Saturday, October 22, 2011

beginnings

My artwork from the recent years has been very universal, deliberately so. I knew the time had come to get more personal, reveal my soul a bit more. When 'Beginnings' got chosen as the exhibition title by group R, my initial feeling was that it would point to exploring my roots, as I'm far away from my native country and never explored it in my art. But I didn't even get home from the meeting, before I realised I was in the middle of living a significant 'beginning'. I was six months down the track from a separation - hence the silence here on the blog! - getting used to just being me, taking turns looking after our children, being back in paid work. I had no need to look any further for inspiration did I...

I had an instant vision of expressing the various emotions I've been going through as well as the different roles I juggle between through a collection of garments. I saw some of them them being quite unwearable as the inside and outside would be just as expressive. Private vs public. Feelings inside vs the image you see on the surface. Putting on social masks? Sometimes the inside would be way too prickly or painful to actually wear ON your body!

group "R"

There are five of us (6 to start with) textile/fibre related creatives, who have been getting together once a month since May, plotting a group exhibition to be held next year. When we get together 3-4 hours just fly by. Coffee group it isn't, even though we fit in some drinks and treats as well. The discussions are intense and hugely inspirational. There is a sense of openness, sharing a journey and supporting each other in our creative growth and discovery.

We have the whole Refinery Artspace in our use for October 2012. I'm quite familiar with the gallery as I've had my work hanging there twice at the Changing Threads National Fibre Arts Awards.The main space is big with lots of natural light, high in the ceiling; front is intimate and lit by spotlights.

To start with we discussed a name for our group in great length, as well as a vision statement and a theme for the exhibition. Each of our input has truly revealed who we are as individuals. We have come up with all of the above, but nothing is written in stone and I suspect that the name "R" and vision are of less importance for the time being, as the process itself has pulled us together. Now we are even getting very open about our common theme or exhibition title "Beginnings". There is an underlying trust that we are under way and various techniques and styles will somehow gel as we keep working together.

There are two other bloggers in the group. Check out Jo and Meg!