Transition and Decay, the rusty interpretation

While there may not be as many photos here as in my colourful interpretation post these rusty interpretations really did make me stop and think about the craft and work that has gone into both of these pieces.

The book by Gilly Meeks held items in various stages of rusting along with stitching and shows the effect that has on the material

THE RUSTING BOOK, GILLY MEEKS

Gilly says it comines her love of the making process, stitch and found rusty objects. Recycled fabrics in the book include cotton, linen, silk and tea bag fabric and all rect in different ways to the rusting process. Gilly also says she’s very drawn to the ghostly marks which result from the process.

The larger Rust quilt by Fiona Burrows takes a different and larger approach - her piece shows the aesthetic and symbolic qualities of decay and decomposition in the style of Piet Mondrian.

RUST, FIONA BURROWS

And just look at the detailed quilting.

RUST, FIONA BURROWS

I love both of these pieces as much as I love the colourful interpretations, but to me these pieces really needed their own post to shine (or rust!).

Which of the interpretations I’ve shown is your favourite?

Transition and Decay, the colourful interpretation

Back in March in an unassuming building in Nottingham I went along to the East Midlands Contemporary Textiles exhibition titled Transition and Decay. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the leaflet was handed out at the Newark Quilt Show back in January and as we planned to be in Nottingham that week, then there was no reason not for combining a visit to the exhibition with our errands, and lunch!

And we weren’t disappointed with any of those. We started out at another new-to-us venue, the Nottingham Society of Artists Gallery in a part of the town (city?) centre we’ve not visited much yet, and we were met with a riot of colour. Even MOH was impressed and took some photos.

It’ll be no surprise to you, and it certainly wasn’t to me, that I was instantly attracted to the most colourful exhibits some of which I’m sharing in this post. My favourite item from the exhibition was this ‘Fading Hydrangeas’ as not only can you instantly see the decay, and all the colours of the hydrangeas throughout its lifecycle, but also because of the intricate work and the patience it must have required.

FADING HYDRANGEAS, HELEN JONES

Helen said that she loves colour and has been inspired by the constantly changing hues of the hydrangeas in her garden; from the bright, pure colours right the way through to the delicate petals in winter. Isn’t it gorgeous?

The next one I’m sharing is more literal - ‘Use it or lose it’ - and a type of decay that I’m sure all of us are keen to embrace, but it’s also a timey reminder to actually make that happen isn’t it?

USE IT OR LOSE IT, CATHERINE TYNDALL

VARIOUS SMALL QUILTED SQUARES BY THE EMCT GROUP

There was little information available in the show notes for the items above and below, but I understand they were completed by members of the East Midlands Contemporary Textiles group for their regular meetings, and they felt (and I agree) that they should also be displayed.

RAINBOW COLOURS AND EXQUISITE STITCHING, EMCT GROUP

This piece by Linda Forey started as ‘a possible method of looking at transparency in colours, and became a fun game of adding applique shapes’ - either way the result is stunning and playful - and also a contender for my favourite piece in the exhibition.

PLAYING WITH COLOUR, LINDA FOREY

LONG STRIPS OF INDIVIDUAL SQUARES, EMCT GROUP

I love the colourful strips of individual works pieced together, and wish I could share more about them. It was the fruit on the blue background (on the right above) that caught my eye, and the more I looked the more detail and amount of work I could see.

Truly amazing.

It was a great exhibition, which also had a ‘touching table’ where the artists had made available the pieces they’d created when starting out to create the pieces for the exhibition, that was really interesting but also highlighted that there’s always so much more that goes into creating anything quite this beautiful.

Look out for another post where I’ll share with more items from the exhibition, which look at transition and decay in a completely different way, that’s why I’m sharing it as a separate post - I didn’t want either of the approaches to get lost.

Exploring more of the Courtauld Gallery

Whilst we were at the gallery for the Monet and London exhibition we made the most of seeing other exhibits and the spaces that held them

The staircase is pretty spectacular, and was conceived as a symbolic ‘journey to enlightenment’ - with visitors progressing upwards through the building and moving from the dark to light to reach the top-floor landing. We hadn’t realised that and went straight to the top, I guess fast forwarding and possibly missing the enlightenment on offer. It’s a narrow space and the rooms on each floor have narrow ceilings, so the stairs do rise quite steeply on the final stretch.

VASE OF FLOWERS - CLAUDE MONET

As we know Monet painted so much more than the views of the Thames, and just outside the exhibition we stopped alongside this painting which he started in 1881, but signed and sold around 1920. Clearly a different subject and brighter, more floral colours but equally as impressive.

A BAR AT THE FOLIES-BERGERÈ - EDOUARD MANET

This was the painting that was the most recognisable to me from our visit - which I learnt is considered one of the iconic paintings of modern life, and was completed a year before he died in 1883. And while the barmaid is recognisable, I’d not seen the legs and green boots of a trapeze artist in the top left corner, which the blurb says ‘hint at the exciting musical and circus acts entertaining the audience’.

LILIES IN A JAR, 1914 - MATTHEW SMITH

The painting above by Matthew Smith was painting in 1914. Entitled Lilies in a Jar was one of my favourites from the whole day, and he was encouraged by Henri Matisse to ‘paint in a more intense and liberated way’ which makes this still life anything but still - and I’d happily have this one at home.

BALCONY VIEW, IPING CHURCH - 1943 - IVON HITCHENS

The painting above by Ivon Hitchens was painted at the height of the Second World War and after his London home was bombed during the Blitz in 1940. He moved to West Sussex where he painted this view looking towards the church from the balcony of a house. I think this is one you could easily have in your own home, and one that you could spend time looking at, and looking at some more.

ADAM AND EVE, 1326 - LUCAS CRANACH THE ELDER

Another image which may be familiar, and most certainly the subject matter is - but also one that I wouldn’t have been able to name the artist of.

We moved onto the ceramics section and here it was the lustred ceramics that caught my eye. The lustred ceramics would have been a must-have luxury item in the fashionable Renaissance homes, and it’s easy to see why. Lustre is made when a glazed and fired ceramic is painted with metal oxide pigments and fired again at a low temperature with restricted air supply, and results in a metallic film that shimmers in candlelight.

Outside in the December early evening we were now heading off to complete our other plans, but not without stopping and admiring this new-to-us rainbow snake of seating in a part of the Strand which is now pedestrianised, and which I’m sure on warmer days will be much used by both visitors and people working in the area alike.

We enjoyed our visit to the Courtauld Gallery, so if you’re in London and looking for something to do then definitely put this one on your list, and soak up some culture new and old while you’re there. There’s nearly always something going on at Somerset House too - when we visited the Festive ice rink was in full swing, but in the summer it’s also a great place to sit and people watch, it’s just one of those places that is constantly changing and is better for that.

I’m hoping that next time we’re in the area, it’s much warmer so I can try out at least one of the colourful seats!