**Page ii: A Personal View** Piss Flowers by Helen Chadwick, 1991-2. Photo by Tate/ Seraphina Neville from the installation at Tate Modern, 2024. Cut from an article (Say it with Piss Flowers) in which Holly Connolly, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Anya Gallaccio, Sylvia Legris and Nicolas Deshayes share words of appreciation. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Civilisation Collages - Credits

August 4, 2025

If you are reading this you are probably visiting the Barbican Library - so THANK YOU xx

In ‘Civilisation’, I’m questioning the bias of my early art education, which came mainly from Lord-Sir-Baron-Kenneth-Clark, born into a wealthy ‘textiles family’, and his popular television BBC programme/book, ‘Civilisation’. I’ve made stitched collages from said book (published by BBC/John Murray, this edition 1971), combined with discarded gallery (mainly Tate) magazines. Lord-Sir-Baron-Kenneth omitted female artists from his account, which is what started me off on these collages, but as the project progressed I have annoyingly fallen in love with the snobby bastard. I don’t agree with what he is saying a lot of the time, but his style of writing is superb and an utter joy to read.

Page i: the men who gave new energy

Piss Flowers by Helen Chadwick, 1991-2. Photo by Tate/ Seraphina Neville from the installation at Tate Modern, 2024. Cut from an article (Say it with Piss Flowers) in which Holly Connolly, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Anya Gallaccio, Sylvia Legris and Nicolas Deshayes share words of appreciation. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page ii: A Personal View

Page 1: less agreeable

‘Prow of Viking ship. British Museum, London’.

Clint Eastwood in ‘For A Few Dollars More’. Sergio Leone, 1965. Cinematography by Massimo Dallamano. Great Movies, Mandarin Publishers (for Marks and Spencer), 1985. Edited by Nick Roddick.

Page 6: Skellig

‘Seventh-century monastery, Skellig Michael, off the Dingle Peninsula, Western Ireland’.

Page 9: copying of books

‘Neptune dish from Mildenhall treasure. British Museum, London’.

Sweet chilli chicken breasts, Lidl Weekly, 27.2.25.

Page 13: purely pagan people

‘Gokstad ship (mid ninth century). Ship Museum, Oslo’.

Maxine Laceby, Absolute Collagen advert, Grazia, Issue 834, 25.7.22.

Page 25: resist dyeing

‘Anglo-Saxon crucifixion from the Ramsey Psalter (c.980). British Museum, London’.

Kimono, crepe silk, resist dyeing and embroidery, Kyoto, 1710 - 40. Joshibi University of Art and Design Museum. From an interview/article with Anna Jackson (Keeper of the Asian department specialising in Japanese dress and cultural exchange between Japan and Europe) curator of ‘Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk’, Feb - June 2020, V&A Museum, London. V&A Magazine, Winter 2019. 50p from a charity shop.

Page 26: Superstar

‘Cross of Gero (c.970). Cologne Cathedral’.

Celine advert. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 27: Charlemadge

‘Reliquary in the form of the head of the Emperor Charlemagne (c. 1350). Aachen Cathedral Treasury’.

Queen Elizabeth II. Photo by Mike Tindall?/ Getty?/ PA Images? Hello, Issue 1741, 13.6.22. Picture Editor: Becky Cox.

Page 32: orderly mountains of stone

‘Durham Cathedral’.

Farm at Watendlath by Dora Carrington, 1921. Photo: Tate. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64. From an advert for ‘Dora Carrington: Beyond Bloomsbury’, Pallant House Gallery, Nov ‘24 - Apr ‘25.

Page 34: sitting like an empress

‘Ecclesia, manuscript illustration. Bayerische Bibliothek, Munich’.

Yayoi Kusama. Photo by Yusuke Miyazaki/ Ota Fine Arts/ Victoria Miro/ David Swirner. From an advert for ‘Every Day I Pray For Love’, Sept - Nov ‘24, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.

Page 36: unashamedly extravagant

‘The abbey church of Cluny in 1879 (from a lithograph by Emile Sagot). Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris’.

Advert for Art Academy. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 37: irrepressible, irresponsible energy

‘The Gloucester candlestick (early 12th century). Victoria and Albert Museum, London’.

Detail from More Love Hours Than Can Ever Be Repaid, by Mike Kelley, 1987. Photo: Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 45: for alan sugar

‘Egyptian porphyry jar transformed into an eagle (c. 1140) for Abbot Suger. Louvre, Paris’.

Leigh Bowery by Fergus Greer. Session 1/ Look 2 1998. Front cover of Tate Members’ Guide: Jan-Feb-Mar 2025

Page 54: pillar people

‘Kings and Queens, Chartres Cathedral’.

I’m sorry, but I currently can’t find where I cut these circles from. I will keep looking, and update.

Page 65: Castle of Love

‘Siege of the Castle of Love (ivory, c1360), Victoria and Albert Museum, London’.

Detail from More Love Hours Than Can Ever Be Repaid, by Mike Kelley, 1987. Photo: Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 67: how to treat women

‘Maries at the Sepulchre (ivory), Victoria and Albert Museum, London’.

Artwork by Mike Kelley, The David Geffen Company, 1992. Cut from ‘Dirty: A Love Letter’, an article by Susan Finlay about the influence of Mike Kelley. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 69: disobedient women

‘Virgin and Child (ivory, 14th century). Louvre, Paris’.

Artwork by Mike Kelley, The David Geffen Company, 1992. Cut from ‘Dirty: A Love Letter’, an article by Susan Finlay about the influence of Mike Kelley. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 72: Only artists and birds

‘Drawings of birds from sketchbook (c. 1400). Magdalene College, Cambridge’.

I’m sorry, but I currently can’t find where I cut these birds from. I will keep looking, and update.

Page 73: The Duke at dinner

‘De Limbourg, The Duke of Berry at dinner, from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Musée Condé, Chantilly’.

Leigh Bowery dressed as a Christmas pudding for one of a series of cards produced in 1987 (Get Started Cards, 23 Beak St, London). Photo by Johnny Rozza, styling by Clive Ross. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 75: marriage to poverty

‘Sassetta, St Francis’s Marriage to Poverty. Musée Condé, Chantilly’.

Painting by Yayoi Kusama. Photo by Yusuke Miyazaki/ Ota Fine Arts/ Victoria Miro/ David Swirner. From an advert for ‘Every Day I Pray For Love’, Sept - Nov ‘24, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.

Page 82: supreme dramatist of human life

‘Giotto, Kiss of Judas. Arena Chapel, Padua’.

The Prenatal Mutual Recognition of Betty and Barney Hill by Mike Kelley, 1995. Photo: Fredrik Nilsen/ Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 88: external bin area

‘Courtyard, Ducal Palace, Urbino’.

Unnamed royal corgi. Report by Thomas Whitaker about Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Photo: Alamy. Hello, Issue 1741, 13.6.22. Picture Editor: Becky Cox.

Page 92: love of opposites

‘St Augustine, Sandro Botticelli, 1480. Fresco. Ognissanti, Florence’.

Glove puppet of Judy, Fred Tickner c 1975. Given by the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild. Cut from V&A Magazine, Winter 2020 (50p from a charity shop). Photo V&A.

Page 105: of nameless breed

‘Jan van Eyck, Arnolfini and his Wife. National Gallery, London’.

Artwork by Mike Kelley, The David Geffen Company, 1992. Cut from ‘Dirty: A Love Letter’, an article by Susan Finlay about the influence of Mike Kelley. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 109: fought his way through security

‘Justus of Ghent, Federigo di Montefeltro. Ducal Palace, Urbino’.

(Right head) Extracurricular Activity Projective Reconstruction #4 (Vampire Boss) 2004-5, by Mike Kelley. Cut from Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63. (Left head) Marilyn Diptych by Andy Warhol, 1962. Tate Members’ Guide, Apr-May-Jun 2025.

Page 116: once been a beauty

‘Giorgione, Col Tempo (detail). Accademia, Venice’.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1951, by Yousuf Karsh. Hello, Issue 1741, 13.6.22. Picture Editor: Becky Cox.

Page 117: the scene has changed

Bobby Baker, Displaying the Sunday Dinner, 1998. Photo by Andrew Whittuck. Tate Etc, Spring 2024. Issue 61.

Page 122: alarming young man

‘Michelangelo, David, Accademia, Florence’.

Leigh Bowery by Peter Paul Hartnett. Taboo, Maximus, Leicester Sq., London, 1985-86. Article by Princess Julia. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 125: God-like perfection

‘Dying Slave (Captive), Michelangelo, c1510-13. Louvre, France’.

Leigh Bowery by Fergus Greer, 1988. Session 1, Look 2. Michael Hoppen Gallery. Tate Members’ Guide, Jan-Feb-March 2025.

Page 132: Raphael loved the girls

‘Raphael, Parnassus (detail). Vatican, Rome’.

Unnamed woman in Dior jewellery advert. Tate Etc, Autumn 2022, Issue 56.

Page 133: the great lost paintings of antiquity

‘Raphael, Galatea. Villa Farnesina, Rome’.

Leigh Bowery by Fergus Greer, 1994. Session VII, Look 34. Tate Members’ Guide, Apr-May-Jun 2025.

Page 138: the character of the northern man

‘Riemenschneider, Adam. Castle Museum, Würzburg’.

I’m sorry, but I currently can’t find where I cut these eyes and lips from. I will keep looking, and update.

Page 148: inordinately vain

‘Dürer, Walrus (water-colour). British Museum, London’.

I’m sorry, but I currently can’t find where I cut this eye from. I will keep looking, and update.

Page 151: something is missing

‘Leonardo, Star of Bethlehem (drawing). Royal Library, Windsor’.

Page 156: old fashioned history books

‘Dürer, Oswald Krell. Alte Pinakothek, Munich’.

Ramon Novarro (can’t find the film. Anyone?). Great Movies, Mandarin Publishers (for Marks and Spencer), 1985. Edited by Nick Roddick.

Page 158: intelligent nun

‘Cranach, Luther’s Father. Albertina, Vienna’.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1951, by Yousuf Karsh. Hello, Issue 1741, 13.6.22. Picture Editor: Becky Cox.

Page 160: bad for art

‘Urs Graf, Swiss Mercenary (drawing). Kunstmuseum, Basel’.

Artwork by Yayoi Kusama. Photo by Yusuke Miyazaki/ Ota Fine Arts/ Victoria Miro/ David Swirner. From an advert for ‘Every Day I Pray For Love’, Sept - Nov ‘24, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.

Page 165: great pessimists

‘Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire’.

Four-Square (Walk Through), 1966. Barbara Hepworth. Tate Members’ Guide, Apr-May-Jun 2025.

Page 168: the most grandiose piece of town planning

‘Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome’.

Do Ho Suh, Hub series at the Museum of Contemporary Art Astral, 2022. Tate Members’ Guide, Apr-May-Jun 2025. Walking The House, Tate Modern, May - Oct 2025.

Page 174: Painters were even worse

‘Daniele Crespi, St Carlo Borromeo. S. Maria della Passione, Milan’.

Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940. Tate Members’ Guide, Apr-May-Jun 2025.

Page 178: dazzled enlightenment

‘Bernini, Longinus. St Peter’s, Rome’.

Page 179: ecstasies should be vividly recorded

‘Rubens, Crucifixion of St Peter. St Peter’s, Cologne’.

Simon Foxton by Jason Evans (No title). From the series Strictly 1991. Tate Members’ Guide, Jan-Feb-March 2025.

Page 193: I am in Holland

‘Frans Hals, Regents of the Old Men’s Home (detail). Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem’.

I’m sorry, but I currently can’t find where I cut these eyes and lips from. I will keep looking, and update.

Page 198: they have some leisure

‘Pieter de Hooch, Interior. National Gallery, London’.

‘Fat Gill as Miss Fuckit at the seventh Alternative Miss World competition, 1986’. Photo (with Leigh Bowery) by Robyn Beeche. Article by Andrew Logan. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 200: superfluidity of wealth

‘Amsterdam, 17th Century houses’.

Princess Anne feeding penguins at Edinburgh Zoo. Photo: PA Images. Hello, Issue 1741, 13.6.22. Picture Editor: Becky Cox.

Page 201: uncanny realism of the sheep’s head

‘Paul Potter, The Bull (detail). Mauritshuis, The Hague’.

Orchard Bird by Ronald Moody, 1968. From the article ‘A Caribbean Emblem’ by Ego Ahaiwe Sowinski. Photo by Philip Connor/ The Ronald Moody Trust. Tate Etc, Summer 2024, Issue 62.

Page 207: I’ve never had a pedicure

‘Rembrandt, Bathsheba. Louvre, Paris’.

Advert for Art Academy. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 208: study to be quiet

‘Vermeer, Girl Reading a Letter, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’.

Tate Members’ Guide, Jan-Feb-March 2025.

Page 219: waste of money

‘Wren, St Paul’s Cathedral, London’.

Do Ho Suh, Hub series at the Museum of Contemporary Art Astral, 2022. Tate Members’ Guide, Apr-May-Jun 2025. Walking The House, Tate Modern, May - Oct 2025.

Page 235: native good sense of a fox-hunting society

‘Tiepolo, America, from the Staircase Ceiling, Residenz, Würzburg’.

Leigh Bowery at Limelight, London 1987. Photo by Dave Swindells. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 237: it isn’t always easy to tell the difference between Haydn and Mozart

‘Die Wies. Pilgrimage church, Bavaria’.

Detail from More Love Hours Than Can Ever Be Repaid, by Mike Kelley, 1987. Photo: Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 244: the smile of reason

‘Houdon, Voltaire, Musée Farbre, Montpelier’.

Leigh Bowery in ‘Blitz’ denim jacket by Levi Strauss & Co. Photo by Mark Baker, 1986. Article by Caryn Franklin. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 251: gifted hostesses

‘Perronneau, Madame de Sorquainville. Louvre, Paris’.

Leigh Bowery at Taboo, London 1986. Photo and article by Alex Gerry. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 252: Gilles

‘Watteau, Gilles, Louvre, Paris’.

Renate Bertlmann. Tender Pantomimes. Pacifier-Dance, 1976. Advert for Sotheby’s. Frieze Magazine, No. 187, May 2017. Taken from the bin at work.

Page 254: happiest among the working classes

‘Chardin, The Scullery Maid. Hunterian collection, University of Glasgow’.

‘Work in progress ahead of Hew Locke’s Tate Britain Commission, photographed (by Matt Greenwood/ Tate) at the artist’s studio in London, Nov 2021. From the article ‘Moment Is Everything’ by Elena Crippa. Tate Etc, Spring 2022, Issue 54.

Page 260: the gentle bourgeoisie

‘Chardin, La Toilette de Matin, National Museum, Stockholm’.

Leigh Bowery at the seventh Alternative Miss World competition, 1986. Photo (with ‘Fat Gill as Miss Fuckit’) by Robyn Beeche. Article by Andrew Logan. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 261: Naturally, it killed him

‘Huber, Voltaire (water-colour). British Museum, London’.

Mike Kelley, Extracurricular Activity Projective Reconstruction #25 (Devil: Master of Ceremonies) 2004-5. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 263: Thomas Jefferson

‘Houdon, Thomas Jefferson. New York Historical Society’.

Mike Kelley Ahh… Youth! 1991/2008 (detail) Tate. Tate Members’ Guide Jan-Feb-Mar 2025.

Page 267: no more smiles

‘Houdon, George Washington. The Capitol, Richmond, Virginia’.

Illustration by Anna Vickery. Article by I. Kurator (really?). Art Review, March 2017. Taken from the bin at work.

Page 269: The Compleat Angler

‘Constable, The Haywain (detail). National Gallery, London’.

Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse by John Bailey. Gone Fishing, Blink Publishing, 2019.

Page 270: fifty-two different meanings

Page 272: it never occurred to him to admire the scenery

‘Wolf, Lauteraargletscher. Kunstsammlung, Basel’.

Detail from More Love Hours Than Can Ever Be Repaid, by Mike Kelley, 1987. Photo: Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 273: Whatever his defects as a human being

‘Rousseau at Bienne (engraving)’.

Leigh Bowery by Fergus Greer, 1988. Session 1, Look 2. Michael Hoppen Gallery. Tate Members’ Guide, Jan-Feb-March 2025.

Page 276: Man (and Woman) Looking at Mountains

‘Casper David Friedrich, Man Looking at Mountains, with Rainbow. Museum Folkwang, Essen’.

Marianne Werefkin, The Red Tree, 1910. Article ‘Art Breaking Free’ by Natalia Sidlina. Tate Etc, Spring 2024, Issue 61.

Page 277: The evolutionary development of plants

‘The evolutionary development of plants (engraving after Goethe)’

Page 279: When Doves Cry

‘Dove Cottage, Grasmere’.

Tracey Emin, My Bed, 1998. Tate. Tate Members’ Guide, Apr-May-Jun 2025.

Page 282: it was rejected from the Academy

‘Constable, Willows by a Stream, V&A Museum, London’.

Julio Le Parc, Double Mirrors, 1966. Atelier Le Parc. Article ‘Are We Dreaming?’ by Lucy Ives. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 284: But all the time Turner was perfecting

‘Turner, Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore. Tate Gallery, London’.

Blanc de Chine porcelain, c1680. Figure group of European huntsmen. Imported from China, decorated in the Netherlands. V&A Magazine, Summer 2019. 50p from a charity shop.

Page 288: another of Mr Turner’s little jokes

‘Turner; Rain, Steam, Speed. National Gallery, London’.

Barbara Hepworth’s hands, photographed by Norman Capener, c1949. Tate Etc, Autumn 2022, Issue 56.

Page 292: Rude

‘Rude, Group from Arc de Triomphe, Paris’.

Leigh Bowery by Fergus Greer. Session VII, Look 38 June 1994. Tate Members’ Guide: Jan-Feb-Mar 2025

Page 297: Woltz

‘David, Madame Verninac. Louvre, Paris’.

Mike Kelley, Timeless Painting #9 1995. Photo: Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 299: Platty Joobs

‘David, The Death of Marat. Musée Royal des Beaux-Arts, Brussels’.

Prince Louis. Photo by Mike Tindall/ Getty?/ PA Images? Hello, Issue 1741, 13.6.22. Picture Editor: Becky Cox.

Page 300: we cannot have one thing without another

‘Géricault, Madman. Ghent’.

‘An African mask that belonged to Roger Fry (Sang Tribe, Gabon, West Africa). Courtauld Institute Galleries, London’.

Page 303: The history book on the shelf

‘Ingres, Napoleon as Emperor. Musée de l'Armée, Paris’.

Mike Kelley, Ahh… Youth! 1991 (detail). Photo: Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 308: Nature is indifferent

‘Casper David Friedrich, The Wreck of the ‘Hope’. Kunsthalle, Hamburg’.

Mariá Bartuszová cleaning snow off the slide at the kindergarten on Sládkovičova Street in Revúca, Slovakia, 1970. From the article ‘A Futurist Form’ by Anke Kempkes. Photo: Estate of Maria Bartuszova/ Alison Jaques. Tate Etc, Autumn 2022, Issue 56.

Page 311: He died at the age of thirty-three

‘Géricault, English Scene (lithograph)’.

Detail from More Love Hours Than Can Ever Be Repaid, by Mike Kelley, 1987. Photo: Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. ‘Mutant Mike’, article by Charlie Fox. Tate Etc, Autumn 2024, Issue 63.

Page 316: the noon gun

‘Doré, Men setting their watches by the noon gun (lithograph)’.

Yoko Ono with Glass Hammer, 1967, from HALF-A-WIND SHOW, Lisson Gallery, London, 1967. Photo by Clay Perry. Cut from Tate ‘Exhibition Highlights 2023-24’.

Page 318: middle-class morality?

‘Rodin, Balzac (plaster). Musée Rodin, Meudon’.

Leigh Bowery, Skull, 1992. Photo and article by Nick Knight. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 321: with Mills and Ovens and Cauldrons

‘De Loutherbourg, Coalbrookdale by Night. Science Museum, London’.

Sean Connery as Daniel Dravot in ‘The Man Who Would be King’, John Huston, 1975. Cinematography by Oswald Morris. Adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s 1888 novella.

Page 322: the State of the Poor

‘Rustic Charity (mezzotint after Beechy)’

Unnamed royal corgi. Report by Thomas Whitaker about Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Photo: Alamy. Hello, Issue 1741, 13.6.22. Picture Editor: Becky Cox.

Page 336: somewhat joyless style

‘Brunel in 1857 (photograph)’.

Artwork by Mike Kelley, The David Geffen Company, 1992. Cut from ‘Dirty: A Love Letter’, an article by Susan Finlay about the influence of Mike Kelley. Tate Etc, Winter 2024, Issue 64.

Page 337: factory chimneys in the background

‘Seurat, La Baignade. National Gallery, London’.

Brunette #4 Ponytail with factory bun in original outfit, 1960. Courtesy of Linda Oliva. Barbie, Mattel Inc. Barbie Identifier by Janine Fennick, Apple Press, 1998. Photo by Garry Stuart.

Page 340: influence on Van Gogh

‘Millet, Peasant (drawing). Ashmolean Museum, Oxford’.

I’m sorry, but I currently can’t find where I cut this flower from. I will keep looking, and update.

Page 345: the chaos of modern art

‘Karsh, Einstein (photograph)’.

Unnamed woman in Dior jewellery advert. Tate Etc, Autumn 2022, Issue 56.

One Hundred and Twenty-Six Days Behind Schedule

July 1, 2025

It’s the first day of July for you, but for me it’s the first day of March.

I have been documenting each year, by stitching newspaper faces to cloth, for a decade, give or take.

I am thrilled to say that my sitters for January and February are now in place. One hundred and twenty-six days behind schedule, but thrilled nevertheless.

Below are the ‘faces’ so far, if you’re interested…

* The photo credits are as they appear in the articles from which the ‘sitters’ were cut. For the record, I don’t accept the name of a company as a photography credit. There was an actual person behind the camera. If you are that person, or know them, please give me a shout. Also, the information in the articles may be fabricated. I use the Metro and London Standard newspapers because they are free. I couldn’t afford to make this piece if I bought a more reputable publication every day.

Day 1: Unnamed woman

Afghanistan's 'women are banned from playing cricket - one of several repressive laws imposed by the Taliban.’ i Daily 3.1.25. Article by Kate Maltby. Photo: Getty*.

Days 2 + 3: Jess Phillips + Elon Musk

Musk said Phillips 'deserved to be in prison' for not pursuing an enquiry on grooming gangs. She said he should 'crack on with getting to Mars'. It's a 'diplomatic nightmare' for the UK.

Cut from i Daily 3.1.25. Article by Eleanor Langford. Photos: Uncredited (Jess), AFP* (Elon).

Day 4: Michael J Fox

Joe Biden has given him the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Metro 6.1.25. Photo: AP*.

Day 5: RIP Shigemi Fukahori, 1931 - 2025, Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor and peace advocate.

Metro 6.1.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 6: RIP James Lee Williams/ The Vivienne, 1992 - 2025, TV star and West End performer.

Metro 7.1.25. Article by Ruth Lawes. Photo: Leigh Kelly/ BBC.

Day 7: Damien Nettles

Has been missing for 28 years. His mother, Val, says the charity 'Missing People' has been a lifeline.’

Metro 7.1.25. Article by Kirsten Robertson. Photo uncredited.

Day 8: RIP Mukesh Chandrakar, 1991 - 2025, journalist found dead (in a septic tank, buried and covered in cement, his heart ripped out) after he uncovered corruption in India's construction industry.

Metro 8.1.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 9: Jonny Huntington

The 'first disabled person to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole'.

Metro 8.1.25. Article by: Lynn Rusk. Photo: PA*.

Day 10: RIP Leon Heywood, 1979 - 2025, dancer and choreographer. Metro 10.1.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 11: RIP Jimmy Carter, 1924 - 2025, the 39th US President. Metro 10.1.25. Photo: Getty/ AP*.

Day 12: Paris Hilton

Raging fires burn across Los Angeles. '5 dead, 150,000 evacuated, A-listers lose homes to flames', one of which is Hilton. Metro 10.1.25. Article by Gergana Krasteva. Photo uncredited.

Day 13: Unnamed woman, London

Commuter who took part in the annual 'No Trousers Tube Ride'. Metro 13.1.25. Photo: Aaron Chown/PA*.

Day 14: RIP Tony Slattery, 1959 - 2025, actor and comedian. Metro 15.1.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 15: RIP Linda Nolan, 1959 - 2025, singer. Metro 16.1.25. Obituary by Brooke Johnson. Photo: PA*.

Days 16, 17 + 18: Keith Scovell, Ant cake + Dec cake

Two cakes modelled on Ant McPartlin (17) and Dec Donnelly (18) by 'amateur' baker, Keith Scovell (16) who 'lets his imagination run wild’. Metro 16.1.25. Photo: SWNS*.

Day 19: Saif Ali Khan

Bollywood star, in intensive care after being stabbed in his home by an intruder.

Metro 17.1.25. Article by Brooke Johnson. Photo: Rex*.

Day 20: Ruvimbo Kaviya

Had a head tumour removed by keyhole surgery through the eye socket, a UK first.

Metro 20.1.25. Photo: PA*.

Days 21, 22 + 23: Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher + Romi Gonen

Released from hamas captivity after 471 days. Metro 20.1.25. Article by Danny Rigg. Photo: PA*.

Day 24: Dave Fishwick

Set up Britain's first new high street bank in over 150 years, having left school with no qualifications and no money. Metro 22.1.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 25: Lewis Hamilton

Chases his 'eighth world crown and Ferrari attempt to end an 18-year wait for one'.

i Daily 25.1.25. Article by Kevin Garside. Photo: Getty*.

Day 26: Ivor Perl

Entered the gates of Auschwitz when he was 12, and still sees 'Josef Mengele in his mind's eye every day'. i Daily 25.1.25. Article by Emma Barnett. Photo uncredited.

Day 27: Esse Loewenthal

Has been told 'he needs to sell 1,000 more copies of his book to take the Guinness World Record for youngest author'. Metro 27.1.25. Photo: SWNS*.

Day 28: Unnamed woman, Gaza

A 'mum with a bag of belongings leads her young family' back home. Metro 28.1.25. Photo: AP*.

Days 29 + 30: RIP Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad, c2017 - 2025, killed when someone crashed through the fence of their school. Metro 29.1.23. Photo uncredited.

Day 31: Marianne Jean-Baptiste

A film review (by Larushka Ivan-Zadeh) of 'Hard Truths', directed by Mike Leigh (cinematography by Dick Pope, 1947 - 2024) in which Marianne (Bafta, but not Oscar, nominated) is 'majestic'. Metro 31.1.25.

Day 32: Hari Budha Magar

The first double above-knee amputee to climb the seven highest peaks in each continent.

Metro 3.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 33: Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexico's president rejected 'White House Slander' that 'her government had alliances with criminal organisations'. Metro 3.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 34: Tommy Brown

Had spinal surgery, before being born, and 'nobody can believe how well he is doing'.

Metro 4.2.25. Photo: SWNS*.

Day 35: Jenni Hermoso

The World Cup winner was forcefully grabbed and kissed on the lips by the president of Spain's Football Federation. Afterwards, he denied any wrongdoing and she was sent death threats.

Metro 4.2.25. Article by: Tom Sanders. Photo: Getty/ Reuters*.

Day 36: RIP Harvey Willgoose, c2010 - 2025, stabbed at school. Metro 5.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 37: RIP The Aga Khan, billionaire philanthropist and spiritual leader. Metro 6.2.25.Photo uncredited.

Day 38: RIP Vadim Strokin, 1966 - 2025, musician and critic of Putin who 'jumped from a ninth-floor window' during a visit from Russian security services. Metro 7.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 39: Unnamed protester, Bangladesh

Protesters in Bangladesh set fire to the former family home of ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled the country for 20 years. Metro 7.2.25. Photo: Shutterstock*

Day 40: RIP Irv Gotti, 1970 - 2025, record producer. Metro 7.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 41: RIP Sam Nujoma, 1929 - 2025, freedom fighter. Metro 10.2.25. Photo: Uncredited

Day 42: RIP Jaysley Beck. A soldier, who took her own life in 2021 at the age of 19. An inquest found the Army did not take enough action after she was assaulted by a senior sergeant. Her family is fighting for an independent body to handle serious complaints in the military.

Metro 11.2.25. Article by Sam Courtney-Guy. Photo uncredited.

Day 43: Dionne Warwick

The six-time Grammy Award winning singer is still touring at the age of 84.

Metro 12.2.25. Article by Danni Scott. Photo uncredited.

Day 44: RIP Brian Murphy, 1932 - 2025, actor. Metro 5.2.25. Photo: ITV*.

Day 45: RIP Rosie Prior, c1980 - 2025, off-duty police officer killed whilst trying to help at the scene of a road crash. Metro 14.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 46: Samuel L Jackson

Dressed as Uncle Sam at the Super Bowl and introduced Kendrick Lamar's half-time show.

Metro 11.2.25. Article by Pierra Willix. Photo uncredited.

Days 47 + 48: Lindsay and Craig Foreman

Detained in Iran while on a round-the-world motorcycle trip, accused of making unspecified security-related offences. Metro 17.2.25. Article by Brooke Davies. Photo uncredited.

Day 49: Martin Diver

Received an apology 35 years after being dismissed from the army for being gay.

Metro 19.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 50: RIP Francesco Rivella, 1928 - 2025, inventor of Nutella. Metro 19.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 51: RIP Paquita la del Barrio, 1947 - 2025, Mexican music legend and feminist.

Metro 19.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 52: RIP Rick Buckler, 1955 - 2025, drummer and member of The Jam.

Metro 20.2.25.Photo uncredited.

Day 53: Anastacia

Is 'set to receive the Global Recognition Award at the first Metro Pride Awards'.

Metro 26.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 54: Gisèle Pelicot

Six of Pelicot's abusers 'set free just weeks after sentencing'.

Metro 18.2.25. Article by Sarah Hooper. Photo: AP*

Day 55: RIP Bill Fay, 1943 - 2025, singer-songwriter. Metro 24.2.25. Photo uncredited.

Day 56: RIP Kate Mitchell, c1979 - 2021, charity worker murdered in a hotel room.

Metro 26.2.25. Photo: PA*

Day 57: Kevin Kennedy

No longer playing Curly Watts, he is currently touring with, 'Punk Off - The Sounds of Punk and New Wave'. Metro 27.2.25. Article by Rachel Corcoran. Photo uncredited.

Day 58: Auzzy Blood

Swallowed swords on 'Britain's Got Talent', resulting in 700 Ofcom complaints.

Metro 27.2.25. Article by Charlotte McLaughlin. Photo: ITV*.

Day 59: RIP Henry Kelly, 1946 - 2025, broadcaster and journalist. Metro 27.2.25. Photo uncredited.

It's Not A Fallow Period, It's Lack Of Time

May 1, 2025

I make art in small pockets of time on evenings and weekends. I like my ‘day jobs’, and am lucky to have them, but they are ‘low pay’ and I wouldn’t do them if I didn’t have to. I would be making art instead. And then some.

A few days ago a woman came into the gallery where I work. I liked her immediately. I wrongly assumed she was biding her time before hopefully showing her phone-art with the aim of securing an exhibition. This happens more frequently than I would like. I don’t have, or want, the power to dish-out exhibitions. I was wrong. She had studied Fine Art but now worked for a printing company, which she enjoyed. She said she was too poor to be an artist. When she left Art School she needed to get a job to pay the rent.

I get it.

For the past decade, or so, I have attempted to document the year by stitching newspaper faces to cloth. That’s the 2024 version, above. You can see the names of the ‘sitters’ here.

May begins today, and I haven’t started stitching this year yet. History tells me that if I don’t start in January, then I don’t start at all. There are worse things, I know, but I’m feeling incredibly sad about it. Attaching the ‘faces’, gradually throughout the year, provides my brain with enough delusion to convince it I’m making a lot of art. When in reality I’ve only completed one piece of work in the last three years, because like most working people I’m selling my time to pay the bills and have very little left for art making. This is NOT the same as having a ‘fallow period’. I am not having one of those.

I first started stitching paper faces on New Year’s Day 2015 (or 2014?) when a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on the door and gave me the Watchtower. From then on, every face that came through the letterbox was hand stitched to a large woollen blanket. At about 1,600 faces there was no space left, so I stopped. It took a couple of years, I think. I don’t have a studio, and had no place to store it, which resulted in its butchering. I cut it into sixteen pieces, you can see the top-left corner below.

I enjoyed the process and wanted to continue, but needed something more manageable, something smaller. So in 2019 (sitters list here), I started restricting myself to 365 faces, thereby documenting the year. I’d call it ‘The Audience’ and make one annually. So much for that.

Because of my exile, the 2020 faces weren’t stitched until 2021 (sitters list here). By now, I had an idea of how much space 365 heads needed and budgeted accordingly. Twelve months, spread over four napkins, each the perfect holding size. On account of there being a lack of newspapers for a huge chunk of the year, I replaced some faces with crosses from my parents’ prescription bags and little covid-thingies, both of which were in abundance. It was shortlisted for the Brixton Art Prize.

‘The Audience 2021’ didn’t happen. It’s a pile of dusty newspapers in the corner of my lounge. So is ‘The Audience 2023’ and ‘The Audience 2025’. However, ‘The Audience 2022’ was miraculously completed. Although, I’ve yet to document it so it’s not really finished.

An even bigger miracle is that I made two versions of ‘‘The Audience 2024’. One to sell, eventually. I hope. It just needs signing, dating and backing. I submitted it, unsuccessfully, for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

I’m hoping to show them all at the Barbican Library in August. Maybe I’ll see some of you there?

PS. There’s 15 tickets (from a possible 30) left for my art-talk-meal-thingy, and 48 prints (from a possible 50) left from my limited-edition-delaunay-do-da.

'Lying Naked' Rides Again

March 24, 2025

For the second time in seven years, ‘Lying Naked’ is out in the wild.

In 2018 it was sentenced to under-bed prison, after being hung in the National Gallery (for one night) when it reached the shortlist of the Evening Standard Art Prize. It didn’t win. Costly framing was out of the question, so I nailed it to a lump of wood. Last April it was released, as part of ‘(a contemporary) phantasmagoria’, a group show which coincidentally also had work by Matthew Collings who was one of the judges on the art prize. And now that group show rides again. In Liverpool.

‘(a contemporary) phantasmagoria 2’, continues until 29th April, 2025. Cornerstone Gallery, Liverpool Hope University, L6. 9 - 5 weekdays, 9 - 4 weekends. Hours may change at Easter. Curated by John Bunker and Ken Turner.

Lying Naked, 2018

Hand-stitched newspaper to cloth

38 x 51cm.

Left to right:

1 The Lion Man of Ulm, thought to be about 40,000 years old. Carved from mammoth ivory and discovered in Germany in 1939. Cut from the London Evening Standard, 6.9.18. Photo: Oleg Kuchar/ Museum Ulm. Taken from a book review, by Douglas Murray, of ‘Living With The Gods: On Beliefs And Peoples’ by Neil McGregor (Penguin, 2018). Also a Radio 4 series.

‘Pink Pussy Hat’ from the anti-Trump marches. Cut from the London Evening Standard, 4.9.18. The photographer appears to be uncredited, however, there is a photo of Ian Hislop on the same page credited as J Fernandes/ D Hubbard. Maybe this credit also applies to the hat photo? It was cut from a review, by Melanie McDonagh, of the British Museum exhibition, ‘I Object: Ian Hislop’s Search For Dissent’. I saw this exhibition. The hat was displayed in a glass cabinet as if valued, but the knitter was not named. I would’ve almost accepted ‘we tried to find the maker of this piece’, but nothing.

Feet of Boris Johnson, London 2012. From that photo when he was on the zipwire with a Union Jack in each hand. Barcroft Media*.

2. Torso of Donald Trump with the arm of his granddaughter, Arabella. Cut from the London Evening Standard, 30.7.18. Photographer uncredited.

‘Busting out the moves’ legs of Theresa May, Metro 31.8.18. PA*.

3. Jeanne Hébuterne as Nu couché (sur le côté gauche) by Amedeo Modigliani, 1917. Sold at Sotheby’s in New York for £116m. Cut from the Guardian, 12.5.18. Article by Rupert Neate. Photo: AFP/Getty*. Additional article by Miranda Bryant, London Evening Standard, 15.5.18.

Prosthetic leg with leather boot of Frida Kahlo. London Evening Standard, 17.5.18. Advertisement for ‘Making Herself Up’ exhibition at the V&A. Photo by Javier Hinojosa.

4 Torso of AJ Cook as JJ Jareau (Special Agent Jennifer Jareau) in ‘Criminal Minds’. Cut from the TV schedule page of the London Evening Standard, 29.3.18. Photographer uncredited.

Legs of Kendall Jenner ‘in feathers’ by designer Rick Owens. Photographer uncredited.

5 Torso of Kim Jong-un on a visit to a teacher training college in Pyongyang. London Evening Standard, 17.1.18. Photographer uncredited.

Skirt and left leg of Serena Williams, U.S. Open, 2018. ‘The 36-year-old wore a dress, designed by Louis Vuitton Men’s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh, as she beat Polish player, Magda Linette, in straight sets’. London Evening Standard, 28.8.18. Photographer uncredited.

Right leg of Natalie Portman, who ‘transformed herself into a punk for her film Vox Lux, in which she plays a musician called Celeste’. London Evening Standard, 1.3.18. Photographer uncredited.

*The photo credits appear as they did in the publication from which the images were cut. For the record, I don't accept the name of a company as the credit for a photograph. There was an actual person behind the camera. If you are that person, or know them, please let me know. Also, the information in the articles may be fabricated. I use the Evening Standard and Metro newspapers because they are free. I couldn’t afford to make my work if I bought a more ‘reputable’ publication every day.

Evening Standard Art Prize, National Gallery, 2018

She Kept Her Money In Her Bra

July 31, 2024

James Timpson will be an excellent Minister for Prisons, due in part (very large part) to his incredible mother, Alex.

After reading Alex Timpson’s obituary in 2016, I felt compelled to stitch something because she was bloody amazing. Said stitching (‘Alex Timpson’ and ‘She kept her money in her bra’) remained in a box for six years, until it became part of ‘Exile Textile 3’

This is an extract from my social media post at the time of sewing - ‘Mother of five and foster parent to more than ninety children. Along with her husband, John, she hired young offenders (IN A KEY CUTTING BUSINESS!) and employed people based on their personality. Staff got a day off on their birthday and a free seaside family holiday. Hardly surprising that more than a thousand people came to her funeral’.

In the obituary, one of her family members (94% certain it was James of the new Cabinet) tells a story about how she hated handbags (check) and kept her money in her bra (double check), ‘cash in the left cup, credit cards in the right’.

When I was trying to find the original obituary to confirm the bra story (no luck) I stumbled upon an excellent podcast in which James recalls waiting in the car whilst Alex took babies into prisons to visit their mothers. It’s a great listen. The bit where he talks about including the shop-floor workers in management decisions particularly resonates with me. This absolutely did not happen when I was employed by a large London gallery, and it was totally crap as a consequence. The sign of a good boss is one who listens, actually listens, to the people on the shop floor.

Full Disclosure with James O’Brien, S2 E181.

The fabric is stitched from two of Mr. S’s shirts, which you will recognise from other places.

You can buy a print here.

Shifting To The Moon

October 3, 2023

68. Shifting To The Moon, 2022

Hand-stitched paper to tea towel

60 x 44cm unframed, 62 x 47cm framed (by The Framing Room, with maple and UV glass)

‘Shifting’ is a Durham colloquialism, meaning ‘to move house’. I grew up in a car-free environment, and people often carried furniture by hand, from one house to another. Everybody helped. I have a picture, somewhere, of my dad transporting Uncle David’s couch by wheelbarrow, or ‘barra’ as he calls it.

Moon: From the film La Voyage Dans La Lune, 1902, by George Méliès. The first ever science fiction film. From the book by Jules Verne. Michaut/ Lucien Tainguy. Cut from 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, Steven Jay Schneider, Cassell 2003.

Monkey: Sam, Dec 1959. Nasa Little Joe Test Programme. Hulton Getty Picture Collection. Nick Yapp.

Robot: Alpha, July 1932. Invented by Harry May for the Mullard Valve Company. Hulton Getty Picture Collection. Nick Yapp. Legend has it, that the robot shot the inventor.

Basket: From the film, Around The World In Eighty Days, United Artists, 1956. David Niven and Cantinflas were in the basket. Michael Anderson/Kevin McClory/Mike Todd. Cinematography by Lionel Lindon. George Rinhart/Getty. Cut from 50 Years Of The Movies by Jeremy Pascall, WH Smith 1981.

Andrew and Charles Windsor, now King: ‘Gaining their parachutist’s wings during the Easter holiday from Gordonstoun’ c1978. Coloursport. Cut from Britain In The Seventies by Ronald Allison. Book Club Associates, 1980.

Jarrow Crusade: In October 1936, 200 men marched 300 miles from Jarrow to Westminster to protest against unemployment and poverty. They brought with them a petition requesting the re-establishment of industry. It was received by the House of Commons, but not debated.

Achtung! Sie Verlassen Jetzt West-Berlin: The image, from which this sign is taken, is the copyright of the family of Richard Bissell, who was a CIA officer. He was an administrator of the European Recovery Plan in Germany, after the Second World War. Cut from The American Century by Harold Evans, Jonathan Cape, 1998.

Four More Years: From an image (Charles Nye, 1972) of Richard Nixon electioneering in Ohio, just before the full scope of his Watergate involvement was revealed.

Wet Paint: David McEnery, 1975. Mirror Group.

Maggitun Devastation For Kent: Maggitun didn’t really catch on as an alias for the Channel Tunnel. From an image of anti-tunnel protesters in Folkstone. QA Photographs, the Channel Tunnel Group Ltd. Cut from Breakthrough by Derek Wilson, Century, 1991.

Tow Away Zone: From the film, Manhattan by Woody Allen. United Artists, 1979. 50 Years of the Movies by Jeremy Pascall, WH Smith 1981.

Britain Awake: Fascist banner.

Caution No Swimming: Banksy, 2005. Bathing Lake, Hyde Park, London. Lasted three and a half weeks. Cut from Banksy Wall and Peace, Century 2006.

The Batchelors: 1922, Getty.

Face of the Enemy in Kabul: State Britain by Mark Wallinger, 2007. Brian Haw’s banners recreated.

Reserved For Pastor: William Lovelace, 1961. From a photograph of two men sleeping in the pastor’s car park during a siege of the First Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama, by a white mob of three thousand during the night of 20th/21st May, 1961.

The End of the World is Near: David McEnery, 1975. Mirror Group.

Peace: From a photo taken en route to a Women’s Peace Congress in the Hague, April 13th 1915. Jane Addams, Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, Annie E Malloy. Possibly Mary Heaton Vorse and Lillian Kohlhamer. Bain News Service. George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress. The American Century by Harold Evans, Jonathan Cape 1998.

Gone to Morroco with Hilton: From a picture of Sarah Lucas and Tracey Emin by Carl Freedman, 1993. It’s the one where they are standing in the doorway of ‘The Shop’ on Bethnal Green Road, London. The sign is painted above the door. Don’t know who Hilton is, and neither does Google. If I ever meet Tracey or Sarah, it’s the first thing I’ll ask them. Cut from Artrage by Elizabeth Fullerton, Thames and Hudson 2016.

Bands Won’t Play No More: Quote from Ghost Town by The Specials/ Jerry Dammers. 2 Tone Records. BBC 1981. Stitched in honour of Terry Hall (1959 - 1922) who died during the making of this piece. Also, I now recognise areas of London in the video, which I didn’t know in 1981. Why must the youth fight against themselves? Particularly poignant at the moment.

Smash Thatcher: Cartoon drawn by Christopher Madden, who read my Observer piece, then saw his work stitched to my work at the RA. He said, 'Well, this is an interesting way to get one's work into the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Draw a cartoon of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 in her Iron Lady/ Mad Axewoman persona. Have the cartoon picked up by the Socialist Workers Party for placards and posters. Have the placard redrawn by other people for their own personal placards. Have one of those copied placards printed in a newspaper somewhere. Have that print used in a montage in an artwork in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition forty-five years later. Thanks to Alison Aye for her excellent choice of montage material. My own attempts to get into the Summer Exhibition have always been a failure. Shortlisted a couple of times but always fallen at the final hurdle'.

Consett Steel Workers’ banner. I grew up in Spennymoor which is 14 miles from Consett, and very similar. Nobody in my hometown liked Thatcher. I’d never knowingly met a tory until I moved South. Northern Echo. Cut from Memories of County Durham in the 1980s, in association with Love Darlo.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All: State Britain by Mark Wallinger, 2007. Brian Haw’s banners recreated.

First National Coal: Betteshanger Colliery, Deal, Kent. NCB, 1st January 1947. 100 Years in Pictures by DC Somervell, Odhams Press.

The Magi of Chaldea (Wise Men): Priest-Astronomers who gave names to the stars. Odhams Wonder-World of Knowledge by JA Lauwerys, RL James and Brian Vasey-Fitzgerald. There’s a long list of possible illustrators: Carlo Alexander, AE Barbosa, Laurence Bradbury, Royman Browne, AH Burvill, Gaynor Chapman, David Cobb, Neville Colvin, H Connolly, Gordon Davies, Rowland Davies, Bruce Drysdale, Barry Evans, EI Ford, Grace Golden, LG Goodwin, Harry Green, LS Haywood, W Hobson, Peter Horne, William Kempster, P Kesteven, R King, Richard Leacroft, Joan Martin May, N Meredith or C Newsome-Taylor.

Please note that I do not reproduce physical images to stitch, but use already printed materials. The paper comes from discarded books, newspapers, magazines, calendars and the like. Most of the books I cut are beyond repair, the rest are beyond my respect.

Damien Shamien

October 1, 2023

It’s about my mam’s massively subservient nature, and how she expected the same of me. Her dying words were that I must iron my dad’s clothes nicely. “Make sure yer dad has a nice crease in his pants.” His home is a four-hour journey from mine.

Made at my parents’ house during Lockdown, where I took care of my mother in the final eighteen months of her life. I was unable to return to my husband and children for fear of bringing germs to my mam and dad, who had a stroke the week after my arrival.

I accidentally became their carer. It’s the closest to hell my privileged life has ever taken me. I lost my employment, and my mind, into the bargain.

Rarely leaving the house, I had no art materials. The background is one of my mother’s napkins, and the lettering is cut from my father’s handkerchiefs.

I’m making fun of Damien Hirst’s success, and my lack of it. Inspired by his shark sculpture, ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’. Mam was in her final weeks of life, lying motionless on a hospital bed at home, where I was nursing her. Her death was imminent and inevitable, but seemed impossible.

I carry the guilt of being relieved when she died.

39. Damien Shamien, 2021

Hand-stitched textile

35 x 35cm unframed

Is This A Landscape?

October 1, 2023

Made at my parents’ house during Lockdown, where I found myself living, in what turned out to be the final year of my mother’s life. She was diagnosed with inoperable cancer, just before the pandemic, so I went up North to see her.

A week after my arrival, Dad had a stroke. I was unable to return home to my husband and children, for fear of bringing germs to my parents. I accidentally became their carer and lived with them for eighteen months, losing my employment and my mind in the process.

Rarely leaving the house, I had no art materials. I used whatever I could find. The background is made from my Dad’s old shirt, which Mam will have washed and ironed hundreds of times, and the trees were cut from prescription bags, of which there were many.

33. Is This A Landscape? 2021*

Hand stitched paper to polycotton shirt

11.5 x 44.5cm unframed, 19 x 52cm framed (by The Framing Room)

* It was made in 2021, but I stitched 2020 by mistake. One of many stitch-related mistakes I was making at the time. My head was all over the place. I decided to leave it.

Unseated

August 27, 2023

Made as a response to Claire Mort’s Brave Pants project.

I like cutting Picasso, and I thought it would be fun to pull Fernande Olivier out of that chair and give her some knickers. She looked so miserable.

An artist in her own right, Olivier was the daughter of a married man and ‘his mistress’. Raised by an abusive aunt, who arranged her marriage, she fled to Paris at nineteen, changing her name so her husband couldn’t find her.

Picasso (“Each time I leave a woman, I should burn her”) used to lock her in the studio.

54. Unseated, 2022.

Hand-stitched paper/canvas collage.

46 x 37.5cms, framed*

Body cut from an image of Femme Assise (Fernande Olivier) by Pablo Picasso, 1908. Oil on canvas. 150 x 100cms. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (below).

Big pants cut from an image of Kate Moss wearing a leotard by Julien Fournié. Mert and Marcus for Paris Vogue, 2011.

Feet of Kate Moss. Shoe designer unknown (any help much appreciated). Mert and Marcus for W magazine, 2005.

*Framed by Ming, 29 Chatterton Road, Bromley. Oak and 99% UV glass.

I Have No Thoughts On This Matter

August 26, 2023

I Have No Thoughts On This Matter, 2020.

Hand-stitched textile.

35cms x 35cms, unframed.

Private Collection.

It’s about ‘good girls’ putting up and shutting up.

‘I have no thoughts on this matter’ was my mantra during 2020. At the age of 53, I had moved back to my childhood home, sharing a bed with my mother, in what turned out to be the final year of her life. I left my husband and kids and went 300 miles north. A place where I am undervalued and underestimated. Everybody else's time is more valuable than my own. It was expected of me, and I did it, losing both my jobs, pretending it didn’t matter.

For the 18 months I was there, hand stitching kept me on the right side of sane.

As always, the materials are recycled.

A friend was binning the tea towel, describing it as embarrassing, the way the middle-classes do.

The orange and blue are my husband’s old clothes.

The blue, a shirt I remember him wearing at my cousin’s wedding. I was a Bo-Peep inspired bridesmaid. The evening cèilidh was a riot. We laughed and danced our socks off, except Mr S, who sat on the side-lines, unable to make a fool of himself.

The orange, boxer shorts I bought on Christmas Eve 1991, from the Next near Charing Cross Station, London.

The red fabric, used for my signature, is an old National Portrait Gallery uniform. I worked there for 12 years. Undervalued and underestimated. The date next to it was cut from Amnesty International Magazine, Issue 206.

I Have No Thoughts On This Matter is now available as a limited edition print. The original was bought by a French woman, which I took as the greatest of compliments.

Photo by Ian Bruton.

Majorca '79

August 1, 2023

Majorca ‘79 was inspired by Man Ray’s portrait of Max Ernst. A photograph (photographer unknown), of me, hand-stitched to a tea towel, is about my reluctance to reconstruct my life after twenty-five years of marriage, but also about my first time abroad at the age of twelve. My nana took me to Majorca, where the photograph was taken. She was drunk every night and a horrible racist.

Majorca ‘79, 2023

Photograph hand-stitched to tea towel

62 x 47 cm, unframed