Friday, October 14, 2011

Sensorial Loop: 1st Tamworth Textile Triennial 2011

Sensorial Loop: 1st Tamworth Textile Triennial opened at Tamworth Regional Gallery on Saturday, October 1. I've been a bit slow getting these photos uploaded as I've been studying and had assignments due, and also planning for a trip to China at the end of October. As usual, I've just taken snapshots, so quality is not great, nor have I focused on individual works. An excellent catalogue has been produced which has images of every artist's work. The curator is Patrick Snelling, who was the winner of the Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award earlier this year. The exhibition continues at Tamworth until November 26, then tours for two years.

This photo shows the middle of the gallery. The dress is by Martha McDonald, The Weeping Dress. It was used in a performance piece, and the video is displayed with the dress. The fabric pieces on the left are Verity Prideaux's A Legacy of Day. The panels behind the dress are Elisa Markes-Young's The Strange Quiet of Things Misplaced #37.

The works on the plinths in the foreground are by Julie Montgarrett, Circumstance. Going Bush: Beardo by Sera Waters is on the back wall on the right.

Different views of the same works, and with my work, Silence, in the corner on the right. I wanted it to be seen from across the gallery because up close it's more difficult to see. The plinth is 176cm high, so not everyone is able to see the figures or the textile up close.

On the wall on the right is Interlaced Manuscript 3 by Carly Scoufos.

I think all the works on the wall on the left are by Meredith Hughes (Image Portal), the piece in the middle is Jennifer Robertson's The Making of a Slow Journey. The red piece is hemispheres: drawn to you, still by Michele Elliot.



The hanging work is Would you like some cake? by Tania Spencer. Anton Veenstra's Sailor Boy (and another work) is in the middle, and Family Portrait (Friday) by Demelza Sherwood is on the right.


Demelza's work again, Cresside Collette's Twenty Four Evocations of the Wet/Dry Landscape, and The Dusting Cloth by Belinda Von Mengersen.


Another view of The Dusting Cloth, then Cecilia Heffer's Contemporary Lace - An Aerial Landscape Suite.

Framework by Esther Paleologos is the hanging work on the left. Brook Morgan's Untitled is in the middle, and Paula do Prado's Almas Gemelas/Twin Souls is hanging on the right.


Paula's work again, then Alana Clifton-Cunningham's Second Glance, and I am part of a living city by Michelle Harmer.

This last work is Lucy Irvine's The Traveller.


I haven't had professional shots of my work taken as the plinth was made for the work by the gallery, and I didn't see it complete until I went to the opening. My not-very-good shot is below. A better photo is at the end of the post.


A close-up shot of the textile which is over the top of the work.

The opening weekend included a number of artist's talks. These photos aren't in chronological order. The first is Tania Spencer.

Two shots of me giving my talk.


Elisa Markes-Young

Demelza Sherwood

Carly Scoufos

Brook Morgan

Belinda Von Mengersen

Anton Veenstra

Alana Clifton-Cunningham


Elisa's partner Christopher Young is a photographer, and he took some infinitely better photos of the show and the artists' talks. The photo of me is from this post of his blog The Zebra-Factory.


This photo of Silence is from this post.


Christopher has also given more thoughtful remarks about the works in the show. Here is his description of my work:

"Rodney Love's work - a collection of figures shrouded by a cloth - was installed on top of a plinth which approximated his own height. This made the viewing of the work in close proximity obviously very difficult but nonetheless invited effort and curiosity from viewers. He was rather dismissive of his personal reasoning behind this particular work in his artist talk and statement with his rationale being that the ambiguity in the work should encourage narrative development (or access) on behalf of the viewer. That said, there were many conflicts in the work that I found interesting and that require addressing.

"The major one being that the figures are chaotically arranged under the shroud yet the shroud itself is refined and beautifully made. The later aspect appears then ritualistic rather than a simple, respectful covering of the recently (and seemingly randomly collected) deceased. The dead are ceremonially arranged symmetrically in most cultures - ie. graves are set in grids - so I'm not sure about the chaos in the work. Ultimately, it reminded of a key work from Walker Evans and how aspects of that work overlap with ideas explored here. That is, without it's caption but within context (together with FSA photographs of depression-era America), it's ambiguity could prove problematic."