Studio Artists:
Jennifer Collier: (Gallery Co-Director)
The art of paper and stitch_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Paper pioneer Jennifer Collier creates exquisite sculptures from vintage recycled materials in conjunction with stitch; a contemporary twist on traditional textiles. The papers serve as both the inspiration and the media for the work, with the narrative suggesting the forms. Through this marriage of unlikely materials old papers are transformed into something truly unique, delicate and complex.
Most recently Jennifer has been collecting rarely used, heritage stitches and discovering how to translate the art of lost stitches onto paper, as these techniques are an important part of our creative heritage and she wants to continue to invest time in them to keep them in the present, offering them onto future generations. Jennifer is giving new life to things that would otherwise go unused, unloved or be thrown away…
Jennifer completed a BA (hons) in Textiles (Print, Knit and Weave) in 1999 at Manchester Metropolitan University, is internationally exhibited, and has had her work featured in over 60 magazines and over 15 books to date.
Iain Perry a.k.a Print Garage: (Gallery Co-Director)
Print Garage is the dark and dusty underground lair of Iain Perry: self-styled, swashbuckling squeegee warrior.
"I create vibrant screen prints investigating the minutiae of my surroundings. I draw inspiration from old technology, tools and toys, cinema, record sleeves and the world of science. Originally trained in painting I have since discovered that screen printing is a million, billion, trillion (all the 'illions')times more fun - I have found there can be a real joy in repetition."
Rachel Butlin
Rachel Butlin seeks to challenge the concepts of contemporary interactive and wearable jewellery, producing a range of high end mixed material wearable objects. Carefully considering material combination and placement, work often explores bespoke materials, evoking curiosity, creating a connection between the piece and wearer. Intrigued by Japanese culture and tradition , the art of placement and cultural colour palettes remain central in designs.
Fran Buxton
“Ostranenie: encouraging people to see common things as strange, wild or unfamiliar; de-familiarizing what is known in order to know it more differently or more deeply”
As a magpie of treasures that others would deem mundane and invaluable ‘ostranenie’ fascinates Fran. Finding beauty in surfaces and objects that are blemished and imperfect, resonates within her whole practice; seeking to challenge the viewers perception of the familiar or previously overlooked.
Responding to her own photographs of surface pattern and texture, Fran works with mixed media/ textiles, balancing found objects (usually of a rusty variety!) with tactile mark making and meticulous stitch to create layered, often textural pieces.
Ruth Proud
With parents who were firmly embedded in the ‘make do and mend’ era Ruth grew up in the 1970’s where she and her four siblings were clothed in hand-knitted and hand-sewn garments and played with toys that were made from scraps of wood and old pram wheels. Nothing was discarded and everything ‘would come in handy one day’! Heavily influenced by this early introduction to the home spun Ruth carries on those family traditions when she creates her unique textile pieces. Using both machine and hand-stitched drawn elements combined with repurposed fabrics Ruth is inspired by the subjects that are close to her - family, home and garden - as the main themes for her two and three-dimensional works.
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