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Makers and Practitioners www.mapgroup.org.uk
Pinnies from Heaven is a Makers Guild in Wales exhibition supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Assembly Government. The Makers Guild in Wales would like to thank MaP, Ruth Furlong, Guest Artists, BBC Photo Library, Brian Shields and the Arts Council of Wales. Published by the Makers Guild in Wales. Text ŠThe Authors and MGW 2014 ISBN 978-0-9566868-6-2 This book is produced to complement the exhibition Pinnies from Heaven originated by The Makers Guild in Wales. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form whatsoever without the written permission from the publisher. The Makers Guild in Wales, Craft in the Bay, The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff Bay. CF10 4QH T: +44 (0)29 2048 4611 www.makersguildinwales.org.uk Charity Number: 1113675 Company Number: 5608888
PINNIES FROM HEAVEN
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Makers and Practitioners www.mapgroup.org.uk
Craft in the Bay is a centre of excellence for contemporary craft in Wales and provides a showcase for the Makers Guild in Wales. A registered charity with over seventy members, rhe Guild is dedicated to promoting and encouraging its members and guest exhibitors. With the support of the Arts Council of Wales the Guild has been able to realise their ambitions to curate and host exhibitions by national and international makers. Visitors to the gallery are exposed to a rich and educational experience supported by artist talks, craft demonstrations and hands-on workshops
Pinnies from Heaven originated when Ruth Furlong was asked to show her collection of pinafores at the National Botanic Garden, Carmarthen, in May 2012. Ruth felt that the collection should be seen in the context of her research on the history of the pinafore, and enlisted the help of Brian and Sue Shields to create information panels as a setting for the exhibition. Out of this experience grew the idea that MaP – an established textile group – would respond to Ruth's exhibition with their own contemporary ‘take’ on the pinafore. The group regularly invite celebrated textile artists to talk about their practice and to run workshops with the group. For this exhibition it was decided to invite five key practitioners: Tilleke Schwarz; Jilly Morris; Cathy Miles; Jennifer Collier and Jamie Chalmers (a.k.a. Mr Cross Stitch), to exhibit their contemporary response to the notion of pinafore.
Makers and Practitioners www.mapgroup.org.uk
MaP (Makers and Practitioners) is a collective group of artists based in Wales. The group members are passionate about their work and about expanding the audience for contemporary art and craft with an emphasis on textiles. The artists pride themselves on their approachability and encouragement of others. Some already have national and international reputations; all have a wealth of complementary experience in a surprising variety of fields including textile media, illustration and jewellery. The aim of the group is to combine their diverse knowledge and skills and challenge the boundaries of traditional crafts. Through innovative exhibitions and the development of new collaborative techniques we find audiences are inspired and encouraged to enjoy the creative world. Since its inception in 2001, the group has exhibited in Wales, and the UK and in collaboration with the textile group Diagonale has had an exhibition in Canada touring since 2008. Members of the group have delivered educational workshops supporting the exhibitions.
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Makers and Practitioners www.mapgroup.org.uk
Craft in the Bay is a centre of excellence for contemporary craft in Wales and provides a showcase for the Makers Guild in Wales. A registered charity with over seventy members, rhe Guild is dedicated to promoting and encouraging its members and guest exhibitors. With the support of the Arts Council of Wales the Guild has been able to realise their ambitions to curate and host exhibitions by national and international makers. Visitors to the gallery are exposed to a rich and educational experience supported by artist talks, craft demonstrations and hands-on workshops
Pinnies from Heaven originated when Ruth Furlong was asked to show her collection of pinafores at the National Botanic Garden, Carmarthen, in May 2012. Ruth felt that the collection should be seen in the context of her research on the history of the pinafore, and enlisted the help of Brian and Sue Shields to create information panels as a setting for the exhibition. Out of this experience grew the idea that MaP – an established textile group – would respond to Ruth's exhibition with their own contemporary ‘take’ on the pinafore. The group regularly invite celebrated textile artists to talk about their practice and to run workshops with the group. For this exhibition it was decided to invite five key practitioners: Tilleke Schwarz; Jilly Morris; Cathy Miles; Jennifer Collier and Jamie Chalmers (a.k.a. Mr Cross Stitch), to exhibit their contemporary response to the notion of pinafore.
Makers and Practitioners www.mapgroup.org.uk
MaP (Makers and Practitioners) is a collective group of artists based in Wales. The group members are passionate about their work and about expanding the audience for contemporary art and craft with an emphasis on textiles. The artists pride themselves on their approachability and encouragement of others. Some already have national and international reputations; all have a wealth of complementary experience in a surprising variety of fields including textile media, illustration and jewellery. The aim of the group is to combine their diverse knowledge and skills and challenge the boundaries of traditional crafts. Through innovative exhibitions and the development of new collaborative techniques we find audiences are inspired and encouraged to enjoy the creative world. Since its inception in 2001, the group has exhibited in Wales, and the UK and in collaboration with the textile group Diagonale has had an exhibition in Canada touring since 2008. Members of the group have delivered educational workshops supporting the exhibitions.
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Pinnies from Heaven Little has been written about the humble ‘pinny’ – the common word for a garment that is worn as an apron. In fact the apron or pinafore has a fascinating history which is far from humble. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has nearly four hundred examples in its collection and there are more examples from around the world in the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford including one made from bones – thought to be human. An interesting approach to studying the history of the ‘pinny’ is to take a lesson from anthropology. Some anthropologists argue that we can study objects rather like people. ‘Things have social lives’, so we can study the ‘pinny’ as an object with a story to tell; where did a particular item come from and who made it; what happened to it next; did its value and status change over time? What do the answers to such questions tell us about people and societies? The word ‘apron’ derives from the French ‘napron’ from the 1300s which then became ‘naperon’ or ‘napkin’ and usually referred to a piece of cloth that was tied from round the back of the body. As we shall see, the word ‘pinafore’ did not enter the English language until the 18th century. Biblical Times One of the earliest references to the apron comes from the Bible when, having lured Adam into eating from the tree of forbidden fruit, Eve and Adam felt sinful and naked before God and turned to the fig leaf: “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they (were) naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons”. Genesis 3:7, King James Bible. When Masaccio painted this picture between 1426 and 1428 he depicted Adam and Eve in the nude (image 1). In 1680 fig leaves were added for decency (image 2) but when the fresco was renovated in the 1980s the leaves were taken away again (image 3).
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Pinnies from Heaven Little has been written about the humble ‘pinny’ – the common word for a garment that is worn as an apron. In fact the apron or pinafore has a fascinating history which is far from humble. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has nearly four hundred examples in its collection and there are more examples from around the world in the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford including one made from bones – thought to be human. An interesting approach to studying the history of the ‘pinny’ is to take a lesson from anthropology. Some anthropologists argue that we can study objects rather like people. ‘Things have social lives’, so we can study the ‘pinny’ as an object with a story to tell; where did a particular item come from and who made it; what happened to it next; did its value and status change over time? What do the answers to such questions tell us about people and societies? The word ‘apron’ derives from the French ‘napron’ from the 1300s which then became ‘naperon’ or ‘napkin’ and usually referred to a piece of cloth that was tied from round the back of the body. As we shall see, the word ‘pinafore’ did not enter the English language until the 18th century.
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Biblical Times One of the earliest references to the apron comes from the Bible when, having lured Adam into eating from the tree of forbidden fruit, Eve and Adam felt sinful and naked before God and turned to the fig leaf: “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they (were) naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons”. Genesis 3:7, King James Bible.
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When Masaccio painted this picture between 1426 and 1428 he depicted Adam and Eve in the nude (image 1). In 1680 fig leaves were added for decency (image 2) but when the fresco was renovated in the 1980s the leaves were taken away again (image 3).
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Ancient Egypt
16th and 17th Centuries
Another early example of the apron is the Shendyt from Egypt which emanates from the 4th century BC and is represented in papyrus drawings, wall paintings and statues, including that of Tutankhamun (who lived about 3,300 years ago) (image 4). It was a kilt-like garment incorporating an apron worn by royalty or deities (with a simpler version for ‘commoners’) and was one of the most important items on a pharaoh’s dress. Examples such as the shendyt show how the apron can be read as a sign of social status. The type of cloth, such as flax, and decoration, for example colour and quantity of cloth, denoted the wearer’s wealth.
In the 16th and 17th centuries men in the public sphere continued to wear aprons that denoted their trades. Colour and design started to be used to distinguish one trade from another. For example the Butcher’s Guild in York dictated in 1540 that blue aprons should be worn. This developed into the blue and white stripe which was worn by the master butcher (images 9 and 10). Apprentices, however, had to work for up to seven years to ‘earn their stripe’. In the early 1600s the painter who best depicts aprons was not British but Flemish. Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s works were on display at that time (images 11, 12 and 13). Many were copies of Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s works (his father). Both delighted in painting peasants at work and at play. Interestingly both were Masters of a Painters’ Guild. The work of the Breughels is unusual in that their subject matter has become a historical record of life amongst the poor and disabled at a time when there were conflicts between the Catholic, Protestant and Calvinist religions in Europe. Many of their paintings were based on proverbs and religious allegories giving us a rare glimpse of social protest in this period.
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Medieval Period
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In the medieval period men, and some women, wore aprons in the various trades in which they worked: for example as masons (image 5), carvers, carpenters, glassworkers or blacksmiths (image 6). Guilds were formed in the 14th century to protect such workers and encourage their skills. Aprons in the middle ages were practical and the materials they were made of such as leather or cloth appropriate for various trades. However aprons became increasingly symbolic and one could read the trade of a workman by his apron. Although women worked outside the home in the medieval period for example harvesting (image 7) or brewing, representations of the time frequently depict them wearing aprons in the domestic interior often caring for other women during pregnancy and childbirth (image 8).
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Ancient Egypt
16th and 17th Centuries
Another early example of the apron is the Shendyt from Egypt which emanates from the 4th century BC and is represented in papyrus drawings, wall paintings and statues, including that of Tutankhamun (who lived about 3,300 years ago) (image 4). It was a kilt-like garment incorporating an apron worn by royalty or deities (with a simpler version for ‘commoners’) and was one of the most important items on a pharaoh’s dress. Examples such as the shendyt show how the apron can be read as a sign of social status. The type of cloth, such as flax, and decoration, for example colour and quantity of cloth, denoted the wearer’s wealth.
In the 16th and 17th centuries men in the public sphere continued to wear aprons that denoted their trades. Colour and design started to be used to distinguish one trade from another. For example the Butcher’s Guild in York dictated in 1540 that blue aprons should be worn. This developed into the blue and white stripe which was worn by the master butcher (images 9 and 10). Apprentices, however, had to work for up to seven years to ‘earn their stripe’. In the early 1600s the painter who best depicts aprons was not British but Flemish. Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s works were on display at that time (images 11, 12 and 13). Many were copies of Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s works (his father). Both delighted in painting peasants at work and at play. Interestingly both were Masters of a Painters’ Guild. The work of the Breughels is unusual in that their subject matter has become a historical record of life amongst the poor and disabled at a time when there were conflicts between the Catholic, Protestant and Calvinist religions in Europe. Many of their paintings were based on proverbs and religious allegories giving us a rare glimpse of social protest in this period.
9
Medieval Period
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In the medieval period men, and some women, wore aprons in the various trades in which they worked: for example as masons (image 5), carvers, carpenters, glassworkers or blacksmiths (image 6). Guilds were formed in the 14th century to protect such workers and encourage their skills. Aprons in the middle ages were practical and the materials they were made of such as leather or cloth appropriate for various trades. However aprons became increasingly symbolic and one could read the trade of a workman by his apron. Although women worked outside the home in the medieval period for example harvesting (image 7) or brewing, representations of the time frequently depict them wearing aprons in the domestic interior often caring for other women during pregnancy and childbirth (image 8).
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18th Century
19th Century
In 1782 the word ‘pinafore’ entered the English language as pin+‘afore’ meaning pinned to the front or to the fore. And it is in the 18th century that we see representations of the apron or pinafore as an object of display, a demonstration of embroidery skills and sometimes a garment of a not very practical nature (images 14, 15 & 16). It was not only womens’ fashions that reached extremes in this period; men, too, wore extensively embroidered garments and donned flamboyant wigs. Material and accessories were imported. Those with money could buy expensive items and trimmings in their attempts to be ‘followers of fashion’. Even the Masonic apron at this time was elaborately worked. The latter quarter of the 18th century saw the emergence of exotic fabrics for these garments with the introduction of cotton, cashmere, satin, silk and velvet and some Masons had their aprons richly embroidered (image 17). This caused alarm that social divisions were appearing in the ranks, that is that gentleman Masons were emerging flaunting rich regalia at the expense of less wealthy brothers. When the two opposing Grand Lodges in England merged in 1813 to form a union, aprons and other Masonic regalia were standardised and fancy materials banned. However, not all members of society were wearing such flamboyant clothing. For most people in the 18th century, life was harsh. William Hogarth’s morality tale, ‘A Harlot’s Progress’, echoing the fears of the time, depicted an innocent country girl, Moll, descending into prostitution, then being jailed (image 18), and having an illegitimate child before dying from venereal disease.
The 19th century in Britain was a period of rapid industrialization. In the early part of the century men, women and some children worked in factories and on the land, often in appalling conditions. The majority of the population were working class. In match factories like this one (image 19) the phosphorus was highly dangerous: so much so that Marx wrote “Dante would have found the worst horrors of his Inferno surpassed in this manufacture.“ (Das Kapital Vol. 1.Ch.10) Working in the home might have seemed a far better option, although there is evidence that not all domestic servants were well treated. To have even one servant denoted status and in this century, and up until the First World War in the next century, ‘service’ was a major employer, particularly of women. The apron became a visible symbol of this domestic service class (image 20). In the Victorian period the apron or half apron was often worn ‘below’ stairs by the maids in the kitchen. When a maid went upstairs, however, she would frequently don a more elaborate pinafore with ruffles or decorative hand lace and stitching. This ‘upstairs downstairs’ distinction was not confined to women, with butlers and manservants in the Victorian and Edwardian period leaving their practical pinnies in the pantry or kitchen when ascending to serve their masters and mistresses. In the 19th century the ‘pinny ‘entered politics. Between 1839 and 1843 tenant farmers in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire protested against having to pay tolls to use the roads. Many of these farmers dressed as women and called themselves ‘Rebecca and her daughters’ probably referring to Genesis XXIV where Rebecca talks of the need to “possess the gates of those who hate them”. In illustrations of the time, the rioters are depicted as swarthy women wielding sticks, pinnies and petticoats (image 21). Eventually the riots were considered to be a worthy cause and the law was changed to be more supportive to local road users. Although it is popularly thought that today’s Welsh costume has a much older history it was in fact a Victorian invention. In the 18th and 19th centuries many country women wore a bedgown like a long coat - apron, shawl and kerchief or cap although that was not exclusive to Wales.
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18th Century
19th Century
In 1782 the word ‘pinafore’ entered the English language as pin+‘afore’ meaning pinned to the front or to the fore. And it is in the 18th century that we see representations of the apron or pinafore as an object of display, a demonstration of embroidery skills and sometimes a garment of a not very practical nature (images 14, 15 & 16). It was not only womens’ fashions that reached extremes in this period; men, too, wore extensively embroidered garments and donned flamboyant wigs. Material and accessories were imported. Those with money could buy expensive items and trimmings in their attempts to be ‘followers of fashion’. Even the Masonic apron at this time was elaborately worked. The latter quarter of the 18th century saw the emergence of exotic fabrics for these garments with the introduction of cotton, cashmere, satin, silk and velvet and some Masons had their aprons richly embroidered (image 17). This caused alarm that social divisions were appearing in the ranks, that is that gentleman Masons were emerging flaunting rich regalia at the expense of less wealthy brothers. When the two opposing Grand Lodges in England merged in 1813 to form a union, aprons and other Masonic regalia were standardised and fancy materials banned. However, not all members of society were wearing such flamboyant clothing. For most people in the 18th century, life was harsh. William Hogarth’s morality tale, ‘A Harlot’s Progress’, echoing the fears of the time, depicted an innocent country girl, Moll, descending into prostitution, then being jailed (image 18), and having an illegitimate child before dying from venereal disease.
The 19th century in Britain was a period of rapid industrialization. In the early part of the century men, women and some children worked in factories and on the land, often in appalling conditions. The majority of the population were working class. In match factories like this one (image 19) the phosphorus was highly dangerous: so much so that Marx wrote “Dante would have found the worst horrors of his Inferno surpassed in this manufacture.“ (Das Kapital Vol. 1.Ch.10) Working in the home might have seemed a far better option, although there is evidence that not all domestic servants were well treated. To have even one servant denoted status and in this century, and up until the First World War in the next century, ‘service’ was a major employer, particularly of women. The apron became a visible symbol of this domestic service class (image 20). In the Victorian period the apron or half apron was often worn ‘below’ stairs by the maids in the kitchen. When a maid went upstairs, however, she would frequently don a more elaborate pinafore with ruffles or decorative hand lace and stitching. This ‘upstairs downstairs’ distinction was not confined to women, with butlers and manservants in the Victorian and Edwardian period leaving their practical pinnies in the pantry or kitchen when ascending to serve their masters and mistresses. In the 19th century the ‘pinny ‘entered politics. Between 1839 and 1843 tenant farmers in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire protested against having to pay tolls to use the roads. Many of these farmers dressed as women and called themselves ‘Rebecca and her daughters’ probably referring to Genesis XXIV where Rebecca talks of the need to “possess the gates of those who hate them”. In illustrations of the time, the rioters are depicted as swarthy women wielding sticks, pinnies and petticoats (image 21). Eventually the riots were considered to be a worthy cause and the law was changed to be more supportive to local road users. Although it is popularly thought that today’s Welsh costume has a much older history it was in fact a Victorian invention. In the 18th and 19th centuries many country women wore a bedgown like a long coat - apron, shawl and kerchief or cap although that was not exclusive to Wales.
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The design of the national costume (image 22) is often attributed to Augusta Hall, later Lady Llanover (1802-1896) who married Benjamin Hall after whom ‘Big Ben’ was named. They commissioned Llanover Hall, near Abergavenny to be built both as a family home and an arts centre. It is said that Lady Llanover made her workers, tenants and even aristocratic guests wear her version of national dress on the estate. She also promoted all things Welsh, including the language, which she tried to learn, and employed a harpist and built a woollen mill for the production of flannel to be used in costumes on the estate. Whilst Lady Llanover was highly influential in encouraging the wearing of versions of ‘national’ dress, including at eisteddfodau, the design of the Welsh costume can also be attributed to a rise in tourism. Prints were produced, and later postcards, which had the effect of stereotyping the costume into the version popularly known today depicting a woman in flannel skirt, shawl, tall hat and white, cream or chequered apron.
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pinnies into factories, hospitals and fields to help Britain in the war effort (image 26). It was not until after the War that the Suffragettes were able to achieve some of their aims. The first woman MP was elected in 1918 and the right was established for British women over 30 to vote - they had to wait another 10 years to be put on the same footing as men. After the war, the tradition of women as servants primarily in the domestic sphere would never be quite the same again. In peacetime attempts were made to persuade women that the home was indeed their ‘rightful ’place. Domestic activities were promoted in magazines and sewing patterns aimed at enticing them back in to the home (image 27). With the outbreak of the Second World war women had to be persuaded once again that their pinnies should be worn, not merely in the domestic but also in the public sphere to help the war effort; they could be munitions workers, educators, nurses, pilots, drivers and mechanics (image 28).
20th Century
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At the beginning of the 20th century people still lived under the influence of Queen Victoria who died in 1901. One such influence was the sentimentalisation of childhood. It was common at this time for boys to wear what we now consider to be girls clothes including the apron until they were about 6 or 8 (image 23). In practical terms such aprons could be shared between boys and girls in the family and could be washed more easily than the heavy duty Victorian baby clothes which required boiling and scrubbing. At the appropriate age little boys like this were ‘breeched’ – that is they moved into long or short trousers. Sometimes this was celebrated as a rite of passage towards manhood with a photograph or a gift. At the beginning of the 20th century the pinny again entered politics, this time on the Suffragettes as a way of advertising their cause (images 24 & 25). Some of them suffered imprisonment, force feeding and even death. The Suffragist Campaign was, however interrupted in 1914 by the outbreak of War and the campaigners put their activities on hold in the interests of the nation. Now many women took their
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After World War II Britain saw an increased wave of influence from American popular culture through advertising, film and television. Women should once more retreat indoors to become perfect wives and mothers: the domestic goddess had to be reborn, complete with pinny. And here she is in
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The design of the national costume (image 22) is often attributed to Augusta Hall, later Lady Llanover (1802-1896) who married Benjamin Hall after whom ‘Big Ben’ was named. They commissioned Llanover Hall, near Abergavenny to be built both as a family home and an arts centre. It is said that Lady Llanover made her workers, tenants and even aristocratic guests wear her version of national dress on the estate. She also promoted all things Welsh, including the language, which she tried to learn, and employed a harpist and built a woollen mill for the production of flannel to be used in costumes on the estate. Whilst Lady Llanover was highly influential in encouraging the wearing of versions of ‘national’ dress, including at eisteddfodau, the design of the Welsh costume can also be attributed to a rise in tourism. Prints were produced, and later postcards, which had the effect of stereotyping the costume into the version popularly known today depicting a woman in flannel skirt, shawl, tall hat and white, cream or chequered apron.
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pinnies into factories, hospitals and fields to help Britain in the war effort (image 26). It was not until after the War that the Suffragettes were able to achieve some of their aims. The first woman MP was elected in 1918 and the right was established for British women over 30 to vote - they had to wait another 10 years to be put on the same footing as men. After the war, the tradition of women as servants primarily in the domestic sphere would never be quite the same again. In peacetime attempts were made to persuade women that the home was indeed their ‘rightful ’place. Domestic activities were promoted in magazines and sewing patterns aimed at enticing them back in to the home (image 27). With the outbreak of the Second World war women had to be persuaded once again that their pinnies should be worn, not merely in the domestic but also in the public sphere to help the war effort; they could be munitions workers, educators, nurses, pilots, drivers and mechanics (image 28).
20th Century
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At the beginning of the 20th century people still lived under the influence of Queen Victoria who died in 1901. One such influence was the sentimentalisation of childhood. It was common at this time for boys to wear what we now consider to be girls clothes including the apron until they were about 6 or 8 (image 23). In practical terms such aprons could be shared between boys and girls in the family and could be washed more easily than the heavy duty Victorian baby clothes which required boiling and scrubbing. At the appropriate age little boys like this were ‘breeched’ – that is they moved into long or short trousers. Sometimes this was celebrated as a rite of passage towards manhood with a photograph or a gift. At the beginning of the 20th century the pinny again entered politics, this time on the Suffragettes as a way of advertising their cause (images 24 & 25). Some of them suffered imprisonment, force feeding and even death. The Suffragist Campaign was, however interrupted in 1914 by the outbreak of War and the campaigners put their activities on hold in the interests of the nation. Now many women took their
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After World War II Britain saw an increased wave of influence from American popular culture through advertising, film and television. Women should once more retreat indoors to become perfect wives and mothers: the domestic goddess had to be reborn, complete with pinny. And here she is in
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In gender politics (images 35 & 36), in popular culture (image 37) and in art (image 38).
the 1940s, 50s and 60s (images 29, 30 & 31). As Kathy Lette puts it: “Emmeline Pankhurst spent all that time getting us out of the kitchen, and all they want is to get us back in.” Stella Magazine 4.3.2012.
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Recent Times
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So this seemingly humble piece of cloth – the apron, pinafore or ‘pinny’ when studied through anthropological and historical eyes can tell us a great deal. It becomes a means to study attitudes to gender, wealth, status, politics and social class – big issues indeed.
So where is the apron in recent times? Alive and kicking it would seem. In fashion (image 32), in costume drama (image 33) and in comedy (image 34).
© In the words, Ruth Furlong, 2014, all rights reserved.
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Five examples of pinnies from Ruth Furlong’s collection.
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In gender politics (images 35 & 36), in popular culture (image 37) and in art (image 38).
the 1940s, 50s and 60s (images 29, 30 & 31). As Kathy Lette puts it: “Emmeline Pankhurst spent all that time getting us out of the kitchen, and all they want is to get us back in.” Stella Magazine 4.3.2012.
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31 35
Recent Times
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So this seemingly humble piece of cloth – the apron, pinafore or ‘pinny’ when studied through anthropological and historical eyes can tell us a great deal. It becomes a means to study attitudes to gender, wealth, status, politics and social class – big issues indeed.
So where is the apron in recent times? Alive and kicking it would seem. In fashion (image 32), in costume drama (image 33) and in comedy (image 34).
© In the words, Ruth Furlong, 2014, all rights reserved.
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Five examples of pinnies from Ruth Furlong’s collection.
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Image credits 1-3. Masaccio. Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Brancacci Chapel (1426). Wikimedia Commons. 4.
Tutankhamen. Karl Richard Lepsius: Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien. Altes Museum Berlin. Wikimedia Commons.
5.
Blacksmith. Pippa Blackall@btinternet.com
6.
Rueland Frueauf the Younger. Stonemason (1505). Wikimedia Commons.
7.
Labours of the Month (August-harvest) English Stained Glass Panel from Cassiobury Park, Hertfordshire. Photo: David Jackson 2010. Wikimedia Commons.
8.
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Geburt Mariens 1469-1480. Meister des Schoffen alters.@http://scagermanrenaissance.blogspot.com/ atom.xml. Google images. Pieter Aertsen 1508-1575. Butcher’s Stall (1551). Museum Gustavianum Uppsala. Wikimedia Commons.
10. 2010 Butcher’s stripe material: Dream in Colour. Google Images. 11. Pieter Brueghel the Younger 1564-1638. Dance at Molenbeek: a depiction of dancing mania on the pilgrimage of epileptics to the church at Molenbeek. Date uknown. Source: http://www.bruxel.org/ moldenbeek/2007/brueghel-nikebbeej/index/html. Wikimedia Commons. 12. Pieter Brueghel the Younger 1564-1638. The Wedding Dance in a Barn. Date unknown. Source: http://www.bruxel.org/moldenbeek/ 2007/brueghelnikebbeej/index/html. Wikimedia Commons. 13. Peter Brughel the Younger 1564-1638. Battle of Carnival and Lent. Prace Wisna, Rama. Wikimedia Commons. 14. Dmitry Levitzky. Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova showing off her apron (1773). ShabbyBlogs.com American Duchess.
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15. The Bird of Paradise. Lewis Walpole Collection. ShabbyBlogs.com American Duchess.
27. P. Le Sueur, Womans World, August 1925. whatifound. blogspot.com.
16. Embroidered half apron 1740. Accession No. 1971.95, Metropolitan Musuem of Art, New York.
28. John Newton Howitt. 2nd World War poster from US Employment Service, Washington DC US, Government Printing Office l944. From Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Google Images.
17. Masonic apron purported to have been presented to George Washington in 1784 by the Marquis de Lafayette said by some to have been embroidered by his wife. Its provenance is a matter of debate. In Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Photo: Pheonixmasonry, Inc. 18. Detail: A Scene in Bridewell. Plate IV. William Hogarth. A Harlot’s Progress April 1732. Photo Tim Hitchcock. 19. Matchmakers. From Prof. Jane Humphries Childhood and Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution. Cambridge University Press. 20. Pembroke College Oxford Domestic Servants 19th century. English Heritage NMR Ref CC96/00045, Google Images. 21. Rebecca Riots. Artists depiction, Punch Cartoon 1843. Wikimedia Commons. 22. Welsh Landscape with Two Women Knitting, 1860. William Dyce. Copyright Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd - National Museum Cardiff. 23. Vivian Jones Thomas b.1901, farmer’s son. Reproduced with kind permission of Isobel Thomas, his daughter. 24. Suffragette walking along the Strand, London wearing an apron advertising a march. 1909. ID. No NN22816. Musuem of London Collections online. 25. Apron made by Manchester Suffragettes for Rose Lamartine Yates. The Library of the London School of Economics & Political Science The Women’s Library @ LSE/7EWD/M/02a
29. 1940s kitchen.* 30. 1950s kitchen.*
Invited Artist Statement - Jamie Chalmers I consider myself a fairly calm individual, always trying to do right by people, however when facing the concept of a Pinny From Heaven, something snapped. I knew that I had to make a Pinny From Hell, as a balance to the lightness and beauty that is undoubtedly being produced by my fellow artists. It was a curious response, not something I’m normally inclined to do, and as I played around with various designs I was slightly troubled by what was coming out. In the end I found something that definitely fitted my idea, made great use of my beloved cross stitch while making it fairly clear that this is a Mr X piece.
31. 1960s kitchen.* *All three images: Pam Kueber Retro Renovation on Retro Kitchen Design Sets and Ideas. Google Images. 32. Alexander McQueen’s Butcher’s Apron modelled by Tom Mylan in 2009. Eat me Daily Website. (By the way McQueen had 45 meat pies sent down the catwalk when this was first modelled in Milan). 33. Scene from Upstairs Downstairs 2012. Copyright BBC Television. 34. Les Dawson as Ada Shufflebotham. Copyright BBC Television. 35. ‘Real men don’t wear aprons, real men wear tactical grilling aprons’. Posted on June 28th in Cool Hunting on Fresh Bump. Google Images. 36. Kitchen Eye Candy (Vintage style aprons) lottieloves.com. 37. Michaelangelo’s David. Cookingtime.co.uk. Google Images. 38. Bansky: Maid. Bored Panda. Google Images.
26. Women in the lst World War (1917) doing a practice drill as War Time Fire Fighters watched by inmates of an English workhouse. American Press Assoc., from National Geographic Magazine Vol 31, p.296.
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Image credits 1-3. Masaccio. Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Brancacci Chapel (1426). Wikimedia Commons. 4.
Tutankhamen. Karl Richard Lepsius: Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien. Altes Museum Berlin. Wikimedia Commons.
5.
Blacksmith. Pippa Blackall@btinternet.com
6.
Rueland Frueauf the Younger. Stonemason (1505). Wikimedia Commons.
7.
Labours of the Month (August-harvest) English Stained Glass Panel from Cassiobury Park, Hertfordshire. Photo: David Jackson 2010. Wikimedia Commons.
8.
9
Geburt Mariens 1469-1480. Meister des Schoffen alters.@http://scagermanrenaissance.blogspot.com/ atom.xml. Google images. Pieter Aertsen 1508-1575. Butcher’s Stall (1551). Museum Gustavianum Uppsala. Wikimedia Commons.
10. 2010 Butcher’s stripe material: Dream in Colour. Google Images. 11. Pieter Brueghel the Younger 1564-1638. Dance at Molenbeek: a depiction of dancing mania on the pilgrimage of epileptics to the church at Molenbeek. Date uknown. Source: http://www.bruxel.org/ moldenbeek/2007/brueghel-nikebbeej/index/html. Wikimedia Commons. 12. Pieter Brueghel the Younger 1564-1638. The Wedding Dance in a Barn. Date unknown. Source: http://www.bruxel.org/moldenbeek/ 2007/brueghelnikebbeej/index/html. Wikimedia Commons. 13. Peter Brughel the Younger 1564-1638. Battle of Carnival and Lent. Prace Wisna, Rama. Wikimedia Commons. 14. Dmitry Levitzky. Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova showing off her apron (1773). ShabbyBlogs.com American Duchess.
10
15. The Bird of Paradise. Lewis Walpole Collection. ShabbyBlogs.com American Duchess.
27. P. Le Sueur, Womans World, August 1925. whatifound. blogspot.com.
16. Embroidered half apron 1740. Accession No. 1971.95, Metropolitan Musuem of Art, New York.
28. John Newton Howitt. 2nd World War poster from US Employment Service, Washington DC US, Government Printing Office l944. From Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Google Images.
17. Masonic apron purported to have been presented to George Washington in 1784 by the Marquis de Lafayette said by some to have been embroidered by his wife. Its provenance is a matter of debate. In Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Photo: Pheonixmasonry, Inc. 18. Detail: A Scene in Bridewell. Plate IV. William Hogarth. A Harlot’s Progress April 1732. Photo Tim Hitchcock. 19. Matchmakers. From Prof. Jane Humphries Childhood and Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution. Cambridge University Press. 20. Pembroke College Oxford Domestic Servants 19th century. English Heritage NMR Ref CC96/00045, Google Images. 21. Rebecca Riots. Artists depiction, Punch Cartoon 1843. Wikimedia Commons. 22. Welsh Landscape with Two Women Knitting, 1860. William Dyce. Copyright Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd - National Museum Cardiff. 23. Vivian Jones Thomas b.1901, farmer’s son. Reproduced with kind permission of Isobel Thomas, his daughter. 24. Suffragette walking along the Strand, London wearing an apron advertising a march. 1909. ID. No NN22816. Musuem of London Collections online. 25. Apron made by Manchester Suffragettes for Rose Lamartine Yates. The Library of the London School of Economics & Political Science The Women’s Library @ LSE/7EWD/M/02a
29. 1940s kitchen.* 30. 1950s kitchen.*
Invited Artist Statement - Jamie Chalmers I consider myself a fairly calm individual, always trying to do right by people, however when facing the concept of a Pinny From Heaven, something snapped. I knew that I had to make a Pinny From Hell, as a balance to the lightness and beauty that is undoubtedly being produced by my fellow artists. It was a curious response, not something I’m normally inclined to do, and as I played around with various designs I was slightly troubled by what was coming out. In the end I found something that definitely fitted my idea, made great use of my beloved cross stitch while making it fairly clear that this is a Mr X piece.
31. 1960s kitchen.* *All three images: Pam Kueber Retro Renovation on Retro Kitchen Design Sets and Ideas. Google Images. 32. Alexander McQueen’s Butcher’s Apron modelled by Tom Mylan in 2009. Eat me Daily Website. (By the way McQueen had 45 meat pies sent down the catwalk when this was first modelled in Milan). 33. Scene from Upstairs Downstairs 2012. Copyright BBC Television. 34. Les Dawson as Ada Shufflebotham. Copyright BBC Television. 35. ‘Real men don’t wear aprons, real men wear tactical grilling aprons’. Posted on June 28th in Cool Hunting on Fresh Bump. Google Images. 36. Kitchen Eye Candy (Vintage style aprons) lottieloves.com. 37. Michaelangelo’s David. Cookingtime.co.uk. Google Images. 38. Bansky: Maid. Bored Panda. Google Images.
26. Women in the lst World War (1917) doing a practice drill as War Time Fire Fighters watched by inmates of an English workhouse. American Press Assoc., from National Geographic Magazine Vol 31, p.296.
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Invited Artist Statement - Jennifer Collier
Invited Artist Statement - Julia Griffiths-Jones
My practice focuses on creating work from paper; by bonding, waxing, trapping and stitching I produce unusual paper ‘fabrics’, which are used to explore the ‘remaking’ of objects. The papers are treated as if cloth, with the main technique employed being stitch; a contemporary twist on traditional textiles. The papers themselves serve as both the inspiration and the media for my work, with the narrative of the books and papers suggesting the forms. I tend to find items then investigate a way in which they can be reused and transformed; giving new life to things that would otherwise go unloved or be thrown away. The aprons for this exhibition have been inspired by books, a failsafe I am constantly revisiting in my work, and an obvious source of paper! Both pinnies investigate the narrative of the books they are made from; ‘Polly put the Kettle on’ was a beautiful vintage edition of the nursery rhyme, used here in conjunction with wallpaper, to be patch worked into a traditional apron shape. ‘Alice’ is much more whimsical; my reimagining of what would happen if Alice actually stepped from the book, clothed in it, an idea very inspired by the Tim Burton Film.
Polly put the Kettle on. Photo Luke Unsworth
12
Mya’s apron ,Annie’s dress is inspired by both my grandmothers, Annie and Mya, the fabrics they chose to wear and the embroidery they made. Very different women, Annie was flamboyant in her dress, whereas Mya, a nurse, wore more subdued clothes in terms of shape, but I remember a lot of small floral patterns. I have chosen the apron shape as the conduit for the imagery. I remember Mya wearing this type of apron, but I have decorated it with much of the handiwork and wedding dress lace belonging to Annie. The colours come from Mya’s woven raffia handbag, which she used for special occasions. The bottom half of the apron has been deconstructed and reworked to resemble a dress in motion.
Alice. Photo Luke Unsworth
Mya’s apron, Annie’s dress. Painted mild steel,122cms x 71cms. 2003.
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Invited Artist Statement - Jennifer Collier
Invited Artist Statement - Julia Griffiths-Jones
My practice focuses on creating work from paper; by bonding, waxing, trapping and stitching I produce unusual paper ‘fabrics’, which are used to explore the ‘remaking’ of objects. The papers are treated as if cloth, with the main technique employed being stitch; a contemporary twist on traditional textiles. The papers themselves serve as both the inspiration and the media for my work, with the narrative of the books and papers suggesting the forms. I tend to find items then investigate a way in which they can be reused and transformed; giving new life to things that would otherwise go unloved or be thrown away. The aprons for this exhibition have been inspired by books, a failsafe I am constantly revisiting in my work, and an obvious source of paper! Both pinnies investigate the narrative of the books they are made from; ‘Polly put the Kettle on’ was a beautiful vintage edition of the nursery rhyme, used here in conjunction with wallpaper, to be patch worked into a traditional apron shape. ‘Alice’ is much more whimsical; my reimagining of what would happen if Alice actually stepped from the book, clothed in it, an idea very inspired by the Tim Burton Film.
Polly put the Kettle on. Photo Luke Unsworth
12
Mya’s apron ,Annie’s dress is inspired by both my grandmothers, Annie and Mya, the fabrics they chose to wear and the embroidery they made. Very different women, Annie was flamboyant in her dress, whereas Mya, a nurse, wore more subdued clothes in terms of shape, but I remember a lot of small floral patterns. I have chosen the apron shape as the conduit for the imagery. I remember Mya wearing this type of apron, but I have decorated it with much of the handiwork and wedding dress lace belonging to Annie. The colours come from Mya’s woven raffia handbag, which she used for special occasions. The bottom half of the apron has been deconstructed and reworked to resemble a dress in motion.
Alice. Photo Luke Unsworth
Mya’s apron, Annie’s dress. Painted mild steel,122cms x 71cms. 2003.
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Project1_Layout 1 09/04/2014 18:47 Page 19
Invited Artist Statement - Cathy Miles
Invited Artist Statement - Jilly Morris
In 1986, aged six and three quarters, I moved from Yapton, a sleepy Sussex village, to Singapore, a tiny tropical metropolitan island. I swapped playing conkers in the school playing field for snooping through banyan trees‌ avoiding snakes. Before I left, I had no real comprehension what it would be like, I imagined a beach full of palm trees, with tailors on call to make me pretty dresses. My pinny explores my memories of this transitory period‌ the sadness of leaving the school I loved, the thrill of receiving the new summer dresses lovingly made by my Gran, combined a with general feeling of impatience. Of course Singapore was nothing like what I thought it might be (with the exception of the palm trees), but sometimes the anticipation of a trip is the best part, especially with the imaginative powers of a small girl, aged six and three quarters.
My inspiration for 'Mending Takes Time' stems from beautiful, darning samplers held within the collection at Bristol Museum, made by school children dating from the late 1700's. Traditionally, functional stitching (darning, patching, etc.) was taught to schoolgirls. Sewing skills were invaluable and, most importantly, transferable to the home. In an era when the quality and expense of fabrics were treated with regard, material was frequently repaired - bringing it back to life. To highlight the importance of this 'mending', each apron has first-aid plasters stitched in a cross, echoing the shape created during the darning process, and commenting on today's quick-fix, inexpensive and disposable culture. Even though an apron was worn customarily as a school uniform in the 18th century, my actual reasoning for using aprons was to emphasise an ideal of 'home'. My memory of home is a recollection of watching my mother proudly wearing her apron whilst cooking.
Detail.
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Mending Takes Time - 2012 Various first aid plasters, thread, muslin, old & new cotton, metal hooks.
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Project1_Layout 1 09/04/2014 18:47 Page 19
Invited Artist Statement - Cathy Miles
Invited Artist Statement - Jilly Morris
In 1986, aged six and three quarters, I moved from Yapton, a sleepy Sussex village, to Singapore, a tiny tropical metropolitan island. I swapped playing conkers in the school playing field for snooping through banyan trees‌ avoiding snakes. Before I left, I had no real comprehension what it would be like, I imagined a beach full of palm trees, with tailors on call to make me pretty dresses. My pinny explores my memories of this transitory period‌ the sadness of leaving the school I loved, the thrill of receiving the new summer dresses lovingly made by my Gran, combined a with general feeling of impatience. Of course Singapore was nothing like what I thought it might be (with the exception of the palm trees), but sometimes the anticipation of a trip is the best part, especially with the imaginative powers of a small girl, aged six and three quarters.
My inspiration for 'Mending Takes Time' stems from beautiful, darning samplers held within the collection at Bristol Museum, made by school children dating from the late 1700's. Traditionally, functional stitching (darning, patching, etc.) was taught to schoolgirls. Sewing skills were invaluable and, most importantly, transferable to the home. In an era when the quality and expense of fabrics were treated with regard, material was frequently repaired - bringing it back to life. To highlight the importance of this 'mending', each apron has first-aid plasters stitched in a cross, echoing the shape created during the darning process, and commenting on today's quick-fix, inexpensive and disposable culture. Even though an apron was worn customarily as a school uniform in the 18th century, my actual reasoning for using aprons was to emphasise an ideal of 'home'. My memory of home is a recollection of watching my mother proudly wearing her apron whilst cooking.
Detail.
14
Mending Takes Time - 2012 Various first aid plasters, thread, muslin, old & new cotton, metal hooks.
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Project1_Layout 1 09/04/2014 18:48 Page 21
Invited Artist Statement - Tilleke Schwarz
Claire Cawte
Ruth Furlong
Pauline Hearn
Living in The Netherlands pinafore and pinnies are brand new expressions for me but somehow I understood that it was appreciated to make a work relating to aprons. In order to prepare well the wonderful Concise Oxford Dictionary provided me with a definition. In this work you’ll find an apron as well as part of the dictionary’s description. ‘Sorry to say’, while stitching ‘inspiration’ took over as usually happens to me so the apron came to life and became almost human. Many items were added like parts of the Dyson dust buster, foxes, traditional sampler design, a tiny lobster from New England and of course a cat was incorporated. All my embroidery is part of a continuing story including anything that moves, amazes or intrigues me.
The act of wearing a pinny, an apron, a garment that forms part of a covering, has become second nature throughout my career, first as a hairstylist and then in later years as a textile artist. My pinny is embedded with the tale of the transformation of my career, from handling of human hair and chemical dyes through to the manipulation of animal hair and natural colour. It is literally a canvas of colour from chemical spills to pure leaf prints. By stitching with both human and animal hair it demonstrates the peculiar and creative connection between the two.
When I was little my parents kept a strange suitcase under their bed. I was forbidden to look in it. Eventually I learnt that my father was a Mason. When he died I opened the case to find very feminine looking be-jewelled aprons and sashes. Despite attempts by women to become Masons (including the Suffragette Annie Besant) it remains a predominantly male organization. My exhibit attempts to make the viewer ponder why. By juxtaposing the male apron on to the female form and displaying a pinny made from domestic objects I invite you to question the strange practices of Freemasonry.
My pinnie protects me, whilst I try to protect my family. I have created two pinnies the purpose of which is to hold a narrative between myself and them. One is my working pinnie that I allow to become stained during my daily life. The other is fragile, white, clean and only for show. Bold statements have been hand-stitched onto it for all to see, the use of other stitching is not so visible. My fragile pinnie is used to cover the things I would rather hide. Life can twist and turn and throw up the unexpected. Things are best left between me and my pinnie.
Scooped up
16
Scooped up – detail
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Project1_Layout 1 09/04/2014 18:48 Page 21
Invited Artist Statement - Tilleke Schwarz
Claire Cawte
Ruth Furlong
Pauline Hearn
Living in The Netherlands pinafore and pinnies are brand new expressions for me but somehow I understood that it was appreciated to make a work relating to aprons. In order to prepare well the wonderful Concise Oxford Dictionary provided me with a definition. In this work you’ll find an apron as well as part of the dictionary’s description. ‘Sorry to say’, while stitching ‘inspiration’ took over as usually happens to me so the apron came to life and became almost human. Many items were added like parts of the Dyson dust buster, foxes, traditional sampler design, a tiny lobster from New England and of course a cat was incorporated. All my embroidery is part of a continuing story including anything that moves, amazes or intrigues me.
The act of wearing a pinny, an apron, a garment that forms part of a covering, has become second nature throughout my career, first as a hairstylist and then in later years as a textile artist. My pinny is embedded with the tale of the transformation of my career, from handling of human hair and chemical dyes through to the manipulation of animal hair and natural colour. It is literally a canvas of colour from chemical spills to pure leaf prints. By stitching with both human and animal hair it demonstrates the peculiar and creative connection between the two.
When I was little my parents kept a strange suitcase under their bed. I was forbidden to look in it. Eventually I learnt that my father was a Mason. When he died I opened the case to find very feminine looking be-jewelled aprons and sashes. Despite attempts by women to become Masons (including the Suffragette Annie Besant) it remains a predominantly male organization. My exhibit attempts to make the viewer ponder why. By juxtaposing the male apron on to the female form and displaying a pinny made from domestic objects I invite you to question the strange practices of Freemasonry.
My pinnie protects me, whilst I try to protect my family. I have created two pinnies the purpose of which is to hold a narrative between myself and them. One is my working pinnie that I allow to become stained during my daily life. The other is fragile, white, clean and only for show. Bold statements have been hand-stitched onto it for all to see, the use of other stitching is not so visible. My fragile pinnie is used to cover the things I would rather hide. Life can twist and turn and throw up the unexpected. Things are best left between me and my pinnie.
Scooped up
16
Scooped up – detail
17
Project1_Layout 1 09/04/2014 18:48 Page 23
Stella Jose
Catherine Lewis
Jane McCann
Mandy Nash
Lynda Shell
Sue Shields
The ‘mini pinnies’ I have created represent different chapters within my lifetime from becoming a mother to caring for a parent. They illustrate that every time one of them is worn another role is taken on. Each of my pinnies has its own individual character and memories within it. I have created each one using a variety of fabric manipulation techniques and stitch. The materials I have used reflect the colours and functionality of the pinny. They have abstract textures and patterns to reveal images, marks and feelings that relate to that particular moment in time.
Venus wore a pinny. The 26,000 year old Venus figurine, discovered in a Czech village, wears a hip band tied below the navel with strings hanging in front. There are many other examples of Venuses wearing an ‘apron’. It is believed that they symbolised the onset of a girl’s fertility and possibly her purity. They also evidence the first made thread, which caused a revolution in human evolution – nets, bags, garments – all things became possible. My work links this first alternative apron with contemporary female rites of passage. The garment and books are made up of layered combinations of print, stitch and manipulated paper, fabric, objects, plants and perfumes.
My three pinnies, cut for smart, everyday and work wear, depict memories of people and places, while celebrating Irish linen, which is still made in County Down. The individual pinnies have names: Nancy McCann (smart) is in pink floral damask, reminding me of my Mum who used to hunt for damask remnants in Belfast market when I was a child. Hannah Eynon (everyday wear) is in natural plain weave, referencing French artists’ ‘vêtements de travail’. Maggie Corrigan (work wear) is in navy herringbone and inspired by a bib and brace apron found in an arts and crafts suppliers in China.
Whilst researching for this project I discovered a photo of myself as a child wearing a pinny; I hardly ever wear one now but seeing that picture took me back to a childhood of patterns, black and white photos, protection and play. Based on a functional apron worn by a waitress in Italy and using scraps of recycled fabric pieced together to resemble an old quilt, my pinny entraps memories from my past, selected from patterns from my sketch books. The final non functional result does not contain a single stitch, unlike examples from previous centuries that contained thousands; mine is a combination of modern technology, laser cut fabric, with traditional textile inspiration.
My pinny features the words to the song ‘We’ll meet again’ which became popular during the Second World War as it resonated with soldiers going off to fight for the freedom of their families. It represents the heartache of the many women who had to say farewell to their loved ones uncertain of what the future may hold. Many soldiers did not survive to see their families again and therefore the song, although seen as an optimistic moral booster, did not specify where or when they would meet again. For many, perhaps, this would have been in Heaven.
In looking at the history of the pinafore, I became interested in the fact that it was a significant garment for the suffragette movement, both in and out of prison. Out of prison the pinny was used to advertise the cause and to tell the public about forthcoming meetings. In prison the pinny was printed with the same government arrows as the prison dress; a black dress with white arrows and a white pinny with black arrows. I have made suffragette dolls, in and out of prison, and from different walks of life. The face of the doll in prison uniform reflects the misery of her situation. As Emmeline Pankhurst said, referring to the force feeding of suffragettes on hunger strike, “Holloway became a place of horror and torment”.
18
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Project1_Layout 1 09/04/2014 18:48 Page 23
Stella Jose
Catherine Lewis
Jane McCann
Mandy Nash
Lynda Shell
Sue Shields
The ‘mini pinnies’ I have created represent different chapters within my lifetime from becoming a mother to caring for a parent. They illustrate that every time one of them is worn another role is taken on. Each of my pinnies has its own individual character and memories within it. I have created each one using a variety of fabric manipulation techniques and stitch. The materials I have used reflect the colours and functionality of the pinny. They have abstract textures and patterns to reveal images, marks and feelings that relate to that particular moment in time.
Venus wore a pinny. The 26,000 year old Venus figurine, discovered in a Czech village, wears a hip band tied below the navel with strings hanging in front. There are many other examples of Venuses wearing an ‘apron’. It is believed that they symbolised the onset of a girl’s fertility and possibly her purity. They also evidence the first made thread, which caused a revolution in human evolution – nets, bags, garments – all things became possible. My work links this first alternative apron with contemporary female rites of passage. The garment and books are made up of layered combinations of print, stitch and manipulated paper, fabric, objects, plants and perfumes.
My three pinnies, cut for smart, everyday and work wear, depict memories of people and places, while celebrating Irish linen, which is still made in County Down. The individual pinnies have names: Nancy McCann (smart) is in pink floral damask, reminding me of my Mum who used to hunt for damask remnants in Belfast market when I was a child. Hannah Eynon (everyday wear) is in natural plain weave, referencing French artists’ ‘vêtements de travail’. Maggie Corrigan (work wear) is in navy herringbone and inspired by a bib and brace apron found in an arts and crafts suppliers in China.
Whilst researching for this project I discovered a photo of myself as a child wearing a pinny; I hardly ever wear one now but seeing that picture took me back to a childhood of patterns, black and white photos, protection and play. Based on a functional apron worn by a waitress in Italy and using scraps of recycled fabric pieced together to resemble an old quilt, my pinny entraps memories from my past, selected from patterns from my sketch books. The final non functional result does not contain a single stitch, unlike examples from previous centuries that contained thousands; mine is a combination of modern technology, laser cut fabric, with traditional textile inspiration.
My pinny features the words to the song ‘We’ll meet again’ which became popular during the Second World War as it resonated with soldiers going off to fight for the freedom of their families. It represents the heartache of the many women who had to say farewell to their loved ones uncertain of what the future may hold. Many soldiers did not survive to see their families again and therefore the song, although seen as an optimistic moral booster, did not specify where or when they would meet again. For many, perhaps, this would have been in Heaven.
In looking at the history of the pinafore, I became interested in the fact that it was a significant garment for the suffragette movement, both in and out of prison. Out of prison the pinny was used to advertise the cause and to tell the public about forthcoming meetings. In prison the pinny was printed with the same government arrows as the prison dress; a black dress with white arrows and a white pinny with black arrows. I have made suffragette dolls, in and out of prison, and from different walks of life. The face of the doll in prison uniform reflects the misery of her situation. As Emmeline Pankhurst said, referring to the force feeding of suffragettes on hunger strike, “Holloway became a place of horror and torment”.
18
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Susan Smith
Alison Taylor
Elspeth Thomas
Inspiration for this work came firstly from a pair of early 19th century pockets in Carmarthen Museum which were worn, apron-style, over a skirt. Onto each the wearer had worked not only her name but also motifs and lettering more usually associated with young women's samplers. Secondly from the ubiquitous crinoline lady, stitched between-the-wars by so many amateur embroiderers of the 20th century. My attempt to counteract the often saccharine quality of such domestic stitchery has resulted in a ‘marriage’ of vintage textiles and contemporary needlework. This piece pays homage to the unconventional popular novelist, Marie Corelli, (1885-1924) who considered that a husband was superfluous to requirements; I can empathise.
Depression is an apron that covers all of the emotions, obscuring the senses and hampering the ability to lead a normal life. Feelings are swallowed by the angry beast that chokes and chews and spits out remnants of the person within. Like a disease it takes over the mind and little by little pervades the personality, ingesting until it obliterates the ability to feel anything. The numbness takes over until the mind and body becomes infected and paralysed. Nine out of ten sufferers experience discrimination. ‘Snap out of it.’ ‘Pull yourself together.’ ‘It’s all in the mind.’ The stigma of depression means that many are too afraid to admit the problem.
I have had a lifelong interest in historical costume and in particular the Tudor period. When undertaking research for the project I became fascinated with the pinnies designed in the 1940s and 50s which replicated clothing such as a sundress pinny. These designs were constructed in a similar way to making a dress with fitted pattern pieces. With the combination of these aspects I designed a pinny called “Fit for a Queen” which could have been worn by Elizabeth I. The embroidered designs represent the menial tasks that one would do whilst wearing a pinny, although tasks probably not undertaken by royalty.
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Project1_Layout 1 09/04/2014 18:48 Page 25
Susan Smith
Alison Taylor
Elspeth Thomas
Inspiration for this work came firstly from a pair of early 19th century pockets in Carmarthen Museum which were worn, apron-style, over a skirt. Onto each the wearer had worked not only her name but also motifs and lettering more usually associated with young women's samplers. Secondly from the ubiquitous crinoline lady, stitched between-the-wars by so many amateur embroiderers of the 20th century. My attempt to counteract the often saccharine quality of such domestic stitchery has resulted in a ‘marriage’ of vintage textiles and contemporary needlework. This piece pays homage to the unconventional popular novelist, Marie Corelli, (1885-1924) who considered that a husband was superfluous to requirements; I can empathise.
Depression is an apron that covers all of the emotions, obscuring the senses and hampering the ability to lead a normal life. Feelings are swallowed by the angry beast that chokes and chews and spits out remnants of the person within. Like a disease it takes over the mind and little by little pervades the personality, ingesting until it obliterates the ability to feel anything. The numbness takes over until the mind and body becomes infected and paralysed. Nine out of ten sufferers experience discrimination. ‘Snap out of it.’ ‘Pull yourself together.’ ‘It’s all in the mind.’ The stigma of depression means that many are too afraid to admit the problem.
I have had a lifelong interest in historical costume and in particular the Tudor period. When undertaking research for the project I became fascinated with the pinnies designed in the 1940s and 50s which replicated clothing such as a sundress pinny. These designs were constructed in a similar way to making a dress with fitted pattern pieces. With the combination of these aspects I designed a pinny called “Fit for a Queen” which could have been worn by Elizabeth I. The embroidered designs represent the menial tasks that one would do whilst wearing a pinny, although tasks probably not undertaken by royalty.
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Makers and Practitioners www.mapgroup.org.uk
Pinnies from Heaven is a Makers Guild in Wales exhibition supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Assembly Government. The Makers Guild in Wales would like to thank MaP, Ruth Furlong, Guest Artists, BBC Photo Library, Brian Shields and the Arts Council of Wales. Published by the Makers Guild in Wales. Text ŠThe Authors and MGW 2014 ISBN 978-0-9566868-6-2 This book is produced to complement the exhibition Pinnies from Heaven originated by The Makers Guild in Wales. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form whatsoever without the written permission from the publisher. The Makers Guild in Wales, Craft in the Bay, The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff Bay. CF10 4QH T: +44 (0)29 2048 4611 www.makersguildinwales.org.uk Charity Number: 1113675 Company Number: 5608888
PINNIES FROM HEAVEN