Teleidoscopes

A teleidoscope could be described as a revolving cultural observation device, capable of depicting a cultural portrait. It has been used metaphorically to visually express the multiple readings of the oral testimonies in relation to the particular place. The Teleidoscopes that were composed from fragmented copies of an old map, function by proposing narratives associated with the meanings the participants conveyed in relation to Chard.

The Teleidoscopes have a middle (milieu), but importantly neither a beginning nor end, instead their circular form is in constant motion echoing the motion of the process of production of the bobbinet tulle. The middle, metaphorically speaking is Perry Street Mill and the bobbinet tulle industry and is the point from which the layers and dimensions of the complex narrative accounts radiate. Zooming out allows a broader constellation of memories to emerge that are associated with experiences at particular times and places in Chard. New insights gained in the form of original knowledge about the particular place and lived experience of its inhabitants have been transposed into the making of the drawings. 

The geometric shapes are conceptually representative of the construction of the bobbinet tulle, from around which everything revolves in the community. In sequence, the drawings together describe the particular place by making connections between experiences and events that were conveyed by the participants.

Mill Pond
Inkjet Print, 42 cm diameter
Kozo Paper 110 gsm

Tatworth
Inkjet Print, 42 cm diameter
Kozo Paper 110 gsm

Coombses
Inkjet Print, 42 cm diameter
Kozo Paper 110 gsm

Factory Cottages
Inkjet Print, 42 cm diameter
Kozo Paper 110 gsm

South Chard
Inkjet Print, 42 cm diameter
Kozo Paper 110 gsm

Chard Junction
Inkjet Print, 42 cm diameter
Kozo Paper 110 gsm

Left to Right: Teleidoscopes, Mill Pond, Factory Cottages, Tatworth, South Chard, Coombses, Chard Junction. Inkjet Prints, 42 cm diameter, Kozo Paper 110 gsm

All work © Deborah True 2021