… and then they came for the children
… and then they came for the children is an eight meter wall drawing which Stewart Easton made for a solo show which was part of a residency he had at St Mary's Art Centre, Virginia City, Nevada, USA.
After a successful residency at the Art Centre in Nevada during July 2013, Stewart was invited back for a longer stint covering July and August 2014.
During the residency Stewart was required to teach a five day workshop on illustration, narrative and embroidery. The workshop was designed to demonstrate the processes he uses as an embroiderer and illustrator. Along with this, he was also asked to host a solo exhibition of new work. Stewart had stitched ten 23 x 23cm embroideries, and whilst on the residency he stitched a further nine, along with nine pen and ink drawings.
Stewart also had a large wall which he kept free of work as he wanted to create a wall drawing. Stewart had recently created a large six meter wall drawing for the English Folk Dance and Song Society at Cecil Sharp House in Camden, London and he intends to create a new drawing on the wall which would tie in the embroideries and drawings.
The wall drawing was applied directly onto the wall using Posca pens and paint. Stewart hadn't roughed out a plan for the wall as he wanted the freedom of one element feeding into the next. Drawing on walls is a new direction for him and allows him to transfer the stories, history and folklore of location directly into that location.
Below is a short statement based upon the exhibition '...and then they came for the children
'... and then they came for the children” Easton has withdrawn all forms of digital media in producing the work, and has married the innocent wonder of childhood with the free-form traditional processes of hand drawing and hand stitch creating works which on the surface appear 'twee' yet are underpinned with a sinister edge and circumstance.
Stewart's enchanting work can be seen and commissioned, and his agent Artist Partners look forward to many more interesting installations and exhibitions of this most versatile and creative artist working in mediums such as embroidery and painting techniques.
Stewart Easton is represented by Artist Partners
