David Chalmers Alesworth

“United Kingdoms” 2014

Carpet work, textiles, Hand-knotted carpet, (textile intervention)

12’ x 10ft.       (144” x 120”)      365.76 x 304.80cm.

An embroidered sheep’s-wool textile intervention into a large, used, Kashan carpet based upon the county mappings of the United Kingdom. This refers to a jig-saw puzzle that I had completed many times with my mother whilst growing up in England in the 1970’s. It was a traditional and old fashioned educational toy, that revealed, even to a child, the impossibly divided nature of the ninety-seven mostly minuscule counties that make up the British Isles and give rise to its inhabitants world-view. This mapping was brightly coloured in such a way as to emphasize the entirely different nature of each county within the United Kingdom.

AKM Installation view, David Alesworth, 2015

Agha Khan Museum, Toronto, Installation view, David Alesworth, 2015

United Kingdoms, David Alesworth, 2015

United Kingdoms, David Alesworth, 2015

Detail United Kingdoms, 2014, David Alesworth

Detail United Kingdoms, 2014

Detail United Kingdoms, David Alesworth 2014

Detail United Kingdoms, 2014

AKM Installation view, David Alesworth, 2015

AKM Toronto, Installation view 2015

AKM Installation view, David Alesworth, 2015

United, Kingdoms, 2014, AKM Installation view 2015

United Kingdoms, David Alesworth, 2015

United Kingdoms, 2014, David Alesworth

AKM Installation view, David Alesworth, 2015

AKM Installation view, David Alesworth, 2015