- Gas Hall, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Just before Christmas I popped into town to endure the obligatory walk around the German Market and happened to walk past this exhibition while it was open and what a piece of cultural relief it was!
Lost In Lace is an exhibition designed to challenge the traditional view of lace, both lace making and it’s uses.
The way that constructions are used to barrier, screen or shape a space is both amazingly done and beautiful.
The Gas Hall is a huge, quiet, polished room that is exceedingly quiet and all that lent it’s self to making the exhibits feel more magistic.
- Piper Shepard Lacing Space
This is the most amazing laser-punched lace made of some kind of silicone which looked just like fabric. I wanted to touch it to find out. In fact I said (too loudly) to my husband just that and the steward came running over to stop me!
- Piper Shepard Lacing Space
But what a beautiful piece of hanging art.
- Reiko Sudo Tanabata Lace
There was such ingenuity to the construction of these textiles. The definition of lace is “A delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open web like pattern.” This is more like origami meets lace.
- Michael Brennand Wood Lace the final frontier
This was the piece that had the most impact on me because as I stood admiring its colour and pattern I realised there were readable motif’s in it.
- Michael Brennand Wood Lace the final frontier
On closer inspection you could see army figures, bombs, helicopters, tanks etc all laid out in repeat, snowflake-like patterns.
- Michael Brennand Wood Lace the final frontier
I was really struck with the association of thought between fine, gentle, fragile lace and the rough, devastation of war and military life. Clever, very clever.
- Suzumi Noda
This screen or curtain looked like a night-time city scape.
- Suzumi Noda
But for me this piece was the jaw dropper. You can watch a time release video of the artists constructing this over many days, simply by pinning black wool from floor to ceiling making it denser and denser.
- Chiharu Shiota After The Dream
The ethereal dresses hung in the middle of this huge web created a ghostly narrative. It was quite chilling to be near; the web did make me feel like I was going to get caught up too. It was an emotionally evocative installation.
- Chiharu Shiota After The Dream
It’s on until February 19th and is well worth a visit. Oh and don’t forget to go into the museum itself and enjoy some tea and cake in the Edwardian Tearoom.
- Chiharu Shiota After The Dream
5 comments
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January 18, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Annie
Wow! What a pity I have no chance of getting to Birmingham before it closes. I heard Michael Brennand Wood speak years ago … an amazing artist who’s been challenging boundaries for a long time. Thank you for this post Claire, it’s a real treat
January 18, 2012 at 3:10 pm
The colour of ideas
Oh how strange, I was talking about this exhibition only the other day with a friend of mine, she wants to go and see it I wasn’t sure. But after seeing your photographs and your description of it, it would be a pity to miss it. I love Michael Brennand woods work I had no idea he was in this exhibition.
January 18, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Stephanie
Claire, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the second photograph on your post. If I am not mistaken that piece is a moucharabieh by an acquaintance artist of mine, Annie Bascoul. I saw the same piece in 2010 in Alençon in Normandy (a town renowned for its lace). As part of my research for my thesis I associate the construction of garden, textile, and stage design end of 17th century. Bascoul, who kindly offered to do some sketches of her creations for my thesis, has done a lot of work on constructing costumes out of parterre designs. Her 3D work is remarkable. The title of the exhibition alone made me happy – “Dentelle au Jardin”. She also presented her work at an incredible exhibition at Frances national costume museum: http://www.cncs.fr/
Her website is http://bascoul.annie.free.fr/
Golly sorry for this essay. It just happens that this is a theme which fascinates me deeply.
Many thanks for sharing, Claire.
January 19, 2012 at 8:32 am
sue
Wow what a fantastic exhibition, every piece amazing and thought provoking. Thanks for photographing them so beautifully so we could enjoy them too!
January 19, 2012 at 9:43 pm
anne
Wow, Claire! You get to see the coolest exhibits. But what’s even better is that you share them with us! Thank you. Now if only there were a way to share the tea and cake!