We Regret to Inform You

‘We Regret To Inform You’ (2015) was constructed to visually represent the loss faced by women who received notification letters from the War Office that family members were killed or missing in action. Created in January 2015, this work contributes to an ongoing semiotic-based visual research practice that positions textiles within a communication paradigm for audience interpretation (Andrew, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2018). It continues an exploration of perception of image and textile and their semantic value in the communication of WW1 narratives, particularly the impact of war on families.

The artefact was jury selected by peer review for three international exhibitions: International Textile Art (ITA) 2015, Kunststichting Perspektief vzw, Haacht, Belgium (February 21st to March 1st 2015); the 11th Scythia International Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Textile Art, Kherson, Ukraine (June 15th-26th 2016); and the Contextile 2016 Contemporary Textile Art Biennial, Guimaraes, Portugal (30th July – 16th Oct 2016). A digital image of the artefact was also jury selected by peer review for the international Excellence in Fibres print exhibition published in the Winter 2016/2017 edition of Fiber Art Now.

Media: reactive dyes digitally printed on optic white 100% cotton with fabric bonding and stitch.