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Unpicking and Rebinding

A guest blog from Les Bicknell, the artist who’s working on upcoming exhibition ‘Unpicking and Rebinding’ which goes on display on the 31st August. Find out how the exhibition is being brought together, and find a link to Les’s blog where you can follow his progress.

I’ve been working on a project with the Museum of East Anglian Life called unpicking and rebinding since January – the project documents and presents the making of and thinking behind a body of new work that explores the fold. I’ve been looking at the idea of developing starting or entry points for exploring and utilising the collection.

I’m nearing the end of making artworks and about to start thinking how to display the work, this has enabled me to reflect on the process so far.

One of the many really positive aspect of this project has been to work in new ways – examining an established working practice is always positive in the life of an artist, throwing up new issues and ideas to consider. Learning from making, attempting to make work that has no definite ending in terms of what it should be or even look like and to embark on new ways of making is exciting, although a little worrying – a good state to be.

An example has been a piece of work that has turned into a ‘quilt – type’ object. I was inspired by the creasing and folding I observed within the bonnets in the Museum’s small object store. The work starting off as the interesting material left after some printing – this was then folded – joined together as one length – folded pieces of tracing paper were attached as if sections in a book onto the length – it was then folded into 4 as if a map – tracing paper was ripped out (leaving small elements as traces) – pleats were added – length folded into a bookwork – abandoned – cut into squares – some elements turned to view the back – all elements joined to make a quilt – finished.

This is very unlike any work that I have done in the past as my background is more of a designer, solving conceptual problems visually. The final piece will be part of the exhibition held at the Museum over the Summer, when it comes. if you would like to see more of the process check out the blog at http://unpickingandrebinding.blogspot.co.uk/

For more details on the exhibition, visit our What’s On

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