Exhibition · Manchester · 2022
Exhibition at Exhibition
A show of geometric pieces at Exhibition, the Manchester bar and food hall, in 2022. Red, orange and green kilim geometry stretched over shaped frames: long hanging banners, diamonds, a six-point star and hexagons, all made at home and hung through the building.
Making the Work
Building it at home first: the red, orange and green pattern printed onto fabric, then stretched tight over wooden frames I built into diamonds, hexagons and a six-point star. Half the job is carpentry, getting the shapes true before the pattern ever goes on.
Shaped, Not Square
The pieces are the pattern cut loose from the rectangle. Long banners running floor to ceiling, diamonds turned on their point, a six-point star, a run of hexagons climbing a stairwell. The geometry decides the outline as well as the surface.
In the Venue
Hung across Exhibition, on the bare brick and up the stairs under warm light, with the pattern doing what it does best: pulling colour into a big room full of people.
Questions
Can you make a show like this?
Yes, a body of shaped, patterned pieces made to fit a specific space.
Do the shapes have to be square?
No. The frames are hand-built, so a piece can be any shape the pattern wants.