Tadek Beutlich: On and Off the Loom

About

Discover the distinctive work of Tadek Beutlich MBE (1922-2011), a visionary textile artist, printmaker and teacher.

From monumental tapestries to intricate textile constructions and vivid relief prints, On and Off the Loom offers an in-depth look at Beutlich's remarkable career affirming his reputation as one of the world's leading textile artists.  

Polish-born Beutlich, who made Ditchling his home in the late 1960s and early 1970s, developed a style that blurred the lines between fine art and craft.  His bold, innovative approach to materials, combined with fearless experimentation, allowed him to continually reinvent his artistic practice. 

After the Second World War he enrolled as a student of painting and drawing at the Sir John Cass Institute in London, transferring to Camberwell School of Art and Crafts and graduating with a degree in Textiles in 1950.

While still a student, he accompanied his teacher, weaver Barbara Sawyer (1919-1982), on a visit to Gospels, the home and workshop of Ethel Mairet (1872-1952) in Ditchling.  Mairet's imaginative use of yarns had a profound influence on Beutlich's work and in 1967, following Mairet's death, he moved into Gospels.