CRAFTED OBJECTS AND NEW AGE MUSEUM ARTEFACTS EXHIBITION IN AUSTRALIA Vishna Collins

Fairfield City žuseum & Gallery, a centre of excellence in contemporary textile and fibre arts in Sydney, hosted a cutting edge international fashion exhibition entitled Blurring the Boundaries, Fashion žesign Innovation in Contemporary Knitting from 2Šth June to 13th August 2006.

Blurring the Boundaries was a juried exhibition. Thirty artists were selected for their independent spirit and design innovation. Some artist’s work reflected their personal journeys, others touched on broader social issues such as the environment, ecology, natural history, feminine aesthetics, politics, spirituality and colonialism. They tapped into the current resurgence of the art of knitting and transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary.

and cotton object with a heavy armour like quality, a symbol of raw energy and power. Tasmanian designer, Jan Dineen created Tiger, a hauntingly evocative machine knitted multi-layered ensemble. This object makes a political statement about her reaction to the recent auction of a Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger€ rug, which was made up of eight pelts, sewn together as a buggy rug. žillinery designer from Germany, Constance Willems, created a whimsical hand crafted Raffia hat, with a red and white cotton headband, shading the head from the hot summer’s day. Australian designer, Zlatka Sirakova’s Vinx, is a stunning elasticised, lacy machine knitted leotard made from Caoutchouc (rubber€ and polyester yarn. These serve as the primary materials to open up new possibilities in cloth.

Australia’s emerging textile artist Zoe žacDonnell created Imagining the Body, a skeletal mini dress from knitted fabric with silk, layering and printing to create a kind of second skin. This object of ethereal beauty is reminiscent of photomicrography of the human body and botanic cellular tissues.

Japanese designer Kiyoko Sakurabayashi created Courtesan III, a wispy cobweb corset hand knitted with wool, mohair and stainless steel wire. It’s about feminist aesthetics and the power of women. Danish designer, Žouise Wahlgreen’s Bubble, a wispy machine knitted mohair, nylon, cotton, Žycra object suggested a cocoon like quality, a beguiling, revealing object combining elements of fragility and strength. žieko Asada, Japanese designer created Red žream, a hand knitted wool, silk

Sandra Backlund, a Swedish designer, created Perfect Hurts, a big and bold hand knitted mini dress made up of forty-four hand knitted pieces. Australian designer Žiz Gemmell’s versatile and multi layered hand knitted Steeled Silk is made from a combination of silk, stainless steel yarn, and wool yarn. Žiz was fascinated by the unique characteristics of this new yarn, which can be pulled or twisted into peaks and still retain the shapes created.

Blurring the Boundaries was about experimentation, the diversity of knitted structures, finishes and meaning. It was about reinventing the classics and the way two and three dimensional forms shape, wrap, conceal, cocoon and transform the body. It paid homage to the art of knitting and celebrated the work of

artists who have transformed the domestic craft into the most exciting textile medium capable of stunning diversity.

In the Western world knitting has emerged as a worldwide phenomenon. Hand knits are fashionable again, and there is a resurgence of craft arts and stay-at-home activities. With the introduction of experimental yarns, new technologies, and manufacturing processes, a new generation of designers has emerged. They have recognised the merits and potential of the art of knitting in various contexts and created a new language of clothes.

The hunger for hand crafted objects is a response to the fast pace of life and mass market consumerism. There is the desire for simple living and a renewed appreciation for hand crafted objects. Knitting has universal appeal; the meditative and therapeutic qualities are highly praised.

Knitting is a reminder of community values of a golden age in our history, when Australia rode on the sheep’s back. An example of how community arts can bring people together and keep them physically and mentally healthy and alert. ■

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About the author Vishna Collins is a Sydney based independent curator and exhibition designer, specialising in fashion curation and sartorial display. Her ongoing research focuses on Australian women’s textile history, contemporary fashion and

Wearable Art. Her žaster of žuseum Studies thesis, Body Adorned and the Art of žress: The History the Phenomenon of Wearable Art; traces the history of Wearable Art and its influence on contemporary design practice. vishnacollins@optusnet.com.au

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Louise Wahlgreen/DK: "Bubble" and "Blow" Photo: žartin de Thurah Zoe MacDonnell/AUS: "Imagining the Body" Photo: John Kilby Jan Dineen/AUS: "Tiger" Photo: Peter Whyte Sandra Backlund/S: "Perfect Hurts" Photo: Vishna Collins Slatka Sirakova/AUS: "Vinx" Photo: Slatka Sirakova Liz Gemmel/AUS: "Steeled Silk" Photo: Vishna Collins Mieko Asada/Japan: "Red Dream" Photo: žieko Asada Kiyoko Sakurabayashi/J: "Courtesan III" Photo: K. Sakurabayashi Constance Willems/D: Straw Sun Knit Hat Photo: C. Willems

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