Laura McCafferty

I was invited by Jo hall, editor of Embroidery Magazine and exhibition curator, to exhibit a collection of existing work and make new work inspired by Runcorn. My work is quite personal and I need to engage with the subjects that I plan to document; I had to find a way into the heart of Runcorn. I achieved this by stumbling upon a junk shop called Alices Attic. It was here that I found the photo album of Hilda Greens life and the shops owner (and local historian) Maggie Fowler. Hilda, a former local resident had left her possessions to Maggie to sort through and sell. Maggie had to go through all Hildas possessions- a daunting an intimate task for anyone. From the belongings, Maggie choose to salvage Hildas photographs and put them in an album for visitors to the shop to look through; the book has become a kind of archive of local history. For the exhibition I created two new pieces, a large scale portrait of Maggie with all her junk surrounding her and one of a collection of Hildas photographs.

Of the exhibition, Jo Hall writes - The exhibition Material Evidence brings together four artists- whose work reflects the importance of making and materials in contemporary art. They represent a new wave of artists and makers with a fresh take on the boundaries between art and craft. By exploring a range of processes, each artist reveals an affinity for working with the physicality of the textile medium in a fresh and exciting way.

I have also included an image of the line drawing, 119x84cm. The line drawing is mounted and framed. It was the first original line drawing to be included in an exhibition (Lost at Wallner Gallery, 2009)

These artworks are available for exhibition and to purchase, please email for further information.