Tailoring is about the perfect fit. Body shape and measurements are taken into account before any design is considered. Body size, pattern design, and the material used all contribute to each individual ‘look’. Today, for some people, this individuality has all but disappeared; lost through mass production and cost cutting by the clothing industry. ‘Mapping the Body’ is an exhibition of new work which investigates the history of pattern cutting in relation to individuality in clothing today by German textile artist Jeanette Sendler . The exhibition opens at Timespan on Saturday 23rd April 2011. The evening will begin with a talk by Jeanette on her work at 5.30pm, followed by a buffet supper and the official opening will be from 7-9pm.

Jeanette was born in East Berlin and has been resident in Scotland since 1991. She studied at the Edinburgh College of Art, earning a BA (Hons) followed by an MA completed in 1997 both in Theatre Costume Design. Jeanette has exhibited widely across the UK, USA and Japan and currently teaches at Edinburgh College of Art. Jeanette’s initial training as a ladies’ tailor led her to explore the anatomy of the individual body with a tailor’s eye. Later she learned to create complex constructed garments by studying the history of period costume. She researched the mathematics of different pattern cutting drafting systems and learned about the importance of anatomy in relation to this.

Her work is about returning to an appreciation for detail, showing the beauty and complexity of clothing based on pattern cutting. She takes some of these details and explores their intrinsic aesthetic, both as functional shapes and as sculptural pieces.

During her one week residency in Helmsdale Jeanette established a number of strong visual links between her most recent work and what she discovered at Timespan. She is particularly inspired by a series of old maps of the geographical area taken from the archives. Working with the marks and lines contained in these maps, she draws parallels between them and the marks of a paper pattern, designed to map the body.

Jeanette also discovered that although a number of tailors had lived in the area over the past two hundred years, very little knowledge of local patterns has survived. Nicola Henderson, Timespan’s director said, ‘Historically, garment cutting and tailoring skills were family trade secrets and so not passed on lightly. Timespan is now seeking any information on local patterns that anyone from the East Sutherland area may have.’

The exhibition runs from 23rd April – 12th June and was made possible through the support of Creative Scotland, The Paul Hamlyn Foundation and European Community Highland LEADER 2007-2013 Programme.

Details:

Jeanette Sendler
Mapping the Body
Saturday 23rd April – Sunday 12th June 2011
Opening Saturday 23rd June 7-9pm Artist Talk and Buffet supper served at 5.30pm

Timespan Gallery
Dunrobin Street,
Helmsdale,
Sutherland,
KW8 6JX

Tel: 01431 821327
Email: enquiries@timespan.org.uk
Web: www.timespan.org.uk

Free Admission
Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm,  Sunday 12pm – 5pm