Hybrids - miniature costumes and chimerae

Where: 17-18 Dover Street Market W1s 4JE

Times
Open 11am to 6pm Mon to Sat & 11am to 7pm Thurs

Admission
free

Lacework of snake vertebrae, sea urchin cradled in stitch of hair, porcupine quill patchwork.

This is the fabric of miniature clothing sewn using the content of Victorian specimen boxes dissected, carved and tweezer sewn by costumier Anna Cocciadiferro.

Sitting at school ruler height, paired mannequins bustle impatiently in the isolation of victorian glass domes. All bodies may be undressed, tweezer aided, by the costumier, and flat packed for travel.

Using techniques and construction from elizabethan to edwardian, patterning is based on biology of the animal used, exposing intricacies of innards. Recycled museum collections have been given attentive restructuring, to present another mythology, as animal takes on human form.

Snake scales, individually peeled from a skein, are re-sewn with cut steel. Puritan in the construction (all elements used are antique) horsehair plucked from an 18th century flywhip provides thread. Five hours to an inch, is the rule of thumb, for the creation of such constructed textiles. All work is undertaken with the naked eye, unmagnified, as it would wish to be seen.

Polly Verity's miniature chimera and mythological beasts continue the confusion between animal and man.

Silver wire is delicately coaxed into shape, describing a minute outline, then covered in a taut and translucent skein. The creatures are further adorned by intricately folded geometric paper elements. Scored, creased and crumpled, fine paper is encouraged to imitate fungi, coral or creature.

The birds and beasts inside their domes have the quiet resolve of a trapped animal that knows it is useless to fight. A harpie stands quietly, gazing into the distance, her truncated wings held as though flight is imminent. Take the lid off any of these domes at your peril. Who knows what might be unleashed.

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