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.

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

The Great Tablecloth | Red Poles Gallery, McLaren Vale

The Great Tablecloth

29 October 2012 - 1 January 2012

Red Poles Gallery, McLaren Vale

Opening: Saturday 29 October 3pm

Features Red Thread member and feature artist Cheryl Hutchens and also good friend and mentor Irmina van Niele plus a number of artists working in jewellery, painting, mixed media, glass and ceramic... should be a hoot!

Exhibitions | Dare to Differ & Ernabella Arts

Spring has definitely sprung and October has many wonderful exhibitions, artist talks and workshops to offer. Dare to Differ at Gallery M is a celebration of contemporary quilts curated by the Quilters Guild of South Australia and features Red Thread member Susan Long. Head along to the exhibition floor talk "What is an Art Quilt?" on Sunday 16 October 2pm, which looks at the quilts on display as well as hearing from Suzanne Gummow on what makes a good quilt. Cost is FREE however bookings are essential 8377 2904 and for more details visit the Gallery M website

Image: June Brown, rust on cotton

SA Museum will present an exhibition of new works from Ernabella Arts, Australia's oldest Indigenous arts centre, acknowledging its long history but with sights firmly set on the future. Opening from 14 October - 13 November, the museum will run storytelling and basket making workshops which can be booked through the Education Team 8207 7429 for more info visit the SA Museum website

'the empty nest' exhibition opening

I welcome you all to join me to celebrate the opening of my first solo exhibition the empty nest, next Sunday 2 October 4-6pm at Seedling Art Space, cnr Main Road & Turners Avenue, Coromandel Valley.

In this exhibition, I have utilised handmade papers to create works reflecting my childhood experience of separated homes filled with coming and going, traversing from one to the other and attempting to discover my identity as a whole, rather than in fragmented parts. 

Accompanying the sculpture/installation work of hybrid nest/egg forms, is a series of large format photographs of found empty nests, symbolising a home once occupied, a remnant of place no longer shared.

The exhibition is open 11am-3pm Saturdays and Sundays from 1 - 16 October and I will be sitting the gallery during this time, so please feel free to come look and have a chat.

LOVE LACE | Tsunami by Janet Echelman

How wonderful is it to see that the age-old technique of lace is being celebrated in today’s art world in the Love Lace exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. 134 artists from 20 countries unleash their passion for lace in this spectacular exhibition of winning entries and finalists in the Museum’s International Lace Award.

The exhibition ranges from bold large-scale installations and sculptures to intricate textiles and jewellery. Materials include gold and silver wire, linen and silk as well as mulberry paper, tapa cloth, horse hair, titanium and optical fibre.

One artist who demonstrates how a traditional technique can be transformed into contemporary art is the 24 metre wide lace work titled Tsunami by Janet Echelman (USA) that will be installed 13 metres above George Street at the Sydney Town Hall from  23 September to 23 October.

Tsunami was inspired and gets its name from the events that unfolded following the 2010 Chile earthquake. Echelman was motivated by the 1.26 micro second shortening of that day on February 27, which resulted from the earthquake’s redistribution of the Earth’s mass.

‘By meditating on these epiphenomena, the work underscores the interdependence of Earth systems and the global community.  It asks the viewer to pause and consider the larger fabric of which they are a part,” said Janet Echelman.


For more information and images on all the works in the exhibition visit the Love Lace website.

As Far as the Eye Can See

Question: What happens when 22 women who work as professional designers, artists and dancers to doctors, scientists and project managers put their crochet skills to good use? 

Answer: A gallery size, giant eye artwork including 500 hand crocheted squares using 182,784 stitches all in the name of raising funds for Gap Filler, a creative urban regeneration initiative that is taking art and community to Christchurch's vacant city spaces after the city's devastating earthquake in February. 

The work is currently on display at Rodeo, 162-168 Gilbert Street, Adelaide until 28 October before heading to Christchurch to be exhibition in November. For more information and images visit the website here.

The group seeks to continue making a contribution to the Christchurch community through ongoing projects to connect artists, community and provide story.

Science Sewing Circle | Sera Waters

As part of Flocked: collecting bird stories from SA exhibition at the South Australian Museum, artist Sera Waters will be hosting a Science Sewing Circle on Saturday 14 August 1:00 – 3:30pm. Bring along a stitching project and bird stories to share and experience the museum’s bird collection in the Biodiversity Gallery.

This is the last week to see the Inside SAM's Place exhibition which is an ongoing collaboration between Craftsouth and the South Australian Museum. Bookings are essential so please register on 8207 7090,

Waters has spent the last several months studying bird collections in the South Australian Museum and gathering personal bird stories from the public via a blog and a nest box installed in the museum foyer. Flocked  features new textile and embroidered work presented, together with bird skins, eggs and nests from the museum collection, creating a rich and complex world of anecdote and art celebrating the colourful culture of local birds and people, and the connections between them. "After the wonderful time I spent with the bird collection, and with individual birds, it struck me how much their world is intertwined with ours, and how reliant we are upon one another," says Waters.

Image: Sera Waters, Self as Plover, 2011, printed linen, felt, crewel and sequins, cotton + card, 130 x 80cm

Red Thread SALA Walk | 20 August

It's SALA Festival time again! And what better way to visit the fantastic variety of SA artists than with your fellow red threaders.

Join us on Saturday 20 August 11am | Meet at The Three River fountain on Victoria Square for a day of exploring our local talent and share our love of art. Some of the exhibitions so far include visiting Central Studios, Grote St, along King William and Pirie Street to Wish List 2011, Craftsouth and strolling through Adelaide Arcade to visit the Art Gallery of SA and Flinders University City Gallery as well as many others. Visit each of the links for exhibition information.

If you could please register your interest, by emailing k.growden@live.com or posting below.

Download the map and itinerary here and make sure to share with friends, and also bring a small amount of money for coffees and cakes along the way.

SALA Festival runs from 5 - 28 August and the full guide can be viewed on their website.

 

Image: Stephanie Radok, We speak your language, 2010 | solo exhibition at Flinders University City Gallery

the empty nest | pozible crowdfunding

For my upcoming solo exhibition, the empty nest at Seedling Art Space in October, I have established a community funding intiative through Pozible. Click this link for full project description and to make a pledge.

Pozible provides creative project creators with a platform to present their ideas to a worldwide audience. If anyone likes the idea, they can support it by pledging money to the creator's project. In return for their support, the project creator will offer rewards depending on the level of funding, essentially differentiating itself from the normal funding process.

 

As a textile artist, my practice predominantly utilizes the medium of handmade and recycled paper to transform a ubiquitous material from a flat surface into a three dimensional form. Exploring the notions of memory, belonging and the handmade I focus on altering the surface of the paper to create tactile qualities. This exhibition will be a significant professional development opportunity to present my first solo show as an emerging artist. 

 

Contributions of $10+ will fund a mentor/writer fee by Dr. Irmina van Niele, costs of production and installation needs, gallery hire, printing of invitations as well as play an important role in the development of my work as an emerging artist. 

 

Your support through pledges, forwarding this link by email or through Facebook or Twitter would be greatly appreciated. If you think anyone would be interested in supporting the project or if they would like more information, please feel free to contact me at k.growden@live.com

ORNATE | SA Contemporary Textiles opening

The official invitations are now out and about for ORNATE: South Australian Contemporary Textiles exhibition. Please join us on Sunday 1 May at Prospect Gallery at 3pm, to be opened by Dr. Irmina van Niele, artist and Lecturer School of Art, Architecture and Design, University of South Australia.

Emerging artists involved include Ali Carpenter, Kara Growden, Laura Haigh, Kate O'Leary, Jessica Sanguesa, Ashleigh Taylor, Lara Torr and Briony Vickery. A showcase of various forms of textile works employing traditional craft techniques and materials for contemporary means. Based on the theme of 'patter', the artist seek to reinvent the ideals and importance of the 'handmade' to a society strongly driven by technology.

The exhibition will run until 22 May and be supported by a 16 page catalogue with essay by Sera Waters. For more information and to see a preview of images in the exhibition visit the event on Facebook.

Interlaced | Annabelle Collett

Head to Art Images, Norwood to experience Annabelle Collett’s latest collection of collaged fabric works. Drawing on the nostalgia of vintage fabrics, patterns and textures, these tactile works explore the connections between fashion, the body and domesticity. Like the budding artists exhibiting in ORNATE: South Australian Emerging Textiles, her work is informed by an ongoing investigation into the meaning of pattern in textiles.

Interlaced runs from 18 March to 10 April, visit Art Images for a preview of the works on display.

Image: Annabelle Collett, Lace Fragments, 2010, 
vintage lace pieces, various papers, 65 x 70 cm

ORNATE: South Australian Contemporary Textiles

For the next few months leading up to May, we will feature the artists exhibiting in ORNATE: South Australian Contemporary Textiles at Prospect Gallery. The exhibition of eight emerging contemporary textile artists aims to signify textiles as an innovative medium in contemporary visual arts culture.

Ali Carpenter, Kara Growden, Laura Haigh, Kate O'Leary, Jessica Sanguesa, Ashleigh Taylor, Lara Torr and Briony Vickery have taken a variety of approaches to the  theme of "pattern" with an underlying ambition of reinventing the ideals and importance of the "hand-made" to a culture that is strongly influenced by the mechanized.

The exhibition dates run from 1-22 May with an opening event to be held on

Sunday 1 May 4-6pm.

Image: Kara Growden, Toile Country, 2010-11, recycled wallpaper,

 dimensions variable - 100 origami roosters

Textiles Material Revolution | Cecilia Heffer

Welcome back to an exciting New Year, we hope you enjoyed the festive season with family, friends and good food. 2011 will be a prosperous year for many members of the Red Thread Collective, with a significant survey of emerging contemporary textile artists at Prospect Gallery in May, several other solo and group exhibitions and new members joining us as we provide a supportive and friendly network to create and share ideas. 

As we get back into the swing of things there are many new opportunities on the horizon including residencies, exhibitions, grants and awards, and Craft Australia has a diverse range of national and international events to offer on their website visit here or sign up to ca enews to keep up to date with all industry news.

An interesting article I came across on the website was by Sydney based textile designer Cecilia Heffer who completed a residency at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, 2008. Heffer presents five designers to discuss the relationship between textiles and technology and the ground breaking initiative Nobel Textiles. For the full article visit here and stay tuned for updates on our first meeting for the year.

Graduates Galore!!

It's that time of the year when all the final year art students spin into a state of panic as leave they the safe haven of institutional walls and sail off solo into the exciting yet daunting art world. Graduate exhibitions are a unique opportunity to see the State's new creative talent and provide a platform for the graduating students to showcase their work to both the public and our industry. Make sure you get along to see these wonderful shows...

Talking to strangers

ACSA Bachelor of Visual Art Graduate Exhibition


Patty Chehade, Ruby Chew, Diana Devereux, Catherine Milne, Deb Morley, Chris Thiel and Lucy Turnbull.

11 December 2010 to 8 January 2011

Adelaide Central Gallery 45 Osmond Terrace, Norwood

Sticks, Stones and Broken Bones

UniSA’s School of Art, Architecture and Design graduating student showcase their work in an end of year exhibition in two of UniSA’s City West galleries.

Grand opening for all exhibitions: 6:00pm-8:00pm, Wednesday 8 December 

SASA Gallery

Level 2, Kaurna Building, City West Campus, Uni SA

Cnr Fenn Place & Hindley Street, Adelaide

30 Degrees

Part two of the Adelaide College of the Arts visual arts graduate exhibition.

Until November 25

Light Square Gallery,

39 Light Square, Adelaide

Image: ACSA graduate Christine Thiel's Talking to Strangers, 2010, oil on board, 30 x 38

Filling Holes with Wool

Lara Torr, Prue Gramp and Meghann Wilson present new works in Filling Holes with Wool at Urban Cow Studio from 1 - 31 December. 

Each artists incorporates embroidery into their pieces, encouraging the viewer to consider the finer details of traditional craft practices. Gramp explores the narratives within the history of shipwrecks and icebergs in small scale embroidered and painted works, whilst Torr draws inspiration from vintage knitting patterns with her own treasured possessions and imagery from cult horror classics such as The Shining and Suspiria are evident in Wilson's intricate painting and embroidery works. 

While the opening on Wednesday 1 December is on the same night as one of our upcoming meetings, make sure you get to see this wonderful exhibition, demonstrating how textiles has progressed into contemporary art. Also Lara will be exhibiting in an emerging contemporary textile survey next year at Prospect Gallery curated by Red Thread Collective members Kara Growden & Kate O'Leary. 

Wangaratta Contemporary Textiles Award 2011

This is a $5000 acquisitive award for Contemporary Textile Art and open to professional artists working in any style of textile media are invited to make an entry for consideration within a competitive assessment process.

A judging panel consisting of the Wangaratta exhibitions Gallery Director and two respected professionals will select a shortlist of finalists for the Award exhibition at the Gallery 4 June – 17 July 2011. Download entry form from: www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au

Important Dates:
Friday 25 March Closing date for submission of entries
Saturday 4 June Exhibition opening and announcement of the Award at 11am, Textile Forum 12.30 – 4.30pm
4 June – 17 July Exhibition held at Wangaratta Gallery, Victoria

Please direct all email enquiries to exhibitionsofficer@wangaratta.vic.gov.au