Mining Couture (ROTOR)

'Mining Couture' explores a relationship between coal mining and fashion; the concept emerged from an art commission at Snibston Discovery Museum in North West Wales Leicestershire. Snibston is based on an ex-colliery which also houses one of the largest fashion collections outside of London. 'Mining Couture' resulted in a series of mini-projects and interventions that are founded on site-conditional and artist-in-residence contexts; weaving human narratives, places and activites into the content and production of the work. The exhibition features the design of work-wear within the everyday and considers how work-wear designs manifest themselves within broader community settings. For example Barber Swindells attempt to re-work the inflatable/deflatable sculpture 'One to Twenty' in relation to 'Mining Couture.' In the re-work Barber Swindells begin to ask questions about pattern making, of inhale/exhale and simple graphic form. Although 'One to Twenty' appears flat the surfaces creases and folds show traces of crawling, physical repetition and a space for reading. The video audio might also suggest the pounding away at the coalface or of the repetitive sound of the sewing machine.

Working across art and craft disciplines Barber Swindells have no restrictions on media, where the relationship between site, community, production and interpretation are conflated into one composite form. Clothes, fashion designs, artist’s drawings, paintings, inflatable sculptures, video and photography explore this latency as a simultaneous interface between artist and audience.

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