From ROSA #8, Jessica Wood meets textile artist Claire Benn.

Co-founder of Committed to Cloth, a renowned textile teaching practice, Claire Benn is also famed for her minimalist art textiles inspired by the solitude and stillness of wilderness landscapes. Working with heavy cotton, linen and hemp, she combines earth pigments with hand stitching, celebrating the process of ‘slow stitch’ as a meditative act. I asked for her insights into textile art and advice on buying it.
Why do you work with textiles as opposed to other media?
Annie Albers described cloth as ‘the pliable plane’ and that’s why I choose to use it. A piece of cloth is so forgiving – you can dye it, paint it with any kind of medium, cut it, tear it, burn it, fold and pleat it, wrap it, stitch it, unpick it, deconstruct it – and still it responds and adapts. I also respond to the tactile quality of it, the feel of different fibres, the weave structures, the drape. It will always be my substrate of choice.
How do you choose materials for your work?
I began my art career with fibre-reactive dyes which enabled me to explore many surface design or application techniques. I then moved to using acrylic mediums and earth pigments when I needed the literal, textural physicality of a paint. Now, I work with earth pigments and bind them to the cloth using soya milk. This gives me a direct connection to the land and is also an eco-friendly way of working. Earth pigments (bound with soya oracylic mediums) are also light-fast, an important consideration when making art.
What techniques do you use and why?
Having used many application techniques, I now work almost exclusively with brushes. I love the sensuous feel of a pigmentloaded brush gliding over the surface of the cloth and the soft textures I can generate are very in keeping for the quiet, reductive artwork I make. Stitch is also important in my work, adding small accents, details and a texture that fingertips can feel.
Who are the names in contemporary textile art that we should know about?
Dorothy Caldwell – a Canadian artist – would be top of my list. Her work explores the impact of humanity on the land and is communicated through the translation of marks found within the landscape and collected items from the landscape. Other established names include Matthew Harris, Pauline Burbidge, Nancy Crow, Alice Kettle, Faith Ringold, Judith Scott, El Anatsui and Shelia Hicks. Less established but very talented are Audrey Walker MBE, Susie Koren, Gizella Warburton, Beverly AylingSmith, Gerri Spilka, Alice Fox, Petra Fallaux, Jo Lovelock, Caroline Bartlett, Jo Budd, Hilary Bower , Helen Parrot, Michael Brennand-Wood, Gavin Fry and Debbie Lyddon.
Do you collect art textiles? If so, please guide us through how you choose them.
I do collect, and in terms of how I make a choice it’s the same as with any artwork. It has to have content, that is an intangible and very personal thing that resonates with me; that sets off a response in my body, a fluttering or even a hammer blow in my chest or stomach. I respond to quiet, minimal and reductive work so that’s what I tend to buy and although I appreciate colourful, dynamic work, it’s not my preference to live with it in my home.
What sort of prices should we be paying?
That will depend hugely on the size of the work and how well-known or established the artist is. It might be anything from £150 for a small piece from an emerging artist to many thousands for a large work from someone who’s established (Matthew Harris, Nancy Crow, Dorothy Caldwell or Alice Kettle). The processes involved in the making of the work will also influence the price as some, such as weaving, constructing or hand stitching, are incredibly time-consuming.
What advice would you give to would-be collectors about installing art trextiles?
Don’t be afraid of them! Don’t worry about how you’ll look after them. Textile pieces may not be framed or presented in a way people might be used to, but a good maker/artist will have thought about how to present the work well, finished it accordingly and provided the necessary hanging devices –usually with clear instructions on hanging and care. Most pieces simply require a light shaking, a pass with the vacuum cleaner set as low as possible, or a blow-over with a compressed air canister. I’ve had the same pieces on my walls for many, many years and they’re all as good as the day I hung them.
Is there anything we should know about preserving textiles?
Don’t hang them in direct sunlight or in very strong light conditions – but that would be true for most works of art, regardless of the medium. Silk is estimated to have a 30-year lifespan but can actually last much longer. Most cellulose fibres (linen, hemp. ramie, cotton) will potentially last longer than protein fibre, such as silk or wool, and do not have the attraction to moths that wool may have.
Are there any benefits to collecting textiles over other art forms?
Probably not as buying art is such a personal thing and we’re all influenced by our preferences in terms what we respond to. But I think anyone who’s unfamiliar with what textile art can offer would be astonished at the diversity, the innovation and the beauty that’s available out there. And there are bargains to be had from the less-established makers. But buy what you respond to, not as an investment.
Where do you recommend we start learning about the medium?
The 62 Group are a good starting point as their membership changes and evolves and embraces a huge breadth and depth of work. Ann Symes at Gallery 57 usually showcases textiles in her mixed-discipline exhibitions and I’ve shown with Flow Gallery in London and with them at Collect. Jaggedart often represent textiles and Candida Stevens Gallery represents Alice Kettle. And just google ‘British Contemporary Textile Artists’ to see what you get! Look for local exhibitions in your area, check out the Crafts Council Makers Directory (craftscouncil.org.uk) and explore online resources, such as findamaker.co.uk