Jeanette
Appleton - August
After 15th July
At the last mentor session at the university, Naoko and I
discussed how our collaboration could be visualised. We realised
the main focus was how our individual work would interact
in the same touring exhibition space and how to present our
different processes. I seem to deconstruct fibre to construct
the cloth
and Naoko deconstructs the cloth to construct
a fibre.
These opposite points of view also reflect
our cultural differences. I use wool with its associations
to Yorkshire and Naoko uses woven cloth which is specific
to Japanese history. It had not been my technique that had
influenced Naoko, but issues around the journey and a nomadic
lifestyle. This shared space of displacement had unconsciously
influenced both our work.
I was sorry to leave Huddersfield to
teach on summer schools, especially as Naoko continues to
work at the University. It was strange to pack up my work
into the car for the journey south, as I had become very comfortable
through the five weeks in the textile department. The tutors
and technicians have been so helpful, giving us space and
technical assistance which has greatly influenced our work.
From 2nd August
Catching up with paper work and preparing for future projects/workshops
prevent me thinking about the mentor project. I miss the concentrated
time in Huddersfield with the daily discussions with Naoko.
A free lance work structure demands juggling various ideas
together and organising blocks of time to develop or complete
each stage of a piece of work between teaching schedules.
At Huddersfield I produced a prototype length of cloth, where
two layers of needle felt have been punched together with
fabric shapes between. Suggesting a view downwards onto random
marks of the landscape, influenced by drawings in my Australian
sketchbook.
On this I needle punched the fabric
line of transfer prints depicting tourist views copied from
souvenir scarves.
The tension between the two fabrics caused
a problem as the needling stretches the soft wool, so the
tightly woven strip created a firm line. This has to be resolved
before I put together the exhibition piece. The month of September
has been allocated for this as I start teaching in America
next week.
Another important element to resolve is the presentation of
the long length in a touring exhibition space. I have explored
putting the cloth in different spaces, enjoying the shadows,
transparency and change of colour from artificial and natural
light. These initial experiments have moved me on to consider
how the exhibition space could add to the qualities of a journey
I wish to express.
13th August
Met Naoko at the British Museum for our last meeting in the
UK. She arrived very buoyant after an inspiring trip to Venice
and a drawn solution for the presentation of her exhibition
piece. I was pleased to see the lay out of her installation
showed the development of our collaboration. Naoko explained
the idea of a length of cloth and its relationship with the
journey had influenced the positioning of her work in a line
on the wall. In contrast to this order, she had placed the
balls of spun thread freely on the floor, suggesting organic
spatial qualities of the landscape. The process of our working
together created an unconscious collaboration rather than
a consciously made product. This is what I had hoped, as I
was uncomfortable in suggesting working with a design for
a finished piece, but I was beginning to become concerned
that nothing seemed to be evolving. The idea and concept had
developed from our previous discussions and consolidated through
the time of our absence.
Now that this had become established
we could discuss how to show our technical differences. Immediately
an idea evolved by drawing and writing together on the same
piece of paper. I suggested a garment part could be merged
into a form by felting, especially because the wool would
only cling if the cloth had been deconstructed. Naoko thought
some threads could lay on top and also below the wool. She
will send me part of garment from Japan which I will merge
into a felted form. For me it was appropriate that the collaborative
piece was decided at this point. It revealed our dual thinking
after working together over a period of time, which only this
project could provide.
After having a farewell meal in
an Italian restaurant we sat in a park to evaluate our collaboration
so far. We agreed that many of our initial expectations had
been met but some in different degrees of understanding. For
example, Naoko did not use the machine or transfer print in
the final work but it gave her the understanding why hand
work was important. I was surprised to find I used these totally
because they became appropriate to the specific issues in
the project. We both found sharing the experience of displacement
became a bigger influence than expected. We discussed the
projects guidelines, some of which were answered immediately
but others will need time to consider. This will continue
via email and I look forward to reflecting the accumulation
of knowledge over the past creative twelve weeks. An understanding
emerging from the narrative between us, extending the ideas
and issues of our work.
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Naoko
Yoshimoto - August
August 2nd, Huddersfield
I completed my time at the University
studio, although my work is still in progress. I will continue
my work in Japan. I thought it would be a difficult thing
to finish the work within two months, so I felt no worry about
going far away from Jeanette and completing the work by myself.
Meanwhile I feel quite excited about working in my studio
again. I will reflect on my experiences in England when I
am in my studio in Japan.
I spent ten days alone before my last
meeting with Jeanette. I went to see some exhibitions and
visited the people who I have met here. It gave me an opportunity
to reconsider about the work that I have made. My main concern
has been how to make one piece of work from the fragmented
pieces which I made instantaneously.
I prepared the things I wished to discuss
with Jeanette on August 13th.
It has been three weeks since I last
saw Jeanette. We met up at the café at the British
Museum and we were so excited to be talking about the work
that we might have looked a little odd! I was happy to be
able to come back to the issues around our work straight away
after three weeks of no contact. We will be corresponding
to each other via email, once I go back home.
I left England on August 14th for Japan.
I have been busy making my report of
my days in England. I’ve also spent some time to enjoy
the Japanese summer (fireworks, watermelon etc.)
Now it is the time for me to start working.
To begin with, I spread the pieces that I made in England
in my studio, in order to capture the rhythm again. These
days I am reminded of what Jeanette has said to me. I often
described my work as “I like this part, but it’s
not good enough,’ to which Jeanette always replied “You
should not use the work BUT, use AND instead.” It changed
my mind totally. Nowadays I say “I like this part and
I will enjoy making more in the future.” Actually this
makes me feel much happier. I will enjoy working on the project,
definitely.
Thank you very much for all of you who
supported me while I was in England.
Jeanette and Naoko would like to thank
the following people who have helped us during the last session
of the project: June Hill and staff at Bankfield museum. At
Huddersfield University: Dr. John Pearson, Julia Blair, Barbara
Steer, Douglas Bland, Penny Macbeth, Sophia Malik, Peter Condon,
Melissa Holroyd, Sue Ripley, Helen Woodget, and David Hand.
Ruth Gohg at Wingham Wool and Lizzie Beckenham for Naoko’s
London accommodation.
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