Penny Burnfield’s Japan – introduction

Penny Burnfield is a fellow member of the 62 Group of Textile Artists and has a keen interest in gardens and gardening . Here she tells of her recent trip to Japan to help hang the 62 Group exhibition.

pennyburnfield

I’ve wanted to go to Japan for most of my life. One of the first gardening books I bought was “The Gardens of Japan” by Sima Eliofsen. I remember reading it from cover to cover. I longed to go and see these wonders for myself. So when an opportunity arose at the end of 2013, I took a deep breath and said “I’ll go”.

I belong to the 62 Group of Textile Artists and by dint of persistence and good fortune we were able to send an exhibition out to Tokyo. So the primary reason for the trip was to help our Japanese member, Atsuko Yamamoto, to “hang” the show.

Those people who visit art shows but have never been involved with their organisation, can have no idea how much it involves: unpacking – arranging a disparate selection of work into a harmonious whole – lugging moveable boards and display…

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Some Things never Change

The Knitting and Stitching Show is nearly upon us and I shall be travelling to London for the first show at Alexandra Palace next week. I am helping to install the 62 Group of Textile Artists’ ‘Package Tour’ exhibition and will also be on our Stand TGJ3 on Thursday afternoon.

My work ‘Some Things never Change’ can be seen in the exhibition. For more information about this work click on the “Some Things Never Change’ link above.

I am looking forward to seeing how fellow members of the group have risen to the challenge of fitting their work within a box of a set size. As I usually present my own work on a stretcher and sometimes frame it I decided to make my work as a hanging and roll it up to make it fit into the box.

It will be great to meet lots of new people at the show and there will be the opportunity to buy the 62 Group book, RADICAL THREAD, on the stand at a special Knitting and Stitching Show promotional price of £15 which is a saving of £4.50 on the recommended retail price. The book which celebrates our 50th Anniversary, is a great read.

Offerings @ Collect

I finally made it to Collect yesterday and there was a treat in store for me in the Project Space. I have been following Lucy Brown’s progress with Offerings on her blog and her work at Collect did not disappoint. The grey ribbon warp works really well within the space and there are little gems of intricate woven fabrics and flashes of coral to catch the eye. The show runs until Monday 14th May so do get down there if you can. 

See more of Lucy’s work at Unravelling Nymens

62 Group of Textile Artists 50th Anniversary Year

Well the new year has started with a bang and the first 62 group exhibition of this, our 50th 

anniversary year starts on 11 January at the Gallery of Costume, Platt Hall, Rusholme, 

Manchester M14 5LL.

My new work A Lot can Happen in 50 Years (image below) can be seen in the exhibition which 

runs until 19 May 2012. More information about this work can be found on my website.

The new year also sees the publication of the new 62 Group book 

RADICAL THREAD • see a preview of the book • order the book

7 Strands Symposium • What happened on the Day

 Tuesday, 12 July 2011 saw the first 7 Strands Textile Symposium take place in the historic surroundings of Grimsby Minster. This was the first event of this kind I have organised and  participants traveled from as far and wide as Hastings, Heckmondwike, Hull, York and Lincoln to take part in the one day event.
During the morning International textile artist Tilleke Schwarz delivered a workshop entitled ‘Telling your own story’ . Everybody made a collage about their interests, likes, dislikes and life in general and then Tilleke invited them all to tell the others about their work. It was a great ice-breaker and some interesting tales were revealed.

 Then, after a break for coffee and delicious home baked cakes and scones courtesy of the Minster coffee shop which I can thoroughly recommend , it was time to practice Tilleke’s favourite stitch which is couching.
Couching is often overlooked in favour of more complicated techniques so it was fascinating to be reminded of the versatility of such a simple stitch. I have used the technique myself with difficult threads such as recycled stranded rope as well as finer threads to create varied results. Tilleke uses it for drawing and also for text .The couching threads may be either the same color as the laid threads or a contrasting color. When couching threads contrast with laid threads, patterns may also be worked in the couching stitches.
The feedback I received indicated that the workshop was thoroughly enjoyed. For me it was great to see simple activities like collage and hand stitched couching with fresh eyes. A real inspiration and I will definitely be using those techniques myself in the future.

The afternoon started with a talk by Lucy Brown , a conceptual artist from Brighton. Lucy practice is a complete contrast to Tilleke’s so the different styles gave some insight into the breadth of contemporary textiles in the 21st century. Lucy uses vintage and second hand, mainly women’s, clothing as the raw materials for her work and it was fascinating for me to hear about how she collects and stores these items in her studio as well as seeing the finished pieces of work. Her talk ‘Other People’s Clothes’  discussed the works presented in Seven Strands exhibition in context with her wider practice. The materials and the process alongside narratives around femaleness, re-invention and body absence and presence were also covered .http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=5805

The final part of the afternoon session was an illustrated lecture by Tilleke Schwarz  ‘Making Sense out of the Non Sense’ . http://www.tillekeschwarz.com/ The lecture covered not only her own work but that of others that she finds inspiring . I was particularly interested to find out that she enjoys the work of Michael Raedecker , an artist I greatly admire myself .http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/michael_raedecker_about.htm
All in all I think the event was enjoyed by all who attended.

7 STRANDS TEXTILE SYMPOSIUM

Well it’s been a mad couple of weeks getting ready for the Rijswijk Textile Bienniel in the Netherlands. Making sure my work was all prepared,frames retouched and then getting the work packed. Making the boxes was an event of its own! Cutting,taping, joining 2 together for the big pieces and then getting it sent to the Rijswijk Museum in the Netherlands. It arrived in 2 days. Good old DHL Express,fantastic service. 

In amongst all that I found out I had been successful with my Arts Council bid for the 7 Strands at the Minster Textile Symposium and Exhibition so then it was all hell let loose.
Leaflets to be prepared , the website to update, site visits, etc,etc. I feel like I have had no sleep for the last fortnight. Still it will be worth it when it all comes together. 

For more information about the Symposium and Exhibition please visit : 7 Strands

The tickets will be available to buy online from Sue Stone or at Gate Gallery by 26 May 2011.
Please book early to secure your place as tickets are strictly limited.

It’s a real privilege to bring artists of this calibre to my hometown. The Textile Symposium will be a first for Grimsby and we deserve to see the work of National and International artists in this area.The artists Helen Banzhaf , Lucy Brown, Dorothy Ann Daly, Ann Goddard, Christine Gornowicz , Tilleke Schwarz and myself, are all members of the 62 group of textile artists. This event must surely encourage a wider audience and a greater appreciation of Textiles as an art form.

image • Tilleke Schwarz • Fisk (detail) 2010

Our work can be seen in 2 exhibitions:
7 Strands • 2 June to 23 July at Gate Gallery, 12, Brighowgate, Grimsby, DN32 0RA

7 Strands at the Minster • 16 June to 17 July at Grimsby Minster, St James Square, Grimsby
International Textile Artist, Tilleke Schwarz ( Netherlands) and Brighton based Textile Artist, Lucy Brown will be visiting the town on 12 July. Tilleke will give a half day workshop entitled : Telling your own Story and an illustrated lecture; Making sense out of non sense ,at the Symposium. Lucy Brown, who uses vintage and second hand clothing as the raw materials for her practice,will be giving a talk called : Other Peoples Clothes.
I am really looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible at the event.