Embroiderers’ Guild of South Australia Members Exhibition

Rather late than never, they say. This post has been sitting in my to-be-published folder for a while as it was originally meant to be published somewhere else. That didn’t happen, but seeing that there is so much talent displayed here I decided to share it here…

Invitation

The Annual Members Exhibition of the Embroiderers’ Guild of South Australia was held during February and March as part of the very popular Adelaide Fringe 2014.

The theme, A Touch of Venice, inspired work of excellent quality and creativeness.

Every conceivable style of embroidery was represented – from the more formal counted thread work to the very elaborate beadwork, crewel, and stump work, as well as the more freestyle thread paintings. The works varied from open cloths and garments to framed masterpieces and even included a fair amount of three-dimensional works.

Una Palazzo Veneziano d’Oro

The Una Palazzo Veneziano d’Ora, an original masterpiece produced by the Linen Lace Group was surely the star of the show. The work was inspired by the incense burner from the San Marco Cathedral in Venice.

Carol Stacey from the Linen Lace Group tells us how it all came about:

“When people think of the embroidery techniques of Linen Lace they usually think of mats, doyleys and possibly cushions. The group wanted to show that there was much more you could do with these skills so decided to do a 3D project. As the theme was A Touch of Venice we were thinking of St Marks Square and the Winged Lion, but after seeing a picture of an incense burner from that period we were inspired. It took the group 18 months, a lot of samplers and a lot of discussions. New techniques and ways of doing things were learnt, original ideas were discarded as the project started taking shape and although we always knew we could do it we were not sure that we would complete it in time. It was a great collaborative effort and a lot of fun to do. We all learnt things and are keen to show that traditional techniques can be used to do wonderful creative modern embroidery.”

winning mask 2014

 This year 225 entries were received. Arrienne Wynen, President of the Guild, explains how the judging took place and which prizes were up for grabs:

“The Peg Sadler Award for Original Embroidery was established in 2008 by Peg’s family in memory of their mother. Peg was a long standing member and supporter of the Embroiderers’ Guild with a keen interest in design. This award seeks to recognise outstanding original design as well as excellence in technique. All styles of embroidery are eligible. This year, as the overall standard was very high, the judges decided to also award highly commended certificates. Of the 225 entries, 95 were original designs and qualified for consideration. As the exhibition had a Venetian theme it was decided to award a prize for the best mask, another difficult choice for the judges.”

Venetian Lace Box

The recipients of the awards are:

The Peg Saddler Award: The linen lace group – Una Palazzo Veneziano d’Ora
Mask competition: Barbara Mullan
Highly commended: Sheana Davies – Tresoro di Vida bejewelled box
Highly commended: Arrienne Wynen – Venetian Lace box

Highly commended: Pat Michell – Venetia – gondola shaped mask
Highly commended: Beryl Kerslake – Pigeon at St Mark’s – photo realism & 3D
Highly commended: Margaret Lee – Chinese embroidery of fish – Prosperity
Highly commended: Christine P Bishop – 17th-century book cover
People’s choice: Margaret Lee – Chinese embroidery of Border Collie- Morag

Pigeon at St Mark’s

To learn more about the Guild, its activities, classes and groups visit their website at http://www.embguildsa.org.au/

Cheryl Bridgart

It’s all about the journey. What a great motto for life. And what a vibrant, colourful journey it has been for Cheryl. Her current exhibition is the culmination of a year’s work, inspired by her artistic travels around the country during 2012.

Cheryl is a well-established, internationally recognised artist known for her self-developed technique called Fine Art Freehand Machine Embroidery or FAFME. With this technique Cheryl ‘sketches’ on canvas and paper using a sewing machine, fine cotton thread and her unlimited imagination.

While accompanying her travelling fellowship to every capital city in Australia and New Zealand, Cheryl documented her impressions with sketches and drawings that she later translated into embroideries, paintings and outfits. Each place she visited is represented by an embroidered artwork, depicting her impressions on the day – the outfit she wore, the people she met, and the attractions she visited.

However, Cheryl’s impressions of a place could not be contained in one artwork. It overflowed and inspired vivid dreams that she later expressed in colourful paintings and a series of smaller embroideries.

Cheryl is not only known for her unique style of embroidery but also for her signature, handmade outfits, which are as vivacious and colourful as her personality. She makes all her own clothes and always wears a hat. For each of her travelling shows, she had a purpose made outfit, which is now part of the current exhibition and depicted in both her embroideries and paintings.

What I love about Cheryl is that she does not hide. She lives her art. At this exhibition, as with most others, she works in the gallery, demonstrating her technique to visitors, sharing her ideas and inspirations, and generally lights up the room with her bright personality.

She is not a dark artist. Colour and positive energy are as much part of her work as her love for birds and animals, her ability to tell stories with pictures, and her obvious enjoyment of her craft.

It’s all about the journey is on until 21 April 2014 at the Bay Discovery Centre, Glenelg Town Hall on Moseley Square, Glenelg. Please pay a visit. It will brighten up your day.

NAMIBIA

presented by the NEXUS MULTICULTURAL ART CENTRE GALLERY
17 October – 1 November 2013

They’ve had me at Textiles and Africa. The first one I come across quite regularly in South Australia but the second one is a rare find.

The exhibition is the brainchild of Melanie Harteveld Becker, the Namibian Cultural Liaison, and curator Victor J Krawczyk. Together they conceptualised the idea of exposing the art community in Adelaide to the world of African art while simultaneously exposing Namibian artists to the wider, international art world. With the help and support of Nexus and the National Arts Council of Namibia, their idea became a reality.

Maria Caley, Ukerete, Silk chiffon dyed with bird plum bark

They brought together an exciting collection of contemporary art and craft, consisting of textiles, baskets, jewellery, linocuts, graphic illustrations, prints and … bottle tops.  Eight different artists and art collectives, represent an ethnic and culturally diverse Namibian society.

Attila Giersch, jewellery from Tameka Collection

I spoke to Maria Caley, a textile artist and fashion designer who accompanied the exhibition to Australia. By using plant and earth dyes occurring naturally in Kavango, Northern Namibia, and decorating with traditional Kavango patterns, she uses her textile art to explore her cultural heritage. She believes it is important to document her ethnic inheritance in a contemporary manner and so make it accessible to a future, modern generation.

Maria Caley, Untitled, cotton dyed with red ochre with hand painted patterns and embellished with San people ostrich egg beads

Other textile artists represented are Chakirra Classen who’s experimenting with iron oxide dye on raw silk and cotton, and Filllipus Sheehama who uses recycled bottle tops to create alternative textiles.

Chakirra Classen, Untitled, Raw silk dyed with iron oxides

There are few other art forms which capture the unique features of a landscape as successfully as basket weaving. Local plant material dictates the shape, texture and colour of a basket, naturally occurring dyes and the patterns and motives unique to a local ethnic group, all add up to capture the essence of a place in one object.

Imelda Ngonde, OMBA Collective, Kavango food serving basket

Looking at the baskets in the exhibition, masterfully displayed in a suspended collection, it is obvious that they represent three different Namibian landscapes and ethnic groups (Ovambo, Khwe and Kavango.) The fact that objects so representative of the earth are displayed in a suspended, almost floating way, casting wonderfully moving shadows on the walls, spoke to me about how this exhibition opens up new horizons to the mostly isolated artists of Namibia.

Installation of Ovambo, Khwe and Kavango baskets

This exhibition is a groundbreaking event, paving the way for future collaborations between the artists of Namibia and Australia. I salute Melanie, Victor and Nexus for the important work they do. Namibia is still on until Friday 1 November. Do yourself a favour and don’t miss this. The artworks are on sale and well worth the investment.

San people jewellery, Hui-a khoe Foundation, ostrich egg shells

Dare to Differ 2013

Dare to Differ 2013: Contemporary Quilts
27 September – 20 October 2013
Gallery M, Marion

The exhibition consists of 41 art quilts by 34 artists mainly from South Australia but also from as far afield as Canberra, Tasmania and Queensland.  Some well-known names like Anne Brown and Brenda Gail Smith share wall space with lesser known and emerging artists, which make this an exciting and important event on the art quilt calendar.

Partial view of ‘Flora: Bush Blooms’ by Anna Brown

What is an Art Quilt and how does it differ from an ordinary quilt?

According to Suzanne Gummow, internationally renowned art quilter and one of the selectors, an art quilt has to adhere to the following criteria:

• It should consist of a minimum of two layers of fabric-like material, stitched through all layers
• It has to be individually designed and stitched by a single artist
• The workmanship and techniques applied must be of a very high standard
• The work has to be the result of a development process, described in a well thought-out artist statement
• The work must have a ‘Wow!” impact

Partial view of ‘Eucalyptus Melliodora’ by Lucy Carroll

According to Suzanne, it is uncanny how at every bi-annual exhibition a theme emerges as if it was somehow pre-planned.  This year leaves, plants and foliage are the inspiration for several works, and it is interesting to see how this ‘theme’ was interpreted by different artists. It is obvious that Australians are inspired and moulded by the land as well as by their individual place and relationship to the land.

Partial view of ‘Three Views’ by Carolyn Sullivan

A few works stood out for me.

The first one is the three-layered installation ‘City Scape’ by Samantha Pope. It consists of three separate sheer quilts depicting different layers of a city. The way it is presented perfectly depicts a city’s depth and diversity.

‘City Scape’ by Samantha Pope

Secondly, Cathy Boniciolli’s ‘A Venetian Interface’ demands attention. Not only because it is a double sided quilt but also because of the way the two sides are related to one other. On the one side is a depiction of the beautiful Venetian facades and on the other side a view of a Venetian waterway framed in an arched window. Looking on and looking out. Cathy’s choice of colour captures the mood of the narrow streets and canals perfectly.

One side of ‘A Venetian Interface’ by Cathy Boniciolli

When it comes to workmanship, technique and sheer artistry with needle and thread, I have to mention ‘Eucalyptus Melliodora’ by Lucy Carroll, ‘Three Views’ by Carolyn Sullivan and Wendy Thiel’s ‘I respect: Celebrating 50 Years – The Yirrkala Bark Petitions’

Partial view of “I respect: Celebrating 50 Years – The Yirrkala Bark Petitions’ by Wendy Thiele

Dare to Differ is on at Gallery M in Marion until Sunday 20 October 2013.