02 Nov Naked Craft

Touring in Canada and Scotland 2015 – 2017

Part of the Naked Craft Network touring exhibition

Dates
Ontario, Canada 2015/2016
The exhibition will then tour Scotland in 2016/2017

My work joins the Naked Craft Network touring exhibition, which is part of a larger Naked Craft research project linking Scotland and Canada.

The exhibition explores the connections between Scotland and Canada. I have chosen to make a shawl from moss. This piece is based on the traditional, ubiquitous Highland shawl which was worn by women of all classes and ages in a huge variety of ways. This would have been a common item of clothing and brought over with emigrants from Skye to Canada.

The material used to make this particular shawl is a specific moss, Hair moss, Polytrichum commune. This is a moss which has been used by people since the Iron age.

Title
shawl / beannag (‘Beannag seems to be the true gaelic equivalent of shawl’ from Dwelly)

Material
Hair Moss / Còinneach / Polytrichum commune

Size
2.8m wide by 0.55cm deep

Technique
looping, the simplest stitch, woven with rope made from the moss