Anita HutchisonArtist's StatementThe work focuses on the preservation of and communication of memories. Anita describes her textiles as drawings in fabric and thread. They are abstract, sculptural, tactile and visual, and are constructed with a variety of materials along with traditional craft and sewing techniques. The main theme behind the work is memories. The importance of, recollection of, and communication of, memories has become a focus of her work after watching and caring for a relative with dementia. The textile pieces are designed to record, preserve and to disseminate information to others, each piece telling a story. The beach has become the main theme to her artwork. As a child she enjoyed annual beach holidays, playing on the beach, in the sea, and beach combing. Now she walks on, explores and collects items from the coast of Scotland. These are just a few of the memories that are incorporated into her art, as diaries, textile hangings, or in the form of books and sculptural pieces, they use words and images, repetition, crafts and colour, to act as metaphors, to give information, and to preserve thoughts and memories. She became interested in textiles whilst participating in a textile module on a HNC fine art course at Dundee College, along with a visit to the Boldly Sew exhibition held in the McManus galleries in Dundee. Since then she has attained, a BDes(hons) degree, 2004, in textile design, specialising in constructed textiles; and a Master of Design degree, 2005. During the masters degree she was involved with group projects for Tayside police designing youth shelters and posters for the G8 summit, and her personal project researched the use of tactile materials in the form of textile crafts as a way to improve communication amongst the elderly and people with dementia. Anita has cared for an elderly relative with dementia, giving rise to her interest in using arts and particularly textile crafts with the elderly. The overriding purpose of these sessions was to improve communication between residents. Anita had found that her own relative, at 89, and with dementia, could remember how to knit. The knitting was only done in her company, and Anita observed how relaxed and chatty she became during the craft activity. Anita has presented traditional art and craft workshops for a small group of elderly people for three years, and has designed mark-making sessions for stroke patients. These sessions are designed to suit the ability of each group, and are for enjoyment, to help the participants to socialise, to encourage communication, and to improve self-esteem. She is interested in art projects and research projects, especially in art in healthcare, artist collaborations and residencies, along with opportunities to exhibit her own work. Member of EDGE-Scottish textile artists, Scottish Society of Artists, Embroiderers' Guild, Fife Dunfermaline Printmakers. ContactAnita E Hutchison MDes BDes(hons)-textile design |
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