The magical neverending box of treats

Not too long ago, a couple of very large boxes all the way from South Australia arrived at our doorstep. They were huge!

We opened them and started pulling piles upon piles of newspaper packaging...

You could fill the room with all that newspaper!

It was all worth it though. Carefully packaged in those boxes were lovely ceramics from Charmain Hearder which are now sitting pretty in the shop.

Come have a gander!

Alana Clifton-Cunningham: Visible Markings

Arm Sling

Currently nestled in Gallery 3 is Alana Clifton-Cunningham's fabulous show, Visible Markings: New Knitting. Exploring the nature of wool and pushing the boundaries about the way the material can be manipulated, Alana creates spectacular 3D tactile works of art that would look good on your body or on a wall. Most of the works have been knitted using a machine, while some are hand knitted and are truly a sight to behold.

Alana's exhibition will be on until 25 July. We'll be featuring Alana in an upcoming edition of Introducing... so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, a word from the artist:

Shoulder Wrap (foreground), Gloves (background)

Alana Clifton-Cunningham utilises traditional and contemporary knitting techniques to explore the knitted form as a kind of ‘second skin’. Knitting here functions as a vehicle for ‘deconstruction’, with familiar garment edifices transformed into disarticulated ‘body pieces’. These ‘body pieces’ cocoon and distort regions or portions of the human body, challenging our understanding of clothing structures. Clifton-Cunningham incorporates elements of mixed media in her design practices including laser cut timber veneer and leather, exploring juxtapositions such as hard and soft, rough and smooth, mass and gradation.

Neck pods (detail)

In this new body of work, Clifton-Cunningham focuses on the traditional practice of body scarification, a tactile language inscribed onto the surface of the skin that is often misunderstood due to popular Western misconceptions and negative connotations. Within this work, body scarring has been utilised in conjunction with knitting as a form of symbolism exploring the concepts of gender, protection and identity. In some cultures scarring signifies a ‘rite of passage’: sexual maturity, the journey from childhood to adulthood, or social acceptance. Other forms of scarification serve the purpose of tribal identification, spiritual protection, or aesthetic beautification. Visible Markings appropriates patterning techniques from the tradition of scarification to place knitting at the forefront of a politics of the body.

Shoulder Shield

Alana Clifton-Cunningham is a fashion and textile designer based in Sydney and has been a full-time academic within the Fashion and Textile Design course at UTS. Her area of specialisation examines the perceptions of contemporary knitting, and interrogates the notion of ‘deconstruction’ by looking beyond traditional knitted coverings for the body. To date, Alana has completed a Masters in Design (Hons) through the College of Fine Art, University of NSW.

Gloves (detail)

Collar

Second skin: wall pieces with Neck Pods (foreground)

Photography by Alexia Skok

PANTONE POM POM: opens tomorrow night!

We can't even begin to express how excited we are about Anita Cummins' exhibition Pantone Pom Pom, which opens tomorrow at Mailbox 141! Anita is Assistant Retail Manager here at CVHQ, and tomorrow evening she is Super Awesome Artist opening her very first solo show.

Over the next two months, Anita will be taking over the space at Mailbox 141 with her beautiful handmade pom poms. Sound familiar? Visitors to the May Craft Hatch market will remember Anita's lovely work and if you've been to COUNTER lately you might have noticed some very lovely machine and hand-knitted scarves - made by Anita herself of course!

An exploration of colour, landscape and urban topographies, Pantone Pom Pom is a satellite exhibition that is part of our upcoming Craft Cubed festival program. Anita's exhibition will run until 22 August.


Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening for a drink at Mailbox 141, located at the entrance of 141-143 Flinders Lane (where The Narrows is).

Introducing... Simon Lloyd

This week meet Simon Lloyd, who recently showed his exhibition Gleaning Potential in Gallery 1 here at Craft Victoria. We hope you managed to catch this marvellous show consisting of familiar objects re-made with not-so-familiar materials (paper spoons anyone?), a block of pitch attached to the ceiling which unfortunately fell victim to gravity and of course, the wonderful replica of Simon's studio.

To view more images of Simon's exhibition, click here. You also must have a look at the animation Anika (CV web genius) put together of Simon during the installation of Pitch Drop - amazing!

Could you tell us a bit about how the premise for Gleaning Potential developed and evolved into its form during your exhibition in Gallery 1 (1 May – 13 June 2009)?
Gleaning Potential evolved as a response, an investigation into the primal ideas that inform my design practice. The objects that l value most are straight forward functional tools, the spade, a cooking pan, a hammer. Here the qualities of numbers of materials are united in a team effort to optimise functional needs. We know about these materials: wood, iron, stone, leather, glass and many more, they are ancient. The hammers wooden shaft made from resilient Ash fine grained, strong and durable supporting the heavier forged iron head. In the end it becomes a dialogue about materials and their behavioural potential. So in a way the collection of fragments made from a range of materials becomes a logical step. Each of these fragments becomes a miniature model, whose material qualities and form might become expanded to provide some basis for a functional object. It’s also about comprehending an object and in so doing being able to relate to that object. This all sounds really basic but l feel it’s very important. Today so much of making, the manufacturing process of the objects we utilise happens in isolation. We need to work hard to fill in the gaps, to re acquaint ourselves with the concepts, with the ways by which these materials are manipulated to produce what we use. I feel it’s important to give clues about such processes within the finished designed object reminding the user as to what has taken place, to fill in the gaps. Within the exhibition space at Craft Victoria l placed finished work along side the gleaned fragments that in some way provided material and functional pathways to guide my design thinking.

Gleaning Potential is about exploring, finding and examining objects. Do you view it as a never-ending, infinite project or otherwise?
We all glean, it becomes in a way part of our human nature. The very act of looking becomes an act of gleaning. From such information we make sense of our environment, we gather knowledge, information we may later apply. My gleaning practice of physically collecting objects has been of great value, however it may not be sustainable. Rather the gleaning takes on new forms, new imperatives that drive my inquiries. This period of inquiry has generated many ideas. Thoughts about skills/non skills, the ‘home made’, producing a solution to a problem within the confines of available materials/resources. The failure of plastics as a stand-in for more durable materials with substance. The ways by which materials may be united in specific design projects. I am drawn here to the idea of a ceramic jug with a wooden handle.

By re-casting ordinary objects into other materials, what are you hoping to uncover/achieve?
The idea of shifting the form of one material to another is an intriguing idea. So much modelling within design schools today employs blue foam, and yet this material also has its say in any solution. Clay offers new thoughts as does wire or card. Each outcome is determined by the medium and our physical response to that material. As part of Gleaning Potential I explored paper as a modelling medium. Later I transposed the paper outcome to plastic and then again to ceramic. In this way I can in some way draw together some elements, some experience of all three materials.

What has been your best find ever?
Of the many hundreds of Gleaned fragments l have collected one favourite comes to mind. This small mass is of charred news print, from some glossy magazine. Composed of some thirty layers the images are still clear in orange and blue grey but reversed out. So delicate that it might be blown away and yet durable enough to become a future concept. That’s the wonder of the spectrum of matter that is on offer out in our environment.

…and the most obscure?
One can never pre determine the type of fragments that may be found, rather one should be prepared to recognise and accept such fragments at any time they may present.

Do you have a pattern or routine for gleaning?
In the same way we become interested in a particular form we realise that form is every where. Claus Oldenburg began sculpting Ray guns in the late 1960’s. After a while he realised that it wasn’t necessary to make them he could simply pick them up from the sidewalk.

If you could do anything in the world tomorrow, what would you do? And last but not least, one thing you can't live without?
Finally you ask the questions, if l could do anything in the world tomorrow what would l do, and to name one thing l can’t live without? These become difficult questions. One becomes the amplification of my present experience although l have always wanted to experience the Scandinavian mid summers day. The second will be understood when it’s missing l guess.

Murray/Davies/Clifton-Cunningham opening night

Last Thursday evening was the opening night of CVHQ's new exhibition program which consists of The World of Small Things, a group show curated by Kevin Murray, Morphed by Emma Davies and Visible Markings: New Knitting by Alana Clifton-Cunningham. Guest speakers included Soumitri Varadarajan, Magdalena Moreno and Julia Raath.

There was a wonderful turnout as friends, family and fans of the artists were out in full force. Here are some photos from the night, and to view more images from the opening night, visit the Facebook album (and add us as a friend if you haven't already!)

The exhibitions run until Saturday 25 July.

Following on from yesterday's post on Emma's exhibition Morphed, expect more photos on CLOG very soon, so stay tuned.

Photography by Alexia Skok, as always. Thanks Alexia!

Hey! It's Rob from Fresh 2008!

We're sure lots of you saw The Age's M Magazine pullout last Sunday, but did you know that cover star Robert Dumaresq was part of Craft Victoria's Fresh! lineup last year? A rising star indeed.

Robert also recently took home the James Dyson prize (part of the Australian Design Awards) for his Switch Commuter Bike. Congratulations Robert!

Emma Davies: Morphed

On Sunday evening, the very lovely (and dextrous) Emma Davies was featured on ABC's Sunday Arts program. You can view her segment shortly on the ABC website and you'll be sure to hear from us when it's up and running.

In the meantime, have a peek at Emma's Gallery 2 exhibition Morphed which features anthropomorphic creatures made from her signature material, polypropylene.

From left to right: Enitan, Ntombi, Kgosi, Nkosana, Lucky, Alaba

Mosadi Wakonokono - means 'woman of substance'

Lucky

Nkosana - means 'prince'

Nkosana (detail)

Ntombi - means 'lady'

Enitan - means 'person of story'

Enitan (detail)

Zola, means 'quiet, tranquil' (sold)

Titandure - means 'loving one'



Tariro - means 'hope' (sold)


Rutendo (detail)

All work is for sale and come with either their respective recycled tin or timber fixture. Made from black polypropylene, these sculptures measure approximately 44cm high though this changes depending on the posture of each. The price range of the works are between $1,500 and $1,800.

To find out more, please give us a call on 03 9650 7775.

Photography by the lovely Alexia Skok - thank you Alexia!

Kyoko Osato : Handwoven

Here's a look at our current enCOUNTER exhibition featuring a range of beautiful felted winter scarves by Kyoko Osato. Intricately woven, some of the scarves feature delicate lattices of wool while some resemble seaweed strung together. With names like Seaweed scarf and coral scarf, it's not surprising!

And now for a word from Kyoko:

Although there are so many different techniques and colours that can be used in weaving, I choose to use simple structures in order to explore the variations possible within a particular space and no more than two colours on a piece. Felting technique gives a formation to the woven piece just like a child become an adult. The combination of these techniques and elements gives my scarf a 'less is more' contemporary look. Using soft lambswool, I try to combine the practical with the aesthetic to create wearable art.

Kyoko's scarves range from $76 to $130. There are also more of her scarves stocked at COUNTER at the moment, don't forget to come downstairs after you're done ogling!

Handwoven will be on display 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at our streetside display window enCOUNTER until 5 July.

The rainbow connection...

Check out these lovely mittens Pene Durston dropped off last week! Hand dyed in every colour imaginable and in a gorgeous lambswool/angora mix, these mittens come in an extra long length to keep you warm (well, up to your elbows at least).

Yes, they are as soft as they look.

With winter almost upon us, it couldn't be better timing. Priced at $55 a pair, these gloves will see you through this winter, and the next, and the next, and the next....

Introducing... Brydie Dyson

This week, CLOG is very proud to feature Brydie Dyson, one of COUNTER's stockists and one of Melbourne's nicest people. Using fibre art and paper as her main medium, Brydie tucks, folds and sews her chosen material into some of the loveliest objet d'art we've ever seen.

When she's not busy crafting away, Brydie manages a beautiful shop in Olinda called MINE, which according to her is "ethical and creative space that harbours the passions of crafters, artists and designers who create well-made children's goods."

Sounds divine!

Without further ado, please read away and be sure to check out Brydie's blog - it's a really good read!

Paper is definitely a wonderful medium to work with. What drew you to the material initially, and what do you like about it the most?
Paper is so lovely to work with! I have always been drawn to utilizing paper over another medium because of its accessibility and its affordability. Whenever I’d feel like creating I’d pool my surrounding resources together and make. It usually happened to be with paper.

Paper can be a really adaptable medium. I can create some amazing textural depths and sculpted variances by simple and workable methods. It’s easily folded, cut, and torn.

However, sometimes, no matter what I try to create, the paper dictates the direction of its form- I find this a great challenge to work with and try to pre-empt its development and build around it. I feel like I am my paper’s apprentice.

Using second-hand materials allows me to work in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. I would like to further this and explore options on how I could continue to reduce my footprint on the environment through my craft.

I use a lot of old books. The foxing (discolouring) of the pages is a beautiful counterbalance to the imprinted black text and images. When you open an old book so many things can transport you through someone else’s world. The smell of the pages, the discarded bookmarks, the personal scribes of the previous book-owner; all this is part of the joy of the process.

At the same time, it is quite slow and repetitive work. For a single paper urchin (pictured below) to reach completion it goes through 2.5 hours of the making process.

The fragility of the medium and the wearer’s relationship with the jewellery is something I play with in the conceptual side to my craft. The work challenges the social conventions of preserving art objects by suggesting that possessions can evolve over time and command their own aesthetics, becoming even more beautiful and well crafted by their own accord through the natural wear and tear of the object.

Could you please tell us about your other life as manager of MINE? It sounds like a wonderful shop with an especially great initiative!
MINE is fantastic! Two of my wonderful and creative friends, Victoria Clarke and Carolyn Deutsher initiated MINE Kids in Olinda last July in the Dandenong Ranges, and asked me to be the manager for the space. The two Hills Mums were inspired by the local artisans who were making amazing children’s goods and working in ethical and sustainable ways, using natural fibres and organic processes.

We support the crafts of local and Australian designers and artists who make toys, furniture, clothing, bedding and art-objects for children through a retail space and our exhibition window. In our exhibition space we have represented the work of Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison, Elaine Haby (a.k.a. Thelma), and Vanessa Oter. Sometimes we hold events for kids. The last was a puppet show, performed by Penelope Arvanitakis with handmade finger puppets, an accompanying zine, and a puppet stage… and free popcorn!

We’ve got a call out at the moment to makers of children’s goods who’d like to exhibit in our window space for the later part of 2009 to mid-2010. They can email me for more information.


Have any artists or fellow makers been a great inspiration for you?
I admire the work of a Finnish paper jeweller, Janna Syvanoja. One day I dream of contacting her and being her mentee.

Emma van Leest, Kylie Stillman, Peter Callesan and Chris Natrop are amazing paper artists. They are masters of their craft. I highly recommend you check out their work if you haven’t done so before.

Kei Takemura is a Japanese artist who I have had the pleasure to be in postal contact with. She embroiders murals of rooms and forms onto silk, and has initiated mending broken vessels through wrapping and sewing. Her embroidery is very texturally complex, and utterly beautiful.

I have been a keen follower of Gracia and Louise’s collaborative work for a while now. I especially love their zines and artists books. Pene Durston is an incredibly skilled advocate for the DIY culture and cottage industries, and Stewart Russell and the Spacecraft team create amazing design products and art collaborations with their screenprinting.

Are there any enviable craft skills that you’d like to learn?
YES! Printmaking, bookbinding, moulding and firing with clay and porcelain, glass blowing, knitting with patterns. crochet, sewing with patterns…Oh, the list goes on!

What gets you in the mood to create?
Nothing fuels my work more strongly than a deadline! This is followed by guilt of neglect, which is then followed by seeing through with a spontaneous idea.

My amazing and talented family and friends and my gorgeous partner are all fantastic impetus for getting creative.

Going and seeing a performance or exhibition, reading a book, or remembering to take the time to admire the beauty of our many varying landscapes are all very good mood-setters for a little creativity, also.

What is your most favourite thing in the world right now?
Right now? Big woollen scarves, pots of tea, line-drawing (both the contemporary and not so recent), having a stem of Banksia ashbyi on my study desk, Aesop’s Tuberose lip heal, and most importantly, cuddles.

And finally, what would your dream project entail?
Within the next five years I hope to establish my own business –The Fur of the Sloth – artist book space. This business is to function as a semi-government supported gallery, substantial library, resource space, studio workshop and educational seminar house for primary/secondary/tertiary students, hobbyists and professionals interested in researching or undertaking skills within the specialised area of multiples and artist-book making and appreciation. The space will also contain a retail section dedicated to artist-books, as well as the more commonly collected zine made by the strong community of Australian artist-book makers, as well as from the international arena.

I envision within the space, a very petite coffee stand and drinking corner, called make&take. For me, reading and coffee go almost always hand in hand – and Melbourne is obsessed by the café!

There will be staff members, artists and curious customers that will have illustrated onto sheets of waxed paper and learned how to turn them into a cup. These cups are what the customer’s coffee will come in!

My ambition is for this specialist business to hold the most substantial collection of artist-books within Australia, and run as a working affiliate with peer institutions such as the State Library of Victoria.