June 27 – September 15, 2019 | Opening reception Thursday June 27th from 7 – 9 PM

Perforations and Passages in printmaking and fibre arts. Featuring the work of Toronto artist Pam Lobb and Guelph artist Tammy Ratcliff.
In Fabric of Memory both artists are using print and textiles to explore narratives of nostalgia and memory that develop through the deconstructing, editing and reconstructing of materials.

Pam is working from a regional perspective, collecting handmade textiles from Huron and Perth counties.  She uses both handmade papers and a process of pouring paper pulp to encapsulate the textiles.  An effect that references porcelain is created by layering a series of monoprints on the surface.  The imagery is drawn from Victorian ceramic patterns and in combination with the patterns of the lace, a non-representational portrait of her home town emerges.

Tammy is inspired by the botanical world and its many examples of imperfection and impermanence.  From this viewpoint she uses traditional textile techniques to manipulate her etchings and monoprints on handmade paper, creating renditions of functional textile pieces.  Items whose utilitarian value might be lessened as they become threadbare and fragile through use are thus transformed into artifacts of shared memories and the passage of time.

This exhibition marks the second show that Lobb and Ratcliff have collaborated on.  The two began working together in Tammy’s studio as artist and assistant.  Pam was studying printmaking and sculpture when they first met and shortly after, Tammy became her mentor in 2007.  After Pam graduated, her position developed beyond the mentorship into that of professional studio assistant for the next five years. Pam’s practice was influenced by Tammy’s love of print and handmade papers and her interest in pushing the limits of this material. During this period of working in the studio, Pam’s sculptures were an influence on Tammy’s work and since then she has been exploring sculpture more in her practice. Their first show together, Paper and Lace at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art in 2012, marked the first time they worked together as peers and the end of their mentorship relationship.