Jeanette Sendler : Mapping The Body

23rd April until 12th June

Tailoring is about the perfect fit. Body shape and measurements are taken into account before any design is considered. Body size, pattern design, and the material used all contribute to each individual ‘look’. Today, for some people, this individuality has all but disappeared; lost through mass production and cost cutting by the clothing industry.

Textile artist Jeanette Sendler trained as a ladies’ tailor and explored the anatomy of the individual body with a tailor’s eye. Her work is about an appreciation for detail, showing the beauty and complexity of clothing based on pattern cutting. Jeanette spent a week in the Timespan archives, investigating the local history of garment cutting and tailoring. She was also inspired by a series of old maps of the geographical area. Working with the marks and lines contained in these maps, she draws parallels between them and the marks of a paper pattern, designed to map the body.