Looking Back

This is going to end up as two posts.  I want to look back at my 4 weeks of the Residency and sum up my experience.  However that’s not as easy as it sounds.

So let’s start with the easy bit.  During the last 3-4 days of my time there, I set up a small exhibition.  Mostly so I could actually see what I had achieved.  I found it to be a very encouraging activity.

The poster on the left was the poster the museum used to advertise my workshops.  They gave it to me as I left after the 2nd workshop.

I had been using the wall to display things but the books and boxes had just been put to one side, so it was good to see them out altogether.

I’m still working through what I’ve learned outside of the techniques of how to make new-to-me style books and boxes.

Which is why there will be another post on Saturday where I’m hoping to give a more coherent expression of my thoughts.  Some friends have given me some questions as prompts to help my thinking.

But what do I know so far?

I think that the difficulty arises from not setting down expectations for the 4 weeks.  If you write down expectations, then at the end you have something to consider.  Have any of the expectations been met?  What expectations weren’t met and why?

What do I know didn’t happen?  Well I had told myself - but didn’t write it down - that I would take a walk round the park every day.  I went twice in the 20 days!  I did however walk to the bus stop 6 times.  Plus a couple of longish walks from the station to the venue when I visited two different exhibitions.

I had also told myself I would drink more water.  To be honest a teaspoon of water would be more than I usually drink outside of my 5 cups of instant coffee a day!  I took a water bottle with my name on it specifically for this task.  It never even got wet.

Based on my application form, the museum had written about me as follows:

A visit to the ‘Dancing in Fetters’ exhibition at Fremantle Prison, WA inspired her current textile work in Captivity, Freedom and Identity.  Integrating her own creative writing into these pieces adds a personal dimension to her exploration.  During the residency, Bernice wants to develop these themes further through writing and experimenting with different techniques.

Bernice will consider the historical context of the First Fleet’s arrival and the experiences of convicts sent from the UK, however she aims to broaden this exploration to encompass other forms of captivity, particularly depression and freedom, examining their impact on identity. 

My response to this in my Residency Diary at the end of my first week:

In my application I said I would build up a portfolio of research, photographs, creative writing and samples which will inform my work on my return home.  Whilst the Museum has said they won’t hold me to any of the things I said in the application, I do need to do something!

I have photographs at home of the various convict sites we have visited.  I was thinking of going to the Parramatta Female Factory but I think I will give it a miss.  Also at home I have done quite a bit of research using AI on captivity and also used ArtHelper for ideas for pieces of work.  I’ve also got my Australian Connections to look at.

Well, apart from the mock up of a hanging expressing the England/Australia Connection, I have done none of the above.

This post has turned out to be somewhat negative.  The next post will definitely need to be more positive.

So to cheer you up, have a look at the Museum’s latest blog post Artist in Residence Q&A. Plus a nice view from the beach at Carss Park.

Here’s hoping you still want to come back on Saturday.

Bernice

Sadly I am unable to reply to your comments here at the moment as Blogger has blocked replies.  I cannot sort it out until I get home in a couple of weeks.  But please do leave me a comment. Don’t forget to leave your name.

And it's done!

The residency is over.  I’ve packed up and left the park.

However since my last post I’ve done lots of things.  I taught a repeat of the workshop to 5 ladies - 4 of whom were total papercraft beginners.  We had a glorious time.  They were all very enthusiastic and chatty.

Back at the park I made 4 new collages and cut 2 gel prints to put on a page but haven’t decided what to collage onto them.

I tried the sea water wash again.  At home I may print out some of my photos of the park on tissue paper and glue them onto the concertina books.  Or I may not!

I didn’t like the piece I made that was about my Australian Connections.  However I saw a painting on Instagram which gave me an idea for a hanging.  I printed papers on the gel plate using cling film to make the papers look more like breakdown printing.  Then I cut them up into rectangles to represent the patchwork of fields you can see when you fly over England.  I collaged them back together with a small brown section to represent Australia.  I don’t usually do mockups.  I just think of what a hanging might look like and dye the fabrics.  Becca has suggested I make a reverse one too - so mostly brown fabrics with the green patch.

I’ve also made a triangle book, a 2 rectangular Masu boxes - one with a lid - and made a hinged box where the lid isn’t the same depth as the base.  This is because I have an idea fermenting about suitcases.  More about that in the future.  While I’ve been making all these books I’ve been trying to think how they will work in fabric.  That’s a project for the next few months at home.

I had thought this would be the last blog post about the residency but it won’t be.  Next week I’ll post my thoughts about the whole experience. 

I hope you will join me for that.

Bernice

PS. Sadly I am unable to reply to your comments here at the moment as Blogger has blocked replies.  I cannot sort it out until I get home in a couple of weeks.

The Countdown Has Begun

The last few days here in the park!

In the last couple of days I’ve made more 15cm square collages.  I’ve made 24 altogether so far this residency.  Still time to make some more!

The next one isn’t really a collage.  It’s a gel plate print I made on wet strength tissue.  Currently I don’t want to add anything to it but you never know what will happen in the future.

I made another blizzard book using the left overs from image transfer prints.  The originals were on a really good quality paper and with the addition of the acrylic paint became quite leathery.  I have kept the outer cards from various ready meals I’ve eaten and used those to make tags which I covered in gel prints.  They all have a blue colour print on one side and yellow on the other.

10cms tall

This blizzard book has given me ideas for a textile piece when I get home - providing I can think of a way to stiffen the fabric for the spine.

I did some paper weaving with a couple of the b&w prints I brought with me.  One was the emblem on Andy’s Australian Citizenship Certificate and the other was a map of Bulimba where my Dad was born.

I also made 3 little boxes from gel prints. They fit inside each other. The largest is 6.7 cms square.

I have started some more sea washed pieces but I’ll leave that for Saturday’s post.  This one is already a bit too long.

Well done for getting to the end.  See you next time.

Bernice