CLOSE KNIT ART PIECE TO BE LAUNCHED BY DUCHESS AT OMAGH COMMUNITY HOUSE
Close Knit' art piece to be launched by Duchess at Omagh Community House
A stunning piece of textile art, entitled 'Close Knit', will be launched by the Duchess of Abercorn at Omagh Community House tomorrow (Friday), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb.
The pair of wall hangings is the outcome of a project to give young people in Omagh a voice, and listen to their dreams and aspirations for their home town.
In the aftermath of the bomb, the Duchess recognised a great need to give to the young people of the town and was a driving force in the establishment of the Omagh Youth Community Choir, of which she remains the patron.
Now, 10 years on, she realised that today's generation of young people should be given a voice, a means of expressing themselves and harnessing their creativity and energy.
Following a Youth Convention Day, which was held at Baronscourt in April of this year, the young people wanted to mark the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb by creating something which would be symbolic for the future of Omagh.
The inspiration for the art piece is a headline which appeared in the media very shortly after the bomb. It read: 'This morning in Omagh the sun rose again'.
The sun in the first piece is a nurturing and life giving force which is ever present in everyone's lives.
It is very fitting that the healing energy of the sun should be captured and harnessed to reflect the dreams and wishes of the young people in Omagh. It is a powerful and enduring symbol of hope and encouragement for the future.
Finishing touches to the piece were carried out on Monday, before the piece was transferred to the Community House in time for the official unveiling this Friday.
The acronym OMAGH spells out a positive message for all and this is further echoed in the words and sentiments of the young students.
Some of the phrases are in Spanish to take cognisance of all those involved on that fateful day. These words permeate the fabric and are completed in machine stitch, with phrases such as 'look to the future', 'respect for others', 'friends', and 'follow your heart'.
The theme of sunlight and reflection for the textile piece resonates with the theme of the 'Garden of Light' Memorial which is that 'light unites us all in that it makes all life possible'.
The second wall hanging comprises 10 pieces which are representative of the 10 years since the Omagh atrocity and are an attempt to capture the mood and atmosphere of the town, a fact further underlined by the gradation in colour, moving from the very dark days and years toward a brighter and more positive future.
Each piece is machine and hand-stitched and the rhythm of this stitch is crucial to the impetus of the work.
The first piece is very heavily stitched, indicative of such a tortured and troubled time, this lessens and calms as the years progress. It is attached to the second piece with a web like stitch which, although fragile in appearance, serves to illustrate the strength and resilience of those injured and bereaved. This cobweb of stitch has 29 holes and two little flowers to represent the lives that were lost that day.
Each of the subsequent pieces is held together with stitch and metal to underline the tenacity of Omagh and its people as the town was slowly rebuilt.
Felt forms the basis for both these wall hangings. It is made from merino wool fibres which are laid down in a warp and weft pattern. The fibres are then wetted and rolled between sheets of bubble wrap. This causes the fibres to mesh together and shrink which produces a strong and durable fabric. The sunshine piece initially measured six foot wide by twelve foot in length but after extensive rolling this shrunk to produce a final piece measuring four and a half foot by nine foot long.
More than 20 young people from both sides of the community worked together, under the direction of artist Teresa Poyntz, to create 'Close Knit'. The project was supported by Omagh District Council through its community relations section and the Western Education and Library Board's Creative Youth Partnership. This evocative work of art will hang in the window of the Community House as a permanent reminder of the creativity and positive dreams of the young people in Omagh in 2008.
A stunning piece of textile art, entitled 'Close Knit', will be launched by the Duchess of Abercorn at Omagh Community House tomorrow (Friday), to mark the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb.
The pair of wall hangings is the outcome of a project to give young people in Omagh a voice, and listen to their dreams and aspirations for their home town.
In the aftermath of the bomb, the Duchess recognised a great need to give to the young people of the town and was a driving force in the establishment of the Omagh Youth Community Choir, of which she remains the patron.
Now, 10 years on, she realised that today's generation of young people should be given a voice, a means of expressing themselves and harnessing their creativity and energy.
Following a Youth Convention Day, which was held at Baronscourt in April of this year, the young people wanted to mark the 10th anniversary of the Omagh bomb by creating something which would be symbolic for the future of Omagh.
The inspiration for the art piece is a headline which appeared in the media very shortly after the bomb. It read: 'This morning in Omagh the sun rose again'.
The sun in the first piece is a nurturing and life giving force which is ever present in everyone's lives.
It is very fitting that the healing energy of the sun should be captured and harnessed to reflect the dreams and wishes of the young people in Omagh. It is a powerful and enduring symbol of hope and encouragement for the future.
Finishing touches to the piece were carried out on Monday, before the piece was transferred to the Community House in time for the official unveiling this Friday.
The acronym OMAGH spells out a positive message for all and this is further echoed in the words and sentiments of the young students.
Some of the phrases are in Spanish to take cognisance of all those involved on that fateful day. These words permeate the fabric and are completed in machine stitch, with phrases such as 'look to the future', 'respect for others', 'friends', and 'follow your heart'.
The theme of sunlight and reflection for the textile piece resonates with the theme of the 'Garden of Light' Memorial which is that 'light unites us all in that it makes all life possible'.
The second wall hanging comprises 10 pieces which are representative of the 10 years since the Omagh atrocity and are an attempt to capture the mood and atmosphere of the town, a fact further underlined by the gradation in colour, moving from the very dark days and years toward a brighter and more positive future.
Each piece is machine and hand-stitched and the rhythm of this stitch is crucial to the impetus of the work.
The first piece is very heavily stitched, indicative of such a tortured and troubled time, this lessens and calms as the years progress. It is attached to the second piece with a web like stitch which, although fragile in appearance, serves to illustrate the strength and resilience of those injured and bereaved. This cobweb of stitch has 29 holes and two little flowers to represent the lives that were lost that day.
Each of the subsequent pieces is held together with stitch and metal to underline the tenacity of Omagh and its people as the town was slowly rebuilt.
Felt forms the basis for both these wall hangings. It is made from merino wool fibres which are laid down in a warp and weft pattern. The fibres are then wetted and rolled between sheets of bubble wrap. This causes the fibres to mesh together and shrink which produces a strong and durable fabric. The sunshine piece initially measured six foot wide by twelve foot in length but after extensive rolling this shrunk to produce a final piece measuring four and a half foot by nine foot long.
More than 20 young people from both sides of the community worked together, under the direction of artist Teresa Poyntz, to create 'Close Knit'. The project was supported by Omagh District Council through its community relations section and the Western Education and Library Board's Creative Youth Partnership. This evocative work of art will hang in the window of the Community House as a permanent reminder of the creativity and positive dreams of the young people in Omagh in 2008.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC10An/05
Published Date: 07-Aug-08
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