A celebratory textile installation, immersive in colour, form and sound, joyful and uplifting. Occupying the North Transept of Blackburn Cathedral, the site-responsive textile sculpture evokes the movement of cloth throughout the factory, travelling in waves and folds through the machinery.
The suspended form initially lies on the cathedral floor, before reaching up to tower 9 metres into the vaulted ceiling, then descending back down.
This rise and fall reflects a respiratory waveform, a deep breath in and out again; ‘Breathing Colour’ the very nature of the workforce at Standfast & Barracks which aligns so closely with the work of Margo Selby Studio.
Known for her hand woven artworks, this residency has presented a new challenge for Selby. In weaving, colour is often part of the construction of the cloth itself, created through the intersection of warp and weft threads. In contrast, when printing, colour is applied to the surface of a pre-woven cloth, much like an artist’s canvas. Collaborating with a printing factory has opened up a different set of possibilities, and the final artwork combines the meticulous nature of weaving with the printing expertise of the factory. The design directly relates to Selby’s weaving practice – building the pattern stripe by stripe to reflect how woven cloth is built thread by thread.
During the residency, 160 employees chose a single tone with a memory or association behind it. The arrangement of colour is initially inspired by the methodical organisation of the colour swatches and colour cards found in the Standfast & Barracks archive.
Construction of the piece is inspired by lenticular printing, with the cloth stitched into concertinaed ‘gills’. The finished work comprises 100 metres of printed and pleated fabric, marking 100 years of Standfast & Barracks.
Selby collaborated with composer-artist Peter Coyte to craft a sound piece. The work captures the rhythms of the machinery and the relationship between river and factory, as well as paying homage to the factory’s brass band.
We are now broadening this initiative to create a dynamic, living colour chart. Share a colour that is special to you. It might be a colour memory from childhood, a favourite pair of socks, or a colour that resonates with your emotions today. Make it as personal as you like.
One of the joys of the project was getting to know Standfast & Barracks so closely. It’s an amazing community of people, and the strength of the team reflects the strength of the business. I have found it terrifying and challenging working away from my looms but I’m thrilled with the results and I’ve learnt that I need to trust the process. Things come together in the end when you focus on the concept and the artistic development
A co-commission by National Festival of Making and British Textile Biennial. Sound piece by composer Peter Coyte, with recordings from Morecambe Brass Band.
With Thanks To: Everyone at Standfast & Barracks, The Margo Selby Studio Team & Interns, and Peter Auckland.
The Artist
Margo Selby is a British textile artist and designer of woven textiles working with colour and geometric form. Her practice as a weaver is at the heart of all of the studio projects. Selby has established an expansive approach to working in textiles and, throughout her work, explores the relationship between man and machine, hand and industry, craft and technology.
The Manufacturer
Established in 1924 in Lancaster, Standfast & Barracks is 13 renowned for its impressive heritage of textile printing. For 100 years, design, creativity, and innovation have
been at the centre of development, with expertise in both conventional printing techniques and ground- breaking digital inkjet technology. Part of the international Sanderson Design Group, Standfast & Barracks hosts this artistic residency as part of its Centenary year.
British Textile Biennial
This work is a co-commission by the National Festival of Making and British Textile Biennial. The British Textile Biennial throws a spotlight on the nation’s creativity, innovation and expression in textiles against the backdrop of the impressive infrastructure of the cotton industry in Pennine Lancashire.
Photography by Emma Colbert-Mooring, Danny Allison, Jack Bolton, Jules Lister and Robin Zahler
