I ‘booked myself an appointment’ to head to Fremantle Arts Center to see SPAN<\/a> – a group show that includes two of my favorite artists – Susanna Castleden<\/a> and Olga Cironis<\/a>. Hearing the loom tick, seeing the locks of hair – often cut directly from visitors <\/em>– woven into the days length is interesting enough but, for Olga, it is the stories that she is collecting from the conversations she is having that spur her on. Susanna’s piece filled the main gallery – a frottage \/rubbing of an airplane wing!!!!!! Enormous, mind-boggling in its achievement, and beautifully haunting. Then the next day I was off to visit the home and studio of another of my FFA (favourite female artists) – Elisa Markes-Young. Such a pleasure to spend open-ended time in any artist’s home and studio.<\/em> I soaked up everything but it wasn’t until the next day that I could start trying to untangle and record my impressions.<\/p>\n I have always loved her work and she is a fascinating person to spend time with. In between the visits I worked at \/slogged through<\/em> the sometimes exciting, mostly tedious task of re-labelling the photos\u00a0taken of my textiles treasures last week. It is quite a slow process although batch re-naming is brilliant! Once labelled I will eventually sort and edit them but the important thing for now is to have them recorded and organised so that I can begin to work with them. The Quilt Study blog\/web page was demoted this week. No time. Back to it soon.![\"\"](\"http:\/\/janmullen.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/elisa-markes-young-studio-visit-1.jpg\")
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\nI timed my visit so that I could see Olga at work – she has “travelled across WA collecting human hair and the stories of its owners. She will weave (in the gallery)…… crafting a 500m long hair ribbon on an amplified, ticking loom.”<\/p>\n
\nConnections made instantly.
\nVisitors giving both hair and history.
\nA beautiful\/ haunting ‘performance’ from artist and visitors.
\nArt that is inclusive.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nI remember being driven through the Mojave desert past an airplane ‘cemetary’ – where hundreds of planes are parked. In a quick google search I found the Arizona cemetery<\/a> that Susanna visited…..stunning!!!!<\/p>\n
\nThe photos you see here are from that visit.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nI love creative environments – the surprises, the books, the artwork, the process, the set-up, the raw materials, the works-in-progress…
\nElisa taking time to delve through her Polish textile books to exactly<\/em> explain her inspiration…..
\nI love her work for what it is<\/em> but seeing the source of her designs and how she cleverly morphs the traditional into an artform<\/strong> with all the skill of an accomplished embroiderer BUT with the total inventive capabilities of a quietly daring crusader was brilliant.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe good news is that <\/em>Elisa is about to start some bijou classes in her current abode\/studio then later in the year she and Christopher will be moving to a new house they are building in Margaret River where classes will continue.
\nTheir house will also have an extra room to accommodate the visiting acolytes – that would be me:)<\/span>
\nI am very excited for her, and for Christopher, and for those that will share her learning.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe photos are now classified into nineteen folders, some with subfolders – all 66,332 images – many taken in preceding years mind you!
\nMost photos fit quite nicely but there are always items that seem to defy classification.<\/p>\n
\nThe little shortcuts you find when you need them….<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThis whole organisational effort is taking time but as a resource it will be invaluable.
\nI cannot rely on my memory to find these items AND when I start to cut into them (insert scary face) I will put an X in the label to denote its state of change or absence.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nOne project at a time is the very logical thought this week.<\/p>\n