Saturday 16 October 2010

Our exhibition 'Connections' at the Bristol Guild Gallery.

I was on duty stewarding all day yesterday and remembered to take my camera. The gallery is two floors up from street level so I got a bit of exercise! This is what you see on your way up the stairs to the gallery. The lighting on the stairs was not ideal for photography and there was strong sunlight coming through the window - well that's my excuse!
A detail of the long panel facing the stairs made from scraps of hand dyed silk with machine and hand stitch. It is more usually hung horizontally and makes the most gorgeous bedhead in the bedrooom of the maker - Bobby Brown.

This study of a plantain seedhead hangs alongside it on the stairs and is again hand-dyed and incorporates machine and hand stitching. Deryll Hibbitt dyes most of her fabrics and threads often from plant material which she has grown.


A general view of one corner of the gallery. I love those felt pots - they are so quirky. Kirsten Hill-Nixon made them and the delightful underwater scene below.
It just invites fingers to be poked into all those little holes and pockets and the colours are amazing.


This little pocket was one of three different ones based on Elizabethan pockets which I believe used to be worn on a belt rather than as part of a garment as we know them. Val Amos made them and loves working in these soft, delicate colours and patterns.


This amazing corset was part of a series. The one above was entitled 'Constraints of the Body Beautiful' .......


................ and this one is called 'The Unattainable Body Beautiful'. The workmanship in both these pieces is incredible.


The same artist - Jan Connet - has expored the use of the pattern shapes which form the corsets and made them up using diverse techniques.



Whoops! An uploading error has occurred - but it is worth a second look.





















12 comments:

Carol Q said...

what a wonderfully diverse selection of creations Heather. You have an extremely talented group.

Heather said...

Apologies to Viv Young who made the piece in my final photo - a delightful study of autumn leaves made with distressed sheer fabrics and painted Lutrador. The space between my photos had become so elongated that I missed this one when adding my typed descriptions.

Dave King said...

A wonderful post. I wish I lived closer and could visit the exhibition. The images are enthralling. (The silk thread looks like stone, but no matter - and definitely not a criticism of the photographer.)
I have to say that by a long way my favourite was The Unattainable Body Beautiful.
Thanks for giving the opportunity to see these exhibits vicariously.

Doreen G said...

What a wonderful exhibition Heather--thanks for letting us see it.

Helen said...

love the first two pieces of the exhibition especially Heather. Thank you for showing it!

just a little note to add... I'm changing my blog and webpage to http://thestudio-helensuzanne.blogspot.com/ if you'd like to update your link.

looking forward to reading more
hugs
Helen S

The Weaver of Grass said...

Heather - there are such brilliant needlewomen around - wish I was near enough to pay it a visit . The workmanship looks so good.

Julie said...

Wish I lived nearer Heather, it looks a wonderful exhibition.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Great exhibition , Heather, where was your exhibit? That first corset would make a fine lamp!

Aussie Jo said...

Gorgeous!!

Heather said...

TFE: I didn't bother to photograph any of my pieces in the exhibition as you've seen them all before, probably ad nauseum, in the making. Just to remind you, they were the quarry, allotment and moorland inspired by viewing this area on Google Earth.

Robin Mac said...

Superb exhibition, thanks for letting us see it, and thanks for adding the comment about the final photo - that is my favourite I think. Cheers, Robin

Sara lechner said...

thank you for sharing the exhibition. I love to see such things because I can seldom visit the smaller ones in England!