Lucy Brown
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“Lucy Brown's work is exceptional in her generation of textile practitioners for both its consistent approach to thought-provocation, material meaning, and accessibility, and its significant underpinning with an authentic, reflective inner dialogue with the material and the cultural meanings it conjures”. Professor Catherine Harper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at University for the Creative Arts, and Editor-in-Chief of Textile: Cloth and Culture (Taylor & Francis).
clothed/unclothed - body presence/absence - attachment/detachment - internal/external - boundaries - the feminine - known/unknown histories - visible/invisible memories - re-working - re-making - re-telling - re-feminising
I use a mixed palette of old, unwanted second hand clothing, hair and personal artefacts as raw material. I make visceral woven installations, anti-form sculpture, site-specific and individual objects for public exhibitions and projects. Narratives depart from personal or collective experiences and explore themes around the body, dress, femaleness, textile histories, nostalgic and craft-labour.
Sourcing, collecting, drawing and making are core motivations in the work. Raw materials are sourced from second hand clothes shops, markets and online. It is the raw materials embodied history and memory that interests me, its previous existence. These items are selected and deconstructed through methods of cutting, unpicking and ripping.
Free-hand weaving techniques are developed through physical, sensory, emotional and psychological engagement with selected clothing. The speculative play around the visible and invisible history of the raw material and the internal and external surfaces all contribute to these responses. There is a seductive and obsessive drive with the raw materials, which fuels the desire to make and physically interact with the garments. Weaving is both language and method to reconstruct / re-invent these materials exploring ideas around re-telling/ re-working histories, re-claiming / re-configuring female body image.
Installation and anti-form works develop over two stages; first stage weaving takes place in the studio on an up-right Eager Loom. Second stage is when weaves are cut loose of the loom and transferred to a space where works are installed, extended and realised. Current works are using multiple selections of clothing, exploring bodily gestures as an extension of an emotion. There are themes around the unfinished and unresolved, meaning that works has are in a constant state of ‘becoming’.
I studied BA Hons Textile Art at Goldsmiths, University of London. Since graduating in 1995 I have continually made work for exhibitions, commissions and developed short and long term education projects for arts organisations, schools, colleges and universities. Exhibitions and new work commissions include ‘6th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial’2018 Arsenals Exhibition Hall, Riga, Latvia; ‘Offerings’ Solo Exhibition 2018. R-Space Gallery Lisburn Northern Ireland; ‘Lace Unveiled’ 2018 Newstead Abbey. Nottinghamshire; ‘Unravelling Nyman’s’, 2012 Nyman’s House and Gardens National Trust UK and ‘Offerings’ Project Space, COLLECT 2012, Saatchi Gallery London UK. My work has been reviewed and featured in many publications including ‘Domestic Spaces: The Uncanny Lucy Brown’ by Professor Catherine Harper. Surface Design USA Spring 2019: ‘Lucy Brown: ‘Secrets she keeps from herself’ by Professor Catherine Harper; Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice Jan 2019, and Dr Jessica Hemmings' book - 'Warp & Weft' Published by Bloomsbury 2012.
Qualifications and training
1995 - BA Hons Textile Art; 1st class hons. Goldsmiths College, University of London. UK
Dissertation: Use of clothing in Women’s Performance Art
2003 PGCE. Art & Design. Post Compulsory. Northbrook College, West Sussex. UK
Research Project: How Artists engage with Higher Education
Public & Private Collections
2019 The Central Museum of Textiles. Lodz, Poland.
2016 Crafts Council Collection. London
2015 The Whitworth Art Gallery. University of Manchester. Contemporary Textile Collection
2011 Norwich School of Art: Contemporary Textile Resource
2010 & 2017 Goldsmiths Textile Collection, University of London.
2003 & 2015 Nottingham Museums’ Contemporary Textile Art collection
2003 & 2018 Private Collection of Rose Knox-Peebles
2001Brighton & Hove Museums Crafts Collection.
2000 & 2016 Yorkshire Craft Centre Collection
Selected solo exhibitions (* denotes commissioned works)
2021 “it’s what’s inside” lucybrownsarahpager Gallery DODO. Phoenix Art Space. Brighton. UK
2018 Offerings’ Solo Exhibition. R-Space Gallery Lisburn Northern Ireland http://www.rspacelisburn.com/offerings/
2015 - the secrets we keep from ourselves. Public Studio Viewing Event
2012 - Offerings for The Project Space. COLLECT 2012, Presented by the Crafts Council at the Saatchi Gallery. London. and tour. Funded by Arts Council. England. Publication.
2012 - Studio Loom View(ing), Robertson Yard Studio, Brighton
2009 - Wrapping the Jaipur Gate, Hove Museum & Art Gallery, Hove*
2006 - Trails, Hove Museum & Art Gallery, East Sussex
2004 - Art on the Walls, The Arts Council, England: South East, Brighton
2002 - Shrinking Violets, Fabrications Gallery, London
2002 - Textile Focus, Contemporary Applied Arts, London
2001 - Brown at Browns, Browns, South Molton street, London
2001 - The Brides Clothes, Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham. New work Commission*
2001 - The Disembodied Garment, Trinity Gallery, Kent
2000 - Intimate Foundations, Maidstone Library Gallery, Kent, touring 2001. Funded by South East Arts. England. Publication.
2000 - Shedding Skins, art.tm, Bank Street Gallery, Inverness
2000 - Shrinking Violets, Crafts Council Shop at the V and A, London
1999 - Shop window sculpture trail, Brighton Fringe Festival, North Lanes, Brighton
1998 - Lookout, Waterstones booksellers, Brighton. New work Commission*
Selected group exhibitions (* denotes commissioned works)
2023 Tailored. Sunny Bank Mills Gallery. Yorkshire. UK
2022 Essence. 62 Group @ 60. Alexandra Palace London and tour
2022 Zero Gravity: A Landing. The Occasionnale. Milton Farm. East Sussex Countryside
2022 Conversations: People, Places, Materials, Objects. St Barbe Museum. Lymington UK
2021 British Textile Biennial. The Whitaker. Lancashire UK
2019-2020 - The 16th Triennial of Tapestry; Breaching Borders. The Central Museum of Textiles. Lodz, Poland.
2018-2020 - 'CTRL/Shift’ A 62 Group Touring Exhibition. Next venue; 20-21 Visual Arts Centre and Normanby Hall Scunthorpe 14 December 2019 – 29 February 2020
2019- Line/Extended. 17th October 2019 - 20th December 2019 UHArts Gallery. University of Hertfordshire
2018 - 6th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial’ Arsenals Exhibition Hall, Riga, Latvia
2018 - Lace Unveiled. ‘the secrets we keep from ourselves’ Newstead Abbey. Nottingham
2017 - Red; Fabrica peer Group. The Grange. Rottingdean East Sussex
2016 - East Sussex Open 2016. Towner Art Gallery. Eastbourne
2016 - Making Space. A 62 Group Exhibition. Silk Museum Macclesfield.
2016 - Shed Space Exhibition and residency Arts at the old fire station. Oxford
2015 - Leaving Home, Contemporary Applied Arts, London
2015 - Re-Fashioned. Arts at the Old Fire Station. Oxford
2015 - Crafting Anatomies. Bonington Gallery. Nottingham Trent University.
2014 - Ebb and Flow. A 62 Group exhibition. Fishing Heritage Centre. Grimsby. Publication
2013/14 - British Textile Art. A 62 Group Exhibition. Koyo Gallery SHOWA Women’s University. Tokyo. Japan. Publication
2013 - Small Talk, Goldsmiths Textile Collection & Constance Howard Gallery, Goldsmiths University of London, New Cross
2013 - South East Open 2013, Towner Gallery, Eastbourne
2012 - ‘62@50’ New Works Celebrating The 62 Group of Textile Artists’ 50th Anniversary, Holden Gallery. Manchester Metropolitan University. Manchester
2012 - Interventions, Gallery of Costume. Platt Hall, Manchester
2012/13 - Lace Works - Contemporary Art and Nottingham Lace, Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Nottingham. New Work Commission*
2012 - Unravelling Nymans: New Site-specific works* commissioned by Unravelled Arts, Nymans House & Gardens National Trust Property in Partnership with Unravelled Arts, Handcross near Haywards Heath. Publication*
2011 - 7 Strands, Gate Gallery, Grimsby. Publication
2011 - HOUSE Open 2011, the Regency Town House. 13 Brunswick Square, Hove
2011 - Lost and Found, Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham
2010 - Bending More Lines, Museum Rijswijk, Netherlands
2010/12 - Material Actions, Plymouth College of Art, Plymouth & tour till 2012. Publication
2010 - Thread Bare, Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester. Publication*
2009/10 - Bending the Line, The Hub. National Centre for Craft & Design, Sleaford & tour. Publication
2007 - Archiving the present, Collecting the Future, Constance Howard Resource Centre in Textiles. Goldsmiths University, London
2006 - Tracing Threads. New work by the 62 Group of Textile Artists, Hove Museum & Art Gallery, East Sussex. CD Catalogue
2005 - Abstracted Garments, Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery, London
2005 - Encounters, Museum of Zoology. Cambridge University, Cambridge
2005 - Reveal. Nottingham’s Contemporary Textiles, Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Nottingham. Publication
2005 - Wearable/Unwearable, National Craft Gallery, Ireland. Publication
2004 - Merging Cultures, Merging Arts, National Gallery, Cayman Islands.
2004 - Woken with a Kiss, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Hastings
2003 - Material Spaces, Tullie House Art Gallery and Museum, Carlisle. Publication
2003 - The Absent Wearer, University of Essex Gallery, Colchester. Publication
2003 - The Happy Couple, Cartwright Hall Gallery, Bradford
2001 - The Unexpected, Sotheby's, New York
2000 - A Sense of Occasion, MAC, Birmingham, touring 2002 Publication
2000 - Craftscape, Bradford Gallery, Yorkshire, touring 2001 Publication
2000 - Out of the Closet, Sotheby's, London
2000 - Talente 2000, Handwerkskammere, Munchen. Publication
2000 - Waves at Goldsmiths, Alexandra Palace, London, touring
1999 - Fibre Art, The Black Swan Guild, Frome, Somerset
1999 - New Weavers, The Gallery, Stratford Leisure and Visitor Centre
1999 - Only Human, Crafts Council Gallery, London. Publication
1999 - Textiles 21, Voirrey Embroidery Centre, Wirral
1999 - The Border Land of Tapestry. Touring, Galerii Sztuki BWA, Poland. Publication
1997 - Material Matters, Bankfield Museum Halifax
1997 - Revivalist Textiles, Hebden Bridge, Arts Festival, West Yorkshire.
1996/97 - Flexible Two, Pan European Art, touring exhibition around Europe, organised by the Netherlands Textile Museum Tilburg, Netherlands, Wroclow, Poland, Manchester, England. Publication
1996 - Intertext, Otago Art Gallery, New Zealand
1996 - Material Perspectives, Crescent Arts Workshop Gallery, Scarborough
Selected artist talks
2021 ‘Building it up and cutting it down’ Online Artist Lecture for Fashion & Textile Museum. London.
2018 - Spotlight. Studio Members Public Talks programme. Phoenix Art Space. Brighton.
2018 - The 6th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial Conference: Identity. 7-8 June Presentation title; Hair; Locks, curls, thimbles and dresses. Latvia
2016 - Art Work – An insight into the world of Textiles Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Speaker
2012 - Lace: heritage and contemporary textile practice Symposium. Nottingham Trent University. Lace here now programme. A season of events taking place in and around Nottingham from September 2012 to February 2013. Nottingham Trent University
2012 - Making it: A three celebration of craft and creativity. Invited Speaker and artist contributor
2011 – 7 Strands Textile Symposium, Invited speaker. Grimsby Minster & Gate Gallery, Grimsby
2010 - Material Actions Seminar, – Invited speaker. Plymouth College of Art: Viewpoint Gallery, Plymouth
2008 - In conversation with the 62 Group. Professional Development and networking day. Speaker and facilitator, Rochester Art Gallery, Kent
2008 - Professional Development forum. Invited speaker, Crafts Council, West Dean
2006 - Trails, Hove Museum & Art Gallery, East Sussex
2005 - Art Practice and Profile, Winchester School of art: Contextual Studies, South East
2003 - Artist Professional development, Fresh Art Fair, Invited speaker. London
2003 - Artist Story, Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, East Sussex
2002 - Creative Exchange, Crafts Council, London
1999 - Evolution of a Maker, invited speaker. Crafts Council, London
Selected Professional Posts & Employment
2017 - Northbrook College. Visiting Artist. Industry week. BA Fine Art.
2002- current- 62 Group of Textile Artists: Exhibiting Member. (2004 –2017 Committee Member. Post while on the committee included; 2005 –2008 Exhibtions Officer and 2008–2017 Education Officer).
2015 - Studio Site Visit. Caroline Lucas MP. Arts Council and Crafts Council
2014 - University of Chichester. Visiting Artist Lecture and Tutorials. HE Fine Art Students
2014 - Shortlisted and interviewed for Houses of Parliament Artist in Residence 2014
2013 – Invited selection panellist. The Christine Risley Award. Goldsmiths. University of London
2012 - Bath Spa University. Visiting Artist
Sept 2003 – 2012 City College FE Brighton & Hove; Part time Art & Design Foundation Lecturer.
2009 - 12 The Making/NSEAD. Planning and delivering workshops for teachers, mentors and PGCE trainees. In partnership with National University Education departments. Institute of Education, London. Oxford Brookes University. University of Greenwich. St. Mary’s University. Skills in the Making programme.
2009/11 West Kent College. Textiles Foundation degree. Visiting Lecturer. Weave yr 1
2009 - University of Ulster and Ulster Museum. Belfast. Northern Ireland. Visiting Artist. Public lunchtime lecture and BA Hons Fine & Applied Arts. Year 3.
2001-08 – Hove Museum & Art Gallery. Artist workshop leader. Planned and delivered a rage of adult workshops alongside Museums Exhibition programme
2007 - Contemporary Craft Practice Focus Group: Hove Museum & Art Gallery
2005 - Northbrook College: Adult Education. Visiting Artist
2003 - Bedford College: Visiting Artist. Multifunctional Garments projects National Diploma/Foundation studies Art & Design, HNC/HND Textiles, Fine Art.
2002 - Goldsmiths College. London. Visiting Tutor. BA Hons Textiles. Yr3
2001/00 - University of Hertfordshire. Visiting Tutor. BA (Hons) Applied and Media Art; Level 1.
2000-2007 - Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery. London. Exhibiting Member
1999 - Photostore. Selected makers; Crafts Council. London
Selected Short Term Artist Residency Projects
2016 - Woven Viking Long Ship Sail - St Nicolas and St Mary CE First and Middle School. Shoreham by Sea. Yr 5. Resident Artist project.
2010 - Eco Celebration Elephant Project St Nicolas and St Mary CE First and Middle School. Shoreham by Sea. Yr 5. Resident Artist project.
2010 - Skills in the Making: Artist in Residence. The Westgate School. Slough. In partnership with The Making, Hampshire
2009 - Weaving Memories into Clothing. St Nicolas and St Mary CE First and Middle School. Shoreham by Sea. Yrs 5 & 6. Resident Artist project. School group Exhibition: Ropetackle Arts Centre.
2002/04 - Artist in Residence: Richard Huish College. Somerset A/AS level Art & Textiles
2003 - Weaving Wonders. Wonderful Things; London Museums Agency, Crafts Council & Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School. London. Planned and led Fine Art Weave workshops for EGA Pupils key stage 4.
2003 - Boundstone Community College. Lancing. 6th Form A/AS Level Art & Textiles students. Planned, organised and led Reconstructing Garment workshops.
2002 - Richard Challoner all boys School. Surrey ‘Artists in schools'.
2000/01 - Angel Row Gallery. Nottingham. The Brides Clothes; Commissioned in Partnership with Craftspace Touring. Interactive installation. Planned and led Public slide talks and workshops
1999 - Sadler's Wells Dance Project. Organised by Crafts Council and Sadler's Wells education sections. London. Collaboration with Choreographers Jamie Watton, Suz Broughton and the Lillian Baylis Over 60s Performance Group.
Competitions, prizes and awards
2012 - Funding for ‘Offerings’ making. development and presentation of new works, supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council , England
2008 - Small award towards costs of making new work, Theo Morman Weaving Trust, -
2004 - Makers Mentor Scheme, Empowering the Artist (ETA), South East
2000 - Funding for Touring Solo Exhibition: Intimate Foundations, The Arts Council. South East
1999 - Setting up Scheme, Crafts Council. London
1998 - Mentor Scheme with Artist Caroline Broadhead, Fabrica Gallery, Brighton
Selected Books – Publications – Reviews
2019. Professor Catherine Harper; "Domestic Spaces: The Uncanny Lucy Brown'. Surafce Design Journal . USA. Spring 2019. Volume 43 Number 1
2019. Catherine Harper (2019): Lucy Brown: “Secrets She Keeps from Herself”, Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice, DOI: 10.1080/20511787.2018.1553763
2018- Lucy Brown: ‘secrets she keeps from herself’ Essay by Professor Catherine Harper. http://www.rspacelisburn.com/offerings/
2016 Sept/Oct. Making Space review by Jo Hall. Embroidery.
2015- Studio in conversation with Professor Catherine Harper Editor of Textile: Cloth and Culture
2013 - Book ‘Lace: Here: Now’. by Amanda Briggs-Goode & Deborah Dean Black Dog Publishing
2012 - Offerings 2012 reviewed by Independent Curator Kate Stoddart. Published on AN Interface. http://www.a-n.co.uk/interface/reviews/single/2540206
2012 - Book ‘Warp & Weft’. Author Dr Jessica Hemmings Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
2012 - Book ‘Radical Thread’ 62 Group publication Author Prof Lesley Millar MBE
2012 - May Space Suits - Project Space Artists by Teleri Lloyd-Jones. Crafts Guide to Collect
2012 - Tales of the Unfinishable. Clarke & Connors. Wide-Open House publishing
2012 - Unravelling Nymans. Artist Newsletter. Preview by Frances Lord.
2012 - Sept/Oct Unravelling… Nymans. Review. Embroidery by Liz Hoggard.
2012 - June Unravelling Nymans. On-line review. Crafts Magazine by Liz Farrlley.
2012 - May Playing in the family seat. Crafts Magazine by Teleri Lloyd-Jones
2010 - April Maker of the Month. The Making. Interviewed by Diana Woolf. www.themaking.org.uk
2007 - March Interviewed by Maggie Grey for Workshop on the Web: www.workshopontheweb.com
2006 - Nov/Dec Tracing Threads. Review. Embroidery
2002 - Aut/Wint Hanging Out the Washing. STRADA. Toni&Guy Lifestyle Magazine.
2001 - Oct Fine Art from Fashion. ELLE magazine
2001 - May The Brides Clothes. World of Embroidery.
2001 - May/June Intimate Foundations. Review; Crafts Magazine
2001 - May/June A Sense of Occasion. Review; Crafts Magazine
2001 - Mar/April Conceptual Couture; Preview; Crafts Magazine
2001 - Mar 7 Woman's Hour. Radio 4. Interview INTIMATE FOUNDATIONS
2000 - July/Aug Tipped For The Top. Art Review.
2000 - Young, Gifted and Broke. ITV broadcast. 9th March
2000. - Mar/April Only Human. Review. Crafts Magazine.
2000. - Jan/Feb Fibre Art. Review. Crafts Magazine.
1999. - July The Disembodied Garment. World of Embroidery.
1998. - March Interviewed for The Frame. BBC T.V.
1997. - Dec When is a dress unwearable. Observer Life Magazine
1997. - Sept Shedding Skins. World of Embroidery.
1997 - July Flexible 2 Review. The World of Embroidery.
1997 - July Flexible 2 Review. Crafts Magazine.
1997 - Book. Nouvel Object II. Design House. Korea.
1995 - Dec. Top Girls. Crafts Magazine.
Selected Workshops
2015 Making, meaning and materials. Re-Fashioned exhibition event. AOFS Oxford.
2014 Sleigh Belles Transformations. Planned and led workshop for local FE Students.
Fishing Heritage Centre. Grimsby
2012 Unravelling Nymans. Skill Sharing sessions. Nymans. National Trust.
2011/12 Learning to weave. St Nicolas and St Mary School. Shoreham by Sea. Yr 3 and 4.
2008 Printed Patterns. Hove Museum and Art Gallery. Planned and led workshop responding to Tile Tech: Stephen Bottomleys Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition.
2008 Experimental Weaving. Catmose Gallery. Catmose College. Rutland.
2007 The Warwick School. Surrey. Visiting Artist. Planned and led experimental weaving day with Y10 students
2007 Reclaim your Denim. Hove Museum & Art Gallery. Exhibition workshop.
2007 Age Concern Hour Bank Arts Programme. Bromley. Kent. Planned and led Reconstructing garments through experimental weaving
2006 Threads of Inspiration. Hove Museum & Art Gallery. Planned and led responding to exhibition workshop
2004 Making Spaces: Community Project. Havant Arts Centre
2005 BHASVIC: 6th Form College. Brighton. Visiting Artist Workshop. A/ AS level textiles Students: Planned and led Deconstructing/Reconstructing garments through experimental weaving.
2005 Battle Abbey Independent School. Visiting Artist Workshop. Yr 10 GCSE Art/Textile Students: Planned and led Deconstructing/Reconstructing garments through experimental weaving.
2004 Creative Collaborations; Through the Surface. Hove Museum & Art Gallery. Planned and led collaborative workshop
2003 The New School at West Heath. Sevenoaks. Garment Weaving Workshop: Sn. Education
2002 Richard Huish College. Somerset A/AS level Art & Textiles. Planned, organised and led The Body Reseen Workshops.
2001/00 Intimate Foundations. Planned, organised and led Public Slide Talks & Workshops for the following Gallery Education programmes; Millias Gallery. Southampton. Hove Museum and Art Gallery & Maidstone Library Gallery. Kent.
2001/00 Kirkcaldy Museum. Scotland. Planned and led workshop for young people outreach project. Based on Caroline Brodhead’s' solo exhibition: Catching the Light.
1999 Crafts Council. London. Organised, planned and led Reconstructing Garments Workshops.
1997 Worthing Museum and Art Gallery. Assisted and ran workshops for the 6-12yrs Arts education Programme. April - Nov.