A short notice tutorial with James Hunting

This morning Linden sent me an email suggesting a tutorial with James, so I went in this afternoon to see him.  As instructed I took my recent sketchbooks, and Georgian sampler.

I am using samplers and stitch to portray undervalued skills and talents of women.  James said if he made a piece of work about his mother, she would be really upset that he had used the textile media.  I said I had spoken to two daughters of the women I wanted to portray, and they had been delighted at the media.  This surprised him.

I said it was the act of making that was important, rather than the outcome.  He was adamant that samplers were made to be examined and makers would be instructed to unpick them if they were incorrect.  This surprises me as they often have mistakes in them.  We had a debate about whether technique was important to me - which it is not - I find mind-numbing detail rather anally retentive.  He said that if I did samplers, they would inspire detailed examination

We discussed various cross stitch artists, most of whom I was familiar with, but could not name.  I mentioned Matthew Smith, and James said he was a friend of his, but not to look at his work (?).  He recommended looking at Richard McVetis work which is all about the time involved, rather than technique.  He suggested looking at Celia Pym about mending, which is not my subject at all.  He also recommended reading Mary Lou Trinkwon about sampler theory.

Richard McVetis, courtesy of Crafts Council

As my work is about recognition of value, he suggested I might like to think about badges and awards. This horrified me.  I loath badges and awards with a passion.  He was thinking about Girl Guide badges and how they indicate the achievement of a skill.  I was thinking about the honours system, with I think is a corrupt old boy's network, where the people who are nominated are friends of people with power and influence.  My previous employer regularly nominated people for awards, and some of those who received awards for actions during major incidents, were not even on site at the time!

We identified that what I am doing is all about language.  This was an absolute gem.  To me, this is why samplers are so pertinent to what I want to portray.  Samplers have always used stitched words - so it is appropriate to articulate values.  Language about what is to be honoured.  Not just about words, but about what gets done or missed out. Because of this, don't use the word sampler, as it has too many stereotypical associations.  But how to describe instead?

We discussed Judy Chicago's Dinner Party piece.  James said she had been dismissive of the people who did the stitch work, and had refused to acknowledge them in the final artwork - one these people is a friend of his.  I have read the book that accompanies the work and she does acknowledge the skills of other people, required to complete the artwork, although I cannot remember whether they are listed by name.  My critique of the Dinner Party was that it did not elaborate on WHY these women were significant, and there was too much focus on the vulva, rather than the skill of the person.  His disdain for her might have been well earned, but this is why I don't want to meet any of my artist heroes in person.  Top artists don't get their kudos by being pleasant and kind, and sharing their knowledge and acclaim lightly.  Their position is hard-won, and the result of hard work and, probably, hard-nosed business practice. So, with my heroes - Grayson Perry, Cornelia Parker, and a few others - I don't want to meet them, because it would probably burst the bubble.  I just need to admire their work and their concept.

I also showed my Cryptic Cross Wood, where it contrasts the materials that symbolise manual and intellectual value systems.  I said my first collection could be samplers, and the second might juxtapose materials and value systems.   James said he advised making just one sampler because of the work involved.  More likely because he does not rate the idea.

Look at Whitechapel Gallery Intellectual Barbarians - before 13 March when it closes.

James made the point that I need to be really clear about why I am using samplers.  I think my reasoning is quite clear and simple - samplers are a traditional female technique that expressed issues that were important to the women who made them.

I am now feeling fairly puzzled and confused.  I don't think James understands why I want to use textile, sampler and cross stitch to express how I feel about the values of women.  But I don't know how to be more clear about it.

The tutorial has given me a huge wobble and I am unsure whether I am competent to express myself about my views on how UK  society values, or could value, women.