A historic artwork in textiles & stitch, recording personal experiences of the pandemic around the globe comes to The Williamson and very proud that my two pieces are part of this along with works by international artists and Mary Bryning also from Oxton and Helen Cooper from Heswall.
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum
Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Prenton CH43 4UE
10th Nov - 17th Dec 2022
Wed, Thurs: 10.30 - 5 ; Fri: 10.30 - 21.00
Sat: 10.30 - 16.30
TITLE: Masks circling in support
MY BLUE AND WHITE EMBROIDERED PANEL IS ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSE TO COVID IN UK, THE WEARING OF MASKS AND REGULAR TESTING. THE PERIMETER IS MADE FROM REPURPOSED MASKS (THOROUGHLY CLEANED) AND EVOKES THE DESIGN BY DAVID WYNNE, ON THE FIFTY PENCE COIN FROM 1973, FOR THE UK JOINING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY. IT IS SURROUNDED BY HANDS, SYMBOLISING THE NINE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, 'CLASPING ONE ANOTHER IN A MUTUAL GESTURE OF TRUST, ASSISTANCE AND FRIENDSHIP’. I FEEL THESE SMALL MEASURES PLUS HANDS, FACE SPACE MESSAGE ARE A SIMPLE WAY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. BETTER WORKING TOGETHER. IT IS ALSO REMINISCENT OF THE INTERTWINED HANDS CLASPING THE HEART IN THE CELTIC LOVE SYMBOL THE CLADDAGH. EMBROIDERED VINTAGE LINEN, WITH REPURPOSED MASKS, USING CHAIN STITCH, AND RUNNING STITCH.
TITLE: Alliums
In 2020 and 2021, my personal response to Covid was to retreat, to hibernate in my home and my garden. I was working on the Covid emergency help line for Wirral Council at the end of my contract with the culture team, my mother (with Alzheimer’s) caught Coronavirus at the same time. The knowledge that we may lose all of her, and not through the sad erosion of her memory resulted in mixed emotions. My welfare calls in my work took a toll on me and creative output became an important outlet. Thankfully my mother survived Covid but still living with dementia.
This panel is made using printed textiles from artist’s images of Alliums in her garden, with a covid particle made from television wire and tomato puree tubes, stitched on vintage linen and edged with purple tie-dye from a cushion made in the 80s at school art club for mother, French knots, blanket stitch and lazy daisy stitch to illustrate forget-me-nots representing Alzheimers.
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