In MirrieLace artists Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar are working with Shetland Lace knitters to create permanent installations at Mareel using light and Shetland Lace. Their work with the knitters will be focussed in Lace Labs, a contemporary take on Shetland’s traditional ‘makkin and yakkin’ evenings. Some of Shetland’s finest Lace knitters have been experimenting with patterns and materials to develop unique works in light since July 2009. Currently there is an exhibition at Bonhoga Gallery to celebrate and share their experience prior to installation in Mareel in 2011. On our Noticeboard you can see a map to locate the gallery and the knitters.
You can see photos here from some of our Lace Labs where we've been coming together to look at the knitters' pieces through a prototype light projector. The knitters have now developed their work to the point where we are testing them in the actual lights that Nayan and Duncan have developed for installation in Mareel in 2011. We are also currently planning our Mirrie Lace exhibition which will be in July 2010 at Bonhoga Gallery. The knitters have done an enormous amount of work since out first Lace Lab took place at Voxter in July 2009. Our second Lace Lab took place in mid-October at the Pierhead in Voe, where the Lace Knitters could see for the first time their initial test pieces projected. In December we met in Tingwall, and in March we met in Lerwick. In June 2010 we met at Bonhoga Gallery. If you have any questions or want to know more about our project, please contact us by email. Photos by Malcolm Younger, Emma Blain and Roxane Permar
Twenty two knitters are taking part in the project. Each one brings her individual outlook to the project. In addition to the knitters' highly refined knitting skills, each one approaches her work with an open mind. In these photos you can see a small selection of the exploratory work they have completed to date. They have experimented with different patterns and yarns, including Shetland wool, cotton, silk, linen, wire, rayon and fishing line. The knitters have also tried yarns which respond to light, such as glow yarn, luminescent and reflective yarns. Many of them have knitted the same pattern in a variety of yarns and with different size needles. At the Lace Labs we have seen how these changes effect the scale of the projected image. Further information about the knitters involved in Mirrie Lace will be available as the project progresses. Photos: Roxane Permar
The experimental work undertaken to date by the artists with the Lace Knitters was exhibited at Bonhoga Gallery during July 2010. The knitters who exhibited included: Kathleen Anderson, Anne Eunson, Laura Friedlander, Verinia Fraser, Catherine Gibb, Janette Henry, Angela Irvine, Ina Irvine, Elizabeth Johnston, Wilma Johnson, Mary Kay, Pearl Keith, Joan Manson, Minnie Mouatt, Helen Robertson, Jan Sawford, Christine Smith, Jessica Smith, Gwen Williamson, Bab Fraser, Zena Thomson. The exhibition included approximately 120 knitted pieces and eighteen light projections that formed a dynamic light installation in the main gallery at Bonhoga. Here are some photos from the exhibition. You can see more photos on our Flickr site. Photos: Roxane Permar
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