International Textile Research Centre News

March 9, 2016

The ITRC is delighted to congratulate Gail Baxter and Carol Quarini on the completion of their PhD studies. Both were awarded their Doctorate in February 2016 for:

Dr Gail Baxter
Re-Viewing lace in archives: Connecting the lacunae.

Dr Carol Quarini
The domestic veil: exploring the net curtain through the uncanny and the gothic.

Dr Baxter now has a part time Research Fellowship at Nottingham Trent University and Dr Quarini has begun to Supervise her own MPhil/PhD student at UCA.

Trauma, Grief, Loss: The Art of Bereavement

Date: May 15th 2015
Venue: University for the Creative Arts, Farnham

Marking the death of someone by the creation of art is a common practice in many cultures; from collective memorials of those who die in wars such as the Cenotaph memorial, to the private memorialisation of individuals through the creation of AIDS quilts and cloths embroidered with names. This conference seeks to address the idea of artists coming to terms with the death of someone close or confronting their own mortality by the creation of works of art.

Click here for details

THE EROTIC CLOTH COLLOQUIUM

March 21, 2015

The Erotic Cloth Colloquium was held at the Art Workers Guild in London. The event was a joint initiative with MIRIAD, Manchester School of Art. The papers covered a range of disciplines and notions of the erotic - from the art historical to the autobiographical, covering pedagogy, performance and the political. Presenters were drawn from art and design practice and academia. There were also stand-alone video presentations throughout the day, and a Performance piece to conclude. In total there were 15 presentations to 90 attendees. We are in discussion with a publisher and so this may only be the beginning. As one of the presenters emailed: "It was such an interesting day, with a great range of fascinating - and sometimes unexpected - perspectives on "the eroticism of cloth": long may the discussion continue!"

Find out more about the programme here

WORKING WITH/IN JAPAN

Seminar Thursday 10th April 2014, 11am – 2pm
UCA Farnham, Room W612

The first Working With/In Japan Seminar was held at the end of 2012, and was very well attended and generated much interest and discussion. At the end of the Seminar the consensus was that another should be held at a future date in order to continue the discussion, particularly with those have ongoing projects with Japan. That date has arrived!

As a reminder: Japan holds a particular fascination for those working in the arts, crafts and design in the UK. UCA itself has a long history of links and collaborative research with Japan through ceramics and latterly through textiles. Many of UCA staff and research students have or would like to have links with Japan in the furtherance of their research. With this in mind Professor Lesley Millar, who has many years experience working in collaboration with Japanese artists, universities, funding organisations, museums and galleries, has organised this seminar. There will be informal presentations from various people who have different levels of experience working with/in Japan and the UK and plenty of opportunities for discussion between all attendees. Those presenting will include:

Simon Wright, Senior Co-Ordinator for Cultural Affairs, Embassy of Japan, London
Dr Chika Ohgi, Professor of Textiles at Nagoya University of the Arts.
Jane Clowes, former artist in residence in Mino, Japan, centre of traditional washi paper making.
Beverly Ayling-Smith, UCA Textile PhD student who had a solo exhibition in Kyoto September 2013
Ashley Howard, ceramicist, who will update on his long-term collaboration with Risa Ohgi (Japan)
Professor Lesley Millar, Director Anglo-Japanese Textile Research Centre UCA