62 Group: Ctrl/Shift

The creative tension between accomplished skill, experimentation and the development of new ideas, provides the starting point for Ctrl/Shift.The exhibition enables participating artists to explore projects which manifest as transformations in their practice.

Ctrl/Shift will take shifts and changes as its theme, in particular it is centred on artists whose practice is or has transformed, in small or large ways, especially towards expressions of innovation in textile art. These shifts may be around changing attitudes to control; the introduction of new materials and techniques; and/or the impact of innovative ideas and evolving technologies.

This exhibition came out of discussions over a long period of time between curator Liz Cooper and members of the Group about a different kind of exhibition. Everyone was eager to push textile practice forward, and to find a wide yet challenging theme for members to explore. The range of submissions was impressive, with each artist looking at many aspects of their work: materials both new and found, techniques in hand and technology-driven processes, a wide variety of subject matter, scale, and collaborative working.

The exhibition is grouped into four main thematic areas but could equally have been split many other ways. There is also a Project Space in which samples, tools, photos, short films and other materials will shed some light on the making process. We hope that the works will delight, provoke, entertain and educate; and inspire others to explore this most powerful of media, textiles.

The exhibition concept has been developed in partnership with the 62 Group and independent curator Liz Cooper.

The exhibiting artists are:

Imogen Aust

Caroline Bartlett

Heather Belcher

Eszter Bornemisza

Lucy Brown

Penny Burnfield

Nigel Cheney

Daisy Collingridge

Isobel Currie

Flox den Hartog Jager

Catherine Dormor

Dawn Dupree

Caren Garfen

Emily Jo Gibbs

Ann Goddard

Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor

Hannah Lamb

Debbie Lyddon

Sîan Martin

Jane McKeating

Sumi Perera

Shuna Rendel

Vanessa Rolf

Sue Stone

Image: Daisy May Collingridge - Clive.