A millennium piece of artwork at Bankfield Museum, Halifax, filling what were three empty alcoves on the main staircase. The artist (Michael Brennand-Wood) wrote the following about it:
“Provenance, as the title indicates, relates to the origin or source. Within art historical terms the provenance of an art work documents its exhibitions history and ownership. In 1999 I was commissioned by Bankfield Museum to make a contemporary work based upon their extensive collection of historical textiles. My original intention was to record selected examples and create a new work that would illustrate the genealogy of textile designs as they are traded and collected throughout the world. Whilst researching the collection, I came across by chance, a small envelope containing a collection of exquisite hand written and typed labels. Originally attached to specific textiles, the labels made from old cut postcards contained a wealth of technical and anecdotal information about the collection. I decided immediately to base the entire commission upon the labels. Beautiful though the original textiles were, the labels seemed so much more evocative, revealing an aspect of museum history and life previously unseen.
Edith Durham, who travelled through the Balkans, between 1900 and 1914, wrote the labels. During several visits she collected and eventually donated textiles to Bankfield Museum. I decided to make three semi-figurative constructions for the empty alcove spaces on the main staircase. The pieces contain substantial references to both textile history (the use of wooded lace bobbins suspended on a pillow) and the continuing situation within the former Yugoslavia, particularly in the use of labels to rationalise oppression (Muslim/ Christian). The disturbed agitated stance of the work suggests devastation. Forms hang twisted in space. Fragments of history are layered and obscured.
Collections are notoriously difficult to access. The philosophy at Bankfield is one of accessibility. The opportunity to research primary historical material has I believed influenced my own work. The figurative physicality of ‘Provenance’ is unlike anything I have previously made. The ideal commission is one that extends practice and generates new ideas.”
Fascinating concept. I am not big on art generally. I often find it is a case of "the king's new clothes" with me clueless as to,what people are saying "oooh" about! But I like this idea, it is interesting.
Thank you all for your lovely comments, they are very much appreciated.
I'm not a great fan of modern art, but this I found very interesting.
Ian
Thank you Nina - I thought this was a nice piece of modern art.
Ian
Thank you - I like to research the background to the things that I see.
Ian