Tiger Moths and Memories

EVERYONE is remembering the Great War this year. Quite rightly so. But for all the solemn ceremonies there's a place for quieter contemplation. Take the latest community arts project at York Art Gallery. Tiger Moths and Memories pays tribute to the importance of aviation in the First World War which led to the design and development of Gypsy Moth and Tiger Moth biplanes.

But it does so with a twist. Residents are coming together to help create a huge whisper of moths and butterflies, which will then be displayed from May to July. And alongside wartime memories there are personal recollections of milestone moments in people's lives.

Some of the butterflies are made from maps, to show memories of walking holidays, then there are dog eared favourite books, photocopies of cherished love letters, photographs of the family. The list is endless.

Memory moths are also encouraged to remember someone missed, perhaps from the Great War, or achievements to be proud of.

, the council's visual arts curriculum manager, is running the project.

"It's lovely that everyone can contribute all their separate individualities to one big art project," she says. "These moths and butterflies can be made from anything. We've got some cut out from plastic milk bottles, atlases, even cake trays."

Claire Douglas

It's like a 21st century Blue Peter, they even use sticky back plastic, felt pens and yoghurt pots. A theme Claire has used before on other York Learning community art projects.

"We always do things by recycling," she says. "When we did The Road Through York we used metres of Portakabin's old wood and MDF. For Face of York it was things you find at home, while Santa's Socks was about cutting up unwanted material at home.

"Now we have a database of learners who are happy to do something arty."

Are they ever. Some have traced moths from templates, others opted to go free hand. And the textures they have achieved are quite remarkable. There are canvas butterflies that flop as if airborne, Translucent ones fashioned out of humble plastic cartons, this impressive jewel like creature was formed from dimpled malted loaf packaging. How clever.

They are all environmentally friendly and really, really beautiful.

"There's a lovely spiritual thing about butterflies and moths," says Claire. "They look so fragile and people empathise with them. You can write your worries on a butterfly and stick it on the wall like it's going to fly away with them."

How soldiers on the Western Front must have wished it was that simple.

Once gathered in, the moths will be displayed in the Project Gallery of York Art Gallery, from May 6 to Jul 31. It will run alongside the other major 1914-18 exhibition Truth and Memory which opened this week to display the largest body of British First World War Art for almost 100 years.

The major retrospective comprises of more than 60 artworks from IWM (Imperial War Museums) and will feature some of the most iconic images to emerge from the First World War, including paintings by Paul Nash, Percy Wyndham Lewis, CRW Nevinson, Stanley Spencer and William Orpen, as well as lesser known, yet significant works, by artists such as Anna Airy and George Clausen.

Many of the paintings were shown last year at Imperial War Museum London. York Art Gallery is the only other venue to be hosting the exhibition, which will include a new thematic display as well as works from the York Art Gallery’s permanent collection.

Being in the Project Gallery, Tiger Moths and Memories will be free for everyone and visitors can also make their own moths and add them to the display.

Claire hopes hundreds of marvellous moths and beautiful butterflies will be donated to create a swirling murmuration on the wall. And that's where you come in.

"This exhibition will be made by all the people that make up a community," says Claire. "It's nice that people can make something, then take their grandchildren along to show it to them. Then they can make a butterfly. It will be a really nice organic piece that keeps growing."

Before then and to inspire residents to take part, a number of free ‘Marvellous Moths and Beautiful Butterflies’ workshops are taking place at Explore York Library and at Huntington School.

Sadly these are fully booked. but moths can be submitted at any York Explore Library or at Desk 22 at West Offices reception, marked for the attention of Claire Douglas, by Saturday April 29. Moths submitted cannot be returned, but colour photocopies of the originals will be accepted for the exhibition.

Each two-dimensional moth should be between 5cm and 20cm in both dimensions and should be cut away from its background.

"The materials we use are very easy to find," says Claire. "Everyone has them at home and you can make really beautiful things out of something that would just be recycled or thrown away."

For more information pick up a leaflet from Explore libraries and York Art Gallery or, to get involved contact Claire Douglas, City of York Council on 07990 774420, email tigermoths@york.gov.uk or visit www.yortime.org.uk