Unpicking the Narrative: Difficult Women, Difficult Work

Abstract

Freddie Robins discusses her practice with curators Day+Gluckman in the context of textiles, feminism, heritage, and art practice. Using examples of her work and exhibition profile, they will consider how her career and practice has developed as an artist working with textiles and whether she consciously considers it to have a feminist voice; whether gender still has a pivotal role in how textiles are read and how Freddie’s work continues to contribute to that debate. Linking to recent Day+Gluckman exhibitions that have included Freddie— Concerning Matter in 2009, Fifties, Fashion and Emerging Feminism in 2011, and more recently, Liberties: Reflecting on 40 Years Since the Sex Discrimination Act—the conversation will look at how textiles have been curated into exhibitions, for example, FABRIC (2014) and Entangled (2017), examining curatorial hierarchies and whether there is a perceived or actual fear in displaying objects that do not hold their shape. They will also discuss the propensity of echo chambers in the art world? and beyond—are we only talking to each other?! How do artists and curators identify their audiences and is there a gendered snobbery about the “right type” of audience?

Keywords:

• textiles
• art
• knitting
• gender
• feminism
• hierarchy
• value
• tribes

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lucy Day

LUCY DAY AND ELIZA GLUCKMAN

Lucy Day and Eliza Gluckman are Directors of A Woman’s Place Project, CIC and are currently curating a south east-wide two-year project, which presents a series of participatory events in 2017 before launching six new artists’ commissions at National Trust’s Knole, Sevenoaks, in 2018. The project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, The National Trust, Trust New Art, and other partners.

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Freddie Robins

FREDDIE ROBINS

Freddie Robins is an artist who challenges our perception of knitting as craft. Her work is internationally renowned, her practice crossing the boundaries of art, design, and craft. She lives and works in Essex and London and is Senior Tutor and Reader in Textiles at the Royal College of Art.

[email protected], [email protected]