Not currently on display at the V&A

Girl Punk

Tapestry
1980 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Candace Bahouth studied Fine Art at Syracuse University in the USA and tapestry weaving under the tutelage of Archie Brennan in Edinburgh. Bahouth produces large and small scale tapestries, exploring the contemporary trend towards smaller, less monumentual work. This trend was reflected in the brief for the first tapestry biennale in Lausanne in 1962, which stated that all exhibits were restricted to a minimum size of five metres square. Figurative rather than abstract imagery continued to attract many weavers in the 20th century and Bahouth is no exception. Self expression and presentation are extremely important in the subjects featured in her weaving and she tends to concentrate on individuals that represent their culture or sub culture by the clothes they wear, their hairstyle, make up and jewellery. Girl Punk and Boy Punk demonstrate how Bahouth often depicts a character whose appearance plays an integral role in their society. Her weaving concentrates on the figure, which she then brings to life in relief using trompe l'oeil effects, adding a mixture of appropriate accessories and warp-woven fabrics. The subjects in Girl Punk and Boy Punk were first seen by the artist in a tea shop in Bath.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleGirl Punk (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Tapestry, woven, with applied fabric, nylon bristles, pin badge, safety pins and metal chains, in fabric covered frame
Brief description
Knotted and woven tapestry 'Girl Punk', made by Candace Bahouth, London, 1980.
Physical description
Knotted and woven tapestry depicting a female punk. The face is made up with purple lightning strikes across cheeks, multicoloured eyeshadow in purple, green, blue and red, and lipstick in black & burgundy. The three-dimensional hair is pink, yellow and black nylon bristles. A red-ground tartan top is part of the weave; a three dimensional swathe of leopard-printed woven pile fabric is applied loosely over this to suggest a tunic top. Heavy metal chain applied to make necklace, held together with safety pin, also 2 safety pins through ear of tapestry (one with a crucifix threaded to it.) Badge pinned to leopard print fabric reading 'GIRLS ARE POWERFUL'. Frame custom-made and covered in a stylised leopard-print fabric.
Dimensions
  • Width: 65cm
  • Height: 81cm
  • Approximate depth: 10cm
Marks and inscriptions
'GIRLS ARE POWERFUL' (Slogan on badge pinned to tapestry)
Object history
Purchased. Registered File number 1985/2.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Candace Bahouth studied Fine Art at Syracuse University in the USA and tapestry weaving under the tutelage of Archie Brennan in Edinburgh. Bahouth produces large and small scale tapestries, exploring the contemporary trend towards smaller, less monumentual work. This trend was reflected in the brief for the first tapestry biennale in Lausanne in 1962, which stated that all exhibits were restricted to a minimum size of five metres square. Figurative rather than abstract imagery continued to attract many weavers in the 20th century and Bahouth is no exception. Self expression and presentation are extremely important in the subjects featured in her weaving and she tends to concentrate on individuals that represent their culture or sub culture by the clothes they wear, their hairstyle, make up and jewellery. Girl Punk and Boy Punk demonstrate how Bahouth often depicts a character whose appearance plays an integral role in their society. Her weaving concentrates on the figure, which she then brings to life in relief using trompe l'oeil effects, adding a mixture of appropriate accessories and warp-woven fabrics. The subjects in Girl Punk and Boy Punk were first seen by the artist in a tea shop in Bath.
Associated object
Collection
Accession number
T.55-1985

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Record createdSeptember 23, 2006
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