Blackburn artist creates multisoundscape tapestry for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Renowned local artist Jamie Holman has created a monumental artwork celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The stunning multisoundscape tapestry will be available for public viewing at Blackburn Cathedral from Thursday 2nd June until January 2023 and then will be shown at other venues nationally and internationally.

Titled ‘The Lancashire Tapestry’, the artwork is 18 metres long x 1.6 metres and to accompany it, Jamie has recorded 70 people from Lancashire all of whom are aged 70 and have been alive as long as the Queen has been on the throne.

Jamie Holman often fabricates or makes in collaboration with either industrial processes or skilled crafts makers and artists. His work is informed by the heritage of working-class communities, in particular the impact of the industrial revolution and the cultures that have manifested as a consequence of its emergence and subsequent reinvention.

He has also worked collaboratively with local artists and the Lancashire community to create a piece of work that recognises the significant changes, both socially and economically, that have occurred throughout the Queen’s reign and the constant throughout this period that has been the service of the monarch; a monarch who has sat with every Prime Minister from Churchill to Johnson and has devoted her life to the nation.

The piece of art took four months to produce from Jamie’s studio in Blackburn. The tapestry is housed in a horse-shoe frame, backed in local manufactured velvet, which visitors enter. They are then surrounded by eight immersive speakers which project the people’s voices around the structure, accompanied by a music strung score.

Lord Shuttleworth, who is part of the group that commissioned the artwork, said:

Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a unique historical occasion that allows us as her subjects an opportunity to express our thanks for 70 years of continuous service to the nation. We are delighted that not only has The Queen provided great constitutional stability but also defined our nation to the world. The commissioning of this great artwork will give the people of Lancashire a legacy to celebrate this major event.

Jamie Holman added:

As an artist I’ve found myself interrogating history through the lens of personal narratives, whether that’s through my own personal ancestry, or a unique story of an individual who has stood against the odds. I find ways to tell that story or question the beliefs an era has left as a legacy. Often my work explores working class stories, so this is a totally new venture for me, but I’ll apply the same logic to this commission. I wanted to make this a capsule of more than our monarch’s 70 years – but for 70 years of her people. The collaborative approach that went into making the piece of art represents the closeness of the Lancashire community and the significant part it has played in The Queen’s 70-year reign.

Also check out Jamie’s guide to all of his favourite places to visit in the town centre – Check out Jamie’s Guide to Blackburn! | The Shuttle: Blackburn with Darwen Council News