This emotional and thought provoking exhibition, presented by Fife Contemporary from The Crafts Council, ran from 9 May to 21 June 2009 at Kirkcaldy Galleries, and presented six different artists’ responses to the Asentamiento Dress by textile artist Julie Cook.

The Asentamiento Dress is part of ‘Duende: A time for healing’, a series that was developed by Julie Cook in collaboration with counselling psychologist, Lisa Isaacs.

Influenced by an expressive Andalusian culture and Flamenco song and dance, the Asentamiento Dress provides emotional catharsis to the wearer through the act of performance. Made from a cotton duvet with silk poultice and tapes it is worn as a dress that encompasses the whole body in warm, comforting duck down.

Instructions on how to wear the Asentamiento Dress

Object as Muse presented six pieces of varying disciplines in response to the Asentamiento Dress and its accompanying video performance piece.

Colette Bryce, David Birkin, Dunne and Raby with Noam Toram, Tamsin van Essen, Arabel Lebrusan and Susie MacMurray present a poem, a photograph, a film, six ceramic vessels, a silver mantilla and a drawing that was shown alongside the ‘muse’.

Through these very different works the artists explored rituals, neuroses, emotional and physical health and relationships, all of which were prevalent themes in Julie Cook’s work.