Threading ancient land-forms together

Alvena Hall, ‘Funisia lace vessel’, Photo: Michel Kluvanek

A new textile exhibition Contemplating an Archean Land opens next Sunday 7 October at Prospect Gallery, and features the work of Ines Parker and Alvena Hall. 

Alvena Hall, a lace expert who recently was a finalist in the Love Lace 2011 exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney and also this years Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, works explore the geological record of when the great continents formed. Inspired by the Ediacara Hills in the northern Flinders Ranges, her pieces also look into the deep ices ages, erosion of the ancient sea pavements and the ongoing discovery of fossils in the area today.

Ines Parker, ‘No. 3 Karlwe Karlwe series’, woven tapestry: wool, cotton, silk, 59 x 28cm.

Ines Parker's inspiration is drawn from the Devils Marbles in Northern Territory, whilst the artist was camping in the area. According to the local Warumungu indigenous Australians, the huge rounded stones are eggs laid during the Dreamtime by the Rainbow Serpent. The works emphasize the mystical presence of land formations, which transform throughout different times of the day. 

"The collection of artwork produced, including wall pieces in traditional quilt format, 

complex cloth with elaborated surfaces, smaller panels, and sculptured lace, takes on the notion that time is a kind of filter and it selects only certain biota, under very special conditions to become fossils. That they are ever found at all is even more remarkable." - Prospect Gallery, 2012

Tea–bag trail by Susan Long

Contemporary textile art quilts are big news at the moment. This one, titled 'Tea-bag Trail' features tea dyeing, shibori and running stitch, based on the design concept of a journey by road map, through an Australian 

outback landscape. 

It was accepted for entry to Dare to Differ 2011, a contemporary quilt exhibition curated by the Quilters Guild of SA. Dare to 

Differ 2011, was open to all quilt makers resident in Australia. It was a juried selection. 

My design evolved, whilst experimenting with natural tea- dyeing and a shibori technique. I folded and tied with string, small packages of bleached calico that resembled tea-bags. In the tea dyeing process, some of the tea ran into the folds of the calico forming a grid-like pattern. 

This grid-pattern created the structure of a map. After laying out the tea-dyed calico and lining up the grid-pattern, I patched and pieced it together by hand, sewing through two layers with invisible stitches. Stitching through two or more layers of predominantly fibre was an entry requirement, to comply with the structure of a quilt. With a 2B pencil, I hand drew an imaginary section of an Australian outback road map, directly onto the calico. Strong diagonal and curving lines criss-cross my quilt landscape, adding perspective. The earthy and tonal colour variations of the tea dyeing, combined with the shibori, grid patterning and string resist, determined my colour palette: mono-chromatic (tones of warm and cool browns). 

DMC brand embroidery stranded and perle cotton threads were used throughout, along with running stitch for its strong mark making qualities. Other stitches included back stitch, stem stitch and couched thread. To complete the design, I added a focal point: a place where the eyes can rest before moving around the design. I embroidered a circle in stem stitch in the lower left hand side of the quilt. This was my focal point. The circle references a place or location situated on a map. The road map layer links journey and travel through an outback Australian landscape to destination Adelaide, South Australia.

For a visual artist (not a quilt maker), I felt a sense of achievement that my quilt, 'Tea-bag Trail' which began its journey based on experiments with natural tea dyeing and shibori and journey by map, was accepted for Dare to Differ, 2011, contemporary quilt exhibition. The exhibition ran from 30 September - 23 October, 2011, held at Gallery M Cultural Centre.

Susan Long graduated in 2009 with a (Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design) from Adelaide College of the Arts, Adelaide, S.A. This article was published in Embellish Magazine Issue No. 9. Her next exhibition 'House Special', mixed media works by Red House Group Inc. members, opened on 28 September at Gallery M, Marion Cultural Centre and runs until 21 October.

To the Surface

Local Adelaide emerging artist Meg Cowell returns with her latest exhibition To the Surface featuring large-scale images of women's couture, wedding dresses and under-garments in various stages of transformation. 

After exhibiting her previous body of work Sanctum at Prospect Gallery and Brunswick Street Gallery in Melbourne last year, Cowell draws our attention to discarded feminine garments and gives them new life by reviving them into beautiful and sensual objects.

“During this period a transitory world emerges, a kind-of biological metamorphosis,” she says. “The garments become diaphanous and beautiful, highlighting their mystery”.

Highly evocative, these images initially call upon a sense of humour, for those who have walked the city streets in the early hours of the morning have stumbled across remnants of another's late night antics. However, when submerged underwater the works summon a darkness and uncertainity, forcing the viewer to wonder what may have occurred and how did these intimate garments end up plucked in trees, road-sides and public-toilet waste-bins.

To the Surface is showing at AP Bond Gallery, 2 Ann Street Stepney from June 21- July 8. For more information visit the gallery and artists' websites.

Unravelled :: Red Poles Gallery

Red Poles Gallery, McLaren Vale presents their annual textiles exhibition this Saturday 2 June at 3pm.

 Unravelled features the work of past Red Thread Collective member Cheryl Hutchens, Emily Barber, Bev Bills, Vicki Bone, Kel Chester, Raelene Draheim, Melissa Gillespie, Pen Housman,  Geraldine Krieg, Vonni Munro, Judy Stephens, Liz Steveson, Kaaren Temme who each demonstrate the enduring relationship between landscape and textiles.

Craftsouth :: Residencies Artist Talk

 

Lisa Farrant, Almond and Marginata, 2010, Artroom5

Have you ever thought about removing yourself from your regular activities, your place of comfort and experiencing another corner of the country to get inspired. How about applying for one of the many arts residencies across Australia or even overseas?

Not sure what its all about, then head along to Craftsouth's Residencies Artist Talk to learn the benefits, opportunities and creative growth experiences of undertaking a residency from Adrian Potter who undertook a residency at Canberra School of Art and Lesa Farrant who has completed a residency at Soda Studios in North Fremantle, WA.

This Tuesday 24 April at 6pm, at Craftsouth office Level 1, 38 Hindley Street. Craftsouth members get in for free and for non-members only $15 | RSVP is essential and for further information contact Craftsouth on (08) 8410 1822 or email craftsouth@craftsouth.org.au.

And to find out where you might be able to attend an arts residency in your discipline visit ResArtis.org

Carclew Youth Arts turns 40

Reason for Being :: The Daily Disused

In the age of global concerns enduring natural resources, an interesting exhibition coming up in May is Reason for Being at Prospect Gallery. Curator Irmina van Niele has selected seven local artists Fern Hudson, Ann Newmarch, Youngsoon Jin, Cathy Brooks, Katie Harten, Judith Carletti and Christopher Sprod to reconsider the waste of the human daily life. 

Artists have long acquired the ability to be able to look at someone's 'junk' and recycle found materials and objects into artworks, but it can be more difficult for others who will buy something new over repairing it. The artists want visitors, and what we all should consider ‘what does one keep, what for and for how long?’ and 'why waste?'  

Reason for Being opens on Sunday 6 May 3pm at Prospect Gallery

Contextart FORUM 14–20 April

Only a week until TAFTA's Contextart Forum in the Blue Mountains. Offering both 2 day and 4 day workshops with 29 tutors across a variety of textile techniques including papermaking, basketry, felting, shibori and dyeing, artists' books and even woven jewellery it is incredible opportunity for those wanting to add a wide range of skills to their practice. For the full list of workshops and their teachers, visit the forum website.

Sayonara, Red Thread closes its doors...

It is with deep regret, that Red Thread Collective must close its doors at the Box Factory Community Centre. After running for almost 18 months, it has been an incredible experience meeting so many talented and inspiring artists in Adelaide and many from overseas. I hope everyone who has attended our meetings over this time has gained knowledge and confidence from meeting other emerging artists, to further develop their art practices.


The RTC blog with continue to provide information on relevant exhibitions, events, grants, awards and workshops to emerging artists, so please keep us informed, if there is anything you would like featured and shared amongst this network.

Once again, thank you for teaching others the gift of being an artist and for sharing your experiences.