Tamworth Textile Triennial Tour

I've started studying full time, so haven't had time to keep up with adding information here. The Tamworth Textile Triennial has just wrapped up at the RMIT Gallery in Melbourne.


I couldn't get down for the opening, but there are images on Christopher Young's Zebra-Factory Blog here. This is a photo by Christopher of my work in Melbourne:


The show moves on to Goulburn next, opening at the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery from April 10 to May 19, 2012. The official opening is on Friday April 13. This is the invitation for this leg of the show:


I was leafing through a craft magazine the other day and came across this article about the show. It's from Craft Arts International, No. 84, 2012, pp. 114-115. Click on the image for a larger view:

Sensorial Loop: 1st Tamworth Textile Triennial 2011

Sensorial Loop: 1st Tamworth Textile Triennial opened at Tamworth Regional Gallery on Saturday, October 1. I've been a bit slow getting these photos uploaded as I've been studying and had assignments due, and also planning for a trip to China at the end of October. As usual, I've just taken snapshots, so quality is not great, nor have I focused on individual works. An excellent catalogue has been produced which has images of every artist's work. The curator is Patrick Snelling, who was the winner of the Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award earlier this year. The exhibition continues at Tamworth until November 26, then tours for two years.

This photo shows the middle of the gallery. The dress is by Martha McDonald, The Weeping Dress. It was used in a performance piece, and the video is displayed with the dress. The fabric pieces on the left are Verity Prideaux's A Legacy of Day. The panels behind the dress are Elisa Markes-Young's The Strange Quiet of Things Misplaced #37.

The works on the plinths in the foreground are by Julie Montgarrett, Circumstance. Going Bush: Beardo by Sera Waters is on the back wall on the right.

Different views of the same works, and with my work, Silence, in the corner on the right. I wanted it to be seen from across the gallery because up close it's more difficult to see. The plinth is 176cm high, so not everyone is able to see the figures or the textile up close.

On the wall on the right is Interlaced Manuscript 3 by Carly Scoufos.

I think all the works on the wall on the left are by Meredith Hughes (Image Portal), the piece in the middle is Jennifer Robertson's The Making of a Slow Journey. The red piece is hemispheres: drawn to you, still by Michele Elliot.



The hanging work is Would you like some cake? by Tania Spencer. Anton Veenstra's Sailor Boy (and another work) is in the middle, and Family Portrait (Friday) by Demelza Sherwood is on the right.


Demelza's work again, Cresside Collette's Twenty Four Evocations of the Wet/Dry Landscape, and The Dusting Cloth by Belinda Von Mengersen.


Another view of The Dusting Cloth, then Cecilia Heffer's Contemporary Lace - An Aerial Landscape Suite.

Framework by Esther Paleologos is the hanging work on the left. Brook Morgan's Untitled is in the middle, and Paula do Prado's Almas Gemelas/Twin Souls is hanging on the right.


Paula's work again, then Alana Clifton-Cunningham's Second Glance, and I am part of a living city by Michelle Harmer.

This last work is Lucy Irvine's The Traveller.


I haven't had professional shots of my work taken as the plinth was made for the work by the gallery, and I didn't see it complete until I went to the opening. My not-very-good shot is below. A better photo is at the end of the post.


A close-up shot of the textile which is over the top of the work.

The opening weekend included a number of artist's talks. These photos aren't in chronological order. The first is Tania Spencer.

Two shots of me giving my talk.


Elisa Markes-Young

Demelza Sherwood

Carly Scoufos

Brook Morgan

Belinda Von Mengersen

Anton Veenstra

Alana Clifton-Cunningham


Elisa's partner Christopher Young is a photographer, and he took some infinitely better photos of the show and the artists' talks. The photo of me is from this post of his blog The Zebra-Factory.


This photo of Silence is from this post.


Christopher has also given more thoughtful remarks about the works in the show. Here is his description of my work:

"Rodney Love's work - a collection of figures shrouded by a cloth - was installed on top of a plinth which approximated his own height. This made the viewing of the work in close proximity obviously very difficult but nonetheless invited effort and curiosity from viewers. He was rather dismissive of his personal reasoning behind this particular work in his artist talk and statement with his rationale being that the ambiguity in the work should encourage narrative development (or access) on behalf of the viewer. That said, there were many conflicts in the work that I found interesting and that require addressing.

"The major one being that the figures are chaotically arranged under the shroud yet the shroud itself is refined and beautifully made. The later aspect appears then ritualistic rather than a simple, respectful covering of the recently (and seemingly randomly collected) deceased. The dead are ceremonially arranged symmetrically in most cultures - ie. graves are set in grids - so I'm not sure about the chaos in the work. Ultimately, it reminded of a key work from Walker Evans and how aspects of that work overlap with ideas explored here. That is, without it's caption but within context (together with FSA photographs of depression-era America), it's ambiguity could prove problematic."

Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award 2011 - Exhibition Photos

Finally I've got around to posting my images of the exhibition and the opening day (it's taken a couple of days). A reminder, as always, that these are just snapshots I've taken, and probably no-one's work is well served by them! They are only meant to show the exhibition as a whole, and the juxtapositions of work. Best to contact the gallery to order a copy of the excellent catalogue if you want better images of the works.

The artists in the show are:

Annie Aitken, Isabel Avendano Hazburn, Nicole Barakat, Jennifer Bartholomew, Wanda Bennett, Veronica Cay, Alana Clifton-Cunningham, Cresside Collette, Sujora Conrad, Adrienne Doig, Daniel Edwards, Esmae Emerson, Hilary Green, Tim Gresham, Mandy Gunn, Cecilia Heffer, Gabriella Hegyes, Judy Hooworth, Lucy Irvine, Adrienne Kenafake, Anita Larkin, Rodney Love, Penny Malone, Elisa Markes-Young, Paull McKee, Ian McKinnon, Julie Montgarrett, Brook Morgan, Catherine O'Leary, John Parkes, Flossie Peitsch, Martine Peters, Teresa Poletti Glover, Karen Richards, Jennifer Robertson, Barbara Rogers, Julie Ryder, Nicky Schonkala, Joy Smith, Patrick Snelling, Anton Veenstra, Carmel Wallace

The first thing I noticed when I looked at the catalogue was how many of the names I knew. I realized I'd been in other shows with half of the artists. These shows and these artists:

Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award 2009 - Cresside Collette, Hilary Green, Tim Gresham, Mandy Gunn, Cecilia Heffer, Anita Larkin, Penny Malone, Julie Montgarrett, Julie Ryder, Patrick Snelling

Momentum: The 18th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial - Alana Clifton-Cunningham, Hilary Green, Mandy Gunn, Cecilia Heffer, Penny Malone, Elisa Markes-Young

Hands On: Craft in Contemporary Art - Annie Aitken, Anton Veenstra

Re-Frame - Nicole Barakat, Paull McKee

Entanglement - Hilary Green, Brook Morgan,

Landscapes: A Journey Home in Textiles - Brook Morgan

Luggage... Not Baggage - Gabriella Hegyes

Furr - Nicole Barakat

I've put the images in the order you'd see them if you entered the gallery, went to the right, and continued around the exhibition until you get back to the entrance. It was intermittently sunny that day, so occasionally the sun bursts into the photos. This is the view from the gallery door, with Elisa Markes-Young's The Strange Quiet of Things Misplaced #27:


From right to left (all subsequent photos will be R to L as well), Penny Malone's Diptych Melbourne Geometrics, My Tool Set by Joy Smith on the plinth, and Curious Wonder by Martine Peters:


A group shot:


Annie Aitken's Untitled #1, Brook Morgan's Untitled, and Cocoon #10 by Carmel Wallace:


A closer look at Brook's work. Made from protea flowers:


Carmel's work again, Kneecap by Isabel Avendano Hazbun, and genes/jeans by John Parkes:


This is around the corner, the back of the previous wall. Hillary Green's Wonderlust, and two works by Adrienne Doig:


Anita Larkin's Roger, I hear you loud and clear... is just behind the person's head, Ride a Wild Pony by Jennifer Bartholomew, and Ian McKinnon's Cascading Black and Tan:


Bartholomew and McKinnon's works again, and Mandy Gunn's TEXT-ile (The Unconcise Oxford Dictionary):


Mandy's work, and Nicole Barakat's obscured I am singing as I am sewing:


Nicole's work again, hmmm..., I'm not sure... Is this Julie Montagarrett's mise en abyme? No, by process of elimination I've realized it must be Tim Gresham's Liquid Module VI. Weavolution is next, by Nicky Schonkala, and Barbara Rogers' Parallels:


Anton Veenstra's Homage to El Greco Sebastian (Never felt a wound) on the wall, and Lucy Irvine's The Traveller. This was my pick to win. It didn't, but it did get an Honourable Mention:


A full shot of The Traveller, with Judy Hooworth's Black Water behind:


Julie Ryder's Transmorphing, and Pulse by Wanda Bennett. It has LED lighting incorporated into the work, but it doesn't really show up well here:


Wagga - Blue by Paull McKee, Esmae Emerson's Glacier, and Ecocover Panel by Flossie Peitsch:


Another overview. I think Veronica Cay's Sleep Little Babies is on a plinth to the right of Hilary's tapestry:


The Wanderlust is in the vitrine and is by Adrienne Kenafake, Patrick Snelling's winning work 8.9, and Teresa Poletti Glover's Every darkness promises a new dawn on a plinth behind the viewer:


A shot of my work Fence on the plinth behind, and Fences in front. They're all woven with a wire warp, and paper weft. The wire has rusted, staining the paper with random patterns:


A different view. Professional shots are in this post:


Cecillia Heffer's Tide, my works again, The making of a Slow Journey by Jennifer Robertson:


Another shot of that corner:


Sujora Conrad's #5 from Drawings for Field Work, and Wave... by Gabriella Hegyes:


I clearly wasn't paying enough attention at the time - I think this is mise en abyme by Julie Montgarrett on the right. Catherine O'Leary's Heartache is the red and white felt work hanging on the left:


Alana Clifton-Cunningham's Pauldron, and Metallic Sun-Orchids by Karen Richards. I'm not sure what the thread is, but it has picked up the flash. It wasn't as luminous in the flesh:


Back to the entrance. Woven Rhythms by Daniel Edwards, and A Trio of New Horizons by Cresside Collette:


This is gallery director Dianne Mangan opening proceedings:


Judge Valerie Kirk and Award Patron Liz Williamson:


Di introducing Liz:





The opening morning: