"Artwear" opening night & In conversation with Peter Gibson & Alex Hooper

Peter Gibson calls himself a “Creativist”, a term he invented to describe his professional life as an Artist, Filmmaker, and Musician. He studied Fine Art and Pedagogy at Liverpool College of Art and Design in the early Sixties.

A small prelude of what you have in store this evening:

In the Seventies, he received a Kodak Scholarship to study Film at Postgraduate level at the Slade School of Fine Art, London. There he met his lifelong creative partner, Alex Hooper. In 1971, they directed and produced their acclaimed film “The Turning Point”, a music documentary about the Blues Legend, John Mayall, which premiered at the Edinburgh film Festival. In 2004, they were commissioned by the BBC , to make a second documentary entitled “John Mayall, Godfather of the British Blues”.

Peter is a classically trained Musician and a Multi-instrumentalist turning his hand to the piano, violin, guitar and his most favourite; the trombone, as well as any kind of percussive instrument .(He calls forth a brilliant sound from dustbin lids!!)

At boarding school, he discovered Jazz and Blues and so began a lifelong passion for this music. In 1967, in his first professional lecturing role, he met three aspiring musicians, and together they formed the renowned Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts Blues Band. The Band had an eccentric and unusual style that endeared them to the public. From the Sixties to the Eighties they had hit records, and toured regularly on the University and Festival scene in the UK and Europe.

Pete began embroidering denim jackets – the stereotypical “Muso’s uniform”- to relieve the boredom of endless motorway journeys. He was entirely self taught and always had an embroidery project “on the go” whilst touring . He has been “Jacketing” for over fifty years and continues to find this method of creative expression fully absorbing .

The "Artwear" exhibition at Fabrications will bring together a collection of unique 'living' jackets, embroidered and embellished by Peter from the last 50 years. Pieces have been borrowed back from family members, friends and commissioners.

Programme for the evening:

6.30pm: Doors Open. Drinks reception & view the exhibition

7.30pm - 8.30pm: "In conversation" with Peter Gibson and Alex Hooper

8.30pm - 9pm: Audience Q&A

Please Note: The "In conversation" will take place in the Fabrications studio (which is downstairs from the shop via 12 steps)