Artist Betty Barnet Brown’s eye-grabbing tapestries will cover the grand façade of Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens in August.
The immersive pieces are not only breathtaking in scale, with the largest measuring a staggering 6m x 4m, but also visually striking.
Artist Betty with the tapestry of Fred (Image: HARVEY AND HUGO) Perhaps the most surreal is the tapestry adorned with Channel 4’s First Dates and BBC star Fred Sirieix, surrounded by massive trifle-blancmanges.
The installation, called REVEAL, will feature 11works hung across the 19th-century building.
Given the pieces are too big to be hung inside any home, the event is a “once in a lifetime” chance to see these heavily detailed pieces displayed at once, and the artist behind them expects it to be a visual feast.
“The size of these tapestries can’t be understated; I can spend 20 to 30 hours a week on one, and they can take anywhere from eight months to a year to complete, so the scale is really impressive,” said Betty, who trained in Fine Art at Chelsea and Camberwell alongside TV star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Betty has created the tapestries with gods, goats and Fred on (Image: HARVEY AND HUGO) “This is an audacious event, almost like an art flash mob – these tapestries are going to occupy the building, and the whole event feels larger than life.”
However, for those hoping to visit REVEAL, the window to do so is very narrow.
Currently, the installation is only scheduled to last for one day, while even the date itself is yet to be confirmed, due to the unpredictable nature of the British weather.
“The size of these pieces means it will take around three hours just to hang them, but despite their size, they are still fragile,” added Betty.
“Exposing them to heavy rain or wind could jeopardise them, so the final date will only be confirmed around ten days before the event, although the aim is to stage it on the first weekend of August (1st – 3rd).”
With a background in painting and drawing, and creating murals on the London Underground, Betty turned her hand to textiles around 12 years ago.
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For her, they provide a chance to make “big colourful statements”, and to fire the public’s imagination – something she hopes the Ushaw exhibition will achieve.
“Work like this shouldn’t be stored away somewhere; it should be seen, and this is a chance to do just that in a unique and special environment,” added Betty.
“This is about storytelling, and I love creating work that fires the imagination – hopefully, for those who experience it, this event will do just that.”
