Help us tell the story of Scottish weaver and pop artist Archie Brennan
Help us bring the story of Scottish weaver and pop artist Archie Brennan to life in the first major exhibition of his work.
Archie Brennan (1931-2019) was a tapestry weaver, innovator and iconoclast, former Mr Scotland, and is one of the greatest unrecognised British artists of the twentieth century. Why unrecognised? Most likely because his medium of choice was tapestry.
Archie began his 60-year weaving career at Dovecot Studios in his home city, Edinburgh. From Australia to Papua New Guinea, he inspired weavers all over the world and became the undisputed master of modern tapestry, as well a sharp and talented pop artist. Despite Archie’s huge influence in both the weaving and art world, there has never been a major exhibition of his work. With your help, Dovecot can change that.
Whilst some key works by Archie exist in Scotland and the UK, there are seminal works in private collections further afield, from North America to Australia. To bring together Archie’s masterpieces from private and public collections, we need to raise £20,000. With your help, we can bring these works together for the first time, giving an unprecedented insight into the life and work of Archie Brennan.
A charismatic character, Archie dedicated his life to teaching. He established tapestry courses at Edinburgh College of Art, was instrumental in establishing the Australian Tapestry Workshop in Melbourne, and taught and exhibited in the United States where he spent the last 30 years of his life.
Beyond weaving, Archie was a keen sportsman and had a successful bodybuilding career in his early years alongside his friend, actor Sean Connery. A Mr Scotland title indicates his curious and charismatic character, which extended beyond weaving.
It is time to tell Archie’s story, and what better place than Dovecot Studios where is prolific career began. Join us in making this landmark exhibition happen to uncover the work and story of one of Scotland’s great modern artists.