Sam Henty, a Yorkshire based artist, working with a multidisciplinary practice, using para-fiction and super-fiction to develop a series of narratives working with identity around alter egos and personas, using the historical time-lines as a framework in structuring a family lineage. The works exist as an archival collection, documenting the series of anachronistic autobiographies through an ever-expanding object based archive, playing with verisimilitude and satire while creating an aura of authenticity.
The Eborakon Ofriòr Tapestry, documents the Harken Family line. The depiction starts at the Battle of Bosworth, just before the engagement of the two apposing army’s at the start of the conflict. The 22 Panel tapestry goes on to present the subsequent decline and fall of the Harken family, through murder, betrayal and exile. The second half depicts the phoenix rise of the family, through the Yorkshire rebellion and the revolt of the county from the crown, with even more battles, murder, betrayal and tactical diplomacy. The tapestry concludes this epic saga of 50 years history that was never told. The borders of this saga however are assembled re-imagined imagery from fourteen century doodles from monks in texts, most of which reside in British archive’s up and down the country.
This has been a three year project and it took four sewing machines to complete the free hand sewn tapestry, detailing this forgotten past.
“The works exist as an archival collection, documenting the series of anachronistic autobiographies through an ever-expanding object based archive, playing with verisimilitude and satire while creating an aura of authenticity.”