Taste of Textiles

I can't believe how busy the last half of this year has been. Deadlines loom large on every horizon, and I feel like I am chasing my tail just to get everything finished. So, apart from markets and open studios, my exhibition in Sydney and the Bespoke exhibition at MoAD Old Parliament House, I have just finished a huge hand-stitched piece for 'Taste of Textiles' which opens at Timeless Textiles Gallery in Newcastle tomorrow night.

Taste of Textiles brings together work from 20 fibre artists from around the world displaying their passion for textile art, cooking and growing food. The contributing artists have represented a variety of vivid produce in their works, including the humble potato, mushy mulberries, beetroot, saffron and rose petals. Each has created a visual narrative based on and inspired by their love for that particular produce. Inspired by the artists’ passion, local cook Bev Whitehead has created and tested simple recipes to mirror the artworks. These include lemon myrtle spelt sables, chilli jelly, fig affogato, pomegranate with rosewater jelly, cardamom labneh and Persian Fairy Floss. 

 Taste of Textiles - the recipe book

Anne Kempton, owner of Timeless Textiles, has teamed with photographer Garrick Muntz to create a boxed set of recipes, together with reproductions of the artist's work and this can now be ordered online  here.

Those of you who are familiar with my work over the decades will not be at all surprised that my chosen ingredient was......lemons! How could I have chosen anything else?  I am dying to read 'my' recipes and I have ordered some extra copies for presents...such a great gift for Christmas!  Here's a sneak preview of a detail of my work.

'Lemon : Time'  - fruit fermented, naturally dyed, hand stitched

Open Studio this Sunday

In between making work for 'Bespoke: Design for the People' (see below) and getting ready for Modern Market at Nishi this Saturday, I have been busy printing and dyeing up a storm to produce new stock for my first-ever Open Day at my studio in Pialligo.  Only a select few have managed to talk their way through my studio's huge purple doors and witness the creative chaos that reigns within.

Working away in my studio at Pialligo

I have a HUGE studio within 'The Hayshed' at Pialligo, as do well-known glass artists Kirstie Rea and Lisa Cahill.  We will be opening all three studios this coming Sunday, 23rd November as part of DESIGNCanberra. We will be open from 10-3pm, but will give some formal floor talks between 12.15 and 1.15pm.  Don't worry if you can't make those times, we're happy to talk to you anyway! All works will be for sale and there will be work available that is never seen outside our studios in retail, gallery or market venues.

When:     Sunday 23rd November 2014

Time:      10-3pm

Where:    7 Beltana Road, Pialligo.

Parking:   Please park out the front on Beltana Road and follow the signs in to the studios

Contact:   Julie: 0414738251 

'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.

Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter.

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

Playing Field Residency Talk

Come and hear me talk about my mini-residency at Playing Field Studio this Sunday.  
I have been loving the vibe that is happening in this part of the city this week.  It is so quiet and peaceful in the studio and then you walk out the front door and people are milling around, gathering at the Food Co-op next door to shop, eat and listen to music at nights.  I have been eating lunch there everyday myself and feel totally energised! Plus they have some great cakes for afternoon tea.  The Childers St precinct is just around the corner, as are the wonderful coffee shops and restaurants.  The Drill Hall is diagonally across the road and yesterday I spent some time in there looking at two wonderful exhibitions including some amazing ceramics by Hellen Fuller.

Artist Event Community Arts Residency  You're Invited... Interested to see what our residency artists have achieved during their time in the studio? Please come along to a FREE showing of their work. Sunday 12th October 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Playing Field Studio 2 Kingsley Street, Canberra Julie Ryder (Visual Artist) will discuss how the her work benefited from the residency. Please come along and enjoy this free networking event. Tea & coffee will be provided.

Playing Field Residency

I started my Playing Field residency this week, and have been having fun walking around the Kingsley Street precinct taking photos and becoming inspired by the urban architecture.  I aim to produce a series of block prints on paper every day, paying attention to architectural details and interesting patterns found around this downtown studio. I will be giving an artist talk this coming Sunday - for more details click here.

Top: Block prints on paper with inspirations below