Jacqui Gallon has been awarded a bursary from Curator Space to research her project "Material Memories: Discovering Secrets in an Archive of Clothing," together with funding from Arts Council England.
Jacqui will be using the 'cameraless' technique of the photogram to explore a collection of Edwardian children's clothes once worn by the daughter and son of a local wealthy land owning family.
Laying out the clothes
The clothes are of exceptional quality, both in terms of the fabrics - pure silks, cotton batistes and voiles - the locally made lace inserts and the craftsmanship are exemplified in the exquisite hand stitching.
"The photogram technique seems to ‘mystify’ the subject rather than exposing it directly like a camera" says Jacqui, "and it offers the potential to explore my interest in human trace and material objects in a different way. I aim to use the technique to intensify notions of melancholic remembrance, evocations of absence and presence and the trace of a person, through revealing the wear and tear in the clothes which describe the human history of the clothing."
The clothes as Jacqui Gallon first encountered them.
'Material Memories' will also showcase the industrial history of the area, by displaying the range of patterns produced in the historic lace-making factories of Loughborough and nearby Nottingham. Highlighting the fine dressmaking details of hand sewn seams, buttonholes, and pin tucks, the project will emphasise the role of women who were employed in large country houses at that time.
"I am delighted that these two prestigious arts organisations have supported this project," says Jacqui Gallon.
