Whispers. 2014

In 2014 I was invited to contribute to a group show at a local gallery. The format was determined for us. I created the series "Whispers" which incorporated text fragments, poetry, handmade papers, wax and fabrics. My interest was in exploring how, although we speak to each other, we are not always heard - it is as if we are whispering out of ear's reach.  The works portray the ethereal nature of spoken communication and the act of listening. The textiles used evoke bandaging referencing the damages that are caused by speech being missed or unheard. The four units of "Whispers" are hung together as a grid. The images below approach each unit individually.

Whispers I overview.

Whispers I detail.

Whispers I detail.

 Whispers II

 Whispers II overview.

Whispers II detail.

Whispers III

Whispers III overview.

Whispers III detail.

Whispers IV

Whispers IV overview.

Whispers IV detail.

Whispers IV detail.

Whispers IV detail.

Whispers in assembled arrangement

There is a poem written by myself, that is enclosed within these works. This is how it reads.

The artist's statement that accompanied this piece on installation read as follows:

"This work explores how we communicate in our quiet, inner spaces - whispering intimacies - heard but also unheard.
Juxtaposing text with a materiality that resonates with physical damage and repair, this work questions how much of our inner voice is ever heard by those near to us."

This work is now in a private collection.

Mum's Skirt (2014)

This piece was created over a superstructure of upscaled high tensile fencing grid. Panels were shaped to fit the grids of the wire, created out of layers of papers and fibers in differing wax coatings. These were then attached to the form, overlapping each other to create a layered look like a layered or frilled skirt I remember my Mother making with me.

The panels were created out of materials that reminded me of my Mother, especially as she taught me my sewing skills. They became sites for my memories to be built up. Fragments accruing to make a total that can never be recalled at once completely but only by revisiting, re-viewing multiple times.
Text imbedded within the materials recall truisms from my childhood.

The gradation of the layers speaks to the multiple facets of my Mother as a person, my specific daughter relationship with her, and all the things I never knew about her as a person because of the nature of that relationship. The deep experiences that composed her adult life that made her who she was to me but that were really unknown to me, forever lost, never shared.

Although this piece celebrates my Mother it is tinged with the sadness I felt running through her person, especially as she aged.

To Daph. The best ever.


My Artist's statement about this work

A superstructure of upscaled high tensile fencing grid resonates with the amazing inner strength of my Mother. The complexities of the layered panels reference the depth of understanding and wide ranging perspectives my Mother viewed the world with - an unusually rich intuitive insight into the society she dwelt in.  The "fit" of my Mother to her enclosing world was not always comfortable or secure and the irregular nature of the created panels and their attachment to the wire reflects this.

My Mother was a tactile fabric connoisseur which she transmitted into my being, informing my artistic practice. Careful attention to the details, the differences, the celebration of nuances were all part of her engagement with textiles, and with her entire experience of living. Creating beauty out of limited resources was her trademark.

Although this piece celebrates my Mother it is tinged with the sadness I felt running through her person, especially as she aged.

To Daph. The best ever.