13 April 2011 - Jane O’Brien, "Damask, Colour and Collage"

In April we were treated to another talk by one of our own members. Jane O’Brien shared with us some of her knowledge and passion for damask. Rather than bore us, as Jane put it, with endless photographs of faded fragments of fabric, Jane had prepared a slide show that told the story of damask through a series of paintings but she did begin with a few photographs that show the full beauty of this wonderful fabric. Jane explained that it is the pattern in a twill (matt) weave on a satin (shiny) weave background that gives the fabric its distinctive look.


The talk could almost have been a history of art lesson since Jane is as knowledgeable about the paintings and the artists who produced them as about the fabrics themselves. We saw that for centuries, those wealthy enough to do so have chosen to adorn themselves and their homes in damask. We saw how the earliest patterns - simple roundels surrounding flora and fauna – evolved as they journeyed through time and across continents.

The Ambassadors
1533, Hans Holbein the Younger

Jane then told us about her background in interior design and how she entered the world of textile art. After gaining a Diploma in History of Art, Jane went on to study textile art, gaining a distinction for her Diploma in Stitched Textiles at East Berkshire College. And finally, Jane showed us how her interest in textiles, and the messages they convey, has been the inspiration behind her own art.

Jane O’Brien

Jane O’Brien

Jane O’Brien

Jane O’Brien