Red and Blue Movement in Three

Alice Kettle’s 'Red and Blue Movement in Three' was commissioned in 2004 by The Oglesby Charitable Trust for the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, University of Manchester.

Artist Statement

The piece is a response to this special building, and a reflection of it. I wanted to suggest movement into the depth of a space, a kind of volatile energy across it, and to complement the integrity of the strong architecture, to make links across spaces which are dynamic in the juxtaposition of sight lines and walkways and walls.

My response is physical, looking at the shapes of the interior space, the glimpses and the strong light and colour of the walls. I have tried to emphasise these links by pieces which have figures at various levels looking through, over and under walkways. As an onlooker you can interact with these wall hangings at any angle or level in the building.

The work features human figures, simply outlined in a landscape of richly-textured, radiant colours which will make a striking impression to visitors to the building. It took more than a year to complete, and has been produced on a heavy canvas with machine stitch over the whole surface. The process is slow and labour-intensive, where the needle is 'free' so that the stitch is only created by moving the fabric, much like a fixed pencil with the paper moved underneath.

Alice Kettle