Re:Wrapped

The scarf exhibition Wrapped is about to open  at Barometer in Paddington so I just thought I would share a few photos of some of the install to whet your appetite and for those that can't make it tonight.
Click here for more details.A big thankyou to Barb Rogers for organising the exhibition (and everything else...!!)

Wrapped....and Stitched Up

 

Two group exhibitions that I am involved in will open this week, one in Sydney and the other in Newcastle.

A selection of my naturally-dyed and degummed scarves in Wrapped

Wrapped is an exhibition of scarves by Vivien Haley, Sylvia Riley, Barbara Rogers, Julie Ryder,
Liz Williamson, Tradition Textiles and Deborah Emmett at Barometer Gallery, 13 Gurner St Paddington.  Opening viewing and drinks are on Wednesday night 21st June 6-8pm.

Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday 12-5pm.  The exhibition is open from 21 June to 22 July.

Stitched Up is an exhibition featuring 24 contemporary international and national textile artists on show at The Lock Up from Friday 23 June 2017 until 6 August 2017. It coincides with the 150-year anniversary of The Newcastle Industrial School’s opening; and is resulting from a partnership between The Lock Up and Timeless Textiles galleries.

This exhibition conceptually provides a voice for the 193 girls who attended the Newcastle Industrial School, translated into contemporary fibre art.

A detail of my work in Stitched Up. Photo: David Paterson

Above is a detail of part of my work for Stitched Up. It was hard to choose one girl out of the 193 that historian Jane Ison had researched, but eventually I decided on Mary Jane Wright, an Irish girl born in Belfast in 1853. According to her biography she had red hair and blue eyes, and more about her and the other 192 inmates can be read about here. Some of the stories are shocking to read, reflecting the harsh and often brutal way of life for young girls who fell foul of the law, often punished for crimes they did not commit. I wanted my work to convey the sense of hopelessness Mary Jane must have felt, and so the rest of the work which is not shown in the photo above I hope will act as a metaphor for the stark reality of her plight. I believe my work is to be installed in one of the cell rooms and this should provide the right atmosphere for the piece.  I will be going up to Newcastle to get the work photographed in situ and will then post an image of the entire piece once the show has opened.

Here & There @ Belconnen Arts Centre

Last week our group exhibition, Here and There was opened at the Belconnen Art Centre by Sally Burdon, Director of the Asia Book Room, and Dr Chris Bourke, Minister of Small Business and the Arts in the ACT.

Sally Burdon opening 'Here and There' at BAC

Although Barbara, Sharon and I exhibited a portion of this exhibition at the Barometer Gallery in Sydney last year, this exhibition has been extended, with new works by each artist specifically for the Belconnen Arts Centre Gallery. We had a great turnout and received many positive comments about how good our work looked in the space. We would also like to acknowledge the Australian Artists grant we received from NAVA in support of the costs of holding this exhibition.

Admirers of Sharon People's work

Entry to the exhibition - works by Rogers, Peoples and Ryder

Our works respond to the displacement felt when you are in one country and thinking about, or making work about, another. For Sharon, this was a family pilgrimage walking several hundred kilometers of the camino to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. Sharon mentioned in her artist talk that while her feet were in Spain, the sounds of the cicadas and bees and smells of the eucalyptus leaves under her feet took her head and heart back to Australia.

Shibori textiles by Barbara Rogers

For Barbara, her experience of the Japanese art of shibori  in Australia with Japanese shibori master, Hiroyuki Shindo, inspired many trips to Japan and abroad to study this magical technique. Barbara's work differs from many shibori practitioners in that she starts with a black cloth, and discharges the colour out using the itajime technique with carved clamped boards or shapes, then develops her complex patterns by building up layers of colour with Naphthol dyes. Her deceptively simple designs are actually the product of years of painstaking development, getting the patterns and colours just right, so it all flows seamlessly.

View of my work with People's work on the left and Rogers' on the right

My latest work shown here are textiles that I started in Malaysia on my Asialink Arts Residency at Rimbun Dahan in 2013, then subsequently finished once I got back to Australia.  Whilst over there, I was finishing stitching some large panels I had started here for an exhibition called Natural Wonders as part of the Canberra Centenary.  Sitting stitching large naturally dyed textiles whose plants had been sourced from Pialligo and Aranda, I had the idea for the Here and There exhibition because it seemed incongruous to me that I was far away from home, but making work about the four seasons in a hot and humid country thousands of kilometers away.  Similarly over the last year or so I have been finishing off the work I started in Malaysia, thinking about place and people, the landscape and the history.

Series of 'bandages' entitled 'Valley of Hope Ara' by Julie Ryder

Many of these textiles have been naturally dyed with plants from the wonderful garden planted by Angela Hijjas at Rimbun Dahan.  Some of them were dyed then post-mordant printed, others were printed with mordants before-hand and dyed later.  By printing with mordants first, you can create some wonderful colours all from the one dyebath.  This is the basis of the workshops that I often teach around the country for textile or craft retreats. Details of these workshops can be found here

The format of these long textiles stems from my research into the history of Sungai Buloh, the closest town to Rimbun Dahan. I have found some subsequent information online here:

"...At its height, the settlement had more than 2,000 residents, its own school, police force, places of worship, library, theatre, and even currency. Inspired by the “garden city” movement of the 19th century, it came to be known as “The Valley of Hope”. So pleasant was it, that even when effective treatment became available, many former patients chose to stay.

Although a large proportion of the sufferers were ethnic Chinese, the settlement was also home to Indians, Malays, Javanese, Eurasians and indigenous people. Whatever their race, religion or class, they shared a common bond in being outcasts from society at large. The result was probably the most diverse yet harmonious community Malaysia has ever seen..."

So this  started me thinking about the bandages that are still knitted today by volunteers all over the world to help bandage the limbs of these afflicted people. Apparently knitted cotton bandages are softer and more cushioning that manufactured ones.  In my "bandages" I have included iconography from Christianity and Islam to reference the harmony that coexisted within the Valley of Hope.  The series of striped bandages reference the 'ara' found on the left and right hand sides of the pua kumbu woven cloths of the indigenous Iban of Borneo.  I had the wonderful experience of staying for a few days with the weavers from Rumah Garie in 2012 where we participated in their ngar ceremony for mordanting all their cotton warps for the next two years of ikat weaving.

Detail of 'Valley of Hope Ara' by Julie Ryder

 The Leprosy Colony in Sungai Buloh still exists today, albeit with only a couple of hundred inmates and their families, but they have built up a thriving nursery business that is supported by many locals, and that was also a lovely coincidence that I was also using plant dyes to make work about healing and harmony.

In addition I made four textile artworks entitled 'Budaya lintasan', or 'crossing cultures' that have been mordant printed, appliqued and stitched then stretched over canvas.

'Budaya lintasan' series of textiles

These works complemented perfectly the work I had previously done about Canberra for  Natural Wonders and Here and There at the Barometer Gallery last year, which can be seen in previous posts.

Last chance to visit YELLOW

YELLOW exhibition at barometer Gallery

I have been so quiet on the blog front since the end of December that you could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps I had snuck away to some remote island, spending my days sleeping, reading and eating.....Well, that sounds perfect but unfortunately is far removed from the truth.

Since December I have been up to Sydney for a week where YELLOW has been installed - and it's the last day today! Barbara Rogers, Catherine Rogers and myself have all responded to theme of yellow for our annual Christmas show ( in the past it has been Blue, Red, White, Green....).  You can see two of my three pollen prints on the right hand wall. Catherine has hung some great digital prints on paper as well as some photos and Barbara has produced some amazing textiles.

I have also been planning my upcoming two workshops on Indigo dyeing with resist paste and shibori coming up at Timeless Textiles next weekend. I will do a separate post on this tomorrow, so for now ...hurry on down to Barometer before the show shuts!

here & there

Last Friday fellow Canberran, Sharon Peoples, and I were in Sydney for the opening of our group exhibition, Here & There, together with shibori-artist extraordinaire, Barbara Rogers, at her gallery, Barometer, in Paddington.

Barbara Rogers (left) talking to Jane Burns at the Here & There opening

Here & There responds to the concept of time and place - of being in one geographical location whilst making work about a distant other - about our experiences of dislocation and displacement as artists.

For me, this occurred during my 3-month Asialink residency at Rimbun Dahan in Malaysia in 2013.  I was busy making work about Canberra for my exhibition Natural Wonders ( Narek Galleries in 2013) in the heat and humidity of a tropical home-away-from-home. My thoughts about Canberra, in particular Pialligo and Aranda were more distilled and defined despite the thousands of kilometres between us. It seemed that distance enabled me to envision and articulate my thoughts on home with more clarity.

Seasonal Variations I-IV - Julie Ryder

For Sharon Peoples, her pilgrimage to Santiago di Compostella provided the inspiration for new work about walking and thinking, about slowing down to absorb the details of her immediate environment. This camino resulted in her solo exhibition Habitus ( Narek Galleries in 2014).  Sharon states that the word habitus can refer to 'second nature', and that for her embroidery is part of her identity - she embroiders every day. The repetitive and meditative nature of embroidery reflected her camino through Spain - in both walking and embroidering Sharon truly engaged her whole self.

Installation of Sharon People's work in Here &There

For Barbara Rogers, inspiration came from trips to Japan to investigate different methods of shibori. Over many years Barbara has experimented and refined her personal interpretation of carved board clamped resist shibori,  called itajime gasuri.  This technique results in an ikat-like patterning on woven cloth, however Roger's inspiration for this new body of work was found in Meisen silk kimono produced from the 1920's -1950's. Her modern interpretation is bold and graphic, which belies the complicated technique used to produce it.

Barbara Rogers' complex itajime gasuri

We were most fortunate to have Professor Jessica Hemmings officially open the exhibition. Jessica is in Australia for a short time to exhibit the Migrations exhibition (see previous post); to travel and speak in other institutions and to participate in DESIGN Canberra as part of Design Buzz as well as concentrating on writing...and running!

Jessica Hemmings (centre) with Barbara Rogers (L) and Sharon Peoples (R)

We thank her so much for her insightful comments during her opening speech and look forward to hearing her talk with indigenous designer, Lucy Simpson, as part of Design Buzz on 24th November.

Here & There continues until November 28th.

Opening Hours are 11 - 5pm,   Wednesday - Saturday

For those of you who can't make it to Sydney, we will be showing an extended version of Here & There at the Belconnen Arts Centre in April-May 2016

'Bespoke : Design for the People'

I have been busy this past week minding my exhibition in Barometer Gallery in Paddington and finishing off work for the 'Bespoke' exhibition that will open next Friday night at MoAD (details and information below). This exhibition runs for a year  until 2015....I have already had some comments from people asking if this is a misprint?? no, it is seriously on for a year, so no excuses not to see it if you are living in or visiting Canberra.....!

My work responds to a particular piece of furniture - a red leather chaise longue - and until the show opens that is all I am saying.  Read more about the exhibition and other artists below.

Craft ACT Craft + Design Centre together with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

Exhibition opening

When: Friday 14 November, 2014, 5:30pm.

Where: Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes, Canberra.

RSVP to: rsvp@moadoph.gov.au by 5pm Wednesday 12 November

Bespoke: Design for the people

As part of DESIGN Canberra, Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre is thrilled to partner with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD), to bring you an exciting exhibitionBespoke: Design for the people.

In this stunning exhibition, 6 Australian craft and design practitioners have created new works that reflect and respond to the iconic designs of the original furniture at Old Parliament House.

Each artist was given unprecedented access to the rooms and collections, and the freedom to create a personal response. Informed by their own artistic backgrounds, each artist considered notions of political perspective, change, accountability and power in their pieces. The result is a thought-provoking collaboration between design, creativity and Australia’s political history.

The selected Canberra artists are Jennifer Robertson, Niklavs Rubenis, Julie Ryder, Caren Florance in collaboration with Melinda Smith; and Sydney-based artist Cecelia Heffer.

The exhibition will run from 15 November, 2014 and will be on display for 12 months.

To view the full DESIGN Canberra program of events visit www.designcanberrafestival.com.au

Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre is supported by the ACT Government and the Australia Council, the Federal Government's arts funding and advisory body.

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Sunny Sydney

Sitting here at the Barometer Gallery enjoying the beautiful Sydney weather and talking about my exhibition to the locals on their way to and from Five Ways. If you are out and about drop in and say hi or call in for a cold drink or a cuppa.

Installation view of 'Molonglo: Domestic Blueprint'

Just down the road at Sabbia are two beautiful exhibitions by Jenni Kemarre Martinello and Jess Loughlin.  Jess's is beautifully quiet and contemplative whilst Jenny's is full of pattern, form and colour.  I love the new shapes of the dilly bags in glass.

Natural Wonders at Barometer Gallery

Sorry for the lapse in blogging over the last few weeks, but I have been all over the place (literally!).  So many posts to write and not enough time.  One post that will be coming up soon will be an overview of my recent workshop 'Experiments in Printing with Mordants and Natural Dyeing" that I taught for Fibre Forum at Geelong.....stay tuned.....I then had to deliver work for the 'Artisans in the Gardens' exhibition at the Sydney Botanic Gardens, as well as complete my mini-residency at Playing Field Studios which I have posted below.
So.......I'm now in Sydney at Barometer Gallery with my exhibition 'Natural Wonders', which explores the hidden beauty and history of Canberra at the time of settlement through to today.  It opens tonight at 6pm and runs till 9 November.  For more information click here.

 

 

 

Natural Wonders at Barometer Gallery, Paddington

This morning in the gallery I gave an impromptu artist talk to students who were on a tour with Isobel from ArtLib, so it was great to talk about Canberra's history and the reason I chose the two sites I did for collecting plants for my naturally-dyed textiles and paper. In fact it was quite a pertinent conversation, given that the ACT Government wants to expand its transport infrastructure by installing light rail, and there is a lot of opposition in the media about it.  Looking at the early contour map of Canberra that I have embroidered into the tablecloth (above) I recounted to the students that in Canberra's early planning stages Walter Burley Griffin had envisaged a city of around 22,000 people and had drawn up plans for this expansion that included green corridors, parks and the city.  However, the Councillors at that time pooh-poohed this number of inhabitants....and made him redraw the plans to suit a city of only 16,000 or so....! They could not think far enough ahead into the future to see that Canberra would prosper and grow.  What on earth would they think now with a city with over 360,000 inhabitants and growing? Can Canberrans think further than next year or the year after to envisage a city -a vibrant capital city - of over half a million????  Get rid of the Canberra cringe folks and plan for the future.
Now I'm off my soapbox, here's another installation shot of the work in situ:

 

 

 

 

'Mapping' and 'No Man's Land', naturally dyed textiles

I will be minding the exhibition for the next couple of weeks, so if you are coming to Sydney to visit Sculpture by the Sea, Paddington is not too far away.  Do pop in and visit.  Check the gallery website for opening times, but feel free to contact me outside of gallery hours...I am more than happy to open up for you if I am nearby.
Cheers
Julie