Within the Surface / Field Paintings is an interdisciplinary, collaborative research project led by artist Geoff Diego Litherland. The project will seek to create an original body of work (paintings) where the artist, in collaboration with others, makes all the materials necessary for the work from the his own locality (Wirksworth, Derbyshire, UK). The most time-consuming process will be the creation of the linen fabric, which includes: preparing the land; nurturing and harvesting the flax crop; spinning the yarn; to weaving and finishing the fabric. In collaboration with weave designer and researcher Angharad McLaren, we will explore how locality of fibre, and the weaving process itself, through structure, pattern and form, can bridge the contextual space between the process of making the thread, and the narratives of inter-connectivity between man, nature and the cosmos inherent in Litherland’s work. Context and narrative will be woven within the surface; these linen fabrics will create new opportunities to explore the relationship between locality, process, labour and the painted image. Litherland will also be collaborating with musician and writer Christopher John Thornhill and filmmaker Gavin Repton in documenting and contextualising the project.
Angharad and I recently presented a paper titled Woven Within the Surface: Interconnected explorations of fine art linen canvas at the Intersections conference at Loughborough University in London. It was great and very insightful lots of linen love out there. Here’s a link to download the full paper