Song of the Shirt
Thread of Life is a series of site-specific sculptures commissioned for Valentines Mansion, a refurbished 17th Century house in Ilford. Generations of owners transformed Valentines Mansion to meet their differing needs. Newer communities living nearby have also constantly changed and shifted, with succeeding waves of residents adding new cultures and ideas. These sculptures are a reflection of their experiences, and my own reactions to Valentines Mansion. The sculptures are constructed principally from textiles. and each is titled with a quotation from English poetry, suggesting the complex melding of cultures in contemporary Ilford.