Jenny Bennigsen, May 2020

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Trying to photograph textile art originally designed to be displayed in a gallery setting with controlled lighting has proved a little tricky in these strange days. The feeling of disappointment that something you have worked so hard to achieve will not be fully realised has been hard at times. Not to be beaten I decided to turn my lounge into a mini gallery and spent a Saturday moving furniture and rigging up lines to suspend my work. The results were mixed; the composition worked but the lighting was not ideal to capture the work on camera to my satisfaction. Inspired by an email from Oli Bentley I decided to invite my neighbour over to see the work. Her background is in textiles, but she has been through a tough time recently, having treatment for stage 4 cancer. What followed was delightful, after having her private viewing at a suitable social distance wearing a mask, we moved to the garden where we chatted about the work. She encouraged me to tweak a couple of pieces I had reservations about. We both gained from the experience, I was able to have an appreciative audience to view my ‘exhibition’ and critique my work and she was able to have a moment of friendship and normality in the midst of her treatment.

Today I have tried a new approach, hanging my work on the washing line and using the intermittent sunshine to capture shadows on a backdrop made from sheets. This time my daughter came to view my work. I hope that in time my work will be seen in a proper gallery but for now it is ‘on tour’ around my home.