Why Juxtaposition? by Mary McIntosh

When I asked fellow Out of the Fold members Heather Evans and Penny Evans to exhibit alongside me at the Quay Gallery, Snape Maltings we had to decide what to call ourselves. This is not intended to be a permanent new textile group but a banner under which we can come together, occasionally, to exhibit. We considered “Three Fold” as we are a sort of subset of the main Out of the Fold group. However we decided upon the exhibition title of ‘Juxtaposition’ as it seemed to work for three artists whose inspirations, style and ways of working are all very different. The definition of Juxtaposition: the act of placing two or more different things together to compare and contrast or to create an interesting effect.

Juxtaposition explores the dialogue between opposites – texture and smoothness, tradition and innovation, chaos and order. The tension between materials, colours, and forms becomes a space of discovery – revealing that harmony often emerges from difference.

In the exhibition we placed work in groupings by each maker to create areas of harmony. A series worked using the same materials, such as Penny’s felted fins, gives a feeling of calm and cohesion. But placing objects made of wool next to Heather’s series of ‘Funky Moths’ creates a tension because of the threat that moths pose to wool. We found connections too – Mary’s 3D ‘mothballs’ worked well alongside the 2D moths created by Heather. Lighting was another link with the beautiful felted lamps and columns created by Penny being echoed by Mary’s candleholders – completely different styles and techniques but linked by a theme.

Juxtaposition artists are: Penny Evans, Heather Evans and Mary McIntosh

You will be able to see the next ‘Juxtaposition’ exhibition at Textiles East Fair in Feb 2026