I have been involved with textiles since abandoning medicine in 1950. I then trained with Ethel Mairet, Barbara Sawyer and Alastair Morton, all first class production weavers. In my workshops, in London, Welwyn and now Nayland, I invented the Shaft Switching method for rug weaving and the Macrogauze technique for hangings, both of which enabled me to make new structures and designs at reasonable prices.
I explored many other textile techniques which resulted in large books on tablet weaving, sprang and ply-split braiding .I taught in London art schools and made yearly visits to USA to run classes and incidentally collect orders for my work from students, vital for survival. I am still intrigued by the myriad ways man has found of manipulating threads to make fabrics and often now analyse puzzling ethnic examples for museums.
Born 1922 - London
Education
1942-46 St Mary’s Hospital Medical School
1938-42 Epsom College
Awards
1994 Annual Medal, Society of Designer Craftsmen
1989 Annual medal and Prize, Worshipful company of weavers.
1974 OBE
1963 Gold Medal, Munich International Handicrafts Exhibition
Selected Exhibitions
2004 Beyond Tradition, Contemporary Ply-Splitting Fiber Sculptures, Portland USA
2002 Small Works in Fiber, NY, Chicago & Tokyo
2001 From across the Pond, Browngrotta Arts, USA
1999 UN (Limited), Crafts Council Gallery
1988 Master Weaver, Retrospective exhibition, Colchester, Warwick, bath, USA, Sweden
1997 First Choice, Devon, UK
1995 A Connoisseur’s Choice, Glasgow
1993 Contemporary English Crafts, Washington, USA
1988 Contemporary British Crafts, Kyoto/Tokyo
Commissions
1999 Textile used as design on stamp (2nd class)
1997 Macrogauze triptych, for University Of East Anglia, Colchester
1997 Steelweave, 3D Macrogauze in stainless steel yarn. Centre for Performing Arts, Kiryu, Japan
1993 3D Macrogauze for Wellesley Office Park, Mass, USA
Public Collections
1984 Macrogauze, Mcdonald Art Gallery, Christchurch, NZ
1975 Hangings, Cooper Hewitt Museum, NY, USA
1975 Rugs & Hangings Copenhagen Kunstindustrimuseums, Denmark.
1975 Rugs & Hangings Oslo Kunstindustrimuseums, Norway
1974 Rug, Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA |
