Tapestry2008

Sustainability in Craft and Design, Volume 3, 2011

2011-08-27T16:16:00.001-07:00

Sustainability in Craft and Design, Volume 3, 2011 NOW ONLINE

The Craft Australia Research Centre announces the publication of the third volume of craft + design enquiry, its open access, peer-reviewed, online journal, interrogating discourses surrounding craft and design practice. Edited by Dr Kevin Murray, Sustainability in Craft and Design explores how craft and design responds to the challenge of global warming by facilitating social change. The six papers published in this issue by Rod Bamford, Matthew Kiem, Peter Hughes, Mary Loveday Edwards, Sharmila Wood, Emilia Ferraro, Rehema White, Eoin Cox , Jan Bebbington and Sandra Wilson examine issues of sustainability in relation to aspects of craft and design practice in Australia, the United Kingdom and India

Volume 3 online

craft + design enquiry
Call for Papers Volume 5: website
Craft Australia blog

Shunyam Smith Tapestries

2011-05-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

CATALOGUE FOR IVY HILL APRIL 2011

Shunyam Smith Essence of Place

Stories are a fundamental and defining characteristic of all human life. They are receptacles for our memories,
dreams and myths. As repositories, these stories form a foundation on which traditions, cultures and histories are
created. Memory is given shape and force through an array of artefacts and practices, rituals and monuments.
They become the stories we live by, that shape our sense of who we are.
Tapestry as a medium has traditionally been used both to tell stories, personal and historical, full of allusion and
metaphor. It requires a deeper reading to uncover the hidden layers of meanings and memories that are entwined
with the physicality of the material, and the slow nature of the weaving.
Working in the field of ‘landscape’ today can have its pitfalls, avoiding the weight of past representations, finding a
way to liberate the image from the pictorial. This work is an exploration of the essence of place – an attempt to
chart my relationship with the place I inhabit. Cropping and framing images, varying perspectives, and focusing on
small details, intensifies and also frees them, finding the links often hidden in insignificant objects that weave nature
and human culture together.
Stories of places are created by history as well as their physicality, and to begin to understand the essence of a
place one must absorb these slowly, over time. Some of these tapestries tell more obvious stories, of human time
and histories, but always shaped by the intangible boundaries between land, humankind, and the influences of
place. For decades now, watching the changing process of the land where I live has allowed me to ‘read’ and
absorb these stories and memories stored in trees, rocks, lakes, rivers, forests and mountains. Our human
memories are traced in objects all around, and nature has written her history everywhere if we choose to look slowly
and deeply.
The Spotted Gums tell of their usefulness to man with their tall strong, straight trunks. The Snowgums, so like the
‘Spotties’ in some of their habits and their beauty, with their fragile, bent and twisted shapes, are considered to be of
no use at all, telling of the values we humans place on the strong and the weak. Rocks tell of deep time, stories of
elemental powers, of volcanos, waves and wind etched into their shapes. Beaches and rivers change with floods
and droughts, but lakes change their shape more slowly - the result of human interference. Marks on trees and
rocks relate them to each other, and through these silent notations I read histories and memories that talk of the
relationship between all things.
At the heart of my work is this interrelation of stories and the material, their mutual intrication a metaphor for the
weaving process, revealing the richness and complexity of the essence of this place. The reality is that the whole
world is revealed in the local and the intimate. Tangible objects carry our cultural heritage, helping to illuminate the
present moment and even the future if we care to look slowly and deeply. We can see the riches and incredible
beauty we have all around us but also how fragile and transient it is.

Net Works Australia: Balba Simbiken will be conducting a BILUM workshop...

2011-03-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

Net Works Australia: Balba Simbiken will be conducting a BILUM workshop...: " Image taken from tribaloutpost Dear All Balba Simbiken will be conducting a BILUM workshop at Strathnairn on Saturday 21st May from ..."

“MAIZ”/”WATER SONGS”, and other works, Exhibitions

2011-02-15T02:11:00.000-08:00

Maiz (corn) is embedded in the culture of the Americas. From its origins in the highlands to today’s massive agricultural production in the mechanized plains, corn has played an essential role in the development of civilization.

During a few weeks during the winters of 2008-2010, an international group of weavers meeting at the Lurie-Larochette studio in El Tuito, Cabo Corrientes, focused on the theme of “Maiz”, as a woven homage celebrating the rich diversity of Mexican culture

“MAIZ” participating artists:

Louise Abbott, USA. Gabriel Canales, Mexico. Antoinette Dumper, Canada. Elaine Duncan, Canada. Jean Pierre Larochette, USA. Yadin Larochette, USA. Donna Millen, Canada. Sonja Miremont, USA. Christine Rivers, Canada. Victoria Stone, USA. Elaine Todd-Stevens, USA. Nancy Trissel, USA. Sally Williamson, USA. Jackie Wollenberg, USA.

"WATER SONGS" TAPESTRIES:

“Only song can respond to the call that are the 9 tapestries that together form the “Water Songs” of my friends, weaver Jean Pierre Larochette and designer Yael Lurie. The heart recognizes its own mute, but pulsating language, in the visions, dilated in meditation, of the natural world” wrote UC Berkeley Professor Laura Perez. These tapestries dedicated to the theme of water, were created between the years 1999-2009 in the artist’s studios of El Tuito, C.C. and Berkeley, CA.

PETER GRAY MUSEUM OF ART

University of Guadalajara Vallarta Campus (CUC)

January 25 – March 5, 2011

Reception February 2, 6 – 8 PM

Peter Gray Museum of Art Website

Susan Maffei Tapestry Artist Book

2011-02-15T01:55:00.001-08:00

The project “Narratives” is a collaboration between graphic designer, Milena Leznicki and artist, Susan Martin Maffei. It features 14 tapestry scroll works by the artist in 19 fold out color offset printed plates as well as a small essay about the relationship of the works to this book form.

Susan Maffei Website

The University House Tapestries Publication

2010-11-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

University House, ANU has produced a brochure about the set of commissioned tapestries between 2004 and 2007.

University House, ANU has produced a brochure about the set of commissioned tapestries between 2004 and 2007.

CONTACT US FOR A COPY OF THE BROCHURE:

Telephone:	(02) 6125 5211
Free call:	1800 814 864
International Telephone:	+ 61 2 6125 5211
Facsimile:	(02) 6125 5252
International Facsimile:	+ 61 2 6125 5252
Address:	University House The Australian National University Cnr Balmain Cr & Liversidge St ACTON
Postal Address:	GPO Box 1535 CANBERRA ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA
Email Address:	accommodation.unihouse@anu.edu.au Accounts.UniHouse@anu.edu.au unihouse@anu.edu.au

NETS exhibition

2010-09-12T00:27:00.000-07:00

NETS
13 – 30 September 2010
Opening:Thursday 16 September 5.30pm
Opening Speaker: Avi Amesbury
An exhibition project spanning the textile departments of The Australian
National University, Australia, Novia University of Applied Arts, Finland and
University of Cumbria, UK and their associated communities of graduates and
artists.
School of Art Foyer Gallery Canberra

Foyer Gallery

'NETS'

An international textile exhibition project spanning countries and continents

Introduction

‘NETS’ is a global project across the textile departments of three universities: University of Cumbria (UK), Novia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Australia National University, Canberra (Australia). The project aims to build connections between textile departments within higher education and explore new collaborative forms of education through textile practice.

Context

Textile based production, the mother of both technology and modern design, is one of the oldest industries in the world. ‘NETS’ is a joint global venture between three universities with the aim of exploring current issues through textile practice and to raise the profile of textiles education internationally.

‘NETS’ believes in creativity, imagination and collaboration. By nurturing a functioning network between different textile institutions, we can celebrate the diversity of artistic power, dynamics and optimism of textile practice.

Each University will interpret and curate their own ‘NETS’ exhibition based upon the generic theme through collaborative discussion. The exhibitions will contain physical and ‘virtual’ examples of artefacts created by all artists represented by each country. The textile industry has always provided a platform for blending tradition with new technology. ‘NETS’ explores new technological possibilities, particularly those connecting people and enhancing collaboration across the countries boundaries. The exhibition explores new approaches to open source-based teaching.

The ultimate aim of ‘NETS’ is to promote and develop textile education and to equip our graduates with up-to-date skills to meet challenges and seize new career opportunities.

OUTCOMES:

VIRTUAL ‘NETS’: A student exhibition

The students of the three institutions will participate in a virtual exhibition by sending images of their artwork produced along the theme of ‘NETS’ to the ‘NETS’ blog. An online voting system will be established to select three winners – one winner from each country-to be announced in Finland at the end of the project in 2011. Student work will then be shown in ‘‘NETS’ exhibitions that will be arranged by each of the participating countries and universities.

‘NETS’ EXCLUSIVE

‘NETS’ EXCLUSIVE’ – the final exhibition in Turku, Finland 2911, is a selected exhibition containing physical and virtual textile based artefacts. The exhibition aims to enhance practitioner collaboration between the universities through a curatorial connection and provide academic discourse around the concept of the theme of ‘NETS’.

The exhibition calendar is anticipated to follow the schedule outlined below:

2010 - Cumbria and Canberra

2011 - Turku

The final exhibition in Turku will form part of the European Culture Capital year festivities. The exhibition and project will culminate in an interactive international workshop/seminar in Turku, Finland.

‘NETS’ PUBLICATION

The ‘NETS’ experience will be reflected upon and analysed by all exhibitors and co-hosts / audience and curators. The results will be published. The accompanying ‘NETS’ publication will be directed towards practitioners, textile historians and curators, textile educators and students.

See the blog for information on work-in-progress: http://netwurks.wordpress.com/

2010-08-30T14:47:00.001-07:00

Under the Influence - Objects of Obsession and Exploring Woven Tapestry Opening Reception - September 10th 6.00pm -9 .00pm

Archie Brennan & Susan Martin Maffei are internationally-known tapestry artists who have been working in their chosen medium for a combination of more than 85 years! They have exhibited and taught in museums, universities, galleries and art centers around the World and have work in both public and private collections.
Gaga Arts Center
Brennan - Maffei

Information from Ararat Art Gallery

2010-08-12T01:35:00.000-07:00

About Time: Australian Studio Tapestry 1975-2005

About Time Australian studio tapestry 1975-2005 will be presented at Ararat Regional Art Gallery from 12 August to 26 September 2010. The exhibition presents tapestries by leading artist-weavers from Ararat Regional Art Gallery's permanent collection, alongside selected loans from public and private collections to highlight the key influences and formal and conceptual concerns that have shaped the character of studio tapestry during this formative period.

In the context of the exhibition, the term ‘studio tapestry’ refers to tapestries designed and created by independent artist-weavers outside of a collaborative environment, such as where production weavers interpret the designs by non-weaving artists.

‘About Time’ boasts some very significant tapestries by leading artist-weavers that reflect the aesthetics and concerns of each decade: bold and colourful abstract works of the 1970s, whimsical and expressive figurative works from the 1980s and more recent tapestries that examine the formal aspects of the time consuming and technically demanding weaving process itself.

The exhibition includes tapestries by Roma Center, Marie Cook, Liz Nettleton, Merrill Dumbrell, Alan Holland, Cheryl Thornton, Tess Crawford, Belinda Ramson, Gerda van Hamond, Kay Lawrence AM, Tass Mavrogordato, Valerie Kirk, Kate Derum, Cresside Collette, Tim Gresham, Sara Lindsay, Robyn Daw and Mardi Nowak.

Ararat Regional Art Gallery Director, Anthony Camm said, “ ‘About Time’ highlights the Gallery’s richly diverse sub-collection of studio tapestry and forms part of our ongoing commitment to presenting our permanent collection in new and interesting ways”.

“The exhibition reveals the potential for the sustained expansion of this unique sub-collection as a nationally significant repository for Australian studio tapestry into the future”, he said.

‘About Time’ is accompanied by a catalogue funded through the Gordon Darling Foundation. The catalogue features an essay by the exhibition curator Anthony Camm and short essays by established artists Kay Lawrence AM and Sara Lindsay and emerging artist Hilary Green, which explore the current ‘state of play’ with reference to their own practices and experiences.

An associated exhibition, ‘Some Small Way: small and miniature tapestries’, mostly from Ararat’s permanent collection, is presented until 17 October 2010 to augment the presentation of ‘About Time: Australian Studio Tapestry 1975-2005’.

‘About Time’ will tour Victoria with the support of the Regional Exhibitions Touring Initiative (RETI) and will be presented at Horsham Regional Art Gallery and Central Goldfields Art Gallery, Maryborough in 2011

Australian Tapestry Workshop website

About Time: Australian Studio Tapestry 1975-2005

2010-08-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

Image: Kay Lawrence, 'House/Self' 1989, woven tapestry, cotton, wool linen, 165 cm x 135 cm, Purchased with the assistance of the Victorian Regional Galleries Art Foundation, 1990.

Thursday, 12 August 2010
to Sunday, 26 September 2010

The exhibition surveys tapestry created over a thirty year period by leading independent artist-weavers. Major works from Ararat Regional Art Gallery's permanent collection are augmented with selected loans to explore the emergence and evolution of this eminent field of Australian textile practice.

‘About Time’ will tour Victoria with the support of the Regional Exhibitions Touring Initiative (RETI) and will be presented at Horsham Regional Art Gallery and Central Goldfields Art Gallery, Maryborough in 2011

LOCATION: Ararat Regional Art Gallery, Town Hall, Vincent Street, Ararat
PHONE: (03) 5352 2836
EMAIL: gallery@ararat.vic.gov.au

Ararat Gallery

Australian Tapestry Workshop's newsletter

2010-08-10T23:56:00.000-07:00

Follow the link below for the full PDF of the August 2010 newsletter.
Newsletter

John Wolseley at the ATW

Title: Fire and water-moths, swamps
and lava flows of the Hamilton region,
2010
Artist: John Wolseley
Tapestry size: 200 x 300cm
Weavers: Chris Cochuis, Milly Formby
and Pamela Joyce
Weaving time: 1925 hours
Client and Location: Hamilton Art Gallery,
Victoria

New name for the Victorian Tapestry Workshop

2010-07-19T23:35:00.000-07:00

The Victorian Tapestry Workshop has officially changed its name to the Australian Tapestry Workshop. The Name change is a significant development in the history of the workshop, established 34 years ago by Lady Delecombe and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

Dialogues: Tapestry and Human/Nature

2010-06-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Clews, Linda Wallace, Elizabeth J. Buckley, Katherine Perkins, Elaine Duncan, and Lany Eila

Dialogues: Tapestry and Human/Nature Tapestry 3–2–1 Artists:
New Mexico:
Elizabeth J. Buckley
Lany Eila
Katherine Perkins
Canada:
Elaine Duncan
Linda Wallace
Australia:
Dorothy Clews
Reception: Friday, July 23 6:00 – 8:00 pm Exhibit Dates: July 5 – August 20, 2010
Gallery Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm South Broadway Cultural Center Gallery

1025 Broadway, SE Albuquerque, NM 87102

For more details call 311, www.cabq.gov/sbcc
For Accessibility call 505.848.1320, relay NM or 711

2010-05-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Call for Entries
Small Tapestry International 2: Passages
Passage is the act of passing from one place, condition, etc. to another, the route one travels. ATA invites artists to use innovative approaches that push the technical or conceptual meaning of the term in their submissions to the ATA's biennial juried small format exhibition.
The American Tapestry Alliance is a not-for-profit, member-supported organization seeking to exhibit the best of contemporary tapestry. The small format exhibition gives artists an opportunity to explore ideas and processes in new ways while preserving the qualities of handwoven tapestry.

Eligibility
Entry to Passages is open to all tapestry artists who design and weave their own tapestries (defined as "hand-woven, weft-faced fabric with discontinuous wefts"), either individually or collaboratively (all assistants shall be named). Multimedia work will be considered as long as the primary medium is tapestry. Entries must be one-of-a-kind and have been completed after January 2009. Artists may submit up to three entries.
Size Restrictions: The size of the tapestry may not exceed a total of 100 square inches (625 square cm) and cannot exceed 20 inches (50 cm) in any one dimension. For example, a piece can be 10 x 10 inches (25 x 25 cm) or the sides can be of different lengths from each other as long as length times width does not exceed 100 square inches and no dimension is longer than 20 inches (50 cm). Three-dimensional pieces may not exceed 10 inches (25 cms) in height, length, or depth. Tapestries must be mounted and/or framed. If the mount or frame is meant to show when hung, that treatment must be shown in the entry image and must be in keeping with the small-format theme. If accepted, the work must arrive ready to hang. Submissions
Image quality may influence the juror's decision. Only completed tapestries will be juried.

Submissions
must be digital. For each entry, submit one jpeg of the entire tapestry and one jpeg of a detail.
Digital image requirements: jpegs saved at 300 dpi and exactly 1000 pixels on the longest side. Save the images with maximum image quality. Each digital image file must be labeled with only the title, e.g. Morning Mist.jpg or Morning Mist detail.jpg. Burn all image files onto a universal CD. Entries will be saved for historical purposes.

Conditions
• Artists are responsible for all shipping and insurance costs to the first venue and for the return
shipping and insurance costs from the final venue.
• Entries not accompanied by all completed forms, digital images and fees cannot be juried.
• Work that differs significantly from the submitted image may be declined for exhibition.
• Complete exhibition instructions will be sent to the accepted artists. Accepted works not completely
prepared for installation may be returned.
• Tapestries must be available through the last scheduled exhibition.

Juror
Kay Lawrence, Australian fiber artist, author and Head of the South Australia School of Art.

Website

Breathing Spaces- Liz Jeneid and Diana Wood Conroy

2010-04-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

BREATHING SPACE
LIZ JENEID
DIANA WOOD CONROY
Wollongong City Gallery 13 march - 25 april 2010

Click on the images above to enlarge. The images are pages from the exhibition brochure.

Generate - Sturts Gallery, Mittagong, NSW

2010-04-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Generate textiles and mixed media
by Julie Ryder

28 March - 9 May

To be opened by Dr Sharon Peoples,
Lecturer and Cultural Theorist, ANU Canbera
at 11am on Sunday 28 March

Gallery link
Julie Ryder’s exhibition ‘Generate’ explores the life and theories of the 19th century naturalist, Charles Darwin. Drawing inspiration from his five-year voyage in The Beagle, this body of work investigates the impact that this exotic journey had on his ideas of social and natural history. Darwin’s journey and encounters with inhabitants from South America and the South Pacific are referenced through works on tapa cloth, glass and textiles to give insight into his theories on natural selection and origin of species.
‘Generate’ reflects Ryder’s ongoing fascination with nature, as way of understanding our inner and outer worlds, challenging perceptions of chaos and control, perfection and imperfection - questioning concepts of beauty and veracity.

Victorian Tapestry Workshop’s latest work to be displayed at 2010 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art

2010-03-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

Date 2010. The Victorian Tapestry Workshop's recently completed work by acclaimed Australian artist, David Noonan, has been selected by the artist to be his only work on show at the 2010 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art.

Presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia as a part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, the 2010 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Before & After Science assembles 22 of the nation's most innovative and exciting contemporary artists and artist groups.

Following on from the critical acclaim that the Victorian Tapestry Workshop's Yvonne Todd designed Alice Bayke tapestry received in 2008 at the Queensland Art Gallery, the Tapestry Foundation of Victoria were keen to commission a work that would challenge audiences to consider tapestry beyond the accepted norms.

Director of the Victorian Tapestry Workshop, Antonia Syme said, "Contemporary tapestries are becoming more prominent on an international stage as highlighted by the recent show at the James Cohan Gallery in New York featuring 13 large scale tapestries created by internationally renowned artists and British architect Sir Norman Foster's recent purchase of a large scale Grayson Perry tapestry.

"David's growing reputation in London and his keen interest in working with tapestry made him and his work, Untitled, an obvious and exciting choice for us," says Syme.

In transforming the work's very complex imagery, the Victorian Tapestry Workshop's weavers - Cheryl Thornton, Sue Batten and Amy Cornall - have cleverly retained the most important details needed to keep the sense of uncertain narrative generated by the work as well as capture the textures and mood.

"The weavers wanted the tapestry to retain the mystery and enigmatic nature of the artwork and have been careful not to over interpret David's forms. The result is a stunning and completely engaging tapestry that both David and the Workshop are incredibly proud of," says Syme.

Untitled, measuring 2.3 x 2.93m, has become the centrepiece of the Tapestry Foundation of Victoria's collection and will be displayed around Australia to promote the Workshop and the extraordinary skills of the weavers and highlight the breadth of possibilities in contemporary tapestry.

Untitled will be on display at the 2010 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia from 26 February to 2 May 2010.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-11T21:49:00.001-08:00

tapestry2008 wishes everyone a very Happy Christmas, safe holidays and a wonderful 2010, full of weaving!

The tapestry2008 blog will continue into 2010 so please forward any information to share about exhibitions, workshops and just general information that is of interest to the tapestry community at large.

Recent Museum Acquisitions of Wissa Wassef Art Centre Tapestries‏

2009-12-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

Dashour Lake by Sayed Mahmoud

Egyptian Landscape by Ali Selim

RAMSES WISSA WASSEF ART CENTRE, EGYPT

Following the great success of the summer exhibition of Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre tapestries at "Nature in Art Trust", Wallsworth Hall, Gloucestershire, The Ramses Wissa Wassef Exhibition Trust is very proud to announce that the following museums have acquired large tapestries for their collections:

The British Museum

The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester

Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter

In addition to the recent acquisitions listed here, tapestries are also held in the collections of The National Museum of Scotland, The Petrie Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The representation of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre tapestries in UK museums is something of which the Wissa Wassef weavers can be very proud.

To read about and see pictures of the acquisitions go to: Wissa Wassef
WISSA WASSEF

WEAVERAMA

2009-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Victorian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne.
October 2009

Workshop weaving is a demanding 9-5pm job where weavers interpret the works of artists through highly skilled, labor intensive and artistically demanding processes.
However, this exhibition gives us a window into the personal creative practices of the weavers in their own time, after workshop hours.
Sue Walker, founding director of the Victorian Tapestry Workshop, always maintained that the weavers were all artists in their own right. Their talents were obvious in the translations from artworks by other artists into woven tapestries, but their own artwork was seldom displayed in the workshop. This exhibition validates her statement by showing the diverse range of artistic practices of weavers and other staff.
The range of artwork exhibited includes woven tapestry but is varied - from mixed media to print to sculptural forms. Weaving all day, often on monumental scale works, means little time in the week is available for personal works in tapestry/the artist yearns to work in another form/returns to their original medium or experiments and develops their own highly individual style of work in tapestry.
Cheryl Thornton's finely woven miniatures are sensitive to every detail. They are understated and captivating in every pass of weft over red warp. The illusive tapestries are not facades - they are about the interaction of warp and weft, depth and a quiet appreciation of the medium.
At the opposite end of the scale Emma Sulzer's three dimensional woven training shoes at first glance say it all in a quirky humorous way. The famous brand names are resplendent worked in wool, cotton and touches of lurex.
Milly Formby's Monster Brooches are lots of fun; I expect woven as some light relief from heavy art, taking pleasure in the experimentation with materials within the small shaped pieces.
John Dicks presents plastic needlepoint, a contemporary take on the domestic craft, previously so shunned in art circles. The craft circle has come round again as we again celebrate the hand made.
The throw away materials of cardboard and newspaper are painted and arranged like a Marquette for a stage set by Lily Fraser. The freedom and abandon in this work is entirely refreshing and thinking about this work in relation to woven tapestry is very exciting.
In some previous instances workshop weavers have had their own designs woven in the workshop. This has allowed for individual creativity to flow into the weavers' day jobs. Perhaps this exhibition can again spark some weaver initiated designs and commissions for the workshop.

Valerie Kirk tapestry Weaver and Head of Textiles, ANU School of Art, Canberra.

Call for Papers

2009-11-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

Sustainability - Issue #3

Call for academic papers documenting research that contributes to an understanding of craft and design issues in relation to sustainability.
Due date 30 June 2010

he Carbon issue - Sustainability in craft and design

What is the impact of climate change on craft and design practice?

This issue welcomes academic papers documenting research that contributes to an understanding of craft and design issues in relation to sustainability.

Green thumbprint

In terms of carbon emissions, craft production is not in the same league as coal electricity generation or jet travel. Yet with recognition of over-consumption as a problem in rich countries, questions are raised about the continuing production of non-essential goods. Is the handmade an exception? How?

Are there ways of developing a 'green thumbprint' that can reduce the environmental load of craft production, particularly kiln-based processes in ceramics and glass? Are there important efficiencies in new technologies that involve processes such as on-demand printing and customisation?

Craft ethic

Alternatively, does the ethic of the handmade provide an alternative to over-consumption, say by encouraging a culture of repair rather than replacement? Does the hand-made basis of craft provide an alternative route to escape dependency on fossil fuel? How can craft production engage with this today?

Much design in recent years has involved out-sourcing labour to manufacturing bases in Asia. What role might a concept of 'product miles' play in promoting local production? How can the return to local avoid a narrowing of diversity and creative insularity?

Aesthetics of the new green economy

In contrast to the 'clouds' of virtual exchange infiltrating work life, climate change re-focuses attention on the material world as the inevitable basis for life. In today's ecological imagination, carbon looms as a dangerous substance that needs capture to prevent it suffocating the world. Does this affect the aesthetics of carbon? How does this influence the way we look at objects in wood, or stones such as diamonds?

Papers due by 30 June 2010.

Kevin Murray is Guest Editor for this issue.

Inquiries, contact Kevin Murray at kevin [at] craftunbound.net

Or Jenny Deves at jenny.deves [at] craftaustralia.org.au

To submit papers please register online

For journal announcements and calls for papers

For author guidelines

Craft Australia Research Centre call for papers.

Magdalena Abakanowicz and Craft Australia

2009-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Abakan Brunne c.1970 Warsaw / Poland
Textile, dyed sisal
Technique: high warp loom-woven, pieced and sewn
Primary Insc: signed M.ABAKANOWICZ in paint on black suede leather strip sewn to lower left front of 43061.1
309.0 h x 306.0 w x 46.0 d cm
299.0 h x 278.0 w x 46.0 d cm
Accn No: NGA 76.1318.A-B

The above information was taken from the National Gallery of Australia's website.

These image are from a collection found in the Craft Australia archives. I believe these images were taken at an exhibition held in Australia in the 1980's. The collection of images have been given to the National Gallery of Australia as they hold work/s made by Abakanowicz.
I will investigate this and get information on each image.

Abakanowicz, Magdalena (b Felenty, nr. Warsaw, 20 June 1930). Polish abstract sculptor, the pioneer and leading exponent of sculpture made from woven fabrics. Initially she worked in conventional media in painting and sculpture, but from 1960 she concentrated on textiles, using hessian and rope (in some works she has also incorporated wood). Sometimes she obtained her raw materials by visiting Poland's Baltic ports and collecting old ropes, which she then unravelled and dyed. At first she made reliefs, but she soon moved on to large three-dimensional works. In 1962 she first exhibited in the West (at the International Tapestry Biennial in Lausanne) and thereafter her work appeared often outside Poland in both solo and group shows, winning her an international reputation and numerous awards.

Information about Magdalena from encyclopedia.com
This link also has a number of you tube links of Magdalenas' work and an interview with the artist.

For Sale: A new collection of wool and cotton tapestries

2009-11-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

RAMSES WISSA WASSEF ART CENTRE

HARRANIA, EGYPT

FOR SALE

A NEW COLLECTION OF WOOL AND COTTON TAPESTRIES

Eight new wool tapestries and eight new cotton weavings for sale have been added to the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre website

Hurry to visit Wissa-Wassef Arts to view the collection.

"PHASE" TIM GRESHAM - TAPESTRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

2009-11-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

Suel

Liquid Module VI 60x60cm 2009

Liquid Module IV 60x60cm 2008

Frequency IV 60x60cm 2008

MASTER OF HIS CRAFT

"PHASE" TIM GRESHAM - TAPESTRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
14 - 31 OCTOBER 2009
GALLERY 101, 101 COLLINS ST. MELBOURNE.

"PHASE" is Melbourne artist Tim Gresham's latest solo exhibition of photography and woven tapestry. Held in the up market Collins Street precinct of the city, the show exudes confidence and accomplishment through the sophisticated works combined with the precise, minimal hang.
Gresham is a quiet and unassuming artist, dedicated to his practice. He is a Queenslander by birth, but now lives and works in Melbourne where he has had six solo exhibitions and participated in many group shows. His work has been acquired by public and private collections and he has completed several commissions.
In this latest solo show there were 12 small framed tapestries - 15 x 15 cm, 6 medium format tapestries 60 x 60cm and 12 digital Type C prints 60 X 60 cm. The even, square measurements and number of works reflects the precision of technique and image making. Mastery of tapestry weaving and photography is evident in the perfect edges and precisely woven squares and tightly framed photographic images. The skill is in the editing, deciding what to deal with and cutting out all extraneous detail.

Tapestry is by nature a repetitive process, the weaver steadily building the image from base of the loom to the top of the tapestry, picking up the warp and passing through the bobbin thousands of times. Although the weaver learns to automatically pick up every second warp in one direction and the alternate warps in the opposite direction, this process is usually not apparent in the finished work. Traditionally tapestries have had striking, narrative images demanding the viewer's attention. From a short distance away they have read as flat images historically linked to the Fine Art of painting, trying to hide from the lowly craft of weaving. In Gresham's tapestry it is all about weaving - the rhythm, the repetition and image worked intrinsically with the medium.
Overlapping, scalloped edge patterns and curved forms undulate and move rhythmically across the surface like groupings of notes in a musical score. The enclosed warp is emphasised by pick and pick pattern of the weft making subtle stripes that vibrate throughout the work. Shapes have stepped edges, calculated according to the warp and weft ratio, creating a tension between the given grid format of weaving and the artist's introduction of fluid design.

Colour in a soft and muted light to mid tone palette of Australian bush hues with white is used to achieve subtlety and softness or vibrancy. Combined with the expert use of the repertoire of colour mixing techniques, there is control of blending soft, feathered edges or making sharp contrast.

The black and white photographs point to the elements in Tim Gresham's urban environment that inspire his creative mind. Repetition in the surfaces of buildings, shadows softening graphic lines in concrete, reflections in water distorted by a rippling surface all point to an interest in graphic geometry softened by natural elements. These works share common themes with the tapestries: a sense of time; patterns continuing beyond the frame and contrast of underlying structure with distortion. They assert themselves as highly personal viewpoints of a contemporary city experience.

In all of the works the image extends out from the cropped frame, suggesting infinity. They provide a space to contemplate, to find pleasure in the universal sequences of forms, variations of the hand made and time devoted to the pursuit of excellence. "Phase" presents classic works to invest in, live with and enjoy into the future.

see: www.timgresham.com

Anybody need very large tapestry loom?

2009-10-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in the loom or do you know anyone who might be interested?
Please contact David if you are. davidlise@bigpond.com

Tim Gesham - Phase

2009-10-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Image 1: Maquette I 15x15cm 2008
Image 2: Liquid Module I detail
Image 3: Liquid Module V detail
Image 4: Frequency XII 60x60cm 2009
Image 5: Frequency II 60x60cm 2008-1

All images copyright of the artist

Tapestry & Photography
14 - 31 OCTOBER 2009
Artist Reception Thursday 15 October 6-8pm

With opening remarks by Naomi Cass
Director, Centre for Contemporary Photography

RSVP 14 October
03 9654 6886 arts@gallery101.com.au

GALLERY 101
GROUND LEVEL / 101 COLLINS STREET
MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3000
TEL + 61 3 9654 6886 arts@gallery101.com.au

TUESDAY - FRIDAY 10AM - 5PM | SATURDAY 12PM - 4PM
arts@gallery101.com.au www.101collins.com.au

PHASE

While many artists today work across a number of related mediums, Tim Gresham’s practice involves two distinct and contrasting mediums– photography and tapestry. Neither medium is employed to develop studies for the other but instead demonstrate a reciprocal adaptation. Working with the peculiarities of both mediums these works resemble each other whilst maintaining their difference. With common characteristics such as subject matter, pattern and formalism, the tapestries and photographs present notable contrasts between the two technologies used.

The built environment of the city provides numerous architectural perspectives that Gresham frames into formalist photographs or abstract forms on the loom. The observed patterns of architectural structures and city landscapes and the concept of pattern are both significant to Gresham’s work. Evident in the natural world, patterns are a universal concept developed and applied across a number of human practices from mathematics to linguistics to art. In art practices such as the visual arts, dance and music, patterns are used to maintain rhythm, produce optical effects or provide structure in composition such as the use of a refrain in song or poetry. Within Gresham’s work pattern is employed to optical effect and to provide structure and rhythm.

Reminiscent of patterning in other works of art from seventeenth-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s chequered floors to Op Art painting from the 1960s, Gresham’s work often produces an optical effect creating an aesthetic experience and playing with perspective. In the tapestries this effect is created through juxtaposition of colour and diffusion of line, producing a visually vibrating effect. In his latest tapestry work Gresham has exchanged his previously bright palette for a subtle one of varying tones, reminiscent of natural colours from Australian flora. The patterning has also become more fluid as the artist now draws the design as the tapestry develops. The warp provides a uniform structure upon which the work is created. This structure creates a rhythm in the regularity of the weave and results in a rhythmic motion performed in the weaving process itself.

The subtle, naturalistic colours and fluid style of the tapestries contrast with the black and white, geometry of the photographs. Rather than utilising the camera’s deep focus, Gresham’s telephoto lens compresses the perspective and tightly frames the photographs within a shallow plane. Pattern is articulated in architectural forms or pools of water through the use of black and white, with the light and shadow falling uniformly across the surfaces. While pattern evident in architectural forms evokes concepts of strength and balance within Gresham’s work, these forms are distorted by the artists’ perspective and natural light. They become asymmetrical compositions, contrasting the texture and patterns of water and concrete, steel and glass. Like the tapestries, the photographs are tightly framed suggesting an infinite pattern extending beyond the picture plane.

Gresham’s two practices interact fluently. On the one hand he utilises the ancient technology of weaving, attributed to the Greek goddess Athena and symbolised by Homer in The Odyssey. In this practice he does not weave heroic stories from history but creates forms that articulate light and texture in pattern and colour, representing an experience of the contemporary, urban environment. This practice is time consuming, indicative of the hand-made. On the other, Gresham utilises contemporary technology through photography–a practice of mechanical reproduction with a relatively short history and rapid advances. His photographs reflect the time-sensitive quality of photography, capturing fluctuating light and shadow. While both practices present obvious contrasts, Gresham develops his ideas of pattern and optical effect and universal concepts of time and rhythm, in distinct yet corresponding compositions. His comparative practice reveals the possibilities of adaptation as a creative process.

Rebecca Chew is Deputy Director at Centre for Contemporary Photography

Threads of Influence

2009-10-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Fifty Years at Sturt Weaving with Elisabeth Nagel

Exhibition from 25 October to 22 November 2009

25 OCTOBER 2009 EVENTS

9 - 10.30am Open Book- Monique van Nieuwland in conversation with Elisabeth Nagel. Includes morning tea. Sturt weaving room.

11am Threads of Influenc- Exhibition to be opened by Grace Cochrane. Until late 2005 Cochrane was the senior curator of Australian Decorative Arts and Design at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. She now works independently as a curator and writer on contemporary craft and design. Weavings by Elisabeth Nagel, Jeannine Binoth, Kay Faulkner, Julie Monroe-Alllison, Melanie Olde, Monique van Nieuwland and Liz Williamson.

1.30pm The History of Sturt Textiles and its context within Australian Textile Practice – an illustrated talk by Gillian McCracken. Includes refreshments. (Phone 4860 2083 to book)

Sturt Gallery Open seven days 10 - 5 Phone 02 4860 2083 Sturt Café Open Wed - Fri 10 - 3 Sat - Sun 10 - 4 Phone 02 4860 2086 Cnr Range Rd & Waverley Pde Mittagong NSW 2575
Exhibition Program link
Sturt Gallery website

”RAW WAR”, billedvev

2009-10-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

8 October - 15 November 2009

Since 1980 Unn Sønju`s primary aim has been to liberate tapestry from its traditional past by using its unique plastic properties to find new visual solutions to current concerns and observations.

The exhibition “RAW WAR” is a selection from a series of tapestries made as an angry outcry and demonstration against war.

“War is an abomination created by mankind for his own destruction
War is senseless
War is created by the few and destroys the many
War is violent
War is the alibi to murder each other, officially
War is obscene
War hits children and women hardest
War is raw”

Images of conflict, violence and blood bombard us daily in the media. Fact and fiction merge into one gory horror. While the newscasts of current warfare and terror censor out the blood and body parts, this is more than made up for by action films and data games. It appears that violent horror is just an everyday thing mankind must live with! Mankind is becoming increasingly insensitive to the real. War is seemingly not dangerous. It is just entertaining.

The nature of war and the nature of tapestry are very different. Making images and statements about the chaos and consequences of war in wool and linen is obviously perverse. Yet the thinking is that tapestry’s unique plastic properties are so removed from actual war that they can bring a different perspective and vision to the nightmare of war. Equating blood and gore with woven red wool is so extreme it might just trigger a reaction?

Unn Sønju is born in 1938 in Oslo. She has her degree from Oslo University College (former Den Kvinnelige Industriskole i Oslo) 1960 – 62, and College of Arts Leeds, UK, 1957 – 59. She has participated in an impressive amount of group and collective exhibitions in Norway and abroad, and has had more then 30 solo exhibitions from 1971 till today. Sønju has mad numerous commissioned works, several to among others Oslo University College, and her works has been purchased to both private and public collections. She has also had the position of professor in tapestry at Oslo University College.

Soft Galleri

Sue Lawty and the World Beach Project

2009-09-25T03:49:00.001-07:00

We all know Sue and her "stone drawings" produced at the V&A and the World Beach Project (WBP). I find the WBP so simple but beautiful. The ascetics of a simple stone, pebble or rock can be a powerful tool in a drawing. Using stone instead of a piece of charcoal, graphite or even paint provides a 3d drawing medium that can be used on a flat or vertical surface intrigues me. Sue's drawings are displayed vertical and the WBP is almost always flat or horizontally display. Simple line drawings are one of my favorite art mediums, as Paul Klee said "a day without a line is a day not worth living" This quote I read at the Paul Klee Museum in Switzerland. Sue's stone drawings remind me of the simple pleasure that a line or many lines can make a beautiful drawing.

In Sue's drawing below, is my "line" for today!

Video link to the WBP

Sue Lawty installing a drawing

I received an email today from Sue Lawty. Sue was interviewed by radio Australia on Thursday 24rd September. There are the links to the radio interview.
ABC Radio Australia says:

Beachcombers around globe are being invited to take part in a unique online art exhibition. The World Beach Project is open to anyone and everyone. All you have to do is head to your favorite beach with a camera, collect some stones, create a piece of art, take photos and upload the pictures to an online gallery. Creator of the project is Yorkshire based artist Sue Lawty and she joined us In The Loop to explain its inception.

Interview with Sue Lawty Link
MP3 Loop
World Beach project Link
World Beach Project Map

Sue Lawty's Blog

CAC Tapestry Postcard

2009-09-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Momentum is going to Wagga Wagga

2009-08-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

7 August - 27 September 2009

Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery
Artists from across Australia demonstrate the accessibility of the language of textiles and its relevance to contemporary life, focusing on the finest and most exploratory aspects of contemporary fibre textile practice.
Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery website

Tamworth Regional Gallery textile Biennial website

The Wdnesday Tapestry Group Exhibition

2009-08-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Wednesday Group Tapestries Celebrating Henry's Hudson

1st August to 17th September 2009

Greene County Council on the Arts

Website

23rd September to 31st October

Clifton Arts Center
Website

Arts Society of Kingston
7th November to 30 November 2009

Website

Wednesday Group Website

New Victorian tapestry Workshop tapestry

2009-06-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

A recent shot of the floor, with the Royal Children’s Hospital tapestry on the loom.
(Click on image to enlarge)

Merv Moriarty

2009-06-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Founder of The Flying Art School and the Brisbane Institute of Art presents A FOUR DAY COLOUR WORKSHOP for Artists, Designers,
Photographers and Textile Practitioners. This is a rare opportunity to learn from one of Australia’s great teachers of art.
Merv Moriarty has been a practicing artist all his life, exhibiting in major galleries in Australian capital cities. Merv has an intense
interest in colour as a profound visual language and has written on this subject extensively. His work is represented in major
public collections, including The Art Gallery of NSW and the Queensland Art Gallery. He has worked in colleges, universities and
private art schools as a teacher in art, colour and design.
No drawing or painting ability is required for this workshop. All colour exercises use a simple diagrammatic format.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Venue: Textiles workshop, ANU School of Art, Ellery Crescent, ACTON, Canberra ACT.
Dates: 2-5 August 2009 10-4pm
Fee: $500 ($450 unwaged)
Registration, payment and a detailed list of required materials is available from Valerie.Kirk@anu.edu.au

Momentum

2009-06-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

18th Tamworth fibre textile biennial 2008
SOFA Gallery Australian National University Canberra 8 July - 1 August 2009 website

Closing event 6pm Friday 31 July , speaker Catrina Vignando General Manager Craft Australia website Image: Vicki Mason

Exhibition curated by Valerie Kirk.

Artist in the exhibition include:Image: Ainslie Murray

christine atkins
babbarra designs
jane bowden
alana clifton-cunningham
annabelle collett
fiona gavino
robyn glade-wright
hilary green
cecilia heffer
melissa hirsch
liz jeneid
jill kinnear
kelly leonard
rodney love
penny malone
elisa markes-young
lucille martin
vicki mason
ainslie murray
debra porch
louise saxton
demelza sherwood
annie trevillian
elefteria vlavianos

Public program held in conjunction with Momentum

Thursday 30 July 2009
A choice of parallel development
programs:
Weave with Jennifer Robertson
Print with Annie Trevillian
Art/Textiles with Valerie Kirk. Beyond
the Parliamentary Triangle – a tour to
interesting art and textile places off the
tourist track. Fee $10 per person.

Friday 31 July
Symposium, ANU School of Art Lecture
Theatre (above library).

Saturday 1 August
Floortalks by Valerie Kirk, curator
Momentum and artists.
1pm. ANU School of Art Gallery

Information and bookings: Valerie.Kirk@anu.edu.au

From Here to Eternity:

2009-06-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

From Here to Eternity: Contemporary Tapestries from the Victorian Tapestry Workshop

The Victorian Tapestry Workshop has two new exhibitions on show.
From Here to Eternity: is exhibiting at the Queensland University of Technology website
12 June 2009 to 02 August 2009

The second exhibition is

Contemporary Woven Tapestries from the Victorian tapestry Workshop.
Showing at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery website
05 July 2009 to 15 August 2009

Egyptain landscapes - Nature in Art

2009-06-23T03:15:00.000-07:00

Tapestryies fro the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art centre, Cairo Egypt will be exhibited at Art in Nature Gloucester UK 7th July to 6th September 2009. The exhibition is not listed on thier site yet but keep an eye on it.

Art in Nature website

Exhibition Program

Jane Freear at Art in Action

2009-06-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

Jane is working across a 2 1/2 meter warp to demonstrate at Art in Action (16-19th July 2009) at Waterperry Gardens near Oxford. Jane wants to enter the piece in the BTG open show.
The BTG are planning on touring the show so keep an eye on their website for updates.

Art in Action
Jane Freear- Wyld
The British Tapestry Group

The British Tapestry Group

2009-05-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Margaret F. Crowther - Workshop on 3-D Forms

As you may know BTG has widened its membership to include international weavers. We are endeavouring to attract members from around the world to share BTG's vision:
'The British Tapestry Group exists to promote woven tapestry as a
contemporary art form in the UK and internationally, by raising public
awareness through professional exhibitions, networking, regional
initiatives, training and development.'

To this end BTG is holding its first small format tapestry exhibition - Weaving Within - for members only, to be held in 2 venues in Stirling, Scotland, from September 12th to November 8th. The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, and Historic Scotland's Stirling Castle are the two venues.
Please visit www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk for more information.

BTG is staging an exciting weekend event on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September, with a Conference, Private View and dinner on the Saturday at the Stirling Smith Gallery, and a day of workshops on the Sunday at Stirling Castle. This will give participants a chance to see both exhibitions as well as the exciting studio at Stirling Castle where The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries are being woven.
Please visit www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk for more information, non-BTG members welcome.

Conference Programme - Saturday 12th September:
JOAN BAXTER
"Tapestry…where do we go from here?"
Joan will give an illustrated talk on her personal view of where tapestry is at the present time, and ways forward in developing the media.

SARA BRENNAN
"My work, its process and inspiration"
Sara's tapestries are an unspoken response to landscape in a reduced and simplified form. She will reflect on past and present work, explaining her ideas, design sources and processes.

RUDI RICHARDSON
"Artists and Weavers - My time with Mark Adams"
Mark Adams was an American artist who utilised painting, stained glass and tapestry in his artistic expression. He started producing tapestries in 1955 after studying with Jean Lurcat.
Rudi wove his designs from 1978 - 1998.

DINA WARD
"Fabulous Tapestries"
Dina's talk illustrates the history of tapestry from its early beginnings to its heyday and beyond with examples from around the world.
Workshop Programme - Sunday 13th September

JOAN BAXTER
Colour
A workshop exploring how the use of multiple threads can create not only vibrant colour, but also texture, mood and atmosphere. Students will work from imagination, real objects and photographic sources. This class is for those who have already done some tapestry. This is a superb opportunity to work with Joan; she is a fabulous colourist and truly knows how to mix colour in subtle and exciting ways. Her experience as a weaver, and her commission work, are testament to this.

MARGARET F. CROWTHER
3-D Forms
Since the 70s Margaret has been interested in using yarns as a sculptural material. The workshop will be suitable for anyone with some experience in basic weaving who would like to be free of the traditional tapestry loom for a day, and explore some ways of creating three-dimensional forms. Margaret has a unique style to her work and this will be a great opportunity to learn new techniques and explore three dimensional works in a friendly and supportive group setting.

ANNE JACKSON
Thinking Through Tapestry
This will take the form of a forum for considering the creative process in woven tapestry, involving a presentation, discussion and some practical input, looking at widening horizons to new sources of inspiration and creativity, including the internet and critical theory. Participants will be encouraged to bring along sketchbook work and spend some time discussing and developing ideas with the workshop leader and other participants. This is perhaps an opportunity to explore new ideas or take other ones forward in a tutorial type of setting.

JO McDONALD
Weaving With Paper
Cutting, tearing, and slicing paper will enable the participant to construct with texture and manipulate a structure into more sculptural shapes. This class is suitable for those with limited experience. Jo will share with the group a variety of uses with paper and how she creates her own unique pieces of work, allowing participants to explore both weaving and paper in a fun and challenging way.

Chicks on speed and the Victorian Tapestry Workshop.

2009-05-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

Weaver Milly Formby
Image copyright Victorian Tapestry Workshop

Anna Clabburn has written an article Chicks on speed for the latest issue of Craft Australia's newsletter 716 craft.design.
Big sister, little sister
The Victorian Tapestry Workshop collaborates with the dynamic Chicks on Speed
Event Viva La Craft
Anna Clabburn 5 May 2009

The tapestry project was initiated by the Chicks who have already worked with Craft Victoria. Suitably, collaboration is also a mainstay of the VTW's mandate and is inherent in the nature of the tapestry medium itself.
716 craft.design
Chicks on Speed article by Anna Clabburn
Victorian Tapestry Workshop
Craft Victoria

Land exhibition

2009-05-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

ATA Web Gallery Exhibition - LAND

If you haven't viewed this exhibition yet, you should check it now! Six gallery pages of images from the LAND exhibition held last year in conjunction with the Tapestry 2008 conference event. If you didn't have the good fortune of traveling to Australia at that time then your luck improves because here is the exhibition you otherwise might have missed!

Land exhibition

Connections: Small Tapestry International

2009-05-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

Bottle of Red by Sarah Swett

Connections: Small Tapestry International was juried by Jane Sauer of Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. The intimate scale – 100 square inches – creates a provocative challenge for the artist weavers. All the elements of design, material choice, color, sett (the number of warp ends per inch) and concept become sharply honed and finely tuned in this format. According to Corsini, tapestry weaving (defined as a hand-woven, weft-faced fabric with discontinuous wefts) with its long history is well represented here in all of in its rich diversity, its meticulous craftsmanship and its inspired vocabulary of idea. "A wide range of ideas and styles – from the traditional to experimental, from the realistic to abstract – are showcased and the technique is thriving in the talented hands of these artists. Although small in scale the exhibited works express a powerful and imaginative creative voice," said Corsini.

Order the catalouge

Exhibition 5th May 2009- 26th July 2009
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
American Tapestry Alliance

Free online newsletters

2009-04-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Craft Australia produces a free online newsletter 716 craft·design, with 11 issues per calendar year.

716 craft·design: 716 craft·design is an authoritative online communiqué for Australian contemporary craft and design keeping you up-to-date and in touch with current debates and issues, government policy and the array of innovative programs, projects and exhibitions initiated by the sector.; 716 craft·design is distributed free to subscribers every month except January. Circulation within the sector is encouraged and new readers can subscribe for free.

May 2009 issue of 716 craft·design has a textile focus, with an article about the recent Selling Yarns 2: Innovation for sustainability conference held in Canberra, by conference coordinator Amy Kerr. Also in this issue is an article on the Chicks on Speed project at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop by Anna Clabburn. Don't miss this issue as it also lists a number of textile related exhibitions.
Subscribe

Victorian Tapestry Workshop Newsletter

The Victorian Tapestry Workshop Newsletter is published 2 times each year. You can download the electronic version (PDF) of past issues here
To subscribe to the eNews updates:
Register to receive our regular eNews and keep up-to-date with what's going on at the Workshop. Register

Images Supplied by the Victorian Tapestry Workshop

Alberta Craft Awards 2008

2009-04-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

lt to rt: Judith Green, Les Manning Jane Kidd and Louise Chong

This news is a little late, but Jane Kidd was recognized with the Award for Excellence. Congratulations Jane!

Alberta Crafts Council

Victorian Tapestry Workshop

2009-03-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Winter Knitting Classes

Winter Knitting at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop– Melbourne
Classes run from Monday May 25– Monday September 1 2009
The thrill and satisfaction of creating a really original, handmade piece yourself is just amazing. This years Winter Knitting classes focus is on neat tricks and flexible patterns. These 8 stand alone classes include projects such as wraps, vest and baby shawls as well as classes on felting and small bracelets and adornments.
Come and have fun with us at the Workshop this winter and be a star creator!

Contact the Victoria Tapestry Workshop for bookings and more details.

Victorian Tapestry Workshop

2009-02-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Patrick Heron

23rd July 1995 1999

1.55 x 2.0 m (5’1” x 6’8”)

Private Collection, Melbourne
Weavers: Peta Fleming, Claudia Lo Priore

The Victorian tapestry Workshop has announced it's new director. Antiona Symes takes up the position in early 2009.
Antiona comes with an extensive background in the Australian art scene.

Victorian Tapestry Workshop

The Workshop has a fully stocked yarn store with wool supplies for weavers.

Workshop, shop

Selling Yarns 2 is on Facebook

2009-01-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of the artist.Photo: Peter Eve, Monsoon Studio.
Hay (coiled and cobbled).
ReCoil: Change and Exchange in Coiled Fibre Art National Museum of Australia
15 November 2008 – 14 June 2009

The Selling Yarns 2 conference is fast approaching. March 6-9 2009.

For all new information on the conference log on to

Selling Yarns 2

Craft Australia at Facebook

Flickr

Become a friend of Craft Australia on Facebook and become a fan of Selling Yarns on Facebook and Flickr.

There are some amazing workshops being held on Sunday 8th March. Some of the workshops are needle felting, string and necklace making and pulp painting, places are limited so best get in and book soon.

A market day will be open to the public so put the date in your diary (08/03/2009. Artwork being sold will be from indigenous artists. Kept and eye on the website for more details.

Selling Yarns 2 website

Welcome to 2009

2009-01-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

Howard Walter Florey, Discovery, isolation and therapeutic application of penicillin, 2006
Woven tapestry, cotton warp and wool weft
Photo: Valerie Kirk

ANU Weavers’ Summer School

2008-12-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

January 19-23 + 27-28

The ANU Textiles Workshop is again offering a Weavers’ Summer School. This is an opportunity for intermediate and advanced weavers to use the workshop looms for a personal project. This can be for a finished piece or to engage in weave experimentation. Applicants will need to have completed basic introduction to 4 shaft weave structures.

- 3 counter-march 8-10 shaft treadle looms, all with double back beam
- 5 computer dobby looms (16-24 shaft), all with double back beam
- Weave equipment i.e. warping mill, shuttles, bobbin winder, threaders, temples etc
- Assistance with calculations and set up of projects
- Instruction and assistance with use of computer design program and looms + a/h access to workshop
- Informal show-and-tell and exchange by participants and tutor

Participants are required to contact the tutor to organise materials before the summer school starts.

Tutor: Monique van Nieuwland has been a weaver for 30 years and teaches evening weave classes. She exhibits her work regularly, is the technical officer at the ANU Textiles Workshop and is an Accredited Professional Member of Craft ACT.
Proposals: Please contact the tutor asap with your project proposal to see if it is feasible. Proposals can be sent to the tutor by email: monique.van-nieuwland@anu.edu.au

Dates: January 19-23 + 27-28, 2009 Cost: $600
Materials: Participants are required to source materials for the warp and weft themselves, but the Textiles Workshop can provide some weft materials at cost.Contact: ANU Textiles Workshop on 6125 5833, valerie.kirk@anu.edu.au

To enrol in weavers’ summers school: Cheques: payment to Australian National University

Credit Card: BC – MC – VISA Name on card:

Number: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiry date: Amount: $600

Signed:

Address and contact details:

Mail to: ANU, School of Art, Textiles Workshop, Building 105, ACT, 0200.

British Tapestry Group members’ un-juried Exhibition 2009

2008-11-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

Stirling Castle and the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
12th September – 1st November

We’re really excited to announce the British Tapestry Group [BTG] will be holding a 2 venue exhibition in Stirling during the autumn of next year. It will also be a double first for BTG as it’s the first time we’ve exhibited in Scotland, and the first time we’ve held a small format, un-juried show. The venues are: the Historic Scotland room at Stirling Castle; and Gallery One, the Ballengeich Room, at the Stirling Art Smith Gallery and Museum.

We’ve only had both venues confirmed in the last few days, but here’s all the information you’ll need to get you started:

1. entry is open to all members, including any international members BTG may have at the time of the exhibition.
2. the theme of the exhibits is open to individual member choice.
3. entries will be limited to up to two tapestries per member, although only one may be exhibited.
4. each tapestry is to be no larger than A3 (277x420 mm or 11.7x16.5 inches), including any frame or other method of mounting the work, in either portrait or landscape format.
5. all tapestries are to be wall pieces, hung with mirror plates. More details will follow about this.
6. any tapestries sold whilst on show at Stirling Castle may be removed immediately, provided a replacement tapestry is available.
7. only tapestries of a standard appropriate to being a member of the British Tapestry Group will be hung.

Apologies to anyone who would have liked to submit a free-standing tapestry but there simply isn’t anywhere such pieces can be exhibited this time – save those for the next BTG Open exhibition.

We’ll be asking all exhibitors to send a digital image of their work[s], so that the exhibition can be shown virtually on the British Tapestry Group’s website at http://www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk/.

Linked to the exhibitions, BTG will also be holding a weekend of workshops and talks at both venues. We’ll be publicising this event once the dates are finalised.

Further details can be obtain by contacting Jane Freear via The British Tapestry Group website

Liz Williamson: Textiles, Living Treasure 2008

2008-11-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

Liz Williamson: Textiles at Object Gallery
Living Treasures: Master of Australian craft website
Liz Williamson Living Treasure 2008

Liz Williamson website

Generate: art inspired by Charles Darwin by Julie Ryder

2008-11-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

Julie Ryders new Exhibition opens at the Australian National Botanic Gardens visitors centre on 2rd December 2008 running until 26th March 2009.

Generate: website

WEAVERS.....SHOWING OFF

2008-11-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

Denise Stevens

Old tiles detail 2008,

wool & cotton

woven tapestry 42cm x 56cm

Sorry about the lateness of the exhibition posting, I have just discovered it!
17 October - 24 November 2008

EXHIBITION OPENING Wednesday 29 October 2008
By Tamworth Textile artist Glenys Mann at 2pm.

To be followed by a floor talk by Armidale textile artist Tom Moore All welcome to attend Weaver.......Showing Off

The weavers are all members of the Australian ‘Weavers’ Forum’, a group established in 1998 by local Trudy Newman.

“When the group first started we had about 20 members and it has now grown to around 200,” says Trudy. “We have members in every state of Australia and they keep in touch via newsletter and our web site http://www.weaversforum.com/”

Approximately 22 works will be on show reflecting a wide range of techniques available to the hand weaver. Both tapestry and loom weaving are represented and visitors can see on display rugs, wall hangings, garments, wraps and shawls.

Meryn Jones moving from tapestry to tapa & shell

2008-11-07T04:48:00.000-08:00

Material Modesty
Meryn Jones
November 26 - December 20 2008
Artist celebration
Saturday December 20
2pm-4pm

Modesty Apron in Mother of Pearl #1 2008 (Detail)
Shell, buttons, cultured pearls & polyester thread on raw tapa cloth
600 X 300mm (Photograph: A. Higgins artisan.org.au Queensland)

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery
Level 8 Room 16 Nicholas Building
37 Swanston Street Melbourne 3000
(on the corner of Flinders Lane)
T : 0407 317 323
E : st73599@bigpond.net.au
www.stephenmclaughlangallery.com.au
Saturday : 11am-5pm
Wednesday-Friday : 1pm-5pm
& by appointment

Daniels Edwards Tapestry

2008-10-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

John

Derek

Dan

Assessment time is coming quickly for ANU students, final year students have to mount a mini exhibition of there years work. This is generally display in the ANU Art Shool Gallery. Good luck Dan!

Structures, Ingela Valtind

2008-10-06T01:04:00.000-07:00

STRUCTURES - Imaginations About the Hidden

The Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Embassy of Sweden in cooperation with the Australian National University proudly presents the exhibition STRUCTURES - Imaginations About the Hidden by Swedish-Norwegian textile artist Ingela Valtind.

Swedish born Ingela Valtind lives and works in Norway, where she has developed a unique textile process which involves dyeing and laminating cotton fabric. This innovative technique opens new structural possibilities for textile work. She is a visiting artist in the TextilesWorkshop. 1 Oct – 30 November 2008

Exhibition 7-11 October 2008 at the ANU School of Art Foyer Gallery opening on Tuesday October 7 at 6 pm in the ANU School of Art Foyer Gallery

Lecture open to the public on Thursday 16th October 2008 1pm Art ForumANU School of Art Lecture Theatre.

Enquires

ANU Textile Department

The Weight of Nothing

2008-10-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

"The Weight of Nothing"

Recent tapestries by Laura Mar
Opening 23rd October 2008 - 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Exhibition 23rd October - 1st November
Wednesday - Friday 12 - 6pm
Saturday 12 - 4pm
pigmentGALLLERY
level 2 Nicholas Building
37 Swanston Street
Melbourne
http://www.pigmentgallery.com.au/

ph: 0408 033 035

Essence of Place Exhibition

2008-10-06T00:45:00.000-07:00

Exhibitions Dates 28/10/2008 - 08/11/2008

Tuesday to friday 11am - 5pm

Saturday 12pm to 4pm

Fortyfive Downstairs

45 Flinders lane

Melbourne 3000

Gallery website

Entanglement Exhibition

2008-10-03T01:42:00.001-07:00

Manningham City Council invites you to the opening of
Featuring the work of glass artists and weavers.

Curated by Megan McEvoy.
To be officially opened by Jason Smith, Director of Heide
Museum of Modern Art.

6pm – 8pm, Wed15 Oct 2008.
RSVP by Thur 9 Oct 2008 to the Gallery: 9840 9367

Exhibition Dates
Wed 15 Oct – Sat 1 Nov 2008
Jazz in the Gallery
The Lisa Young Quartet.
Fri 24 Oct, 8-10pm, $18/12.
Bookings: 9840 9367.

Public Galleries Association of Victoria Open Day
Floor talk, weaving and glass demonstrations.
Sun 26 Oct, 2-4pm, free admission.
Bookings: 9840 9367.

Tour to Monash University Art and Design
Faculty and Victorian Tapestry Workshop
Fri 31 Oct, free admission.
Bookings: 9840 9367.

Venue
Manningham Council Municipal Offices,
699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster, 3108.
Mel Ref 33 F12.
Gallery Hours
Tue – Fri, 11am-5pm. Sat, 2pm-5pm.
Free admission.
Contact
t. 9840 9367 e. gallery@manningham.vic.gov.au
www.manningham.vic.gov.au/gallery

RAMSES WISSA WASSEF ART CENTRE, EGYPT

2008-09-25T03:35:00.000-07:00

RAMSES WISSA WASSEF ART CENTRE, EGYPT
ADVANCE NOTICE
An exhibition of new tapestries for sale will be held at
GALLERY 4747 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3PB
(Opposite the British Museum)
11th November – 22nd November 2008
Open daily including Sunday, 16th November between 10am & 4pm
If you would like to receive an invitation to the Private View to be held onMonday 10th November from 4-8pm, please contact Barbara Heller,
Phone: 44 (0)20 7267 1034, e-mail: barbara@wissa-wassef-arts.com

Visit www.wissa-wassef-arts.com

From Mardi Nowak

2008-09-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

Mardi Nowak's Blog

had an email from a student at ANU Canberra today who is studying tapestry with Valerie Kirk. She had to complete an assignment on tapestry weavers who use the human image or form in their work. She had discovered me and sent me a list of questions for me to respond to for her assignment. It's always interesting doing these exercises as it makes me think back to why I do this stuff and what I think about.
So here are my responses to her... yes, I did feel like I was starting to write a thesis again!

1. What is your background? What led you to pursue tapestry as an art form?I have completed a Bachelor of Fine Art majoring in tapestry at Monash University Melbourne in 1998 and have also completed my honours and then a Masters of Fine Art by Research all primarily working in woven tapestry. Kate Derum was my supervisor during that time.

pursued tapestry mostly as I saw it as a challenge. I had previously worked in painting and printmaking and had initially thought that I would major in one of those disciplines at university. I had seen tapestry but had thought I knew how to do it to major in it! However after a discussion with Kate Derum out in a corridor who claimed that my work and style would lend itself to tapestry well, I decided to take the plunge and move into a new discipline. I should mention that I had always had a strong history with textiles. My parents owned a Singer sewing machine store, were boot makers, milliners and pattern makers so I had always worked with textiles, even when I was printmaking, so it seemed a natural progression for my work.

When it comes to being an artist, in particular an artist working in woven tapestry, I love being part of a very old tradition but showing contemporary imagery. I also like the fact that it’s a skill based art that not everyone does, so it makes it a little special - it has a bit of ‘wow’ factor. When it comes to motivation and inspiration, the everyday is what inspires me. Now that I don’t have much time to spend on my artwork, I make things that I want to make and that I feel strongly about or have a connection with. I don’t make work that is controlled by what may sell or what other people want. The imagery I create is made very intuitively but the selection of what will be woven is selected on aesthetic basis and because it has something to say, either about me or because there is a narrative I want to share. I’m heavily influenced by artists such as Karen Kilimnik and Elizabeth Peyton with whom I share a love of figurative works that have a quiet narrative and who also put the viewer and artist into a range of characters.

2. Do you practice other art forms, and if so, what would they be?Although I primarily work in woven tapestry I do work across a wide range of media. Most of my tapestries have a collage starting point and mostly I will work on paper, either collaging, mixed media or drawing. Often I will work with objects as well and during my honours year I was making 3D dolls to add to tapestries and also bags that held objects and tapestries, primarily looking at new ways to display tapestry as well as ways to get my ideas across.

I still work on paper constantly, mostly as my tapestries are big and it’s a quick way to get ideas down. I am still working with objects and the idea of the doll as well as creating artist books of images. I’ve always been very interested in artist books as I’m heavily influenced by popular culture and fashion magazines and liked the idea of creating my own.

3. I notice that your work features young, attractive women. Is there a particular reason for your work taking this direction?I have always worked with the figure and when it comes to what inspires me to create my imagery I stick with things that I know and that relate to my own personal experience. More and more now I find that I am intuitively drawn to selecting figures (or characters) that seem very much like me; that they become the vehicle of my statements within the tapestry. Although it seems very egotistical to say that I am a ‘young and attractive woman’, the works are very much about my view on the world or an imaginary character that I would like to play at some point. The works for my Masters thesis titled ‘Outfit’ talked about our obsession with celebrity and the role of the fan. I can relate to the role of the fan and in some ways idolise and fanaticize about the role of celebrity.

am interested in the notion of ‘people-watching’ and find it an important inspirational tool to capturing the essence of the everyday for me and my work. I think that people watching can be used for static forms such as magazines also and that this crosses over into my work whereby the images created through weaving are static. I also enjoy the strong history of portraiture in art and think that most people are obsessed with looking at others and situating themselves within how others appear.

Often viewers have asked if the girls in the tapestries are me. From a resource point of view they are not. The original images are often found from fashion magazines or advertisements. Though I think even when I was still painting and creating portraits and figures, they inevitably ended up with qualities similar to my own. Now, they have dark hair, big eyes and a fringe, which most people would say are my own features.

4. I'm interested in the career paths that a Fine Arts degree can lead to. I see that besides being a practising artist, you are also the curator at the Town Hall Gallery in Hawthorn. Could you comment on your choice of career in the arts field?I usually describe myself as a full time curator and part time artist these days.I always had an interest in how exhibitions were constructed and the role of the gallery in educating, inspiring and challenging people. Becoming a curator is something that I fell into. I started working as a volunteer in a regional art gallery at a very young age and then was mentored by the Director. I had been given the opportunity to curate an exhibition in my final year of VCE and found that I loved the balance of creating my own work and working with other artists and being inspired by their ideas.

Although I had always thought that I would do a Fine Arts degree, I continued with curating and being heavily involved in the behind the scenes in exhibitions mostly as I felt that it allowed me to become a better artist. Many curators have gone on to do Museum or Arts Management studies, though I believe that the continual hands on work has allowed me to become the curator I am today, along with being an artist as well, gives me insight into dealing with other artists, their aspirations and when they will panic!

Being a tapestry weaver and a curator also has allowed me to continue with my passion of tapestry being seen as a contemporary art form. Working in the industry allows me to push the envelope, so to speak and to put it into a critical context with other works. Most people say that I’m very lucky to work within the arts but I think that the curating and creating feed off each other in the way that I think and approach both my works.

1. Re: "a marginalized discipline" . "suddenly wonderous and revelatory" (Stanley Bulbach)

2008-09-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Since it seemed to pass by unnoticed amongst most of the fibercommunity, I want to share a local news report of importance to theentire fiber community. The news was featured in not one, but two --TWO !! -- front page stories on the New York Times Wednesday, September 10.

The Front Page of the New York Times carried the stories, "Curator atMet Named Director of the Museum" by Carol Vogel and "A New Voice From Within" by Michael Kimmelman. When Director Philippe deMontebello retires in January, he will be replaced by Thomas P.Campbell, the Met's Curator of Textiles. Again as in the past, thewriters emphasized the importance of his exhibition, "Tapestry in theRenaissance: Art and Magnificence".

Mr. Kimmelman wrote "He no doubt is only known to a wider public asthe curator behind the Renaissance and Baroque tapestry shows thatwere among the finest, most beautiful and most praised exhibitionsthe museum has done in years. Via those shows and their heftycatalogs, Mr. Campbell brought to life a marginalized discipline andmade it seem suddenly wondrous and revelatory."

Ms. Vogel wrote "His exhibition "Tapestry in the Renaissance: Artand Magnificence" became the sleeper hit of 2002, attracting some215,000 visitors, more than twice what the museum had project, withmany works that had never been seen in America."

(That story from 2002 alone -- of double the number of visitors thanthe museums best projections -- should be a constant topic ofdiscussion on our fiber bulletin boards, in our fiber publications,in our fiber organizations, etc.)

I think we fiberists can rejoice that a curator in our field is beingacknowledged in this manner. And not just any textile curator, butone who is cited as knowing the rules of bona fide academic research-- relatively unknown in our field -- including the primaryrequirement that you actually have to look at a field's contentaccountably before you pass "expert" judgment on limited parts ofit. For years I have attempted to urge fiberists to encourage anopen dialogue about the importance of our work and how it isinaccurately overshadowed in the broader art world.

To this day, most of our fiber bulletin boards still prohibitnon-technical discussions. Our media, for example Interweave Press,is increasingly owned by investment companies, for example, AspireMedia, that focus on fiber as a retirement distraction and not alsoan art form equal to others. Our primary advocacy organizations, forexample HGA and ACC, have lost about 20% of their membership base andeconomic support over recent years. Yet we have censored ourselvesfrom speaking out in a normal, constructive, academicallyinvigorating manner to preserve and improve our field.

Thus, there is even more reason to celebrate today the Met'sselection of Mr. Campbell as its new Director. This is the mostencouraging news I've seen on the front page of the New York Times inquite some time!

Three cheers from New York City,
Stanley

PS. I sent this report Wednesday to the American TapestryAssociation, and there has been dead silence in response! I find nofield that matches ours for pursed lips and self imposed silenceabout our relatively poor position.

Stanley Bulbach, Ph.D.
letters@bulbach.com

http://www.bulbach.com/

Exhibitions

2008-09-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

I have added a list for exhibitions on the right hand side navigation bar. If you have an exhibition coming up or know of one please email through the details so it can be added to the list.
The only information we need is the name of the exhibition and the URL ( web address) of the exhibition eg: the gallery page listing the exhibition.

Daniels Edwards Artist statment

2008-09-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Daniel. I am currently in my third undergrad. year at the ANU School of Art in the Textiles Workshop. This year in my work I’ve been exploring the theme of masculine identity in craft. My work includes three tapestries woven with rug yarn combining geometric patterns that emphasise the woven quality with abstract portraits of bearded men. I hope to produce work that shows empowerment of gender suggesting that in practising craft one can form an identity in the field and medium. I have been collecting images of and looking at the bearded man and the aesthetic link that the present day has to the recent decades past where sporting facial hair was fashionable – particularly in the 1970s. The abstracted portraits are developed as iconic images or trademarks of the “maker”. I am interested in hearing from anyone who has ideas about what the bearded crafts person symbolises. Also gathering information on men in Textiles and the roles they play and gathering interesting pictures of bearded craftspeople.
Email Dan or phone 0413 275 869

Images from the conference

2008-09-08T23:40:00.001-07:00

The British Tapestry Group goes global.....

2008-09-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Jennie Moncur

The British Tapestry Group goes global.....
BTG has decided to open up its membership to international tapestry weavers. You can join simply by visiting the BTG website, http://www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk/, although please be patient whilst we get our PayPal account sorted out. Membership fees for the current year, to April 2009, will be posted on the site.

Membership Benefits include:
· Access to the restricted members’ area on the website
· Access to the new BTG online Forum
· Create your own gallery page
· Subscription to the BTG Newsletter
· Member discount for the Tapestry 08 catalogue
· A range of members’ only exhibiting opportunities
· Reduced fees for Conference, Seminar and Workshop events

The new BTG Management Committee are also looking to forge links with international tapestry weaving groups, as well as individual weavers, so opening up our membership is our first step in this new direction. We’re already in the initial stages of organising an event for 2009, and the next major juried show, which we hope to tour to galleries around the UK.

2008 has certainly been a landmark year for the worldwide community of tapestry weavers with the Tapestry 2008 Symposium and events in Australia; BTG’s exhibition, conference and workshops in the UK; the American Tapestry Alliance’s Convergence events and exhibitions in the US; as well as the opening of the European Tapestry Forum’s second major touring show.

Add the British Tapestry Group website – http://www.thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk/ - to your favourites list and keep yourself up-to-date with what’s happening in the UK.

Jane Freear-Wyld – Chair, the British Tapestry Group

American Tapestry Alliance New Project

2008-09-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

"Inspiration & Creativity," curated by Mary Lane.

Inspiration & Creativity, a project hosted jointly by the American Tapestry Alliance’s Web Exhibition and Educational Articles programs presents the viewpoints of four internationally recognized artists: Peter Horn (Germany), Murray Gibson (Canada), Kay Lawrence (Australia) and Joanne Soroka (United Kingdom). Each artist has generously offered his or her perspective on the creative process through an essay published as an Educational Article. Each artist’s work is featured in the concurrent, and eponymous, Web Exhibition.

Inspiration & Creativity

Peter HornLighter Than Air

From Cresside Workshop

2008-08-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Tapestry woven by Jillian Brammer

Selling Yarns 2: Conference 2009

2008-08-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

The website has been launched of the 2009 conference Selling Yarns

Selling Yarns 2: Innovation for sustainability is a conference that addresses contemporary Indigenous craft and design practice. It draws on the outcomes of the first Selling Yarns 2 conference held in Darwin in 2006 that looked specifically at contemporary Indigenous textile practice

The conference is supported by the Australian University Research School of Humanities, Australian University School of Art , Craft Australia and the National Museum of Australia

Craft Australia publishes a free online newsletter
716 craft·design

Subscriptions to 716 are free.

Sue Lawty's V&A Blog

2008-08-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Vicotria and Albert museum ( V&A ) have publish Sues' first blog enrty on the their website about the Tapestry2008 conference, Concealed, Discovered, Revealed

World Beach Project : Sue Lawty

2008-08-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

The world beach project that Sue Lawty spoke about at the Tapestry2008 conference.

World Textile Art Organization Program

2008-07-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

PROGRAM

The 5th International Biennial of Textile Art will be held from April 1st to 25th, 2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized by the World Textile Art Organization (WTA).

WTA is a non-profit organization, founded in 1997, with headquarters in Miami, USA. WTA has already organized four Biennial Exhibitions in Contemporary Textile Art, both in the United States and in different countries of Latin America with the participation of international artists and juries.

We would like to point out that WTA is the only International Biennial originating in the Americas.

The venue for the WTA Biennial exhibition will be the Palais de Glace – National Exhibition Hall. An international jury of the highest level will be present, and WTA has issued an invitation to more than 20 very high-profile international artists to show their works in this Biennial Exhibition.

Since in Buenos Aires various exhibitions of both Pre-Columbian Textile Art are to be held throughout the year in several differents museums and cultural centers, WTA is arranging for all shows to be run in parallel.

These will be:
The National Museum of Fine Arts: will be showing its Pre-Columbian Collection.

The National Museum of Decorative Arts: will show Gobelin Tapestries Heritage as well as works by 8 Argentine Textile Artists.

The “José Hernández” Museum of Popular Art: will present its entire collection of Textile Art and the prized works of the last 5 exhibitions of Contemporary Textile Art and of several invited artists.

The Architecture Museum Buenos Aires University will show the results of a contest among textile design students.

The National Museum of Clothing History: Will host the Montreal exhibition “Americas sinuous / intersection of extremes”. A group show 0f 15 artists from Canada and Argentina.
The Borges Cultural Center: will be showing an international exhibit of Contemporary Textile Art.

CAAT – Textile Art Centre of Argentina: will present“The Mini-Textile Salon”.
The National Foundation of Arts: will be showing part of its textile legacy and will be in charge of the workshops.

The Recoleta Cultural Center: will be presenting International Contemporary Art.

AMIA:Will sponsor an installation by a group of textile artists, with the theme, “The Net”in its, three connotations – Solidarity – Communication – Textile.

WTA is also working towards a show that brings together Argentina’s “Pioneers” of Contemporary Textile Art.

As a means to integrate the whole country to this grand project, a group of textile artists from the City of Cordoba (Argentina) will mingle and interact with the audience wearing artistic designs of hand-crafted clothing and hats during the openings. The Cordoba artists will prepare a performance called “Blue Gold”, which underscores landscape and environment increasing awareness on the subject of “Water, a very precious possession”.

Furthermore,we have plannedto include in the General Program:

- Talks and lectures by guest artists and well-known figures of the Textile Art World.
- Seminars and workshops.
- The “Olga Amaral Award” presentation to an outstanding public figure within the Textile Art field.
- A tour circuit connecting all participating museums and exhibition halls to guide and help both foreign and local visitors reach all the different venues.
- A one day “Roundtable Meeting” between participating artists.
- Visits to the ateliers of well-known textile artists.
- An Open Day for school children with guided visits to visit the exhibitions with the presence of the participating artists.
- A interesting Social Program will be included on the agenda.

Tel. (5411) 4788-8080 Fax (5411) 4787-1316
E-mail : contact@wta-online.org - worldintextileart@gmail.com
www.wta-online.org

World Textile Art Organization

2008-07-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

WORLD IN TEXTILE ART
5th International Biennial of Textile Art
Palais de Glace - Buenos Aires - 2009
Argentina
The 5th International Biennial of Textile Art will be held from April 1st to 25th,
2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized by the World Textile Art
Organization (WTA).
WTA is a non-profit organization, founded in 1997, with headquarters in Miami,
USA, that has already organized four Biennial Exhibitions in Contemporary
Textile Art, both in the United States and in different countries in Latin America
with the participation of international artists and juries.
CURATORIAL CONCEPT
The 5th International Biennial of Textile Art places its attention on those artists
who choose to express themselves through fibers and weaving , resignifying
through their work the concept of Textile Art, by taking away all boundaries and
making it explode into many meanings and connotations.
Overstepping boundaries and combining different disciplines, those artists
participating in the 5th International Biennial of Textile Art start from the mere
fibers to merge into new technologies, venturing to follow new lines of
investigation, fusing their quests and challenging categorizations but keeping
the soul of textile materials as the integrating element.
REGULATIONS
1. Participation
1.1 Participation is open to all artists of legal age from all over the world.
1.2 Submitted works: up to three (3) works per artist - either brand new or
already shown. All submitted works have to be created later than year
2000.
1.3 Free subject
1.4 Works can be either two-dimensional or three-dimensional or any kind
of installations with no specific size.
2. First Stage – Regulation
2.1 The proposal must be send together with the signed application form
2.2 For each work to be submitted authors shall send:
a) CD containing:
Two professional digital photographs – 8.5 inches or 21,5 cm width and
300 dpi - one of them depicting the whole work and the other one
showing a detail of the work.
All photographs should be clear and sharp, with non- interfering
backgrounds in order not to disturb the actual image of the works. This
is of the utmost
importance, since they will be included in the Exhibition Catalogue.
b) A good color print 20 x 28 cm photograph of the work.
Both the CD and the printed photograph shall bear at the back the
following information: name of the artist, e -mail address, telephone
number, image direction, title of the work, work completion date, list of
all employed materials, list of applied techniques, and work
measurements.
c) Brief CV including: date of birth, education, gallery representative
status, awards and scholarships, main exhibitions both individual and/or
collective, where the artist’s work has been shown (please mention 10
at the utmost) and also any other interesting professional experience.
2.3 All applicants submitting works to be considered in the selection
process shall bear a U$S 30 – thirty US dollars – non-refundable fee.
2.4 This non-refundable fee can be paid by check in US Dollars,
International Credit cards payable in US Currency or Postal Transfers in
US Dollars (in this case please consult the Organization).
All submitted documentation will be kept and will be become part of
the archives of the Organization.
v All the requested items shall be sent together with the corresponding
application form to the Buenos Aires Headquarters of the Word Textile
Art, addressed as follows:
5th International Biennial of Textile Art
11 de Septiembre 2761 (CP 1428)
Buenos Aires – Argentina
v Final date for proposals reception will be September 1st , 2008 –
which will be validated per post stamp date.
3. Second Stage - Work Selection
3.1 WTA will inform on October 13th, 2008 via e-mail the applicants who
have been chosen to be included in the Biennial.
3.2 The participation at 5th International Biennial of Textile Art bears a cost
of U$S 70.- Seventy US dollars
3.3 Those chosen artists will have to acknowledge receipt of the e-mail
before October 31st, 2008 to confirm their participation at the 5th
Biennial.
3.4 Chosen works shall be sent to WTA before January 30th, 2009. The
sending address will be informed in the next communication.
v Please bear in mind that all parcels should be sent “door to door” and
should be marked “ NO COMMERCIAL VALUE “
All the parcels sent via DHL – FEDEX – UPS and/or similar private postal services are
bound to discharge customs duties at arrival at Buenos Aires. Those expenses shall be
solely for the owner’s account. WTA will not be liable for any kind of payment or
disbursement related either to postage or customs and /or transportation duties.
Non -donated work will only be returned after the settlement of “shipping & handling”
expenses.
3.5 All forwarding and/or sending postage and insurance costs and
traveling risks shall be wholly borne by the owner and/or sender and at
their own risk.
4. Jury
4.1 The Jury will be formed by highly prestigious authorities of the
international art field. As soon as the jury members are appointed, their
names will be informed through the web page.
4.2 The same jury will gather in Buenos Aires to award the corresponding
prizes.
Their decisions will be final and non- appealable.
5. Prizes
Prizes will be as follows:
First Prize: U$S 3.000.-
Second Prize: U$S 1.500.-
Third Prize : U$S 500.-
Honorable Mentions to be considered by the Jury
Granted awards are not considered as “acquisitions”
6. Donation and /or Return of the works
At the end of the Biennial each of the participating artists will be able to
donate their work to the WTA and become a member of the Organization,
and as such, they will :
1 - be granted the status of Honorary Member of WTA
2 - be entitled to receive all relevant information regarding Textile Art such
as Exhibitions, seminars, articles, etc
3 - be able to load their CVs and photos of some of their works in the WTA
Page
4 - be part of the sales & promotion scheme of WTA
v Those works which are not donated will be returned to their countries of
origin at their owner’s account and risk, after the corresponding
payment has been effected by the owner.
v WTA will have a (3) three months period to return all not donated works
to artist’s origin countries
v WTA will give each one of the participating artists a color printed
catalogue of the Biennial and a Participation Certificate
v WTA reserves the right to publish those photographs they deem
convenient to promote the Biennial and advertise within the media
7. Important dates
Deadline for application ………………………… September. 1st, 2008
Confirmation of participation …………………… October 13th, 2008
Acknowledgement of Mail reception …………… October 31st, 2008
Work reception deadline ………………………… January 30th, 2009
Opening day. ……………………………………… April 1st, 2009
For further information please contact:
Tel. (5411) 4788-8080 Fax (5411) 4787-1316
E-mail : contact@wta-online.org - worldintextileart@gmail.com
www.wta-online.org
WORLD IN TEXTILE ART
5th International Biennial of Textile Art
Palais de Glace - Buenos Aires - 2009
Argentina
ENTRY FORM
Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………
Place and date of birth:
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Telephone: ……………………………..Celular phone: ……………………………..
Full address: …………………………………………………………………………….
Email (must): ……………………………………………………………………………
Conceptual artwork explanation:
…………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
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Good Conversation

2008-07-06T16:17:00.001-07:00

Lots of good conversation and friendships made in Valerie living room!

Katie and Belinda

Sue, Jane and Fiona

From Andrzej Banachowicz

2008-07-06T15:50:00.001-07:00

Photos sent from Sue Lawty. I am sorry I don't know all names please feel free to fill me in so I can update captions.

Tapestry2008 reception at University House.

Sue Lawty ( left ) Susan Mowatt (centre) Andrzej Banachowicz (right )

Fiona Rutherford(left) Julie Ryder (centre) Belinda Jessup ( right)

Andrzej Banachowicz

Andrzej Banachowicz (left) Valerie Kirk ( centre)

Linda Wallace (American Tapestry Alliance), Jane Kidd, Fiona Hutchinson, Yasuko Fujino, unknown , Belinda Jessup, Katie Hutchinson

From Cresside's workshop

2008-07-03T16:18:00.001-07:00

Hi Cresside, Thought I would try to complete our exercise in the spirit of
its name, rather than photos, so-- I sat at my front door and wove the view
out the gateway and across to my neighbour! Good fun and going to try
another one further afield -- when the weather improves, hope all is well
with you and yours, regards, Marie Drury

From Cresside's workshop

2008-07-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here is my finished tapestry from the Botanic Gardens workshop in Canberra. I really enjoyed this project and found weaving directly from the landscape very liberating. So I plan to do this more often.

Regards
Lisa Molvig

From Cresside's workshop

2008-07-03T16:08:00.001-07:00

Hi Cresside,
I am leaving for three weeks holiday tomorrow and just remembered you
said to email you the completed tapestries we did in the Botanic
Gardens in Canberra. Here is mine - the last part with some artistic
licence.bI'm not an experienced tapestry weaver but I was quite
pleased with it and really enjoyed the experience of plein air
weaving.
Ruth Lathlean

Aino Kajaniemi Report

2008-07-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge and read, ( if you can read Finnish!).

And more from Jane

2008-06-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

Second set of 'Scarf Slice' manipulations

'Metamorphosis'

More Images from Jane

2008-06-23T05:33:00.001-07:00

'Ring of Brodgar: No 4'

First set of manipulations for the 'Reflections: Scarf Slice' sections

Images from Jane Freer-Wyld

2008-06-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

I am not sure of the order these should be viewed in. I have loaded them in the order Jane sent them. So please for give me if they are wrong.

'Surface Slice' images and tapestry from the RE:DESIGN section

Photos from Dianna Wood-Conroy

2008-06-20T03:59:00.000-07:00

Annie and Monique again!

2008-06-18T01:21:00.000-07:00

Hilary Green artist in residence at Sturt in 2006

2008-06-18T00:59:00.000-07:00

Hilary Green from Victoria is artist in residence in the weaving studio for the next three months. For a number of years now Hilary has been investigating the presence of rock formations in the landscape and this will provide the theme for her work at Sturt. Hilary will be weaving shaped tapestries of varying sizes and exploring methods to make them three dimensional using medieval weaving techniques.

Hilary graduated from Monash University with a Fine Arts degree in 2001 majoring in tapestry weaving, and has since acquired expertise in Gobelin style “haute lisse” and medieval style tapestry weaving. Hilary worked as a production weaver for the Victorian Tapestry Workshop and West Dean Tapestry Studio in Stirling, Scotland (where she worked on the reinterpretation of The Hunt for the Unicorn project).

Woven tapestry is an ancient art form produced and valued by cultures throughout the world. Tapestry was an integral part of medieval and renaissance interior decoration, providing decoration and display of wealth as well as keeping out the cold and damp. The skills and techniques of tapestry weaving have changed little over the years and today tapestry is popular among contemporary weavers as a technique for narrative and personal expression. Sturt is focussing on tapestry weaving during 2006, with this residency and the exhibition of Dilys Condell’s large tapestries to open at Sturt Gallery on 6 August later this year.

This is the first time Sturt has had a tapestry weaver as artist in residence. Hilary Green’s residency has been funded by the Friends of Sturt.

Sturt Workshop

News from the sector

2008-06-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

Monique and Annie in Annie's studio space.

Annie's Studio space.

Annie's space

John, Valerie, annie, Christine and Monique

Is there any news? does anyone have some images, text or ant general information we can publish on the blog? What have you all been upto since returning from Canberra?

Annie and Monique are busy at Sturt in Mittagong with their residency. I popped in yesterday on my way to Sydney for a coffee and Valerie, John and Christine arrived for a visit and Lunch.
Next time Photo's of moniques space.

Pam said 2008/05/28

2008-06-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Thankyou for the timely reminder re copyright. My enquiry re the possibility of the artists talks being published was simply so I could absorb the contents more thoroughly, for my own interest and education only. The two days of the Symposium was almost 'too much information'.The various talks were just so interesting and informative,I really would love to read/listen to them again.Pam.

Comment for Annie

2008-06-17T17:09:00.001-07:00

Congratulations Annie, wish I could see your work in person!
Pam.

Annie and Monique

2008-06-09T01:06:00.000-07:00

As many of you know Monique and Annie from the textile department at ANU are undertaking a residency at Sturt Mittagong. Today as I drove back from Newcastle I popped in to visit and was greeted with a lovely lunch in their cottage.

Annie and Monique

Annie's latest love!
Rocky checking the cottage is up to his standards!!!!!

Annie Trevillian: a printing life. From handprinting to digital prints on fabric and paper

2008-06-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

I am sure everyone will remember Annie from the conference. Annie has n exhibition at Sturt Gallery at Mittagong NSW. It is truly a wonderful show, so if any one is passing Mittagong it is worth a visit. ( May 25th - July 11th 2008) .

Annie Trevillian will take up a joint position as Artist-in-Residence with Monique Van Nieuwland from June 9 - July 19. Both artists are tutors at Sturt Winter School 7 - 11 July 2008.

Weave - Gauze leno & supplementary warp with Monique Van NieuwlandComplete a leno project (scarf) and supplementary warp samples to inspire future projects. Learn to set up a loom to create light weight gauze weaves - the open stable gauze structure allows for speedy weaving. Participants will also learn the supplementary warp technique. Suitable for all enthusiastic participants, but a little knowledge of weaving may be helpful. Click here for more information on this courseMonique Van Nieuwland has been a weaver for more than 30 years and has exhibited her work since 1985. She teaches at the ANU School of Art, Textiles Workshop.

Colour and Design for Printed Fabric with Annie TrevillianExplore markmaking, drawing, colour and design for screenprinting on a range of fabrics developing individual themes in an exciting, fresh and contemporary way with one of Australia's most successful screen printing artists. Suitable for all. Click here for more information on this courseAnnie Trevillian has been a practising artist since 1983. She teaches surface design at ANU School of Art, Textiles Workshop and will be Artist-in-Residence at Sturt in June & July 2008. This course is now full. Names taken for waiting list.

Hello From Oregon

2008-06-03T18:49:00.001-07:00

I have just been reviewing the blog and thank you and all those who have contributed. Our local guild members have been watching and enjoying the symposium vicariously.
Best Wishes,
Nancy Hoskins

What is the point of weaving in a world full of trouble?

2008-05-30T03:38:00.000-07:00

At a particularly dark moment of the Gracchi era, in the year 125 B.C, Livy reports that disturbing omens began occurring in Italy: wheat grew on trees; at Veii, it rained oil and milk; at Arpi, stones; and for the first time in eight years, the owl was heard on the Capitol….[1]

“Weaving the land” is a challenge when the ‘ground of our being’ is a place which is hard to locate in purely geographical terms. It exists where we are, but it also exists where we think we are, whether that is in the past or in the future. It is also necessarily a contradiction, evoking thoughts of landing, but also of shifting sands and compromised terrains. It is increasingly challenging to negotiate a space when the land itself is at risk.

Things that once seemed clear are no longer so certain.

When Patrick White’s Voss, one of the contenders for the title of Great Australian novel, journeys into pastoral country he notices that “a truth of sunlight dappled the innocent grass”
[2]. What is that truth? Is it still relevant?

When writing the pastoral now, Australian expatriate poet John Kinsella claims that “one must be ironic, and (consequently) political. The conversations between shepherds have become those between motorbikes and tractors, helicopters and light planes. Even the climates are changing. Nothing is consistent, and [this is] what the pastoral has always been about. Once “retrieved’ from wild Nature the landscape is shaped to remain for ever after – unlike the city, which is about progress and change, ad infinitum.” [2] I can see all this happening. What implications does it have for my art practice? What do I take into the studio?

And why am I talking about poets when this is a talk about my tapestry practice? What is the point of weaving tapestry, a slow, self-absorbed, personal medium in a world full of trouble? It is obvious looking at the work presented in this conference that there is a lot of weaving going on, and I feel a certain trepidation that this talk is preaching to the converted, and in the case of some practitioners, like telling grandparents how to suck eggs, as they say. It was one thing to write it at home and quite another to come and see all the tapestries afterwards.

However, the things I hear on the news and read in the paper concern me, and I wonder what my work is all about. What contribution is one more piece of weaving to the large picture of our life on earth? Are our answers the same? I am impelled to put myself on the line and open a dialogue with like and unlike minds on the topic.

[1] Scheid, John and Svenbro, Jasper, The Craft of Zeus: Myths of Weaving and Fabric, p.35
[2] White, Patrick, Voss
[3] Kinsella, John , The Pastoral and the Political Possibilites of Poetry http://www.johnkinsella.org/essays/index.html

I would like to think about these things in the following framework:

In The Studio (private and personal space)
At the Loom (A slow, self-absorbed medium)
From the studio window (the threshhold)

Puck, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream says “I shall weave a girdle round the earth in forty minutes” Let’s make that 25.
Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream[1]

1. In the studio:

I am in an ambiguous position as a tapestry weaver because my full time paid work is as a High School teacher. I teach year 11 and 12 Visual Art and History of Art, and also English in various forms, across the High School. My relationship with the world is therefore in a constant state of negotiation one with the other, the visual and the literary. This makes it more difficult to define my ‘studio’, the place where etymologically speaking, one’s “zeal” is focused, and what is the work that I do there.

There are many interesting historical and literary links, quotations, references to do with weaving, as you all know. And it would be easy to relate for example from Scheid’s book
the Craft of Zeus, Plato’s reference to weaving as a reminder of the importance of weaving work in troubled times. He uses weaving as a metaphor for statesmanship. Through extended metaphors or weaving and technique, male and female and united, chaos turns into order, etc, etc, and on another level, a new cloak is woven for the appropriate gods …[2]

Is this just a lot of fancy rhetoric? Does it make it any easier to go into the studio, fortified by Greek or Roman underpinnings and begin a new work, or even, a series, say, a large one?
Is it a convincing “rationale”? Oh no, my art students say, a rationale? Do we have to?

As an English teacher, I don’t live to read, as some might think (after all, English teachers have no life. Ask a student!) I read to live. Literature is a constant source of inspiration in my visual work. I can’t resist the temptation to crack open the hard crusty fruit represented by words to reveal the inside as a tempting morsel for sustenance. For example:

“I was walking by the Thames. Half-past morning on an autumn day. Sun in a mist. Like an orange in a fried fish shop. All bright below. Low tide, dusty water and a crooked bar of straw, chicken-boxes, dirt and oil from mud to mud. Like a viper swimming in skim milk. The old serpent, symbol of nature and love.[3]

What an image! What an example of literary and visual in combination together!

What does this mean for my studio work in a time of trouble? In front of the classroom, it is overwhelmingly clear to me that conversation matters more than anything, and yet the range

[1] Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, II, i, 175
[2] Scheid, Op. cit, p. 24 pp
[3] Cary, Joyce, The Horse’s Mouth, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1948, p. 5

of expression available to young people today is depressingly narrow. Indeed, so much falls between the cracks of language that we must cross the boundaries of disciplines to communicate more fully. One without the other is not enough. If art does not create a dialogue, then it is only decoration.

There is a sense in which I feel my time under pressure because of the requirements of school teaching, and I could wish for more time in the ‘studio’, but the teaching I do means the more I can bring to bear on my work the input from school, the ‘coal face’ of human experience, and the more I can bring to my teaching the experience of my visual practice. In this sense, I bring my studio along with me wherever I go.

In a world of words, where does the visual get a “look” in? Let’s get to the loom, you may be thinking. A few years ago I did some collaborative work with two Canberra poets, Geoff Page and Alan Gould, and the topic of ekphrasis came up. More Greeks. Links between tapestry and words are not new, of course, witness the speech ribbons and texts which have an acknowledged place in the history of tapestry weaving, and of course, there are all the associated quotations and allusions to do with weaving and text…

The late Murray Krieger uses the term ekphrasis to mean visual arts are a metaphor, not just for verbal representation of visual experience, but for the shaping of language into formal patterns that “still the movement of linguistic temporality into a spatial, formal array, not just vision, but shape, closure and silent presence…[1] ekphrasis is like the slit in the tapestry of language, the ambiguous link between writing and speaking about the visual object and its challenges to the writer and the artist. The commonsense perception of this is that it is impossible, as there are inherent, essential properties of various media and their proper / appropriate modes of perception. Art History is an example of verbal representation of visual representation…interesting to read the outlines of talks this weekend where language speaks in advance of the visual work! Semantically speaking, there is no essential difference between texts and images. The mystery is why we have this urge to treat the medium as the message and why we make the obvious, practical differences between these two media into metaphysical oppositions which seem to control our creative acts and which then have to be overcome with “utopian fantasies like ekphrasis”.[2] I

n this work, * [slide Aust uncovered 1, 2] the reviewer commented that “the heaviness of the medium distracted from the text” and also, that the combination of texts on the wall and in the weaving “overwhelm the work” and “work should stand on its own and not need deciphering”. As a tapestry weaver and an English teacher I have to come to terms with these issues in order to weave and not merely to write, and not berate myself for being “merely an illustrator”. Do troubled times tolerate silence from the studio? In fact, Ekphrasis allows us, perhaps requires us, to qualify the visual as other to language, a threat to be reduced, a potential to be the same, or similar-but-not-quite-the-same, and we do it within our own medium as well. The time for this has past. If I am to keep weaving, tomorrow and the day after, then there has to be an ability to live with ambiguity, uncertainly and doubt, and the possibilities these things represent. Creative writers are always looking for this. Tapestry has hitherto prided itself on its elite status as an art form, but it should not be seen as an elitist stance, as elitism always looks for certainty. Security is not necessarily truth, and it is not

[1] Krieger, Murray, Ekphrasis and the Other, Picture Theory, Chicago, University of Chicago Press,1994, p. 154
[2] Mitchell, W. J. T. Op.cit, p. 161

certainty. The studio therefore has to be a no man’s land, not a cosy room away from the world.

2. At the Loom (a slow, self-absorbed medium)
Man is the shuttle, to whose winding quest
And passage through these looms
God order’d motion, but ordain’d no rest.

Silex Scintillans. Part II. Man.(verse 4) Henry Vaughan, 1622 – 95

When I am weaving I sit in my room and hours go by. Most often, I listen to Radio National and sometimes I listen to an audio book. If I listen to an audio book I sometimes feel a pang that I will miss the Rural News or Country Viewpoint. I don’t see this as living a sublimated life, however, or as a “string” of virtual experiences. I feel part of a community. I notice that people at work will ask “What are you doing in the holidays, are you going away?” and I say I’m going to do some weaving, and they say What? and you explain and they commiserate! But I see it as re-establishing my network with the rest of Australia and overseas. I prepare my classes mentally, I refresh my spirit and I destabilise my understandings by injections of ideas and opinions, and I listen to books while I weave. I am deciding what to do next with continuous interjections from the outside. In this sense, weaving for me is not a meditation.

John Kinsella, whose work I quoted in the beginning of this talk, in an interview with Kevin Hart, another Australian poet, asked Hart whether a poem (and I think we can substitute tapestry here) can “satisfy itself? Whether it can just be a self-contained environment, commenting on its own process? Hart replied “Poems have a desire, and they have a desire for us. A poem is directed outward, it has an intentional structure. It tries to transcend itself, to go beyond the poet’s consciousness.”[1] Of course, it can’t have a unique destination, but why can’t this apply to tapestry in the same way? For me, this is where the connection between the visual and the literary gets interesting.

There has to be a sense of a future for my work, an intended audience of some kind, or I am merely padding out the burrow. There are no guarantees of immortality for the work, especially these days, but the future must be imagined or there is no point in starting.

Weaving is not prayer. Or if it is, then it has to be in some way intercessory, on behalf of something other than me to feel convincing. I am not ‘channelling’ some kind of divine energy either. It is my energy and my outlook I am expressing, whether I have divine help or not. I am aware, however, that what I see before my eyes is not all there is. Neither is it consolatory. For what? Except perhaps for our human shortcomings and our lack of understanding about the world. It will not stave off the future in a time of trouble and there is no point in pretending that everything else will all go away if I am concentrating on the weaving. I have to account for my life, including my so-called “spare time”, which is precious.

In this sense, my practice is not a hobby. I am not filling my time weaving. I am working.While I appreciate the female need for a “room of one’s own”, my studio is also my bedroom, so it is before me all the time and I live in it. This helps. I don’t have to steel myself to go somewhere external. In her nineties, My grandmother used to “paint with

[1] Kinsella, John. John Kinsella interviews Kevin Hart. Melbourne, October 22 1995.
http://www.johnkinsella.org/interviews/hart.html

wool”, but she never spoke about a pastime, a hobby or time to “being creative”, or that appalling concept “me time”. She used to call it her work. This rings true to me. This is one of her pieces. It is actually needlepoint.

Tapestry weaving does not pay what my teaching salary pays, but I consider it equally important, and I have to tear myself away to spend time with people. But weaving isn’t just doing something comfortable. It is not like a relationship with a pet who doesn’t answer back, because every decision has to be interrogated. There is no going back. One has the possibility of a new page, like a writer or other artist, but one cannot rub out or paint it out when it doesn’t work. I don’t see it as ‘collecting’, pick by pick, either, as a way of controlling an uncontrollable world, and it is not merely a mental world where I alone hold sway, even in the objective “material” world of the loom itself. It is not a substitute for a real life and it is not filling a ‘gap’. In this sense, it is a positive gesture, not the lack of it. I am not hiding. It is not merely an inner dialogue, a ‘new-age” meditation, a solipsistic self indulgence. It is addressed outwards and the world answers back

3. From the window (the threshhold)
“Vain the ambition of kings
Who seek by trophies and dead things,
To leave a living name behind,

The Devil’s Law-Case, V. lvAnd weave but nets to catch the wind” John Webster, 1580 -1625

A reviewer of my work recently made the comment that “finer work aids contemplation and using materials that aid speedy work interferes with the overall effect .Tapestry is a slow process and should be respected as such.” Time, content – anything goes. It is easy enough to walk past a work in six seconds regardless of the technique. Beware the establishment. No reversals in a world full of trouble. It is too late for quibbling. Does it do the job? Is it your best work? Are you content to see it as the sum of your efforts, the sum of your days, the sum of your life?. I’m not saying throw out time-honoured standards, but in a world full of trouble it takes more determination to go into the studio. It requires a conscious stance that one’s work is “political” work (meaning of ‘public life’), not personal work, otherwise we should be outside agitating for a better world. This takes courage. It means taking responsibility for your contribution to the world.

Does work have to be political, I wonder, in the sense of critiquing world trends in order to be worthwhile in a time full of trouble? What if it is not exhibited? It is still surprisingly hard to interest galleries in textile work. Irony can inject life into familiar forms…however, it can slip into despair, and then you’ll stop weaving.

If one’s work is “simply” about beauty and revelling in colour, do it consciously. Rapture may save us. It gets in the way of science and philosophy. Indeed, it is almost ironic and subversive these days. It is accepting the challenge to go into one’s studio in these troubled times and do “wool work”.

When I hear about world food prices I wonder if I would be more socially useful if I were to take time to put my front garden under vegies and learn how to keep them going? I work out of my own interest in tapestry. I am not supported by an institution to do my work. So it takes real effort and determination to do it on my own. Sometimes it feels like I am not taking life seriously enough, or even, whistling in the dark.

However, I like the following piece of advice from Salman Rushdie, who said, the proper function for a writer, and I suggest, for any artist, is to “go for broke. Always try to do too much. Dispense with safety nets. Take a deep breath before you start talking. Aim for the stars. Keep grinning. Be bloody-minded. Argue with the world.”[1] Of course, there is debate to be had, sometimes reasoned, sometimes heated, over the position of the writer or the artist and his or her relationship to the context of the world within which they live and its authorities. Work must be considered. This is the burden of the tapestry weaver in the face of slow process. If it is your “political” work to be indoors day after day, then take responsibility for it. The wow factor should not be Oh my God, how long did that take! but Oh my God, why did you do it? In this sense, weaving is not consolatory or merely therapeutic or meditative. It is putting one’s thoughts into action.

So where do I leave this? What makes me get up tomorrow and do a bit more? It’s an eye for beauty “in the detail” ( and I’m not talking about weaving technique here), and a desire to communicate it. Whether we look at literature, visual representations, or poetry inspired by visual representations etc. it is this in-between-ness in all its ordinariness and mystery which is our human position. We live at the intersections of places, between the past and the future, the earth and the sky.

As Joyce Cary writes:

Five windows light the caverned man ; through one he breathes the air
Through one hears music of the spheres ; through one can lookAnd see small portions of the eternal world.”[2]

I want to know how this works in tapestry. I want to try one more thing. And one more thing, and just something else I have thought about, and then perhaps at the end of it all we will hear

Undying accents
Repeated till
The ear and the eye
Lie down together
In the same bed. William Carlos Williams

Tomorrow is a new day.

[1] Whittaker, Peter, What’s the point of fiction in a world full of trouble? International conference of writers. New Internationalist, October, 2001, p.3
[2] Cary, Joyce, the Horse’s mouth, (Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1948 pp. 5-6 and 56-57)

Brenda Goggs

Apologies as bloger does not respect foot notes and changes the numbering. Any Questions contact me or Brenda, via Valerie,

Valerie Kirk

2008-05-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you Nancy Hoskins for this image of Valerie.

Autumn a tapestry of colour

2008-05-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

If it is 20 years since the last such tapestry gathering, I can hardly believe my luck that I live in Canberra and that I developed an interest in tapestry in recent years. I was introduced to tapestry by Valerie Kirk in 2002 and more recently I have completed some units of the Diploma of Art (Tapestry) from South West TAFE in Warrnambool.

Sometime ago I acquired a second hand copy of the ‘World Weavers Wall’ and I continue to be inspired by these works. Although I felt uncertain about submitting my work, I very much wanted to be part of the Land exhibition because I could imagine something similar to the ‘World Weavers Wall’. It was an amazing experience to have a tapestry hanging in the same exhibition as so many important and experienced tapestry artists from all over the world. (My tapestry hung proudly beside Kirsten Glasbrook’s!) How can I describe simultaneous feelings like being inspired, intimidated, excited, overwhelmed and incredibly humbled by the sum total of experience represented in one place.

During April with our stunning display of autumn leaves in Canberra I found a gardening column in the local paper headed ‘Autumn a tapestry of colour’. Surely this sums up the feast of tapestry we were treated to when the garden gates of tapestry heaven were opened and we were able to listen to all the words of wisdom and mingle and play for a short time with so many of the world’s tapestry gurus.

Thank you to everyone who participated and very special thank yous'

• to Valerie for making it happen and especially for her attention to all the finer details (even a comprehensive summary);

• to the staff and others from the Textiles workshop for their backup and support (especially the yummy lunches and nice coffee and cakes);

• to all the gurus, the speakers and tutors, who gave generously of their skills and knowledge;

• to everyone who contributed in any way to the feast of exhibitions;

• to Paul Cooper for documenting the Land exhibition and setting up Valerie’s Gallery online;

• to Belinda Jessup for giving everyone ongoing access to papers and information through the blog.

Tapestry 2008 was truly awe-inspiring.Anne Peters

Photos from Yasuko Fujino

2008-05-28T19:21:00.001-07:00

reception in School of Art gallery

Late arrival Land exhibition

2008-05-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Another LAND tapestry arrived....delayed in the post, so thought everyone would like to see it! This makes the total number of entries 170 in the show.

Valerie

170 Elaine Duncan

Choices and Changes

Sue Lawty discussion

2008-05-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Jane Kidd

2008-05-28T19:06:00.001-07:00

Coping or using artist papers

2008-05-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

If you wish to copy or use any information from Artist talks, You must get permission from the artist first.
Using the information is covered under copyright. Please contact Valerie at ANU Textiles if you wish to contact an artist.

We are hoping that all Artist who had written presentations will let us publish them on the blog, so keep checking back.

I must be time for some more photos so I will scout around and see what I can find. Does any one have photos from the conference we can use? please send them to me
belindajessup[at]hotmail.com with the subject tapestry2008 so I don't delete anyone I don't know.
Belinda

Selling Yarns 2: Innovation for sustainability

2008-05-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

http://www.sellingyarns.com/
Presented by The Australian National University, Craft Australia and the National Museum of Australia

Venue: National Museum of Australia, Canberra

When: 6 - 8 March, 2009

The conference will be held in association with the exhibition ReCoil, Change & Exchange in Coiled Fibre Art curated by Margie West

Selling Yarns 2: Innovation for sustainability is a conference that addresses contemporary Indigenous craft and design practice. It draws on the outcomes of the first Selling Yarns conference held in Darwin in 2006 that looked specifically at contemporary Indigenous textile practice.

Selling Yarns 2 builds on the previous conference by presenting success stories that demonstrate innovation and new directions in Indigenous craft and design practice. It will highlight the work of Indigenous makers from the south eastern region of Australia and parallel the directions in practice of urban Indigenous makers with that of artists in remote communities. The conference will be held at the National Museum of Australia in March, 2009 in association with the exhibition ReCoil, Change & Exchange in Coiled Fibre Art, curated by Margie West.

The aim of the conference is to demonstrate that through cultural practice a dialogue can be had that draws all interested parties together for the benefit of a rich and sustainable Indigenous culture.

A call for papers is now open. Download the Call for papers information sheet

Topics of interest include:

Design and manufacture, engaging with industry
Innovation for social and cultural sustainability
Mentoring between communities
The impact of government policies on sustainability
The internet and the global market for Indigenous craft and design
Tourism and museums as a driver for innovative practice

Papers: We invite Indigenous and non-Indigenous practitioners, researchers, academics, buyers, collectors, curators, business and arts advisors to respond with a 300 word abstract addressing the conference themes.

Workshops: We invite proposals to run workshops to build skills, increase awareness and appreciation, share information and develop understandings of new developments and sustainable practices.

Email 300 word abstracts to papers@sellingyarns.com For enquiries, contact Louise Hamby on (02) 6125 8986 or Andy Greenslade on 0412 774 343

Email workshop proposals to workshops@sellingyarns.com For enquiries, contact Valerie Kirk on (02) 6125 5833 or Adam Blackshaw on (02) 6208 5230

Deadline for abstracts and workshop proposals: 1 July, 2008
Notification of acceptance: 1 August, 2008
Deadline for biography (on acceptance): 1 September, 2008
Deadline for full papers: 15 January, 2009