University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 1999 Scottish tapestry tradition, technique, narrative and innovation: its influence on Australian woven tapestry 1976-1996 Valerie Kirk University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Kirk, Valerie, Scottish tapestry tradition, technique, narrative and innovation: its influence on Australian woven tapestry 1976-1996, Master of Arts thesis, , University of Wollongong, 1999. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/2182 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact Manager Repository Services: [email protected]. SCOTTISH TAPESTRY TRADITION, TECHNIQUE, NARRATIVE AND INNOVATION: ITS INFLUENCE ON AUSTRALIAN WOVEN TAPESTRY 1976-1996. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree MASTER OF ARTS (HONOURS) 1999 from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by VALERIE KIRK Diploma of Art and Design, Edinburgh College of Art, 1978 Post Graduate (Tapestry), Edinburgh College of Art, 1979 Art Teachers' Certificate, University of London, 1980 Certification I certify that this work has not been submitted for a degree to any other university or institution and to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by any other person except where due reference has been made in the text Valerie Kirk August 24 1999. Abstract This thesis researches the history and traditions of Scottish tapestry from its roots in the Arts and Crafts Movement when the Edinburgh Tapestry Company was set up in 1912, through the depressed war years to a flourishing in the 1960s and 1970s. It examines technique and a narrative approach to the medium which was developed by William Morris from his study of medieval tapestries. Morris emphasised the importance of the craft skills and demanded dedication to the detail of technique through application and rigour on the part of the weaver. This way of working in tapestry was carried on through the Edinburgh studio, not as a static methodology, but as a carefully considered and flexible way of working, open to change and innovation. The thesis argues that innovative and narrative traits of Scottish tapestry provided an ideal model for the development of tapestry in Australia; firstly through the initial work of Archie Brennan, tapestry artist and artistic director of The Edinburgh Tapestry Company 1962 - 1978 and secondly throughBelinda Ramson, tapestry artist. A strong alliance was formed between Scotland and Australia. Tapestry in Australia has been acknowledged world wide as a vital area of the arts with leading practitioners contributing excellent work to this field and I shall argue in this thesis that some of the distinct qualities of Australian tapestry are derived from the exchanges between the two countries. Table of Contents Acknowledgments • Introduction Chapter 1 The Precursor of Contemporary Scottish Tapestry - William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement Chapter 2 The Dovecot Studios. Tapestry in the Scottish Idiom - 1912-1940. Chapter 3 Post War Directions, Simplified Technique and Innovation 1940-1960. Chapter 4 Success and Popularity of Scottish Tapestry; exuberance and innovation 1960 - 1980. Chapter 5 Associations between Scotland and Australia through Archie Brennan. Chapter 6 Belinda Ramson, Apprentices and The Victorian Tapestry Workshop and The Conclusions. Exhibition, Works Cited and Selected Bibliography Glossary Appendix Techniques of woven tapestry from Scottish traditions. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my supervisor Doctor Diana Wood Conroy for her patience and understanding, support and attention to detail. I would also like to thank Archie Brennan and Belinda Ramson, Maureen Hodge, Fiona Mathison, the weavers at the Dovecot, Edinburgh, staff at Mount Stuart House, Isle of Bute, Linda Parry, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Kay Lawrence, Sara Lindsay, Cresside Collette, Marie Cook and Liz Nettleton. 1 Introduction Tapestry is a relatively new area of the arts in Australia, an area which has grown dramatically over the past thirty years. In Australia in the 1960s there was no formal education or training in woven tapestry. There were no workshops set up to train apprentices, there were no courses at colleges or universities dedicated to tapestry and limited technical guidance was available from books and individual craftspeople. In 1979 when I first came to Australia, fresh out of Edinburgh College of Art, I was aware that as a weaver in The Victorian Tapestry Workshop I was part of a fledgling industry. There was an air of optimism amongst the weavers, enthusiasm for the medium and the challenge of new horizons. A new tapestry course was being set up at Prahran Technical and Further Education college and there was a groundswell of interest in the community. Twenty years later I became fascinated by the people and events which brought about a period of rapid change and growth in tapestry, a key question being why tapestry in Australia has developed substantially in a relatively short period of time. This thesis investigates the tapestry connection between Scotland and Australia and the people who have exchanged information, given of their knowledge and passed on skills. The documentation of this recent history is scattered in ephemeral catalogues and magazine articles plus brief mention in books on Australian Craft or international tapestry. The lack of documentation of what I see as founding influences represents a serious gap in the literature available to tapestry weavers and the wider public. Thus, the aim of the thesis is to research the links in tapestry during the 1970s between Australia and Scotland and consider the Scottish influences in relation to the groundswell of interest in tapestry in Australia and consequent development of Australian tapestry. In order to understand the Scotland-Australia connection I will research the historical background which provides a context for contemporary Australian tapestry with a particular lineage going back to European medieval tapestry. Although other parallel histories and cultural influences exist, this thesis concentrates on the Australia- Scotland connection and the resulting characteristics in Australian tapestry. 2 I will explore Australian tapestry, through Archie Brennan, the Director of Weaving at the Edinburgh Tapestry Company (1964-1978) and Belinda Ramson, who studied with him, by investigating aspects of traditions of craftsmanship, technical skill, narrative and creative development in the medium. This thesis demonstrates the translocation of European tapestry to Australia and the revitalisation of the medium during the period 1970-1999 through the Scottish model. Historical Background Chapter one begins with William Morris( 1834-96) who spearheaded the Arts and Crafts Movement in the second half of the nineteenth century and championed a new approach to tapestry which did not follow the trend of the European workshops, slavishly copying brushstrokes in paintings. Weavers and designers worked co­ operatively changing the style and techniques of weaving in relation to an aesthetic and narrative content inspired by tapestries of the Middle Ages. The thinking behind the works from Morris and Company was innovative in its time, a turning point for European tapestry in the twentieth century - particularly in Scotland. The Edinburgh Tapestry Company opened in 1912 fully embracing Arts and Crafts principles. Chapter two explores the influence of William Morris through examination of the first tapestries woven in the Scottish workshop which I researched through a field trip to Scotland. Looking at and documenting the tapestries provided information about the detail/technical quality of these works that can not be gained from reproductions. In Chapter three there is an evaluation of the war years and post war changes at The Edinburgh Tapestry Company Limited. World War 1 and World War 2 slowed down production, brought about economic changes and provided time for reflection in the doldrums of post war Britain. A mural tapestry Prince of the Gael started in 1938 and not completed, remained on the loom providing technical training ground. However, lack of patronage, new thinking in art and demand for more cost effective smaller works challenged the pre-war ideas and brought about a period of change. These were the formative years for Archie Brennan, a young apprentice who learned the technical skills weaving Prince of the Gael but looked outwards to France and the realm of contemporary art for inspiration. I investigate how this laid the foundation for contemporary tapestry, carrying forward the traditional skills with changes in warp and weft settings and technique to suit the aesthetics, content and ideals of contemporary art. Chapter four considers the success and popularity of Scottish tapestry with Archie Brennan as artistic director of the Edinburgh Tapestry Company from 1962 - 1978. The company became known for its innovative collaborations between artists and weavers and enjoyed an international reputation for its conceptual approach which made tapestry an acceptable and exciting area of contemporary art. 3 Brennan was also in charge of a new department of tapestry at Edinburgh College of Art which for the first time provided training for women and closed the gap between artist and maker. He was recognised as a dedicated and tireless teacher promoting the work