Festival of Quilts, 3 down, 1 to go

Hi everyone,

Sorry not to have blogged. After long days I'm afraid I've just been too tired, but tonight I have some energy left so here are a few pictures from the Through Our Hands exhibition so far...

Here's one from set-up day - Susan Lenz who's flown in from the US to personally install her amazing piece of work Wall of Keys. Susan's one of the artists who's joined us recently, if you're not yet familiar with her work do check out her website.

Annabel and I have called this exhibition Maker, Making, Made and we wanted to reflect the working practise of the artist, as well as hang the finished works. To that end, there are information panels interspersed with the work telling a little about what the artist was inspired by. There are also photos of them at work, or of their studio spaces which we hopes help to provide and interesting insight.

Most importantly we wanted there to be an element of surprise and entertainment in the exhibition. So often quilt shows can be a little predictable and static and we were looking to do something different. In the centre of the gallery is an island with four pieces of work which are gradually changing appearance over the course of the four days.

There's always been a steady stream of visitors stopping to see what's happening...Annabel's quilt is gradually being painted with more and more detail being added each day.

Meanwhile, Clare Smith has sent us more of her incredible pojagi pieces. Here is Bitter Harvest being dripped with dye. Each day we have added a new colour to the cups at the top of the installation. Throughout the day the colour seeps through the seams and travels down the length of the hangings splitting and merging as it goes. 

Clare has also made a new variant on this idea for the exhibition. This one, Canary in a Coal Mine, is pieced with some fabrics that have been stained with dye, but left so that the colour is fugitive. This piece is being dripped with water causing the dye to bleed and travel across the surface.

The final piece that's changing is mine and Linda's. Here it is on day one.

 And gradually we've been cutting away at it, revealing a secret quilt hidden behind the top layer.

 

Here's how I left it tonight, almost revealed, just a few more sections of the top fabric to cut away.

That's just a quick taster of what we have on display in the Through Our Hands gallery. There's so much more brilliant work to show you. I'll be taking more pictures tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping by here and if you can make it to the show for the last day we'd love to see you.

Laura

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