This month contemporary British shoe designer Tracey Neuls unveils her latest collaboration with artist Katherine May. Neuls, a woman whose designs focus on the seemingly impossible married of uniqueness and comfort, also uses her two London locations as an exhibition as well as retail space. Throughout the month of June, her summer collection, hung in an installation mounted from the ceiling, is displayed alongside the patchwork and video footage of talented craft maker, Katherine May. Sleek witnessed the debut of this new display in Neuls’ Redchurch Street store in East London and interviewed May to discuss her work:
Sleek: What drew you to patchwork over other forms of craft? Katherine May: I was initially drawn to patchwork and quilts from seeing people making them together. I was also interested in the stories that were going on around the making as well as the use of fabrics. For example, I came across a community in Alabama who were making quilts from old clothing. Some of them were farmers so they were using seed sack cloth and their old denim jeans from working in the farm or the mines. They were using these to make quilts for their homes and for their family. They were quite evocative with all these fabrics they were using. I also like that you’re joining all these stories and remnants together to make something else.
Why is using recycled material important to you? I came across the idea of textiles and the environment when I was studying. When I visited some textile recycling factories I could see just how much was getting disguarded each year. Although I felt really overwhelmed I wanted to draw elements out from that waste to show their value and meaning. I feel we have become quite detached about what goes into making a fabric or a garment and the people and materials that were used. By recycling, it’s all about trying to make others more aware of that.
What was your inspiration for this work? I tend to response organically to the fabrics that I have. I think it just so happened that I had these ones from the ends of mills which had actually been passed on to me from a friend. Because they were large I felt that I wanted to blow up and over-size the patchwork. Sometimes I’m using really small remnants which makes the work more of a collage and less of a patchwork. I’ve done some pieces where I haven’t done any cutting and I just had to find ways of interlaying all the odds and ends that I had. So I tend to respond to the fabric and I don’t really plan too much in advance.
Tracey Neuls East June 7th – July 1st 2012 Artist: Katherine May