Amanda Hall
City Limits
Having always lived in a city, I am interested in the relationship between urban environments and the people who live in them.
Walking through different areas of Bristol became an important part of the research for these projects as I immersed myself in its sounds, smells, and sights, noting the thoughts, emotions, and physical responses these experiences evoked.
Reflecting on my own experience of feeling both contained and liberated by living in a city, I wanted to explore others views.
During the 2020 lockdown, I initiated a collaborative project, inviting participants to decorate handmade textile balls created from recycled fabrics in response to their own experiences of the urban environment.
As we were unable to meet, the textile balls were posted to participants and returned by post.
Fifty-four textile balls were completed by 34 contributors, revealing diverse reflections on urban living. Together, they explored themes including the coexistence of people and wildlife, environmental pollution, food, friendship, community, culture, entertainment, overcrowding, and enduring feelings of hope and belonging.
The works formed a collective portrait of urban life at an extraordinary moment, revealing both the shared and deeply personal ways we experience the city.
The Quarry Shirts explore the experiences of people living in an old quarry in Bristol. Inspired by conversations with local residents, the work draws connections between place, memory, and the clothes we wear.
Like the Quarry, shirts bear the imprint of those who inhabit them. Worn, altered, repaired, and discarded, they hold stories that are both visible and hidden.
The shirts reflect an area that has continually evolved: unplanned, layered, diverse, and constantly changing, while continuing to make space for individuality, resilience, and belonging.
