The Yarrow Gallery is staging a new exhibition of GCSE and A level work exploring textiles as a media for exploration, curated by Upper Sixth Form pupil Bea (Sn). The opening night’s interactive Private View of Threads saw a diverse range of designs being worn by pupils, along with live projections.
In the Art department, textiles have become a burgeoning interest. Pupils learn that textiles are more than just loose ends of “threads”. Textiles weave a web of cultural and vernacular history. They include the industries that are local to Northamptonshire as well as the traditions of cultures from Japan to Africa and Peru. As textiles has evolved beyond their original purposes of warmth and cultural identity, contemporary designers now use textiles as a form of sculpture, creating pieces that blur the lines between fashion and art.
This exhibition highlights what many of our pupils have explored over the last couple of years, creating imagery that evokes forest scenes, myths, and royal regalia, and that encapsulates movement through flamenco, 60s consumerist culture, and the destruction of coral reefs.
The show includes four interactive workstations, encouraging visitors to contribute to and become part of the Threads exhibition.
