Textile Fibre Forum - Issue 146 - June 2022

70 Pages·2022·26 MB·English

#146
JUNE 2022
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ARTIST PROFILES * FEATURES * REVIEWS * EXHIBITIONS
Gwendydd Fox
Gilded Cage
PIINPI: CONTEMPORARY
INDIGENOUS FASHION
WEARABLE ART MANDURAH
AIN’T THE ARCHIES
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Contents
ISSUE #146, JUNE 2022
03 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR — Moira G. Simpson
43 SITUATION SVENJA — Svenja
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T 59 READER GALLERY
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UL 63 ADVERTISER INDEX
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60 BOOK REVIEWS
64 ALL THAT SPARKLES — Molli Sparkles Marjorie Coleman
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FIL 04 TRACEY ROBB — Tracey Robb
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T P 19 MARJORIE COLEMAN - PART 2: 11
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TI The Cloth Speaks — Moira G. Simpson
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27 SKIN: WORKS BY GARRY GREENWOOD — Svenja
NS 38 CURATING AIN’T THE ARCHIES AT TIMELESS Wearable Art Mandurah 2021
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TI TEXTILES GALLERY — Anne Kenton
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X 31 INDIGENOUS FASHION TAKES THE STAGE — Inga Walton
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54 INDIGO: NEW WORKS BY ALVENA HALL — Moira G. Simpson
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S 11 WEARABLE ART MANDURAH 2021 — Moira G. Simpson
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T 49 ‘JUST DO IT ONLINE’. The Convenor in the Virtual World
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F — Jo Franco, Judi Tompkins, and Kira Mead Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion
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Front cover image: Gwendydd Fox, Gilded Cage, latex, acrylic paint, gold organza, cotton cord, tissue, Velcro, ribbon and elastic. Photo by Ario Productions.
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Letter from the Editor
Moira Simpson
The annual Wearable Art Mandurah they encourage and offer warnings
Greetings!
competition – which had to be about the challenges and rewards of
cancelled in 2020 due to COVID – collaborations in the virtual world.
We have a great issue returned in 2021 in its new time slot Inga Walton reviews the exhibition
of November. In this issue, we show Piinpi - Contemporary Indigenous
of TFF, packed with
some of the fantastic entries that Fashion organised by the Bendigo
inspiring artwork in reached the finals and won awards. Art Gallery, the first major survey of
The creativity and commitment of Indigenous fashion. In her article,
many different textile-
all the entrants is really impressive she discusses some of the highlights
related media including
and the use of unusual materials is of the diverse outfits which show
quilting, digital imagery inspirational. thoroughly modern designs that draw
Svenja, our regular columnist upon techniques and materials such
on fabric, sculptural
who has been charting her journey as screen printing, as well as evoking
crochet, wearable art, from creating wearable art to fine unmistakable references to Australian
art, shares her joy in completing First Nations colour, pattern and
leather sculpture, textile
a body of work arising from her technique used in new and very
portraits, felting, fashion, residency on King Island in late creative ways. You can see more
and virtual exhibitions. 2019. Despite COVID restrictions, pattern, but all in blue and white, in
she was delighted to be able to Alvena Hall’s exhibition, Indigo.
Y return to attend the opening of her Anne Kempton, of Timeless
ou can read the second part of exhibition, Algalrhythms! Svenja was Textiles in Newcastle, shares the very
the profile of WA artist Marjorie also able to travel to Tasmania in diverse portraits that she showed
Coleman, who has been time to see an exhibition of leather in the exhibition Ain’t the Archies
creating textiles for over fifty years. sculptures by Tasmanian sculptor, last year; portraits by fibre artists
In the last issue, we looked at her Garry Greenwood (1943-2005). of other fibre artists. This exhibition
work as she first learned patchwork Greenwood’s skill in manipulating demonstrates the versatility of
and then branched out in exploratory leather into sculptural forms is textiles as a medium for a subject
ways with various other mixed media evident in the beauty and elegance that is more commonly thought of as
textiles techniques. Part 2: The Cloth of the artworks and the fact that the domain of painters.
Speaks shows examples of her several are actually playable musical Molli Sparkles muses on the
work as she increasingly focused instruments used by a couple of textile artist’s love of luscious fabrics
on concepts and ideas from pioneer musical groups. and the feelings of preciousness that
history, to human relationships with Virtual exhibitions were in their often hold us back from those we
the natural environment, and Middle infancy prior to the pandemic and regard as treasures – I am sure that
Eastern politics. many of us had little understanding you can all relate to that and spot
Gardens of Delight is a profile or experience of participating as some beauties in your stash that
of Tracey Robb, who calls herself artists or as organisers. Some have never been touched other than
‘a crochet fanatic’. Tracey uses virtual exhibitions were designed to to fondly admire them!
crochet, a technique traditionally overcome the costs and difficulties
used mainly as decorative trim on of shipping artworks internationally Enjoy reading!
garments and domestic textiles, or or as a way of reaching out to Kind regards,
to make tablecloths and bedcovers, global audiences. Others have Moira
but she uses freestyle crochet been organised over the past two
to create complex, 3D sculptural years because of lockdowns and
artworks. These are based upon restrictions that led to cancellation
Erratum:
close observation of the structures, of physical exhibitions. Jo Franco,
The March 2022 issue of TFF (no. 146)
textures and colours of some of the Kira Mead and Judi Tompkins of included an artist profile article by
smallest plants and animals that we Global Textile Hub share their Diana Wood Conroy. Regretfully, her
can see with the naked eye: lichens, experiences of working with artists name on the cover and contents page
was incorrectly written as Diana Wood
corals, and various marvellous to present virtual textiles exhibitions.
Conway. My sincere apologies to Diana
marine plants and creatures that live In their article, ‘Just Do It Online’:
and to readers for this editorial slip.
on coral reefs. The Convenor in the Virtual World,
3
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Australia
Tracey Robb
Hello, I’m Tracey Robb, a Mackay textile artist and self-
professed sufferer of OCD - Obsessive Crochet Disorder!

Spanish Dancer 2, 2015, 34 x 20 x 13 cm, acrylic yarn, wire,
hyperbolic hairpin crochet. Photo by the artist.
AUTHOR: Tracey Robb
Spanish Dancer 1, 25 x 38 x 20 cm, 2015, cotton yarn, wire, hyperbolic hairpin crochet. Photo by the artist. Wedding Dress, 2010, 126 x 50 x 50 cm, hemp/silk fabric,
cotton yarn, hairpin crochet, Irish crochet. Behind is the bedspread, 2011, 210 x 210 cm, acrylic and natural yarns, freeform crochet. Photo by the artist.
A
rt and nature have been two As a kid, I would walk around from an Open Learning Bachelor of
of the biggest influences the streets crocheting, I crocheted Arts and attended a wonderful mixed-
in my life from as far back a double bedspread on the school media textile course at McGregor
as I can recall. My early childhood bus on my way to school and back. Summer School at the University of
was spent fishing, building cubby In high school I crocheted clothing Southern Queensland in Toowoomba.
houses and running around carefree that I sold at a craft shop in town for I learnt a range of hand and machine
with my brothers and sister on the pocket money. I spent seven hours sewing techniques that enabled me
remote islands of Queensland where crocheting in the delivery room when to manipulate fabrics and fibres to
my father was a lighthouse keeper. I was having my first baby! I have produce two- and three-dimensional
Thus, during my formative years, I even crocheted while suspended 4.5 works of art. These courses started
learnt to keep myself occupied with metres above the ground dressed in a me in a new direction which led to
what nature provided and the limited harness and clipped onto the cage in the production of non-functional
supplies that the fortnightly store a knuckle boom crane while installing works and the adaptation of a
boat would bring the 240-square-metre yarn bomb for number of these techniques to suit
When I was eight years old, my All Wrapt Up on Paxtons Warehouse in my crochet practice.
family shifted to the mainland and Mackay in 2013. My first solo crochet exhibition,
we went to live at the beach where I Growing up, I constantly looked for Hooked, was at the Upstairs Gallery
would spend most of my spare time ways to make a living from crochet. in Paxtons Warehouse, Mackay in
beach-combing, even bringing home My most enjoyable attempt was 2013. It included clothing, cushion
a WW2 marine bomb one day! My making crochet bikinis during my late covers, freeform 3D wired sunbird
grandma taught me to crochet during teens, but it still wasn’t enough to nests, a freeform crochet bedspread,
her annual holidays with our family, provide me with a reasonable living. and featured my wedding dress.
and this opened a whole new world of So, in my early twenties, I bought a This dress took eighteen months to
possibilities for me. I loved the tactile screen-printing business in Daintree, make and consisted of a hemp-silk
nature of yarn and was fascinated put down my crochet hook (in a strapless dress dyed with mango
by the concept of producing two- professional sense) for nine years leaves and overlaid with cotton lace
and three-dimensional fabrics and and took up commercial screen- of Irish and Maltese crochet, and a
objects simply by manipulating printing and sewing. I completed a bolero featuring an Irish lace sunbird
yarn with a hook into a series of Certificate in Commercial Art and and passionfruit vine.
interlocking loops. I was such a Design and started designing and The most significant breakthrough
prolific crocheter during my school manufacturing a range of t-shirts in my career as a crochet artist
years that I remember unpicking and resort-wear featuring my own came in 2015 when I collaborated
jumpers to reuse the yarn for some tropical flora and fauna designs. with two ceramic artists on a very
of my projects, before I developed my After the sale of my business, I successful Great Barrier Reef
skills enough to sell the garments I moved back to Mackay and returned exhibition called Symbiosis. This
was making. This then provided me to producing crochet clothing and was my first serious foray into
with a source of income to spend on resort-wear in my spare time. During sculptural, non-functional crochet,
more hooks and yarn. this time, I studied selected courses which gave me an opportunity to
Subscribers get a free newsletter every issue, filled with exhibitions and calls for entries 5
AUTHOR: Tracey Robb
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Tracey Robb, Lalune Croker, Coral Polyp 2, 2015, 23 x 16 x 14 cm, clay, glaze, acrylic yarns, wire. Photo by Tracey Robb. Tracey Robb, Lalune Croker, Joanne Wood,
Symbiosis 1, 2015, 13 x 20 x 11 cm, clay, glaze, acrylic and natural yarns. Photo by Tracey Robb. Featherstar, 2015, 43 x 50 x 39 cm, rock, wire, glass beads, cotton yarn.
Photo by the artist.
experiment with bifurcation and exaggerate the curves. Featherstar photosynthesis and the corals provide
hyperbolic stitch techniques. I also is an example of the bifurcation a protected environment for the algae
dabbled with a new idea of crocheting technique, which involves the splitting as well as compounds that the algae
directly onto wire to support the of a single branch into two. I achieved need for photosynthesis.
fluted shapes I was producing. The this by crocheting over two wires During this research I discovered
wire held the shapes much more at the base for their legs, joining that there are other types of algae
securely than the traditional crochet them all at the body then spreading that form a land-based symbiotic
method of starching and blocking them apart to produce their fringed relationship with specific types of
the finished works. I discovered arms. This is also an example of the land-based fungi. Interestingly,
that a combination of the traditional combination of crocheting over wire neither these algae nor the fungi can
blocking method worked really well and blocking with PVA glue to achieve live independently of each other and
with my new wiring technique. the 3D shape. these little “combination-plants” are
Spanish Dancer 1 and 2 are Whilst working on the corals called lichens – the tiny insignificant
examples of the hyperbolic stitch for Symbiosis and the crochet wall things that grow on rocks and trees
technique with wired perimeters. panel The Coral Garden, I developed as well as many other things around
Crocheting over wire on the outer a fascination with the mutually us such as plastic outdoor chairs and
edge of the work enables me to beneficial symbiotic relationship shade-cloth. And very happily for me
achieve a lot of stretch which I then between the corals and algae. The as an artist, they come in an amazing
manipulate into graceful curves. The algae which contain the colour diversity of form and colour.
inner edge is gathered together by that we associate with the corals Focusing on land-based lichens
rapidly decreasing the stitches to produce food for the corals through was a natural progression for my
_____
‘HAVING CROCHETED FOR OVER
FORTYFIVE YEARS, I FEEL THE
NEED TO FIND CHALLENGES
TO KEEP MY INTEREST
PIQUED AND I DO THIS BY
EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW
STITCHES, STITCH PATTERNS,
UNUSUAL AND UNEXPECTED
YARNS AND METHODS TO
CREATE WORKS IN THREE-
DIMENSIONAL FORMS.’
_____

Tracey Robb, Crown of Thorns Starfish, 2015, 20 x 20 x 12 cm,
cotton yarn, echidna quills, polyester filling.
Photo by Tracey Robb.
6 www.artwearpublications.com.au
BESPOKE TOOLS

The making of The making
Relicina Limbata, of Xanthoria
2021, 110 x 116 Parientina, 2021,
x 16 cm, acrylic 75 x 70 x 4 cm,
yarn, cotton fabric, polyester twine,
wire, Photo by the acrylic yarn, wire,
artist. This photo hairpin crochet,
shows the process Photo by the artist.
of securing the This photo shows
wire with a clamp polyester twine
for the crocheting being crocheted
of the outer edge on a hairpin
of the lichen. to produce the
circular apothecia
of Xanthoria
Parientina.
work, as it enabled me to continue brought me another step closer to to create works in three-dimensional
developing earlier techniques. achieving my goal of supporting forms. My experiments have led to
In 2018, I secured a Regional myself financially through my arts the development of wire frameworks
Arts Development Fund Concept practice and assisted me in my to support my crochet as well as
Development Grant which enabled quest to demonstrate that fibre arts, crocheting with wire and wrapping
me to get into some serious and crochet in particular, can be a wire with fabric strips to give the look
experimentation with my 3D wired legitimate and exciting form of fine of textile crochet with the support
crochet practice. During this process, art. I have had many requests to tour and stability of wire. My experiments
I developed the techniques to The Lichen Garden so this is another with alternative yarns have included
produce a variety of macro lichens project in the pipeline! splitting and plaiting natural fibres
and a lesson plan for 3D wired Having crocheted for over forty- such as bark, leaves and corn husks,
crochet workshops that I delivered five years, I feel the need to find and cutting or tearing pliable objects,
in conjunction with my exhibition. challenges to keep my interest piqued such as fabric, plastic bags and
The Lichen Garden exhibition opened and I do this by experimenting with newspaper into strips, then spinning
on July 30th 2021 at the Foundation new stitches, stitch patterns, unusual with drop spindles and zigzagging
Gallery at Artspace in Mackay. This and unexpected yarns and methods into cords with a sewing machine.
Detail of The Coral Garden, Photo by the artist. The Coral Garden, 2018, 110 x 135 x 7 cm, natural and acrylic yarn, wire, freeform crochet, Photo by the artist.
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1. Lecanora Alba, 2020, 98 x 84 x 6 cm, acrylic yarn, cotton yarn, cotton fabric, wire, Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
2. Relicina Limbata, 2021, 110 x 116 x 16 cm, acrylic yarn, cotton sheet, wire, Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
3. Jackelixia Streimannii, 2020, 65 x115 x 3 cm, acrylic yarn, cotton fabric, organza curtain, wire, Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
4. Psoromidium Versicolor, 2019, 120 x 110 x 5 cm, acrylic yarn, metallic yarn, wire, Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
5. Xanthoria Parientina, 2021, 75 x 70 x 4 cm, polyester twine, acrylic yarn, wire, hairpin crochet. Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
6. Knightiella Splachnirima, 2021, 100 x 70 x 5 cm, cotton yarn, polyamide yarn, wire, Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
7. Pseudocephalaria Crocata, 2021, 65 x 62 x 4 cm, acrylic yarn, cotton yarn, glass beads wire. Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
8. Placopsis Perrugosa, 2020, 108 x112 x 5 cm, acrylic yarn, cotton yarn, satin sheet, organza curtain, wire, Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
9. Relicina Abstrusa, 2021, 67 x 57 x 3 cm, acrylic yarn, cotton yarn, cotton sheet, polyester cord, wire. Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
10. Fuscoderma Amphibolum, 2021, 42 x 80 x 9 cm, rayon yarn, acrylic yarn, glass beads, wire. Photo by Donna Maree Robinson.
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8 ISSUE NO.146 Textile Fibre Forum www.artwearpublications.com.au