No Borders Installation

No Borders Installation at Carlisle Library (seen from beneath)

Wow, I've had such a busy week! As part of Impecunious I've been working on some giant puppets which went down to Chester this weekend, I've been back to James Rennie to finish off the rag-rug piece, I've been doing my 'normal' jobs and I've run a tote bag making workshop. I've also been working with the other artists who were running the other No Borders workshops to install the finished works in Carlisle Library.

View from 1st Floor

This involved figuring out how we were going to display all the individual pieces of work together (which required a lot of coffee and cake) as well as preparing all the individual pieces to be hung and making sure they'd been treated with fire retardant. For me, this involved wiring and then sewing spokes across the top of each of the fabric tubes so that they could be attached to the chains we were using so they would hang nicely. The other workshops had produced small houses, hot air balloons and various umbrella worlds.

Wiring and sewing spokes to support the tubes

Wiring and sewing spokes to support the tubes

We then had a limited amount of time actually in the library to attach all the work to a hanging grid (which hasn't been used in 25 years since the library was built) so we had to really work hard and help each other out. Despite the time pressures it was good to work with the other artists and I think we're all really pleased with the finished installation. At the start of a project like this it is difficult to know how, or even if, it will all work out so when everything comes together and all the hard work pays off there is a great sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Detail

Detail

The most exciting part will be when the participants, who made the actual work, get to see it all installed in a very public place. The work can be seen from outside the library as you approach it through the shopping centre as well as from both floors of the library.

Detail

Detail

This has been a really exciting project to work on, everyone involved has put so much into it and hopefully even more people will get something out of it and be inspired.