Richard Bliss is an artist and tailor based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the North-East of England. He currently has an exhibition of work on display at Bishop Auckland Town Hall in County Durham called ‘The Quest for the Perfect Shirt’. We recorded this episode in person with Richard in one of the galleries, and thank the curator, Debbie Connell, for making this possible.
In our discussion Richard explains how he, as a gay man, seeks to understand masculinity and men’s lives through the process of making shirts, often in public places or community settings, reflecting and responding to conversations with individuals or groups. He guides us through the exhibition, telling us about some of the pieces, the ideas behind them, what they say about contemporary expectations of manhood, how they relate to his own experiences, and the contradictions of a man practising textile art and tailoring and using it as a way to engage with other men.
A second exhibition by Richard, ‘Workers’ Thread’, celebrates the contribution of working-class women and men to the history of County Durham, and is also on display in the Town Hall. We refer briefly to this at the end our conversation, and to the ‘The Mural of the Durham Miners’ Gala’ by Norman Cornish, which occupies a whole wall there.
We discuss the following topics in this episode:
For more information about the unique collection of galleries and gardens that make up the still developing ‘Auckland Project’ in Bishop Auckland including the Spanish Gallery, the Faith Museum, the Castle, the Mining Art Gallery, and the Deer Park, see: https://aucklandproject.org
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