Textiles part two

Here are some more images from the exhibition currently on show at the Butter Factory Studios till 13th June. The works were created entirely by Denmark artists and community. They are the result of the community performance project Solace + Yearning: Between Kwoorabup and Denmark which was performed along the Kwoorabup/Denmark River back in March. The project explored a shared longing to connect to the natural world and the complexities of our shared histories since colonisation.

Costume

Performer Adrian Baer

Fabrics by Heather Coombes

Constructed by Yvonne Quinn

The striking central motif is from the contact dye of the bloodroot an unassuming plant growing in the lower lying areas around Denmark.

Installation the washing scene

Text on the basin S + Y words to Row, row, row your boat

Costume
Performer Nikki Green
Fabrics by Bev Seeney, Annie Usher
Constructed by Jennifer Barter

Costume

Performer Toby Boaden

Fabrics by Sarah Martin, Bev Seeney

Constructed by Sarah Martin

Textiles at the Butter Factory

As I said previously, I was helping to set up an exhibition last week. It is an exhibition of textiles, photographs and a film from Solace + Yearning: Between Kwoorabup and Denmark. The exhibition is being held at the Old Butter Factory Studios in Denmark and is part of the Festival of Voice Fringe. Despite the cold and rain there was a good turnout at the opening last weekend. Here are some images taken in the Butter Factory. It was great to see the costumes in a gallery context.

All the textiles were dyed with natural materials found in the area. They were the result of a weekend workshop spent steaming and simmering silk and wool with bark, leaves and flowers and a variety of mordants. The costumes were worn in the performances of  S + Y earlier in the year.

Costume
Performer Sonia Dezius
 Fabrics by Catherine de Vos, Bev Seeney
 Constructed by Sarah Martin
Performance image by Michael Hemmings

Installation on  karri bark by Annette Carmichael
Text by Nicola-Jane le Breton

The text on the bark is the words that were written on the bridge 

'With less gravity

on this steady spinning world

we can hover somewhere between

tree and cloud

matching our footprints

 to leaf prints that

solder earth to sky'

Farming the land installation
 Costume
Performer Nigel Levinson
Fabrics by Heather Coombes, Annie Usher, Janine McCrum
Constructed by Janine McCrum
Performance image by Michael Hemmings

Close up of costume vest

Knots of history installation and the Margit

Costumes 

Performers from right Phillip G Light; Toby Boaden

Fabrics by Jennifer Barter; Sarah Martin, Bev Seeney

Constructed by Yvonne Quinn; Sarah Martin

Performance image by Michael Hemmings

Costumes

Performers Catherine Mercer; Christine Ritter; Janine McCrum

Fabrics by Sheila Ayling, Annie Usher; Robyn Lees; Janine McCrum

Constructed by Annie Usher, Annette Carmichael; Annie Usher; Janine McCrum

                                                             Back view of costumes




 Here are some images from the performance to help put the exhibition and costumes in their original context.

Bridge scene

Knots of history

Paddock dance

I touch the river

By the river - Mandjar Kwoorabup

While we were rehearsing at one end of the Kwoorabup trail, at the other end closer to town, indigenous artists Sandra Hill and Norma McDonald were creating a series of site specific ephemeral artworks on the trail. This was the Mandjar Kwoorabup project designed to give a taste of creating site specific environmental artworks to other indigenous people in the Great Southern region. This again was part of the Denmark Art's Brave New Works community arts festival. There was a fantastic turnout of both indigenous and non indigenous people including children who came along to help out or hang out to see what was going on. Apart from being an opportunity for learning from successful indigenous artists, the project has the long term vision that the creation of site specific artworks on Country by indigenous artists, will help people respect and value a connection to Country.

Paperbark space in memory of ancestors. 

Spirit door - dyes, resins, natural materials, leaves.

Closeup resin dyed strips 

Sandra Hill planned the artworks in minute detail, and Norma brought a wealth of working knowledge about natural resins and dyes. I headed down there a few times to help out and found myself knitting string into odd shaped free form pieces that were component parts of a large 'stretched net' that Sandra completed on the last day. The artworks were made entirely from natural fabrics, paper, natural resins and dyes and found materials. The first work on the trail is a space dedicated to the memory of the ancestors, the indigenous people who lived here in the past. It is a quiet meditative space amongst the paperbarks beside the river. The lengths of dyed cloth and strips enveloping and fluttering in the breezes.Messages written by participants hand on paper mobiles spinning from the branches.

Drawing made by indigenous participants 

Drawing made by indigenous participants - language

A series of drawings in resin hang along the trail made by indigenous participants.


The next big work is based on a mallee fowl nest. The mallee fowl is a native bird that makes a huge mound of plant material in which it lays and buries its eggs. The heat from the composting of the plant matter incubates the eggs. The adult birds maintain the mound and monitor the temperature adding and removing plant litter as needed. When the young hatch they are fully self reliant. The mallee fowl are an endangered species here in Western Australia. For the artwork a large structure was made from found materials with a hollow in the centre. This centre was decorated with dyed and resinous strips and messages written by community members were dropped in the centre. This nest structure represents everyone's need for home and family.

Sandra Hill ,left, and Norma McDonald, right, in front row with helpers behind.
This is looking down into the nest.
Photo by Mike Hemmings.

The large nest beside the river.

Looking inside the nest with resinous strips and messages.

The final artwork by Sandra on the trail is this one, based on the idea of a net. The river and fishing were important in the physical and spiritual lives for the original inhabitants of this region. This is why Sandra chose the net as it was an important metaphor for her. Members of the community each knitted unique pieces of 'net' with string..  These were then dyed, then stitched together and stretched amongst the logs and stumps. This piece represents the need for everyone in the community to work together to create a positive future together.

Closeup of the 'net'.

The 'net' in full view against the river.

 All the unattributed photos were taken by me.

Resin coated leaf

More photos by Mike Hemmings here.