Women at work
In 1983 Cecile Elstein was invited to exhibit through Mini Print International for their Mini Print Travelling Show. The organisation required ‘mini prints’ of only 10x10cm which were to be exhibited in many different countries.
Elstein was screenprinting regularly in her home studio in Manchester, and the exhibition provided her the opportunity to experiment with an idea she had of capturing three women in conversation throughout the day. She had observed a group of women talking together during sun-rise, the midday sun and sunset. The series became Jolly Ladies ‘Blue’, ‘Yellow’ and ‘Red’.
Elstein was interested in the connection the women had to each other and to their environment. She started noticing different groups of women and began thinking of “the three women right through history”, such as “the three graces”. Elstein remarked, “this small beginning set me on a path of extended creativity”. The Jolly Ladies formed the basis of her design for the Mandarah Project exhibited in 1984-5 and the series of larger prints; Morning Meeting, Noon Meeting and Evening Meeting produced in 1986.
Sources from / talk notebooks
Talk - ‘from earth works and rock pools to the last 30 years in manchester”
“When I was screenprinting regularly in my studio at Spath Road, I was invited to exhibit through Mini Print International. The rules of the organisation were that the prints had to be images size 10x10cm. This series of mini screen prints are titled “the jolly ladies”. These tiny prints only 10x10 were experiments to see if I could work with the idea I had of three women in conversation throughout a day. That would include the sun rise, the midday sun and the sunset. These little prints were exhibited in The Mini Print Travelling show in many different countries and seemed to have captured the imagination of others. This small beginning set me on a path of extended creativity.”
“I keep seeing the three ladies a vision directly from the three on the London train. The gossip- the 3 graces - the 3 wise woman. The 3 women right through history. On the train to London from Southampton. 3 Hampshire women-their relationship with each other and the connection between them and the environment. I will have to draw for this monument to the three ladies”