WEST LEEDS WASHING LINES

The washing lines across terraced streets are an iconic image of West Leeds. Artist Kevin Hickson has been working with 5 local primary schools to make customised laundry to display on real washing lines during the festival. Alongside will be specially made washing by artists Jamie Picton, Beate Rohle, Hayley Mills-Styles, Sarah Jane Mason and Shaeron Caton-Rose. Take a stroll into Armley and look out for some unusual items on the lines - if you're lucky you might also catch artist Lou Sumray drawing the washing lines live on the street

Mon 11-Fri 15 July
Cedar Rd, Armley and Claremont Place, Armley
FREE!

Anne Akers has visited the washing line streets and written this lovely blog about the project.

Washing line artists

Lou Sumray
Lou will be using her amazing drawing skills to document this washing line project. She will draw/paint the work produced by other artists and the local residents living in the streets. Watch this space as we upload Lou's drawings as a live blog of the washing line project.

Lou Sumray came to Yorkshire for a weekend 30 years ago and hasn't left, she is passionate about both drawing and washing lines but has never combined the two loves, until now. Never without a sketch book and always an eye for a washing line photo opportunity, to add to her albums of washing lines from around the world, from up the Amazon, to Cuba to Pakistan. Lou will be roaming the streets of armley documenting the project by sketching, these special washing line galleries. Read her blog about the process... Check it daily this week there is new stuff everyday!
http://lousumray.tumblr.com/

Hayley Mills Styles
Hayley is going to create a series of textile banners which represent iconic buildings and landmarks from West Leeds. These banners are going to be hand and machine embroidered with some paint and applique to add bold splashes of colour.

Hayley is a fine artist who works predominantly in textiles to create drawings and sculptures using fabric and stitched lines. She seeks inspiration from the urban landscape of Leeds, using photography as a starting point to record colour, line and form. Materials and the making process are an integral part of the work she creates, combining traditional techniques such as embroidery with the imagery and text of the world around her. She has recently started a blog which records some of her thought processes and ideas for new work. Check her blog out here!

Bea Röhle
They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. Bea is taking this a step further with her weird-looking clothes and cute fabric objects: each has hidden meaning. Can you work out the words and phrases she Bea has rendered in fabric?

Born and bred in Germany, Bea has been living in Armley for over 10 years. She considers herself more a maker than an artist; her interests ranging from knitting flowers to sewing bags, to printmaking to assembling junk sculptures. Bea particularly enjoys the process of problem solving involved in any new project, which is why she prefers to work in a variety of techniques and media, rather than refining a particular style.
Bea on Facebook page

Shaeron Caton-Rose
'Tied' 2009 - Shaeron will display two aprons printed in disperse dye, flock and foil. This installation at I Love West Leeds will form part of a larger apron project looking at the domestification of women

Shaeron Caton-Rose works mainly in installation with an emphasis on textiles and printmaking. Much of her practice is concerned with social justice issues and spirituality, and her reflection on the stories she sees around her as well as the stories we tell ourselves through different cultural myths, traditions and faith systems. 'Tied' is part of a larger apron project concerned with the domestification of women. This particular part of the project focuses on motherhood. The artist invited the participation of women friends and family members, asking them to reflect on their relationships with their mothers and daughters by drawing and painting on calico aprons she had provided. She then made her own versions of their aprons for exhibition, of which this is one piece.
web.mac.com/shaeron

Sarah Jane Mason
Sarah Jane is going to produce colourful double sided canvas using spray, acrylic and other medias. Her work represents objects she has found in West Leeds. Come to see whether you can recognize anything in her multi layered work?

My piece of work for the 'Washing Line Exhibition' is based around a 'field trip' taken to West Leeds, where I systematically collected and documented discarded objects that I found in the area. Forms, colours and compositions emerged from both the objects I found and the location I found them in. Therefore, the resulting work truly reflects an aspect of the local area as well as being displayed in it.
www.sarahjanemason.com

Jamie Picton
Jamie will display large photographs on the washing line printed onto acetate so that you can look on both sides.

Jamie Picton is an Interdisciplinary artist challenging the surveillance of people in everyday life. In today's current surveillance society. Examining the subtle distinctions often overlooked. Capturing the minute detail and processing through a production of disciplines. Drawing is a major part of his practice forming a guided route to three dimensional works, often incorporating video, screen print and metal.
www.jamiepicton.co.uk

Washing line schools

For 4 weeks during June local primary schools Holy Family, Pudsey Greenside, Pudsey Lowtown, Valley View and Whingate have been working with artist Kevin Hickson to produce their own artwork to be display on washing lines during the Festival. Decorated banners and customised clothes will hang on lines next to the work from commissioned artists. Judging by the leopard skin pants it looks like the schools had good fun working on the project,