Tag: Spotify
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Mun-dirra
Mun-dirra is a monumental installation of woven panels that draw on the indigenous knowledge and technical proficiency of ten Aboriginal women artists. Mun-dirra means “Fish fence” in Burarra, a local language from the Northern Territory of Australia, and the artwork, commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), is on display at the NGV Triennial.…
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How glass beads are changing Australian history
In 2013 a news report alerted archaeologists, researchers and scientists to an unusual find: glass beads of European origin excavated in the Arnhem Land region of Australia. These beads appear to predate European contact with Aboriginal peoples of the country and point to a trade that existed long before colonisation. These small items were, it…
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Shetland Tweed talk
I have been selected to present a paper at this year’s symposium of CTANZ, the Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand. The symposium is in Whangārei at the end of August and this year the theme is Social Fabric, Interconnectedness: Patterns and Diversity. The paper I shall present is about the history and heritage…
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Collections/ Connections
The current exhibition at the Left Bank Art Gallery in Māwhera Greymouth has an interesting premise behind it: the connections between collectors and artists. In this show Friends of the Gallery were asked to choose a piece from their collection to share with someone else, who would respond to it with a piece of their…
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This week’s Spotify playlist
Each week the blog has a curated playlist that goes alongside the articles. The playlist is made up of songs and sounds from Spotify and you can listen to it on the player above, on the app or by following this link and choosing the playlist you would like to hear. If you have a…
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Zambezi (Sweet African)
The Zambezi River, the fourth largest river system in Africa, drains seven countries and provides a livelihood for millions of people who live along its banks, catchment and flow. The lower Zambezi is the most productive and biologically diverse of Africa’s tropical floodplains. The river has given its name to history in many ways: through…
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Pelicans on the wall
A new piece has just been added to the textile collection: a trio of pelicans. The wall hanging has been made from burlap backing with the pelicans, hand-stitched with twines of various hues and padded, fastened to the burlap. The photographs below show the detail of the padded figures, close-up of the feathers and the…
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A little about American Indian beadwork
Before the arrival of European settlers, the people of what is now the Americas used different materials – shells, bone and porcupine quills, amongst others – to make decorative (and portable) items. The coming of the Europeans brought glass beads to trade for furs, hides and food, and these quickly became a desirable item to…
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This week’s Spotify playlist
In this week’s list of music and sound that accompanies the blog there are references to International Women’s Day, wedding dresses, nursing, weaving and more. The playlist is on Spotify and paid subscribers can listen to all the tracks without interruption while free subscriptions will have advertising breaks. Anyone without a subscription will hear extracts…
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Weaving unearthed
Sculptor-weaver, Sue Hiley Harris, is currently showing work at the Ruthin Craft Centre in Wales. This week, Saturday 9th March, the artist will be giving an illustrated talk about the work in the exhibition and the ideas and concepts that led up to it. Weaving Unearthed shows the sculptor’s interest in experimental woven structures and,…