In the work, visual and narrative stories interweave, interconnect and are continually deconstructed and recreated - emerging in new work - evolving - sometimes hidden, while fragments of image might be repeated within new sequences of visuals and books. There are glimpses of hidden narrative - new stories, myths - fragmenting through time and space - inevitably changing and being changed as they become
In the work, visual and narrative stories interweave, interconnect and are continually deconstructed and recreated - emerging in new work - evolving - sometimes hidden, while fragments of image might be repeated within new sequences of visuals and books. There are glimpses of hidden narrative - new stories, myths - fragmenting through time and space - inevitably changing and being changed as they become part of a complex layering of words, colour, texture. It is a way of working in which the computer is exploited for its potential for unending improvisation of an idea - a continual fragmenting, deconstructing and reusing of the digital file to make new work. One image easily becomes a sequence. Consequently, each is different yet connects with the next. Yet screen image, is only half the story. The idea is never fully realised until image encounters tactile materials such as paper and thread. It is forced to change and evolve into something tangible - image sequence, book or panel. Even then the digital file might be deconstructed again - metamorphasising into another artwork entirely. A vital part of the work is the visual energy between the sensual and tactile and the 'virtual' marks and textures drawn on computer interact with hand drawn marks and patterns; hand applied colour with digital colour. The tensions between these elements create a highly complex fusion of image and surface. Pat's techniques over 15 years have involved layering of paper tissue using cellulose paste - often with a core layer of silk - fusing this into a strong complex 'substrate'. Over this tactile, multi layered surface is printed a digital image. Embedded within the layers are fragments of scribbles, resist dyed shapes and pattern, scraps of maps, diagrams, cut shapes and thread. This technique allows text, colour and pattern to be hidden or revealed through interplay between the waxed translucent surface and the layers beneath. Latest work explores the potential of non woven synthetics for making books - Lutrador, Zeelon, even polyester wadding. Processes involve heat fusing, laser and hand cutting, while colouration is through sublimation printing. Background I studied fine art in the 1960s at Liverpool College of Art (what is now the School of Fine Art in John Moors University). Colour was a major preoccupation, and during the 1970s led me to investigate textile techniques. I became fascinated by liquid dye and fibre using Wax resist techniques. By the early 1990s I was increasing the emotional impact of the image by making pieces in which the layered liquid dye colour created illusory spatial effects. The process I was using made me acutely aware of the subjective decisions I was making when building an image. I began to explore the idea of an artwork which is never finished, simply in a process of change. I began to make multi image pieces and books. I realised that computer imaging would allow me to map ideas more quickly. However, I soon realised that print on paper lacked two things: the tactile quality of fabric and paper, and the intensity and emotional possibilities of colour on screen. For a number of years I have concentrated on the idea of interaction of surface with print - experimenting with collage, and fibre using resists on the surface, and embedding image and drawing within the layered surface. Recently, I returned to the possibilities of still image on screen and am at present exploring different ways to exploit the emotional potential of colour in projection. I collaborate on projects involving text and sound - the latest one is 'Iceland stories' which evolved from a residency in Iceland - working alongside a poet and a sound artist.
Solo exhibitions
2011 - The illusory and the Real, Phillip Goulden Gallery, Walford Mill, Wimborne, Dorset
2007 - The Illusory and the Real : Dye colour and Digital Colour, Leedy Voulkous Art Centre, Kansas City USA
2003 - Work with Silk, collage and digital imaging, Zijdmuseum, Meliskerke, Zeeland, The Netherlands
1995 - Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, Sheffield
1988 - Leeds Playhouse Gallery
1980 - Mid-Pennine Arts Association
Group Exhibitions
2018 : FORTHCOMING : Responsive Paper (IAPMA exhibition), Sophia, Bulgaria
2018 : Forthcoming : Amateras International Paperart Exhibition, Sophia, Bulgaria
2018 : Forthcoming : Papier Global 4, Degendorf, Germany
2016/2017 : The Box Project: Works from the Lloyd Cotsen Collection, Book publication date: June 2016.
The exhibition will open at the Fowler Museum at UCLA in the fall of 2016 travelling to Racine Art Museum (spring 2017) and the Textile Museum at George Washington University (fall 2017).Group exhibitions
2016/17 : Exhibitions with IAPMA (international Paper artists and makers)
Inspired by Paper : European tour
Luminous Within : Australia tour
Luminous Within : America’s tour
A Feast of Paper : China tour
2016 : UK : Telling in Full (Group exhibition as part of the Lancaster Words Festival)
2016 : Shakespeare Now!: Exhibition of artists Books Hornby library, Liverpool
2015 : UK : Sheffield International Artists Book Prize Exhibition
2015 - US : Concealed, Confined, Collected, Minnesota Centre for Bookarts, US
2014 Artists Book exhibition, Hornby Library, Liverpool
2014 Printing, Sheffield, Millenium Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2013 The Art and Soul of Paper, Mandells Gallery, Norwich
2012 - Papier Global 2, Deggendorf Museum, Deggendorf, Germany
2012 - 'Watermarks' Morgan Conservatory, Cleveland Ohio
2011 - Faszination Papier, Touring to various venues in Europe, Europe
2011 - Leaf and Bound, International Book and Paper Art Exhibition, Eureka College, , Illinois, USA
2011 - Paper and Type - Print, Korean Craft Museum, Cheongju, Korea
2011 - Silver, Smith Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Victoria
2010 - Place and Identity, Drumcroon Education Art Centre, Wigan UK
2009 - Icelandic Notebooks, Access Media Lab, Sheffield, Sheffield
2009 - Looking Forward : Contemporary European batik, Textures Gallery, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
2009 - Papier Global 1, Deggendorf Museum, Deggendorf, Germany
2008 - Holland Paper Biennale, Rijswick `Museum, , Netherlands
2007 - Fiberart International, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsbugh, USA and Touring
2005 "Transient Surface" - European Abstraction. a special exhibition of five European Batik Artists. Part of the World Batik Conference, Massachusetts College of Art: Boston, USA
2005 - Northern Fibre 6 (Wo)man and Technology. international exhibition Arts Council grant towards costs, Kerava Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
2003 Batik Art in Motion, Museum of Industrial Archaology and Textiles, Ghent, Belgium
2003 - Encounters with New Technology, Drumcroon Gallery & Art Centre, Wigan, Greater Manchester
2003 - 'Tradition and Technology' Invited to Exhibit, lead workshops and make presentation at conference, Exhibition: Aarhus Kunstbygning. Workshops at Aarhus Husset, Aarhus, Denmark 2002 - Hanover, Handswerksform, Batik of Change
2002 - International exhibition, batik, Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Urawa City, Japan
2001 - Kunst Fordert Kunst, Berlin, various venues 2001 - 'Taktha' exhibition and symposium, Gallery im parc, Berlin, touring to Koln (Galerie Smend), Lodz, Poland, (Central Museum of Textiles)
1999 - Artful Boxes, , touring UK 1999 - Gwent international Batik exhibition, symposium
1998 - Sheffield Threads, Ruskin Craft Gallery, Sheffield
1998 - Small Pieces, with NFibre Art, touring: France; Barcelona, Spain; Germany
1997 - International Exhibition and Conference, Guiyang Museum, Guizhou Province, China 1997 - Wexford Book Exhibition (annual)
1996 - Bishops House Museum, Sheffield
1996 - Fibre on the Outside, ETN Conference, Norton Priory, Runcorn, Manchester
1995 - With Batik Guild, Malone House, Belfast 1994 - Batik Guild, Birkenhead Museum 1994 - Batik Guild, National Theatre
1994 - Fibre Art, Mid-Pennine Arts Association 1994 - Fibre Art, Plymouth University 1994 - Fibre in the Open, Fibre Art, Norton Priory
1993 - International Batik Exhibition, Jakarta, Indonesia
1993 - Piece Hall, Halifax 1
1991 - With Sheffield Contemporary Arts Trust, Midland Station and Sheffield Cathedral
1990 - Anglo-Chinese Batik Exhibition, University of Guizou, China
1989 - Ruskin Craft Gallery, Sheffield
Corporate commissions 2007 - Crystalinex4 (Unique Collage Bookwork), Lloyd T Cotsen collection "The Box project", Cotsen Foundation for Academic Research, USA
Projects 2009 - A collaborative project involving visuals, sound and poetry – residency in Iceland in 2009 followed by an ‘Off the Shelf’ event at Access Media Lab, Sheffield and Stage@Leeds, NES, SKAGASTROND, Iceland/UK 2004 -
Competitions, prizes and awards 2011 - Purchase Award : Best in show, (Leaf and Bound, International Paper and Bookart Exhibition), Eureka College, Illinois 2010 -
Award from Regional Arts Council, UK, towards costs of exhibition and travel to US , Leedy Voulkos Art Center, Kansas City USA 2002 -
Award from Regional Arts Council, UK, towards costs of travel to Japan, 'SIBE in Saitama' : group exhibition, Museum of Modern Art , Saitama, Japan 1997 -
Awards from Regional Arts Council, UK, towards costs of travel to China, Group Batik Exhibition : Guiyang Museum, China
Publications 2012 - Mixing Media : Digital Inkjet print on Experimental surfaces; Article for Design-It on line Magazine for the Computer Textile Design Group
2011 - Iceland Stories and other Books : Catalogue
2008 - Artworks/info included : Pure Paper : catalogue, Holland Paper Biennale
2006 - Surface Design Magazine : article by Patricia Malarcher
2003 - Visual included in ‘Batik – Modern Concepts and Techniques; (Noel Dyrenforth)
2000 - 'Textiel Plus' (Netherlands) Article on my work - (Written by Else Van Baale).
1997 - Visuals included in “The craft of handmade paper” by Jon Plowman 1995 - Visual included in “International Textiles” (Published by Calman and King)
1995 - Work featured in “ The Art and Craft of Fabric Decoration” by Juliet Bawden
1993 - Visual included in “Textiles: Multi-cultural Traditions” by Spyrou/Singer Other 2010 -
Work represented in public and private Collections, includes
Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois,
Lloyd T. Cotsen collection “The Box Project”
Carmelite Chapel of St Teresa of Avila, Beacon, New York
Filac : International collection of Contemporary Artists Books (Marseilles)
(Book of Shadows, Seepage 2, Imperfect Rose, Iceland Notes)
Neukoln Public Library - Art Office Collection;
Textile collection, Kiev Art Gallery, Ukraine;
Guiyang Museum, Guizhou, China.
Rikhardinkatu Library, Helsinki, Finland
Manchester MMU (Phillip Green Library, special collections)
British Art Library, V&A
Bath Spa University Library
Brotherton Library special collections, Leeds university
