Tuesday was the only day we left the immediate surroundings of Ramsgate and we drove just five miles away to Margate to the recently opened and much acclaimed Turner Contemporary. We parked nearby and paid for three hours in the car park thinking that would be quite long enough to see the Gallery (as we are not into modern art), walk along the front and the Harbour Arm (jetty) and investigate the town centre. In the end we spent over two hours in the Turner, including a quick bite to eat in the airy cafe, and had quick walk to the end of the Harbour Arm for a view of the gallery and a breath of fresh air. It was a 10 minute walk back to the car park and we realised that we had Landmark Withdrawal Symptoms and drove straight back to the Presbytery to build up the fire for the evening.

The Turner Contemporary from The Harbour Arm

The Harbour Arm from The Turner Contemporary

The Shell Lady of Margate, by Ann Carrington, 2003 : A Scallop Shell Mrs Booth on the Harbour Arm

Margate Lighthouse

The latest exhibition at the Turner is Entangled : Threads and Making. It had just opened on 28 January and will close on 7 May. We hadn’t realised that there is no permanent collection/display. There are  just three temporary shows each year.

The Margate Knot by Anna Ray in the Foyer of the Entangled

“Entangled: Threads & Making is a major exhibition of sculpture, installation, tapestry, textiles and jewellery from the early 20th century to the present day. It features over 40 international female artists who expand the possibilities of embroidery, weaving, sewing and wood carving, often incorporating unexpected materials such as plants, clothing, hair and bird quills.

Entangled: Threads & Making is curated by writer and critic Karen Wright, with Turner Contemporary. Wright became fascinated by the making processes she saw first-hand on the many studio visits she did with artists for her ‘In the Studio’ column for the Independent. The idea for Entangled: Threads & Making evolved out of these visits, in particular one with renowned American artist Kiki Smith who was working on her epic tapestry Sky (2012), included in the exhibition.

The exhibition brings together artists from different generations and cultures who challenge established categories of craft, design and fine art, and who share a fascination with the handmade and the processes of making itself.” [Turner website and flyer]

The Work of  Artist Eva Hess

One of my friends shared a studio with Eva Hess in New York’s Bowery in the 1960s so I was particularly interested to see her work displayed and to watch the video and hear her work being discussed but there were several other pieces of work that caught my eye. We were surprised how much we had enjoyed it, found it thought-provoking and Kathy compared it with the recent  Embroideries at The V&A and the Threads show at Great Yarmouth’s Time and Tide Museum (they’ve both finished now).

Laura Ford’s Penguins

Sky by Kiki Smith

Absolutely fascinating!