Catherine Bertola British, b. 1976
The work alludes to the long and extraordinary history of the building, it’s ownership, wealth, abandonment and rescue, and acknowledges the more domestic aspect of the grand, bare brick walls as intimate spaces in which people lived and worked.
The work was inspired by medieval fairy and folk tales, which often used spinning as a metaphor, for the embodiment of the perfect woman and a means of escape from poverty. In a time when being a spinner was the most common occupation for women, being good at spinning and needlework were seen as a measure of goodness and an indication of piety and worthiness.
The title is taken from a song, sung by Habetrot in the folk tale Habetrot and the Scantlie Mab. Habetrot is a figure in Scottish/English folklore associated with spinning and the spinning wheel, wool, and the spiderweb.
Exhibitions
Unraveling the Manor House, Preston Manor, Brighton, UK,2010,Selected artists: Gavin Fry, James Hunting, Maria Rivans, Matt Smith, Louise Batchelor, Laura Splan, Kira O'Reilly, Penny Green, Catherine Bertola, Ingrid Plum, Emma Moloney and Caitlin Heffernan