Futile Threads

Futile threads, carbonized cotton reel

‘Self-directed’ staff exhibition, Dunedin School of Art Gallery, 18-22 September 2023

Catalogue by MRT Press with statements generated by AI. Images of the exhibition can be seen in the DSA Flickr Gallery

Waipapa Point

International Mini Print Cantabria, VI Edition – 2023, Faro Cabo Mayor Art Center, Santander, Spain. Exhibition: September 1 to December 31, 2023. “The Sea & the Lighthouses”.

Jury: Javier Martín-Jiménez, Laura Olea, Marta Aguilar Moreno, Marta Fermín.

Waipapa Point 1, 2, 3, screenprint on paper, 20 x 20cm each

Look under the leaves

BigCi residency, Bilpin international ground for Creative initiatives, NSW Australia, 15 February – 14 March 2023

I felt very privileged to have had the opportunity to immerse myself in this beautiful bush setting with the Wollemi Wilderness on our doorstep. The expansive Art Shed with accommodation provides a stimulating environment in which to experiment. I acknowledge the generous support, friendship and engagement of Rae and the other residents with their diversity of skills that shared this dynamic art space with me. Both Rae and Yuri Bolotin are enthusiastic about the residency programme and Yuri, an intrepid explorer, is a fount of knowledge on the flora and vast array of fauna (including the diamond python who paid us a visit one morning), and his informed experience on the history and geology of the area. My time here allowed me to reflect on resilience and adaptability. 

The countless walks in the surrounding bush prompted contemplation on the cycles of life, and an illustrated children’s book on ecology by Elsie Locke provided inspiration and the title for the project; one that reflects on resilience and adaptability following the extraordinary recovery of the bush from the devastating fires of 2019/2020.

As is characteristic of printmaking, the project took on a repetitive task, not in the form of an edition but as unique state prints representing the lichen encrusted sandstone. The single monoprint matrix creates a palimpsest over the previous print, leaving a barely visible trace between each printing. The final installation for Look Under the Leaves consisted of twenty-seven monoprints and forty-two filter papers with the installation extending from the floor and up the wall. It felt vital in terms of access and response to the environment that the project installation originated on the ground.