Ancient art – modern style
Above: Jennie's tapestries are proving a popular art choice
OVER the last few years there has been a revival in tapestry wall-hangings. And why not? Tapestries have seen various periods of popularity dating back to before medieval times, when they were used mainly to illustrate bible stories to illiterate church goers, and woven work of superior standard was used by both the ancient Egyptians and the Incas. During the Renaissance and Art and Craft periods tapestries were once again ‘fashionable’ but nothing quite like the work of modern textile artist, Jennie Moncur.
Jennie lives and works from her studio in Gilston on the Hertfordshire/Essex border and it is from here that elaborate tapestries, quite like you’ve never seen before, are woven – intricately, colourfully and painfully slowly.
Jennie says each tapestry takes months to complete, even after the initial cartoons or computerised image has been drawn. This is partly due to the intricacy of Jennie’s designs but also because she rarely uses less than 20 coloured yarns in each creation. Butterflies (small bundles) of yarn (the weft) hang in anticipation between uses as Jennie’s tapestries are meticulously hand woven on a huge loom, from behind which the cartoon is placed, behind the warp threads. This cartoon helps Jennie determine what part of the tapestry she weaves next, although she has to keep to reasonably even heights in order that the tapestry can be rolled around the loom, before she can work on the upper sections.
Strong colours are very much part of Jennie’s unique style combined with the use of any one or a combination of yarns such as wool, mohair, linen, silk or cotton. Her flamboyant images merge a collage of bold colour and picture in large geographical shapes that are intricately and almost seamlessly woven together, so the eye can barely see where one panel ends and another begins. Often between the panels of colour is a sense of the natural world, with her love of flora evident and inspiration coming from her garden.
Jennie is however, meticulous about everything she does. Each tapestry has woven in the start and completion date, so she knows how long each one has taken, and her projects are numbered. Her most recently completed project was numbered 146 but that spans 20 years, of these she estimates more than 50 were tapestries.
Jennie studied at Goldsmith’s College, University of London, before specialising as a tapestry weaver at the Royal College of Art, London. Her early career took her away from textiles when she dabbled in an unusually wide range of commissions in other mediums including laser cut linoleum flooring at the ICA, London, and 22 painted railway bridges in and around Gateshead, but having trained in textiles, she is now concentrating on her tapestry.
These alternative works gave her new ideas and different perspectives from which she can now draw inspiration but they also brought her name into the spotlight.
Find out more
To see examples of Jennie’s work, visit
www.jenniemoncur.com. Email Jennie at
email@jenniemoncur.com or call her on 07773 280890