Passers by on Savile Row this week will notice a large, imperious sheep in the Huntsman window......CONTINUE READING
The Bespoke Merino of Savile Row 5 - 11th October 2015
Joining our Lalanne friends is a specially commissioned artwork by UK based artist, Joy Pitts. Joy has created her Bespoke Merino of Savile Row from over 1000 Huntsman labels......... ..........READ HUNTSMAN BLOG HERE
20,000 Used Labels at The Lally Gallery, Erewash Museum
For 15 years Joy Pitts has gathered used labels from local charity shops, unpicking labels from the neck of rag garments. The 20,000 used labels in this exhibition have all been gathered from Ilkeston; therefore local residents were once walking around in these garments. It took five years to gather sufficient red labels to produce the smaller Ayrshire Cow. Joy’s award winning ‘Dairy Cow’ work, which is made up of 5,000 used garment labels, is on display in the window at Ilkeston’s Sue Ryder shop on Bath Street for two weeks to accompany the exhibition. A highlight of the exhibition is a 1.3 metre Homing Pigeon assembled from 466 World War One names taken for the Cenotaph in Ilkeston Market Place. The image is a tribute to the men and inspired by the thousands of homer pigeons that lost their lives during the First World War when they were used to transfer important and life-saving messages.
Recent work includes a Commission for fashion designer Paul Smith and selection for The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Joy’s latest project is a portrait of Her Majesty the Queen to celebrate her 63-year reign.
The exhibition ‘20,000 Used Labels’ continues at The Lally Gallery, Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, DE7 5JA from 11th Sept – 30th Oct 2015. The Museum is FREE to enter and is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am until 4pm and is situated just off the Market Place.
BBC NEWS - READ IT HERE & ALSO HERE
DAIRY COW exhibition at Sue Ryder DE7 8AH
At age eight Sue Ryder was given two Jersey cows and subsequently began her own dairy herd, which grew to twenty-four. Young entrepreneur Sue sold the milk and butter from the door and scrubbing her dairy was her favourite job. I wonder what Sue Ryder would think of this Dairy Cow assembled from 5000 used garment labels, all generated through charity donation on Ilkeston High Street. ‘Dairy Cow’ has been described as ‘an extravagant rescue of fashionable waste’ and in the current global milk crisis offers the viewer a strong sense of community.
The exhibition ‘20,000 Used Labels’ continues at The Lally Gallery, Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, DE7 5JA from 11th Sept – 30th Oct 2015.
The Museum is FREE to enter and is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am until 4pm and is situated just off the Market Place.
READ BBC NEWS - NOTTINGHAM WOMAN MAKES ART FROM LABELS
PRESS RELEASE - ITV NEWS
BBC NEWS - Queen portrait created from names of WW1 fallen.
An artist has created a portrait of the Queen using name tapes bearing the names of servicemen killed in World War One......... READ THE ARTICLE HERE
Press release - ARTS and LABELS!
ARTS and LABELS!
Many thanks to EREWASH BOROUGH COUNCIL, and to Councillor Mike Wallis for posting this press release about my forthcoming Exhibition at EREWASH MUSUEM.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II at Wirksworth Festival 10 - 26th September 2015
Queen Elizabeth II's portrait will be exhibited in the window of The Book Shop, Market Pl, Wirksworth, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 4ET, from 10th - 26th September 2015.MEET THE ARTIST - I will be in and around the book shop on Sunday 13th September from 10am until 5.00pm, please call by, I will be handing out images of The Queen.
This contemporary portrait was inspired by the Queen’s 2014 speech, which recalled the Christmas Truce of 1914 as well as other peaceful ends to conflict during the twenty-first century. The portrait has been constructed using names taken from a Derbyshire War Memorial; these names have been machine woven onto tapes and assembled using only dressmaker pins.
The success of creating a likeness of Queen Elizabeth II using name tapes of World War One servicemen is astonishing. The result is a thought-provoking portrait reflecting on the Queen’s sixty-three year reign and long dedication to our Armed Forces.
Work in progress for Savile Row Field Day - 5th October 2015
The Campaign for Wool, led by patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, are bringing the sheep pasture back to Savile Row in October 2015. I am assembling a Merino Sheep to celebrate UK Wool Week in partnership with tailoring house Huntsman, 11 Savile Row. The 1.3 metre canvas will be displayed as part of the celebration to showcase the beauty and versatility of wool. The work in progress will be posted here and on twitter @JoyPitts11.
LATEST NEWS
Thank you to everyone who came to visit my Exhibition - 30,000 Used Labels at Lace Market Gallery, Nottingham. It was a huge success. This work is touring to Erewash Museum’s Lally Gallery from 11th September until 30th October 2015. I will also be in Residence during the Exhibition when the Museum is open, please see previous post for the full details. Many thanks also to the BBC GET CREATIVE participants in completing the 450 MERINO Sheep labels. Exciting news, the work is going to be exhibited at HUNTSMAN bespoke tailors on Savile Row, London during WOOL WEEK 2015.
I have also been invited to exhibit a new piece of work as part of the Wirksworth Festival, September 2015 in the Bookshop Window.
More details to come, or for up to date information please follow me on Twitter @JoyPitts11 or like my page on Facebook, Joy Pitts - Contemporary art from people and their garments.