THROUGH THE SURFACE is an exhibition of collaboration, process
and outcome. It features 14 of the most innovative textile artists in Britain
and Japan whose work spans fashion, art and science. Phase One, the collaboration,
was completed in 2003. Phase Two, the exhibition has been touring the UK since
January 2004. It is now being shown at the Castle Museum and Art Gallery Nottingham
and the Yard Gallery Wollaton Park Nottingham (images).
This will be the last chance to see the exhibition in the UK before it transfers
to Japan in 2005. For images of the previous venues please click on Bankfield
Museum, Piece Hall and Square Chapel Halifax (images),
the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (images),
James Hockey Galleries Farnham on 27th January (images)
and Hove Museum and Art Gallery on 30th January (images),
Fabrica Brighton (images).
You can follow the development and progress of these seven exceptional working
partnerships through their Journals. Current updates on the project can be found
on the Exhibition Page, the Education
page and in the Project Director’s
Journal. Press
coverage is posted here
In 1998 the exhibition of UK based textile artists ‘Revelation’ was successfully shown in Japan, at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. During the exhibition many of the participating artists travelled to Japan and, as a result of the dialogue established with Japanese textile artists at that time, the exhibition ‘Textural Space’ was organised. ‘Textural Space’ brought 13 of the most important contemporary Japanese textile artists to the UK in an exhibition which was one of the opening events of ‘Japan 2001’, a year long celebration of Japan in the UK. ‘Textural Space’ was an outstanding success with both the public and the press, generating 83,415 visitors and coverage in 42 magazines, 13 national and 43 regional newspapers.
through the surface is originated through The Surrey Institute of Art and Design and supported by major Japanese and UK arts funding organisations including Arts Council England and The Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation, is the next step in this evolving relationship between the UK and Japan through textile art.
Phase One of the Project, the exchanges, has now been completed and we have
the final Journal entries from the artists involved in those exchanges. We are
now entering Phase Two, the exhibition. All new updates will be published on
the Exhibition
and Education pages and in my Journal,
which will continue. During October and November the four artists working as
artists in residence in schools will be contributing their Journals on the Education
pages. I hope that you have found the Artists
Journals as stimulating and perceptive as I have, and that you will
follow the progress of the project as we approach what promises to be an extremely
exciting exhibition. I look forward to seeing you at one of the venues.
Lesley Millar - Project Director THROUGH THE SURFACE
Journal | April | Extra | May | June | July | August | September | October | February 2004
through the surface is an exhibition of collaboration, process and outcome, featuring 14 of the most innovative textile artists in Britain and Japan. The work has been created through a unique collaboration between young and established artists in the two countries - young artists from each country travelled to work with established artists from the opposite country. These cross-cultural and cross-discipline working relationships are pivotal to the project and within the exhibition the collaborations and the processes of creating and making will be as important as the final works.
Each artist has a basic commission fee to enable the production of new work
and by working together, the artists in through the surface are developing:
· textiles that explore the interactive use of the latest technology,
· textiles created through a synthesis of new and traditional materials
and techniques,
· textiles which redefine architectural space
· textiles used as an expressive link between science and art,
The materials and techniques used range from the most natural to the highly
innovative. Different disciplines within the textile medium have worked together,
knit with stitch, weave with knit, print with performance, weave with print,
stitch with felt, cloth with electronics. Each of the artists is taking risks
and expanding his or her working practice.
The exhibition design will reinforce and reflect the fluidity of ideas, the
exchange of understanding and the establishment of the relationships; it will
also be another collaboration. From the earliest stages Philip Bintliff from
Studio BAAD, one of the most exciting young architectural practices in the UK
has been working with the participating artists, the curator, the venues and
the designers of the support material. The exchange of ideas, working practices
and cultural understanding developed over nine months between all participants
will provide the points of reference within this exhibition of shifting boundaries.
During the exhibition there will be an extensive education programme including an international symposium, lectures, workshops, residencies and a particular feature will be informal, artist led discussion groups.
At Fabrica, to accompany their site-specific installation, in Brighton the
education programme will involve an architect, the two artists Yoshida and Barber,
other early career artists and students from the University of Brighton.
This programme began before the work is installed and examines the nature of
collaboration. Documentation of this collaboration will be featured within the
exhibition in other venues in an innovative ‘real-time’ format.
‘The majority of Japanese artists rarely articulate their concept of their works. On the other hand, in the West most of the practitioners, including Anniken, speak about their concepts. I actually want to think about the tendency of talking and not talking about it.’ (Machiko Agano, through the surface Web Journal, May 2003).
‘Cultural Difference and the Creative Process’ looked at the specific experiences of through the surface participants and also widened the debate to encompass other creative disciplines and ideas surrounding creativity and cultural diversity from a global perspective.
These aims were realised through the presentation of formal papers and by informal discussion sessions led by experts in the fields of museum studies, film making and graphics. Speakers included world famous textile innovator Junichi Arai and felt maker Jeanette Appleton, both of whom are through the surface participants; Professor Joost Smiers, author of ‘Arts under pressure: promoting cultural diversity in an age of globalization’; and Yuniya Kawamura from the Fashion Institute of Technology New York, author of 'The Japanese Revolution in Paris Fashion'.
The Symposium was chaired by Martina Margetts, Senior Lecturer in Critical and Historical Studies at the Royal College of Art and author of numerous books on the crafts, most recently ‘Michael Rowe’ (with Richard Hill).
The Symposium proved extremely popular in advance with all seats sold and a waiting list. We were given much to think about, this cross-discipline approach brings new oxygen into our discussions and I feel we have only just begun. However, I imagine for all of us present, the moments we will never forget from this day came from Junichi Arai during his joint presentation with Tim Parry Williams, as he encouraged Tim to spread his wings and fly.
“JAPANESENESS”
IN JAPANESE CINEMA FROM THE WAR PERIOD TO THE PRESENT
FUMIAKI ITAKURA
JOY AND PAIN OF INTERCULTURALISM
Joost Smiers
The Japanese Revolution in
Paris Fashion
Yuniwa Kawamura
SYMPOSIUM PRESENTATION
GIVEN IN TURN
BY JEANETTE APPLETON AND NAOKO YOSHIMOTO
CULTURAL DIFFERENCE
AND THE MUSEUM
Veronica Sekules
Japan UK
Established Textile Artists
Teruyoshi Yoshida Maxine Bristow
Machiko Agano Frances Geesin
Junichi Arai Jeanette Appleton
Michiko Kawarabayashi
Young textile artists
Kyoko Nitta Claire Barber
Kaori Hosozawa Ealish Wilson
Naoko Yoshimoto Anniken Amundsen
Tim Parry Williams
Partnerships
In Britain
Maxine Bristow/ Kyoko Nitta
Re-evaluating the traditional techniques of needlepoint and knotting to create
interventions within the built environment
Frances Geesin/ Kaori Hosozawa
Investigating the possibilities of interactive installations through new materials
and new technology
Jeanette Appleton/Naoko Yoshimoto
Exploring felt and stitch, combining the most ancient cloth making technique
with the most modern technology
In Japan
Teruyoshi Yoshida/Claire Barber
Exploring ritual and response to tradition and performance through print, weave
and construction
Machiko Agano/Anniken Amundsen
Knit, weave and constructed textiles considering natural forms and links with
scientific discovery
Junichi Arai/Tim Parry
Williams
Exploration of the most pioneering cloth constructions and surfaces to be applied
to fashion and interior fabrics
Michiko Kawarabayashi/Ealish
Wilson
Determining different approaches to the body and to interiors through print
and mixed media
In Britain
Maxine Bristow/ Kyoko Nitta
Re-evaluating the traditional techniques of needlepoint and knotting to create
interventions within the built environment
February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September
Frances Geesin/ Kaori Hosozawa
Investigating the possibilities of interactive installations through new materials
and new technology
June | July | August | September
Jeanette Appleton/Naoko Yoshimoto
Exploring felt and stitch, combining the most ancient cloth making technique
with the most modern technology
May | June | July | August | September
In Japan
Teruyoshi Yoshida/Claire Barber
Exploring ritual and response to tradition and performance through print, weave
and construction
July Journal | August Journal | September Journal
Machiko Agano/Anniken Amundsen
Knit, weave and constructed textiles considering natural forms and links with
scientific discovery
April | May | June | July | August | September Journal
Junichi Arai/Tim Parry
Williams
Exploration of the most pioneering cloth constructions and surfaces to be applied
to fashion and interior fabrics
July Journal | August Journal | September | December
Michiko Kawarabayashi/Ealish
Wilson
Determining different approaches to the body and to interiors through print
and mixed media
April | May | June | July Journal | August Journal | September
and currently supported by:
The Arts and Humanities Research Board
The Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation
Arts Council England
Arts Council South East
The British Council Japan
Waverley Council
Chester College of Higher Education
University of Huddersfield
All Nippon Airways
Colbond Nonwovens
Project Director - Lesley Millar
Director's Journal: April | Extra | May | June | July Journal | August
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