The Leeds Tapestry

Today's post will be one of two, maybe three on the Leeds Tapestry.  What's that?  Well, I didn't know either until recently, and I know more about it now due to an event on Wednesday.  First things first, it's not a tapestry.  In the same way the Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, so is the Leeds Tapestry.  It's a textile work made in sixteen panels, and they're about 2 and a half metres by 1 and a half metres, all framed and under glass.  (You can just about make out a panel in the photo above.  No idea why there's a CID sign too!)  The panels took hundreds of volunteers ten years to complete, and were a labour of love, the initial idea coming from artist Kate Russell who must've despaired that it'd ever get finished.  Made between 1992 and 2002, this was assembled before our online saturated days, before everyone could be instantly messaged on their mobile, or log on to Facebook and Instagram to catch up on everyone else's progress.  Hundreds of volunteers meant letters being written and sent by post  Meant newsletters being printed out and posted too.  It meant groups of stitchers coming together in person, instead of virtual groups.  This all cost money, and local businesses were approached for funding and persuaded to throw in some cash.  The embroiderers weren't all experienced, so it was newbies and gifted sewists working alongside.  To be honest, it's mind boggling the sixteen panels ever got completed and the whole textile work assembled.  Okay, let's start looking at the Leeds Tapestry by showing you where it's based - Leeds Art Gallery - a beautiful building in itself.  

Leeds Art Gallery was established in 1888, and is home to some of the most beautiful Victorian tiled floors and walls you'll see for a good long while.  As well as wonderful stonework.  

There're the usual gallery spaces you'd find anywhere in the art world - all blank white walls - but here in this part of the building you get glimpses of how elaborate the original Victorian visitors would've seen it to be.  I love this view looking down from a staircase on to a lower floor.  

Everywhere you look are patterns that could inspire any textile artist or printmaker.  

If you like patchwork or needlepoint, there's inspiration in the colours and shapes of these tiles.  

Patterns everywhere! 

The art gallery building also houses the art library, and it has these lovely carved pillars throughout.  I'd signed up for the Tapestry Tour out of curiosity, knowing nothing about it, and was surprised to find there were only two of us on the tour!  Could've been embarrassing as there were three members of staff, but it turned out to be very relaxed and certainly much easier to ask questions than if we were in a crowd.  The sixteen panels are displayed in an area off the library.  To be honest I don't think they're done justice in what's quite a stark white corridor, very much off the beaten track as far as visitors are concerned who keep to the main gallery spaces.  

This is the cover of a full-colour 144 page book myself and the other woman on the tour were each given which - bearing in the mind the ticket price was only £4 - was outstanding value!  It details the individual panels and explains that each has a theme.  The first we looked at was the panel about Law & Order.  

'Pro Rege Et Lege' means 'For King and the Law' and the sheep's fleece hanging below it represents the wool trade's historic importance to the city and wider region.  These, along with the owls, make up the city's coat of arms, and what you can't appreciate from my dodgy camerawork is that the plump owls are made  using stumpwork.  Beneath the coat of arms are various buildings associated with Law & Order, and at the base of the panel - bottom right - is a dour, grey interpretation of a prison cell and a sorrowful prisoner feeling the full effects of the law he's broken.  

Below is another great example of stumpwork.  (The image taken from the book.)  Love the gent on the left who's clearly fed up with whole legal process.  Or maybe he's just having a snooze.  

The next panel is entitled 'Arts for All' and I apologise for my not-very-good photo.  

The individual stitched pieces are all sewn on to a gorgeous blue patchwork backing.  It can be better appreciated in this book page below.  

The idea behind the panel's overall design was that it'd represent a kind of pin board.  On it would be arranged images of artworks in the gallery, as if you were pinning postcards up of appealing things you'd seen on your visit.  

There's an Atkinson Grimshaw stitched version of his painting of Leeds at night with the buildings illuminated, as well as this cheerful cat from a Roman mosaic.  

There's so much I could've photographed on this Arts for All panel, I'll have to go back for another look.  

Some of the stitching was exquisite, so tiny you could hardly see the individual stitch marks.  My eyesight certainly wouldn't manage that.  

The next panel I'll talk about is 'A Picture of Health' which features some extraordinarily skilled embroidery.  

I mean, that stitched heart!  

Apart from anything else, this is a kind of mini time capsule of healthcare in the '90s.  Everyday scenes from the health service, like helping an elderly lady with her walking frame or pushing someone in a wheelchair.  

I think I'll end this blog post here, and there'll be more of the Leeds Tapestry panels tomorrow.  The Leeds in Bloom one was probably my favourite, and you're in for a treat if you like embroidery as the sewing on that is amazing.  Bye for now, and do wander back if you'd like to see more.