British Moth Throw

British Moth Throw 2012 Detail of hand-cut transfers on cotton fabric

British Moth Throw and Entomology Drawer

The British Moth Throw, draped over The Woodcutter's Bed, a mid-twentieth century Vono bed, belonging to Jane's Grandmother, formed part of The Woodcutter's Cottage installation. This artwork depicts the beauty of moths and seeks to dispel their image as dusty cloth-eaters while highlighting the rapid depletion of many British moth species. It also served as an object alongside the bed that inspired a sense of "walking into a fairytale cottage and observing the occupants dwelling and contents, while they are out in the forest."

Jane created four colour Biro drawings of British moth species including the Death’s Head Hawk-Moth, Oleander Hawk-Moth, Small Elephant Hawk-Moth and Broad Bordered Bee Hawk-Moth which formed the pattern design for the throw. She then printed hundreds of images of the moth drawings onto transfer paper. Each image was individually hand-cut and pressed onto cotton fabric. 

Death’s Head Hawk-Moth 2012 colour Biro drawing

Making the throw by hand was an essential part of the process of appreciating how handmade household objects were created in the past, often by candlelight and with care, time and love. The edges of the throw are hand-cut so that the moth's wings curl up like dead leaves on the floor and give a sense of forest organisms drifting into and swirling around, or inhabiting the cottage.

British Moth Throw, Woodcutter's Quilt, Woodcutter's Giant Pillow, The Woodcutter's Bed and Red Riding Hood's Cloak on display at The Woodcutter's Cottage Exhibition, The Mercer Art Gallery 2013

The original moth drawings were then pinned into the drawer of a Vono dressing table, also belonging to Jane's Grandmother to form the Entomology Drawer, which featured in the Woodcutter's Cottage installation.

Entomology Drawer, 2013 The Woodcutter's Cottage Exhibition, The Mercer Art Gallery