Dark D'Oyley 2004

Abstract

Whilst looms have been mechanized since the 19th century, there has generally been a strong focus on commercial processes and outcomes. However, now with digital technology driving Jacquard looms, they have become more readily available to individual artists. Digitally generated designs and digitally controlled looms have allowed for more complex designs to be created and woven.

The large woven piece Dark D’Oyley, by Liz Williamson, responds to the practice of publicly displaying textiles that have been repaired yet fail to reference the actual process of repair. The work draws on a doyley displayed in a textile museum, which had a large and obvious repair in the middle, yet no wall text or archival reference to the repair. The utilitarian nature of this restoration work means it is often overlooked, a position that this research directly challenges through incorporating the damage into the construction of a new meta doyley.

The significance of the Dark D’Oyley series is demonstrated by its inclusion in From Lausanne to Beijing: 2002 International Tapestry Art Biennale, Academy of Art and Design, Tsinghua University, China; A matter of time: 16th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial, Tamworth Regional Gallery; World Eco-Fibre and Textile Art Exhibition, Galerie Petronas, Malaysia; and solo touring exhibition Liz Williamson: Living Treasures, Object, Sydney.