A tapestry portrait for Passion Determination Vision
Passion Determination Vision is an Eastern Region Textile Forum exhibiton held at St Albans Museum from 12th July-3rd November 2024. An exhibition highlighting and celebrating local movers and shakers, a portrait exhibition, but not in any conventional sense; instead an exploration of diverse personalities, times, places, contributions and impacts as seen through the creative eye. Contemporary textile portraits with a difference!
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George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) wrote more than 60 plays and is famous for his role in revolutionising comedic drama. He is one of only two people to win both a Noble Prize (1925) and an Oscar (1939)
Shaw was Irish but he lived in an arts and crafts style house near Aylot St Lawrence, Welwyn, with his wife Charlotte for over 40 years, from 1906 until his death in 1950. I visited his home and garden known as Shaws corner a couple of years ago, not only did I love wandering his garden but I was fascinated by his writing hut and how it turns. I also loved peering through the windows of the house where I spotted his Oscar so I decided to research more about Shaw for this exhibition, the more I learnt about him and his views and thinking, the more I wanted to learn. A vegetarian who wore wool clothing for health benefits, he believed in equality of opportunity and a fair division of land and wealth.
Very early on in researching for this exhibition I knew I wanted to weave Shaws writing hut and as I read more about his career, his views and thinking, I decided to decorate the walls of my hut with imagary from his book covers ‘Pygmalion’ (1913), ‘The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism’ (1928) and the poster from ‘My Fair Lady’ (1964).
Shaw won his Oscar in 1939 for Best Writing, Screenplay and his role in adapting his play Pygmalion for screen, this was later remade into the extremely successful film My Fair Lady.
I have woven Shaws hut in wools to reference his love of Jaeger woollen clothing and tweed Norfolk suits. In later life during the 1940’s his bespoke suits were made by J.H.Coulson of Welwyn.
Shaw had his hut specially designed so that it rotates 360 degrees to follow the sun allowing the best light all day long.
Wanting to make my woven hut turning 360 degree I pondered various ideas but was limited to what could be used so rather than having the whole hut turning I wove a floral umberella which stands from the back, an extension of the umberella in the My Fair Lady image. Woven in monofilament I was able to make it constantly turn; light moving around the hut!
( Follow a link at the bottom of the page to watch the piece turing in exhibition )
I named my woven hut ‘London’ the name Shaw gave his hut so that when people called to the house and asked if he was available they could be told he was in London without anyone lying. I assume this was so Shaw could be left in peace and alone in his thoughts while he was writing. A portrait of a writer couldn’t go without words, Shaw left with us many great quotes of which two are incorporated in my piece. The first “We don’t stop playing because we grow old: we grow old because we stop playing” is referenced through my play of making the piece move. The second is embroidered on the top of my hut and feels very relevant to today’s society of social media and fake news – “Beware of false knowledge it is more dangerous than ignorance”.
‘London’ – woven tapestry; good quality waste wool, cotton, monofilament, wire
Passion Determination Vision is open 11am-5pm daily in the Keepers Gallery at St Albans Museum.
I’ll be taking part in the Eastern Region Textile Forum event Craft in the Courtroom 2.30 – 4pm on July 21st
George Bernard Shaw left his home and garden to the National Trust, for information on Shaws Corner please visit the National Trust’s website on the following link – Shaw’s Corner
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