Tapestry: The Light Within evokes the form of a woven tapestry – an image created through the structural interweaving (the warp and the weft) of coloured yarns. The work references medieval woven tapestries, often representing woodland hunting scenes predominant in blues and greens, with a ground strewn with brightly coloured flowers.
The repetitive cellular structure of weaving and images built up out of multiple units has fascinated me for a long time; this structure underpins many of my mosaic artworks. There is an obvious correlation between the bead, or stitch, of tapestry with that of an individual tessera, here the andamento echoing the linear structure of the warp. Colour in tapestry, like mosaic, cannot be mixed and is achieved through juxtaposition and materiality.
In Tapestry: The Light Within the light refers to the glow of the petals of the red and yellow flowers carpeting the dark, dense pinewoods of Classe. The glimmer of light within the darkness hints at dawn, and the potential of a new day, suggesting a hidden light within – referencing self-awareness, perception and a joyous delight in creative expression.