The beauty of bindweed
27 October 2021 for immediate release
Most gardeners see bindweed as a pernicious pest. But London artist Kim Winter is trying to persuade us to view the plant from a different angle.
Her latest work, “Rebound”, consists of 50 pods woven from bindweed, suspended in an anticlockwise spiral to reflect how the climber grows. It is currently on display as part of the Prism Textiles group exhibition “In Search of the Possible” at the Art Pavilion in Mile End, east London.
Kim spent hours patiently unravelling the weed from gardens, parks and allotments around her home in Brixton, south London, before reweaving it into the pods. She says:
“The properties that make bindweed such a pain for gardeners – its length, strength and tendency to wind around everything, including itself – also make it perfect for weaving with. I love the idea of taking something that people hate and transforming it into a thing of beauty, showing it in a different light. And it’s a very sustainable material – there’s certainly no shortage of it, even in London!”
Kim is currently in her final year of a creative basketry course at City Lit, and earlier this year scooped first prize in the contemporary category of an annual basketry competition organised by the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers.
The Prism Textiles exhibition “In Search of the Possible” runs from 21 to 31 October at the Art Pavilion, Mile End Park, London E3 4QY. It is open daily, 11am-6pm. Free entry, no booking required.
