A new exhibition at the ArtHouse in Southport will celebrate the decorative work from textile designer /maker, Mandy Bevington, who primarily works with wool and yarn.
It opens on Saturday, 30th April and runs until 28th May.
She said: “I love to create pattern that is textural, tactile and visually exciting through all aspects of my textile work.”
Employing both traditional and contemporary techniques, Mandy’s highly distinctive artwork stems back to her early childhood.
She said: “I have always been creative, as a young child, you would always find me drawing.
“After raising my children, I had this ‘need’ to use my creativeness further. I pushed myself and enrolled back to Southport College and took a Foundation Course that enabled me to enrol at University of Central Lancashire to take a Textile degree.”
Mandy graduated from UCLAN last autumn but like most universities had COVID to contend with.
She said: “During the pandemic, as universities moved to online teaching, I was able to buy my own tufting gun & frame. So my whole degree collection was actually made at home in my studio using my rug tufting gun.”
Although Mandy’s approach is underpinned by traditional methodology, her current toolkit incorporates a wide range of established media through to quality Axminster wool for her finished rugs.
She said: “I always start with drawing, be that with a pencil or drawing digitally. Then I paint or collage before moving onto the textural pieces, be that either punch needle or using the tufting gun. Wall-hangings, framed tufted pieces, tufted cushions and rugs, are just some of the pieces I can make with my tufting gun.”
Mandy’s source of reference is equally all embracing.
She said: “My artistic influences are a diverse range from the old greats, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse and Peter Blake to contemporary textile artists, Laura Slater, Rosie James and Judit Just.”
Mandy’s exhibition will be on view from 30th April – 28th May at SCA/ArtHouse, 65 Eastbank Street, Southport PR8 1EJ Tues through Fri 10am-3pm and Sat 11am-4pm.
There are facemasks & hand sanitizers available at the ArtHouse should visitors wish to use them.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
