A trip to Yorkshire episode 1: Salts Mill and David Hockney….
I said I was going to tell you my trip to Yorkshire last weekend, as I am off camping next week in the wildness…( I do that once a year 😀 ) hence I will not be able to write much next week so I’m doing it today 😀 So two blogs entries in two days AGAIN!
I went to Yorkshire for a Blogstar’s meeting as you probably already know, and part of the weekend Stylecraft always organize something interesting to do that is craft/art related.
Last time we went to see the Knitting and crochet guild archive in Holmfirth.
The archive is just open by appointment, I believe, but it is absolutely amazing. And we were very privileged to be able to see some beautiful garments and artifacts. For ones of you that are not acquainted with the KCGuild, they are a charity dedicated to UK domestic knitting and crochet, run by volunteers and supported by subscriptions and donations.
Here’s a link to the page if you want to have a look, http://kcguild.org.uk/.
If you are going to visit any of the lovely yarn’s shows that are up and down the UK they always have a stall and some volunteers more than happy to let you see some of the artifacts from their collection or you can have some yarny’s chats!
Back to last weekend, on Friday some of us went to see this amazing place called Salts Mill in Saltaire www.saltsmill.org.uk/
Saltaire is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is an outstanding example of a mid 19th-century textile industry town.
This is a picture of the Salts Mill painted by David Hockney and exhibited at the Mill.
Salts Mill it is a beautiful building and I quote from their official page: ‘The Mill opened in 1853, the centerpiece of Sir Titus Salt’s utopian vision of Saltaire. He built the adjoining model village to house his workers. Cloth production at Salts finally ceased in 1986, and the following year the mill was purchased by the late Jonathan Silver, who re-imagined it as a place where culture and commerce could thrive together.’
On that note Salts Mill hosts a very substantial number David Hockney’s permanent art collection, special events, and exhibitions, there are lovely restaurants ( I can vow for that, I arrived early and I went for a delicious salad for lunch before my visit), shops to browse all sort of goods, from books to clothes and home ware to art supplies and everything in between….
You know how much I love art and exhibitions in general, I also love guided tours too, the lady that took us around the Mill was called Sue @saltsmill and she was a FANTASTIC ambassador for the Mill!
She was not only incredibly knowledgeable on David Hockney’s art work and life, but also Sue was genuinely so enthusiastic about his work that it was contagious. I loved every single minute of it! thank you, Sue!
I saw exhibits of Hockney’s work before in London but I thought the Mill was the best overall experience. So if you got a chance and you are in the area go and have a look, it is well worth it a visit!
Now why I like Hockney and why I think it is relevant for my yarn endeavors?
Bare in mind that I am definitely not an art critic and I look at paintings just as the average person’s perspective. I like mainly two things: his work is innovative, he uses not only canvases and paint or pencils but, printing, lithography, fax machines, photographs, iPad’s print outs and an 18-screen film installation;
this is one of his huge paintings: It is called “The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty-eleven)” it was part of an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London January 16, 2012. (Routers)
He also paints lots of landscapes and portraits, this one it is of his parents:
My Parents, 1977. © David Hockney/Collection Tate, London
and the second thing I like which is my favorite thing and has given me much inspiration is that his work is VERY COLOURFUL! :
So I came back with a head full of colors, and a bag-full of postcards to use a reference!
So get a pair of sunglasses and be prepared for a shower of COLOURS in the next blankets!!
happy crocheting,
Lucia xxx
