Julia Griffiths Jones

shirt of a lad

I was recommending this artist to a friend of mine the other day and it was a timely reminder to look at her work.  Many years ago I spent a wonderful day on a workshop run by Julia and created a piece of wirework art that is still on my kitchen wall today!  She creates wonderful, evocative pieces of art which can be read either as purely decorative or as little stories.  On her website

her personal statement reads:

My work is concerned with the translation of Textile techniques such as stitching, quilting, patchwork, embroidery, into a wire and metal form; thus changing its original nature and function but retaining the meaning and the decoration. I am very inspired and influenced by Textile work created by women alongside their domestic duties as much as for need as for warmth. This interest began when I was a student at the Royal College of Art.

I won a scholarship to research and study Textiles in Poland and Czechoslovakia. Here I saw Folk Art for the first time; it was everywhere woven through all aspects of life. Gradually I began to transfer my drawings into three dimensions using wire and became totally enthralled by the possibilities of drawing in space using line and colour. My training and qualifications are in Textile Design so this change in materials was a huge departure for me but a very crucial one as through it I began to create, I believe, a unique language and a deeply satisfying one.

letter

I would do for you

Julia is a Senior Lecturer at Swansea Institute.  Her recent work appears to be quite different as she is digitally printing her drawings onto linen and wool after a residency at the National Wool Museum.

I love Julia's work, partly because she is an artist who is not afraid of the 'decorative'.  Her use of wire to make line drawings of garments and reflections on domestic life creates an interesting tension for the viewer.