Susie MacMurray engagement, St Albans Museum and Gallery
The project started by inviting people to visit Susie MacMurray‘s specially commissioned sculptural installation Masquerade in the magnificent Assembly Room of St Albans Museum and Gallery. Susie used a combination of silk velvet and raw wire to comment on the public and private roles of women in their finery who may have graced the dance floor in the inaugural ball of 1831 and those that followed.
Masquerade’s silk-velvet and wire shapes were reminiscent of the puffed sleeves on the women’s dresses. Inspired by this, participants played with silks, velvets and contrasting natural materials to create small items that could be worn. they created cuffs based around their own wrists. The use of natural materials means that these cuffs will change over time.
Approximately 100 cuffs were created to contribute to the collaborative artwork, as with the Masquerade installation, many individual components were brought together to make a bigger piece.
