Katharina Fritsch - Blue Cockerel, 2013 - Trafalgar Square, London

Katharina Fritsch - Cock, 2013

Don't know if I haven't been to Trafalgar Square since July 2013 but I have only recently spotted Katharina Fritsch's ultramarine blue cockerel on the fourth plinth.  It's made from glass fibre reinforced polyester resin on a stainless steel supporting structure. Standing 4.72m high, it weighs over 800kg.  

Katharina Fritsch - Cock, 2013

Katharina Fritsch - Cock, 2013

Good job they're not that size in real life -  that'd be a bit scary!

You can read more about it here.  Go see it won't be there much longer.

Richard Tuttle - I Don't Know. The Weave of Textile Language - Tate Modern

 

Richard Tuttle - Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London

Currently exhibiting in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, London, Richard Tuttle is an Amercan artist for whom art is an adventure.  He is also a collector of textiles from around the world and is fascinated by weaving. He is interested in the different techniques and technologies that different cultures use to create their textiles.
 

Richard Tuttle - Detail of central section

This hanging structure is the largest sculpture Tuttle has ever made.  It uses about 2,500 sq metres of fabric hanging from a plywood frame 24 metres long and 12 metres high.  It looks like two wings separated by a large red covered structure.

Richard Tuttle

It is supposed to relate to Tuttle's memories of the Vietnam war (he had wanted to be a pilot until he realised his role would be to drop bombs) and to raise the issue of genocide in the 20th Century and to comment on the separation of the mechanical (e.g. large scale industrial textile production) and the human (e.g. "art-making").
 

Richard Tuttle

The three fabrics were woven by Garden Silks Mills Ltd in Surat, India.  They are a combination of natural and man-made fibres, dyed to the bright colours & textures specified by Tuttle.  I could see the red and orange/yellow fabric quite clearly.  I read there was some midnight blue too but I couldn't see it.

Richard Tuttle - Holes in the red fabric

When close up you can see that the red fabric has a pattern of small holes at regular intervals.

On until 6 April 2015, you can read more here.  I think, unusually, it's better in the photos than in real life.  Not quite as exciting as some of the other Turbine Hall exhibits but if you are in the vicinity, then take a look!

Treasure from Yorkshire

Vintage mother of pearl buttons

This week I have been the lucky recipient of treasure.  It was presented to me in a bag & having spent some time looking through it all I thought I would share it with you ...

Spare buttons from many sources

Green buttons

Knitting needles, crochet hooks and other paraphernalia

Vintage tins

There was also some yarn and felt which will go to this year's yarnstorming project - planning underway - more later! (Did you spot the 18 count Aida in the background in some of the pics?)  And this was just some of the treasure.  It was such a lovely surprise and do you know what else - when Rosalie told me she had this for me, she was wearing one of my brooches. Thank you very much, Rosalie! 

Vintage Spools

Spool colours

I have also had some good finds at my local charity shop this week with some vintage threads and a sewing box - which inspired me to sort out my sewing things.  Hooray!

Sewing box

And inside ...

Happy New Year - Welcome to 2015

So... welcome to 2015 - a new year with 365 new opportunities to create.   I'm looking forward to sharing some of my creative adventures with you this year.  Let's hope 2015 is a good one!

And yes, I did get some magnetic letters for Christmas!