REFLECTION

Textile investigations by Rachael Nila Whittaker

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Here are some photographs from the HOST weekend as promised!  Don’t the bags look amazing?

The response from the public was great! Kids and grown ups loved the project and the effort put into each individual bag. 

Every bags donated so far was on exhibit, with a 177 in total.  I don’t think the photographs quite do the display the justice it deserves. It had a really stunning visual impact, stopping everyone who walked through the theatre in their tracks and recieving a lot of compliments.

Workshops were held alongside the display and photographs of the making will follow.

It was a really lovely weekend and the project was able to reach quite a large audience, with a steady flow of visitors coming through the theatres doors throughout the whole weekend.  There was also a lot of interest from the public in getting involved at home! Note to self: Always bring extra BBP info postcards!

Thanks again to everyone who has made a bag so far, and I hope your as proud as I am!

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I have posted work from fellow graduate Leigh Bowser a few times. She set up 'The Blood Bag Project' in our last year of University to raise awareness of the rare blood condition Diamond Blackfan Anaemia. Here is an update on the project showing all the blood bags that have been sent in from all around the world. View more on the project here.

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Jessica is also exhibiting her jewellery as part of 'Miniature Worlds 2013", follow her blog here or view her artsthread portfolio here.

" In July 2011 Jessica graduated with a 1st Class BDes in Jewellery and Metal Design from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. Jessica is currently setting up a workshop based in Edinburgh in which a new collection of work is being produced alongside being involved in several projects either with fellow Jewellers or working on educational programs."

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One of the other exhibitors at 'Miniature Worlds 2013'! Follow the link to view more of her lovely jewellery pieces.

"I often work within a mess of materials and inspiration, this way, I find the unexpected and interesting can happen, and that I find exciting. The process of creating individual elements which I then piece together in different combinations, like a child might play with a dolls house or assemble an imaginary world, enables stories and connections to develop which make sense to me. I enjoy using different techniques and a variety of media, it is often a tiny discarded scrap or a jewel of colour that provides the magic."

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Today I came across some fascinating paper construction by Simon Schubert. Each pieces is folded from a plain sheet of white paper which evolves into these intricate images of stately homes and palaces. I have often enjoyed working with paper construction as a prototyping method but never considered working in this way. Follow the link for more information.

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I have been a huge fan of Rosalind Wyatt for several years who combines her love of textiles and calligraphy by embroidering family letters and histories onto heirloom costume pieces. You can view her beautiful work at www.rosalindwyatt.com.

The piece pictured here is perhaps the inspiration behind Wyatt's creations, embroidered by Agnes Richter, held in an asylum for the insane in the 1890’s. At first I mistook it for a work by Wyatt but on closer inspection found a more sinister undercurrent to the work. from the Prinzhorn Collection

The Ornamented Being: Agnes Richter, a mental patient in an Austrian asylum, embroidered her jacket with text. Through the script she transcribed herself into time, space and place. Her writing orients and disorients. Made in 1895, it is a standard issue uniform given to mental patients at the time. Richter has embroidered so intensively that reading is impossible in certain areas of the garment. Words appear and disappear into seams and under layers of thread. There is no beginning or end, just spirals of intersecting fragmentary narratives. She is declarative: “I”, “mine”, “my jacket”, “my white stockings…., “I am in the Hubertusburg / ground floor”, “children”, “sister” and “cook”. In the inside she has written “1894 I am / I today woman”. She has also re-embroidered the laundry number printed on her jacket “ 583 Hubertusburg”, almost transforming something institutional and distant into something intimate, obsessive and possessive. It is a compelling piece of hypertext and untamed writing.

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By Laurent Seroussi, combining and splicing stunning images of the human form, with incredible macro shots of insects. Beetles just seem to make perfect subjects for digital compilations like these.

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'Colossal' is the most fascinating Arts page with beautiful visuals. I can't resist sharing the occassional post and encourage arts fans to head over to the Facebook page for the daily updates.

A recent post featured the paper installation work of Carlos Amorales who applies swarms of moth silhouettes to interior spaces. Head over to Yvon Lambert for more information about the artist and his work.   

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It's been a while since I posted a video as I have been exhibiting in London and out of the studio. I always love to see other makers opening up the process of making as I think it often allows you to appreciate the finished piece even more.

Here is a short piece by Dutch Intertuals from Dutch Design Week.

"When lit the posters start glowing. The fire searches its way around the poster and leaves a trail of ash behind. Visual poetry!" -Dejoost

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As promised, here is a sneak peak of Highlights Rural Touring Scheme's Craft Tour for 2013! It is a pleasure to be involved and I look forward to updating you on my progress as I go about settling into new working premises and creating new work for the show!

"Jewellery by Rose Ashley, Jessica Howarth & Jennifer Ho, Textiles by Laura Jones & Rachael Nila Whittaker, Ceramics by Mayumi Yamashita & Anna Krengel, Mixed media by LEO

The 2013 Craft Tour celebrates work that is exquisite in miniature but monumentally ambitious, exploring memory, the human condition, the beauty of nature and objects of remembrance."

Follow the link for more information!

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Back to work!

Hello to everyone and many thanks for all the comments and new "likes" during my recent absence. Summer has been incredibly busy but now it is time to get to work on new projects and update you all on work developments! As always, I am happy to answer any questions. Stay posted!

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Follow the link to a review of the graduate show from Scarlet Opus featuring some of the lovely ladies I was fortunate enough to exhibit with at New Designers last week.

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Hi, I saw you at new designers and said that I saw you on tumblr, I don't know if you remember? I loved your exhibition piece!

Hello! Yes of course I remember, it was lovely to speak to you. Always nice to know your work is reaching people so thank you for your comments! Wishing you lots of luck with your own work, great blog! Keep me posted!

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Exhibiting at New Designers 2012!

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My essay and photography as published in 'Sample 12'.

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Tomorrow I will be packing up all my work and heading down to London to exhibit at New Designers. The show opens on Wednesday the 27th and runs until Saturday the 30th of June. There will be lots of lovely talented people exhibiting too, so if you are available and in the area, pop by and say hello!

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Cut work leaf design applied to perspex sheet.

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My laser cut porcelain embroidery work from Sample 12 show.