Matt’s Gallery is inviting Wandsworth locals to get involved in the creation of a new artwork with the artist Richard Grayson, titled ‘By Our Own Hand’, commissioned by Matt’s Gallery.
Published on
July 6, 2017
Starting this month, By Our Own Hand is an opportunity for individuals, community groups and organisations based in Wandsworth to develop skills with textiles, including cross stitching and tapestry.
Matt’s Gallery will be moving to a permanent new home in Nine Elms in 2019, based in Bellway’s The Residence, bringing cutting edge contemporary art to the area. An established contemporary art gallery with an international reputation, Matt’s Gallery is keen to get involved in the local area ahead of the move. By Our Own Hand gives the gallery and local communities around Nine Elms a chance to get to know each other beforehand.
The arrival of Matt’s Gallery in Nine Elms will further establish the neighbourhood as a new cultural destination, joining existing cultural anchors in the area including The Royal College of Art’s StudioRCA, Pump House Gallery, Gasworks, Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall, Cabinet Gallery and Newport Street Gallery.
For this project, each participant will develop, design and make an individual panel (or panels), forming the component letters of the phrase “Boredom is always counter-revolutionary”, originating from a text by the French writer and filmmaker Guy Debord. A central question for Debord was how people might find meaning and significance in the modern world.
The designs will be created and produced with the guidance of expert artists, practitioners and crafts people associated with the project. Regular meetings led by embroider and educator James Hunting will help guide the process, and participants keen to learn more about their craft will be invited to further events and talks. Participants will complete their panels individually between group sessions. The final artwork will be exhibited in the autumn, accompanied by a publication – copies of which will be given to each participant.
No prior experience is required, and guidance and materials will be provided free of charge.
Given the nature of the project, it is best suited to adults and older teenagers.
This is a particularly fitting project for Wandsworth, which was the home of Evelyn and William De Morgan, two leading figures in the British Arts and Crafts Movement, whose work did much to shape our ideas of craft today.
If you’re interested in taking part, please contact the gallery via Katrina.black@mattsgallery.org to register and find out more information prior to our first meeting.
By Our Own Hand will launch with a Registration Day for all new participants on Friday 21st July, between 2- 5pm, at The Rose Community Centre, Ascalon Street, Battersea, SW8 4DL.
Cllr Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth Council, said: “I look forward to welcoming Matt’s Gallery to Nine Elms and am delighted that they have already got together with Wandsworth’s creative community. I would like to see many local residents getting involved – it would be great to see the fruits of the joint working between Matt’s Gallery and the local community.”
Robin Klassnik, founder, Matt’s Gallery, added: “We’re excited about moving to Nine Elms and it’s fantastic that By Our Own Hand enables us to start work in the area sooner than envisaged. We are keen to get started and hope that Wandsworth locals embrace this project as their own.”
Tom Harris, Land Director at Bellway (Thames Gateway), said: “Construction of The Residence is progressing well in Nine Elms and we hope to have Matt’s Gallery move in on schedule by 2019. In the meantime, Bellway is delighted to be supporting Matt’s Gallery’s project with Richard Grayson and we’re confident it’ll be the first of many such exciting projects in the years to come.”
The project is funded by Bellway, in agreement with Wandsworth Council as part of their Section 106 commitments.
