Artist-in-Residence update: LouLou Morris

After ten days of her residency at Chichester Cathedral, LouLou Morris has given some indications her approach and progress thus far:

"Rather than having a separate sampling frame I am going to use the selvedge to sample the weft mixes and shading / hatching. I have preselected the colours I am going to use, but plan to work intuitively, responding to the space of the Transept. I am also without a complete cartoon and will let the tapestry evolve from the image of a pile of rubble at bottom left. I have drawn from a photograph of the rubble which filled the North Transept almost to the top of the window after the spire collapse in February 1861."

"I will include all three Hebrew words from my chosen verse in Isaiah and not just ubanu ('rebuild'). The other two are mesovev ('restorer') and goder ('repairer')."

"I should explain why I have only a partial cartoon: the first reason is that I wanted there to be something for visitors to see early in the process (and seeing selvedge is a bit dull) so decided to start weaving imagery earlier than usual. The other reason is that I don't actually have a full cartoon as yet. Three weeks ago, the main elements of the corners were fixed in my mind and collaged on paper, but the central space symbolic of the transition from ruin to repair, despair to hope, just would not reveal itself. I decided that I had to leave it alone and trust the process to make it plain. I have more than enough to weave during the residency, time to absorb the surroundings and any comments I receive, as well as doing more drawings (etc.) that hoefully I can let it resolve itself."

LouLou was also interviewed on local radio station Spirit FM, by Simon English, where she discussed the residency and some of the ideas behind the tapestry. To listen: http://www.spiritfm.net/news/sussex-news/890001/cathedral-disaster-inspires-artwork/

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