New Year, New Work, (in progress)
A very Happy New Year.
Christmas and New Year have raced by for another year and I now find myself saying it is nearly the end of January. It is hard to believe.
I have spent quite a lot of time during the past year immersed in making a new body of work entitled “Trace” for the Craftspace exhibition” Made in the Middle” that will be launched at mac birmingham on 11/02/12. It is a touring exhibition that provides an exceptional opportunity to show the work of a number of makers that are part of the wealth of talent that live and work throughout the East & West Midlands, makers in the middle. The exhibition is a partnership between Craftspace and mac birmingham in collaboration with The National Centre for Craft & Design. My inspiration for Trace is more fully explained in the Upcoming Events section however, I must also mention that the exquisite work of Kay Sekimachi continues to be an endless font of inspiration. It has been quite a journey of research, reflection and collaboration. I have been learning new skills, meeting new people and spending far too much time on ebay.
I would particularly like to mention Juraj Matejik who is a fabricator and maker of historical shoes. We collaborated on the fabrication of the pair of shoes for Trace. Usually, he makes shoes using different leathers but when I asked if he could make a pair out of my hand woven fabric he was excited by the challenge. After a meeting at my studio, he took some of my fabric away with him and later after telephone and email exchanges he brought back a pair of shoes that contain just the right amount of historical detail for my purposes. Brilliant! His website is: http://www.np-historicalshoes.com
I must also mention that I was lucky enough to play host to two student placements during the summer, Jodie and Natasha. Both brought differing perspectives to the studio and showed enthusiasm for the developing new work. It is so much nicer to go on a field trip with a like minded person. Thank you Jodie and Natasha for your input.
Jodie Hatton - Student Placement with Jan Garside.
So, today is my last day working with Jan and the past fortnight has flown by! I’ve had many experiences, from meeting makers and visiting clients to chatting with the extras on a film set, ( The latter being not strictly part of work but definitely a notable experience!)
It has been great to have the opportunity to get out and about and meet other makers in their studios and see the different ways which people work, it has given me lots to think about in terms of my own practice and where I am heading.
I have particularly loved helping Jan with her research for an up and coming exhibition project and seeing how she approaches new work.
I mostly wanted to learn more about how to set myself up as a weaver in the future by seeing how Jan works and how she has reached where she is now. The past fortnight has definitely helped me get my head around how everything works and Jan has been brilliant in answering my questions.
Before I head back home I just want to thank Jan for giving me the opportunity to learn from and work with her and for how generous she has been with her time.
Bye for now!
Jodie Hatton
Student Placement with Jan Garside
I am a weave student from Derby University just about to begin my third year. I started my work placement with Jan yesterday and have already learnt so much from her, we have discussed weave and business which has really helped me begin to get to grips with all the things I need to know. Yesterday we talked through my ideas for my third year project. I did some sketches for and experimented with some weaves on my loom as a result.
Today we went to Nottingham to pick up some of Jan’s work which had come back from the Paris exhibition. We unpacked it when we got back and so I got a chance to see some of Jan’s framed pieces which are amazing. I have gained so much knowledge from this experience already and it is so valuable to be able to learn things first hand. After my first couple of days working with Jan I am really excited about what the rest of the week will bring!
Jodie Hatton
Paris Exhibition Private View
Paris was an amazing experience. The Private View saw a crowded Gallery on June 9th, opening the exhibition, ” Le Design a l’heure Anglaise”, at l’Atelier d’Art de France Gallery. The work looked stunning in the chic gallery setting and the tiny, pretty cupcakes and red & green soup served in test tubes was to die for. It was a lovely evening allowing people to spill outside onto the pavement to get a better view of my work which was hung in the window.
Unfortunately, the following day was mostly rainy so we walked a lot, endeavoured to read maps and obviously had to have several rest stops for tea and cakes. We were able to see a diverse range of work made by other artists in the surrounding area near to the Gallery I arrived back in London tired but invigorated. The trip provided much inspiration and a readiness to use ideas to get back to work.
Looking Forward to Parisian Debut
I will be launching a new collection of hand woven work in a selected Design Factory exhibition at the prestigious venue, LAtelier, d’Ateliers d’ Arts de France, Paris from June 10-28 July, 2011. This is an exciting time and a wonderful opportunity for me to show my work in a contemporary setting outside the UK. I am looking forward to making new contacts and using the innovative venue to introduce my work to a wider audience. The Private View is to be held at the Gallery on the 9th June from 6pm. Address: 55 Avenue Daumesnil, 75012 Paris. (Metro: Ledru Rollin or Gare du Lyon) from 6pm. Gallery opening hours are Tues-Sat, 11am-1pm, 2pm-7pm. Free entrance. If you happen to be in Paris during the exhibition please come along. I will be there for the Private View on the evening of June 9th. More information on the Press page where you will find an Exhibition Catalogue.
Stroud International Textiles Festival, New Brewery Arts Centre, Cirencester, FEASTIVAL FEAST exhibition
After a very exciting exhibition, “Festival Feast”, at New Brewery Arts Gallery in Cirencester as part of the Stroud International Textile Festival it is sadly time for the exhibition to end. It has been a special time to meet with textile artists from across the country and from abroad. It was a joy to attend a talk with other weavers who actually laughed at weaving jokes. The next event to look out for is a Design Factory exhibition at L’Atelier d’Atelier d’Arts de France in Paris beginning on June 10th. If you should be in Paris at that time please contact me for an invitation to the Private View from 6pm on June 9th. I would love to see you there.
Meanwhile I am off to Thailand for a ten day adventure at the end of May. Hope to see you all in Paris.