Exhibition: Tracey Deep Shadow Poem

Tracey Deep
Moon river

The opening of this exhibition last weekend at Sturt Gallery was warm, friendly, beautiful. Sunshine on spring gardens, the large light gallery space full of texture and movement, a particularly relaxed and friendly crowd, works inviting, intriguing, rewarding our attention and thought.

Tracey Deep and Slavica Zivkovic (gallery manager) in front of Shadow song

Tracey Deep’s background is in floral sculpture and installation. That sensibility is still seen in her eye and the shapes she creates as well as some of her materials, but here she has created less ephemeral but still organic, lively and often visually, if not physically, fragile pieces.

Tracey Deep
Exhibition view

The exhibition was opened by Robin Powell, garden columnist. I particularly appreciated her talk as she really did introduce the artist and her work – both new to me. Robin spoke of the way Tracey is able to show us the world, the garden, with new eyes. There is a sense of surprise, of discovery.

Tracey Deep
Wind spirit

Tracey Deep Wind spirit (detail)

Tracey gives new life, a double life, to what has outlived its first. Before the opening formalities I had looked carefully at Wind Spirit, admired the liveliness of the lines, what looked like barbed wire but was actually a mass of very carefully wound and finished ends, rusty metal tendrils in a wreath.

How could I have missed the (not so) unmistakeable coils of bed springs?

Tracey Deep
Wisdom

Not all the materials were so hard to identify – Wisdom, here on a plinth but with potential for wall display, undulates over its base of bra underwires. Other raw materials included an outdoor chair, beaded seat rest, frayed ghost net. Tracey was very friendly, happy to chat with us (I was with Claire of Tactual Textiles), and she confirmed she is always looking, alert to found materials with potential.

Tracey Deep
Moonscape

As the exhibition title suggests, shadow is a significant concern of the artist. Light falls on and through the works, layered, like shadows in nature. Robin Powell suggested shadows are the spirit of Tracey’s work. The ample light in the gallery, both natural and artificial, made the most of this feature.

Tracey Deep
Shadow spirit

There was a real sense of unity and yet diversity in the works on display. I particularly like the way Tracey revisited ideas in different materials and scales. For example Shadow Spirit used quite a wide wire mesh, formed into a shape, in this case an open-topped box or vessel, and then interlaced with a feathery string. Those light laces created movement, defined the space contained without hiding it, gave an air of fragility.

Tracey Deep
Sacred Spirit

Visually similar materials at a smaller scale were used to create a series of pouches or bags, Sacred Spirit. That pouch shape was also seen in Bush Spirit, back in a mid-scale and in wooden beads.

Tracey Deep
Moon shadow (detail)

The idea of open metal frame interlaced with feathery yarn was used again at large scale in Moon shadow (seen in the background of the exhibition view photograph above). This work formed a deep relief on the wall, with complex layers and once again those ever-present, ephemeral, shadows.

I found so much to admire, to learn from, in this artist and her work. With my upcoming (in a few months) welded sculpture workshop I am very excited about the possibilities in combining metal forms and textile elements. Many of the pieces used textile techniques, particularly weaving (one example among many Tree Spirit) and wrapping – Woodwind II would make a great case study for one of the Mixed Media for Textiles assignments.

However I think more important is the approach – Tracey Deep’s work displays great care and attention to detail, thoughtfulness laced through with humour and joy.

Tracey Deep Woodwind_ II

Tracey Deep Tree spirit

The exhibition is on until 13 November, a rewarding destination for a springtime drive.

Weekly roundup 25 September 2016

Lecture: Glenn Barkley The Laverty and Ann Lewis Collections (part of the AGNSW Collectors & Collections series).
This was a heart-felt and very personal lecture, as much about people and relationships as the art. Some staggering images of homes filled with mainly Australian art. Glenn Barkley’s musings as a curator about the combinations of works were particularly fascinating.

Exhibition: Jonathan Jones barrangal dyara (skin and bones)
This Kaldor public art program provides an amazing and varied experience. It’s impossible to sum up, I don’t have words – yet language is one of the most moving parts.

Jonathan Jones has reminded Sydney of its history – the 19th century Garden Palace building in our Royal Botanic Garden, built to house the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879, burnt to the ground in just a few hours in 1882. Among the losses was a huge collection of indigenous artifacts as well as early records of European Australians.

Jones has recreated the physical footprint of the building. Aerial photographs here show the massive scale of the project. At the heart of the space, where the dome once soared, is a circular garden now planted with kangaroo grass. A soundscape suggests the grinding of seeds into flour, voices of women teaching children, then a whoosh of fire. Most of the artifacts lost were related to men, presenting an image of savages overcome. Here women are the core of the community, peoples who cultivated land, made bread, used controlled fire as a means of rebirth of plant-life.

The perimeter of the building is marked by thousands of white shields. Made of gypsum they suggest ceremony as well as war. There are a variety of shapes, reflecting many clans, but they don’t have individual markings.

I particularly liked areas where the shields had grass growing up around them, and where they balanced at all angles on enormous tree roots, becoming an integral part of the land. It was such a powerful statement of place – this exhibition could only ever be here. There was also a powerful sense of being welcomed – by the elders of the Gadigal clan to Gadigal land, Aboriginal land, and also by the many invigilators and volunteers, some of whom share that heritage.

With one young man with a personal connection we discussed the importance of language. He was so proud and happy to share with us. There are eight soundscapes within the area, and Jones collaborated with various language groups, contemporary Aboriginal voices in the landscape.

There is an extensive range of talks and events included in the project. The breadth and depth of thought and attention is impressive. Also impressive is the positive vision shared. While traumatic, the devastating fire can be seen as a cultural burn, cleansing, providing space for regeneration of a more complex, inclusive culture.

Other art I’ve been seeing lately I’ve ended by looking for learning for my own work. This event is so far beyond that. My lesson is not to always analyse, glean, plan, take inspiration. Experience, feel, live.

Practical project

Kangaroo grass

Early reading and experiment with collage was recorded 22-Sept-2016. I planned a mono-printing session, building a collection of related patterned papers for future collage use.

While exploring barrangal dyara (skin and bones) I collected some pieces of dried kangaroo grass that had fallen on the path, thinking they could be used in the printing.

Knotless net

Thinking of the dilly-bags that might have been used to collect seed heads, I wanted to try knotless netting again as another texturing device for mono-printing. The net would have to be quite open to ensure the pattern printed and didn’t create a total resist. It would also need to be flat. A recent experiment with that didn’t go so well (11-Sep-2016). This time, rather than trying to modify the stitch to go backwards and forwards across the work I attached the centre of a new length of thread every second row and worked in my natural left-to-right direction for every row. The ends of the thread were worked into a thick braid down the right-hand side, although perhaps in a future attempt I will try creating a fringe. I used a commercial waxed linen thread, which is very obedient and easy to use.

Mono-printing, all sorts of oddments of paper were used – paper bags, tissue, coloured card, various weights… I used the gelatin plate, akua pigments, the kangaroo grass, netting, a couple of texturing things. Ink colours were lamp black, red oxide and burnt umber – they seemed to fit with the fire and earth of the Garden Palace.

The prints are still drying, but the next and very big question is will I be able to make sense of it all in a collage???

A few closeups:

Detail of the netting shows up well

Some bubble wrap adds background interest

red tissue paper – hard to photograph, interesting texture

The ghost print after tissue paper has some great texture

The netting is less distinct in a general unfocused mass

Netting very bold on yellow card. An offcut of wood added some very faint background

Reading: Laura Breede “ArchiTextile: Clothed walls from the middle ages to today” In Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg Art & Textiles: Fabric as material and concept in modern art from Klimt to the present Art & Textiles Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag.

There is reference to Gottfried Semper in 1860, placing textile art as a primeval art, a source for all other arts. Yurts, tapestry wall coverings, curtain walls of glass.

Most of the modern examples are use by artists of Jacquard weaving. I always have trouble with this – what does weaving bring to the artwork beyond the original source painting or photograph? Here at least part appears to be the deception or surprise at close examination. Still, I want textiles to have some unique edge or reason, not just a double-take by the viewer. It shouldn’t be a simple translation – and from the photos it’s hard to tell what transformation the weave ha provided.

Collage: Not mine. Some wonderful examples of digital collage with a surreal edge at https://lemanshots.wordpress.com/.

Finally I went to the opening of another exhibition today, Tracey Deep’s Shadow Poem at Sturt Gallery. A wonderful exhibition and experience which needs its own post.

Collage

Collage. The very word makes me nervously check my fingers for stickiness.

Some initial reading and investigation has broadened my understanding of the widely varying ends supported by collage and assemblage.

A whole range of materials, real world elements – fabric, paper, bits of ephemera – all arranged and glued on a surface. The potential for invention. Transforming. Tension of previous and changed states.

Mary Delany
Poinciana Pulcherrima (Decandria Monogynia)
© Trustees of the British Museum

Examples known from 12th century Japan, crafts and folk arts, the garden of Mary Delaney (see 28-Aug-2016).

Used by cubists to emphasise the flatness of the surface. Incongruity – serious art using folk art technique. Breaking boundaries.

Picasso, Braque, Juan Gris.
Eric Wilson.
What would it be like to play with a non-flat supporting surface – corrugated cardboard or an apple tray?

Dada – absurd, satirical

Kurt Schwitters
Raoul Hausmann

Surrealists – a strange new reality. Chance, juxtaposition, unfamiliar

Max Ernst, Roland Penrose
James Gleeson
Sidney Nolan, quilted engravings

Pop art – exploring imagery of popular culture, parody

Eduardo Paolozzi, Richard Hamilton (note later digital work)

nouveau réalisme – torn poster technique. Layers. Compositional unity. Capturing a place and time. Typography. Of the street. Spontaneous. Link to readymades. Anonymous public expression (in tearing of posters). Implicitly political.

Jacques Mahé de la Villeglé, Raymond Hains, François Dufrêne, Arman, Yves Klein, Jean Tinguely

Contemporary. Approaches include altering to challenge assumptions of viewer; a formal exploration; political.

Formal exploration:
David Aspden. Colour and shape arrangements. Use of torn edge – three dimensional quality.
Rosalie Gascoigne (assemblages). Imaginative associations, evocative.

Spiritual realm:
Rose Nolan, Eugene Carchesio

Political themes:
Katherine Hattam (autobiographical, feminist), Tony Albert

Layla Curtis

Barry Martin Movement Collage (1965) Representations of movement – selection of images, orientation and placement circling the centre, torn edges, angles all build speed and motion, sculptural potential of the surface. links to pop art and nouveau réalisme.

Nigel Henderson http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/henderson-collage-t01915. Really drawn to this work, and to the explanation of the artist’s process and ideas in the full catalogue entry. Scrutinising or looking into something that has caught his attention, disturbed him. Building up fields of interesting visual data from which you may assemble later. Enlarging, stacking, linking up lines in oil paint… Fits with my intention of creating base materials with printing, but with additional depth of relationship.

Robert Klippel. Sculpture and collage symbiotic.

Response
I’m definitely drawn to the more abstract formal explorations. Nigel Henderson’s work and that of Elwyn Lewis which I saw at AGNSW last night particularly excite.

To break the ice I decided to use known source material and focus on pattern. A plain background with textured but flat collage materials.
* Base: a large buff yellow envelope, opened out.
* Collage materials: mono-printed brushmarks on newspaper. Painted lines based on previous nude sketches. Lines cut out with a scalpel (I briefly tried tearing them out, but with all the texture of the newsprint and the brushmarks a crisper line looked better).

collage 20160922

I like the flat texture. Much time was spent trying out arrangements and there was some unintended shifting during the pasting process. Overall it’s quite lively and some interesting shapes created. There’s some flow and movement. I tried an overall arrangement but marginally preferred leaving that area on the left so I could move up to the right. Not entirely successful.

There is some lifting in a couple of places creating shadow lines which detract from the flatness. Some of the combinations where different pieces of paper overlap are clumsy. That piece of coloured newsprint centre right was unintended. I quite like it – just wish it was intentional.

collage 20160922 detail

The nude sketching lines and monoprinting process produces very attractive texture. I’ll use this idea again.

Having an initial overview of the terrain, I’ll start researching artists whose work particularly attracts me. I’d like to devise a brief based on each, making my own explorations.

Resources
Helen Campbell (2016 a) “Stuck on you” In Look Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 0916
Helen Campbell (2016 b) Art of parts: collage and assemblage from the collection Art Gallery NSW [online] http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/artsets/6mga1g
Tate Collage http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/collage

Weekly roundup 18 September 2016

Setting a new course (15-Sep-2016) has been a major preoccupation this week. [I typed “course” thinking of direction, but nice that it’s also a program of study]. It’s early days and I’m still feeling my way. Managing time and a sense of progress will need ongoing attention. In the structure of a formal college course I could see what was coming, tick off an exercise as “good enough”, choose to deviate from requirements… I could wrap up something with a comment about maybe coming back to it later. Now I need to take a breath, focus not only on the journey but the way in which I journey, work meaningfully at what seems right to me. Hold my nerve.

Lecture Jane Clark Mona: Art, experiment, advocacy. (part of the AGNSW Collectors & Collections series).
Mona is the Museum of Old and New Art. What an amazing place. A group of us have been vaguely talking about a visit, but now it’s Must Go Soon.

Jane Clark, Senior Research Curator, has been involved from the early days and gave us an overview without too many spoilers (her term). The collection is fluid, exciting, personal. David Walsh, the owner, works with what he’s excited by, he wants to keep learning. He aims to change peoples’ minds – not what to think, but to think. To visit is to experience sensory shock, disequilibrium, art that is visceral, intellectual, playful.

Opening soon is On the origin of art, and it sounds like a must-experience event.

Reading
Catherine Speck (ed.) (2011) Selected letters of Hans Heysen and Nora Heysen Canberra: National Library of Australia
My mother and I are sharing this book prior to a visit to Adelaide (home of Hans Heysen) next month. Lots about the Australian art scene from the 1930s to 1960s – the exhibitions, personalities, associations, the traditionalists and the abstract painters, the challenges of making a living and finding time to paint as a woman with domestic responsibilities (more letters have survived from Nora to her parents than vice versa). An interesting, gentle insight on the family life of artists.

No major insights for my own work, other than to maintain confidence and to continue questioning and challenging oneself, to keep working, to keep finding time.

Laura Breede “Spiderwomen: Bourgeois-Trockel-Hatoum-Amer” In Brüderlin, M (ed) (2013) Art & Textiles: Fabric as material and concept in modern art from Klimt to the present Stuttgart: Hatje Cantz Verlag.

This short essay touched on negative associations around textiles and femininity. Women’s work. And the ways in which this has been challenged, subverted, by artists including those mentioned in the title.

Some interesting ideas around duality, contrasts, clashes. Break || Repair – with fear behind both. Absence || Presence – simultaneously. That last led to ideas around layering and hiding, the angles of view of a sculpture. How can one surprise, with first impressions deceiving?

Stepping back to think about working methods: I like many aspects of this book. The section I am currently reading has a series of short essays, each followed by pages of photographs of related works. Being primed by the reading material really changes the viewing experience. I also tried to slow down, make associations, note ideas – a number of which could be relevant when I get on to practical collage work.

Markus Brüderlin “Fabrics between material and spirit: The preserving, healing, and maltreated canvas” In Brüderlin, M (ed) (2013) Art & Textiles: Fabric as material and concept in modern art from Klimt to the present Stuttgart: Hatje Cantz Verlag.

More dualities – Destruction || Transcendency. Material || Immaterial. Banality || Transcendency. Injury || Healing. Exposing || Concealing (noting the difference a word makes – expose or reveal).

Lucio Fontana slashed the canvas, “painting’s sacred surface”. The act questions value, sacredness. A link made between the stretched canvas and crucifixion seems a little extreme. But I wonder – many weavers find it difficult to cut into their cloth. I’ve carefully kept small offcuts. What would it be like to sacrifice that, to paint over it?

Basketry

The intention this weekend was to finish the small printed mulberry paper vessel I began last week (11-Sep-2016). Progress has been made, work continues. I will distract attention from this by pointing out my new/revived working method of having paper and pencils by me as I work. Some notes about the work in hand such as slowly varying strength of colour by manipulating which side of the print is showing. Some ideas for future projects, such as painting a gradation on the paper before cutting and coiling. And finally notes trying to be aware of the world around, such as the seeds in my apple.

Exhibition: Suzanne Archer the alchemy of the studio
Thursday was the opening of this exhibition at the Macquarie University Art Gallery.

Suzanne Archer
Coalesce (not quite full view)

I found it hard to take in – many of the works are large, there is so much detail and patterning and colour, it’s often dark (in many senses, including emotion). I found it repellent and fascinating. I felt rather immature and shallow before the weight of emotion. The opening speeches didn’t help me towards understanding – they seemed somewhat marginal to Archer (who didn’t speak), and more about how much one might remember of the sixties and speculation on an uncertain future.

Suzanne Archer
Coalesce (detail)

Basically I can’t comment on the work because I can’t see it as a whole. I can’t comprehend it. But even without understanding I’m convinced there is a huge amount I can learn from. I walked around looking at details and kept finding more and more.

Suzanne Archer
Derangement (detail)

There’s a great video of Archer talking about her drawing process here. The layering and revision – ink wash, compressed charcoal, white pastel, acrylic (not in the work in the video), the changing, dropping and adding of elements – the works show a journey, sometimes battle, a process of discovery.

Suzanne Archer
Guardians (detail)

Archer has developed an arsenal of motifs and marks that she uses again and again. Animal skulls, her own face, that pattern of crosses which isn’t cross-hatching but might work similarly. Many of them are loaded with meaning – Archer’s own, the objects she has collected, but also the viewer’s.

Suzanne Archer

As well as the hung paintings and drawings there were two vitrines holding concertina books. These showed most clearly the collage elements which are so relevant to my current investigation. Archer’s early work used a lot of collaged text from newspapers and posters. The collage is less apparent in Radiating Memories which appears to have hessian collaged in areas under the oil paint. The texture and slight emphasis it gave really appealed to me.

Suzanne Archer
Shelf VI – Mask (detail)

What I found most fascinating were the assemblages almost hidden in one corner of the room. Quite large, in integrated perspex (?) boxes, back-wall and floor patterned, populated with wrapped figures and objects.

Shelf VI – Mask is dramatic in red and black. At the back a bird plummeting, bound, an upside-down crucifix. A figure presents… what? Is that the mask. Another large bird seems to look out quizzically at the viewer. I was bewildered by it, but attracted by the strong patterns and colour.

Suzanne Archer
Shelf II – Angel (detail)

Shelf II – Angel includes newspaper, jute string, pva, acrylic paint, timber, steel, canvas, hessian. There was another plummeting bird, a figure, a fish gasping for air, all camouflaged in a grid of hessian and broken white paint. The texture was amazing, so striking as to be almost aggressive.

Archer apparently works intuitively. Should one even look for a message? Do we each bring or find our own?

Suzanne Archer
Libretto of Lunacy (detail)

The ongoing adventure

At the beginning of May I posted my first Weekly Roundup (3-Apr-2016). Looking back over the five months since I see decent progress. It’s been a time of consciously self-directed activity, developing streams of work, noticing and following what catches my attention. Lectures, exhibitions, reading, sketching, workshops, some developing strands of investigation on folds and grids… Not rushing towards a specific goal, but being accountable to myself, not drifting, with a post most weeks to review and consolidate.

In my last post I mentioned that the new/revamped OCA level 2 course has been released and I am under-whelmed. It could be absolutely perfect for someone else, but not for me. I’ve spent some time reflecting on my interests, where I want to develop.

Textiles in contemporary art. There’s the push of the fibre arts movement. There’s a broadening of media in art. Cecilia Heffer’s discussion at the GROUP exchange symposium keeps coming to mind (22-May-2015), also Conor Wilson’s paper Sloppy Discipline (14-Aug-2016).

Sculpture and objects, installation, temporal and spatial exploration.

A long-standing interest in additive construction – felting, spinning, weaving, now basketry

Studio-based practice

Working towards becoming a self-aware practicing artist.

Experimental, innovative, engaged with materials and techniques – both traditional and emerging, with a textile sensibility

Mindful of the context of contemporary ideas and work.

I like structured learning, but the OCA course is not a good fit at the moment and I haven’t found an alternative.

So time to structure my own learning. Similar to the past few months, but more so.

Areas of investigation:

Art & textiles – complete reading Art & Textiles: Fabric as material and concept in modern art from Klimt to the present, then more on textile art history

Sculpture, particularly involving fibre. I have a small pile of books referenced in Fiber: Sculpture 1960 – present

Collage and assemblage. An exhibition opens soon at AGNSW, Art of parts: collage and assemblage from the collection (link). I’ve never come to grips with collage, but this really fits with the additive construction angle.

Ramping up the rigour of my process:

Follow the research guidelines of the OCA Contemporary Context course (the particular projects aren’t for me, but the approach looks strong).

Similarly the OCA drawing/sketchbook guidelines.

And their assessment criteria. Obviously no tutor or assessors, but I can use the criteria in my own reflection.

Supplement with strategically chosen classes:

Short basketry classes (previously booked)

Beginner drawing classes. To check/set basic skills, building towards life drawing classes next year (which I think would be really helpful in seeing form for sculpture)

Creative research masterclass with Ruth Hadlow (in November, previously booked). This will definitely up the rigour of my work and provide external critique.

Basketry summer school at Sturt (link). Foundation skills and exploration of sculptural forms.

Welding sculptures summer school at National Art School (link). Very excited about this.

Plus the regular lectures at AGNSW, exhibitions etc. This blog will remain my learning log, probably including the weekly roundup with separate specific posts as warranted.

An ambitious program that should provide an integration of theoretical and contextual research with practical investigation. And with all of this I want to stay focused, structured, coherent, playful, lateral, pushing boundaries.

Given the summer classes are in January, this should keep me usefully occupied for at least five months. Then I can reassess, and could always return to OCA if it seemed a good idea.

A ridiculously ambitious program – but it excites me.

Weekly roundup 11 September 2016

Lecture: Jessica Priebe The artist as collector (part of the AGNSW Collectors & Collections series).

This lecture looked at the collections and collecting habits of seven artists, from Rubens to Hirst.
Only a couple of specific notes. Andy Warhol’s interest in the container rather than the contained – how we have to learn what catches our attention, not necessarily obvious. Edgar Degas would get a photograph if he couldn’t get the original – don’t be precious or purist, do what works for you. Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon an example of collection items incorporated in his artistic practice – reference, transform, use.

Exhibitions:
I’ve posted separately about Sally Simpson Objects for an Unknown Future Museum (11-Sept-2016).

The State Library of NSW has a number of garden-themed exhibitions on. Planting dreams: Grand garden designs has some wonderful photos and film, but many of the gardens were too perfect for me. We only had a short time in the Planting dreams: Shaping Australian gardens, but the cultural history lens was very interesting. I hope to return.

Basketry NSW catch-up:
My first time with this group. You can see some photos of what others were doing on their facebook page.

Printed mulberry paper

Knotless netting

Enjoyable catching up with a couple of friends and making new ones.

I took my mono-printed mulberry project (4-Sep-2016) to work on, but not enough of it. A couple of members showed me knotless netting, so I tried that and have since experimented with different tensions and number of knots, plus an attempt at a strip rather than circular.

So much to learn!

Reading
Part way through a book, so more when that is finished. However the main focus has been…

the new/revamped OCA level 2 Textiles course has been released – Contemporary Context. I’ve been reading and re-reading the sample provided, then writing lists of where my interests lie, what the course covers, and what alternatives I might have. My preferred path is firmly in contemporary art. The course includes some of that, but also interior design and fashion textiles. I’m sure I’d learn lots relevant to me – but not necessarily core, and possibly not enough to excite and motivate me through long and difficult studies.

Not a straight-forward decision, and not one I want to rush into.

Exhibition: Sally Simpson – Objects for an Unknown Future Museum

Sally Simpson
Coral Reliquary with Puffer Fish

This exhibition opened at the Stanley Street Gallery during the week. Attending the opening, I had hoped to hear the artist speak about her work. Instead I was fortunate to have quite long conversations first with Merilyn Bailey, one of the Gallery directors, and then with Sally Simpson herself. We talked about the work and what it could mean, and Sally also gave me some insights on her work processes.

A room of upright humanoid figures, some masks on the wall. Most of the figures were 70 – 120 cm high, on plinths so often taller than the viewer. Labels were placed low, prompting visitors to stoop before the figures. It took me some time to understand the “reliquary” of the titles – the figures each held encased objects in their navels, a core that was difficult to discern.

Sally Simpson
Cephalopoda Reliquary with Stingray Bones

As well as this sense of the sacred – looking up, bowing before, holy relics, mysteries – there was the positioning in an unknown future, a museum. How will we be remembered? Sally is careful to open the question without giving her own answers. The use in the work of found materials, a mix of discarded ropes and lines, of animal bones and driftwood, the relics, raises questions of how we treat the planet and what we value.

I was very conscious of an ethnographic vibe, representing our culture to future study. This led to an interesting article on ethnographic museums today (Thomas, 2016) and ideas beyond appropriation to cultural diversity, history, creativity. Sally Simpson’s works seen as communication, encounter, dialogue with present and future feels more hopeful than judgments of our failures as custodians.

The figures incorporate found fish, bird and animal bones as well as driftwood, which as well as giving an atavistic feel provided detail and visual complexity. Collected rope had been transformed using a wide array of techniques – unravelling, coiling, binding, stitching… – and is closely and smoothly integrated with the found objects. At first the human form seemed broadly suggested, but I started finding details – the curve of a muscled calf, defined knees ready to spring upwards, the indented line of a spine. There was energy but not movement, perhaps poised to leap upwards rather than forwards.

Sally explained that she worked for a year or more, playing with her collected materials, sampling, grouping key objects. It took time to find the techniques and forms that were successful, then work went more quickly. Apparently having recent visitors to her studio made Sally aware of the “mess” that had accumulated, and it seems the process of clearing up and revisiting early samples both revealed the development done and suggested more possibilities. For example the works exhibited were neutral, blue and turquoise, in keeping with an ocean-side theme (I thought I could smell the sea still on some pieces). In the studio is a bag of warm colours, waiting for future possibilities.

Sally Simpson
The moment in between (detail)

At one end of the gallery space three kneeling figures were displayed – The moment in-between. Supplicants or worshipers? The kneeling form has been seen in earlier work, Precipice, but those seem bound in bandages while these seem naked, perhaps vulnerable, in wax. But not vulnerable, not supplicants. Their strong boney features and upright stance seemed more challenging and self-possessed. I try to find narrative – figures of the future both revering and judging their history – but don’t feel satisfied with this.

As a student and given this is my learning log, I need to think critically about what I have learnt, what I can use from this experience.

The value of going to an opening. Arrive early and there’s the chance to see the works before the room gets too crowded. It’s interesting to watch how others respond to the the exhibition, perhaps catch some snippets of conversations. A talk or opening address. Then if I’m lucky there’s the opportunities for being part of conversations, learning more about the works and also trying to learn to make some sensible or relevant remarks myself.

The value of networking in all sorts of ways. I found out about Sally Simpson and her work through the learning log/blog another OCA student, https://thecuriosityoflottiecontinues.com/. How lucky to hear about an opportunity a week before the show opens, rather than a week after it closes🙂 . It also made a great story to start a conversation.

Reminders of the value of sketchbook work (see Sally’s website), of working in series, of sampling, exploration and experimentation.

This work is very much in that watershed or liminal space that interests me, where a textile sensibility can speak in a fine arts world (the press release quotes Sally’s comments on the “labour-intensive, devotional process” of her grandmother’s dress-making, “that the domestic and the devotional could exist in the same space, in the same process”).

I need to learn and think a lot more about scale, the display height of the objects, works seen from all angles and works seen in the context of other works.

Taking the time to play with materials, sampling, moving on. Questing.

Disparate materials combined. Found materials transformed. The common scale and complexity of mark of the materials as well as careful combinations and joining methods made coherent wholes, not a jumble.

Links:
Artist’s website: http://www.sallysimpson.com.au/
Gallery and exhibition: http://stanleystreetgallery.com.au/exhibition/sally-simpsonrelics-and-reliquaries7th-september-1st-october-2016/
Media release: http://stanleystreetgallery.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/PRESS-RELEASE-Sally-Simpson_ObjectsForAnUnknownFutureMuseum2016.pdf

Nicholas Thomas (2016) “We need ethnographic museums today – whatever you think of their history” In Apollo: the international art magazine [online] http://www.apollo-magazine.com/we-need-ethnographic-museums-today-whatever-you-think-of-their-past/