This Life Matters

‘This Life Matters’ is a series of 7 small portraits which focus on the inequalities spotlighted by the Covid 19 pandemic. Each representative of the global community wears the same white t shirt with a slogan ‘This Life Matters’, a nod to Katherine Hamnett’s ‘Choose Life’ slogan t-shirts of the 1980s, Each has their own word embroidered at their side which indicates their circumstances or mindset: Displaced, disenfranchised, disconsolate, dispossessed, dispirited, disabled, and lastly disappearing. Each life is as important as the next. 

Reference Shakespeare ; 7 ages of man.

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Featured in Selvedge Magazine

I am delighted that my stitched illustration of textile artist Anne Morrell will be featured alongside an article entitled ROOTS IN TWO CONTINENTS by Brinda Gill who dives into Anne Morrell’s textile life.

Issue 95 (July /August) of Selvedge magazine will be published on the 15th of June. This issue will be available in print and digital formats from the Selvedge website but will not be available as usual at galleries and the newsstand. It is available for pre-order now #selvedgemagazine

Portrait of Anne Morrell by Sue Stone 2020

Retrospective – An Archive of Work from 2019

A Family’s Life 1 2019

Re-Tellings – a major solo exhibition by Grimsby based artist Sue Stone whose work is inspired by people, place and time. Hand embroidery plays a big part in Sue’s work sometimes mixed with machine stitch and/or paint and there are also some digital prints and new iPad drawings.

A Family’s Life 2 – 2019 – mixed media

The pieces in this exhibition are part of an ongoing series of narratives inspired by memories; both the artist’s own and those of others. Members of the public were invited to take part by sharing memories of themselves and their relationships in the form of anecdotes, and images and Sue has now collected stories from all over the world. 

A Family’s Life 3 – 2019 – mixed media

The common link in this particular selection of work is that of family and friendship. Many of the stories focus on relationships between family members; the bonds between siblings and cousins, mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren. But there are also tales of imagined journeys and that illusive dream of a Desert Island.  

Detail of They Shared the knitting of the Jumper 2019

Fish, Chips and Lanky Twang 2019

A Family in China 2019

For the Desert Island 2019 – mixed media

A selection of smaller works for Re-Tellings

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  Podding Peas with Gran

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  A Visit From Grandma

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  Remembering Gran

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  Study for A Family’s Life

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  Study 2 for a Family’s life

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  Study 2 for From Grimsby to Greenpoint

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The exhibition also provided another outing for the epic chronicle of the artist’s own life story told in a series of self-portraits one for each year of the artist’s life so far. 66 in total . The 3 new self-portraits below made in 2019 bring the installation up to date.

Self Portrait no 66 – of 66 self portraits 2019 – hand and machine stitch – 26 x 30 cms

Self Portrait no 65 – 2019 – hand and machine stitch – 26 x 30 cms

Self Portrait no 64 – 2019 hand and machine stitch

A Series of iPad drawings made for the Re-Tellings Exhibition 2019.

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A Special Commission 2019 – Portrait of Jonah, Felix and Reuben

Featured in Embroidery – the Textile Art magazine

Re-Tellings Exhibition and a review of my online course in conjunction with Textileartist.org Exploring texture & Pattern

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Featured in Selvedge Magazine

I am delighted that my work will be featured in the January issue of Selvedge magazine.

A detail of my work  From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond is part of the article Text-ile Messaging by Doctor Nicola Donovan. 

The magazine is due to be published on December 14th. 
Buy your copy here

If you’d rather see it ‘in the flesh’ then head off to Sleaford for the 62 Group Ctrl/Shift exhibition where it will be shown in the main gallery at the National Centre for Craft & Design from 2 February to 22 April 2019.

Inspired by a visit to Greenpoint, Brooklyn the emphasis in this piece shifts slightly away from people, and towards place and contains a multitude of references from a specific place, New York and a specific time period 21/12/16 to 3/01/17.

A new approach and a move away from control in the design process meant the work evolved and had several incarnations during the making process rather than being pre-planned.

From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

A Flavour of Vancouver

In September I had a fantastic trip to Vancouver, Canada to teach at and give a talk at the  wonderful place that is Maiwa School of Textiles.

These images give just a flavour of the trip.

Read about Maiwa  and if you get the opportunity go and see for yourself.

Maiwa Loft

Maiwa Loft

Maiwa Loft

A Focus on Faces – 2 day workshop.

Work by my brilliant students at Maiwa School of Textiles, Vancouver

Work by a student at Maiwa

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

3 Day Workshop – Every Picture Tells a Story.

All work by my fantastic students at Maiwa School of Textiles, Vancouver

work by a student at Maiwa

work by a student at Maiwa

work by a student at Maiwa

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

Work by a student at Maiwa, Canada

A trip to the Museum of Anthropology, at University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Museum of Anthropology UBC

English Bay day and night

English Bay, Vancouver

Retrospective • an archive of work from 2018

Self Portrait with Bear and Masks

Inspired by a visit to the Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver.

Size 18.5 x 19.5 cms

hand and machine stitch with appliqué

From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond • photo by Yeshen Venema

Materials :Linen and recycled clothing fabrics,cotton threads, InkTense pencils,acrylic paint

Techniques: Hand and machine stitch.appliqué, piecing, drawing, painting

A visit to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York sparked the idea for this work in which the emphasis shifts slightly away from people, and towards place, a specific place, New York and a snapshot of a specific time period 21/12/16 to 3/01/17. Another small shift is in the use of materials, black thread was used abundantly in this piece this is a new departure as was the use of Derwent InkTense pencils to draw and colour the background fabric.

A new approach, an attempt to capture a new energy in the work and a move away from control in the design process meant the work evolved and has had several incarnations during the making process rather than being pre-planned.

There are a multitude of references in this work; to the atmosphere and fast pace of New York City to the areas and places visited and to great beer, coffee and food consumed. Also referenced are a selection of the many street artists in Greenpoint and Bushwick including Faille, a Brooklyn-based artistic collaboration between Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller and there’s tribute paid to particular artworks, ‘Jawbone of an Ass’ by Jean-Michel Basquiat and ‘The Mermaid’  a sculpture by Liz Craft at the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan. 

 

Studies for Collected Memories

Virginia and her Mum

Beryl’s Gran and her Friends 2018 Study for Collected Memories Hand/machine stitch with paint.

Randi and Mr Bunny 2018 for Collected memories Hand/machine stitch with appliqué .

Carmel and Dora 2018 for Collected Memories Hand/machine stitch with paint.

Study for 6 Little Girls 2018 for Collected Memories machine/hand stitch, ink pencils and paint.

New Handling Samples 2018

Handling sample

Handling sample

Handling sample

Handling sample

Handling sample

Handling sample

Handling sample

Ctrl/Shift is going on Tour

I’m delighted to announce that the 62 Group exhibition Ctrl/Shift will be touring next year.

First stop is the  National Centre for Craft and Design where the exhibition will be shown in the main gallery space from 2 February to 22 April 2019. More venues will be coming later.

So if you missed seeing my work ‘From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond in Birmingham why not try and catch it a NCCD, Sleaford, Lincolnshire.

Details of  From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond  by Sue Stone.

Photos by Yeshen Venema.

 

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond – photo Yeshen Venema

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

 

Ctrl / Shift
New Directions in Textile Art
2 Feb – 22 Apr 2019
Main Gallery, NCCD, Sleaford, Lincs, UK
The creative tension between accomplished skill, experimentation and the development of new ideas, provides the starting point for Ctrl/Shift, the latest exhibition from The 62 Group of Textile Artists. The exhibition enables participating artists to explore projects which manifest as transformations in their practice. Ctrl/Shift takes shifts and changes as its theme; in particular it is centred on artists whose practice is or has transformed, in small or large ways, especially towards expressions of innovation in textile art. These shifts may be around changing attitudes to control; the introduction of new materials and techniques; and/or the impact of innovative and contemporary themes and ideas, and evolving technologies.

The exhibition comprises over thirty artworks by twentyfive artists, including carefully selected outcomes from a collaboration between three artists who reflected on and were inspired by each other’s work.

The exhibition concept has been developed in partnership with the 62 Group and independent curator Liz Cooper.

The 62 Group is an artist-led organisation which aims to incorporate and challenge the boundaries of textile practice through an ambitious and innovative annual programme of exhibitions and events. Since its establishment in 1962 some of the most highly regarded British & international textile artists have been members of the group.

The artists are (UK unless otherwise noted):

Imogen Aust, Caroline Bartlett, Heather Belcher
Eszter Bornemisza (Hungary), Lucy Brown, Penny Burnfield
Nigel Cheney, Daisy Collingridge, Isobel Currie
Flox den Hartog Jager (Netherlands), Catherine Dormor, Dawn Dupree
Caren Garfen, Emily Jo Gibbs, Ann Goddard
Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor, Hannah Lamb, Debbie Lyddon
Jae Maries, Sian Martin, Jane McKeating
Sumi Perera (Sri Lanka/UK), Shuna Rendel, Vanessa Rolf
Sue Stone

More Details of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

Photos by Yeshen Venema.

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint and Beyond 2018 – photo by Yeshen Venema

Detail of From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond

Ctrl/Shift

The next 62 Group exhibition ‘Ctrl/Shift’ opens on 21 July 2018 and I am delighted that my work ‘From Grimsby to Greenpoint & Beyond’ has been selected to be shown at MAC, Birmingham.

The exhibition is grouped into four main thematic areas but could equally have been split many other ways. There is also a Project Space in which samples, tools, photos, short films and other materials will shed some light on the making process. We hope that the works will delight, provoke, entertain and educate; and inspire others to explore this most powerful of media, textiles.

The exhibition concept has been developed in partnership with the 62 Group and independent curator Liz Cooper.

The exhibiting artists are:

Imogen Aust, Caroline Bartlett, Heather Belcher, Eszter Bornemisza, Lucy Brown, Penny Burnfield, Nigel Cheney, Daisy Collingridge, Isobel Currie, Flox den Hartog Jager, Catherine Dormor, Dawn Dupree, Caren Garfen, Emily Jo Gibbs, Ann Goddard, Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor, Hannah Lamb, Debbie Lyddon, Sîan Martin, Jane McKeating, Sumi Perera, Shuna Rendel, Vanessa Rolf, and Sue Stone

The Ctrl/Shift Private view is on Saturday 21 July at the MAC and I have attached an invitation, with details, as you are all welcome to come and celebrate the opening with us and to meet some of the artists. Admission is free but booking is essential. Book Here

 

 

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6th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial Tradition and Innovation on the theme: Identity! 

In 2018 Latvia will celebrate the centenary anniversary of the Republic of Latvia and the Triennial will be part of the festivity cultural programme. I am delighted, and as usual very relieved when I send my artwork abroad, to say that my work I Am Me has arrived in Riga for the 6th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial Tradition and Innovation on the theme: Identity! I Am Me is one of 85 artworks  from 28 countries chosen for the exhibition from 218 applications.

The exhibition opens on 6 June 2018 at 4 p.m at the Arsenāls Exhibition Hall, Riga  (Torņa St. 1) and will run until September 9, 2018.

I Am Me – Artist’s Statement

Individuality, distinctiveness, uniqueness form our identity; who or what we are. Visual decoration or types of clothing may suggest class, culture, creed, religion or ethnicity. The outer shell and its various wrappings; skin, clothing, accessories, may alter and transform my appearance as they change. 

This work, made up of 12 self-portraits, is inspired by the humankind’s urge to categorise. Whoever you think you see in these images the person portrayed remains the same throughout. It is me and the viewer is asked to form their own opinion of who I really am.

I Am Me – Tattoos

I Am Me – Hilda

I Am Me – Turban 2

I Am Me – punk

I Am Me 4

I Am Me 6

I Am Me 9

I Am Me – Iris

I Am Me 12

I Am Me 1

I Am Me 7