After an acclaimed run at the William Morris Gallery in London (see COVER 37), ‘Tangled Yarns’ can now be seen at Sir Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mills in Cromford. A solo exhibition by London-based artist Alke Schmidt, ‘Tangled Yarns’ explores the politics of cotton and the global textile industry. The new venue suits the topic; built between 1771 and 1791, Sir Richard Arkwright’s mills at Cromford were the world’s first successful water-powered cotton-spinning mills and the blueprint of modern factory production. Schmidt has created a new piece specially for the second leg of the exhibition, A Man of Consequences, inspired by the surroundings and Arkwright’s innovations.
‘Tangled Yarns’ is open daily at the Cromford Mills until 25 October.
Alke Schmidt, A Man of Consequences, oil, metal powder and mica on 18th-century style toile de Jouy fabric
Alke Schmidt, Morris’s Dilemma (2014), oil on printed Morris & Co fabric (‘Honeysuckle & Tulip’, linen and nylon mix)
