Tales in the West Tower
First Bear. A tale about a first love
Mum’s mum, Somerset West Granny, arrived in Johannesburg wearing a hat and white gloves, clasping a new golden bear to meet me, her first granddaughter. We posed for photos with the bear and me. But my first real love was Blue Bunny, whose rather large satin-lined ears I nibbled and rubbed between my fingers until they were in tatters. After my tonsils came out at five, the doctor decided I was allergic to dust mites, and all soft toys had to go as they were, beyond a doubt, dust mite collectors encouraging allergic illnesses. My mum, a trained nursing sister, knew how to execute doctors’ orders. Only the golden bear survived the cull. Bear sat on the shelf for so long and so still that it looked like the sun shined out of his bum.
Rosebud. Another tale about a first love
Two and a Half Women. A tale about repetitive play
Kaleidoscope Flower
A Penny Saved. A tale about impulsive spending
We All Pat the Cheese. A song about exclusion and a poem about inclusion.
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine. A tale aboud ADHD
No stitching, and my mind would ladder like a woollen jumper, A Stitch in Time Saves Nine.
Bridget worked on this tablecloth from the age of 8 until her early 20s. The ancient Japanese art of 'Sashiko' or 'little stabs' involves running stitch repair and the reuse of scraps of fabric 'Boro' to give fabric a second life. This is founded on two philosophies. 'Mottainai' represents a positive frugality and regret over unnecessary waste. 'Wabi-sabi' is the endeavour to find beauty in imperfection and the passage of time. Bridget was affectionately called ‘Bridget the fidget’ by her family. Like many neurodiverse individuals, Bridget has a constant need to fiddle or 'stim'. This is an itching need for repetitive movement to be able to stay in the present or to embrace a mindful or quiet place. This neurodiversity was probably put to good use by all the ancient craftspeople who spun thread and stitched or wove cloth. Now, as many fidget on their phones, this art installation calls us back to the 'mend and make do' practices that were commonplace just two generations ago.
https://ourhands.co.uk/blogs/journal/what-is-sashiko-learn-the-art-of-japanese-visible-mending
Two Bad Mice. A tale about the desire for real miniature treasures.
Here Comes A Candle. A tale about grooming
TRIGGER ALERT!
Searching for a Perfect Circle. A tale about neurodiversity
It was said that my great-grandad, F.W. Armstrong, could draw a perfect circle freehand.
Having tried and failed to draw perfect circles, I began to collect rounded stone spheres and disks from the sea, rivers, and streams. I spent hours of happiness playing with my finds, feeling their almost spherical nature in my fingers.
