Museum Collective Interviews: Eliph’s Deadly Serious Sewing

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While working on the Gilbert & George project, the Museum Collective have taken on various roles depending on our interests. Since everyone is working on different things, I thought it would be interesting to interview the other members of the Collective about what they’re doing. This interview is with Eliph, our artist in residence for the Gilbert & George project.

Eliph is working on a creative response to the ARTIST ROOMS: Gilbert & George exhibition and is keen to work with other young people and visitors of the museum on her project. She is creating a community quilt made up of squares inspired by symbols and references within Gilbert & George’s work. She had run drop in sessions for people to contribute with their ideas. Her project is called Deadly Serious Sewing and the final quilt will be exhibited in the Museum at the end of the summer.

I caught up with Eliph and asked her a few questions about what she’s been up to.

Museum Collective Member Eliph

What is Deadly Serious Sewing and how did you come up with the idea?
“My idea was to make a quilt because a lot of their work is made up of panels. I’ve been getting really into quilting lately, and I’d been working on one already that day, so I had quilting on the brain! They use a lot of symbols in their work and I thought that would be quite nice to use those. We got the name ‘Deadly Serious’ as Gilbert & George wanted to change the text of the What’s On guide from playful to deadly serious.”

How can people get involved?
“On the next museum free day, which is 7 July, visitors get the chance to have a say in what goes on the quilt and there will be squares that you can embroider. Then on 11 August I’ll be in the Museum Lab stitching all of the squares together with help from the Museum Collective. People can come and see what we’re doing, and have a chat about the project.”

One of the squares being embroidered

What’s been the best part of Deadly Serious Sewing so far?
“I got to visit Allsorts (A youth group for LGBTQU people under 26) and that was really nice because we had quite a few young people come and do embroidering. We actually ran out of squares! It was nice to chat to people while we worked.”

What’s been your favourite part of the Gilbert & George project?
“I want to say getting to meet Gilbert & George, but also all the trips that we do. I get to see how museums work and exhibitions are curated and displayed.”

Do you have a favourite piece in the exhibition?
“I like Existers (1984) because it doesn’t have loads of naked bodies. I also really relate to it as it’s pictures of young people.”