Why Art?

I don’t really know; I think art chose me. It gave me purpose at school when other subjects were difficult. My art teacher wrote on my last school report ‘Joy has a natural flair for art and could excel’.

Why clothing labels?
Experimentation has always driven my work and it was a Consumer Culture project that I was set whilst studying GNVQ Art & Design in 2000 that introduced me to gathering clothing labels. I set my own brief which involved sourcing objects and belongings at sales and second-hand shops. Some of these were clothes that I later dissected, saving the labels. Jumble sales were popular in our house growing up as my mother was a Keep Fit teacher and she was always raising money for the Association.

Second hand is therefore an area that I am familiar with and I suppose it has filtered into my art work. I have always loved searching for an individual garment in a second hand or vintage shop, I also prefer second hand ornaments, old furniture and old houses that can tell a story. My first car was a 1969 Triumph Herald 1360 Convertible in bright red.

Found objects that I have manipulated include floor boards, wardrobes, wallpaper, shoes, wooden and metal ornaments, toy soldiers, buttons, all manner of clothing including nylon tights and bra fasteners. I have cut, unpicked, pinned, stacked, arranged, dissected, chopped, mashed, melted, burnt, taken objects on journeys, made a suit from an old pair of curtains, and grown grass in a knitted cardigan. The work for my MA Fine Art involved manipulating 30,000 used garments and producing 31 installation sculptures.

However, it was the success of my work with clothing labels that helped to evolve my practice. The first three pieces that I assembled were selected and exhibited in Open Art Competitions and all three went on to win prizes. The prize money paid towards the development of my website and I worked behind the scenes for a few years developing my technique. Once I had something to show I wrote to fashion designer Paul Smith, a week later I resigned from my Civil Servant desk job to work on his commission ‘Red Rabbit’.

Perhaps art is important to me because when I left school, I wasn’t allowed to go to art college, perhaps it’s important because I enjoy chasing collaborators to bring an exciting project together, or perhaps it’s the thrill of seeing my work exhibited at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. What I do know is that trial and error, freedom to experiment, risk taking, planning, collaborating, and realising that worthwhile things are difficult to do are all still part of my journey.

2005 -MA Fine Art, Nottingham Trent School of Art and Design. Awarded distinction for investigation of site.

2004 BA Hons Fine Art, Nottingham Trent School of Art and Design.

Awards/prizes

  • Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts 2020.

  • Peoples prize Spring Exhibition at THiNK Art Gallery, Cobden Place, Cobden Chambers, Nottingham 2019.

  • 3rd prize at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery Open Exhibition Competition 2019.

  • Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts 2015.

  • BBC Get Creative Champion 2015.

  • 1st prize at Thoresby Gallery Open Exhibition Competition, Nottinghamshire 2014.

  • Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts 2014.

  • 1st Prize-winner of Halls Fine Art Open Competition, Weston Park Granary Art Gallery, Shropshire 2011.

  • Shortlisted for The Art of Giving, Saatchi Gallery, London 2010.

  • Most interesting use of the theme ‘inclusion’, The Good Shepherd, Qube, Shropshire 2005.

  • 3D prize-winner, Nottingham Open Exhibition Competition, Nottingham Castle 2004.

  • National Winner, Shopping Bag, Slug and Lettuce Bar Culture, London 2003.

  • Highly Commended: Cosy, living sculpture, Derby Arts Festival, Derby 2003.

Residencies

  • 2015 - 2015 Artist in Residence, Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 5JA (11th September until 30th October).

  • 2005 - 2008 The United Reformed Church, Derbyshire.

  • 2004 - 2005 Artist in Residence, Surface Gallery, Nottingham.

Commissions (private commissions not listed)

  • 2018 Benson & Clegg, 9 Piccadilly Arcade, Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6NH. Portrait of His Majesty King George VI.

  • 2017 Winchester Cathedral, Jane Austen portrait with 5000 cotton tapes.

  • 2016 Bromley House Library, Nottingham (200 years).

  • 2014 Nottinghamshire County Council Arts Development Service. Part of the World War One Centenary Commemorations across City and County trent-to-trenches.

  • 2013 Liberty, London.

  • 2013 Paul Smith, London.

  • 2008 Site Specific Commission, Derbyshire.

TV Media

Publications

  • North Norfolk Living Magazine, promoting the exhibition ‘Common Threads’, November 2025.

  • Dale Abbey Summer News Letter, Selected for Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, 2024.

  • Ilkeston Life publication, Royal Academy makes space for Joy. By Paul Harvey, July 2024.

  • Embriodery Magazine, profile of Joy Pitts Label Culture Jan/Feb 2023.

  • Ilkeston Life publication, The art of saying thank you to essential workers July 2021.

  • iTL Intelligent Label Solutions interview 2020 Green Issue.

  • artsbeat magazine Derbyshire feature October 2018

  • embroidery THE TEXTILE ART MAGAZINE May/June 2018

  • Radio Times Magazine 17th - 24th November 2017

  • Homespun Magazine 'Designer Edge' Australia June 2017

  • Nottingham Post - Winston Churchill 5th Sept 2016

  • Labelling Art - An interview with Joy Pitts www.hatalk.com 17th Aug 2016

  • Put this on - a blog about dressing like a grown up June 2016

  • Nottingham Post May 2016

  • Radio Times Magazine 16th - 22nd April 2016

  • Country Life Magazine March 2016

  • Erewash Borough Council Magazine Label of Success Winter 2015

  • Nottingham Trent University Alumni Network Magazine spring/summer 2015

  • Ilkeston Life publication WW1 Pigeon September 2015

  • LIFESTYLE De kunst van het lablen March 2015

  • Nottingham Post January & April & October 2015

  • Costume & Textile Association catalogue 2014

  • HM Revenue & Customs Pulse Magazine August 2014

  • Nottingham Post June & July 2014

  • Royal Academy Summer Exhibition catalogue June 2014

  • Nottinghamshire Today June 2014

  • Nottingham Post - New meaning to designer labels May 2014

  • Craft & Design Magazine by Rachael Chambers March/April 2014

  • Cley 13 Contemporary Art catalogue 2013

  • North Norfolk News July 2012

  • Cley 12 Exhibition catalogue 2012

  • Express & Star Shropshire August 2011

  • an Magazine The Weston Park Fine Art Open 2005

  • Qube catalogue INCLUSION 2005

  • an Magazine Nov 2004/ Jan 2005/ March 2005/ Sept 2005

  • Art and Christianity Enquiry (ACE) July 2005/ October 2005

  • Crafts Magazine Dec 2004/ Feb 2005 /April 2005

  • Derby Evening Telegraph August 2003