weaving
Alice Burnhope
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Hello, I'm Alice. I'm currently based in Cockpit Arts Deptford. After I graduated in 2020, I had the opportunity to start an award program for makers here at Cockpit Arts Deptford, and I'm very grateful to be here. I like to call myself a textile artist with a sustainable approach to my practice. I use natural fibers or discarded materials and try to give it a new life, make it tactile, and create a sensory experience for those who will interact with it. I'm very much into thinking about how would the person relates with the objects/ items and how will it help them with their mental health, as well as raise bigger ecological questions like ¨what are we doing with the world?¨.
Artwork for me has a purpose to educate and I feel that textiles is a medium that helps me to do that because it's functional, it's tactile, and people can relate to it and have an experience. Being dyslexic, I struggle with reading books and understanding statistics, so I educate myself through experiences. My goal is to be able to share educational information relating to social and environmental issues in a fun interactive experience through my art and hopefully, the audience can then try and act on the knowledge accumulated.
What first led you to textile art and why did you specifically turn your attention to quilting, embroidery, and natural dyeing?
This one is quite a long one. I was going to do either fine art or geology at university. I then got ill during my 6th grade, so I had to take a break. I was then forced to do a foundation course instead of going to the uni straight away just to get another qualification. The foundation year was one of the best years of my creative life. I don't know if you´ve heard of the foundation course before, but you get to do fine art, 3D, graphics, textiles and see which one you're more tuned to. It's very open to creativity. After this, I decided to do textiles and learn how to bridge the gap between functional items and fine art. And then, lucky enough, I managed to get a scholarship that funded my whole degree course.
Recently I started to get more interested in quilting, embroidery, and natural dye. I wanted to get into natural dyeing for ages, but the university wasn't that keen on it because of their resources. So whilst completing my final major project at home during lockdown one, I really needed to dye my fabrics, because I was using discarded fabric, to my colour scheme. Slowly I started to experiment with natural dyes, and my work has always been quite tactile so then quilting helped create that sort of soft, cosy, tactile feeling. When I graduated, I did an art residency at Modern Painters New decorators and that's when I made my first quilt. So it's only been the last two years, actually, for quilting, embroidery, and natural dying.
Were there any practitioners or other artists that were early inspirations for you?
Yeah, there's definitely a pivotal one. Her name is Shihari Shiota. She's a Japanese artist. I saw her incredible installations while I was studying fine art at school, and the idea of immersing yourself in the artwork was definitely pivotal. Now I'm thinking about how would the visitor interact with the artwork and how could the visitor be part of the artwork as well.
Your art projects are very inspirational. What are the process and the thinking behind it?
Being dyslexic, I don't do things in a very logical order. At university, they gave me a very good structure, and being silly I’ve completely abandoned all of that. At the moment, how I start an artwork, it's more about starting with an experience or I go into a landscape, and then I sort of try to free my mind and body to remember that moment. I then try to do some drawings out of there and I start to source my fabrics, be it discarded or natural fibers, and it all moves from there. So is more about translating that experience that I have into the textile for other people to experience.
How important has your practice been for your well-being and mental health?
I think that is a double-edged sword, to be honest. If I'm in good mental health everything is brilliant and soothing. However, if I'm in a really bad mental health the actual process can be crippling due to being so slow whilst balancing tight deadlines. Moreover, the downside is financially it's not always that good to have time-consuming processes and then it can be quite a negative cycle after that because I'm trying to speed up the process to make it more financially viable, but then it takes away the joy from it. So definitely pros and cons for the mental health side of the practice. I do feel that we don't talk so much about the struggles of an artist in the current economic, social and environmental crisis. At times the art world and even the craft world can be quite elitist.
Sometimes you need to come from a financially stable background or receive lots of awards, to be able to make it work. It can be hard at times, but I’m definitely privileged to be able to be in this situation (being an artist). So again, it's a double edge sword.
You wrote on your website that you "use unwanted textiles, traditional craft techniques, and natural dyes to support well-being and connectivity to nature." Can you share your thoughts on that and more about the importance of creating with this intention?
I think natural dyes are really important for connecting with nature and realising that in pretty much any process that's going on, there's always a waste element. I think it is important to learn how we can harness that waste and recognize our habits to work towards circular design. For example, I use food waste and people are shocked when I show them avocado-dyed fabric, because they are expecting it to be green, but it's a lovely dusty pink.
Then if you use discarded materials as well, you've only got a certain amount of those discarded materials. So if it doesn't work out, still gotta use it and still bring it into the artwork. I think that natural dyes really connects you to nature. The process of craft as well connects us to the people around us as historically it was often done in local communities. In these space, I think it is beautiful when people open up about their own struggles or they can sympathise, and that's better than any sort of medication by just talking and relating.
Tell us more about the creative textile workshops you host and your teaching approach.
I teach at a local school which is so lovely because the group is really eager to learn and I'm fortunate enough to help give them the skills in order to fulfil their creative ambitions. I think that all my workshops are about sharing skills from me to the participants and from the participants to me, by learning lots of things from the participants life experiences and their talents. I teach embroidery, repairs, and natural dyes. I love the natural dye workshop because often people think that they are not creative at all but at the end of the workshops their beliefs completely change.
How old are the kids?
They are about 14-15 years old.
How can we become better at reclaiming traditions & skills, and respecting people & processes?
Really good question. I think one way is through bringing people together. Having the space, and the time, and then it's all about sharing knowledge and skillshare. We can learn so much from each other to solve problems through craft.
What upcoming projects make you excited right now?
I think since being at Cockpit Arts Deptford, it's been pretty mental for eighteen months. I've pushed my body and mind to a greater extent. Right now I'm really trying to focus more on my health and well-being and therefore I'm hoping that I´ll bring back the creativity. Some exciting events are: 'The Fine Art Textile Prize' shortlisted and on tour at the Knitting & Stitch show in Alexander Palace, London from 6-9th October and Harrogate on 17-20 November.
October to December - Lead Maker for Creative Challenge in collaboration with Lewisham Borough of Culture and Cockpit Studios. I’ll be co working with an artist to create a publicly engaged installation piece out of creative outputs produced from the locals in the Borough.
Workshop for the Make, Do and Maintain programme at The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre. ‘Flag Making’ Workshop on 19th November to create your very own House Flag out of upcycled textiles. Within this workshop, you’ll be able to visually translate your identity into a colourful flag through exploring your heritage and passions. Free event Conduct Arts Wednesdays with the Royal Maritime Museum, where I'll be working with youth groups and people struggling with mental health or committed minor offences - offering them skills to fulfil their creative ambitions. I'm excited about this experience.
October - research trip in the Himalayas, hiking around the Manaslu Circuit Trek to be immersed in its geology and the Nepalese and Tibetan culture.
Where and how can people engage more with your work?
They can come to my workshops, visit me at Cockpit Open Studios in December or they connect with me via Instagram. All pictures belong to Alice
