PARCELS OF COMFORT
This textile and mixed media installation explores the
importance of sending post and parcels to the troops
during WW1. Reproduction parcels and their contents
recreate the atmosphere of the time.
My interest in WW1 as an art subject started in 2007
when I made a body of work entitled ‘1918’. This made
me consider the more personal aspects of conflict
and how families were affected, and I wanted
to explore this further.
Gradually, I formed a group of similar minded Bristol
artists. Parcels of Comfort is a collaborative textile
project by Sally Stanley, Paula New, Jane-Marie Mahy,
Lucy Saunders, Jane Kay, and GCSE Textile students from
Cotham School. The graphic art is by Martin Rieser.
Together we have created a powerful piece of art
that shows each soldier as an individual with a family and
life of his own. The textile artists underwent their own
emotional journeys during the slow process of hand-sewing.
Bristol Cathedral has hosted this exhibition
for four months to coincide with the centenary
of the Battle of the Somme.
The calm and beauty of the cathedral building has
added an extra dimension to this tribute to
WW1 soldiers and the people who loved them.
A children’s quiz and activity workshop accompany
this exhibition.
Visitor's Feedback
'a treasure of an exhibition'
‘hauntingly poignant’
‘incredibly moving’
‘beautifully crafted’
‘outstanding work with fabric, stitch and knitting’
‘a tribute to those who lost their lives’
‘appreciated all the works and teamwork’