Siobhan Davies Studios, London SE1 

12 January – 11 March 2012

Admission free www.siobhandavies.com/shanewaltener

Shane Waltener presents an exhibition of new works specially designed for Siobhan Davies Studios exploring the relationship between textiles and dance, making and performance, objects and their recordings. Using stitching patterns, dance notation and the building itself as inspiration, he has used this opportunity to research and develop new work with dancers and members of the public.

With Stairwell Suite, Waltener uses the stairwell as a loom, and its distinctive vertical metal framework to weave on. Waltener has collaborated with dance artist Laura Glaser to interpret stitching patterns into a set of movements. Acting as needles, or human bobbins, each dancer holding a length of yarn will create a spiralling web-like structure during the opening of the exhibition (on 12 January) while travelling up and down the staircase. Midway through the course of the exhibition, the piece will be remade in a performance taking place on February 17.

Stitching Score #1, consists of a 200+ metre long strip of fabric made from deconstructed items of clothing. The making of the strip was staged as an interactive project in 2010 involving six people operating overlocking machines that cut and stitched the clothing together simultaneously. Arranged in a daisy chain formation, a silent conversation was had between the stitchers as fabric was fed from one machine to the next. The installation invites the viewer to read the strip of fabric as a piece of notation, with its own unique grammar and symbols made up of stitch, thread and cloth. 

A series of woven pictures, Ready Steady Stitch (bobbin lace), will also be included in the exhibition, that combine architectural plans, stitching patterns and dance notation into templates for making bobbin lace. These works play with the idea of appropriation as different coded visual data are reinterpreted through collage and stitch. The series will include a limited edition piece using material worked with to create Stairwell Suite.

Public Weaving 

Friday 27 January

South London Art Map Last Friday event

Shane Waltener presents a free, open event at Siobhan Davies Studios for members of the public to join him in creating two new works through live participation. 

The first is a continuation of Stitching Revolutions, a project led by Waltener and organized by Craftspace and the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace in 2010. Members of the public at Siobhan Davies Studios will encounter craft as a performance as they are encouraged to work on two overlocking machines, reconstructing a piece of fabric from old clothes. The stitchers will pass and receive their continuous creation, as though having a silent conversation. The strip will then be wound on a giant bobbin to accompany the Stitching Revolutions piece (Stitching Score #1) already hanging on the wall in horizontal lines, like a piece of text documenting the stitchers’ interactions. 

The second work explores the relationship between stepping and stitching. Participants will act as human bobbins, weaving yarn across the space. This references the opening performance of Waltener’s exhibition, where dancers use the Studios’ staircase as a loom to weave on.

Performance and Artist in Conversation

Friday 17 February

A performance will take place to re-make Stairwell Suite. This will be followed by a discussion between Shane Waltener, Patricia Lyons, and Stairwell Suite dance artist Laura Glaser, in which they will discuss Waltener’s work.

Patricia Lyons works with live and recorded sound, music and performance. She is the founder and director of the art and music label LoveHowlMuse. She writes and lectures on art, performance, punk and digital activism.

Laura Glaser is a dance artist and teaches contemporary and creative dance classes at Siobhan Davies Studios.

About Shane Waltener

Shane Waltener is a London based artist and lecturer. A sculptor by training, his work draws inspiration from craft traditions and processes, ranging from textiles and basketry to sugarcraft.  Projects by the artist, usually site responsive, often involve the public in the production of objects and installations, and aim to prompt a renewed engagement with visual art through the process of making. The artist regularly exhibits internationally and teaches at the University of the Arts, London.

Waltener is currently working on projects with the artist and makers collective Intelligent Trouble, and is co-authoring a book with Stella Harding on basketry, published by A&C Black, due out in February 2012. A book launch will be held at Siobhan Davies Studios on Friday 24 February.

About Siobhan Davies Studios

Siobhan Davies Dance is one of the country’s most outstanding and innovative dance companies and choreographer Siobhan Davies advocates for the wider recognition of dance as a significant and extraordinary art form. The Company’s RIBA award-winning building, Siobhan Davies Studios in Southwark, South London, provides a local, national and international resource for learning about movement and dance, and a meeting ground to discuss new ideas.  It presents a varied programme of events, performances, talks, artists’ sharings and visual art exhibitions.