July 2018

I was in London when the Fashion Textile Museum had its exhibit of the work of Orla Kiely. I’ve long been a fan of her work and it was so interesting to see her process up close–pages from her sketchbook and samples of her clothing and bags.

Here is my sketchbook page from the day.

Then, totally unexpectedly, I stumbled into an amazing textile sculpture show in Isle de la Sorge in Provence. Next to our sketching site was La Fondation Villa Datris and inside and outside were amazing fibre sculptures. From Sonia Delaunay and Sheila Hicks to others I had not been introduced to, this was a thrilling exhibit. The museum staff were incredibly welcoming and I wandered happily taking photos both in the gallery and in the amazing garden.

I was particularly interested in the work of El Anatsui who “has managed to turn salvaged materials into a mainspring of the creative process. His work questions global commercial exchanges, the destruction and the transformation of materials, symbols of events that spread across the African continent.” (quotation from museum notes)

And in the garden the sculptures of Odile de Frayssinet who winds polypropylene rope on wire frames and then uses fire to give her pieces “skin with a half-animal, half-plant appearance.” (museum notes)

We stayed in Kensington where the sketching opportunities were limitless. The charming mews in the area beckoned and the Victoria & Albert and Hyde Park were just a few blocks away. I loved the Frida Kahlo floral sculpture in the V&G garden.

In Hyde Park, we saw the Diana fountain which is unexpectedly beautiful, running like a brook over changing terrain. You could not help but feel her spirit there as the children played in the water and people sat sunning. And right there as well on the Serpentine was Christo’s latest installation, 7000 oil barrels forming a kind of pyramid. We didn’t realize what it was until I read about it in the Guardian. And finally we saw the Peter Pan statue and nearby birds and squirrels everywhere feeding out of people’s hands. I felt that Mary Poppins would appear around the next corner. It is a magic place!

And then there was the Canada Fountain in the park just behind the Canada Gate across from Buckingham Palace. I’m including a photo of the plaque so you can read the description of this moving sculpture and the sacrifice of so many Canadian lives. It was a moment to contemplate what it means to be a Canadian.

Two great fibre exhibits on my holiday

Next stop London, day one and two

Archives for July 2018