Baltic Open Submission 2024 in association with Fenwick March to September 2024

Baltic Open Submission 2024 in association with Fenwick

15th March to 1st September 2024

 I was thrilled to find out that my piece 'The Red Thread is one of 100 pieces chosen for this exhibition at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.  https://baltic.art/whats-on/

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

 The opening event on the evening of Friday 15th March was amazing. 

We arrived early to join the queue which turned out to be the a very good idea.  It was a large event from 6:30 - 11:30 with music, refreshments and a couple of speeches. The exhibition is held in two exhibition spaces on the ground floor.

Not too busy  - for a short while.

Then the crowds started to build

Soon there was a  queue to get in to the exhibition rooms.

My exhibit seemed to be the only textile apart from one large felt piece. 

Viewing my piece. 

Exhibition catalogue   

You can find details of the exhibition and the catalogue here: 

   https://baltic.art/whats-on/0g-baltic-open-submission-2024/

         I wove the selection of sayings for the Nordic and World Braids and Bands 2022 - the 5th International Conference on Braiding. Participants from around the world came to share their love of craft, take workshops and listen to lectures by prominent researchers in textiles - ancient and modern.

In honour of the occasion, I contacted people from the Nordic countries to find out their proverbs connected to weaving, thread and  practising a craft. This was fascinating and led to many interesting conversations. I had many to choose from but the red thread connecting them is learning about and sharing a love of craft.

 Den Röda Tråden  The Red Thread

I took the theme of The Red Thread for my piece. The Red Thread, a ubiquitous Nordic metaphor, describes the 'thread' running through something that gives it unity, coherence and meaning – the heart of the matter. It gives meaning to our life – and can weave together friends, communities, and stretch across nations - a collective heritage of many people or the ‘essence that links together the soul of the experience.’  

The red thread, den röda tråden is live, clear, powerful and connective - it is the single line, the spiralling of the soul, of experience, of memory and consistency in the voice of the message  - whether it is a conference, a dialogue, or a lesson. For an individual it can be their beliefs and motivation.

The shared love of craft and art is a red thread that brings people together. All the sayings are from different Nordic areas and are woven using a pick up technique using lettering that I designed. They are mounted on a piece of my handwoven cloth. The surrounding red woollen cord was made on a lucet. 

The border for each saying is in the colours of the national flag. The motifs at each end of the band were chosen to link to the particular country.   The sayings were woven using a pick up technique using lettering that I designed and are mounted on a piece of my handwoven cotton cloth.

Den röda tråden  - The Red Thread. by Susan J Foulkes

The eight proverbs from Nordic countries are connected by craft and learning. This handwoven piece links eight peoples through their shared love of craft exemplified by their proverbs. The spiralling red thread stretching out of the frame is the link to a wider community. 

The Sayings

  The Swedish saying is: Den röda tråden  - The red thread.

In Sweden the phrase, 'the red thread' is used as a metaphor to describe the 'thread' running through something or underpinning a lesson, conference or a dialogue that gives it unity and meaning. As one person has written 'The red thread is live, clear, powerful and connective.' The red thread seemed a suitable idea that underpinned the conference in Denmark bringing together crafts people from around the world with a common love of creating narrow wares. 

  The Icelandic saying is Að komast í álnir - To become rich. This is an old saying and refers to the trade in textiles from Iceland which was important for about 1,000 years. Originally, women did this weaving and as a result could bring wealth to their family. Only later did Guilds restrict their creative and productive capacity. 

 The Norwegian saying is: Øving gjør mester  -  Practice makes the master.  This is a reminder that gaining a skill takes time. 

   The saying from the Faroe Islands is: Altíð bagir illum barni okkurt.  A bad workman blames his tools. A craft is learned by an individual and failure or mistakes cannot be pinned on the tools that are used. 

  The saying from Greenland is: Uppertunut ajornartoqanngilaq.  Nothing is impossible for one who believes.

In Japan there is a similar saying which stresses the relationship between learning and skill 

'suki koso nomo no jozu nare

to love something is the best way to become skilled at it.

     The Danish saying is: Gennem livet går der en usynlig tråd. An invisible thread goes through one's life.  This lovely saying is attributed to Hans Christian Anderson and originated with Goethe. 

The Sami saying is: Vuosttaš maid meašttir dahká, lea oahppat. The first thing a master does is to learn.

   The Finnish saying is: Mestariksi tuleminen vaatii kaikkien virheiden tekemistä. To be a master you need to have made all the mistakes. 

The red thread around the sayings is a lucetted woollen cord. 

Denmark is the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. I was thrilled that the conference was held near his birthplace museum, the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark I loved his stories when I was a child. 

A few years ago I completed a course through Future Learn about his life and work. Unfortunately, the course has now been retired but it fired me with enthusiasm to revisit his stories and hopefully to go to Denmark. The conference gave me the opportunity to explore his life and work in Denmark.

 

The saying from Denmark is attributed to Hans Christian Andersen.

Each saying has a woven motif at either end. I chose the motifs to fit with the country of origin. Here is a close up of four of the sayings. 

I found motifs that appear on woven bands or other decoration of the countries concerned.  

The second band with the motif like a fish is a very common motif in Sweden.  The other motifs are all from items such as designs of belt buckles or woven patterns. 

The small item on the left is : Teresa Easton : Industry without Art is Brutality 

Enjoying the music and the art.

Andrew Livingstone: Future Archaeology, how will they tell?  and Emoji Fruit

Susan J Foulkes March 2024

Flax Spinning at the Durham Guild

 The Durham Guild of Spinners Weavers and Dyers meets every month. Our February meeting was a real treat.  I am not a spinner but the talk and demonstration was about  flax spinning. 

Cath Snape 

Our talk was from Cath Snape from the York Guild who became fascinated by flax spinning. She showed us some of her woven materials and different types of carded flax. She demonstrated how to wind carded flax onto a distaff. The traditional distaff was harder to fill, but the distaff made of a bound tree branch made winding on

 the carded flax seem easy.

winding flax onto a bound branch

First I must show you a recently restored double flax spinning wheel. This is a German 'double-flyer "wedding" wheel. This type of wheel was typically given to a bride as part of her trousseau and would have a name plate on the front. It is designed for two-handed spinning of flax. 

German 'double-flyer "wedding" wheel.

This wheel was bought by a wonderful Guild member who enjoys renovating old weaving and spinning equipment.  He has also built carders and plyers of his own design.  The Guild is enriched by his love of craft and his engineering skills. He had to mend and sometimes reconstruct broken or missing parts.  

dressed distaff

She demonstrated how to spin flax on a modern spinning wheel. However it was her demonstration of two handed flax spinning which was amazing. She told us about the history of this type of spinning and said that she was not an expert but her smooth action and the resulting linen thread was wonderful. She had her own double-flyer wheel. It must be quite unusual to have two such wheels in the same place. 

She had placed her carded flax onto a towel which she explained could be flopped over one shoulder for spinning. However, the flax could also be rolled up in the towel and placed on her lap.  Her dexterity was amazing. 

A truly inspiring talk.

Susan J Foulkes

February 2024

Bolivian weaving

 I was given a wonderful Christmas present from a friend in the USA. It is a ch'uspa made by a Bolivian weaver, Alicia Solis in Huancarani, Bolivia.

It was purchased from Dorinda Dutcher who was a Peace Corps worker in Bolivia.  She worked to assist spinners and weavers to support them towards becoming independent by arranging classes in spinning and dyeing. Dorinda has wound down her work and helped the weavers towards organising themselves to have full responsibility to determine what comes next. 

Here is a link to the work that the project accomplished. 

https://pazaboliviablog.com/author/dkdutcher/

On the web site there is a few short  documentaries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA2_ugjuQHg

I searched the web site to see if Dona Alicia is mentioned. 

Here is a picture of her. It shows Doña Maxima Measuring Doña Alicia for a Pollera in Huancarani.  

As Dorinda writes on her web site.  'The weavings are a highly personal gift because the weavers weave a bit of their story into their work as they sit at their loom.'

Here are some pictures of the beautiful bag. 

The ch'uspa

Close up of the strap

Sides of the ch'uspa finished with tubular weave.

Close up of pattern in centre of ch'uspa

Close up of tubular weave pattern

This beautiful ch'uspa is my first example of traditional Bolivian weaving.  It is a perfect present for me. Thank you so much.

Susan J Foulkes    February 2024

A Woven Belt from Paraguay

As you will know from my blog I am fascinated by patterned weaving, particularly belts and bands. I have been researching these items for a number of years. My main focus is on northern Europe but I also have examples from other countries as well.  Whenever I travel I always look out for woven bands. I have been fortunate in that a few people have donated their belts to me. 

All my purchases are carefully wrapped in archival quality tissue paper and kept in sealed boxes.  I bring them out for talks and for research. I have already donated a few to a museum, but I thought that I should get my paper work up to date.  I have spent some time taking a quick photograph of all of my acquisitions. I measured them all and I am writing a detailed( as far as I can) description of each band and belt. I am intending to donate them eventually to a museum and I thought that this information would be invaluable. 

 A few years ago, my next door neighbour kindly gave me three woven belts from Paraguay.  She had worked there for a year in 1976. She was given three belts as a present. I did not have any further details than this so I asked if she could tell me any more about these particular belts. 

This is the Faja belt that intrigued me because it is heavy and sturdy.  

Large belt:   Length  209 cm              Width: 10.5 cm

Fringes: 20 cm

She found a great video from El Estribo in the Paraguayan Chaco.

https://youtu.be/8CpBdwZjB_o

She also spent some time translating it which entailed remembering her Spanish. It was very kind of her to take the time and effort to do this. Here is the transcript.

El Estribo video:The Southern Enxet People: Women of El Estribo Sell Handicrafts

Elodia Solano: “I’ve been working with crafts for many years. I learnt from my mother and my grandmother. From the time I was five years old I enjoyed it and I learned watching my mother work.” 

[‘caraguata’: a type of hemp grown in Paraguay]

“I do all kinds of work with hemp, [making things] like belts, bags, key rings, bracelets, necklaces. I make them all with hemp. I also make products with wool, things like belts [fajas], ponchos, horse blankets [?], these I make with wool from sheep. 

Besides [that] I also have experience. Sometimes they invite me to Asunción [capital city of Paraguay]. I get money for my journey from among my people [or family?] and I go. Along with the products of other craft workers: they put a price on and I take theirs too.

What a shame that in Paraguay our compatriots don’t buy many of our products! The prices that we charge seem dear to them. Why are those prices high? Firstly, because it costs us a lot to get the products out of here. We rent vehicles, and besides that we have to walk great distances to get the materials from the bush.

For example, take the hemp plant, it has many spines/thorns and it’s hard work to get the fibre clean. We have to process it three times for it to become ready. Then we make the yarn and soon afterwards we begin the work of the fabric [weaving?]. Working with the Carandilla Palm demands the same effort.

However, foreigners do buy from us; they appreciate us. They just ask the price and buy straight away. Other times we don’t sell anything and we go back with all our products. We keep them until the next market [holiday?], and I take them again. I live tirelessly going back and forth. And I’ll never tire. Because this is my work.”

In the video Elodia Solano holds up a similar belt to the one I have.  It was made for men who need extra back support when riding. 

I have no idea if the individual motifs mean anything or if they are particular to a region, village or family.

Here are two of the motifs on my belt.

If anyone  has any further information I would love to know more about this belt. 

January 2024

Susan J Foulkes

Susan J Foulkes