art about crafts- linen in ireland
Since it’s St Patrick’s Day, I thought it might be nice to post something Irish-related that wasn’t strewn shamrocks or leprechauns and doesn’t involve green beer. It is an exhibition currently running at the Linen Museum in Lisburn, N. Ireland. If you get a chance, it’s a great museum for fiber lovers! I got to try spinning there!
The exhibition shows work from a arts-in-education project I worked on called “CREATE/Trading Places“. Artists did three-year residencies in 10 schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland, working with students exploring the history of the linen industry in their local area. They explored industrialisation- and the change from small home-based crafting industry to factories, and the dangerous working conditions of fabric production. Some groups explored the linen material itself; some the manufacturing; some the fabric; some the working conditions; some the rituals around using the products.
We work with fabric everyday, and maybe we can forget the history behind it, and what it takes to make it. The work that came out of the project is interesting because it delves into the fabric.
These children worked with Ann Henderson, and over the course of this project developed some really interesting investigations. This piece is done on the Jacquard loom, which uses punchcards that looks like computer programming cards. And each line represents a secret self-portrait written in binary code by the children. It’s beautiful to boot.
They explored many aspects of weaving, see this project done with artist Anna Reitberger. The image here is from later on in the collaboration. “Copy Weaves”.
These kids worked with dancer Nicola Curry and created a structure and did several performances literally ‘weaving’ their bodies through the structure.
This is work by Irish artist, Angela Ginn. The painting is drawn from a projection of Irish lace into fabric. And then the shapes are cut out. You can see more like this from a mid-project exhibition at the Millenium Court in Portadown.
March 17th, 2006 at 3:03 am
You also might be interested in The Knitting Map: “During 2005, different technologies will observe and measure aspects of the city centre [of Cork, Ireland] – the movement of people, as well as the weather – how rainy, warm or windy it is. The Knitting Map then translates this information into a vast knitting pattern which is updated daily. In a single space in the city, fifty people will knit this pattern, every day for a year. The Knitting Map will grow into a vast, textured, colourful textile, that documents what happens in Cork in 2005.”
March 17th, 2006 at 11:28 pm
Thanks for showing us this – it is really a beautiful exhibition, and a great topic for today! The binary code project is really amazing. The first picture of the linen yarn grabs at my heart ;o)
March 23rd, 2006 at 3:53 am
Lovely to a Great exhibition like this on Whipup . My kids and I visited it yesterday and its is lovely to see it meantioned on line. The exhibition also contains some installations which my son loved.
March 23rd, 2006 at 11:04 pm
More about the Knitting Map here: http://www.halfangel.ie/knitting-ie/theknittingmap.html
I also feel very inspired by looking at the photos on the website of the Sheelin Irish Lace Museum: http://www.irishlacemuseum.com/
One of my favourite textile artists, Michael Brennand-Wood, produced works by blowing up traditional lace patterns and using them as his starting point:
http://www.caa.org.uk/cvs/photos/brennand-wood-michael_textiles.jpg
He carved channels out of a wood panel and then stuffs the channels with rags. More: http://www.recirca.com/articles/michaelbrennandwood/index.shtml
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:27 am
I’m a bit late commenting on this article, but check out the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life in Co. Mayo too. They have some lovely exhibitions and events on especially the current one http://www.museum.ie/en/exhibition/common-threads.aspx