Ideas

I really think everyone should draw, without an objective or concern of judgement, just for the love of mark making. If you’re an Artist/Designer it is fairly essential, though the placement of drawing in your practice or project varies greatly and it has taken some time for me to take ownership of and feel comfortable with when and how I go about drawing within a project. Drawing doesn’t feature a great deal in my research but comes in into my process further down the road, into the development stage. Writing, taking photographs, talking to people and collecting research in paper form, this is what I start doing.

When I discovered ‘Conceptual Art’ at the tender age of 17, it kind of blew my mind, though I didn’t particularly like or value a lot of the artwork I discovered back then, I was fascinated by the idea that I could make work that wasn’t decorative or functional, but that could stand on the strength of ideas. As a lover of the grotesque, the permission to make ugly things also was thrilling, I loved that experimental time, still living in my home town of Luton. Marc Dion’s work below was a real inspiration, he was one of the first conceptual artists I discovered and he is still a huge favourite.

Though I strayed away from conceptual Art, my work in theatre and making textiles for costume was all hugely interesting for me and have all fed into my current area of interest; Site-specific Textiles. This new area is a place where I can balance my interests and excercise them fully.

Working more as an Artist and less as a designer the last few years, the most important part of my approach has been in researching and soaking up as much detail about a location as I can. I see the sorting and processing of this early material as a form of writing and drawing together, as relationships and connections are formed, this material sets the foundation for the intention of the work.

Site Specific Sharing: Innerpeffray Library

This coming April 1st is the date sheduled for an exciting event… A sharing of research and development for my Site-specific project, at Innerpeffray Library, Perthshire.

Since first visiting Innerpeffray library two years ago, I have become more and more absorbed in the incredible wealth of history and human experience of this site. The conception of this project began on my first visit to the library in 2021 and has been developing and building gradually since, from my VACMA funded research within the library through to my current stage of development. The project is now at a point where, having worked through the earlier research, I have found what I feel are key stories and details to focus my attention on which will be the central narratives for a final exhibition of work within the site.

I have been playing with approaches to displaying research material, drawing attention to images and shapes which connect to the key narratives. Photographs, Drawings, digitally printed collages and a collection of objects will form part of the sharing of research, along with Screen Printed Textile samples detailing the beginnings of the Textile Pieces I will go on to create. This Sharing exhibition is intended to allow visitors an insight into the design and development process, a mid point within a project, before the production of the polished final stage of exhibiting. It is also an opportunity for visitors to view and discover some of the library’s content and history in a new setting and within a new framework. An Artists talk will also be delivered as part of the sharing event, watch this space for the official announcement…

My work through Theatre, Textile Design for film and an upbringing in the world of antiques and countless visits to historic sites as a child, have paved the way for my current direction as an Artist, Designer and Maker. As I continue to work through the various pieces of research gathered, I continue to discover new intriguing details and new lines of inquiry appear, I feel like Miss Marple in her Art School years before she took up detecting. This project has allowed opportunity for the exciting and fortunate experience of becoming absorbed in learning and that wonderful feeling of wanting to know more and explore further.

While studying extracts from Edmund Spensers’ The Shepheards Kalender’ 1611, I found myself wanting to know more and more about this work in particular, to understand the Authors intention and the way in which the book would have been viewed and talked about in its day. While pouring over these treasured books I am though faced with my greatest challenge, knowing when to step away from each line of enquiry, there are endless stories and details to be discovered once you start looking. These ideas on perspective however, feed into my interest of the world view of the earlier borrowers of the Innerpeffray Library, specifically during the period of the Scottish Enlightenment.

The ‘Father of the Enlightenment’ William Robertson’s ‘The history of the reign of Emperor Charles V’ (1769) was the most borrowed book from Innerpeffray Library, within this book he discusses the formation of society in Europe, a hugely important and influential work. Through these such works that we know the borrowers were viewing, we build an image of their Innerpeffray and their wider world view during the early modern period. We imagine their view from Innerpeffray, filled with their interests, ideals, fears, values, hero’s and heroines. From the Early Modern period of history as it moves away from the Middle ages, into the Renaissance and then into the late modern period, the site of Innerpeffray, the Library and its borrowers are witness to this period of history, transition and enlightenment.

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Site specific development: Innerpeffray Library

I am endlessly interested in the details within historic sites; the geography, features in the landscape, the people past and present, the buildings, architectural details, textures, vacant spaces, past events, there are always stories to tell from the many layers of history. These need not be grand expansive historical events, more the small encounters, the unsung heroes, the forgotten corners of the land which once thrived, these are the parts which pique my interest.

Innerpeffray Library is a site full of rich history and happenings, though this hasn’t prevented my attention from being drawn to the less visible pieces of this sites’ history. With the library housing such rare and wonderful books, studying some of these has been part of my journey, they give us all an incredible insight into the thinking and world view at various points in our history. One such period, that of the Scottish Enlightenment, has become of great interest to me and will feature in the development of this project. Beginning to play with research material below…

#printedtextiles #sitespecific #textiledesigner #designermaker #narrativetextiles #historictextiles #outlander #madeofstrongstuff #helengallogly #textiles #artisttalks #screenprinting #screenprinted

Site Research at Innerpeffray Library

I first visited Innerpeffray Library last year, toward the end of the Summer and again in October for a an event in the Library: Robert Lloyd Parry performing M.R.James stories. It is a special place and caught my imagination enough to spur me onto beginning a site specific project there, something that, as I addressed in my previous blog post, has been a long standing ambition. There are links, however, to this interest of mine in narrative and place, which have appeared at various stages in my work as a Textile Designer. My Textile Design work with Outlander certainly allowed narrative elements to be drawn into the design work.

During one of my earlier visits to the library, Sir Walter Scott was mentioned in passing to me by one of the staff members. They talked of his huge popularity and notability in his day, and how, while he is still greatly revered today, he is sadly and undeservedly, less celebrated. I knew little of him, but became curious of his legacy following this converstation at Innerpeffray, and when I learnt of his creation at Abbotsford, my curiosity was peaked further and I felt drawn to learn more about this great literary figure.

My interest also being, in the links these two sites have with one another; the first lending Library in Scotland: Innerpeffray, sharing knowledge and stories to all. And Abbotsford, the magical site upon which such celebrated stories were created. Also, Scott being amoung the most commonly borrowed authors at the library of Innerpeffray, according to records held at there, giving us an intriguing glimpse into Scotts readership during his lifetime and beyond.

I have around 250 digital photographs, a collection of polaroid prints, a notebook full of information, a number of links to online references, sketches and the experience of two wonderful days researching the site of Innerpeffray Library, so theres a fair amount to go through! Above are a few snippets, many more to come!

Site Specific

I became aware many years ago of site specific theatre, bought to my attention largely though working with GridIron, the Edinburgh based site specific Theatre Company. My first theatre job working with Dundee Rep, bought me into their world, with their ‘Yarn’ production set at the Verdant Works in Dundee. I was just assisting with costume and costume changes at that time, but I loved the experience and fell in love with the idea of making site specific work.

Around 13 years on from that experience, it felt like the right time to explore the possibilities of making my own site specific work. So I put together a project plan and was fortunate enough to recieve a VACMA award (associated with Creative Scotland) to assist in carrying out Research and Development work.

This is a pivitol time for me, a period where I am drawing together key interests and refining a path for myself creatively. I am very grateful of the support of Fife Contemporary and Creative Scotland and am very much enjoying this new direction so far. I plan to share my research and development here, so please do follow the blog for more updates. Coming up next… a post following the visit to my first site of choice, Innerpeffray Library in Perthshire.


Crumbling Follys

I grew up visiting Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, this stately home was a magical playground for my sisters and I, its follys, the orangery and the roman bath house were facinating to me, its the ultimate garden really.

Our own garden was filled with its own magic and wonder for me, such is the brilliance of childhood, children will always find the magic in the simplist of places. I remember creating my own folly of sorts, stacking bricks and imagining unknown animals living in the dark gaps inbetween.

The pile of pots was taken in my Dads current garden, while its spacious, this unremarkable neglected corner interested me more than anything else. New plant life finding a way around the neglected pots and tubs.

The struggle of these grand houses and gardens to keep up the seamless appearance maintained in their heyday, allows a new fragile beauty.

The staue above has been in the family garden for many years and taken quite a bashing. I remember it having eyes at one time and both ears certainly! My Dad is in the process of moving and is letting ,e rescue it, it would be undesireable for most people I’m sure, but the state its in tells its story. In the world I created in my childhood garden, this creature watched over me as I played.

A Warning to the Curious

It was 10 years ago, not quite to the day, but close (on the 10th October 2011), that I wrote a blog post about my discovery of the above story ‘A Warning to the Curious’, but more importantly, discovering its author M R James.

I had, as a child, seen the 1972 TV adaptation of ‘A Warning’ and been hugely impacted by it, but in terms of a reference for it thereafter, I had none. I had memories of some of the scenes and imagined it was called ‘The Three Crowns’ from the reference to the three crowns of East Anglia, featured in the story, though that was my best guess for many years. The ideas within the story and the effect of them struck such a chord with me at that time and connected so neatly with the growing interests I had with Ghost stories, film, antiques and curiosities, all along with relating to the persuit of solitary enquiry. I am from Luton originally, and enjoyed the East Anglian reference, though Luton is far from evoking the atmosphere of the Norfolk coast of course, that reference bought the atmosphere and thrill of the story closer to me.

I’m not sure what prompted the investigation to find the film again, but after some scratching around, I found it and put a name too, to another story I had caught a glimps of in my youth, ‘Oh Whistle’ it was such a thrill and opened me up to M R James and the wider expanse of his writing and further to learn of the extraordinary scholar he was. I will write separately about ‘Oh Whistle’, by far the best realisation of a ghost story I have seen on screen. But it was a joy to realise that these glimpses of stories on screen, ‘A warning’ and ‘Oh whistle’ that connected with me so greatly, were after all, by the same writer.

While going through audio recordings of M R James stories on youtube, Micheal Horderns mostly, I discovered Robert Lloyd Parry and the M R James Project. It has been joyfully refreshing to find his work and I had the pleasure of seeing a live performance of his work at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury, Number 13 and Count Magnus. His tour is also reaching venues in Scotland and lucky for me Innerpeffray library, close to me in Comrie, Perthshire in a few more weeks, I’ll be there!

Barbola

I came across one of these 30’s mirrors by chance a few years ago, and fell in love with it, going on to discover Barbola mirrors.. I have 3 now but would like many more!

Found myself coveting pastel shaded vintage/antique things in particular over the years. I like that the plaster moulds feel a bit out of place on the mirror and the chips and scratches revealing the chalky plaster beneath in places, an unintentional aesthetic

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Cada Corno

I’m really excited to be sharing this. Its the first piece of work I’ve developed since finishing Outlander to have my second child, she is now 1 and I wanted to start making again. I signed up to exhibit at Perthshire open Studios, which starts in a weeks time (7th Sept 2019) so this has been my deadline for this new work.

The image shown is the artwork set to repeat, which is currently being digitally printed onto fabric, it’ll come back to me very soon and I’ll be making things with it thereafter. Theres a lot going on conceptually within the design, the inspriation for it was gathered around 2012 during a long trip through various South American countries. I had intended on developing this work long before, but numerous house moves, Outlander plus two children all kept me fairly busy.

I had produced a load of drawings and a screen print from some of the research material, but this is the first substantial piece I’ll have put out. I can’t wait to see it in repeat and on fabric.

I found myself less interested in the big typically touristic sites and more so in smaller, unseen, everyday, overlooked subjects. I wasn’t really aware of this until I started looking back at my photos and drawings, things like seed pods, banana plants, weeds, farm animals, trees, outbuildings. A Bolivian woman descaling fish, became central to the design. I wanted to pull her out of the photo, of the research and elevate her, above the landscape she’s part of and above the church. Something of a reclaiming of her place within her country, above the infiltrated religion that dominates Bolivia and the surrounding countries. She becomes monumental.

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More studio time.

My lovely mum and Auntie Pam are up helping ferry the nippers around and keep them entertained, which means some studio time for me. A few more bits to share here.. 

They'll be scanned, re worked a little, then composed together and digitally printed onto fabric. So its hard to get a sense of how they'll really work until I get the final print through.  

 

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Development

Pulling out photos from a good while back.. I've started and stopped various pieces based on this collection of photos (there are a hundred or so more).

I'm pulling these unfinished pieces together and resolving a few others from the same collection, to exhibit at Perthshire open studios this September.

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New house, new Village

After a pretty crazy last year, up until these last few weeks that is.. I am finally getting around to addressing my blog, website, personal interests.. all of which had to be shelved during a pretty gruelling period of life last year and an incredibly stressful house move this year. It has landed us now in the delightful village of Comrie, where I write 9 months pregnant!  - I did mention it had been stressful right?! I have had to start over with the blog, as the other was a mess and my impatience got the better of me, so here we are,

True to form, I couldn't move into a new, practical home.. I had to go for the place with crumbling plaster work, asbestos in the ceilings, 50 year old crumbling carpets and dated electrics. Please read the about page for an explanation on my peculiar interest in strange old things and this will make better sense...

Our place is pretty cool and during the gutting out of carpets and ceilings etc, I found a few interesting things I'd like to share. The fireplaces have not been touched of course, even if they are 1940's pieces and the house is 1880, the one I've pictured below I adore. The jacket we found hanging out from the timbers when we took out one of the ceilings, along with a bunch of other clothing items being used as insulation it seems.

reusing, darning, stitching, patching, reusing