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Extravagansey

Extravagansey is a large body of work, which distilled my research into whole garment knitting both visually and materially.

The project developed across a rolling programme of solo and group exhibitions, each with a slightly different focus and emphasis.

The exhibitions were held in significant locations along the route of the British East Coast Herring Fishery, and were adapted to make a link with each local community. The main aim was to explain how local heritage can inform technology and design, and give renewed significance and value to traditional narratives and techniques.

‘EXTRAVAGANSEY’ began as a solo exhibition at The Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther. Research into the nationally significant collection of ganseys and other knitted occupational clothing held by the museum underpinned the practice, resulting in a series of 50 knitted garments and associated drawings.

‘STORMFORCE’ (Scarborough Art Gallery) brought together knitting and maritime painting. Marjorie Fewster was a knitter of ganseys who lived in Robin Hood’s Bay. Visual parallels were made between her mini ‘test’ ganseys and 50 new works commissioned from me for STORMFORCE. I developed interpretation panels for the exhibition, which outlined the history and significance of ganseys in general and Fewster’s work in particular.

‘PURLS BY THE SEA’(Belfry Arts Centre, Cromer) was a group exhibition curated by Elizabeth Gaston (University of Leeds). Work was selected which ‘challenges the view of knit as a traditional domestic craft’. It was an opportunity to bring together all 100 works for the first time, and for them to be seen alongside other British artists and designers working in Knit.

Extravagansey is on permanent display at the Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther, from Autumn 2013