To have a tapestry displayed in an exhibition at Dovecot is really quite special.
The British Tapestry Group’s 20th-anniversary exhibition, Picking Up the Thread, travelled to its second exhibition venue, Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, and I wasn’t going to miss the chance to visit. More importantly, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to see my own tapestry displayed on that famous viewing balcony.
To make the visit even more special, I was visiting with Joanne Soroka and Fiona Hutchison, who had suggested we meet for lunch before viewing the exhibition. So there I was, sat in the Dovecot café eating Indonesian-style soup, listening to Fiona and Joanne talk about their studies and journeys into tapestry, and discussing our teaching practices.
After lunch, we wandered up the Dovecot staircase to the viewing balcony and exhibition. I spotted my tapestry straight away over the opposite side and found I felt at ease with it sitting on the opposite side of the space, a good distance away to feel comfortable but was pleased it didn’t feel out of place. The tapestries looked and felt so different in this space compared to when they were in Dumfries. It is a unique experience; you can pan round and view every tapestry while seeing the Dovecot weavers working at their looms below.
We spent time slowly wandering the balcony taking in each piece of work, discussing different techniques, cultural backgrounds, approaches, and artists’ individual styles and ideas. As we approached my tapestry, Joanne announced, “And here is yours.” I found myself saying, “Yep—let’s move on,” to which she laughed. I talked very briefly about a few aspects of my piece but felt my usual awkward self, wanting to hurry past and onto admiring the next tapestry.
Later in the afternoon, I spent time alone wandering the exhibition. No one on the viewing balcony knew who I was, nor did they know I wove one of the pieces. This time, feeling at ease as I approached my tapestry, and quietly proud. I photographed it at an angle that placed it within the context of the Dovecot, before spending a long while watching the master weavers below.
Read the story behind my tapestry in my post ‘Hunting Tigers and Woolly Bears’, or catch up on the British Tapestry Group symposium and the ‘Picking Up the Thread’ exhibition in Dumfries.
To find out more about the British Tapestry Group and the 20th-anniversary exhibition, visit thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk. You can also visit the Dovecot Studios website to find out more about the famous tapestry studios.
You can learn about Joanne Soroka on the Dovecot website and view Fiona’s tapestries on her website, visit Fiona Hutchison Tapestry
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