Saturday, February 18, 2017

The Australian Tapestry Workshop (1996 - 2004)
Art Essay

Marie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below other posts on tapestries:
The Australian Tapestry Workshop
The Australian Tapestry Workshop (1976 – 1985)
The Australian Tapestry Workshop (1986 – 1995)
The Australian Tapestry Workshop (1996 - 2004)
Tapestry Creations of the 1980s
Tapestries from the USA
Modern Australian Tapestries


This post gives a vignette of the work ATW completed between 1996 - 2004 and so is only a sampler - see reference [1] for further work.

Introduction
The Australian Tapestry Workshop, which was formerly known as the Victorian Tapestry Workshop, was founded in 1976.The ATW specialises in combining the ancient Art form of weaving using time honored and traditional methods that have been used since the middle ages, interpreting the artworks of leading Australian and International artists in a tapestry format.

The tapestries are an all-Australian product having being weaved using the finest Australian wool, which is spun specifically to the Workshop's specifications. The range of color is vast, comprising a palette of over 370 colors. To appreciate the scope of the color palette I have listed below some of the range. Note: The electronic device you are using may slightly alter the hue. Color swatches can be obtained from "The Australian Tapestry Workshop".

Images of the color swatches were sourced from Marie-Therese's deceased mother, Milla Wisniowski. Being an avid and experimental knitter, she bought the boxed package as a gift for Marie-Therese Wisniowski in the late 1970s. It contained all of the color yarn swatches which were available then from the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (now known as the Australian Tapestry Workshop). This heritage boxed collection of color yarn swatches was gifted by Marie-Therese Wisniowski to the Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles Inc. Maitland, NSW, as a part of their collection.

Color range of woolen yarn 1 - 21.

Color range of woolen yarn 22 - 39.

Color range of woolen yarn 40 - 57.

Color range of woolen yarn 58 - 77.

Color range of woolen yarn 78 - 98.

Color range of woolen yarn 99 - 118.

Color range of woolen yarn 119 - 137.

Color range of woolen yarn 138 - 157.

Color range of woolen yarn 158 - 177.

Color range of woolen yarn 178 - 198.


Color range of woolen yarn 199 - 218.

Color range of woolen yarn 219 - 237.

Color range of woolen yarn 238 - 254. Note: End swatch is a variation on 247.

Color range of woolen yarn 255 - 267.

Color range of woolen yarn 268 - 288.

Color range of woolen yarn 289 - 302.

Color range of woolen yarn 303 - 318.

Color range of woolen yarn 319 - 339.

Color range of woolen yarn 340 - 360.

Color range of woolen yarn 361 - 371.


Australian Tapestry Workshop 1996 - 2004

Artist: Frank Stella (USA); Title: Untitled (February 1996).
Weavers: Hannah Rother, Joy Smith, and Sue Batten.
Size: 2.2 x 2.01 meters.
Commissioned: Tyler Graphics Ltd, New York (USA).

Artist: Emily Kame Kngwarreye; Title: Untitled (May 1996).
Weavers: Grazyna Bleja, Milena Paplinska.
Size: 1.11 x 1.13 meters.
Collection: Private collection, Paris (France).

Artist: Ginger Riley; Title: Wamungku - My Mother's Country - detailed view (June 1996).
Weavers: Merrill Duimbrell, Irja West, Mark Thrush, Amanda Markey, Claudia Lo Priore, Milena Paplinska.
Size: 4 x 8 meters.
Collection: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra (Australia).

Artist: John Olsen; Title: Rising Suns Over Australia Felix - detailed view (June 1997).
Weavers: Grazyna Bleja, Merrill Dumbrell, Claudia Lo Priore, Georgina Baker, Milena Paplinska, Cheryl Thornton, Owen Hammond.
Size: 4 x 7.77 meters.
Collection: Department of Foreign of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra (Australia).

Artists: Arthur Boyd; Title: Shoalhaven Forest (October 1999).
Weavers: Grazyna Bleja, Milena Paplinska.
Size: 1.8 x 2.74 meters.
Collection: Private Collection, NSW (Australia).

Artists: Christopher Pyett and Normana Wight; Title: Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch (June 2000).
Weaver: Merrill Dumbrell.
Size: 1.47 x 1.2 meters.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery, Canberra (Australia).

Detail View: Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

Artists: Murray Walker with contributing artists; Title: Making Do - Federation Tapestry (one panel only) (July 2001) Weavers: Merrill Dumbrell, Gerda van Hammond, Andrew Weekes, Claudio Lo Priore, Cresside Collette, Milena Paplinska Susan Mowatt.
Size: 2 x 4.4 meters.
Collection: Museum of Victoria (Australia).

Artist: Ian Woo (Singapore); Title: Forest Noise (August 2004).
Weavers: Chris Cochius, Hilary Geen, Milly Formby.
Size: 1.4 x 2.46 meters.
Collection: Mint Museum, North Carolina (USA).


Reference:
[1] S. Walker (editor), Modern Australian Tapestries From the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (now known as ATW), The Beagle Press.

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