TEXTILE TIME MACHINE WORKSHOP
Campervan Collective trio Frankie Fathers, Shruti Gaonkar and Sarah Allen, were invited by multi-disciplinary artist Harold Offeh to create a workshop for the last day of his site-specific installation; The Lounge at Lightbox Gallery, Woking. The trio created a hands-on workshop inspired by H G Wells, where imagination and fabric collided to bring a unique collaborative Textile Time Machine to life.
Participants were encouraged to bring a textile object or scrap that held a personal memory for them and dive into a creative journey to explore collaboration, memory and the concept of home.
Participant and Woking resident Harvinell Tatton (pictured in red below) wrote a poem inspired by the Time Machine and shared it with the Collective.
TEXTILE TIME MACHINE by HARVINELL TATTON.
And when the years have passed and future generations look back,
Look upon these items in our’ 21st Century time capsule
Or even aliens as imagined by HG Wells in his book War of the Worlds,
What will they see? will our home memories be evident to their eyes?
Will the selected objects, these textile banners, declare our values?
How we saw ourselves, valued the wellbeing of others,
our home, our landscape, our nation, the welfare of our planet?
Will the beauty, the functionality of these objects bring joy,
Encapsulating treasured memories of our concept, our experiences of home.
Reflecting our general mindset and way of living?
Will our efforts bring a smile because we have repurposed objects and materials for long term service?
Or maybe a sigh, thinking so much material was wasted, talents and opportunities laid to waste?!
Will this textile time machine add colour, texture, inspiration and fresh wonder
Enabling future generations to mix old and new techniques
Take the best of old and new attitudes to living?
Best of all will the very process of making this textile time machine, be a win -win project even today?
Encouraging imagination, love and community among its contributors,
Display to ourselves and each other truths that make life worth living and sharing.
Whatever the outcome,
May there be much joy and laughter in the tactile nature, of this textile time machine project,
Lightening our steps as we leave our tapestries behind,
Proving Milton Berle right when he says ‘ Laughter is an instant vacation!
Joy is the gift that art in its many forms can give us, to brighten both our hearts and ourhomes.
