
A stunning textile sculpture has gone on display inside the Ashton Memorial in Lancaster.
Margo Selby's 'Breathing Colour' can be seen from today (October 16) until Sunday October 19 from 10am to 4pm (Friday 1pm to 4pm) at the Williamson Park landmark.
The sculpture was created at Lancaster company Standfast & Barracks as part of this year’s British Textile Biennial.
The 101-year-old Caton Road firm is renowned for its impressive heritage of textile printing as well as its ground-breaking digital inkjet technology.
This textile sculpture evokes the movement of cloth throughout the factory, travelling in waves and folds through the machinery.
Margo is known for her hand-woven artworks, and she said this residency presented a new challenge.
In weaving, colour is often part of the construction of the cloth itself, created through the intersection of warp and weft threads. In contrast, when printing, colour is applied to the surface of a pre-woven cloth, much like an artist’s canvas.
The arrangement of colour is inspired by the methodical organisation of the colour swatches and colour cards found in the Standfast & Barracks archive and, during the residency, 160 employees chose a single tone with a special memory or association to include in the work.
The British Textile Biennial (BTB) is a free festival of contemporary art, commissioning artists and designers from all over the world to make work inspired by the context and legacy of the textile industry in East Lancashire and its global impact, often in the places that were created by it.
Held every other October, the BTB is being shown in Lancaster for the first time ever.
The sculpture is a co-commission with the National Festival of Making in Blackburn, as part of the Art in Manufacturing programme.
The team behind the National Festival of Making includes Elena Jackson and Lauren Zawadzki from Morecambe-based Deco Publique, who have also been instrumental in running the award-winning Vintage by the Sea festival in Morecambe.
A series of events will take place this weekend as part of the exhibition.
The Future of Colour: Panel Discussion Conversations in Creativity
Friday 17 October 10.00-12.30 - Free
Margo (pictured below) will be joined by a panel of academic and industry experts whose research and innovative approaches signal new futures for the production and application of sustainable dyes in the hope we can replicate the vibrant colours found in nature without further endangering the planet.
Family Friendly drop-in Origami Butterfly Workshops
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October 11am-3pm - Free
A colourful origami butterfly workshop with artist Sharon Brown, taking inspiration from Breathing Colour. Select from a kaleidoscope of colours to fold paper into a beautiful origami butterfly. Whether you make one butterfly or a whole flutter you will have the opportunity to explore working with colour, pattern and simple folding techniques.
Suitable for ages 8+. All materials are provided, and whilst these free drop-in workshops are suitable for ages 8 and above some supervision may be required.
Morecambe Brass Band performance
Sun 19 October 1.30 - 3.30pm - Free