Blackadder first worked with Dovecot weavers in 1966 on an interpretation of her Still Life (Tulips); Dovecot would go on to make a further 28 tapestries and five rugs with the artist during her lifetime. She was one of the first major women artists Dovecot worked with, just two years after the employment of the Studio’s first woman weaver. The ‘Scottish Collection’ of tapestries produced to mark Dovecot’s 75th anniversary in 1987 featured two made with Blackadder, and she was a vital part of the institution’s efforts to define itself as a specifically Scottish tapestry studio.
Blackadder’s vivid use of colour and exploration of the spaces between objects proffers considerable opportunity for the weavers to make the most of their knowledge and skill. This collaborative relationship flourished thanks to the mutual appreciation that developed between Blackadder and the weavers interpreting her work. The weavers knew Blackadder would quickly and reliably provide a design that could be made into a successful tapestry, while Blackadder trusted the weavers enough to remain open to their suggested edits or adjustments. To celebrate Blackadder’s weaving legacy and Dovecot’s long and fruitful relationship with the artist, Dovecot has woven Still Life with Chequered Box as the perfect way to sum up a beautiful relationship that lasted over half a century.
Marking this significant year in her career, Dovecot Studios have worked with Victoria Crowe to create a new tapestry inspired by a detail from her painting, Twilight, Venice, 2014. Like many of Victoria’s Venetian paintings, Twilight Venice features rich colours of a jewellike quality that reflect the intangible preciousness of the city. Engaging with the textural complexity of the painting, Dovecot Master Weavers David Cochrane and Naomi Robertson, and Dovecot weaver Rudi Richardson are creating a sumptuous interpretation of the work that captures the tones and shades of twilight in a new way.
We have created a visual blog to give further information and insight into this wonderful new work.
Dovecot have a long-standing relationship with Crowe, which begun in 2007 with the tapestry Two Views commissioned by the Duke of Buccleuch. Dovecot weavers and the artist have worked on significant projects including an iconic 40-metre tapestry for The Leathersellers’ Company, London, and Large Tree Group, which was woven entirely with undyed wool.
Please contact The Gallery for further information:
The Scottish Gallery | 0131 558 1200 | mail@scottish-gallery.co.uk
Elizabeth Blackadder was born in Falkirk in 1931. She studied at ECA from 1949 until 1954 under Robert Henderson Blyth and William Gillies inter alia and earned travelling scholarships to southern Europe and Italy. In 1956 she married artist and fellow Scottish Gallery exhibitor John Houston and began teaching in Edinburgh. She taught at Edinburgh College of Art from 1962 until her retirement in 1986. One of Scotland’s greatest artists, she also garners recognition and success in London. In 1972, Blackadder was elected member of the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh and in 1976 she gained entry at the Royal Academy, London – the first woman to be elected into both institutions. In 2001, Elizabeth was made the first female Artist Limner by HRH The Queen, a position within the Royal Household unique to Scotland. One decade later, in 2011 (the year she turned 80) a major retrospective of her work opened at the National Galleries of Scotland.