My residency at The Muse Gallery

The residency is finished, the exhibition has come down but you can see images of some of the pieces here: www.stephaniesmart.net

Pictures from the exhibition!

I recently suggested a collaboration to Steve Joyce (www.stevejoyce.co.uk) who I’d met (online only) through an enquiry re. the AA2A scheme a year ago. His screen print called ‘Tracing the Everyday 2’ which I saw on his a-n blog is of a beautiful paper-cut/doily with a foetus at its centre and it immediately seemed to tie in perfectly with the series of four garments I’m producing in red and white; a series about the female cycle.

Originally I was disinclined to make any direct reference to pregnancy but his beautiful and clever image had me change my mind.

I then thought I’d incorporate it into a design I’d planned for a long dress as part of the series but as I worked toward that, the piece itself created another and I’m excited about the result. My interest in metaphorical translucency (and my past work with glass) has also had an influence as I will be displaying the piece so that light passes through its centre. In the end it had to become less a collaboration (given my timing) and more a case of my asking instead for his permission to reproduce his design – which he very kindly granted. But we have in mind future discussions and a proper collaboration, watch this space…!