Cloth and memory: First impressions

I am very excited to have been selected to exhibit as part of the Cloth and memory exhibition being held at Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford, in July and August later this year. I have been asked to produce an installation as a response to one of the disused rooms in the Mill and have decided to keep a record of my progress.


My first impressions of the site for my work were - dusty, cobwebbed, overlooked, cold, dim obscure lighting, cracked paint, boarded up windows. Although Salts Mill is full of light and life and is a vibrant exciting venue this dingy little corner is just right for my work about the uncanny home.

In my practice I use net curtains as a metaphor for the home so I was particularly drawn to the windows. They are dirty and broken but that just adds to the gothic theme. They are large which gives me a good space to work on but they will require a large amount of fabric.

 

There is not much actual window space. Of the three windows along the wall one is entirely boarded up, one is half boarded and the other is unboarded but there are panes of missing glass. Along the far wall there are three indented areas that look like bricked up windows. So plenty of window-like areas but not much actual window – there is lots to think about here. Watch this space!