Tapestry: A Narrative for our Times
- Submitting institution
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University for the Creative Arts
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- Millar, L. 2016. TNT
- Type
- M - Exhibition
- Venue(s)
- The National Centre for Craft & Design (NCCD) (Sleaford), William Morris Gallery (London)
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month of first exhibition
- -
- Year of first exhibition
- 2016
- URL
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https://research.uca.ac.uk/view/projects/Tapestry=3A_A_Narrative_for_our_Times.html
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
-
- Research group(s)
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1 - Crafts and Textile Research
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- ‘Tapestry: A Narrative for our Times’ is a research output by Professor Lesley Millar consisting of two international exhibitions and a catalogue publication. Millar was invited to curate ‘Here & Now’ and to edit the accompanying book by the National Centre for Craft and Design, Lincolnshire. The exhibition then toured to the Midlands Art Centre (MAC), Birmingham and the Holburne Museum, Bath. Millar was invited to continue the project in curating the related exhibition ‘Weaving New Worlds’ at the William Morris Gallery in London. The research explored the contemporary relevance of the traditional Gobelins tapestry technique as a carrier of narrative reflecting its time of making.
‘Here & Now’ was the first UK exhibition of international scope to focus on contemporary tapestry since 1994. Millar brought together works from artists in the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, Latvia and the USA, evidencing the diversity of approaches within contemporary tapestry. In all its three venues ‘Here & Now’ placed the qualities and themes traditionally associated with tapestry (nostalgic depictions of mythical subject matter) in juxtaposition with very contemporary concerns (gritty, urban, politically-engaged works). In the Holburne Museum the exhibition was an opportunity for the museum to display its rare 1930s ‘Arts Tapestry’ by Edward McKnight Kauffer, showing this important work in the museum’s collection to the public for the first time. The second exhibition, ‘Weaving New Worlds’, considered narratives of utopia and dystopia, continuing the themes of ‘Here & Now’ with particular reference to the venue, the William Morris Gallery.
The portfolio of supporting information presents details of the research contexts, aims and methods that led to new insights, evidence of funding, visitor numbers and media coverage, and images of both ‘Here & Now’ and ‘Weaving New Worlds’. It includes a PDF of the ‘Here & Now’ publication.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -
