Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, Cwmbran, Wales
28th Nov 2020 - 10th April 2021
And then touring to Oriel Davies Gallery 9th Oct - 24th Dec 202
and Shetland Arts 21st Jan - 13th March 2022
Catalogue introduction Blanket Coverage / O Dan y Gorchudd
Blankets are perhaps one of our most evocative and emotive symbols of nurture. From birth onwards, we envelop our bodies in these flat panels of woven cloth for comfort and protection. Every culture in the world has a blanket tradition and as such it could be argued that they have universal appeal and implicit symbolism beyond language. The offer or gift of a blanket is understood, without need for explanation.
The large scale format of a blanket has always offered itself as an inviting ‘blank canvas’ for creative expression, beyond its utility. Their colour, pattern and composition can command attention and provide a bold focal point within its functional domestic setting. Artists and makers have long relished this potent context for their design skills
With a rich industrial heritage in the production of woollen blankets in Wales, it is timely to look at today's weavers who are forging their own ground with a respectful nod to that which has gone before them. This exhibition highlights a diversity of practice, from the handwoven to the mill-woven, all with an impeccable eye for quality and attention to detail. All demonstrate clever use of colour, weave structure and yarn choice resulting in thoroughly covetable heirloom-quality blankets to comfort our bodies and furnish our homes.
Llio James is one of Wales’s most exciting textile designers. Growing up near woollen mills in Ceredigion left an indelible mark upon her creativity, and she has forged an admirable path weaving distinctively Welsh fabrics that are yet thoroughly contemporary through her highly selective use of colour, weave structure and finishing detail.
Sioni Rhys Handweavers is another much-admired Welsh design business, specialising in handweaving the traditional carthenni in classic twills but in an updated colour palette. Lively use of colour in rich British wools create substantial carthenni of broad appeal.
Eleanor Pritchard, Margo Selby and Wallace Sewell have all established widely admired businesses that have nurtured rich relationships with British manufacturers. Handwoven designs are honed and developed in their studios before being faithfully scaled up for batch production. This ‘hand-in-hand’ relationship between craft and manufacture has heralded new ways for contemporary craft practitioners to take their wares to a wider audience.
Beatrice Larkin has a similar approach working with her partner UK jacquard mill to create her luxurious monochromatic blanket collections. Working with a jacquard loom allows for a faithful recreation of hand-drawn lines, something rather untypical in the field of blanket design.
Meghan Spielman is a recent graduate of the Royal College of Art where her graduation collection of textile artworks attracted much admiration for the highly inventive twist on traditional textiles such as gingham and checks. For this exhibition, Meghan worked with natural dye artist Madeleine Provost to prepare a hand-dyed ikat warp, before creating the handwoven silk artwork which references deconstructed blanket designs.
Angie Parker a weaver is primarily known for her colourful Krokbragd rugs and artworks has recently widened her repertoire to include blankets. Lockdown prompted a fresh appreciation for the brightly painted houses around her home in Bristol which led to a new blanket design which she put into production with the local Bristol Weaving Mill.
Both Maria Sigma and Catarina Riccabona are passionate advocates for sustainability through their handwoven practice. Their refined, pared-down aesthetic, allows their choice of undyed, natural, repurposed or recycled yarns to truly evoke luxury and a ‘slow cloth ethos’.
And lastly, no exhibition dedicated to blankets in Wales would be complete without Melin Tregwynt. The mill has been in the ownership of the Griffiths family for over a hundred years, and under the direction of the current directors, Eifion and Amanda Griffiths the mill has earned a worldwide reputation for its thoroughly modern twist on iconic Welsh double cloth designs. The extensive Melin Tregwynt archive has provided a rich resource to combine with modern colour palettes, resulting in iconic blankets with legions of admirers.
As a weaver for nearly twenty-five years, my journey into woven textiles has its very roots in blankets. I have a distinct childhood memory, laying in bed at night carefully examining the honeycomb and double cloth blankets, turning them over trying to understand why the face was different from the reverse. It was only much later in college when I discovered a natural affinity for weaving blankets, that I was so struck by this memory. My curiosity for a blanket laid the foundations for my future, and I never fail to be seduced by great blanket design. It’s been a joy to compose this show.
Laura Thomas, November 2020
With grateful thanks to Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre for inviting me to curate this exhibition, The Arts Council Wales for their ongoing support of the gallery, and to The Ashley Family Foundation for specifically supporting this exhibition and related engagement work.
Hard copy catalogue available from Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, and the digital catalogue can be found at the foot of this page: http://www.lgac.org.uk/future-exhibitions/item/blanket-coverage
