Window on Weaving, a BTG exhibit
The British Tapestry Group has a new online show, “Window on Weaving”, currently up for viewing on their website. The physical exhibition was recently held at Haslemere Educational Museum in May of this year.
This show is unique in that it introduces a new feature on their website which allows them to display works in relative sizes similar to how they might look in a gallery hung together, referred to as “walls”.
Each exhibition includes a Foyer with information on the exhibit followed by walls of artists’ work hung together. Each of the works can then be viewed individually with a pop-out for more information on the artist and the work displayed. The last wall lists all the artists participating in the show.
It took me a little while to get the hang of it, but it’s really pretty simple to use. Using the arrow buttons at the top of the screen enables you to move from one wall to another. Clicking on any image, you can then use the arrow buttons to continue from one to another and find more information on each by clicking on the title and artists’ name above the work.
In his Curator’s Comments (Foyer wall), Mike Wallace states that…
“The work exhibited in this, our 5th exhibition, is an expression, both of the diversity of the weavers who created the pieces on display, as well as demonstrating the vast potential of the techniques involved.”
When I saw this show, it reminded me of the blog posts I wrote highlighting work from the 2020 Renditions online exhibit from ATA. So I thought it might be fun to do a post similar to that on this show.
Keep in mind, there are 53 works in the exhibit (from 36 BTG artists over 6 walls) and I show only a fraction of those. I had no criteria other than which ones struck me at the moment. As with the Renditions posts, I could go back through and most likely choose 10 more totally different pieces on another day!
Marianna Mele, The Wood, 54 by 45.5 cm (21.25 inches by 18 inches)
This first one is by Marianna Mele, The Wood.
Of course, I love this one! The different colors and fiber choices - along with techniques chosen, really capture the spirit of the woods. She lists in her description some of the fibers chosen, notably fine silk for the roots. Makes me want to see this more closely.
Mike Wallace, Standing Stones, Orkney, 40 cm by 40 cm (16 in by 16 in)
Standing Stones, Orkney by Mike Wallace
In the same way that I loved the colors and mood of the previous one, I enjoy the tranquility and strength of those stones in this image. And the color blending! You can see more of Mike’s work on his website.
Annabella Harding, Landscape, 30 cm by 30 cm (11.75 in by 11.75 in)
Annabella Harding, Landscape
Annabella writes that she “uses small woven squares to abstract the image of a large landscape” - Which is exactly what I enjoy about this tapestry, too. It looks like a fun way to work. I especially like those blue squares in the foreground coupled with the blue at the top and the way the colors are broken up in the sky.
Annabella has a page on the BTG Showcase you can view here.
Julie Davies, Ooops! 20.3 cm by 18.5 cm (8 in by 7.25 in)
Ooops! by Julie Davies
Julie has a couple of pieces in the show, both of which she attributes to inspiration from the realm of quantum physics. What fascinated me was reading that she “designs by working with paint on large sheets of paper allowing the paint to flow and mix” until images that she likes emerge.
Visit Julie’s IG page to see more of her work.
Jane Brunning, Dancer 2, 16 cm by 25 cm (6.25 in by 9.75 in)
Jane Brunning, Dancer 2
This one is fun in the capture of the graceful poise and movement of a dancer. The choice of unwoven warp creates a puppet-like effect that enhances that movement. Her thoughtful choice of fibers (silk for embellishment of dress and shoes and raffia for the hair) certainly adds to it, too.
And this last one is unusual for me. I’m not usually drawn to images with people in them, but this piece has so much going on!
Peter Hall, Reflections, 28 cm by 38.7 cm (11 in by 15.25 in)
Refections by Peter Hall
Peter Hall states: “I like weaving with a limited palette- black, brown and white, although in this work, I have in fact used over 30 different colours.” Wow; doesn’t that make you want to see this up close? And see Peter’s other work? I find this a really compelling image not just for the mysterious quality, but the entire composition. Those swirls around the figures and the little patches of color truly work to emphasize the focal point of the two figures. And the light!
The Foyer wall also includes an informative article on “What is Tapestry” for those that are unfamiliar with the medium. It links to a longer article with examples of both what is Tapestry and what is not Tapestry. The article helps to clarify the misconceptions many have as to what Tapestry really refers to.
As I mentioned earlier, this is only a fraction of wonderful tapestries on display.
In other words, go look at the show. Follow BTG on Instagram!
Find those that resonate with you!
(This post is in two parts, watch for Part Two next week.)