WORK OF THE WEEK: Gillian Ayres, A Hand Knotted Carpet
Gillian Ayres
A Hand Knotted Carpet
Woven initials to front, label to back
262 x 254 cm
103.1 x 100 in.
Edition 4 of 10
£8,000 + VAT
This carpet is one of two collaborations between Gillian Ayres and Christopher Farr. For Ayres, any design for textiles had to contain the essence of the original inspiration: her painting. Colour, joy and the movement of her brushstroke were captured, resulting in contemporary, hand-woven rug design turned fine art. Edition 1 of this work was shown at the Royal College of Art between 1991 and 1993.
At the age of 16 Ayres enrolled at Camberwell College of Art, and began her influential and decorated career as an artist, gallerist and teacher, underpinned by an irrefutable love of painting. She was awarded an OBE in 1986, and elected as a Royal Academician in 1991.
Gillian Ayres’ work has been exhibited widely. Major solo exhibitions include the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff (2017); Southampton City Art Gallery (2005); Royal Academy of Arts, London (1997); Manchester City Art Gallery (1993); Serpentine Gallery, London (1983); Museum of Modern Art Oxford (1981) and at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge (1978). Ayres' paintings and prints are held by major museums and galleries around the world including the Tate, London; British Museum, London; Arts Council, London; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; Ulster Museum, Belfast; National Museum of Wales, Cardiff; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven and the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.