Textile artist’s work goes on show at Bonhoga Gallery
Textiles are taking over at the latest exhibition at Shetland Arts’ Bonhoga Gallery at Weisdale.
Reaching Across by Cambridge-based artist Jennifer Talbot previews tonight at 7.30pm and runs until 19th April. Everyone is welcome to attend the opening and meet the artist.
Jennifer Talbot was born in Tanzania, brought up in London and spent several years teaching in the Caribbean. She has studied and taught textiles and taught archaeological textiles, and continues to teach on a freelance basis.
She originally trained as a geographer and this sparked a lifelong fascination with landscape; and although she has worked in, and travelled to, far-flung destinations, it is those places closer to home that continue to capture her imagination.
Her work is abstract, inspired by landscape and light, using a variety of fibres such as wool, silk and flax to produce fine, almost transparent, felt. Then she stitches into this fabric by hand, adding fragments of photographs, dyed cords and silver or copper wire.
The work complements the gallery space, being deeply rooted in a sense of place, and Jennifer responds to the archaeology of the isles by incorporating prehistoric inscriptions, runes and symbols in the work.
She said: “I am also drawn to the wild bare lands of Britain’s Celtic fringe. Barren, exposed and thinly populated, these are places ‘on the edge’. There are traces of an ancient past – standing stones chambered cairns, Neolithic villages and passage graves littler the landscape.”
Bonhoga curator Mary Smith said: “We are delighted to be showing Jennifer’s work at Bonhoga. Work by the artist is held in public and private collections and for all those with an interest in textiles this should prove to be an inspiring show.”
The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday (10.30am to 4.30pm) and on Sunday (noon to 4.30pm).
