Lecturer Fashion Textiles

  • Academic
  • Research
Evelyn Bennett

Evelyn Bennett is our Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Print Course at Epsom. Evelyn's recent work involves experimenting with different applications for printed imagery in interiors, fashion and sculpture.

Evelyn Bennett

Bio

She studied Printed Textiles for Fashion at Winchester School of Art and the Royal College of Art.

After graduating from the RCA she has worked in a wide range of professional settings in the fashion/textiles industry. Evelyn has designed textile print collections for Esprit, George Davies, French Connection, Marks & Spencer and Gianfranco Ferre. She has sold work through a number of agents in Europe and America as a freelance designer and worked as in-house designer for Esprit in Dusseldorf, Miroglio Tessile in Italy and Screentone International in Zimbabwe. She has worked as a designer for Habitat, which included ceramics, printed banners and packaging and has worked on design publications for Anness Publishing, the BBC, Eaglemoss Publications and Salamander Books.

Evelyn received Arts Council and British Council awards for research into colour on ceramics and natural dyes in textiles in Mexico and also for research into the incorporation of digital media into her work. She has been awarded grants for residencies and exhibitions in Thessaloniki, Berlin and Eindhoven and was a Leonardo Da Vinci Fellow at Cyprus College of Art.

Working in collaboration with Chris Rutter, Evelyn has undertaken large- scale public art projects for clients including architects Norman Foster and Baker-Brown McKay, Lovells Developers and Laing Homes, Royal Caribbean Cruises and The Cass Sculpture Foundation, as well as hospitals and public buildings. She has exhibited at the ICA, London Art Fair and Art London, Rollo Contemporary Art, the De La Warr Pavilion, the RIBA, Sculpture at Goodwood and the Beijing Olympics.

Evelyn began teaching in 1992 and has taught at Norwich College of Art, The Royal College of Art, Esmod Berlin and the University of Creative Arts where she is currently Senior Lecturer on the B.A. Fashion Textiles: Print course.

Further information
AXIS
Needless Alley Collective
‘Cass Sculpture Foundation’

Research statement

Evelyn's recent work involves experimenting with different applications for printed imagery in interiors, fashion and sculpture. Collaborations with musicians, performers such as Needless Alley and digital artists such as Genetic Moo have resulted in immersive and multi-dimensional work including performance and sound/musical pieces.

Working as a lecturer in her speciality as a Printed Textile designer with the BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Print course at Epsom she has been looking at ways of using this technology to facilitate new work and connect with other aspects of her broader practice, which centres around a long-standing collaboration with Chris Rutter.

Recently Evelyn has been developing narrative through collages (created through a combination of digital and hand-made processes) and applying them to sculpture and other 3D situations. ?This involves working with new printing processes to create 3D illusionistic experiences and also relating sound pieces (initiated from the collages using P22 sound/text generator software) to printed environments and installations in order to integrate these aspects of her work into a more immersive and powerful experience.

As part of the Crysalis Interreg project she was commissioned to produce digital textile sculpture, sound and 3D anaglyph pieces for exhibition in the Calais Lace museum, TIO3 Ronse, Belgium and the Herbert Read gallery at UCA Canterbury.

Research interests

  • Textile design
  • Digital print experimentation
  • Public art/sculpture
  • Installation/sound.
  • Performance

2016: ‘Its No Joke’ 3rd International Collagistas Festival. Kelderman en van Noort, Eindhoven, Holland. British Council/ Arts Council Award and UCA Funding.
2016: Publication Catalogue Collagistas: ‘Its No Joke’.
2016: Public collage Workshop and Collage Presentation, Eindhoven. Collaborative collage with the Collagistas.
2016: ‘Gunfighter’: Poetry and Collage publication. ISBN: 978-0-9930502-8-2)
2015: ‘Gunfighter’ Poem. Thessaloniki Street Poetry.
2015: ‘Gunfighter’ wearable Sculpture and collaborative interactive digital performance at Limbo Art Space 2015. UCA funded.2015: Screening of Digital Interactive film Genetic Moo Limbo Art Space. Supported by Wellcome Trust.
2015: ‘Mayday Mayday Mayday’ International Collagistas Exhibition, Thessaloniki. Supported by UCA.
2015: Publication ‘Collagistas : MayDay Mayday Mayday’ Collaborative work with the Collagistas.
2015: Artists of The Month. Axis. Five to Watch - Artists that work with Museums.
2014: Collage installation intervention, LV21 Lightship, Fuse Festival, Medway.
2014: ‘Digital Encounters’ international digital innovation exhibition. Herbert Read Gallery, Canterbury.
2014: Needless Alley Collective performances at Camden People’s Theatre Supported by Arts Council England.
2013: ‘Cabaret Voltaire’ performances with Needless Alley Collective at King’s Head Theatre, London.                      
2013: Installation intervention, Limmathaus Hotel, Zurich, Switzerland.
2013: Installation intervention, ‘I am not dead’ Duchamp Festival, Herne Bay, UK.2013: Laser dinghy sail design for floating gallery, Whitstable as part of Canterbury
2013: ‘Lace Effects’ exhibition, La Cite Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode, Calais.
2012: 4 week Printmaking Residency at BBK Bethanien, Berlin.
2012: Speaker ‘Pushing Print’ Festival, Margate.
2012: Speaker Crysalis Professional Practice conference, Rochester.
2012: Speaker on sustainable textiles at Esmod Fashion School, Berlin.
2011: Performance of Theremin at V&A Museum with Juneau Projects.
2011: ‘Handmade and Bound’ Artists Book Fair, St. Brides, London.
2011: ‘I am the warrior’, Battersea Pumphouse with Juneau Projects.
2011: ‘Crysalis’ textile collaboration project with Campus TiO3 Ronse, Belgium, Plymouth Uni. and Calais Lace Museum.
2011: Orange Dot Gallery, London. Group show.
2011: RCA ‘Excessive Optimism’ digital sound piece.
2011: Contributor to Soundfjord/Audio Gourmet fundraiser album.
2011: 6 week artists’ exchange to Berlin producing a collection of street
2011: Exhibition of collages, MOMAC, Gloucester.
2010: Commission for Gosport Discovery Centre large printed wall graphic and sculptural Reading Chair.
2010: ‘Deaths and Entrances’ exhibition/multimedia event, Faversham.
2010: Sculpture at ‘Lounge on the Farm’ music Festival, Kent.
2010: Exhibition of sculpture, Blackheath Gallery, London.
2009: ‘Handmade and Bound’ Artists’ book fair, London.
2008: Exhibition of sculpture at Blackheath Gallery, London.
2008: ‘Handmade and Bound’ Artists’ book fair, London.
2008: ‘Generate 2’ research project and exhibition in assoc. with Turner Contemporary, Margate.
2007: ‘Generate’ research project and exhibition on children's creativity in association with Turner Contemporary, Margate.
2007: Yallops Yard, Bow. Sculpture commission, Lovells developers.
2007: ICA London Artists Book Fair.
2006: ‘London Art Fair’ and ‘Art London’ with Art Lab Gallery.
2006: Sculpture Exhibition at Rollo Contemporary Art in assoc. with  Royal British Society of Sculptors.
2006: Designs commissioned for Wembley Stadium development and Hyde Housing Assoc.
2006: Mentors for student winners of Ashford Memorial Park public art
2006: Merit Medal in Cultural Olympiad and exhibition for Beijing Olympics, which toured to 4 cities in China.
2005: Sculpture designs commissioned for Norman Foster’s ‘Spitalfields’
2005: 3 month residency at Cyprus College of Art as Leonardo da Vinci
2005: ‘Cityscape’, large sculptures for Business Design Centre, London.
2005: Collaboration with Fabio Gonzales-Calzada, Architect. With Arts  Council England Grant leading to exhibitions at Rochester Art Gallery and Gillingham Library Gallery.
2005: Designs commissioned for Laing Homes, East Dulwich.
2005: Commissioned artists to work with Pepys estate residents, Deptford to design new garden area, etc.
2005: Sculpture commission for new Great Western Hospital, Swindon.
2005: Digital prints for new buildings at Brompton Westbrook school, Gillingham arising from workshops with pupils.
2003: Prudential Insurance Headquarters, London. Sculpture and Prints.
2003: Sculpture design commissioned by Laing Homes for Normansfield Hospital, London.
2003: ‘Sculpture at Goodwood’ Gallery, bronze and resin maquettes, Percy St, London.
2002: Collaboration with Architects Baker-Brown McKay on proposal for new Sittingbourne Cultural Centre. Shown in RIBA exhibition.
2001: Edition of polychrome bronze maquettes of ‘Chase Air’ for ‘Sculpture at  Goodwood’.
2001: Sculpture for Thomas Aveling School, Medway.
2001: London Contemporary Art sculpture commission for Royal Caribbean Cruises ship ‘Brilliance of the Seas’.
2001: ‘Big Draw’ drawing day as part of Canterbury Festival.
2000: Conquest Hospital, Hastings. Commission for 2 outdoor sculptures and large digitally printed panel.
2000: Moat Housing Trust Foyer artwork - large scale, digitally printed  panels from community workshop.
2000: ‘Circus’ shown at University of Brighton Gallery.
1999: Commission to make 7 sculptures in 7 parks in collaboration with 7  schools in Medway.
1999: ‘Circus’ shown at Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth.
1999: Sculpture commission for ‘Sculpture at Goodwood’. ‘Chase Air’. Collection of Dame Stephanie Shirley.
1998: De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea. ‘Circus’ - large scale sculptures.  Funded by South East Arts grant.
1998: Sculpture installation. ‘Creation of Pelasgus’ - Rochester City Art Funded by Medway Council
1998: Strood Library Gallery, Lordswood Gallery - Ceramic reliefs.
1998: Ramsgate Library Gallery with Mexican printmakers.
1997-98: Artists’ residencies at Bredgar, Wouldham, Borstal and Glencoe primary schools.
1997: Two large sculptures commissioned for St. Richard’s Hospital, Chichester.
1997: ‘Connect’. Touring show of Artists postcards.
1996: Hove Museum and Gallery - Ceramic Circus. Drew Gallery, Canterbury.
1995: Tidal Basin II, Royal Victoria Dock, London - large sculpture. 

Professional Membership, Affiliation and Consultancy

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Royal British Society of Sculptors.

Other network activities include involvement with
ArtConnect Berlin,
The Ethical Fashion Forum,
The Textile Society,
Alumini RCA,
Plan-art agency,
Cass Sculpture Foundation,
Esmod Fashion School,
Berlin BBK.

2016/17: Arts Council and British Council Grant to support Travelling Collage and European arts collaboration.
2016: UCA Research Grant for the production of Travelling Collage Installation for the 3rd International ‘Collagistas Festival’ in Eindhoven Holland.
2015/16: UCA Research Grant investigation into collaborative, interdisciplinary performance as part of 'Gunfighter' project.
2015: UCA Research Grant for the production Gunfighter’. Newspaper Poetry and Collage publication.
2013: UCA Research Grant for the production of Digital sound and fabric Sculpture. La Cite Internationale de La Dentelle et de La Mode, Calais.
2012: Printmaking residency BBK Bethanian, Berlin.
2006: Merit Medal In Cultural Olympiad and Exhibition for Beijing Olympics,         touring to 4 Chinese cities
2005: Leonardo da Vinci Fellow at Cyprus College of Art.
2004: Arts Council Award for collaboration with Architect Fabio Gonzales-
1998: South East Arts Major award for production of Touring Sculpture. De La Warr Pavilion - Bexhill, Aspex Gallery - Portsmouth, Brighton University Gallery - Brighton.
1997: Arts Council Direct Support Award for incorporating digital technology into practice.|
1995: Arts Council Travel Bursary to Mexico to study coloured sculpture and
1992: Henry Moore Foundation bursary for residency at Portland Sculpture
1991: McColl Arts Foundation Travel Bursary to Zimbabwe and Tanzania.