Richard McVetis uses labour-intensive, hand embroidery to explore our perception of space and time. His process is slow and almost ritualistic, each piece becoming a map of both the human hand and a visual record of the hours spent making.

Deliberately minimalist, he uses a limited palette of colours and materials. Yet within this limited field he is able to examine a sense of scale - the tiny, intricate stitches capturing a sense of vast time and creating a dominant mass through their repetition.

There is a sense of stillness and control to his process, as though his meticulous and rhythmic actions can restore a sense of order and calm. The intense detail makes them highly intimate, drawing the viewer ever closer.


These works were created use a combination of TOAST waste fabrics and the artist's own fabrics. The fragments were arranged to form a series of small abstracts exploring line, texture, time, and space.



RE-NEW



TOAST, the clothing and lifestyle brand, commissioned a group of artists in collaboration with Kettle's Yard to re-work worn garments and fabrics, turning them into something unique and unexpected. The display aims to promote the idea that clothes can have a life beyond their first wearer; creatively supporting a lower carbon lifestyle.

The participating artists were: Abigail Booth (Forest & Found), Alice Fox, Richard McVetis, Hannah Robson and Sophie Rowley.