Celia Pym will begin by giving an illustrated talk about her new book On Mending: Stories of damage and repair. Discussing individual stories from the book, she will explore mending as small acts of care; mending and the body – why the softening of clothing to take on the shape of its owner can be moving; and how “mending work builds on what is left behind. It’s not replacing, or remaking, or cutting apart and putting back together, instead it is slow work that makes things better.” After the talk Celia and Jordana Martin with be in conversation about care and repair in textiles and the body. There will also be time for questions.

On Mending is a collection of ten stories of damaged garments, a rug, and two backpacks, which Celia has mended in the last fifteen years. The stories record who the items belonged to, how they were damaged, how they’ve been mended, and where they are now. The book was inspired by Pym’s experience of hearing intimate stories from people’s lives, of loss and love, as a result of mending the holes in their clothes. Not a ‘how-to’ book, this is rather an in-depth look into the lives we lead, as found in the evidence of wear in the layers of our clothing.

Date:
Friday, December 2nd, 2022

Time:
3 – 4:30pm ET

Location:
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before the event.

Cost: Sliding scale ($0 – $50)

All donations of $50 will include a physical copy of the book with free shipping. Please make sure to include your correct shipping address in the notes at checkout. Contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding donations and orders. 

Tatter Library is a registered 501(c)3. Our speaker series is part of our community programming and proceeds support the maintenance of our collection. For this event, all ticket proceeds will go towards a scholarship fund for students of color. We would like to make this lecture available to anyone who would like to participate, therefore tickets for this event are sold on a sliding scale. Our suggested donation is $25, but if you wish to pay less or more, you may select a different amount from the drop down menu. As always, we are grateful for your support, which ensures the continuation and preservation of textile knowledge.

**This session will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to all those who register following the live session.

Celia Pym has a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies, specialising in sculpture, Harvard University, USA, an MA in Constructed Textiles from the Royal College of Art, London and PGDIP in Adult Nursing, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing, Kings College London. Her work has been exhibited most recently in Gorgeous Nothings, Bartha Contemporary, London
(20220) Eternally Yours, Somerset House, London, (2022), Say Less, Herald St, London (2022) Radical Acts: Harewood Biennial 2022, Leeds, (2022), Keep Being Amazing, Firstsite, Colchester, Essex (2022) and On Happiness: Joy + Tranquillity, Wellcome Collection, London (2021). In 2017 she was shortlisted for the Woman’s Hour Craft Prize and the inaugural Loewe Craft Prize. She is an Associate Lecturer in Textiles at the Royal College of Art in London.

On Mending is her first book.

http://celiapym.com/