Stitched Stories
YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK | Artist in Residence 2022/23
Work Andi Walker · YSP Photography Jonty Wilde · Photography at The Chantry Chapel, Wakefield Artist’s own
Stitched Stories is a 2 x 2-metre cotton quilt. It holds 144 stories which I collected from members of the public as part of my residency in the ‘On Queer Ground’ exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. 4,500 metres of thread facilitated the sharing of these stories. The Quilt was first shown at Wakefield’s Chantry Chapel as part of their Art walk programme.
Individuals’ stories are embroidered to craft the surface design of a quilt:
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Positioned in the Bothy Gallery at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, people were invited to share any story from their life with me. Whilst they were sharing their story, I asked them to make a without looking drawing on piece of paper, that was positioned under the table, the A5 piece of paper had 12cm circle in the centre of it, that echoed the layout on of the quilt.
When they had finished, I asked them which one colour they would like to add into their drawing? I would use this colour to make marks into their drawing which would represent my interaction with them.
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Each week I collected 16 stories. I drew these on to the fabric. I honoured the proportion and essence of their style of marks. These were then machine embroidered. But like in true storytelling, whilst the essence and proportions were the same it was impossible to translate exactly, so the story is changed by its retelling.
