By Robert Beaumont
Internationally renowned textile artist collective, the 62 Group, is returning to Sunny Bank Mills Gallery in Farsley with a new exhibition called Tailored.
Tailored celebrates textiles and their place in the local community and economy as part of the celebration of 10 years of arts and culture at Sunny Bank Mills.
The exhibition starts on Saturday, May 13 2023 and runs until Sunday, July 2.
Jane Kay, creative director at Sunny Bank Mills, said: “We are delighted to welcome back the tremendously talented 62 Group to Sunny Bank Mills. The exceptional work in Tailored explores the multiple meanings of the word itself and what it means to the artists themselves.
“This exhibition is particularly relevant to Sunny Bank as Tailored is a word we most associate with suits – and suits were the most common use of the cloth at the mill. The depth and breadth of textile art as a medium in this exhibition is astonishing.
“Some of the 32 artists exhibiting in the show consider the process of making – the design and weaving of cloth and the pattern, pinning, cutting and sewing of a garment. Other artists take a more narrative and personal approach to the meaning of Tailored. Techniques include stitch, knit, casting, drawing and film, sculpture and installation.”
Hannah Lamb, of the 62 Group, commented: “We previously exhibited at Sunny Bank Mills with the 62 Group in 2019, with an exhibition entitled Construct. That show came about through a conversation between myself and Jane Kay, whom I’ve known for a long while. I first exhibited my own work at Sunny Bank in 2015, when the mill was far less developed than it is today.
“I was fascinated by the heritage of the place and its strong connection to the local textile industry. This, of course, makes it an ideal venue for a textile-themed exhibition, which can draw on the themes around textile manufacturing and also the broader Leeds industries around tailoring and garment production.
“However, this exhibition isn’t just about heritage and tailoring, it covers some current topics around clothing, identity and also playing on the words and ideas of cutting, piecing and constructing with cloth.”
Hannah added: “As a group, we love exhibiting at Sunny Bank Mill because it’s a warm, welcoming and creative place that puts art at the centre. We are really looking forward to returning to the gallery this summer with another strong show of fine art textiles.”
Tailored features work by: Ann Goddard, Athenea Nemeth, Atsuko Yamamoto, Caren Garfen, Caroline Bartlett, Catherine Dormer, Claire Barber, Debbie Lyddon, Ealish Wilson, Ezsther Bornemisza, Flox den Hartog Jager, Hannah Lamb, Hannah White, Heather Belcher, Helen Banzhaf, Helen Davies, Isobel Currie, Jae Maries, Jane McKeating, Jane Walkley, Jennifer Smith, Louise Baldwin, Lucy Brown, Mark McLeish, Paddy Killer, Sally Spinks, Shuna Rendel, Sian Martin, Sue Stone, Teresa Whitfield, Vanessa Rolf and Woo Jin Joo.
Jane Kay added: “Because this is the 10th anniversary of the launch of our art gallery, we have decided to base this year’s exhibitions around our heritage, its legacy and its future. We will look back in order to look forward and celebrate all things textile – the processes, the people and the fabric of the buildings that created cloth which reached all corners of the globe.
“The Mill has always been at the centre of the Farsley community, both physically and socially. Generations of local residents have worked here and now return to explore their past and the Mill’s legacy. This exhibition is an integral part of this legacy and we are very proud to host it.”.
For further information about Tailored and Sunny Bank Mills itself, check out the website.
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