RITUALS: WIP (Weaving in Progress)
Jenny Steele & Gorton Weavers
1st-30th June 2024
Rogue Platform Space (1st Floor)
Rogue Artists’ Studios, 4 Barrass Street
Higher Openshaw
Manchester
M11 1WP
Opening Event: Saturday 1st June 1.30-4pm
Opening Hours: Saturday 8th, 22nd & 29th June 12- 4pm
To view by appointment at other times, email jennysteelestudio@gmail.com to arrange a time.
RITUALS: WIP (Weaving in Progress) is an open studio exhibition of two large scale woven sculptures by visual artist Jenny Steele, including weaving by local Gorton weavers. Part of Jenny’s current research, engagement and production project, Rituals for Tomorrow, she hasexplored sustainable ways to use weaving that supports our wellbeing, connection to nature and sense of belonging.
Combining local flora, such as leaves and grasses from Gorton parks and Fallowfield Loop with bright, colourful locally sourced ex industrial yarns saved from landfill, Jenny has created a celebratory, festive sculpture upon a 200 year old Lancashire cart. The work references the historic local ritual of the rush cart ceremony, which travelled throughout the streets of Gorton and other Lancashire and Yorkshire towns, uniting the community with nature and its seasons.
Over one month, Jenny taught back strap weaving skills and passementerie techniques to female former members of Gorton Visual Arts group. Weaving and tassels in plants and yarn made by the new Gorton weavers are included in the large woven sculpture upon a 200-year-old Lancashire cart.
The open studio exhibition will also provide an opportunity to view the second woven sculpture in progress grow throughout the month, a large semi-circular woven work to be completed and installed on a wooden boat in July 2024 at Art Gene, Barrow, Cumbria, working with a new set of weavers.
RITUALS: WIP (Weaving in Progress) will also displays woven samples, drawings and artworks using plant life and yarn by Jenny Steele, and weaving samples by Gorton weavers, as well as films in progress.
Gorton Weavers are: Jean, Julie, Lucianne Cannavan, Margaret Painter, Pat, Rebecca, Rita Oakley and Sue. With huge thanks for their time and participation.
Rituals for Tomorrow is supported by a Project Grant from Arts Council England.
Jenny Steele is a Scottish artist who has been living in Manchester since 2011, and her current practice uses heritage crafts of hand weaving, basket weaving and passementerie to create sculptures that explore ideas of ritual, grief, festive celebration and belonging.
Prior to that, Jenny’s work largely used processes of drawing, painting and printmaking and focused on the restorative effects of coastal and nature environments. Recent commissions include Textile City for Museum of Science and Industry (2022), The Joy of Union, MET, Preston City (2022), Our Library of Light, At The Library, Crosby (2019) and The Seafront, Art B&B (2019).
Recent residencies include Arnis Residency, Arnis, Germany (2022) Cove Park, Scotland (2021), Fountainhead Arts, Miami, USA (2017) and This House for Building, The Tetley, Leeds (2017). Recent solo exhibitions and projects include; The Maiden Voyage, George’s Dock Plaza, Liverpool, 2019, Why be exotic in private?, The Foundry Gallery, London (2018-19), This Building for Hope, The Midland, Morecambe (2017), and An Architecture of Joy, Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool (2016). Jenny is a graduate of Goldsmiths MFA (2007) and BA Fine Art DOJCAD, Dundee (2002).
For more information about the Rituals for Tomorrow project, visit Jenny’s weekly blog here
Website: JS (jennysteele.co.uk)
Instagram: @jennycsteele
Access information: We regret that Rogue Artists’ Studios is not wheelchair accessible on the First Floor.