Jenny Steele Draws Attention to Sustainability Issues in Art
A 40-year-old wooden boat has been given a new lease of life to draw attention to issues around sustainability in the art world. Artist Jenny Steele has been working with local people in Barrow to transform the 1980s handmade hardwood vessel into a symbol for sustainability.
Using locally sourced natural and recycled materials, the group, who are aged from 12 up to their 70s, has been constructing a large and intricate woven structure on top of the craft, which Jenny bought from its hobbyist maker when he longer had space to store it. They have named it Charon, after the ferryman to the underworld in Greek mythology.
The remodeled ship will set sail for the first time on the large wildlife pond at Allotment Soup community growing space on Walney Island, which is operated by Art Gene, on Saturday 21 September 2024.
At around 2.5m high and 4m long, artist Jenny vowed to reinvigorate the mahogany dinghy, which was hand built in Lincolnshire at around the same time Jenny was born, with a new purpose.
Working together with members of the Women's Community Matters group, the local homeschooling community, and plot holders from Allotment Soup, Jenny has been weaving together thousands of strands of locally grown vegetation to create a canopy-style structure on top of the boat. The materials, including common rush, mint, various grasses and willow, were handpicked from plots at Allotment Soup, guided by Art Gene's community gardener Bethan Pettitt.
Woven amongst the local flora are sustainably sourced textiles, found by the artist in charity shops, textile recycling ventures and saved from landfill.
As well as raising issues around sustainability, the project, which has been supported by Arts Council England and Coastal North Collective, is also about teaching new skills.
Throughout two weeks of workshops, which were held in polytunnels at the allotment site, Jenny shared her experience of two traditional crafts, weaving and passementerie. Passementerie is the little-known art of handcrafting trimmings such as tassels and fringes, to apply to furniture or clothing.
This October, Selvedge is hosting another Wardrobe Revolution Weekend, offering a powerful response to the environmental and social damage wrought by the textile industry and fast fashion. Twenty speakers will share their insights on addressing the Crisis in our Wardrobes.
Wardrobe Revolution Weekend will be held on 19 & 20 October 2024. Find out more and book your tickets here.
Images courtesy of Jenny Steele
Using locally sourced natural and recycled materials, the group, who are aged from 12 up to their 70s, has been constructing a large and intricate woven structure on top of the craft, which Jenny bought from its hobbyist maker when he longer had space to store it. They have named it Charon, after the ferryman to the underworld in Greek mythology.
The remodeled ship will set sail for the first time on the large wildlife pond at Allotment Soup community growing space on Walney Island, which is operated by Art Gene, on Saturday 21 September 2024.
At around 2.5m high and 4m long, artist Jenny vowed to reinvigorate the mahogany dinghy, which was hand built in Lincolnshire at around the same time Jenny was born, with a new purpose.
Working together with members of the Women's Community Matters group, the local homeschooling community, and plot holders from Allotment Soup, Jenny has been weaving together thousands of strands of locally grown vegetation to create a canopy-style structure on top of the boat. The materials, including common rush, mint, various grasses and willow, were handpicked from plots at Allotment Soup, guided by Art Gene's community gardener Bethan Pettitt.
Woven amongst the local flora are sustainably sourced textiles, found by the artist in charity shops, textile recycling ventures and saved from landfill.
As well as raising issues around sustainability, the project, which has been supported by Arts Council England and Coastal North Collective, is also about teaching new skills.
Throughout two weeks of workshops, which were held in polytunnels at the allotment site, Jenny shared her experience of two traditional crafts, weaving and passementerie. Passementerie is the little-known art of handcrafting trimmings such as tassels and fringes, to apply to furniture or clothing.
This October, Selvedge is hosting another Wardrobe Revolution Weekend, offering a powerful response to the environmental and social damage wrought by the textile industry and fast fashion. Twenty speakers will share their insights on addressing the Crisis in our Wardrobes.
Wardrobe Revolution Weekend will be held on 19 & 20 October 2024. Find out more and book your tickets here.
Images courtesy of Jenny Steele