Evocative art on display in Wymondham

Evocative art on display in Wymondham

A Christian Dior gown from 1954 in bronze taffeta, lavish paintings of the female body, digital drawings inspired by catwalk models of the forties and fifties and beautiful dresses adorned with butterflies, hymn books and snake skin. It’s an eclectic mix of art and fashion set to shock, surprise and entertain the viewer in equal measures at an exhibition in Wymondham Arts Centre this week.

Curated by artist Krys Leach, Unlaced – clothing and the female form is an exhibition of work by Norfolk artists intended as an elegant reflection on the female image; with and without clothes.

“The female image is one of the most evocative forms of art,” says Krys. “Her body has dictated style – in art and fashion – but it has also been moulded by it. Some of the work is innovative and eye-opening. Some is witty, and some is just ravishing. It all adds up to a vibrant celebration of a subject that is as enduring as it is varied.”

This is the third Unlaced exhibition from Krys, who launched the installation in Cromer a few years ago when he was a curator at the Church Street Gallery. This time, nine artists from differing mediums will present their work based upon the female image and how clothing has changed over the past century, from the Victorian era to the present day. Krys will also be exhibiting his paintings depiciting the female form.

“The exhibition is a mix of arts and crafts,” explains Krys. “There is no distinction between fashion and clothing, ceramics and art. All represent the female form in ways that will surprise not only through the pieces on show, but I also think that people will be surprised to learn that we have so much variety of work that is produced in Norfolk. There are lots of high end art exhibitions and also pieces that are mass produced for the tourist industry, many artists that fall between these two stalls are not as well-known or represented. This exhibition aims to give both well-known and lesser known artists a platform to showcase their work. It’s interesting to see what emerges from the work when it is put together in one show.”

One of the eminent artists to exhibit is Sprowston’s Louise Richardson, who is one of Norfolk’s foremost artists and a part-time lecturer on the textiles course at the University College of the Arts (NUCA) – she also studied at NUCA in the days when it was known as Norwich Art College. Her work involves turning wearable dresses into the unwearable by incorporating unexpected materials in beautiful pieces of fashion.

“The idea behind my pieces is myth, memory and storytelling,” says Louise. “I use similar techniques to painting a portrait but clothes are used instead of a person. I take a dress as the basic format and then turn this into something beautiful, but totally unwearable, by incorporating surprising materials such as butterflies or dandelions.

“The idea is based on how people would stitch herbs into the hems of children’s clothing or would leave a needle in the fabric for protection.”

One of Louise’s most startling pieces is entitled Telling Tales and is a dress made out of nine-inch nails which, at first glance, looks like fox fur.

Each item of clothing can be interpreted in different ways depending on the viewer and this is the intention of curator Krys Leach – to create a journey that is innovative and eye-opening, witty and unexpected.