Threads That Bind Us

Upon discovering the Kirriemuir’s rich history, I was inspired particularly by the red sandstone buildings that give the town its nickname, the ‘Wee Red Toon’. I have a personal connection to small town life as I grew up in a village similar to Kirriemuir, so it was easy to find inspiration in a place that felt familiar. I also felt a deepened connection to my own family’s past during this project. Particularly when working with the fabrics as it reminded me of the strong women in my family, who worked with textiles out of both necessity and love.

I can’t help but be inspired by the red sandstone that makes up a substantial part of the towns buildings – these are the building blocks of Kirriemuir. The blocks that connect – the material is a physical link to the past. For me this symbolises the town’s connection with its roots. Kirriemuir has a proud history, and so this project reflects and celebrates this history.

Incorporating the symbolic red/orange pigment, and experimenting with dying and weaving fabric, as a homage to the town’s weaving industries during the 1700/1800s. I enjoyed exploring different weaving techniques and materials. Working to a small scale, I developed accordion styled zines to illustrate the streets of red buildings. from the ‘Wee Red Toon’.

After working with the Zines I trialled some traditional dying techniques on larger pieces of fabric sourced from bed linen and old dish towels which were industry made for domestic spaces. I experimented with different ingredients such as beetroot, turmeric, and onion skins, to achieve the red/orange pigment. This fabric was later used to create the larger woven piece. I felt a real connection to the old handloom weavers of Kirriemuir throughout the process when working with the fabrics and employing the traditionalist dying methods. For me, the process of dyeing with natural ingredients and weaving fabrics and wool commemorates the towns past weaving industries and all the people that were involved, that helped to make Kirriemuir the welcoming place it is today.

Artist Statement

My work explores identity, self-expression, mental health, and how these traits relate to each other to form the self. I express these ideas mostly through portraiture, the nude female figure, and monochromatic patterns. My work attempts to provoke an emotion or feeling in the viewer in order to communicate on an emotional level.

My preferred choice of media includes two-dimensional drawing, painting, and photography, through which I apply a therapeutic process of distorting or exposing the face and body using exaggerative drawing and editing techniques. Sometimes I work with crochet, sewing, and textiles, and incorporate these into my contemporary practice.

Expressionism is an inspiration to my work, referring to the process of artmaking in which the artist relies heavily on emotion to dictate the artwork. I aim to use what I have learned in my studies of expressionist artwork to contribute to the world of contemporary art.

Artist Bio

Felicity Rose McClure is a Scottish artist currently practising from her studio in East Scotland. She recently graduated from Perth College UHI Scotland with a BA (Hons) Art and Contemporary Practices. She was also the recipient of the prestigious 128 Telephone Box Gallery Graduate Award for excellence at her final year show 2022.

Working mostly with 2D mixed media her practice tackles themes of identity, self-expression and mental health, and how these characteristics relate to each other to form the self. She often expresses these ideas through self-portraiture, the nude female figure, and monochromatic patterns.

McClure has been practising since 2016 and in that time, she has presented her work in a number of exhibitions; the Ice Factory Perth 2022, the Garment Factory 2019, the 13th Note 2018, and the Paisley Art Institute 2017 in Glasgow. Her practice continues to grow and evolve. This can be seen in her current solo exhibition ‘Threads that Bind Us’, at the 128 Telephone Box Gallery, Kirriemuir, Scotland.

Find out more about the artist:

Website: https://mcclurefelicity.wixsite.com/felicityrose

Instagram: @felicity_rose_mcc

Twitter: @felicityrosemcc

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