Educational Media Reviews Online

Ann Sutton is an 86-year-old British textile artist, weaver, and teacher who has written several books on weaving, collaborated with many well-known fashion designers, was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire, and has her artwork permanently exhibited at the Tate. She is profiled in the documentary My Bones are Woven.

This documentary was directed by Jane Mote and Joshua Kershaw. It is the first documentary directed by both of these film veterans and was screened at two film festivals in the UK and shown as part of a tribute to Ann Sutton at the British Library. The film starts out with Ms. Sutton talking to the camera and creating a piece of art but there is no introduction or information on who the viewer is watching and why this film was made. It feels like the viewer is just plopped down in the middle of the story and left to wonder who everyone is. The film does become interesting once Ms. Sutton starts talking about her career and what she did after leaving the fashion industry. There is an emotional connection between her and her assistant but again, there is no explanation of who this person is helping with the studio work. The film continues with the story of the men (names not given) who acquired looms from Ms. Sutton and transported them to the island of Yell in Scotland with the idea of setting up a creative industry on the island. The conclusion of the film has Ms. Sutton preparing for the Tate to acquire some of her work to be on permanent display.

The topic is somewhat interesting as a documentary about the artist, but the narrative context is left out. The directors use the technique of not identifying any of the players until the credits roll so this makes for very confusing viewing. The artist herself isn’t even introduced. If the viewer didn’t know anything about Ann Sutton, then it would be difficult to figure out what was going on. All of the characters in the film spoke in art lingo so this film really isn’t for the non-art or fashion person. It’s appropriate for those who already know who Ann Sutton is, her importance in the art world and how she fits into the art world.

This documentary is available streaming through Good Doc. Institutions can receive a license for institutional use. Public performance rights come at an additional cost. The film is in Color and is 74 minutes long. My Bones are Woven is only recommended as supplementary material for fine arts or fashion classes and even then, only for those who are already familiar with the artist and her work. It would be hard to imagine a library getting its value out of this film as compared to the cost.

Published and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Anyone can use these reviews, so long as they comply with the terms of the license.