#alicekettle

Alice Kettle / / Whitworth Gallery

Practice based research

5/10/2018 

The whitworth gallery is by far far my favorite Gallery to visit, providing a mixture of contemporary and traditional works. Ranging from both 2D and 3D and giving a mixture of styles currated to fit witht he layout of the building.

GILLIAN WEARING / A WOMEN CALLED THERESA

A woman called Teresa is a series of images by Gillian Wearing, which were taken of a woman she slowly built up a relationship with who was often seen drinking on the streets. 

Theresa had found it difficult throughout her life to sustain a job and relationship with anyone due to alcoholism and relied on a number of different men for money and a roof over her head. 

Theresa later agreed to allow Wearing to Photograph her with each of these men and asked each of these lovers to write a statement about Theresa and their relationship with her.

Every single statement was completely different, some showed a violent side of Theresa and others tender and loving. These statements merge together to create a story of Theresa’s life and personality. 

 “I what she is is a speed freak evil witch.. she needs her head sorted out it can get full of shit ….. some personal stuff I won’t say what as I know it won’t sound too good. Witches can be evil remember its not good looking maybe be to some other wanker she is…. I like small blonde hair girls (less trouble) she can be a drunken & command when she is in a good mood. She has a beautiful daughter called Kathleen who is my friend too.” (statement on the top right picture). 

ALICE KETTLE / THREAD BEARING WITNESS

Alice Kettle created this series of work in response to refugees and asylum seekers. The project is aimed to reflect on the willingness of others to listen and to be led and changed by the events of others around them. 

Kettle used creativity and stitch work known as a common language to many around the world to welcome, support and bring together communities who have fled together. Kettle invited many people to participate in her work in many different ways, many people gifted her drawing for her to then translate in to stitch work. Ground, sea and sky were the main points of her work which she built most of her work around and surrounded her self-many artistic contributions from others. 

The exhibition is very diverse in the way pieces are displayed the colors and the subject matters throughout. This in a way shows the diversity of the people involved and almost tells a story of how the exhibition came together. 

I found the whole atmosphere of this exhibition to be very chaotic and in ways this made me not enjoy the experience of being there however now looking back on the images I took of the work and analyzing her work further and I really starting to enjoy and appreciate the work much more. 

Pictured below is two of the tapestries that were displayed with in this exhibition, I feel the tapestries really capture the experience of the project the chaotic lives of refugees and asylum seekers, whilst still showing the creative gathering of many individuals. Looking closer at these large pieces you can see the way Kettle has included the drawings from many people to make up the large scale pattern seen from a far.