Exhibition programme
Interventions: The 62 Group, responses to the Gallery of Costume and its collections
13 January 19 May 2012
Interventions celebrates the 50th anniversary of The 62 Group of Textile Artists.
In 1962, a group of embroidery lecturers and recent graduates met to exchange ideas and exhibit together. They hoped to make a difference to attitudes about embroidery, which at that time was not viewed as a serious art form, but more as a female hobby. The 62 Group’s activities soon expanded beyond embroidery to include other disciplines, including art made with paper, metal and textiles.
The title Interventions has inspired the exhibiting artists to respond in an innovative and personal way to the costume collection at Platt Hall. This exhibition of new work displays the Group’s diversity of practice as well as the individual artists’ creative approaches.
The 62 Group has a total of 56 exhibiting members based mainly in the UK. University professors and lecturers, teachers and freelance professional textile artists make up the bulk of the membership, and many members have established international reputations.
The 62 Group is an artist-led organisation and it is a tribute to the members’ commitment and energy in helping to run the Group that, after 50 years, it is still recognised as a leader in contemporary textile art.
Image
Marilyn Rathbone: Pastimes (The 62 Group)
Susie MacMurray
From 10 January 2012
Constructed from black nappa leather and around 100,000 long silver adamantine pins, Widow is the fourth in a series of garment-type female form sculptures by acclaimed Manchester artist, Susie MacMurray.
