Artists met in the Textiles Workshop at the Australian National University to share their thoughts, ideas and initial experiments with the group. Since the initial weekend of discussion and practical/conceptual sessions, there has been one weekend of netting with wire involving some of the group, but this is the first real work-in-progress meeting. Baring it all can be daunting for some artists used to solitary work in the privacy of their own studios and exhilarating for others who welcome the opportunity to share, receive comments and further develop with the support of peers. It can also be difficult in the early stages of a project to really know what is happening in the work and where this might go. However, this group of people is entirely encouraging and supportive having strengths in a wide range of areas.
Nicci Haynes, a graduate from Printmedia and Drawing is continually drawn to mesh-like structures, often broken, with holes or signs of deterioration. Her collected objects, drawings and prints in a visual diary and photos of her recent solo exhibition demonstrated her obvious alignment with the NETS theme. Nicci showed a net made from horse hair which she explained was readily available and had its own particular qualities that she responded to – difficult to work with and retaining its own memory.
Hair as a material is being investigated by other artists because of its colouring, reference to the body/person, sense of connection and connectedness. Wendy Dodd has spun her own hair with silk(too difficult to spin on its own), thinking about the greying of hair and the aging process, perhaps referencing neurological networks in the brain. Paula Hilyard coiled and stitched her son, daughter and her hair, noting the changing colour and qualities of the hair as it changed through the stages of life. She is planning to work the components made of hair into a wearable neckpiece embodying the physical connections of family and their changes through time.
Lyn Johnson and Belinda Jessup have been experimenting with knitting in the round with small plastic looms carrying on the tradition of French knitting and industrial forms of knitted fabric production. Lynne is interested in textiles/clothing/costume, family history and exploring the “Women of Fibre” in her lineage, perhaps knitting 3 dimensional net petticoats. Belinda is a loom weaver and speculated about the possibilities of incorporating new materials, fibre optics and light. Catherine White has a background in Printmedia and textiles and in her work has been translating from textiles into print and incorporating print in textiles through paper string and book making. She has been working on a theme of rivers and water, only recently learning netting techniques and exploring the possibilities of the techniques and ideas relating to nets. With the text on printed paper hand rolled into string and plied together she sees language connecting people and with the use of the Yellow pages, the embodiment of networks of people.
Text is also a theme in Michael Adams’s work where overlaying and creating a new image with calligraphic words hides a blunt underlying message.
Rosina Wainwright is completing her Honours year at this time and has been researching Irish settlement in Australia and the harsh reality of infant deaths in the early days of settlement. Her other interests in family, community and environment may provide inspiration for her nets project.
A large roll of crocheted hemp was unfurled by Carolyn Rolls. She talked about being given the cop of string and planning to work with it to the natural end of her supply, making holes or window shapes as she works to inset small sculptural forms. Several suggestions were made about how the final piece and its presentation could take shape. Nancy Tingey is also interested in what one ball of string could make and showed her experiments with hemp, nettle and flax, deconstructed commercial netting and cyanotype prints of net images. Some of the blue and white prints were similar to drawings made by Valerie Kirk who also showed sketchbook ideas and small tapestries.
Refugees tied up in a network of beaurocracy is the theme that Catherine Dabro is committed to. She is using the format of Fisherman’s pants made from muslin to work into with embroidery and sees that there could be a community interaction and involvement in her project. “Boat People” are certainly in the news and topical, stirring public reaction and the ideas about nets, floating, trapping…………provide ample scope for artistic expression.
Mog Bremner delves further into her personal journey of discovery about the formation of self. Her drawings are observations of black netting from Bunnings worked loosely with ink and a range of improvised drawing tools. Jenny Manning also showed drawings in two separate themes – mathematical Islamic images worked to look light and lace like and more informal drawings of ring forms in pen and ink. The majority vote was to continue with the latter and to think of the drawings as the final artworks.
We also welcomed Bev Thomas as a new member of the NETS group.
Sharing initial thoughts and articulating ideas and processes may feel like exposing the soul, but with a supportive and friendly environment the stimulation and confidence building rewards participants and develops individual and group strength. We look forward to meeting again in 2010 and planning the new year ahead. the group has received an ARTS ACT grant to fund a catalogue to accompany the exhibition at ANU and send to Cumbria and Turku universities as a record of our participation in the project. this means that work will nedd to be complete for selection into the show, photography and catalogue production by the middle of the year. We can discuss at our next meeting.
Valerie Kirk
