Jay Hutchinson: Across from the court, on the way to the mall

Jay Hutchinson: Across from the court, on the way to the mall

Jay Hutchinson is an embroidery artist with a twist. He has a longstanding fascination with street culture, which he expresses in his art works by contrasting the quick nature of graffiti with the slow and careful practice of needle-point.

His installation in The Dowse window showed Hutchinson’s interest in psychogeography—or how we relate to the places we live—and how these places effect our emotions and behaviour. A set of street signs installed backwards in a gallery window is somewhat unusual, especially when they are near perfect, embroidered copies of two in the immediate vicinity. By reproducing these signs in an unusual way, Hutchinson catches us by surprise: drawing attention to how we move between buildings like The Dowse and Queensgate mall, and how we navigate the city. In doing so, the artist prompts us to consider how we feel about where we live: what we’re proud of or frustrated by and what we hope for in the future.

The Dowse Art Museum | 07 Oct 2017 – 25 Feb 2018