Book Launch and Symposium

On Saturday morning I was up bright and early (well ...up early anyway...London is dark and cold at that time of the morning!) to attend the 'Cultural Threads :Transnational textiles today'  symposium and book launch.

Forecourt of CSM, Granary Square, King's Cross

Central St Martin's is just near King's Cross station and it was buzzing with people even though it was an early Saturday morning, where there were several conferences happening.

Jessica Hemmings opening the symposium

There was a good attendance and an impressive panel of speakers including Christine Checinska, Godfried Donkor, Françoisé Dupre, Helen Jennings, Toril Johannessen, Jasleen Kaur, Sarat Maharaj, Sarah Rhodes & of course myself!

Delivering my talk 'Walking with Darwin'

I would like to formally thank the ACT Government and artsACT for their support towards my trip to speak at the symposium, because it was a wonderful opportunity to meet so many academics and practitioners from Europe.

The start of my talk

There were lively panel discussions at the end of each session and all the talks were recorded so that Jessica can make them available in the future.

Panel: Christine Chechinska, Sarat Maharaj and Helen Jennings

There were two speakers who were not represented in the book, Godfried Donkor and Toril Johannessen, who gave wonderful presentations about their work and we all managed to have a wonderful catch-up afterwards over a celebratory drink. 

Myself, Jessica Hemmings and Lycia Trouton catching up over a drink

It was weird speaking at a conference where the only person I knew was Jessica, however after my presentation I was virtually mobbed and made a huge number of contacts and acquaintances which I am following up on this week - in fact my final week has shrunk considerably and now I am pressured to fit everything in! However thanks to the internet we can all remain in touch in the future.

Once again, thanks to artsACT for making this trip and opportunity possible. And of course a big thank you to Jessica Hemmings for not only including me in her book but for organising the launch and symposium with her wonderful team of helpers on the day.

Cultural Threads

I am sitting in the airport waiting to catch my flight to London via Melbourne later tonight, and thinking of the fact that no matter how hard I try to "pack light" I always seem to be lugging too much stuff with me! Do you feel the same??? And this time I only packed 2 pairs of shoes....! Must be all the winter clothing...
I am going to London to give a talk about my work at the book launch and Symposium of 'Cultural Threads:Transnational Textiles Today' at Central St Martins this coming Saturday, the flyer is below for your information.
This event has been organised by Jessica Hemmings, and is just the tip of the iceberg for a series of international exhibitions showcasing work by artists featured in the book who work on cross-cultural and post colonial issues. I will be looking forward to meeting the other speakers and artists.
My sincere thanks goes to artsACT for quick response funding for the airfare for this trip, and of course I am also indebted to my husband for making aspects of this trip possible.  It will be an amazing experience and I have already lined up other talks and events to go to, as well as artist studios, exhibitions, museums and cultural events.  Phew! I will need to come home to have a rest after all that!
I will blog again from snowy London and fill you in on how it's all going.

Sturt Summer School

No sooner had I finished digesting the Christmas pudding and getting over the champagne from New Year's Eve, it was time to hit the road again and head down to teach a Printing with Mordants and natural dyes workshop at Sturt Summer School.

The grounds of Frencham Girl's School where workshops are held.

This was a similar workshop to what I taught in Geelong last year, with a few plusses and minuses along the way! I love teaching at Sturt because it is only a couple of hours away from Canberra and this means I can pack my car to the brim with everything I need...and more! The campus is very handy to shops, good coffees, the Sturt Gallery and massages and yoga for those who need extra nurturing.  Mark, Tracey and Slavica have got everything super-organised so there is nothing to do but teach, eat and sleep! Bliss.
We had a few minor hiccups with one of our recipes early on in the week, so that set me back a bit trying to figure out what could have gone wrong....as it turned out it wasn't anything I had miscalculated but perhaps a recipe which needs a little more investigation.  In the end it all worked out and we managed to get some great results with our mordant printing.
One of the great successes was our totally natural indigo dyebath, which we used all week, heating it  and wrapping it up overnight to keep warm.  In Geelong we had the added benefit of a heater in the room, so at Sturt I filled up a bin with hot water and placed the vat in it overnight with lots of insulation to keep it happy :}

Some student work plus stool by local furniture maker

The trouble with making a beautiful indigo vat....what to do with it when you've finished the workshop? After my Turor's talk, a local furniture-maker who studied at Sturt and COFA showed me some of her furniture and bowls that she is selectively dipping into indigo...different coloured woods dye different shades of blue depending on their tannin content.  Above is an example including some student work on the table.  As usual, I was so engrossed in everything I forgot to take more photos during the workshop and at our final display...note to self....
For more information on upcoming workshops please visit the events page on my website.

Best wishes for the New Year

Taking this opportunity to wish all of my readers a very happy, creative and peaceful New Year as 2014 comes to a close. I have been having a lovely time catching up with family and friends in Victoria over Christmas.  I also managed to see the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the NGV, which was amazing, so if you get the chance to see it do so, because it changes the whole way we think about the presentation of fashion and garments in the museum context. Below are a few details of the haute couture costumes.

Feathers

Crocodile skin

Fully beaded

Crocodile scales on hosiery

Meticulous attention to detail.

However,  its back to work at the end of the week.  I will be teaching a workshop at the Sturt Summer School including a free public talk on Thursday 8th January from 5-5.30pm.
I will be posting some images from the week at Sturt next week so until then, best wishes for 2015.
julie

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.

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