Meet the Maker: Karen Berg of CCA

MEET THE MAKER

Karen Berg is a mixed-media textile artist from Truro. She loves working with reclaimed materials and memories, and her latest collection puts the humble moth in the starring role.

Tell us a little bit about yourself I was born and raised in Truro, and attended Truro College (the year it opened!) followed by a foundation course at Falmouth School of Art. That’s where my love of textiles began.

I really enjoyed the immediacy of mono and screen print, and loved combining it with collage and surface manipulation. I went on to specialise in printed textiles, working for several design agencies, selling work in the UK and throughout Europe - I even had my own gift wrap collection on sale in Selfridges! I came back to Truro 21 years ago; I gained a teaching qualification and lectured in textiles, art and design at Truro College, where I also completed a City and Guilds in machine embroidery. Today, I balance my time between family life, working for The National Trust and being a freelance artist.

What media do you most enjoy working with? I enjoy combining painting, collage and machine embroidery to create textural and multi-dimensional pieces, using machine-free stitching to add the finer details - like ‘drawing’ on my pieces. I also use a lot of old photographs - I love manipulating the surfaces and layering the smooth, flat textures of a photograph with the textural qualities of fabrics, wallpaper and fibres. These pieces possess a real sense of history and the passage of time, and feed into my ideas of metamorphosis, change and renewal.

What drew you to creating moths? Before the pandemic, my most recent works were mixed-media pieces inspired by the Cornish landscape. My Moth series started during lockdown - I couldn’t browse fabrics in the shops, so I had to explore the materials I had to hand. The idea of recycling and repurposing what I already had developed into the concept behind the Moths: creating them from the very materials they could have destroyed became my new focus, obsession even! Rather than finding fabric to suit my plans, I let the materials lead the way, forming the design and structure of the pieces. It made for a more organic and instinctive process. I don’t see the finished works as recreations of actual types of moths, more a vehicle to explore the textures and colour combinations that inspire me. On a personal level, it feels like the moths are documenting or cataloguing my development and evolution as an artist.

What do you love about working with recycled textiles? I’m the first to admit I’m guilty of buying into today’s ‘disposable’ way of life. It’s so easy to replace things rather than re-purpose, repair or re-use. But I hate wastage, and have a sentimental streak; I’m reluctant to throw anything away, and every scrap and off-cut is kept and used again. Also, layering unusual combinations of materials such as clothing, tablecloths and old wallpaper creates exciting results that wouldn’t happen if I had a pre-conceived plan of what I was going to use and how.

What inspires you when working on a piece? The dramatic landscapes and fascinating flora and fauna we are blessed with in Cornwall. I love the colour and texture combinations of the natural world, whether it’s the lichen on the rooftops of St Ives, the contrasting textures of tall grasses beside a glassy stream or the fascinating layers of the peeling paint on boats out of the water for winter. A scene is never quite the same from one minute to the next; the light changes, the clouds move, the tide ebbs and flows, the wind changes direction. I’m always fascinated by how the seasons, the weather and even my mood can have an impact on how a place feels.

Your work sounds very personal Very much so. They are all truly intimate pieces which chart and record my life so far, containing and exploring my internal and external influences. Each piece its own history: I can tell you where I bought the papers, who donated the fabric to me, which old project the photo was from. It all adds weight and a sense of connection. All my pieces come with a tag - “I started life as...” - so the recipient knows the history and life cycle of the piece. And have proven to be the best therapy for surviving lockdown and coming out the other side, stronger and brighter - like hatching from a chrysalis!

Do you still create landscape pieces? Yes! But I try to convey atmosphere and drama in my landscape studies, not just a picture postcard idea of Cornwall. I use textures and layering to represent the tonal and surface qualities of the rocks, the moors or the dramatic coastline. Heavyweight fabrics such as woollen tweeds add texture to moorland scenes, lighter silks and chiffons convey the reflective water and stitched lines add the detail of grasses and reeds.

Where can we see your work? I’m a member of Cornwall Crafts Association, and the Moths are on display at their home gallery in the National Trust property of Trelissick, near Truro. I also show my landscapes locally, at venues including The Waterside Gallery in St Mawes. l