Ann Paterson – Ordinary and Extraordinary Women: stories told through textiles.

The Shrewsbury Textiles and Creative Stitch Group spent an entertaining and extremely informative evening with Ann Paterson whose aim, through her textile art, is to raise the profile and tell the stories of women both known and unknown. Ann is a member of the Midland Textile Forum.  On the webpage she states that a lifelong passion for history has always informed her textile art with two dominating strands; the story of women who have achieved greatness despite the odds and current political affairs. Ann brings women’s stories to a wider audience through her innovative, and sometimes quirky, textile art in a colourful, stylish and enthusiastic way. She explained that her pieces are designed so that they are to be looked at, to be touched and which allow her to tell the women’s stories.

Ann is interested in history and politics. She places political messages on cushions and bags. Ann studies the history of the textiles of the time that the women lived. A beautiful example of this is the banner she made using both hand embroidery and machine stitching to bring to a modern audience the story of the medieval queen Elinor of Aquitaine. Other women portrayed by Ann include Jane Austen and Ada Lovelace.

Ann’s research explores social issues and women’s place in society.  Ann’s political interests range from women’s suffrage through to a large canvas inspired by the work of the pioneering Marie Stoper. Ann produced a book and political jewellery to highlight the campaigning of the suffragettes. To bring to a modern audience the story of the women activists who fought for votes for women but whose names were not recorded. Ann’s piece titled ‘What shall I wear today (who am I)’ came about because women are judged by what clothes they wear.

Ann told us about the suffragette Emma Sproson from Wolverhampton who was one of 5 women jailed in 1909. One of the 5 were force fed although it is not known for sure which women suffered this. To commemorate this hideous event Ann produced a powerful canvas titled ‘Forced feeding’ based on Picasso’s Guernica of a woman’s head with her mouth being forced open. To make the canvas Ann incorporated newspapers and wool.  

Ann has made rolled books which she said were to tell the story of the countless women whose names and stories had been lost over time because they did not have the social status to be recorded in history.  Ann encourages women to put their own story into their textile art. For example, if the individual wears a uniform, part of this uniform could be incorporated into the finished artwork.