Introduction
Pat Langford was an artist/embroiderer who died at the age of 75 in 2003. She contributed to the promotion of textile arts in Australia by drawing attention to the possibilities of embroidery as an expressive art form. Her embroidery is characterised by an acute observation of the world around her, an inventive approach to technique and a marvellous use of color. She explored the expressive possibilities of fabric and thread just as painters have explored those of brushstrokes and paint. By her own estimate she completed more than 300 major pieces, which were exhibited in many solo and group shows as well as in an innumerable number of smaller exhibitions. She authored a book, 'Embroidery from Sketch to Stitch' which was first published in 1996 by Kangaroo Press, Sydney (ISBN 0 7318 1008 2). The images below and texts have been taken from her publication. It is a wonderful testament to her art.
Enjoy!
Marie-Therese Wisniowski
The Embroidery Art of Pat Langford
Title: Kitchen Window.
Comment[1]: The shiny surfaces of paintwork, pots and glasses are illustrated in this piece using the simple richness of gold kid as a foil to the mass of detail.
Technique and Material[1]: Gold kid, one of the richest materials possible, was used as a background. It helps reveal the quality of light in this corner. The window was cut into the kid and the blue papers were laid behind. After a lot of machining copper leaf was added for the highlights.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Title: Spinifex Circle.
Comment[1]: The spinifex grass grows in wonderful roundish shapes, enlarging year-by-year as the center dies out. The formations can vary greatly, some growing as rings and some as domes. It is very easy to see why marsupial mice favour spinifex for their homes. The mystery of the spinifex circle seemed to be suggested by the small contained works.
Technique and Material[1]: Because the ground was very hard around the spinifex grass, I didn't use any padding here, just a piece of calico to support the fabric. Small pieces of organza were stitched down first. I then searched for different kinds of threads to cut up in short lengths which I attached in bundles to suggest the grass, plus many other small pieces of materials.
Size: 46 x 41 cm.
Title: Clutter in the Window.
Comment[1]: 'Clutter in the Window' exploits the quality of gold kid as a background to offset the mass of stitchery.
Technique and Material[1]: Also uses gold kid. This time smaller windows were cut and an etching laid behind. Just a suggestion of quilting is used for the window recess.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Title: After the Party.
Comment[1]: Suggests the emptiness of the house after everybody has left.
Technique and Material[1]: Uses layers of different colored paper with bands of gold, all machined together. Metal threads and gold leaf were added as final touches.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Title: Deep Windows.
Comment[1]: The dark blue paper emphasises the depth of the window.
Technique and Material[1]: A non reflective surface was used with different papers machined down and gold paint with gold leaf applied before cutting an irregular edge.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Title: Double Image.
Comment[1]: I mounted two windows side-by-side to make this special image. The gold machine stitching and the final overlay of gold leaf linked the works together, the two images revealing two moods at the same time.
Technique and Material[1]: The two parts of Double Image are on different backgrounds. The left-hand one uses paper. This time the windows were just outlined by machine with the highlight of the glass in painted gold paper. The right-hand side is worked on a non-reflective surface. This time the glass of the windows is suggested by gold kid and gold paper.
Title: The Rose Wall (detail view).
Comment[1]: It seemed to me that the rose was the dominant flower throughout England. Roses climbed over fences and arbours, there were separate rose gardens everywhere. This rose was spectacular as it climbed the inside wall of a house, almost reaching the roof.
Technique and Material[1]: Having chosen the fabric and colors from the flower heads, I transferred the gold paint onto the background fabric by doing a mono print. Using a thicker wadding I then quilted this part to give the suggestion of a brick or stone wall. The flowers were worked on water-soluble fabric, two layers stretched in an embroidery hoop to give extra strength while stitching. I used gold and copper metallic thread and Isofel in a metal needle with machine embroidery, using the same threads in the bobbin. The next step was to dip the fabric in a bowl of water to dissolve, leaving the flowers as a kind of embroidered appliqué to machine onto the background.
Size: 84 x 54 cm.
Title: Richard Grows Dahlias (detail view).
Comment[1]: Such a glow of color. My cousin Richard has a passion for dahlias so his back garden is full of different varieties: from the largest blooms to the smallest pom-poms. There seems to be new colors every time I look at his garden. His wife Val doesn't like dahlias and so he grows chrysanthemums for her.
Reference:
[1] P. Langford, Embroidery from Sketch to Stitch, Kangaroo Press, Sydney (1996).
Pat Langford was an artist/embroiderer who died at the age of 75 in 2003. She contributed to the promotion of textile arts in Australia by drawing attention to the possibilities of embroidery as an expressive art form. Her embroidery is characterised by an acute observation of the world around her, an inventive approach to technique and a marvellous use of color. She explored the expressive possibilities of fabric and thread just as painters have explored those of brushstrokes and paint. By her own estimate she completed more than 300 major pieces, which were exhibited in many solo and group shows as well as in an innumerable number of smaller exhibitions. She authored a book, 'Embroidery from Sketch to Stitch' which was first published in 1996 by Kangaroo Press, Sydney (ISBN 0 7318 1008 2). The images below and texts have been taken from her publication. It is a wonderful testament to her art.
Enjoy!
Marie-Therese Wisniowski
The Embroidery Art of Pat Langford
Comment[1]: The shiny surfaces of paintwork, pots and glasses are illustrated in this piece using the simple richness of gold kid as a foil to the mass of detail.
Technique and Material[1]: Gold kid, one of the richest materials possible, was used as a background. It helps reveal the quality of light in this corner. The window was cut into the kid and the blue papers were laid behind. After a lot of machining copper leaf was added for the highlights.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Comment[1]: The spinifex grass grows in wonderful roundish shapes, enlarging year-by-year as the center dies out. The formations can vary greatly, some growing as rings and some as domes. It is very easy to see why marsupial mice favour spinifex for their homes. The mystery of the spinifex circle seemed to be suggested by the small contained works.
Technique and Material[1]: Because the ground was very hard around the spinifex grass, I didn't use any padding here, just a piece of calico to support the fabric. Small pieces of organza were stitched down first. I then searched for different kinds of threads to cut up in short lengths which I attached in bundles to suggest the grass, plus many other small pieces of materials.
Size: 46 x 41 cm.
Comment[1]: 'Clutter in the Window' exploits the quality of gold kid as a background to offset the mass of stitchery.
Technique and Material[1]: Also uses gold kid. This time smaller windows were cut and an etching laid behind. Just a suggestion of quilting is used for the window recess.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Comment[1]: Suggests the emptiness of the house after everybody has left.
Technique and Material[1]: Uses layers of different colored paper with bands of gold, all machined together. Metal threads and gold leaf were added as final touches.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Comment[1]: The dark blue paper emphasises the depth of the window.
Technique and Material[1]: A non reflective surface was used with different papers machined down and gold paint with gold leaf applied before cutting an irregular edge.
Size: 32 x 38 cm.
Comment[1]: I mounted two windows side-by-side to make this special image. The gold machine stitching and the final overlay of gold leaf linked the works together, the two images revealing two moods at the same time.
Technique and Material[1]: The two parts of Double Image are on different backgrounds. The left-hand one uses paper. This time the windows were just outlined by machine with the highlight of the glass in painted gold paper. The right-hand side is worked on a non-reflective surface. This time the glass of the windows is suggested by gold kid and gold paper.
Comment[1]: It seemed to me that the rose was the dominant flower throughout England. Roses climbed over fences and arbours, there were separate rose gardens everywhere. This rose was spectacular as it climbed the inside wall of a house, almost reaching the roof.
Technique and Material[1]: Having chosen the fabric and colors from the flower heads, I transferred the gold paint onto the background fabric by doing a mono print. Using a thicker wadding I then quilted this part to give the suggestion of a brick or stone wall. The flowers were worked on water-soluble fabric, two layers stretched in an embroidery hoop to give extra strength while stitching. I used gold and copper metallic thread and Isofel in a metal needle with machine embroidery, using the same threads in the bobbin. The next step was to dip the fabric in a bowl of water to dissolve, leaving the flowers as a kind of embroidered appliqué to machine onto the background.
Size: 84 x 54 cm.
Comment[1]: Such a glow of color. My cousin Richard has a passion for dahlias so his back garden is full of different varieties: from the largest blooms to the smallest pom-poms. There seems to be new colors every time I look at his garden. His wife Val doesn't like dahlias and so he grows chrysanthemums for her.
Reference:
[1] P. Langford, Embroidery from Sketch to Stitch, Kangaroo Press, Sydney (1996).
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