I was invited to participate in the exhibition “stand back 5 feet/ tenez vous à 5 pied en avant” by curators Evan Peacock, NSCAD MFA candidate and Levana Schutz, a
visiting exchange MFA student from the BeauxArt
academy in Paris. They proposed a double exhibition between the Atelier Rhème exhibition space in Paris and the Anna Leonowens gallery in Halifax. The shows will feature
work exchanged by artists from both locations.
Artists have been asked to respond to the title of
the show with a new work. Although this name maintains relevancy towards
the mathematical space between Paris and Halifax,
the title primarily refers to the ephemeral state of
meaning caught between two languages and two
spaces. This occurs through movement, distance,
and translation. Perfect translations will not be
possible. This offset between the movements of
languages is the focus of “stand back 5 feet/ tenez
vous à 5 pied en avant”.
Study of the Object Hung on window in studio Cotton on silk organza
In response to the conceptual themeI have started creating work that explores binary code translated into stitch (using french knots and running stitch) onto silk organza, which through the very nature of translating code into stitch the reading of this is lost or at least difficult to understand.
My favourite poem by Zbigniew Herbert called Study of the Object has been decoded by thread. Whilst I am not entirely sure of the final outcome, it is likely it will be combined with digital imagery in some way.
I am delighted to share with you that my work will be featured in PIN 7, is the seventh annual brooch exhibition at ANCA Gallery in Canberra, Australia. The pins continue to explore the theme 222 Grips for a stone, a 2 year fascination and investigation of different ways to 'grip' a stone. In this part of the series, the stones are semi-precious, and a variety of stitching methods have been used to fasten them in place.
The concept of reducing scale and honing in on a wearable miniature platform appealed to artists from a broad range of practices including sculptors, printmakers, painters, ceramicists, silversmiths, machine makers, photographers, wood workers and glass artists. Following the success of the inaugural exhibition ANCA ran ‘PIN’ exhibitions in 2012 (rePIN), 2013 (PINup), 2014 (PINHaH4), 2015 (sPIN) and 2016 (PIN SIX).
#175 Felt, cotton, stainless steel wire, opalite
ANCA Gallery is running this hugely popular exhibition for the seventh time in 2017. PIN 7 will be exhibited at ANCA Gallery from Wednesday 28 June to Sunday 9 July 2017.
#177 Felt, cotton, stainless steel wire, quartz druzy and Nova Scotian pebble
Few of us have the luxury these days to idly sit and contemplate, dwelling within the present whilst being creative with our hands. Zen Stitching aims to provide some space and time where we can learn the traditional techniques of embroidery whilst at the same time allowing ourselves to slow down.
Sampler of some of the techniques covered in the workshop
I have just completed a 2 day weekend workshop at the NSCCD where we explored a number of stitches (running stitch, back stitch, chain stitch, stem stitch, blanket stitch, satin stitch, leaf stitch and french knots to name a few!)
The reverse side of the embroidery is just as interesting as the front
One of the participants asked how to cover the reverse side of the embroidery when using the hoop to display the embroidery. As a textile artist, I am just as fascinated by the reverse side of the material and when observing textile pieces in a gallery will try to peek behind it to see the back. Quite often this will reveal how a piece is put together - and it is just as interesting, although in a slightly different and messy way. In some senses I can relate this to life (and particularly on social media these days) how we present ourselves to the world, can quite often be the reverse on the inside.
Being fortunate to have grown up in a family where embroidery was taught at an early age, it is an art form I return to periodically. Having just dedicated the time to share these techniques at the workshop I now have the bug to continue working on my sampler / cloth journal and create a bit of Zen magic.
My work Suspended Objects was selected for Uncommom Common Art, an annual site responsive event that has been running for the past 10 years. Uncommon Common Art (UCA) brings visual art out of institutions and into rural communities of Kings County, Nova Scotia between June 1 to October 31, highlighting the exceptional location of the Minas Basin Valley.
Uncommon Common Art was initiated by Terry Drahos, originally from Chicago who is actively promoting art in the Nova Scotian community by encouraging artists to exhibit and install work in the public arena.
This year the event is curated by Angela Henderson, interdisciplinary Canadian artist and educator. The theme for 2017 was:
"Drawing on the rich geological, historical, and the possible futures of Kings County, Uncommon Common Art 2017 seeks public art installations that frame this landscape through concepts of the terrestrial and the subterranean.
The vast tidal range of the Minas Basin situates the exhibition on the threshold of the shore where the landscape, in a constant state of flux, is continuously reshaped. Amidst subterranean layers of human habitation and a broad historical context, a range of locations await the artists’ response. Within the interconnected threads of these communities, Uncommon Common Art 2017 raises questions of how site-specific public art can respond/reveal a multiplicity of perspectives within the spaces we inhabit. Can art in public space unearth histories that are hidden or contested? What are the immediate and long term effects on public space where art is situated? Does the artwork continue to resonate once it is removed?"
20 art works have been selected and are installed throughout the Kings County region and a guidebook has been produced that leads residents and visitors to explore the art installations in our communities, nature trails, and country lanes. For added fun, geocaches have been included hidden near some of the art sites.
Suspended Objects (Stop 15) is located in Minors Marsh in the town of Kentville. A continuation of the exploration of my thesis exhibition, the objects when suspended from the bridge the objects become weightless and distorted; dancing within time and space upon the reflection in the water below. In the reflection we have no terms of reference and our understanding of these objects becomes distorted. This idea refers to memory, and how things fade over time and something a seemingly solid as a stone will change over time.
The river below is effected by the Bay of Fundy tides, which has some of the highest tides in the world and can reach a peak of around 16 meters high. Some of the suspended objects are made from unfired clay, whilst others are fired and more permanent. I am interested to see how the installation will weather for the duration of the event, which runs until the end of October 2017.
