenshall, Madrigal Study Panel, (mixed media: free-hand machine quilting, acrylic on cotton and canvas)
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