Saturday, March 26, 2011

Why ArtCloth
Engaging New Visions
Opinion Piece on Art

Marie-Therese Wisniowski

Why ArtCloth
ArtCloth was a term invented by Jane Dunnewold at the dawn of this century. Since then it has been widely used to embrace a myriad of “Art” that utilizes cloth as its medium. Jessica Hemmings in reviewing – ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions (an international exhibition in which I was the curator) questioned whether the term “ArtCloth” was necessary, since she thought that “…textiles provide a rich medium for sophisticated communication of conceptual ideas. But I don’t think that textile needs yet another name”[1]. My answer to her assertions is that as much as I respect Jessica’s opinion, I disagree with her viewpoint on this matter.

The history of art is one of continual change. Art is dynamic and so serious philosophical questions have been raised as to whether or not it can be logically defined, identified or even classified[2]. There are numerous philosophical treaties exploring these ideas[2].

There are three basic ingredients (as opposed to definitions) that all artworks possess. When “engaged” they are non-functional, and aesthetic. Wearable Art is “Art” when placed in an art context but when it is not placed in an art context, its functionality obscures the act of engagement. To make the latter statement clearer in a concrete operational sense, see DuChamp’s work in which he places a functional object (e.g. urinal) in a non-functional art context. “Engagement” is therefore a very important ingredient (e.g. an unknown buried work is not art).

DuChamp’s Urinal.

Jenny Kee’s Wearable Art.

These three conditions are “necessary” conditions and not the “sufficient and necessary” conditions that all logicians are searching for [2]. Note: I use the word “engaged” in a generic sense and so for example, if all human species were blind we could perhaps “engage” sculpture artworks, although I doubt if watercolor paintings would be considered within our art lexicon.

Albert Namatjira’s water color painting of an Australian Landscape: "Valley Ghost Gums, MacDonnell Ranges".

Historically what is now considered art - by individuals,cognoscenti, populous at large and by art institutions - has dramatically expanded. Furthermore, once a form of art has been accepted, like a biological cell when taken root in a particular form, it can divide and sub-divide itself into smaller sub-units.

Christos' Cloth Wrapping of the Sydney Opera House.
Note: One hundred years ago, no one would have thought of this as art.

Most areas of art are defined by doing nouns: painting, sculpture, and performance art (just to mention a few). Once an area or cell of art has been loosely defined a number of sub-divisions miraculously occur. For example, let us consider the art making area of painting. It sub-divides on process (e.g. oil paintings, watercolor paintings, and fresco etc.), on subject (e.g. landscapes, portraits, and seascapes etc.), on art movements (e.g. Impressionists, Post-Impressionist, and Cubists etc.) Those interested in the art of painting are not confused with such sub-divisions. Rather their mere existence indicates a growing conscious interest, articulation and sophisticated appreciation of this form of art.

Piet Mondrian - De Stijl art movement - painting: "Pier and Ocean" (1914).

Robert Rauschenberg - pop art movement - painting: "Canto XXX1".

Let us define what is a textile. Basically it is defined as “any material that is woven”[3]. Clearly canvas is a textile and so technically speaking paintings on canvas, linen, velvet and silk are all textile art. Alan Sisley (Gallery Director, Orange Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Australia) is bemused that textile artists exclude canvas from their definition of their area of artistic engagement[4].

Jane Dunnewold's ArtCloth piece: "Untitled".

Marie-Therese Wisniowski ArtCloth piece: "Nambian Expressions".

The definition of “cloth” is similarly as broad, namely, “ a fabric formed by weaving, felting etc. from fiber used for garments, upholstery and for many other purposes” [3]. The same arguments could be applied against the use of “ArtCloth” as a generic identifier for artworks on fiber - other than canvas - as those that were used against “Textile Art”. There are nuances that tip me in favor of the use of “ArtCloth” in place of “Textile Art”, “Fiber Art” and “Surface Design” etc. For example, the use of “cloth” to define clothing or garments is now obsolete [3]. However, the use of “textile” always evokes textile design, so important for the Bauhaus school-of-thought that it was plundered by commercial needs to sell fabrics to a large and discerning market for functional use [5] (in defiance of one of the necessary conditions of artwork – its lack of functionality). Whilst its practitioners have spawned future art movements on canvas (especially in the USA) it lost its way as the poppet head of future art movements on fabrics. “ArtCloth” unlike “Textile Art” therefore evokes the three necessary conditions (see above) that all artworks possess.

Anni Albers' Bauhaus textile.

Els van Baarle's ArtCloth piece: "Untitled" - detailed view.

The word “Art” in general, may be considered by some (but not me!) as too broad a descriptor to attach to “Cloth” since it evokes a non-doing noun. If I had been there at the beginning of Jane’s thought bubble I would have suggested that she should consider the descriptor “Fine ArtCloth” since “fine art” now evokes - “an art form categorized as one of the fine arts, namely, those arts which seek expression through beautiful or significant modes”[3]. “ArtCloth” naturally assumes this role, even though “Fine ArtCloth” technically nails it!

Leslie Morgan's ArtCloth piece: "Unknown" - detailed view.

The medium of cloth engages more of our physical and unconscious senses than most media used in art. In theory you can touch it, smell it and see it. The hue it offers is impossible to recreate on canvas. It is no wonder then that Leslie Rice used black velvet to paint his self-portrait to win the 2007 Moran National Portrait Prize [6]. Cloth is like having available to you a Steinway rather than a harpsichord.

Jeanne Raffer Beck's ArtCloth piece: "Voyagers" - full view.

I am not at all fussed that “ArtCloth” is sub-dividing itself. I have often stated that ArtCloth works are exploring a new continent in art[6]. To take this analogy further - like any continent there will be different flora and fauna, landscapes and climates in different regions of the continent – all happening at the same time. The more mature these explorations become, the more sub-divisions appear. Just view (on this blog site) the contributions to – ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions – as well as the ArtCloth pieces in this blog - to appreciate the diversity and complexity of the new continent in art - called ArtCloth.

Claire Benn's ArtCloth piece: "Square Pegs and Round Holes".

Laura Beehler's ArtCloth piece: "Red Golden" - detailed view.

Like the mature art of painting, fine-art cloths can also be sub-divided on process (e.g. shibori, batik, and digital etc.), on subject (e.g. landscapes, post-graffiti, and social comment etc.), and on movement (e.g. post-modernism, abstract expressionism, and De Stijl etc.)[6] Those interested in “ArtCloth” will one day identify new art movements in cloth being born, developed, appreciated and then perhaps discarded. These statements are not predictions, but rather are the artistic cycles witnessed with the exploration of any art medium.

Jane Dunnewold ArtCloth piece: "Untitled".
Note: Some of Jane Dunnewold ArtCloth pieces are influenced by Mondrian's De Stijl paintings.

Joan Shulze ArtCloth piece: "Pewter".
Note: Some of Joan Schulze ArtCloth pieces are influenced by the pop art paintings of Rauschenberg.

Marie-Therese Wisniowski : "Rainforest Memories".
Note: Unlike Albert Namatjira, Marie-Therese Wisniowski uses ArtCloth to artistically explore Australian Landscapes.

We do not want to lose focus on what is important to us – definitions may come and go and undoubtedly, will keep art theorists and publishing houses very busy producing a vast array of tomes[2]. However, what motivates the practitioner is simply to do and to “engage” with fine art! Enjoy, and let those less fortunate and gifted argue about the nuances.


References:
[1] J. Hemmings, Surface Design Journal, Fall 2010, pages 56-57.

[2] N. Carrrol, Philosophy of Art, Routledge, London (1999).

[3] The Macquarie Dictionary, Third Edition, Macquarie University, NSW (1997).

[4] A. Sisley, ‘Audience Cottons onto Exhibition’ Gallery Pages, Central Western Daily, Orange, 15.5.10

[5] The Oxford History of Western Art, Editor M. Kemp, Oxford University Press, Oxford (2000).

[6] M-T Wisniowski, Crafts Arts International, 73 (2008) pages 1-6.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Treescape
(Exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions)

Annie Trevillian (Australia)

Preamble
This blogspot contains posts of artworks that have featured in my curated international exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions. For your convenience I have listed these posts below.
ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions (Marie-Therese Wisniowski - Curator's Talk)
Sequestration of CO2 (Engaging New Visions) M-T. Wisniowski
Sacred Planet I (Engaging New Visions) J. Dunnewold
Under Pressure (Engaging New Visions) L.A. Beehler
lo Rising II & Giza (Engaging New Visions) R. Benson
Etruscan Relic (Engaging New Vision) J. Raffer Beck
Catch The Light 1 & 2 (Engaging New Visions) J. Schulze
Emerge (Engaging New Visions) J. Truckenbrod
Breathe Deeply (Engaging New Visions) C. Benn
Die Gedanken Sind Frei 3 & 4 (Engaging New Visions) C. Helmer
Black Birds I & II (Engaging New Visions) C. Holmes
Autumn Visions I & II (Engaging New Visions) J. Petruskeviciene
Razing/Raising Walls, Warsaw (Engaging New Visions) N. Starszakowna
Quite Alone Oasis… (Engaging New Visions) J. Urbiene
Nothing Is The Same I & II (Engaging New Visions) E. van Baarle
Discharge Thundercloud (Engaging New Visions) K. Kagajo
Shroud Of Ancient Echoes I & II (Engaging New Visions) S. Fell-McLean
Cane Toad Narrative (Engaging New Visions) H. Lancaster
Visionary and Eclipse (Engaging New Vision) J. Ryder
Untitled ArtWorks (Engaging New Vision) Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley and Tjunkaya Tapaya


Introduction
This is the last contribution to, ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions.

To view all contributions see the above links.

The catalog of the exhibition is far more detailed in terms of opening addresses and artist’s biographies, curriculum vitae and statements etc. and moreover, is a holistic record of the exhibition itself.


Synopsis of Artwork: Treescape
Treescape is a combination of drawings, painting and screen-printing on card and a digital print with reactive dyes on cotton. This was an opportunity to bring together some of the working processes that happen in the creation of Annie’s artwork. Annie has always created her imagery with traditional drawing and painting techniques with a very hands on approach to creating motifs. Any image that can be created on a computer screen using graphics applications or images from a digital camera or scanned from photographs or original artwork can be printed in seemingly unlimited colors. From there she will scan in the artworks and start arranging and ordering them in Photoshop. The structure of the grids are filled with her motifs with the freedom to resize, redraw, re-colour, texturize, change angles, rotate - seemingly endless possibilities in design to support the initial concepts. She enjoys the immediacy of designing this way with the freedom to change myriad elements many times.

Once she is satisfied with the arrangements she will save her image in a suitable format to send to a digital printing company. They will print her designs on a fabric of choice, either as a one off image or in repeat for a length of fabric.

Annie combines the traditional approach of designing for fabric with the historical and contemporary knowledge of textiles processes and techniques. She is able to create new works that incorporate new materials and new technology. This reinforces her confirmation of the handmade where she is able to intervene at different stages.

Annie is entering a new and exciting stage of her career with the broadening of her practice beyond a purely textile framework. Her skills as a designer will be applied to a more diverse range of substrates providing a wealth of new artistic output and sustainable practice.

Her way of working is always embedded in a textile framework. Her ability to both incorporate and move beyond this will always underpin and enhance her practice.


Techniques
Digital print with reactive dyes on cotton. Drawing, painting and screen-printing on cardboard.
Size: 120 cm (width) x 300 cm (length).

(a) Treescape (Annie Trevillian), left artwork.
Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, NSW, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Cedric Boudjema, Director, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery.

(b) Treescape (Annie Trevillian), second from right artwork.
Orange Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Marie-Therese Wisniowski.

(c) Treescape (Annie Trevillian), second from right artwork.
Redcliffe City Art Gallery, Queensland, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Karen Tyler, Director, Redcliffe City Art Gallery.
Photography by Al Sim.

(d) Treescape (Annie Trevillian), right artwork.
Wangaratta Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Marie-Therese Wisniowski.

(e) Treescape (Annie Trevillian) a work in progress.

(f) Treescape (Annie Trevillian) the artist at work.

(g)Treescape (Annie Trevillian) - full view featuring seven of the ten rows.

(h) Treescape (Annie Trevillian) - detail view featuring one of the cardboard shapes.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Untitled Artworks
(Exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions)

Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley and Tjunkaya Tapaya
Ernabella Arts (Australia)

Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below other posts on Australian aboriginal textiles and artwork.
Untitled Artworks (Exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions) Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley and Tjunkaya Tapaya, Ernabella Arts (Australia)
ArtCloth from the Tiwi Islands
Aboriginal Batik From Central Australia
ArtCloth from Utopia
Aboriginal Art Appropriated by Non-Aboriginal Artists
ArtCloth from the Women of Ernabella
ArtCloth From Kaltjiti (Fregon)
Australian Aboriginal Silk Paintings
Contemporary Aboriginal Prints
Batiks from Kintore
Batiks From Warlpiri (Yuendumu)
Aboriginal Batiks From Northern Queensland
Artworks From Remote Aboriginal Communities
Urban Aboriginal ArtCloths
Western Australian Aboriginal Fabric Lengths
Northern Editions - Aboriginal Prints
Aboriginal Bark Paintings
Contemporary Aboriginal Posters (1984) - (1993)
The Art of Arthur Pambegan Jr
Aboriginal Art - Colour Power
Aboriginal Art - Part I
Aboriginal Art - Part II
The Art of Ngarra
The Paintings of Patrick Tjungurrayi
Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri

This blogspot contains posts of artworks that have featured in my curated international exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions. For your convenience I have also listed these posts below.
ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions (Marie-Therese Wisniowski - Curator's Talk)
Sequestration of CO2 (Engaging New Visions) M-T. Wisniowski
Sacred Planet I (Engaging New Visions) J. Dunnewold
Under Pressure (Engaging New Visions) L.A. Beehler
lo Rising II & Giza (Engaging New Visions) R. Benson
Etruscan Relic (Engaging New Vision) J. Raffer Beck
Catch The Light 1 & 2 (Engaging New Visions) J. Schulze
Emerge (Engaging New Visions) J. Truckenbrod
Breathe Deeply (Engaging New Visions) C. Benn
Die Gedanken Sind Frei 3 & 4 (Engaging New Visions) C. Helmer
Black Birds I & II (Engaging New Visions) C. Holmes
Autumn Visions I & II (Engaging New Visions) J. Petruskeviciene
Razing/Raising Walls, Warsaw (Engaging New Visions) N. Starszakowna
Quite Alone Oasis… (Engaging New Visions) J. Urbiene
Nothing Is The Same I & II (Engaging New Visions) E. van Baarle
Discharge Thundercloud (Engaging New Visions) K. Kagajo
Shroud Of Ancient Echoes I & II (Engaging New Visions) S. Fell-McLean
Cane Toad Narrative (Engaging New Visions) H. Lancaster
Untitled ArtWorks (Engaging New Vision) Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley and Tjunkaya Tapaya
Treescape (Engaging New Vision) A. Trevillian


Introduction
The Australian contribution to - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions – will be on the blogspot for the next two weeks, thereby completing the contributions to this exhibition.

The catalog of the exhibition is far more detailed in terms of opening addresses and artist’s biographies, curriculum vitae and statements etc. and moreover, is a holistic record of the exhibition itself.


Synopsis of Artwork: Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley,Untitled
Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley was taught batik in the 1970’s when artists Nyukana (Daisy) Baker, Jillian Davey and Angkaliya Purampi (deceased) came back from a workshop in Indonesia and taught other Ernabella women the batik process.

“They showed us how to use a tjanting and put the wax on”, she said. When describing this piece and the colours, Tjariya uses the Pitjantjatjara word “inuntji”, which means fresh plant growth, especially blossom. These colors can be seen as wildflowers in spring around the Musgrave Ranges. The long shapes represent “karu” (creeks) that flowed with water for the first time in many years last December. The rounded half moon shapes are “puli” (rocks) - another characteristic feature of the landscape of her country.


Techniques
Silk Batik.
Size: 110 (width) x 270 cm (length).


Synopsis of Artwork: Tjunkaya Tapaya, Untitled
Tjunkaya Tapaya has been doing batik since the 1970’s when artists Nyukana (Daisy) Baker, Jillian Davey and Angkaliya Purampi (deceased) came back from a workshop in Indonesia and taught other Ernabella women the batik process.

Tjunkaya often draws on the environment of her country in her batik work. This piece incorporates plant iconography such as “tjanpi” (grass), “kampurarpa” (bush tomatoes), “kaliny-kalinypa” (honey grevillea) and other “putipulawa” (wildflowers). The colors she has used in this piece reflect the color of the country around Ernabella after the big summer rains, when green and yellow grasses and new growth of trees and shrubs cover the landscape.


Techniques
Silk Batik.
Size: 110 (width) x 280 cm (length).

(a) Untitled by Tjunkaya Tapaya on left, Untitled by Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley on right.
Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, NSW, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Cedric Boudjema, Director, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery.

(b) Untitled by Tjunkaya Tapaya on left, Untitled by Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley second from left.
Orange Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Alan Sisley, Director, Orange Regional Art Gallery.

(c) Untitled by Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley on left; Untitled by Tjunkaya Tapaya second from left.
Redcliffe City Art Gallery, Queensland, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Karen Tyler, Director, Redcliffe City Art Gallery.
Photography by Al Sim.

(d) Untitled by Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley on left; Untitled by Tjunkaya Tapaya on right.
Wangaratta Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Marie-Therese Wisniowski.

(e) Untitled by Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley - full view.

(f) Untitled by Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley - detailed view.

(g) Untitled by Tjunkaya Tapaya - full view.

(h) Untitled by Tjunkaya Tapaya - detailed view.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Visionary and Eclipse
(Exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions)

Julie Ryder (Australia)

Preamble
This blogspot contains posts of artworks that have featured in my curated international exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions. For your convenience I have listed these posts below.
ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions (Marie-Therese Wisniowski - Curator's Talk)
Sequestration of CO2 (Engaging New Visions) M-T. Wisniowski
Sacred Planet I (Engaging New Visions) J. Dunnewold
Under Pressure (Engaging New Visions) L.A. Beehler
lo Rising II & Giza (Engaging New Visions) R. Benson
Etruscan Relic (Engaging New Vision) J. Raffer Beck
Catch The Light 1 & 2 (Engaging New Visions) J. Schulze
Emerge (Engaging New Visions) J. Truckenbrod
Breathe Deeply (Engaging New Visions) C. Benn
Die Gedanken Sind Frei 3 & 4 (Engaging New Visions) C. Helmer
Black Birds I & II (Engaging New Visions) C. Holmes
Autumn Visions I & II (Engaging New Visions) J. Petruskeviciene
Razing/Raising Walls, Warsaw (Engaging New Visions) N. Starszakowna
Quite Alone Oasis… (Engaging New Visions) J. Urbiene
Nothing Is The Same I & II (Engaging New Visions) E. van Baarle
Discharge Thundercloud (Engaging New Visions) K. Kagajo
Shroud Of Ancient Echoes I & II (Engaging New Visions) S. Fell-McLean
Cane Toad Narrative (Engaging New Visions) H. Lancaster
Untitled ArtWorks (Engaging New Vision) Tjariya (Nungalka) Stanley and Tjunkaya Tapaya
Treescape (Engaging New Vision) A. Trevillian


Introduction
The Australian contribution to - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions – will be on the blogspot for the next three weeks, thereby completing the contributions to this exhibition.

As the entry of “Eclipse” by Julie Ryder was a late inclusion into the exhibition no artist’s statement and techniques was available for this artwork.

The catalog of the exhibition is far more detailed in terms of opening addresses and artist’s biographies, curriculum vitae and statements etc. and moreover, is a holistic record of the exhibition itself. It will be available for sale on the Art Quill website in the not-too-distant future (2011).


Synopsis of Artwork: Visionary
The inspiration for this work came from thinking about the way in which we view objects, such as those found in our landscapes, and the way we store them as memory for later recollection. Images and ideas seem to meld together, often creating totally new objects, or perceptions of that object, in our minds.

Thoughts and feelings become intermixed and multi-layered. At times we see things peripherally, at others we really focus in on the finer details. To take time to look beneath the layers presented to us, both physically and intellectually, is often a luxury in our fast-paced world.

The motif of the circle is, to me, not only indicative of our pathway through this life, but also our connection with other people, places and objects that we come in contact with. It also represents my past career in science - I identify it with viewing objects through a microscope or growing things in petri dishes, and discovering the secrets contained within them not visible with the naked eye.

I like to work with dyes onto fabrics because they do not alter the handle of the cloth - they don’t disrupt the enjoyment one has of feeling a beautiful natural fibre, such as silk. My philosophy as a textile designer is to not only create a fabric that looks good, but to create one that feels good as well. In this way its function is enhanced - it can be used purely as a decorative cloth within the home or be used for wearable garments.


Techniques
Resist paste, reactive dye, hand printed and hand painted on raw silk.
Size: 60 (width) x 300 cm (length).

(a) Eclipse and Visionary (Julie Ryder), left dyptich.
Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, NSW, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Cedric Boudjema, Director, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery.

(b)Visionary and Eclipse (Julie Ryder) third dyptich from the left.
Orange Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Marie-Therese Wisniowski.

(c) Visionary and Eclipse (Julie Ryder).
Redcliffe City Art Gallery, Queensland, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Karen Tyler, Director, Redcliffe City Art Gallery.
Photography by Al Sim.

(d) Visionary and Eclipse (Julie Ryder) third dyptich from the left.
Wangaratta Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia.
Photograph courtesy Marie-Therese Wisniowski.

(e) Visionary (Julie Ryder) - full view.

(f) Visionary (Julie Ryder) - detail view.

(g) Eclipse (Julie Ryder) - full view.

(h) Eclipse (Julie Ryder) - detail view.