Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) announces a major new tapestry commission purchased with assistance from the Contemporary Art Society –Scottish-Barbadian artist Alberta Whittle’s Feeling Blue (2023), a collaborative piece woven in Edinburgh by Dovecot Studios. The artwork will be displayed on powder-coated steel gates, designed by Whittle and made at Glasgow Sculpture Studios. It will be unveiled on 5 October 2023 at the Queen’s House in Greenwich.
Feeling Blue has been developed in response to RMG’s large and varied collections, as well as the history and cultural significance of Greenwich. The 160 x 155 cm tapestry is filled with richly evocative textures, symbolic shapes, and tropical colours. It was woven by hand over a period of six months by Naomi Robertson and Elaine Wilson at Dovecot Studios. They used a variety of techniques, yarns, and over 150 colour mixes to add variety and depth to the surface of the tapestry.
Dominating the tapestry is the phrase ‘feeling blue’ which stands out from a background of blues and greens, the combination of different shades resembling water in motion. Blue is immediately associated with oceans and seas but there are also more emotive connotations which Whittle chose to explore. The colour blue, and in particular the term ‘feeling blue’, is used to describe sadness or depression. While the exact origin of the term is uncertain it has been suggested that it comes from the tradition of ships flying blue flags and officers bearing a painted blue band when a captain or officer died. For others, blue symbolises tranquillity. In the Queen’s House the colour blue is used throughout for decoration, notably the balustrade of the Tulip Stairs.
Drawing on her research of the British naval uniform, Whittle also reflects on the legacies of British colonialism. From the mid-eighteenth-century, the Royal Navy introduced a uniform for officers made from a deep blue fabric. The colour was achieved using a dye from the indigo plant that was native to India. Until the end of the eighteenth century the indigo plant was grown, harvested and processed by enslaved people on North American plantations. Indentured labourers in India and modern-day Bangladesh also produced indigo for the East India Company. Today, Navy blue endures as a colour of authority from police to military officers, though the history of the colour and connection to colonialism is little known.
Whittle continues her exploration of maritime worlds by the inclusion of coloured ropes – reminiscent of those used on ships. For Whittle, rope is a symbol of both hope and oppression. Ropes are associated with bondage, imprisonment and even execution but are equally symbolic of lifelines for people in distress. Whittle’s ongoing engagement with the climate crisis is found in the decorative coral that frames the tapestry. The delicate pastel pinks and vibrant yellows evoke the beauty of tropical oceans and are a reminder of the importance of reefs. Decorative cultured freshwater pearl beads have also been stitched onto the tapestry. As well as representing an oceanic realm, Whittle connects Feeling Blue with two sixteenth-century paintings the Armada Portrait and Sir Francis Drake which will be displayed alongside the tapestry. In both portraits, pearls are used as a symbol of wealth, some of which was derived from colonial trade and exploitation.
The tapestry is hung on a set of blue ‘gates’, which are an important component of Whittle’s work. Whittle sees the ‘gates’ as reminiscent of fencing, suggesting containment and control. Placed within the gallery space the gates no longer act as a barrier. Instead, Whittle uses the gates to expand rather than restrict as visitors are free to walk around them and view the tapestry from both sides. The decorative fretwork on the panels evokes the architecture of the Queen’s House, in particular the Tulip Stairs.
Alberta Whittle, said: “The commission has been a wonderful opportunity to think deeply about maritime histories and consider the powers in place that decide how these histories are portrayed. This new tapestry is a chance to explore these ideas of power alongside the rhythms of the ocean and its vulnerability under climate colonialism. The commission has also provided me with the opportunity to continue to work with Naomi Robertson and Elaine Wilson at Dovecot Studios and the rest of the fantastic weaving team.”
Celia Joicey, Director of Dovecot Studios, said: "This commission represents the contemporary significance of tapestry as a collective medium. Started in the midst of the 2021 lockdown, it is testimony to a group of people responding creatively and collaboratively to the Museum collections. Feeling Blue embodies the passion, focus and skill of Dovecot’s weavers, Alberta Whittle’s endlessly interesting ideas and the care and enterprise of the commissioning team."
Katherine Gazzard, Curator of Art, Royal Museums Greenwich, said: “At Royal Museums Greenwich, we are committed to working with contemporary artists whose practice engages with our historic sites and collections, as well as with the present challenges facing our communities and our planet. The opportunity to commission a contemporary tapestry from Alberta Whittle and Dovecot Studios spoke powerfully to this ethos. The finished tapestry will go on public display in the Queen’s House, our flagship art gallery. When the Queen’s House was built in the early 17th century, it was at the cutting edge of art and design. Commissions like Feeling Blue help us to honour that legacy, ensuring that, four centuries after the building’s completion, the Queen’s House continues to showcase artistic innovations and new perspectives.”
Image caption:
Feeling Blue, Alberta Whittle, tapestry by Dovecot Studios
Full image caption:
Feeling Blue
Alberta Whittle
Tapestry by Dovecot Studios
2023, cotton, linen, synthetic yarn, cultured freshwater pearl beads
Tapestry woven for Dovecot by Naomi Robertson, Master Weaver, and Elaine Wilson
Displayed on powder coated steel gates made by Glasgow Sculpture Studios
Purchased with assistance from the Contemporary Art Society
Notes to Editors:
1. Alberta Whittle Whittle’s multifaceted practice is preoccupied with developing a personal response to the legacies of the Atlantic slave trade, unpicking its connections to institutional racism, white supremacy and climate emergency in the present. Against an oppressive political background Whittle aims to foreground hope and engage with different forms of resistance. Whittle represented Scotland in the 59th Venice Biennale. Selected solo exhibitions include: ‘between a whisper and a cry’, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2023); 'Dipping below a waxing moon, the dance claims us for release', The Holburne Museum, Bath (2023); ‘deep dive (pause) uncoiling memory’, Scotland + Venice, 59th Venice Biennale (2022). Whittle currently has a major solo exhibition of her career to date on display at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One), Edinburgh, throughout 2023.
2. Dovecot Studios is a world-renowned tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh and a landmark centre for contemporary art, craft, and design. Established in 1912, Dovecot continues a century-long heritage of collaboration with international artists to make exceptional and engaging works of art. Dovecot Studios undertakes public and private textile commissions, with major tapestry projects including collaborations with artists Chris Ofili, Alison Watt, David Hockney and Victoria Crowe. Also specialising in handcrafted rugs, Dovecot has worked with Linder, Nicolas Party and Garry Fabian Miller among others. Occupying an extraordinary building, formerly a Victorian bath house, Dovecot also has an engaging programme of exhibitions and events, which expand the conversation around art, craft, and design. Dovecot Studios is supported by the Dovecot Foundation which seeks to bring the innovative work of contemporary artists and makers to a wider audience at a national and international level.
3. The 17th century Queen’s House, designed by Inigo Jones, was the first Classical building in England. It is known for its perfectly proportioned Great Hall, original marble floor and beautiful Tulip staircase. The Queen’s House has Scheduled Monument status as it is a building of unique architectural importance and forms an important part of the UNESCO Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Visitors to the Queen’s House can see highlights from the National Maritime Museum’s fine art collection, including the Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I and exquisite examples of the work of the Van de Veldes.
4. The Queen’s House is part of Royal Museums Greenwich which also incorporates the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory Greenwich and Cutty Sark. This unique collection of museums and heritage buildings, which form a key part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, welcomes visitors from across the world and is also a major centre of education and research. The mission of Royal Museums Greenwich is to enrich people’s understanding of the sea, the exploration of space, and Britain's role in world history. For more information visit www.rmg.co.uk.
5. The Contemporary Art Society champions the collecting of outstanding contemporary art and craft in the UK. Since 1910 the charity has donated thousands of works by living artists to museums, from Picasso, Bacon, Hepworth and Moore in their day, through to the influential artists of our times. Sitting at the heart of cultural life in the UK, the Contemporary Art Society brokers philanthropic support for the benefit of museums and their audiences across the entire country. Their work ensures that the story of art continues to be told now and for future generations. www.contemporaryartsociety.org