Felt art has Asian roots

Jun 27 2008 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

‘FLOOR Felt and Floor Cloth’ is an exhibition in Newburgh by Jeanette Sendler, Fife Arts Co-operative Partners’ artist in residence 2007 to 2008.

Based in Newburgh, Jeanette became inspired by the village’s historic past in the cottage weaving industry. Later jute was woven in Dundee and used as part of the floor cloth/linoleum industry in the town.

In ‘Floor Felt and Floor Cloth,’ Jeanette brings together new skills and experiences discovered during the residency with her expertise in tailoring, knitting, felting, printing and weaving. One theme running through the work is the link between the decorations used in floor cloth made in the Newburgh area with floor felt from central Asia.

“Richly patterned fragments of original lino led me to think about the variety of surface designs,” she said. “This resonated with my previous research into patterned felt flooring in Central Asia.

“Felt making is an ancient craft and its roots take you back to Central Asia.

The exhibition in The Steeple is presented by Fife Contemporary Art and Craft and runs from tomorrow until July 13.