Exhibitions
Structurally Unsound, Ruth Petersen
Visit Structurally Unsound, a new sculptural exhibition by textile artist Ruth Petersen
Ruth Petersen is a textile artist, who’s practice focuses on socio-political themes, stemming from her experience living in The Ledbury Estate; four thirteen-storey H-shaped tower blocks in the London Borough of Southwark; only now deemed to be structurally unsound since their construction in the late sixties.
Steered by the injustices of social housing; the most basic of needs, Structurally Unsound looks at the impact of value engineering, the search for an imagined utopia and how this can lead to the degradation of occupants’ self respect. Ruth delves through newspaper articles and government statistics to inform her work, with a primary focus on high-rise tower blocks, illustrating the statistics in various ways and interpreting policies through sculpture.
She conveys these themes in woven form, occasionally enmeshed with ceramic, symbolising how all our lives are interconnected. The combination of various materials; the soft threads of nature with the starched fibres of industry form the crumbling structures, depicting the frail and delicate framework to highlight these construction failures. The emphasis on, no matter the structural foundations of a home there is always a fragility in life.
The sculptures initially start out on the loom; weaving stainless steel wire with some insertions of iron and brass, to create a bespoke metal cloth which is then folded and shaped into a three dimensional form that is dipped in ceramic slip and fired in a kiln. The introduction of heat across the two mediums creates different responses, injecting an element of risk, potential for distortion and splitting. The cracks that appear can be seen to represent the cracks found in so many poorly built and maintained housing blocks. Emulating the cladding scandal, a ‘protective layer’ coats the final structure, contributing strongly to the aesthetic but not really protecting it – further highlighting that these structures are not fit for purpose.
About the artist
Based in Carmarthenshire, West Wales, Ruth started her career in theatre wardrobe before starting a family. Once her children were grown, Ruth studied textiles at The Carmarthen School of Art where she discovered weaving. She followed with an MA at UWTSD (The University of Wales Trinity Saint David) Swansea School of Art and graduated in January 2023
Steered by the injustices of social housing; the most basic of needs, Structurally Unsound looks at the impact of value engineering, the search for an imagined utopia and how this can lead to the degradation of occupants’ self respect. Ruth delves through newspaper articles and government statistics to inform her work, with a primary focus on high-rise tower blocks, illustrating the statistics in various ways and interpreting policies through sculpture.
She conveys these themes in woven form, occasionally enmeshed with ceramic, symbolising how all our lives are interconnected. The combination of various materials; the soft threads of nature with the starched fibres of industry form the crumbling structures, depicting the frail and delicate framework to highlight these construction failures. The emphasis on, no matter the structural foundations of a home there is always a fragility in life.
The sculptures initially start out on the loom; weaving stainless steel wire with some insertions of iron and brass, to create a bespoke metal cloth which is then folded and shaped into a three dimensional form that is dipped in ceramic slip and fired in a kiln. The introduction of heat across the two mediums creates different responses, injecting an element of risk, potential for distortion and splitting. The cracks that appear can be seen to represent the cracks found in so many poorly built and maintained housing blocks. Emulating the cladding scandal, a ‘protective layer’ coats the final structure, contributing strongly to the aesthetic but not really protecting it – further highlighting that these structures are not fit for purpose.
About the artist
Based in Carmarthenshire, West Wales, Ruth started her career in theatre wardrobe before starting a family. Once her children were grown, Ruth studied textiles at The Carmarthen School of Art where she discovered weaving. She followed with an MA at UWTSD (The University of Wales Trinity Saint David) Swansea School of Art and graduated in January 2023
CREDIT
