I'll admit, I do have a slight vested interest in this artwork, since it was my uncle who created it!
That aside, it is quite an extraordinary piece. Created entirely from spider silk, collected and spun from Golden Orb spiders in Madagascar over five years and woven into a textile unlike any other. Having touched the silk myself I can say it is completely unique to the touch, and to the eye - it shimmers with a vibrant golden sheen and feels almost like touching a cloud! (excuse the flowery language, but I honestly can't think of any other way to describe it).
The textile was designed in a traditional Malagasy style, which is beautiful in its own right. The tassels which top and tail the textile are all of different lengths, which adds to the intrigue and unique feel of the piece.
The textile has gone on public display in the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Nicholas Godley and my uncle, Simon Peers
A close up of the textile
Sunday Times article
New York Times article
Daily Mail article
Incidentally, I designed my uncle's website over the summer - which you can see at www.peersandcompany.com and includes many pictures of other textiles he has created.
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