Head of West Dean Tapestry Studio, Philip Sanderson said: “Creating a woven commission is the ultimate act of translation and the result of a time-honoured collaboration between artist and Master Weavers that is like no other - a creative process that requires great care over an extended period of time. It is always thrilling to see works finally leave the Studio to feature in an exhibition, adorn the walls of an iconic new building, or come to life in ways that echo the medieval and Renaissance tapestries that progressed around the kingdom.”
It is due to the vision of West Dean College founder Edward James (1907 - 1984), supporting traditional arts and craft skills in order to break new ground, that West Dean Tapestry Studio exists to carry on the 5,000 year old tradition of woven tapestries. The Studio opened as a commercial workshop in 1976 with a commission from Mary Moore to produce a tapestry from a drawing by her father, Henry Moore. A further seven tapestries were produced in this series and exhibited at the V&A in 1980, followed by a tour of New Zealand, the USA and Canada over the next five years.
All tapestries created by West Dean Tapestry Studio are hand-woven by expert weavers. The wool is hand-dyed onsite to ensure an accurate translation of the colour from the original artwork. A strong dialogue between the Studio and the artist is an essential part of the weaving process, ensuring that the artist’s vision is captured in the final tapestry.
Besides working with contemporary artists and designers, the Studio has extensive experience of heritage tapestry projects. A notable project was The Hunt and the Unicorn, a series of seven tapestries based on 15th century originals, commissioned by Historic Scotland for the Houses of Parliament. It was the biggest weaving project undertaken in the UK for 100 years, involving 18 international weavers and taking 13 years to complete in 2015.
West Dean is one of the few educational institutions in the UK that still teaches handwoven tapestry. Whether it be Short Courses or Postgraduate study, the College continues the rich legacy of weaving whilst exploring the boundaries of the discipline. Alumni from the MFA programmes, taught by Philip Sanderson, have gone on to professional roles in the Tapestry Studio, including the weaving of the new Rothschild and Burman tapestries.
In this landmark year for West Dean Tapestry Studio, American curator, writer and historian Glenn Adamson will offer an instinctively arranged history of a half-century of textile art, oriented to the theme of ‘rhythm’. In Flow States: Rhythm and Rhyme in Textile Art (26 February, West Dean College, online), he will outline correspondences with music, poetry, and dance, looking at artists including Sheila Hicks, Francoise Grossen, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Toshiko Takaezu, Nina Yankowitz, Diedrick Brackens and Indira Allegra.
