Australian artist Matthys Gerber

During the week I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks, Sydney, to see two retrospectives for two Australian artists: Mattys Gerber and Aleks Danko, plus this year's Primavera. Gerber references historical and popular culture in his work, much like the Pop artists of the 60s. Danko is Australia's significant Conceptual Artist (where the idea has primacy over the object).

Mattys Gerber's 'Self portrait' 2002

Mattys Gerber's 'Schoon'#2 2005

Mattys Gerber's 'Sydney' 2003

MatthyS Gerber's 'Slomo' 2014

Matthys Gerber's 'Let it be me'

Aleks Danko's retrospective is titled ' My Fellow Aus-tra-aliens'. It spans 5 decades of work, from the late 1960s to recent installations. He constantly draws on his own history, especially his suburb, which to him is banal and anti-intellectual. The simple red house is a reoccurring motif as is the mask.

Aleks Danko's 'Songs of Australia'

Aleks Danko's 'Songs of Australia'

Aleks Danko's 'Songs of Australia'

Aleks Danko's

Aleks Danko's 'Songs of Australia'


55th Venice Biennale 2013

We visited Venice for the first time in 2013 and therefore it was also our first visit to a Venice Biennale. There are two main venues for the Biennale - the Giardini (the pavilions for many countries are here, including Australia's) and the centuries old Arsenale (the majority of Venice's maritime trading vessels were built here). The title of this Biennale was 'The Encyclopaedic Palace', chosen by the Biennale's curator Massimiliano Gioni. The title references a design submitted by an Italian-American self-taught artist , Marino Auriti, in 1955 to a US Patents Office for an imaginary museum to house all the worldly knowledge accumulated by the human race. It was never actually built - only the scale model - if it had been realised it would have been 136 storeys and would have covered an area of 16 square city blocks! The model was exhibited a couple of times and then forgotten in a warehouse, only to be resurrected and displayed in the Arsenale for this Biennale. Like Auriti's palace, the 55th Venice Biennale exhibited contemporary artworks as well as historical artifacts and works. We visited every pavilion in the Giardini and saw every work in the stupendous Arsenale! An exhausting programme to set ourselves but everything we saw remains totally memorable for us. And we came across many other sites around Venice that were being used to exhibit works by individual artists. I am only going to share a miniscule number of exhibits with you on my blog.

Moi with my Philip in Venice

The 55th Venice Biennale - Marino Auriti's scale model for an imaginary 'Encyclopaedic Palace' in the Arsenale

Cathy Wilke's installation in the 55th Venice Biennale 2013

Cathy Wilke's installation was in the Central pavilion in the Giardini. She is an Irish artist. Visitors did not have to view this installation on its outskirts - you could actually move into the installation! It was a very enigmatic work. Difficult to give it a 'reading'. Cathy Wilkes has said when writing about her work that it is 'inhabited by both the living and the dead'.

The U.S.A. Pavilion in the Giardini - the 55th Venice Biennale - Sarah Sze's installation titled 'Triple Point (Gleaner) 2013

The 'Gleaner' is Sarah Sze's teetering construction descending from the top of the American Neo-Classical pavilion, outside its main entrance. We had to enter the pavilion from a side door!

Sarah Sze's installation occupied every room in the American Pavilion. She spent weeks in Venice prior to the opening of the Biennale collecting detritus around Venice for this installation. Some of the rooms looked like laboratories. The rooms appeared to be filled with specimens and samples. We call these types of installations 'catalogue-collection' installations. It appears that she has moved huge boulders into the installation (2nd image from the left) but they are made of tyvek which are then painted.

The Zany Cafe in the Giardini - 55th Venice Biennale 2013

Eva Kotatkova's 'Asylum' - 55th Venice Biennale

For this 'Asylum' installation Eva Kotatkova collaborated with patients at the Bohnice psychiatric hospital outside Prague. The installation is populated with the strange visions of psychiatric patients. The metal constructions represent cruel restraints.

The Philip Cox designed Australian Pavilion in the Giardini, Venice. This has been replaced since 2013.

Simryn Gill was the Australian artist represented in the Australian Pavilion for the 55th Venice Biennale

Vadim Zakharov's 'Danae' in the Russian Pavilion in the Giardini, Venice. The man up the ladder represents business people

Zakharov's 'Danae' is a representation of the Danae myth. Danae was seduced by Zeus - Perseus was the result! Zeus always disguised himself when he was intent on seducing a mortal woman. He came in the form of a golden shower to Danae. The installation is on two levels in the Russian Pavilion. Only women were allowed into the lower level. Women had to enter with a transparent umbrella to protect them from the shower of golden coins from the roof above. We women were allowed to keep one golden coin! Men and women were allowed on the upper level. Notice the hole in the floor in the image below. I was so intent on watching the machine taking the coins up to the roof that unwittingly I had moved to the edge of the hole. I happened to look down just in time before I moved- I may not have fallen right through but I would have done some damage. No such thing as Occupational Health & Safety here!

The Arsenale, 55th Venice Biennale. A view of Arthur do Rosario's work

Arthur do Rosario's 'Behind the Curtain'

Arthur Bispo do Rosario was a Brazilian artist who spent 50 years confined to a Psychiatric institution because he'd claimed in 1938 that he'd had a visitation from Christ and a horde of blue angels to tell him that he was to present God at the end of time with the contents of the world that he thought worthy of redemption. He was allowed to move freely around the hospital collecting bibs and bobs and materials for his work. He made over 800 embroideries (traditionally it was the men in his hometown who embroidered the religious banners) and sculptures. Some of his sculptures make reference to his time at sea in the navy.

Papa Ibra Tall's tapestry in the Arsenale -55th Venice Biennale 2013

Papa Ibra Tall's tapestry in the Arsenale -55th Venice Biennale 2013

Papa Ibra Tall's tapestry in the Arsenale -55th Venice Biennale 2013

Papa Ibra Tall's tapestry in the Arsenale -55th Venice Biennale 2013

Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Calais Lace Museum 2013

The Calais Lace Museum has a permanent collection of work and machinery from the the city's lace industry, but they also have spectacular exhibitions of contemporary lace or lace-informed works. I was elated to be able to catch this Iris van Herpen exhibition while in Europe in 2013.

Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Calais Lace Museum 2013 - 'REFINERY SMOKE' 2008

This collection is based on the 'illusiveness of industrial smoke. Seen from a distance, smoke provides a fascinating spectacle: at times it seems to be alive but also harbours something sinister as it is often toxic'. These ideas were expressed through manipulating metal gauze which had been subjected to a process to make it soft and pliable. The dresses were a silvery-grey when first created but they have now oxidised to a reddish-brown.

Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Calais Lace Museum 2013 - 'MUMMIFICATION' 2009

This collection was informed by the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification. The idea of wrapping the body is clearly evident in this collection as are the geometric patterns created by the method of wrapping of bodies.

Iris van Herpen exhibition at Calais Lace Museum 2013 - 'RADIATION INVASION' 2009

Iris van Herpen was interested in the 'constant flow of digital information surrounding us in the form of rays.....these rays can only be received through the use of special equipment'. In this collection van Herpen 'expresses the idea that in the future it will be possible to perceive these rays and even mentally manipulate them to change shape'.

Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Calais Lace Museum 2013 - 'SYNESTHESIA' 2010

'Using specially treated leather coated on one side with shiny metallic foil, she creates a bewildering visual effect that makes it difficult for the viewer to understand exactly what she or he is observing'.

Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Calais Lace Museum 2013 - 'CRYSTALLIZATION' 2010

This collection is all about water in its liquid and frozen states. Iris van Herpen collaborated with Bentham Crouel Architects to be able to use a plexiglass-like synthetic to represent the 'splash' around one of the dresses in this collection. This material was moulded with a heat gun. The 3-D printed armadillo-like breast plate was done in collaboration with Daniel Widrig.


Wallpapers by the CAMAC Design Group

Three successful entrants to an annual wallpaper design group organised by CAMAC were on display in the Fashion & Textile Museum with the Zandra Rhodes exhibition. The theme of their brief was 'Archives' and they were required to delve into the Zandra Rhodes Archives and that of Sanderson's.

Blaithin Carline 'Abstract Skylines' - printed and supported by Graham & Brown

Blaithin Carline 'Abstract Skylines' - printed and supported by Graham & Brown

Olivia Brown's untitled work - printed and supported by Graham & Brown

Detail of one of Olivia Brown's designs

Detail of one of Olivia Brown's designs

Olivia Brown's untitled work - printed and supported by Graham & Brown

Detail of Olivia Brown's untitled work - printed and supported by Graham & Brown

Olivia Brown's untitled work - printed and supported by Graham & Brown

Hayat Osman's untitled design - printed and supported by Graham & Brown


Zandra Rhodes Exhibition 2013

An exhibition of Zandra Rhodes garments and process work was shown in her Fashion & Textile Museum in Bermondsey, London in 2013. I have been passionate about her designs since 1971 when I purchased my first Zandra Rhodes outfit, so I was ecstatic about seeing such an extensive body of her work.

The entrance to the Fashion & Textile Museum. Zandra Rhodes opened this museum in 2003 to promote British designers. The building was designed by the Mexican architect Ricard Legoretta.

Entrance into the 'Unseen' exhibition of Zandra Rhodes' exhibition at the Fashion & Textile Museum, London 2013

Zandra Rhodes exhibitio at the Fashion & Textile Museum, Bermondsey, London 2013

In the 1960s and 1970s Zandra Rhodes was known for her prints, but in 1984 she launched into designing patterns to carry hand bead embroidery. She collaborated with artisans in India to produce fully beaded garments. The dress on the left with the assymetrical hemline was titled 'Wish Upon a Star' - 1987.

Zandra Rhodes exhibitio at the Fashion & Textile Museum, Bermondsey, London 2013 - Hand beaded dresses designed by Zandra Rhodes in the 1980s

Zandra Rhodes happened to come into the museum while we were there to be interviewed. She was stunning - her fabulous outfit of course was her own design.

Zandra Rhodes exhibition at the Fashion & Textile Museum, Bermondsey, London 2013

'Conceptual Chic' 1977 by Zandra Rhodes

'Conceptual Chic' 1977 by Zandra Rhodes

Another stunning Bespoke Bodice

This bodice was created by 2nd year UTS Fashion & Textile Design student, Tess Taverner-Hanks. The title of her work was 'Aegis' - conceptually the body under protection. Tess printed onto the calico and embellished it with laser-cut perspex shapes (a repeat of the printed pattern), hand-cut acrylic fronds and very large beading components.

Tess Taverner-Hanks' Bespoke Bodice - 'Aegius'

Detail of Tess Taverner-Hanks' Bespoke Bodice - 'Aegius'

Detail of Tess Taverner-Hanks' Bespoke Bodice - 'Aegius'

Stunning Bespoke Bodices

Stunning Bespoke Bodices by my UTS Fashion & Textile Design Students 2015

In 1st semester, the Fashion & Textile Design students at the University of Technology, Sydney, receive a brief for their assessment project in Bespoke Fashion. This year they were required to make calico, their main fabric, look bespoke through surface design. They could dye, paint, print, manipulate the calico as well as embroider and embellish the fabric. The final product was to be an upper body garment, with off-the-body forms.

Alissar Hammoud's Bespoke Bodice 2015

Detail of Alissar Hammoud's Bespoke Bodice 2015

WELCOME

Mary Brown WELCOMES you to her inaugural blog

I will show you my stitched works and projects in progress, stitched works by my students, friends, and those I view in exhibitions on my blog. I have a visual arts background, so other areas in art & design will appear on my blog as well. Wait and see..........!