London

Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child at the Hayward Gallery

March 25, 2022 by Intern

The Louise Bourgeois: The woven child was certainly an exhibition that made you stop and really consider the thought process of each piece, what emotion and psychological motive she was trying to portray to the viewer. With her use of materials ranging from steel to bone to gold and lingerie, each surface represents a memory and emotion from her life.

The last two decades of her practice became more and more oriented around fabrics and the amenable characteristics of them, the ability to cut, tear, rip and then sewing them back together which Bourgeois used in a strong metaphorical style. Enhanced by the tactile sense of the pieces which evoked vulnerability and intimacy which Bourgeois furthered by using her own personal garments and bed linens in her work. She stated they were her ‘second skin’, they had been present at the monumental events in her life and were now a representation of that memory.

As you enter the exhibition the first installation you are drawn to is ‘Cloth and Bone’, a steel pole has cattle bones attached to the end of rods which hang the artist’s undergarments, all saved from her childhood or of her mothers. Louise Bourgeois believed that the clothes she kept were just as important as the pages of her diary, which I can’t agree with more! Hunting through your wardrobe and finding certain items that suddenly spark a happy memory is just magical. Or more fitting with this exhibition, one that has that sentimental purpose to you, that words in a diary just couldn’t capture.

Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child at the Hayward Gallery London Hand Embroidery — ‘Untitled, 1996, cloth, bone and steel.
Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland’

Louise Bourgeois explores the meaning of mending and how this is shown through her use of fabric. The sculptures are formed from several distressed or ripped pieces of cloth which are then sewed back together, in a manner where the seams are still raw and visible. A metaphorical stance of human emotional repair which is not always perfect and when we are ‘mended’ we will look different than before how people carry their scars and allow this to be normal and ok, with the finished product becoming a work of art.

Her connection with fabrics is relevant to her mother who was a tapestry restorer, the late exploration from Bourgeois into fabrics suggests that in her later years of her life she wanted to revisit back to her youth and her family seeking familiarity with fabrics.

This series of textiles was based on the character Eugenie Grandet who was oppressed by her father, Bourgeois felt similar with her own father and wanted revenge against him. The artwork was made onto handkerchiefs and tea towels collaged using old embellishments from her hats and dresses, with most frames showing a clock to suggest the passing of time.

My favorite series in the whole exhibition were the stuffed heads, each made with a textiles exterior and molded to express a human portrait. The aim of these portraits was not to create a likeness to any person but to show a psychological state and emotion, with some of the works having two faces on one head to express the contradicting and complex feelings shown by humans. Each head is made from a different process ranging from cloth to tapestry and needlepoint.

This collection of work was created by Bourgeois when she was trying to understand her youngest son and his withdrawal. The sculptures represent his birth and early life with the figures being distorted and further animated by the concave mirror behind the scenes which added the metaphorical message of a distorted memory. Louise Bourgeois in her own words,

‘There’s is a child who simply refused to be born, his birth was quite late. Was there something that he perceived that prevented him from wanting to leave the womb and go out into the world? How much of who he will be, his feelings and actions, will be pre-determined by this refusal to appear? How will this child face the future? Will he be shy, reduced to silence, awkward or even hostile?

This creation was probably one of the most striking in there, a life size shaped human hangs from a single point attached to the ceiling, made entirely from black cloth and only the bottom half is recognisable as human limbs with the top consisting of a spiral. The twisted nature of the piece evokes nausea, dizziness and disorientation; it shows the physical manifestation of psychological states such as fear, anxiety and alienation. Bourgeois interest in the spiral shape stems from her fear of losing control, with the winding of the spiral being a tightening action and retreating into a point of disappearance. Then with the opposite movement of twisting outwards is a representation of giving up control and allowing positive energy.

If you don’t like creepy crawlies then look away now! The Spider however for Bourgeois was a symbol of a ‘mender’ as if you break its web it will just rebuild it. This creature sits above the cage with its legs wrapped around it in a protective manner, Bourgeois personal belongings sit within the metal cage again, another nod to the sitting time. However the large scale of the spider has hints of a predator and if you digest the facts of spiders they have cannibal characteristics which again show’s a more complex side to the artist and her feelings towards motherhood and her sexuality.

This glass box contains hanging conjoined heads each with two faces, the black fabric resembling depression, mourning and melancholia. The mirrors in each bottom corner of the box show the scrutiny the faces face, along with the idea of fragmentation and unease.

Near the end of the exhibition the sculptures begin to become more abstract still with gestures towards the human figure but very faint. One installation that really caught my eye was a collection of vertically stacked shapes. All were made from clothing or bed linen, terry cloth, tapestry and upholstery and unlike her other work had a sense of regularity. Louise Bourgeois felt the predictability of formal repetition and the rules given to geometry allowed for her life to have some order, she felt the set rules were the exact opposite to the emotional world she inhabited.

‘Soft fabrics show a sense of vulnerability and intimacy, while also remaining flexible, adaptable and resilient’, This statement from the Hayward Gallery I felt really concluded the exhibition and the change of materials presented by Louise Bourgeois which perfectly mirrored her emotional state.

Thank you to the Hayward Gallery for such a wonderful exhibition, if this was an interesting read I would highly recommend you visit yourself.

https://southbanklondon.com/events/southbank-centre/louise-bourgeois-woven-child

All pictures from Amelia Vance (Hawthorne and Heaney Intern)

Hawthorne & Heaney on Show at Fortnum and Mason

March 18, 2022 by Natasha Searls-Punter

We have the great privilage of being able to say that we currently have some works on display at the world renound Fortnum and Mason, London. As part of the celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee, Fortnums are holding a series of exhibitions, spotlighting the artistic talents of British Craftsmanship. In partnership with QEST, the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, these exhibitions will show works from the scholars in a variety of fields, starting with ‘Wicker, Clay, Thread’ which are are delighted to be a part of.

Hawthorne & Heaney’s director, Claire Barrett is a scholar of QEST for Heraldic drafting, a much forgotten about skill but essential for the kinds of embroideries that Hawthorne & Heaney produce. The study of which has been applied directly to the hand embroidery artworks such as the working pocket sample below and the Positilion Badges in the case.

This style of drawing has gone onto inform the approach of these machine embroidery pieces to give them a similar luxurious feel but for some more practical applications, be it cushions or for costumes.

The exhibition is such as beautiful example of the incredible works of craftsmanship that are being produced in the UK, it would not do to talk about our bit and not highlight some of our favourites. Bob Johnston, wicker sculpter made this stag head piece, along with a cow version which is also on display which are arguably the most striking pieces on display. When we visited, the cow had already been purchased but the stag was still up for grabs.

Pictures dont do this piece called ‘Just a Drop of Milk for Me’ by Robert Walker justice. Specialising in ‘Verre Eglomise’ this piece uses a combination of etching, guilding, filigree and hand painting.

These colourful characters were created by hand embroidery scholar, Susannah Weiland . A mixed media artist, Weiland combines her printed drawings with stitching to create these final pieces which I’m sure you will agree are just precious.

We also have a second appearance in the exhibition with this typography piece which also draws on Claire’s Heraldic Drafting skills to weave the leaves within the design together. Machine embroidered onto velvet, this piece uses raised stitching to bring movement and character to the Monogram.

Being amongst these works is very inspiring and has already got us thinking about what we want to produce next! Do pop up to the 3rd floor to see the pieces which will be on display until 10th April, being hotly followed by by the next exhibition on ‘Wood, Glass, Paper’

Hawthorne & Heaney on ‘Faberge in London’ at the Victoria and Albert Museum

March 14, 2022 by Intern

Walking into the exhibition immediately you feel the nature of the exclusivity of the brand and the luxury of which these ornaments possess. Each object displayed exquisitely in their own selective groups laid on soft fabrics and under crystal clear light, allowing for the viewer to see them sparkling away in all their glory. With each piece being highly personalized to the receiver yet still maintaining that Faberge identity.

Hawthorne & Heaney on 'Faberge in London' at the Victoria and Albert Museum London Hand Embroidery — First room you walk into, all soft furnishings apart from the tiny encrusted crowns which sit in this cabinet.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Once you enter through the doors of the exhibition no cameras are allowed, so we did not get any images of the artwork, but this led me to show an increased interest in the people behind the work. I do not want to take away from the magnificent ornaments and their beauty which you should see for yourself. I want to emphasize the processes, the skills and the people behind each part of the journey of these detailed ornaments.

Firstly Carl Faberge himself, was not the original founder of the company, his father was in 1842 in St. Petersburg. Carl Faberge joined his father in the family business once he had traveled europe and studied as an apprentice of a goldsmith, it wasn’t until 1872 when he fully took over and the business was propelled forward by his genius and creative mind, allowing for the name Faberge to become known all other Russia and internationally.

Faberge himself did not make any of the products, even though he was highly skilled, which relates back to his ethos of caring more about the value of the craft that goes into the production of the piece rather than the value of the product itself. Each stage of the process was trusted to a highly skilled craftsman all with different expertise and working under the guidance of separate chief workmasters. 1901 saw the collaboration of all of these separate expertise under one roof when Faberge moved all production to one house in St. Petersburg, all production was carried out on the different floors and a show room was downstairs to allow customers to browse the wonderful collections. The growing strength and popularity of Faberge’s work was evident as his business flourished.

It was time for expansion, Faberge had to decide between France or England. He had spent a lot of time in both with the French luxury jewelry being a strong pull, yet England was the final decision due to the loyal client relations with the ruling families within England and the increase of wealth in English society along with the awareness and desire for Russian luxury pieces, such as Faberge’s work.

The Edwardians enjoyed gift giving between the wealthy and royal families, however there was a fine line between giving a gift out of gratitude and giving a gift in order to buy someone’s favour. A piece from Faberge’s workshop was the ideal answer to that, as most of his works had more emphasis on the value of the skill in production rather than the value of what it was made from, hence popularity and demand grew in England within the aristocracy.

Once in London, Henrik Wigstrom, who started as an apprentice with the previous chief workmaster now moved up to be the chief workmaster himself, carrying this role from 1903 till 1918. He played a prominent role in the London store and helped allow for the expansion to be successful outside of Russia. One more individual who really caught my attention was Alma Pihl, a women designer employed by Faberge at the young age of 20 years old which was very unusual for the time as there was a small number of women in the industry and an even small amount who were actual designers like herself. She was born into a family of master jewelers and designers prominent in Faberges workshops, and her own designs were quickly seen in Faberge’s work, with many of her pieces of jewellery being some of Faberge’s most celebrated today along with two imperial egg designs.

The War and Russian Revolution saw the start of the downfall for Faberge, with World War one affecting demand internationally. Many now saw extravagant gifts as not a necessity and insulting to the time where everyone was meant to be aiding the cause of supporting their country in a World War. In addition the Faberge factory was now conscripted to making munition, as his artisan ability and workers skills were ideal for making such metal work. The creative ornaments were still trying to be made, as the products changed to more modest gifts like cooking bowls and beakers made from simpler and more affordable materials.

Then the Russian Revolution forced Faberge to shut his doors, Faberge became heartbroken and devastated, he lacked purpose if he could not create his works of art. He ended up fleeing Russia in fear of prosecution, same as many of his colleagues and ended up in Switzerland where he unfortunately died, still broken-hearted at the complete disintegration of his life’s work in 1920.

The legacy of his life’s work still lives on to this day, we still treasure what was managed to be salvaged from Russia and admire what was kept by the British ruling families today. The craftsmanship is still remembered and honored along with the actual ornaments that we see presented in the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The fact that we still are able to see and look in awe at the work from a hundred years ago shows the quality, talent and skill that went into all his work.

I loved the exhibition. Each cabinet was a treasure-trove of beauty, you found yourself leaning closer and closer to see the fine details and extreme techniques used to create such exquisite masterpieces.

Thank you to the Victoria and Albert Museum for curating such a wonderful exhibition! https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/faberge

Words by Amelia Vance, Images courtesy of the V&A Museum

Hawthorne & Heaney Explores London Craft Week

October 13, 2021 by Intern

Last week was full of London Craft Week events, workshops and open houses. A few of which we had the delight to attend including an open house and embroidery demonstration at Erdem, an exhibition of embroidery artist Rosalind Wyatt’s work and a talk and demonstration by the Heritage Craft Association on the red list of endangered crafts.

We also have enjoyed participating ourselves with twice daily live stitching on display in The Service on Savile Row – thank you to everyone who came to see us!

TOAST & Rosalind Wyatt

We started the week with a trip to lifestyle brand TOAST’s London store where they were running a series of workshops and an exhibition of Textile Artist Rosalind Wyatt’s work titled ‘Stories through Stitches’

Rosalind Wyatt is a mixed-media and embroidery artist, most recognised for her embroidered letters and calligraphy. Some of these beautiful pieces were on show in store!

She considers handwriting a significant part of culture and people’s lives. Where calligraphy and cloth meet in her work signifies the emotion held in the textiles, emotions found in handwritten letters

She writes with her needle onto garments people have worn, encapsulating their emotions into their clothes.

TOAST was also running a live workshop where participants leant the art of mixed-media textiles. The workshop aimed to promote a more thoughtful way of life, sustaining traditional textiles techniques and craftsmanship.

Erdem Open House and Demonstration

We were then lucky enough to attend Erdem’s open house to see some of their embroidery in process.

The demonstration featured a neckline for one of their dresses, being embellished in large crystals and beads on a frame, the dress itself was also on display in store to allow viewers to see the final outcome.

Erdem is a womenswear brand, based out of central London. Their collections are often finished with hand and machine embroidery – it was wonderful to see some of these samples too which were on show alongside the demonstration.

Heritage Crafts Association Endangered Crafts

To end our London Craft Week adventures, we finally had the pleasure of attending the Heritage Crafts Association event held at Fortnum and Mason. Fortnum and Mason are known for their long-associated traditions with craft and quality – the perfect venue to hold this event!

Exhibiting their work was ‘Paula Carnell’ a Bee Skep Maker, ‘Coates English Willow’ who are a company of Basketwork Furniture Makers and ‘Ernest Wright’ who is a traditional Scissor Maker. These crafts are all at risk with Scissor Making and Basketwork Furniture Making being Critically Endangered.

Basketwork Furniture making is a recognisable craft, however is critically endangered as only one company which supports the craft is left. P.H Coate & Son was founded in 1819, and although the business has a new apprentice this wonderful craft is at risk!

The straw baskets used in Beekeeping, known as Bee Skeps are beautiful objects in and of themselves. The straw is twisted and bound in a continuous coil of lipwork with lapping (lapping can be made from bramble, willow and hazel). Whilst highly practical the craft started to wane after the First World War as Skep making is a highly time-consuming craft compared to its value.

The final endangered craft on display was scissor making. One of the last remaining companies to produce this craft is Ernest Wright. The scissors are very high quality and long lasting – a durable crafted item.

We hope you have enjoyed London Craft Week as much as we have, thank you to all of the wonderful events that we attended!

More information about endangered crafts can be found on Heritage Crafts Association’s website

https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/

Words by and Images: Rosie Watkins

Hawthorne & Heaney for London Craft Week 2021

October 5, 2021 by Natasha Searls-Punter

London Craft Week is alive and kicking this week in London after a skipped year becuase of Covid and delayed from it’s usualy May slot. However, if you are in London between now and the 10th October, there are lots of events, open doors and workshop on to get involved with. We are very excited to have our own little addition to the events, with live embroidery stitching taking place by a member of the Hawthorne & Heaney team each week day. They will be working on a range of hand embroidered pieces such as Broderie Anglaise, with one of our goldwork samples also on display.

We can be found upstairs from our home, at 32 Savile Row. Fast becoming the place to take a minute to yourself or grab a spot of lunch on Savile Row, The Service. The coffee is fantastic and the surroundings make you feel like you’re in your own movie when you are so surrounded by style. As they have ever changing tailoring and art inspired displays, it’s really fun to be working in amongst it all so we look forward to perhaps seeing a few of you over the next few days.

Follow the link for a look around on our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CUmmBAyFA43/

Hawthorne & Heaney on The Marketplace

December 28, 2020 by Natasha Searls-Punter

Hawthorne & Heaney Personalisation booth in action

2020 has been a wierd year, for the past few years we have got into a rhythm that by the time about October comes, we will be doing a lot of monogramming and personalisation events. However this year, that didnt happen.

Kirk Original Glasses against a backdrop of Millie Bridget Henry Hankies and Tyler & Tyler Accessories

We could not just sit idly by though and not have an event, so we created one for ourselves. Along with a whole host of fabulous creators, we joined togather in the Service on Savile Row to create The Marketplace.

The Workers club gloves, Back Yard Gym Cold Brew and Coffee Beans from the Fresh Coffee Company, Wool Scarf from Dugdale Bros. and Co, Handkerchief by Millie Bridget Henry in a Hawthorne & Heaney Personalised Bag

Cad and the Dandy, Baron bags, Dugdale Bros and Co.,the Fresh Coffee Company, Kirk Originals, The Workers Club, Tyler & Tyler, Department Two, Kibble Watches, Tsai x Tsai, Millie Bridget Henry, Gotrich & Co. , Gownsmith, Colhays and Hawthorne & Heaney created a bespoke and specialist style items one stop shop. Curated to bring together hankerchieves, small batch roasted coffee beans, dressing gowns, glasses frames and personalised bags to name but a few, the Marketplace was a treasure trove of beautiful, unusual, crafted gifts.

Cad & the Dandy jackets, Millie Bridget Henry Hankies, Kirk Original Glasses

Sadly with the rerestricting of London going into tier 4, the marketplace is now closedbut we had great (safe) fun whilst we could- which feels like the whole of 2020 summed up dont you think?

Coffee Beans from the Fresh Coffee Company, Wool Scarf from Dugdale Bros. and Co, Handkerchief by Millie Bridget Henry in a Hawthorne & Heaney Personalised Bag

So if you’re think about next year and want to hold an event, get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and are raring to get out there (socially distanced of course)

Hawthorne and Heaney Visits the Summer Exhibition At The Royal Academy of Arts

December 21, 2020 by Intern

On the 10th of December, I had the exciting opportunity to visit the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2020, located just down the road from Savile Row. Due to the current climate with unprecedented challenges and not wanting to miss its 252nd anniversary, the event was postponed to the winter months for the first ever time.

Coordinated by Jane and Louise Wilson, the exhibition supports the exchange of ideas and experiences from any background, shaping cultural conversation to art that we love, hate and smile to. The displays contain over 1,000 pieces of work displayed in 13 rooms ranging from paintings to sculptures to digital art.

Vincent’s Ear by Conrad Atkinson, Shrinking Violet by Ed Mays, Outdoor Minor by Simon Periton

Upon entering Gallery 1, I was surrounded by expressive paintings, textual line drawings put together by Isaac Julien. In the centre of the room stood an installation called Air Kid by Yinka Shonibare. The sculpture is one of 4 in a collection called ‘Earth Kids’, that fights for climate justice illustrating the difficulty of the natural world. Climate change is such a threatening crisis of our time, with sea levels rising, increased temperatures and extinction of many species. It’s important to make people understand the damage and negative effects their actions are having on the planet, a philosophical objective in Isaac Julien’s style of work to make us reflect and visualise.

Air Kid by Yinka Shonibare

One of the pieces that intrigued me the most was the Inter-Concreto sculpture designed by David Batchelor, located in the Large Weston Room. The layering of the coloured geometric grids and multidirectional positionings is similar to the abstract way I like to work when undertaking my own multimedia textiles projects. His work looks at how we analyse and react to colour and hues in this current digital age through hypnotic patterns and shapes. These sculptural installations are made with a variation of industrial material scraps as well as recycled or broken domestic items. In this day and age, I believe it is imperative to reuse and upcycle discarded and unwanted objects to reduce the amount of plastic and landfill constantly entering our oceans. Everything has the potential to be made into something with another form or purpose.

Inter-Concreto by David Batchelor

There was a common theme amongst some of the galleries that reflected the year we have all lived through, learnt and educated ourselves to a brand-new way of life during a pandemic. Gallery 4 curated by Sonya Boyce, portrayed this theme well with mass paintings, photographs and a video named ‘Twice’ by John Smith, who demonstrates how to wash your hands thoroughly whilst singing Happy Birthday through twice.

Twice by John Smith

The Earth is full of violence by Biggs & Collings, Bringing the past to new horizonsby Athena Anastasiou

Every year there is a room that presents small architectural projects and ideas including works from student designers. The inspiration this year was taken from the constructivists in Eva Jiřičná work, displaying bold colours, large plinths, drawings and miniature models.
Inside Gallery 6, Drawing together by Niall McLaughlin

The exhibition was ticket-based priced at £20 and definitely worth the visit if you are in the area. It is a great way of promoting artists as well as supporting the creative arts industry in these difficult times. It is also available to view online for those who are unable to attend in person.

(Exhibition visits were undertaken within contempary covid guidelines)

Words and images by Jessica Westley

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The House of Bandits Exhibition

October 30, 2020 by Intern

On the 16th of October I got the opportunity to visit the House of Bandits exhibition, which is based at Rembrandt House in London, just down the road from Savile Row. This exhibition is part of the Sarabande foundation created by the late Alexander McQueen to support the new and upcoming visionary talent of today. Offering both studio space and scholarships the foundation has helped many inspiring artists to date.

One of the artists in particular who I went to go see was Esna Su. She creates handcrafted pieces which explore ‘the subtle issues of identity and memory and how these are shaken in the context of political instability’. Within her work she uses the traditional Turkish techniques of weaving, twinning and crochet. As a fellow weaver myself I can understand the complexity and detail that goes into her woven pieces.

Below you can see the process that Esna Su goes through to create some of her final creations. When it comes to knitting, Su uses strips of vegetable leather and knits them together. She lets the designs take shape in their own way as once the leather is dry the organic shapes are exposed. In her own words ‘’through irregular and hollow shapes, she exposes the burden of displacement but also sketches an aspiration towards protection and preservation’’.

“It’s a big part of my life being at Sarabande and I’ll always remember my time with a big smile. I would never have been brave enough to do this without the support of Sarabande.”

Along with Esna Su’s work was another Turkish artist called Berke Yazicioglu who showcased his woven wall hanging which had a particular inspirational point of view. The following designs shown below are woven representations of Igor Stravinsky Rite of Spring. Listening to this piece he used the sound colour theory by different sounds, notes and instruments meaning different textile aspects. For example, the beat inspired the framework, the instruments represent a specific colour and the notes equal to a certain colour tone.

This exhibition is free. And for specific artists you can buy tickets. This is a great exhibition to help support fellow designs and is one to check out.

Words and Images by Isabelle Humm