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Janet Ledsham is one of our most influential textile artists. In 1997, she was short-listed for the Jerwood Prize and her work is held in many public and private collections throughout the world. In this article, she tells of the people and events which have inspired and influenced her throughout her career.
The breadth of textile art practice has gained a considerable momentum over the last half of this century. The availability of visual documentation in the 1940s and '50s of American abstract artists must have been significant in its contribution to liberating insular British perceptions. In my own case, seeing the work of Robert Rauschenberg at the Whitechapel Gallery in London in 1964 created a lasting memory. Much later, in 1996, I saw the work of Frank Stella at the Pompidou Centre in Paris and again I was more than impressed by yet another American pioneer.
Probably my initial experience of contemporary textile art was seeing an exhibition of the 62 Group of Textile Artists at the Trade Union Building, Congress House, in London in the late 1970s. The work of Audrey Walker and Maria Theresa Fernades, with their use of loose assemblages and mixed media, really altered my vision of textile practice. On becoming a member of the Group myself in 1980, I gained close contact with other artists, which has been a valued experience over the years, and a point of reference for the measure of my own work. Jean Davey-Winter and Polly Binns are two artists, in particular, with whom I have identified. In 1988, I saw Michael Brennand-Wood's solo exhibition at the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh, Lancashire and, ten years later, second solo exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. With both these shows, I felt that the scope and ambition of the work made a significant contribution to the status of British textile art.
A major focus of unique significance must have been the Lausanne Biennials which have been held since 1963. Indeed, the progress of modern textile art could be charted by means of the catalogues which became accessible manuals for a growing international audience. One Polish artist in particular who made an enormous impact in the early '70s with her conceptual sculptural works was Magdalena Abakanowicz. I was very moved when I saw her figurative works in resin and burlap at the Marlborough Gallery, London in 1990. They created an unforgettable memory. The 1980s saw the emergence of the Japanese artists who proved inspirational with their dazzling brilliance and refreshing use of materials and technologies.
The 16th Biennial in 1995 saw a change of emphasis away from the competition in favour of inviting past contributors. The Jacobis, Abakanowicz and Hicks exhibited alongside the fine artists Christo, Collete and Horn, thus emphasising a closing gap between two cultures. To quote Pamela Johnson's comments from Under Construction, 'the starting points may be different but increasingly the end results occupy the same territory'.
This debate has been on-going during the later part of this century and one which I am sure will continue into the 2lst century.
This article is from The World of Embroidery, Volume 51 No.1, © Janet Ledsham.
highlights from January 2000 issue