Featured in the SALA exhibition titled: You Spin Me at The Adelaide Remakery, August 2019.
Right round, baby. Upcycling ratcheted up a notch by 8 of The Adelaide Remakery's female artists who explore the back full circle nature of remaking objects using mixed media, glass, clay, textiles, print making, paper, paint, timber and an interactive yarned installation. |
SALA 2019
Mantra
From the simple intention to create something, someday, from a jar of saved fabric scraps comes this collection of four wall hangings. Over the first half of 2019, I began to save little squares of scrap fabric in a jar. These scraps were the corners cut out of larger pieces of repurposed fabric, one step in the process of creating a boxed corner on the bottom of tote bags. Initially, I had no idea what was to become of the scraps, I just knew there was an opportunity to inspire others to imagine the potential in reusing the wasted, the discarded, the preloved and the overlooked. Alongside using the saved fabric scraps, I aspired to create within additional parameters: use only the supplies that were currently available in my studio and work only with repurposed or reclaimed resources. The one exception being sewing machine thread, which had been purchased new but was already on hand in my studio. There was much joy experienced as these pieces came together, the limitations surrounding the supplies propelled me in a playful direction, encouraging me to approach the possibilities of each resource thoughtfully. There was experimentation with free-motion sewing and lots of scouring the studio for interesting embellishments. Hand stitching the beads and embroidery accents allowed space to contemplate what these wall hangings represent - an encouraging nudge to reinvigorate our efforts to reduce the enormous amount of waste we create, waste that has such a detrimental effect on this beautiful planet we call home. Recite the mantras assigned to each hanging to remind you of your waste reducing task. To stir an exploratory approach into your practice of reusing waste, here is a list of the reimagined supplies used in the four wall hangings: scraps of repurposed and reclaimed textiles including bedsheets, quilt covers, tablecloths, remnants, sarongs, bedspreads. Along with a pair of vintage silk trousers for the binding, a vintage wool blanket for the backing, beads and embellishments from deconstructed jewellery, embroidery thread from a deceased estate, wooden curtain rings from the op shop, bamboo bag handle, leather tassels from a poncho and a broken earring found in the carpark of an apple orchard! Wall hanging 1 - Mantra: waste is not waste until i waste it Wall hanging 2 - Mantra: radical repurposing respects resources Wall hanging 3 - Mantra: the power to choose to reuse is in my hands Wall hanging 4 - Mantra: every choice i make has an impact |
