Ceci n'est pas une tapisserie - 21st Century Franco-British Tapestry is a collaboration between Dovecot Studios and the Cité Internationale de la Tapisserie in Aubusson. Following a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2023, they will produce a series of public displays of 21st-century tapestries created in Scotland with women artists, in Aubusson and Paris from Summer to Autumn 2024.
The project will also support inspiration and exchange between Scottish and French artist-weavers studying and creating new artworks. The collaboration includes exchanges between Scottish and French women weavers traveling to the partner country, and a co-produced work by a French woman artist to be displayed in Scotland in Summer 2024.
This project is one of the laureates of the UK/France Spotlight on Culture Fund for Scotland and Northern Ireland delivered by the British Council in partnership with Creative Scotland.
Dates TBC June - September.
3 tapissestries from Dovecot Studios will be exhibited.
Barbara Rae and Dovecot Studios
Peel Sound Ice, 2019
Tapestry
Handwoven
Wool, cotton, linen, metallic thread and rayon
200 x 200 cm
Woven by Naomi Robertson, Emma Jo Webster and Ben Hymers
Peel Sound Ice, by Barbara Rae (b.1943) transports us to the icy landscapes of the Canadian Arctic, where Rae draws inspiration from her travels, capturing the raw beauty and harsh realities of the northern wilderness. Through bold colours and intricate textures, the tapestry invites us to contemplate the fragility of our planet and the urgent need for environmental stewardship.
Rae is recognised for her intuitive and expressive use of colour, and the connections she makes between people and landscape. Making three journeys over four years to the Northwest Passage in the Arctic Region, Rae travelled from the Scottish isle of Orkney to Greenland and Canada, voyaging through some of the most inhospitable places on earth to capture a landscape that is ever-changing and suffering from the devastating effects of global climate change and increasing human interaction.
Peel Sound Ice is inspired by an iconic image from this exploration of The Northwest Passage. The print from which the tapestry has been derived is just 28cm square and contains an unusual palette for Rae of deep pinks and metallic silvers. The tapestry is a beautiful and sensitive rendering of the image and is unlike any tapestry that Dovecot weavers have created with Rae. The image becomes monumental due to the increase in scale, and the translation from print to tapestry evokes the textures and subtitles of the original work.
Dovecot Studios after Elizabeth Blackadder
Still Life with Chequered Box, 2023
Tapestry
Handwoven
Wool and cotton
107 x 107 cm
Woven by Emma Jo Webster and Elaine Wilson
Still Life with Chequered Box, by Dame Elizabeth Blackadder (1931-2021) offers a serene counterpoint to Rae’s icy seascape—a delicate composition of everyday objects rendered with exquisite detail and finesse. Blackadder's work reflects her mastery of colour and form, inviting viewers into a world of quiet contemplation and beauty.
Blackadder painted mostly in oil and watercolours and worked with printmakers on a variety of printing techniques. Her sensitivity to her surroundings inspired many still-life paintings, where she captures the paraphernalia around her studio and her domestic interior in compositions tending towards the abstract. The objects featured in her paintings are often those she collected during her many travels in Europe and the East. The space between objects and their resonance with each other held a great fascination for her.
Rachel Maclean and Dovecot Studios
Goo Gaa, 2024
Tapestry
Handwoven
Wool, cotton, and polypropylene
150 x1500 cm
Woven by Naomi Robertson, Emma Jo Webster, Louise Trotter, Elaine Wilson and Ben Hymers
Goo Gaa is a whimsical tapestry creation by the visionary artist Rachel Maclean, inspired by the opulent elegance of French Rococo art. Conceived as part of a cultural exchange between Scotland and France, this tapestry pays homage to the rich artistic heritage that flourished in 18th-century France. Drawing upon the ornate motifs and playful sensibilities of Rococo aesthetics, Maclean weaves a tapestry narrative that is both enchanting and thought-provoking.
In this tapestry, Maclean invites us to explore the themes of illusion, excess, and social critique that were central to the Rococo movement. Through a contemporary lens, she reinterprets traditional Rococo elements, infusing them with her signature wit and subversive commentary.
Displayed here in France as part of a cultural exchange, Goo Gaa serves as a testament to the enduring bonds between Scotland and France and the power of artistic dialogue to transcend borders. In its celebration of beauty, whimsy, and social critique, this tapestry invites us to reflect on the timeless allure of Rococo aesthetics and their relevance in today's world.
