Introductory text by tutor, artist and curator Margaret Adams

'Colour & Textiles'

Artist Jenny Alderson led on the textile project in the practical art sessions in our Season 1 2022-23 Programme. Jenny showed us examples of her work and talked about her ideas and influences. She also talked about the work of Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Ani Albers and other artists who were influenced by the colour theories of Joseph Albers and the Bauhaus school.
 
The members used colour as a guiding influence to product their own work. Jan Eckford worked in acrylic paint to explore colour relationships while the rest of us selected examples of the fabric provided to make personal responses: some using more traditional methods of patchwork design, other more experimental ways.
 
I used complimentary colours of red and green to create a vibrant patchwork of colour. I was also inspired to embroider the name of women artists associated with Bauhaus as a mean of reinstating their significance and importance to art history. While Walter Gropius had said women and men would have equal opportunities of access, many women were relocated to the ‘weaving shed’. There they produced ground breaking art of their own.
 
Jenny will be returning in Season 2 to lead on a mixed media project. This will give opportunities to members more interested in exploring painting and drawing techniques.

Margaret Adams January 2023