Remnants
“A part or quantity that is left after the greater part has been used, removed, or destroyed.”
“A piece of cloth left when the greater part has been used or sold.”
Helen and Janice were commissioned to create a new art work for the Creative Connections project
“Sekers Stories” at Rosehill Theatre.
The work now hangs above the box office.
Taking inspiration from Sekers Silk Mills and its employees this piece juxtaposes imagery of the heavy industry with the delicate and exquisite end product. Central is Helen’s painting which explores the relationships between iconic shaped factory building, machinery and the all important employees of Sekers Factory. Studying resources given to her, it evoked her own memories of factory working. The muted colour pallet was very intentional as she took inspiration from the the artist Percy Kelly, who Miki Sekers commissioned 15 large painting of the inside of the factory for the Sekers board room. Concentrating on repetitive forms, homing in on the importance of cogs, nuts, bolts and mechanisms that all help to create the final beautifully designed materials. The work symbolizes the strong teamwork between person and machine; they become one soul, working together, rhythmic music of the cogs and looms. Either side of the canvas are two dresses made by Janice. Sourcing the fabric from Sekers (now based in Dundee) she chose a material as close to the original Duchesse Dogana satin used by many designers in 1950s and 60s. The ivory wedding dress is adorned with donated photographs of wedding dresses made from Sekers fabric and the names of the haute couture designers that also used the fabric in their creations. The slate couture gown is decorated with archive photographs of Sekers employees and the job titles they inhabited. The work represents the bond between factory and workers, workers as a family and the influence of these on haute couture fashion across the globe.
