Lace Effects 1

This exhibition at the Calais Lace Museum is the first part of the Lace Effects exhibition. It runs until May 2014 and will then be followed by Lace Effects 2 which runs from May to December (and will include one of my curtains). The first exhibition includes the work of artists who offer a new perspective on lace inspired by fashion and the second one includes works which question traditional handmade lace techniques. I felt that the link between lace and the work exhibited in this first exhibition was tenuous in some cases but they combined to make an interesting exhibition. My favourite piece in the show was Claire Jackson’s ‘Webbed dress’, which you can see in the image above, which incorporated ‘lace’ made from burnt out viscose satin. It thought it retained the delicacy and beauty of lace using a completely modern technique.

I also liked ‘Perito Moreno’ by Lieve Dekeyser. This was a series of Plexiglas panels digitally printed with photographs of bobbin lace and again it referenced the lightness and transparency of lace and produced beautiful shadows of the images. Brigitte Amarger had also used images of lace, this time on radiographic film, to produce her ‘Dentelles a l’ame’ which formed an impressive installation. Another interesting installation was ‘Lace tracks’ by Hannah White which included a video and images of reflective lace on sportswear, showing lace in a decorative and functional role. This is just a sample of the pieces on show as the exhibition includes the work of 23 artists, so if you want to see it for yourself go to Calais before it ends on 18 May.