I always enjoy going to other artists’ work areas – and there is no way to generalise about them. Some are orderly, clean, dust free with everything in its place, others are totally chaotic, some generously sized, possibly purpose-built work areas, others nothing much more than a hole in the wall, scavenged space within a family home – either convenient or apparently hopelessly inconvenient by my standards; and yet, from every kind of environment come people who produce wonderfully creative, innovative works in a variety of media.

Recently I have seen references to classes quilters can enrol in for help with design or renovation of workspace or studio. These courses are aimed specifically at quiltmakers, but I recently read of a US magazine publisher who is launching a new publication on the topic of studios, presumably not solely aimed at quilters but other artists in all media. What strikes me as very sad is that in affluent societies people will pay good money to ?learn? how to do what they could do themselves with a bit of thought and planning, where they want what in their work area, storage of raw materials, new or second hand furniture needed, lighting, power outlets etc.

There is no ‘correct’ or ‘perfect’ approach to a workspace – it is up to the individual to do a bit of thinking around the subject from their own point of view. If someone can’t think and organise their way through their own work space, can they be relied on to produce original, well designed creative work? I think there is a very strong link here.

A few weeks ago it was my pleasure to visit an interesting fibre art exhibition, Tragedy, Treasure and Trade in Fremantle, Western Australia.; and if you are reading this before it closes on 19 August 2008, I recommend you try to get along to see it:
M-F10am – 4.30pm, Sat 1 – 5pm,
Sun 10.30am – 4.30pm
Community Access Gallery, West Australian Museum – Fremantle History, 1 Finnerty Street, Fremantle (in Fremantle Arts Centre complex, entrance opposite gift shop) Cost: gold coin donation Contact details: Suzanne Coleman suzannecoleman@bigpond.com

The group of experimental stitchers from the Embroiderers’ Guild of Western Australia presented their interpretations and impressions in various textile techniques resulting from group and individual visits to and studies of historic collections relating to early european maritime activity on the Western Australian coast. There is particular reference to the wreck in the Abrohlos archipelago of the Dutch ship Batavia in 1629, a subsequent mutiny and dramatic rescue. Ship, cargo and personal relics plus written records of the events and people involved were studied by members of this group, inspiring interpretation through a wide variety of techniques, some of which the group also learned together. This learning was recorded in individual artist journals which most participants also put out on display. Clearly a great deal of technical virtuosity resides in this group, covering the use of paint and print, felting, dyeing, hand and machine stitch techniques, quilting, plus needleweaving and lace constructions and assemblies. In some cases, the journals were more lively than the resulting finished works.

But overall the individual interpretations are the most fascinating part of this exhibition. I was particulary taken with Linda Stokes’ printed silk scarf (UR) in beautiful water and reef colours, using a motif from a salvaged fragment of lace from the Batavia wreck. Glen Hall also took the inspiration of lace and produced a lace scarf, “SOS”, on tulle (LL) using paint and recycled lace in a rich combination of dirty brown colours with a little coppery metallic here and there suggesting faded glory or tarnished riches – in the C17th only very wealthy people owned lace. Jennie Abbott found inspiration in written accounts of seagulls flocking overhead ( UL) indicating land was not far away with “Sails in the Wind”. This beautiful idea was well executed, but unfortunately hanging this contemporary lace piece against a cream wall reduced it’s impact – how wonderful this could have been possibly larger and instead of hanging from a stick, suspended like a cloud from several corners of this small gallery -that’s if it had not been possible to paint a wall blue for the duration of this show – I wonder if anyone asked? The remaining picture I have collaged is of a lovely piece of work, “Miserere Domine”, (LL) by Hannah Katarski, a sensitive compilation of wool felt, silk, free machine embroidery and mixed media. Such a shame it is behind glass, in a frame that does not echo the reliquary or iconic shape of the design within the work itself.
Several forms encrusted with shells, braids and stitch suggested items recovered from the deep – seachests, rocks, old bells, bowls and other artefacts – these were interesting within the context of adding to the thematic tone of the display.

In such exhibitions I personally retreat from literal representations such as maps and stitch compilations that attempt to portray what could be and probably has been, photographed beautifully. For this reason I felt the large panel just inside the door, see below, was a low point in the show. It’s presence was not needed to prove the incredible impact this project had on the individuals involved, and some of the lovely little embroideries attached and worked on it could better have been used in other stand alone works by the individuals who made them.

Since I last posted I have been on the move, busily attending to mostly business matters in Perth Western Australia. When I return to Montevideo next week I will upload some pictures, including a new ‘folly’ / bizarre piece of architecture I saw in one place – some pics and comments regarding a couple of textile exhibitions visited while in Perth, and several other things.

Every now and then when I am travelling I am struck by the detatched nature of being somewhere in transit and not actually connected to any thing or anyone around you just for that time. It can be some overheard snippet of conversation (eg over the back fence one night in Perth, our neighbours’ young we haveing a party – barbie going, drinks flowing freely and music actually not very noisy and rather to my liking, so no complaints – just listening was fascinating: “… she is really hot, you know?…. he had hickies all up one side of his neck …. seriously, I haven’t had sex for three months … what are you two doing over there, not kissing are you? … and so on and so on. Even these young things were also talking property and money – the whole of Perth is yabbering about these things on daily basis as they weather the effects of the giant resources boom in Western Australia right now. My, how those kids have grown up over the last few years since we spent any time in our house in Perth, but mature? ….
It can also be triggered by seeing something that seems out of place and that may be so or not. I’m sure these were out of place – the pair of nice navy women’s shoes in a clear plastic bag lying where they dropped, in the middle of a crosswalk between the Brisbane Airport and the station for the Airtrain. As I paused and briefly considered picking them up and handing them in as lost propertly, I realised that even as I did so someone might be frantically back-tracking to try to find them and walk right past me: and then there was the question as to which side should I hand them in seeing as how they were about half way between rail and runway so to speak. All that seemed to indicate to me to leave them right where they were. And I found that decision to be right for me just then, but oddly unsettling as being not at all characteristic of how I would have dealt with the discovery in some other place/time. Just one of the unexpected snippets that can happen while ‘in transit’

From a new friend in Costa Rica, Silvia Piza-Tandlich, a fellow SDA member, came this wonderful group of sheets of her hand made paper that I just have to share with you. She uses pieces of it in her embroidery (visit http://www.galeriaoctagono.com/ which is a communal site, but some of her work is there)The piece in the rear has particularly luscious long thick fibres that end beautifully at the edge in the URcorner.

I feel they could be incorporated into something, with sheer perhaps? and will post pics if/when I do that. like all precious materials there is a hesitancy to cut into them but make a muck of it – which translates to ‘think twice, cut once’ an adaptation of the old carpenter’s adage. Very inspiring.