Claire Heathcote

Artist's statement Private View, 2000

"My work features portraits of people that move in art world circles. There is still a struggle between the two elements of figure and background, over which is more important, the background is no longer marked or colourful: it is the white space of a gallery...My use of embroidery to render gallery owners, art critics etc. adds a kind of humour to the work; embroidery is not really seen as high art or as a serious art form. 

It can be incredibly controlled while the stray threads coming off the work make it become very physical. I like the fact that their threads travel through the white space of their world into my space and that perspective is both active and made a mockery of.

The threads, coming from their eyes, their mouths, their ears or their heads maybe a literal measurement of the amount of looking or talking that goes on at private views. 

I question what is being looked at as the work becomes a representation of the viewers looking back at them." 

http://www.thecentreofattention.org/exhibitions/heathcote.html