Bending the line

Currently the 62 group have an exhibition on at the Collins gallery.

From collections by Hazel Bruce.

What exactly is bending the line? Three themes are suggested:

• Firstly the manner in which the textile artists have bent their work. Challenging our expectations of what we expect from textiles. Examples of this are pieces that use wood, metal and photography.
  

Restorations by Hannah Streefkerk.

• Secondly, the focus on the line (fibre) the simplest structure of the textile.

Legs by Lucy Brown.

White lace flag day by Michael Brennand-Wood.

And thirdly, a literary connection, inspiration from Tennyson, Homer and poetry.

Odyssey by Alice Kettle.

The theme I felt whilst looking around the exhibition was reflections on domestic life and women's roles. Such as the silk screened ironing board by Dawn Dupree alongside barbed wire. Are we trapped by our domestic chores?
Or this woman with a fish by Sue Stone, she seems proud of her catch, whilst the cat looks on enviously.
The exhibition is on till 14th August, catch it if you can.