Last night I treated myself and went to see (listen to?) an artist's talk. I don't often go to them, so it has to be pretty special for me to make the time over other things.
Michael Brennand-Wood is someone who works in fabric and wood, mostly, though not exclusively. He's best known for embroidery work probably, though it was his flower canvases I first discovered him through.
It's fair to say he's very well known in the textiles world, much exhibited, highly collectable, owned by top notch galleries, museums and private collectors across the planet.
So I thought it most unusually lucky that he happened to be turning up to my little local arts centre in nowhere particular. I knew that would only ever happen once (and still can't believe it happened at all) so booked in and went along. (Even though it was a little bit scary turning up on my own).
I jotted a few notes throughout so here they are - hopefully, if you're interested in textiles (and if you're reading this the chances are you are) you'll be able to piece them together to make sense:
"When you work with textiles, pattern informs everything as an influence, but it's treated pejoratively in many other fields. So we become required to understand the historical and cultural references and backgrounds of the patterns in order to justify it's value"
Michael had a lot to say on the strangeness of having to provide words to explain something so visual, tactile and part of what matters to humans. He gave the example of music - when someone asks you to listen to music they don't feel the need to provide you with a sheet of paper to explain what you're listening to. (Am not convinced I agree with all of that, but put it in a gallery context and I really know where he's coming from).
He talked about "machine embroidery as a way of building up not filling in". His work is 3D, the building up of layers and depth is one of the ways he collects all the cultural, textile and visual reference points in a piece. He calls it "a huge laminate of historical references".
I found him to be a great story teller, a crafter of words, using them quickly and knowledgeably with happiness and ease. Hearing someone talks so fluidly about pattern, shape, culture, society, cloth, family origins, local history, the world of galleries - felt like the language in my head being spoken out loud - the visual, structural, verbal, referential.
I liked this story "When my grandmother died I got a lot of her fabric. Fabric that she and her sisters had a hand in. Being able to exhibit that at the Whitworth Art Gallery, close to where they'd lived, had some element of completing a circle"
I liked that he talked about the handmade-ness of a thing when he showed his flower works. The differences in colour on the petals that show it was real, not a photo-manipulated repeat pattern; and the blips that make work human.
"Once you can make something perfect, it loses it's soul"
I was fascinated to discover he also carries out public art / interior decor commissions such as a music, star and pattern based installation at Colston Hall in Bristol; or work in clubs, bars and hospitals.
It was an inspiring evening, if you ever get chance to hear him talk about textiles, or anything else, please do.
So I thought it most unusually lucky that he happened to be turning up to my little local arts centre in nowhere particular. I knew that would only ever happen once (and still can't believe it happened at all) so booked in and went along. (Even though it was a little bit scary turning up on my own).
I jotted a few notes throughout so here they are - hopefully, if you're interested in textiles (and if you're reading this the chances are you are) you'll be able to piece them together to make sense:
"When you work with textiles, pattern informs everything as an influence, but it's treated pejoratively in many other fields. So we become required to understand the historical and cultural references and backgrounds of the patterns in order to justify it's value"
Michael had a lot to say on the strangeness of having to provide words to explain something so visual, tactile and part of what matters to humans. He gave the example of music - when someone asks you to listen to music they don't feel the need to provide you with a sheet of paper to explain what you're listening to. (Am not convinced I agree with all of that, but put it in a gallery context and I really know where he's coming from).
He talked about "machine embroidery as a way of building up not filling in". His work is 3D, the building up of layers and depth is one of the ways he collects all the cultural, textile and visual reference points in a piece. He calls it "a huge laminate of historical references".
I found him to be a great story teller, a crafter of words, using them quickly and knowledgeably with happiness and ease. Hearing someone talks so fluidly about pattern, shape, culture, society, cloth, family origins, local history, the world of galleries - felt like the language in my head being spoken out loud - the visual, structural, verbal, referential.
I liked this story "When my grandmother died I got a lot of her fabric. Fabric that she and her sisters had a hand in. Being able to exhibit that at the Whitworth Art Gallery, close to where they'd lived, had some element of completing a circle"
I liked that he talked about the handmade-ness of a thing when he showed his flower works. The differences in colour on the petals that show it was real, not a photo-manipulated repeat pattern; and the blips that make work human.
"Once you can make something perfect, it loses it's soul"
I was fascinated to discover he also carries out public art / interior decor commissions such as a music, star and pattern based installation at Colston Hall in Bristol; or work in clubs, bars and hospitals.
It was an inspiring evening, if you ever get chance to hear him talk about textiles, or anything else, please do.
