Field Notes : Alex Vincent
I came across Alex’s beautiful work on Instagram and was immediately drawn in. Firstly by the wonderful detail or it, then when I learnt more about his conscious practice and love of sustainable, natural materials, my admiration grew to new levels!
Alex is based in Nottingham, where he studied Textile Design at Trent University, graduating in 2019. Every piece of his work has a story to tell, evoking a sense of nostalgia. His maps series is right up my street - beautiful quilted, freehand machine embroidered OS style landscapes, as well as textile based jewellery, both of which make use of industry offcut yarns, foraged fibres and pre-loved elements.
When he’s not creating or out mudlarking (the practice of searching the banks of rivers for treasures - something he used to do lots of when living in London, and less so now in Nottingham, but field-walking and exploring the mud underfoot is the next best thing!) you’ll find him behind the counter at ‘Shop Zero’, his local independent refill shop.
Q - IF YOU WERE TO COMMISSION A BESPOKE CONTOUR MAP PIECE, WHAT LANDSCAPE WOULD THE MAP FEATURE AND WHY DOES IT MEAN SO MUCH TO YOU?
A - The area I would choose would be the space between Chesham, Ashley Green and Hawridge in Buckinghamshire. Seeing the seasons change through Francis Wood from my window has been a part of my life for as long as I remember. This was where I was fortunate enough to grow up and is a view that I would see every day from my window until I moved to Nottingham to study in 2015.
I spent lockdown in Chesham with my family. During the first lockdown when leaving the house was limited, I began taking walks out and around Francis and Ramscoat Wood – the way my family used to walk when I was much younger. Down the vale across fields with cows and horses and even an ostrich farm. During this time, I became determined to learn more about the natural world and trying to identify plants which then gave way to foraging for both food and potential textile applications like dyeing, fibre extraction and weaving. Nettle fibre is one of my favourites!
Being able to reconnect with nature and learning about history through found objects really kept me going during the pandemic when feeling isolated and being away from my friends was having a serious impact on my mental health. I even displayed some of my favourite finds that I came across on footpaths in this area alongside map embroideries in my summer exhibition as part of Bucks Arts Weeks in 2022. I do miss this area since I moved back to Nottingham in the summer, but really look forward to finding new walking paths near me!
Q - HOW DOES THE OUTDOORS/LANDSCAPES PLAY A ROLE IN YOUR OWN WORK?
A - The outdoors plays a large role in my inspirations for my work in many ways. The very essence of my slow-craft ethos revolves around natural fibres and either using pre-existing materials or using things that nature has given us rather than contributing to the problems the modern fast fashion and textiles industry have created with plastic based fibre. When I do have to buy fabrics new, I usually buy sustainably sourced hemp or linen fabrics and when I get fabric printed, I go for organic cotton.
I’ve been interested in maps for a good few years. I've always had a thing for vintage maps. The details, colours and contour lines are gorgeous and you can learn so much about the history of an area by studying just a small area when you start to see the layers of history.
Since I graduated in 2019, I have been experimenting in creating embroidered maps available to buy and to order. I primarily work with out of copyright 7th Series Ordnance Survey maps from the 1960s, which are taken from my own personal collection. I scan these in – imperfections and all, get them printed on fabric and then use freehand machine embroidery to pick out details like rivers and main roads. My favourite thing to do however, is creating hand embroidered maps. I can add interesting features like earthworks, trig points and sites of archaeological importance!
These maps are beautifully tactile and make deeply personal gifts for weddings, anniversaries, or birthdays. Home towns, places where you met your loved ones, or favourite destinations can all be remembered in my textile maps. I absolutely love making them.
Find Alex on Instagram @alexvincenttextiles
Learn more about Alex and purchase via his website.