2025 Festival Dates: 5 & 6 July
Inspired by the offcuts from the meticulously precise tufting process at Forbo Flooring, Anna Ray’s Offcut series is a visual documentation of the ambitious factory floor’s processes offering a unique view of global manufacturing.
Working with cloth, fibre and thread to realise eye-popping gallery installations at the same time as working in fine detail on delicately sewn ‘drawings’ – artist Anna Ray’s work straddles craft and conceptual art without being defined by either category. During her residency with Lancashire-based Forbo Flooring who specialise in commercial flooring, Ray looked at the visual elements found on the factory floor to inform her new series.
Inspired by the offcuts from the meticulously precise tufting process at the partner manufacturer, Ray’s Offcut looks at the materials and processes unseen by the end-consumer; dancing threads wriggling free from their cones in preparation for tufting, uniformly marching needles in seemingly endless rows, punching through cloth at unimaginable speed.
Directly referencing the materials, forms and machinery found within the factory, and referencing her Huguenot ancestors who were silk weavers and fancy trimmings manufacturers in the 1700s, Ray’s deeply textured and vibrant wall pieces transcend the everyday factory occurrences found on her residency.
I am curious to see what might happen in the space between making by hand in the studio and working with a manufacturer. – Anna Ray
I am sure that there will be many differences between our worlds, but perhaps as many connections in our experiences of making and our modes of presenting work in the public domain. – Janet Lowe, Forbo Flooring
The Artist
Straddling craft and conceptual art without being defined by either category, Anna Ray has developed and shown work with organisations including the Turner Contemporary in Margate and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, each time drawing from her subconscious the textures and structures that she has observed around her to develop new forms.
The Manufacturer
Forbo Flooring Systems produces commercial flooring in materials including linoleum, vinyl and carpet tiles for a wide range of organisations worldwide as well as a range of advanced home flooring products. Dedicated to progressive manufacturing processes and products, Forbo drives innovation to ensure their flooring has a positive impact on indoor and outdoor environment.
Art in Manufacturing is supported by
