|
Fabrics of Change: Trading Identities
What would you expect in an exhibition which traces
connections between textiles and trade in countries
of the former British Empire?
This University of Wollongong project with national
and international artists includes compelling material
of bark fibre, fine woven and stitched fabric, and printed
and embroidered costumes. It is accompanied by a 72
page full colour publication.
The exhibition is currently displayed at Flinders
University City Gallery in Adelaide until August 2nd,
2004. View
images from the exhibition launch in Adelaide.
Opened by Professor Sue Rowley (Chair, Humanities and
Creative Arts, Australian Research Council), the exhibition
has attracted appreciative comment:
Noris Ioannou reviewed the exhibition Fabrics of
Change in the Adelaide Advertiser (7/7/04) and said
it 'demands rigorous intellectual effort''. 'Curator
Diana Wood Conroy's statement best summarises the exhibition:
Diving into the depths of the archives allows the passions
of the past to inform the present'.
The exhibition includes the artists:
- Narelle Jubelin, who was born in Australia and lives
and works in Madrid, Spain. She has represented Australia
in major national and international exhibitions.
- Osmond Kantilla, a senior designer at Tiwi Designs
on Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory. His
work is exhibited in galleries around Australia, and
was exhibited in the Telstra Award in Darwin in 2002.
- Kay Lawrence, a tapestry weaver and designer of
major public artworks. She received the Order of Australia
for her work in designing the Parliament House Embroidery
in Canberra.
- Nadia Myre, a contemporary First Nations artist
of Algonkin and French Canadian descent who works
in Montreal, Canada.
- John Pule, born in Niue (Pacific), now living and
working in New Zealand. His work links the vocabulary
of traditional tapa designs with contemporary art
and literature.
Fabrics of Change: Trading Identities extends from
Fabric(ations) of the Postcolonial, Australian Research
Council project at the University of Wollongong, between
the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Creative Arts.
The ARC project explored interactions between textiles
and trade in postcolonial ‘english’ literatures,
and involved Dr Paul Sharrad (A/Prof. English Studies),
Dr Diana Wood Conroy (A/Prof. Visual Arts), Dr Anne
Collett (Senior Lecturer English Studies) and Dr Dorothy
Jones (Honorary Fellow, English Studies).
"The exhibition is the culmination of a dynamic,
interdisciplinary research process which has seen staff
from two faculties work closely together," says
Professor Amanda Lawson, Head of the School of Art &
Design in the Faculty of Creative Arts. "It has
increased our respect for and knowledge of each other’s
disciplines – and I am sure it paves the way for
future collaborations."
Pictured from left to right: Dr Paul
Sharrad (A/Prof. English Studies), Dr Diana Wood Conroy
(A/Prof. Visual Arts), Dr Dorothy Jones (Honorary Fellow,
English Studies),
Dr Anne Collett (Senior Lecturer English Studies) and
Vice Chancellor Gerard Sutton.
Curator: A/Professor Diana Wood Conroy, Assistant Curator:
Emma Rutherford
Enquiries to Diana Wood Conroy, ph: 4221 4269 or e-mail:
dconroy@uow.edu.au
All images courtesy of Flinders University City
Gallery and director, Gail Greenwood.
Fabrics of Change and the School of Art and Design
at the Faculty of Creative Arts at the University of
Wollongong gratefully acknowledges the support of: Australia
Council, Australian Research Council, The University
of Wollongong, & Flinders University Museum.
|
|
