By Sharon Kean
It has taken two years of hard work by thirty-two artists for the exhibition, ‘Response to Eden’, to come to fruition. The artists involved have taken as their inspiration Cornwall’s Eden Project, using the theme to present a novel perspective on textile art. With stunning colours and a huge variety of textiles, most visitors seemed to find something which caught their imagination.
The range of materials used includes everything from synthetic plastics to petals and feathers. Sarah Braun’s Rain takes its influence from the biomes at the Eden Project, using PVC to create a three-dimensional window which is being drenched by what appears to be moving water. A completely different effect is achieved by Julia Barton’s Healing Forest, as its soft, semi-transparent curtains make the surrounding area feel unusually calm. Her design is based on the hallucinogenic plants used by the Jivaro tribe of Ecuador to cure disease, and emphasises the belief they have in magic as a therapy for illness.
An obvious association with Eden is, of course, Adam and Eve, and it does not take long to notice the overwhelming influence that the Biblical story has upon this collection. Poor Adam is neglected somewhat by the artists, who are invariably female, leaving Eve alone to convey the story of irresistible temptation and original sin. A life-size textile figure, Liz Harding’s Eve, captures her unfortunate predicament cleverly as its hand offers the apple of temptation to passers-by. Rather than being a beautiful image, Eve has the appearance of having been mummified a very long time ago. Even the vast array of colours fail to hide the grotesque image of perfection which has faded.
The exhibition is one of the events taking place in Exeter during the Festival of Science.
As is to be expected, science has an influence on many of the exhibits, providing an interesting juxtaposition with the Christian story of creation. One of the most striking examples is Christine Sawyer’s Medicine Coat. A transparent plastic raincoat has been transformed into a shrine to cancer research and more oddly, Rosy Periwinkle: a remedial rainforest plant, which yields four major cancer treatment drugs. Sawyer’s fascination with her subject stems from her days researching cures for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Mice play next to a test tube rack, sniffing innocently around it as a layer of maturing skin cells form the tail of the jacket.
This exhibit is great fun, having an instant childish appeal. Test tubes, conical flasks and spectacles provide the medicine coat with a hint of the stereotypical scientist, and chemical symbols superimposed over a diagram of the human body remind us what it is that we humans are made from. This is very scientific but in such a palatable way that one cannot fail to enjoy it.
This event has the benefit of being located in a building where other live events are occurring. As a result, many curious visitors passing through stopped to wonder at the highly creative textile showcase. The initial intention seems to have been to create art that was inspired by the plantlife at the Eden Project. What has developed clearly bears this influence, with green being by far the most popular colour choice. However, the association of Eden with the story of creation has infiltrated into much of the work, adding a fascinating dynamic to the project.