Walking the Block Book

Phyllis Barron and Dorothy Larcher met in the Brook Street Gallery shortly after the First World War, and went on to form a lifelong partnership during which they designed and made a range of superb handblock printed textiles using predominantly natural dyes. Their work was exhibited in respected Arts and Crafts Galleries including The Three Shields Gallery in Kensington Church Street, The Little Gallery run by Muriel Rose, The New Hand Workers Gallery, The Mayor Gallery and the Red Rose Gallery in Manchester.They were commercially successful attracting commissions from wealthy private individuals, as well as public institutions, including Coco Chanel, the Duke of Westminster, the architect Detmar Blow, Girton College, Cambridge and Winchester Cathedral. Their design skills emerged after early training as painters; Phyllis Barron at the Slade and Dorothy Larcher at the Hornsey School of art. Dorothy Larcher when she found herself stranded in India for the duration of the First World War discovered the art of Indian block printed textiles from villagers.Phyllis Barron's influences brought vigorous abstract design and pattern reflecting the Vorticists, whereas Dorothy Larcher brought a naturalistic design style to the textiles they made. They experimented with blocks cut from a variety of woods, as well as lino and found objects such as kitchen utensils. They recovered and developed natural dying techniques bringing a range of intense and subtle colour to their work. Their hand made blocks 'walked' over a wide range of cloths, including linen, hand-woven Indian cotton, Chinese silk, Rodier woollens, chiffon, crepe de chine, velvet and organdie. Their prints were used in furnishing textiles as well as clothes such as dresses, scarves and stoles. This book is a poetic representation of their creative partnership set alongside some of their textiles and the creative environments in which they worked.