Degree Show 2023
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Winner

Dissertation Prize, GSA Prize for Sustainability

Painting & Printmaking School of Fine Art

Ted Tinkler (they/them)

Behind the hap frame in "they are containers of fluidity" is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. This makes up the performative gesture of the work titled “pegging down their lace”. The lithography print is made of four coloured layers (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to create a full colour image. It retains the quality of the original film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.

My practice centres around handcrafts – playing with ideas of intimacy, liveliness, multiplicity, and trans-ness. I work with the animacy and performativity of crafted objects. They are my co-collaborators. Access and care are at the heart of my practice. I move through making by prioritising intimacy, space, and vulnerability over a productionist, scarcity-based mindset. My work tends to a slowtime.

I make with tangibility. From the queer histories of handkerchiefs, to the processes of physicality embedded within the crafts of Shetland lace knitting, quilting, spinning, and wood-working.

These animate objects give a framework to speculatively re-imagine care through radical, feminist, race, disability, and queer theory. How may my practice contribute to a library of liberatory tools that speculatively imagine (futures of) care?

Contact
teditinkler@gmail.com
T.Tinkler1@student.gsa.ac.uk
Website (Ted's Newsletter)
@tedtinkler
Works
“they are containers of fluidity”
“pegging down their lace”
from seed, to soil, to dye, to craft
from land to lace
“they are containers of fluidity” touch-based workshop
Quilting Bee
Behind the hap frame in "they are containers of fluidity" is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. This makes up the performative gesture of the work titled “pegging down their lace”. The lithography print is made of four coloured layers (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to create a full colour image. It retains the quality of the original film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.

“they are containers of fluidity”

 

Deep in the details of hand crafts.

Of spinning, knitting, quilt-making, and wood-working.

 

This installation is made of many hands.

These objects are full of liveliness and animacy.

Of tales and futures. Of deep roots covered in soil. Of naming as personhood.

 

Of intimacy lying at the boundaries. As sites of radical, speculative imagination. To cross these boundaries. Back and forth.

 

 

 

 

 

Multimedia installation of hand-crafted craft tools for hand-crafts. – (Suspended hap frame, with hand-lathed pulley system [handmade with walnut, bocote, and oak]. 4 plate photolithographs. White linen quilt top with embedded hand-knitted Shetland lace samples – on hand-lathed oak. Standing quilt frame for hand-quilting [handmade with oak, iroko, and cherry]. TED quilt [in progress] made with coreopsis, buddleia, indigo, woad, dock leaves, found linen and cotton tablecloths and handkerchiefs, and a woollen blanket. Naturally dyed, in community, bird/tree of life quilt block. Scrap chair of gender-queer joy made in collaboration with Jules Dunn [oak, iroko, and pine] with scrap seat-top quilt. Hand-lathed, pine, niddy noddy wound with white, hand-spun wool. Spinning wheel from unknown maker, in traditional design of Scottish flax spinning wheels. Paper, books, zines, sewing pins, cork, wool, coreopsis. Quilt top of a lace pattern [naturally dyed].)

 

A large print installation description is available. Touch objects are also available and are intended to be handled by all visitors, especially those with different cognitive processing needs and low-vision and blind visitors. You can access an audio guide via the QR code (at https://linktr.ee/tedtinkler) that contains a visual description of all the objects in this installation – written and recorded by the artist.

Project Links

"they are containers of fluidity" installation

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A small lithograph print of the artist spinning white wool at the wheel. The wooden spinning wheel, found by the artist, is based upon traditional designs of Scottish flax spinning wheels.

At the Spinning Wheel

A small lithograph print of the artist spinning white wool at the wheel. The wooden spinning wheel, found by the artist, is based upon traditional designs of Scottish flax spinning wheels.
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At the rear of the space a ‘niddy noddy’ and two small lithograph prints are hung. The ‘niddy noddy’ is a spinning tool for taking the wool off the wheel just after spinning. It is made of three pieces of hand-lathed pine wood, joined in two perpendicular T-joints. White hand-spun wool is looped around it in a figure-of-eight, with the remaining ball pinned to the wall beside the object itself. In front, stands the quilting frame covered in strong shadows.

Sitting amongst the strong early evening light in "they are containers of fluidity"

At the rear of the space a ‘niddy noddy’ and two small lithograph prints are hung. The ‘niddy noddy’ is a spinning tool for taking the wool off the wheel just after spinning. It is made of three pieces of hand-lathed pine wood, joined in two perpendicular T-joints. White hand-spun wool is looped around it in a figure-of-eight, with the remaining ball pinned to the wall beside the object itself. In front, stands the quilting frame covered in strong shadows.
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In the right-hand corner sits a wooden chair. It is made of a variety of woods, carefully pieced together and oiled. It sits fairly low to the ground and has a wide, deep seat. The back is made in a lattice formation, and on the support beams below the seat a quilt is draped. The quilt is a scrap block that uses leftovers from all the other naturally dyed objects within the installation. The three layers have been sewn together and bound, and it now lies folded, almost touching the floor.

Hand-made Scrap Chair and Quilt

In the right-hand corner sits a wooden chair. It is made of a variety of woods, carefully pieced together and oiled. It sits fairly low to the ground and has a wide, deep seat. The back is made in a lattice formation, and on the support beams below the seat a quilt is draped. The quilt is a scrap block that uses leftovers from all the other naturally dyed objects within the installation. The three layers have been sewn together and bound, and it now lies folded, almost touching the floor.
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Upon this quilt frame a naturally dyed quilt is stretched. You cannot see the full quilt as the top and bottom edges are rolled up on oak and cherry beams. Colours of reds, browns, pinks, yellows, white, and hints of blues dominate. The hand-quilting is partially completed with indigo-blue and coreopsis-yellow thread. These bind the three layers together – linen and cotton, wool, and linen again. The design of the quilt top contains the ‘bear claw’ quilt block, a block spelling out ‘TED’, and larger swathes of white linen. There are patches of embroidery throughout, overdyed, cut up, and sewn into the pattern.

TED quilt (naturally dyed in community)

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A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. It has been hand spun on the spinning wheel in the opposite corner. The wool comes from Shetland and is undyed and brilliant white. Full of sheepy texture, and smell. The lace is made up of a repeating ‘fir cone’ lace pattern and diamond motif. It is rectangular, with straight (as straight as knitting is) long edges, and scalloped short edges. The lace has been sewn into the frame with thin, white thread to join the knit to the holes in the wood.

Hand-spun, Hand-knitted Lace on Hap Frame

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A quilt frame made of oak, cherry, and iroko wood stands in the space. The sturdy and delicate wooden structure has been sanded, oiled, and waxed so it is smooth and sumptuous to the touch. It has two legs with decoratively detailed feet. On one end it has two wooden cogs which help turn the beams and the quilt. A quilting frame is somewhat like a hollow table, with moving parts, to allow a quilt to be stretched across its limbs. Upon this frame a naturally dyed quilt is stretched.

Quilt Frame

A quilt frame made of oak, cherry, and iroko wood stands in the space. The sturdy and delicate wooden structure has been sanded, oiled, and waxed so it is smooth and sumptuous to the touch. It has two legs with decoratively detailed feet. On one end it has two wooden cogs which help turn the beams and the quilt. A quilting frame is somewhat like a hollow table, with moving parts, to allow a quilt to be stretched across its limbs. Upon this frame a naturally dyed quilt is stretched.
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A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. It has been hand spun on the spinning wheel in the opposite corner. The wool comes from Shetland and is undyed and brilliant white. Full of sheepy texture, and smell. The lace is made up of a repeating ‘fir cone’ lace pattern and diamond motif. It is rectangular, with straight (as straight as knitting is) long edges, and scalloped short edges. The lace is being sewn into the frame with thin, white thread to join the knit to the holes in the wood.

Knitted Lace in Suspended Hap Frame

A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. It has been hand spun on the spinning wheel in the opposite corner. The wool comes from Shetland and is undyed and brilliant white. Full of sheepy texture, and smell. The lace is made up of a repeating ‘fir cone’ lace pattern and diamond motif. It is rectangular, with straight (as straight as knitting is) long edges, and scalloped short edges. The lace is being sewn into the frame with thin, white thread to join the knit to the holes in the wood.
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This hap frame hangs on thin, orange rope from a hand-made, hand-lathed, oak pulley system. It is like a pulley you might find on boat rigging, or a Glaswegian, tenemental washing airer. A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. Behind the frame is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.

"pegging down their lace"

This hap frame hangs on thin, orange rope from a hand-made, hand-lathed, oak pulley system. It is like a pulley you might find on boat rigging, or a Glaswegian, tenemental washing airer. A piece of knitted lace is stretched in the middle of the hap frame. Behind the frame is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.
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Behind the quilt frame, another quilt is hung on the wall. This one is finished. It manipulates a traditional ‘pine tree’ or ‘tree of life’ quilt block into a ‘bird/tree of life’ quilt. Again, the fabric is naturally dyed in community – with yellows, purples, pinks, and white predominantly making up the palette. This quilt is made of lots of carefully sewn triangles and bound at the edges with yellow-buddleia linen.

bird/tree of life quilt

Behind the quilt frame, another quilt is hung on the wall. This one is finished. It manipulates a traditional ‘pine tree’ or ‘tree of life’ quilt block into a ‘bird/tree of life’ quilt. Again, the fabric is naturally dyed in community – with yellows, purples, pinks, and white predominantly making up the palette. This quilt is made of lots of carefully sewn triangles and bound at the edges with yellow-buddleia linen.
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From right to left there is: A long and thin patchwork fabric piece in naturally dyed hues of purples and yellows; A wooden spinning wheel on the ground, found by the artist, and based upon traditional designs of Scottish flax spinning wheels; A small print of the artist spinning white wool at the wheel; Above this hangs a knitted lace handkerchief that almost blends ethereally into the wall; Five shelves scattered with books, flowers, small folded naturally dyed quilts, lace knitting, hand-spun wool skeins, scraps of fabric in jars, and hand-made zines; On the floor below stands a small stool with two zines and a book lying upon it, alongside a slightly ragged sewing box.

wall of tools

Bursting at the seams.
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A hand-lathed circular oak pole, with a few delicate details, is hung in front of the window. It is attached with two wooden pegs, like found on the spinning wheel on the opposite side of the space. From this wooden pole hangs a white quilt top. It is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them. The top is folded over the wood and pinned with simple white sewing pins to keep the fabric in place. When the late afternoon and early evening sun shines, a strong light comes through the window. The window frames cast shadows across the two larger walls, the floor, and the lace inserts cast more delicate shadows too.

Hanging Lace and Linen Quilt Top

A hand-lathed circular oak pole, with a few delicate details, is hung in front of the window. It is attached with two wooden pegs, like found on the spinning wheel on the opposite side of the space. From this wooden pole hangs a white quilt top. It is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them. The top is folded over the wood and pinned with simple white sewing pins to keep the fabric in place. When the late afternoon and early evening sun shines, a strong light comes through the window. The window frames cast shadows across the two larger walls, the floor, and the lace inserts cast more delicate shadows too.
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A hand-lathed circular oak pole, with a few delicate details, is hung in front of the window. It is attached with two wooden pegs, like found on the spinning wheel on the opposite side of the space. From this wooden pole hangs a white quilt top. It is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them. The top is folded over the wood and pinned with simple white sewing pins to keep the fabric in place. When the late afternoon and early evening sun shines, a strong light comes through the window. The window frames cast shadows across the two larger walls, the floor, and the lace inserts cast more delicate shadows too. If a hand is held up to the piece, a delicate pattern of holes will be shadowed upon the flesh.
If a hand is held up to the piece, a delicate pattern of holes will be shadowed upon the flesh. The quilt top is made of parts of a linen tablecloth and has hand-knitted Shetland lace sewn amongst them - a Vandyke border here.
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“pegging down their lace”

Hand-spun Shetland wool, fir cone knitted-lace, steel knitting needles, 35mm film, queer bodies, loch Humphrey, soil, moss sporophytes, grass tussocks, 4 plate colour lithography on zerkall paper, hand-made iroko and bocote suspended hap frame, on hand-lathed oak pulley system.

 

Spun, knitted, performed, and printed by Ted Tinkler.

Photography by Meadhbh Corrigan. Support by Kitt Glover.

On the smallest wall, to the left of this print, is another lithograph. This one is far, far smaller in comparison and depicts the whole lace piece lying amongst some grassy tussocks. The white of the lace piece glows and floats.
bathing in the sun, the white wool glowing, amongst the grassy tussocks.
For Sale: lithograph edition of 6, £30
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Behind the hap frame in "they are containers of fluidity" is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. This makes up the performative gesture of the work titled “pegging down their lace”. The lithography print is made of four coloured layers (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to create a full colour image. It retains the quality of the original film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.
Behind the hap frame in "they are containers of fluidity" is hung a lithography print of a 35mm film photograph. This makes up the performative gesture of the work titled “pegging down their lace”. The lithography print is made of four coloured layers (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) to create a full colour image. It retains the quality of the original film photograph. The white paper is pinned at the four corners with sewing pins into cork behind. The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.
For Sale: lithograph edition of 7, £100
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The image itself is set amongst the mossy, loch edge in the Kilpatrick hills, just outside Glasgow. The blue ripples of loch Humphrey are just visible on the top edge of the image. Two young, white hands touch the knitting and steel knitting needles – pinning it out on the grass and moss. Small moss sporophytes peek through some holes in the lace. There is a gentle light settled across the photo and small shadows of the knitting needles are cast on the hand closest to the foreground.
A knitter may peg down their shawls upon the grass and moss. Let the wind dry out a piece of Shetland knitted lace. When the rain may pause its falling, bring out the soft white knitting to be stretched (known also as dressing or blocking). Lay the wet knit upon the ground, stretch and pin it out, so as it dries it may hold its shape to reveal the full depth of its holes.
For Sale: lithograph edition of 6, £30
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A gentle but brisk walk up the (out-of-season)-heather-flanked, dirt path - to Loch Humphrey. A decidedly chilly dip in the loch for the lace.
For Sale: lithograph edition of 6, £30
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from seed, to soil, to dye, to craft

A series of workshops over the cyclical growing season, from March 2022 to January 2023, facilitated by Ted Tinkler. From sowing the seeds, gardening, harvesting, dyeing, and a craft skill-share.

 

 

 

 

 

“It is a pleasure to gently move through these seasons and to learn together – of care, craft, interdependency, soil, stewardship – and more that can only be recorded in the ephemeral. Here we celebrate the time this has made.

With deep thanks to all those who have been a part of and supported these workshops. To Astrid, Beth, Chiara, Ciaran, Euysun, Helen, Ioanna, Jeong, Kitty, Marie, Meadhbh, Megan, Mia, Polina, Rachel, Sarah, Sarah, and Simone.

Love, Ted”

Project Links

Part One: Seed Stewardship

sowing the seeds, Spring
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Part Two: Linearity

gardening, Spring/Summer
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Part Three: Care as a process

harvesting and dyeing, Summer
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Part Four: Interdependency

a cacophony of crafts, Autumn/Winter
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from land to lace

 

from sheep, to shawl, from land, to lace.

Lace Knitting on the Shetland Islands – Tales of Imagining, Naming, and Recording Patterns.

 

hand-printed lithography zine, edition of 40

(price on request, sliding scale)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All parts of the lace shawl making process can be completed on Shetland – from the sheep; to the spinning of yarn; to the imagination of patterns; and to the knitting itself. This zine came about through a research trip to Shetland in August 2022, generously funded by GSA Sustainability.

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“they are containers of fluidity” touch-based workshop

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/touch-based-performative-workshop-in-they-are-containers-of-fluidity-tickets-644275353927

 

Date and Time: Sunday 4th June, 11am – 12.30pm

Location: Room 22, Space 17, 4th floor, Stow Building, 64 Shamrock Street, G4 9JZ

Event Description:

This touch-based performative workshop will combine a ‘touch tour’, spoken word pieces, and space for conversation and questioning. We will give focus to touching hand-made craft objects, naming their details, and enjoying their tactility. To name a few – hand-knitted lace, naturally dyed quilts, and a hand-lathed, wooden ‘niddy noddy’ for spinning…

The event will entirely take place within the installation titled “they are containers of fluidity”, in the back-right corner of room 4.22.

There are a limited number of spaces available so if, for any reason, you can no longer make the event please cancel your booking/let us know so we can offer the space to someone else.

 

 

Access Information:

All are welcome – please contact Ted at T.Tinkler1@student.gsa.ac.uk for any additional information, access needs, or support.

“they are containers of fluidity” is located on the 4th floor and is accessible via stairs or lifts. There are no steps between the lift and the room. The room will be lit via the main lights and there is a large window in the space. The building has disabled and gender-neutral toilet facilities. The event will be relaxed, with no pressure to participate, and all attendants are free to take their time and/or leave the space if they need to. There is also a quiet room that the artist can direct participants too, and the installation itself is a quiet, calm space. There will be a variety of seating options available.

A large print installation description is available. Touch objects are also available and are intended to be handled by all visitors, especially those with different cognitive processing needs and low-vision and blind visitors. You can access an audio guide via the QR code (https://linktr.ee/tedtinkler) that contains a visual description of all the objects in this installation – written and recorded by the artist.

All efforts have been made to make this event, and the installation as accessible and caring as possible. However, please note this is a one-person artwork and is bound to have some gaps. Nevertheless, let me know if there are any adjustments necessary and I will do my very best to accommodate, in conversation with what is best for you.

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Quilting Bee

 

Date and Time: Friday 9th June

Location: Room 22, Space 17, 4th floor, Stow Building, 64 Shamrock Street, G4 9JZ

Event Description:

The Quilting Bee is a distinctly one-off performance – for it will physically alter the fabric – animating the quilt in a durational performance that both (1) begins before we sit down at the frame, for much time has already been embedded in the making, and (2) will have a future as a lived-with object beyond this performance.

Together we can work with slowtime. A gentle durational performance by the artist and two loved ones. Sat around a lovingly hand-made quilting frame and hand-quilting and lovingly made quilt. Full of queer joy, knitted lace, and embedded time and labour. Full and bursting.

This is a performative event – with no chairs or sewing available, but likely conversation.

Access information:

“they are containers of fluidity” is located on the 4th floor and is accessible via stairs or lifts. There are no steps between the lift and the room. The room will be lit via the main lights and there is a large window in the space. The building has disabled and gender-neutral toilet facilities.

A large print installation description is available. Touch objects are also available and are intended to be handled by all visitors, especially those with different cognitive processing needs and low-vision and blind visitors. You can access an audio guide via the QR code (https://linktr.ee/tedtinkler) that contains a visual description of all the objects in this installation – written and recorded by the artist.

All efforts have been made to make this the installation as accessible and caring as possible. However, please note this is a one-person artwork and is bound to have some gaps. Nevertheless, let me know if there are any adjustments necessary and I will do my very best to accommodate, in conversation with what is best for you.

Upon this quilt frame a naturally dyed quilt is stretched. You cannot see the full quilt as the top and bottom edges are rolled up on oak and cherry beams. Colours of reds, browns, pinks, yellows, white, and hints of blues dominate. The hand-quilting is partially completed with indigo-blue and coreopsis-yellow thread. These bind the three layers together – linen and cotton, wool, and linen again. The design of the quilt top contains the ‘bear claw’ quilt block, a block spelling out ‘TED’, and larger swathes of white linen. There are patches of embroidery throughout, overdyed, cut up, and sewn into the pattern.

TED quilt (naturally dyed in community)

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