THAT’S A L L FOLK

British Folk Art at Tate Britain shows the many faces of creative practice

There are many, sometimes contradictory ideas about what defines folk art. Seen from the perspectives of art history, material culture studies, design history, anthropology or social history, or from the viewpoint of the artist, collector, or antiques dealer, folk art can be any number of things: the expression of individual eccentricity or of shared cultural values, a convenient label or a powerful ideal of authenticity.

There is only a rather general agreement that it is made by people working beyond the artistic mainstream, often in unconventional media. So this summer’s exhibition at Tate Britain, British Folk Art, does not offer a ‘representative’ selection of different media and genres. The category is far too complex for that. Instead, it presents a series of encounters with often wildly different kinds of artworks and artefacts ranging from the intricate and intimate to the bold and monumental.

Textile art in its various manifestations has an emphatic presence across the exhibition, perhaps far more emphatic than the curators of the show might have originally anticipated given our backgrounds in painting and art history. Whether in the form of pincushions, samplers, pictorial collages, needle-paintings, or quilts and coverlets of the most ambitious character, thread and fabric often prevailed as we explored collections across Britain in search of the most striking and intriguing objects classed as folk art. Considered together, they also extend and complicate the idea of folk art, and challenge the assumptions which are sometimes made about the gender and social identity of folk artists.

The embroidered samplers made by girls and young women as part of their domestic education might be considered as classic folk art. But they were made in generally affluent households by women from the elite classes, and could incorporate scientific and geographical imagery which testify to a degree of intellectual engagement not usually expected of the folk artist (so often imagined as ‘naïve’ and rustic). Meanwhile, if embroidery has so often been cast as a feminine pastime, there is a striking gender balance in the textile art represented in the exhibition. There are a number of examples of traditional sailors’ woolworks, like the picture of the private yacht Sunbeam sailing up the River Solent, created by Gunner Baldie, a member of the Royal Artillery who probably sailed with the vessel in the late 1870s.

The flattened perspective and idiosyncratic, abstract sense of colour of such works give them a character similar to the naïve paintings of rural life and livestock which are the most familiar examples of British folk art; the stitchwork may reflect the rudimentary sewing skills expected of all seamen, but the varied, often directional stitches provide a textural, even sculptural, quality which is quite distinctive. There are also many examples of ornamental textiles made by soldiers, either as modest souvenirs for loved ones or as a form of therapy among injured or retired servicemen.

Highly decorative works, such as the quilt from Tunbridge Wells Museum made by wounded Crimean War soldiers from scraps of brightly coloured uniforms, defy any assumption that ornamental intricacy and a love of colour are somehow traditionally female preserves.

The famous patchwork coverlet by the tailor James Williams of Wrexham has long been considered a classic of British folk art. Taking over a decade to complete (1842-52) and incorporating over 4,500 separate pieces, the coverlet combines enormous industry and skill with an idiosyncratic artistic imagination. The striking geometric patterns, flora, fauna and national and biblical symbolism speak powerfully of an individual creative mind and a sense of cultural rootedness. But at the same time, the work is a celebration of modernity, with prominence given to representations of the Menai Suspension Bridge (completed in 1826) and a steam train crossing the Cefn Railway Viaduct (completed only in 1848, while Williams continued work on his masterpiece). While folk art is often thought of as overwhelmingly nostalgic and ruralist, here instead is a highly imaginative engagement with the modern world. 4

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