1993

wool and acrylic knitting yarns

36 x 36 x 10 cm

The words knitted into this cushion say Cead Mile Failte. These Gaelic words translate as ‘A Hundred Thousand Welcomes’. This is an old Irish blessing, apparently used frequently in Ireland. My mother’s family came from Ireland, and so I felt that these words were very appropriate ones with which to greet visitors to my home.

The lettering is knitted in dark brown wool, and the background spaces are knitted in various shades of cream, yellow and orange. The overall design has been created to give the impression of ‘stained glass’. My mother, Pat James, knitted the cushion using a graphed form of the design.

made in collaboration with Joyce Newell

2001

75 x 83 x 3 cm (flat)

60 cm diam x 15 cm (displayed on the contoured pillow base)

gouache, acrylic inks, cotton fabric, merino fleece, tussah silk fibres, bulrush and reed paper-pulp

This collage represents the cycle of the seasons, featuring a progression through the full colour spectrum in lettering and various fibres. The circular/oval shape further emphasises this ongoing sequence. Quotations about the seasons, written on fabric, were laid over lightly-felted wool and then natural paper fibres and silk were added. The final felting process blended the colours to further unify the concept.

made in collaboration with Jill Brose

2003

jug: 28 x 18 cm diam, bowl: 11 x 21 cm diam

spun & rusted hemp yarn, palm fibre, dyed raffia, acrylic ink, rusted paper

Archaeologists and anthropologists are able to discover much about how people in past cultures lived and thought by studying their written records, tools and everyday paraphernalia. These people who lived in settled communities left behind a relative treasure-trove of clues.

In contrast, we know very little about the lives of ancient nomadic people. Most wandering tribes had no written language, so their cultural traditions survived only while they were passed down orally through the generations. In addition these wandering people were able to carry only a few essential practical utensils in their travels.

These vessels are woven from fibre wrapped in filaments of text. This symbolises the way modern historians re-create the fabric of past nomadic societies from tiny fragments of their personal possessions. Researchers also use indirect corroborative evidence to tie the threads together as they construct a tangible historical framework for each society.

1999

30 cm

paper maché, photocopied hand-lettered text

This bowl contains inspiring quotes. They are written on gold papers and mounted against black to symbolise the emergence of the creative spirit from the black depths of despair.

1993

30 cm (diameter)

ceramic

The word LETTERS is repeated three times in clay coils. This bowl is used for displaying in-coming mail, so the open mesh effect is quite suitable for this type of container.

made in collaboration with Wendy Sonnenburg & Joyce Newell

2003

60 x 60 x 40 cm

handmade hemp paper, hemp hand-spun yarns, hemp fabric, handmade felt, cotton fabric, commercial papers, commercial yarns, ink

The lives of traditional nomadic peoples were centred around the seasonal cycles. The passage of time and the productivity of the natural world were integral components of their existence.

The lives of twenty-first century nomads are no longer dominated by Father Time and Mother Nature. For modern man, time seems to be always in short supply and our current lifestyles contribute greatly to the destruction of the natural habitat.

This three-dimensional work symbolises this deterioration. Modern nomads have easy access to travel, and virtually no need to consider the seasonal changes for their survival. As a consequence, man's harmonious relationship with time and nature has now disintegrated to the stage where many people no longer value the rhythm of time or the importance of nature.

The spherical shape represents the archetypical earth, and the egg – a self-sufficient ecosystem isolated in space, and containing all the potential hope for the future as well as the blue-print for possible destruction.

made in collaboration with Jill Brose & Sandy Batton

2001

72 x 75 x 85 cm

inks, paints, commercial papers, handmade papers, banana fibre, rayon

This tetrahedral pyramid’s shape of three equilateral triangles, plus base, symbolises the collaboration of three friends. The written texts (in particular about pyramids, and in general about cooperating, and striving to achieve great heights) were integrated with the hand-beaten fibres, handmade papers, textured weaving and assorted found objects. This created a collage in which the designs on the three individual sides merged together to form an integrated whole.

made in collaboration with Heather Barber

2003

60 x 130 x 45 cm

hemp sliver, hemp bast fibre, hemp yarn, hemp fabric, cotton fabric, cane, ink

The shape symbolises the archetypal ‘journey’. The use of many different materials (fabrics, papers, fibres, inks) and various construction techniques (weaving, spinning, knitting, crochet, papermaking) creates a pastiche to represent the immense variety of journeys that can be undertaken both in space and time – evolution of life forms; seed dispersal by plants; migrations by animals; nomadic lifestyles; physical and intellectual growth of a human; development and transmission of cultural ideals; methods of transportation.

The shape symbolises the archetypal ‘journey’. The use of many different materials (fabrics, papers, fibres, inks) and various construction techniques (weaving, spinning, knitting, crochet, papermaking) creates a pastiche to represent the immense variety of journeys that can be undertaken both in space and time – evolution of life forms; seed dispersal by plants; migrations by animals; nomadic lifestyles; physical and intellectual growth of a human; development and transmission of cultural ideals; methods of transportation – all different connotations of the nomadic concept.

2002

ink & gouache on Camphor Laurel timber

twelve cubes, each 7 x 7 x 7cm

21 x 28 x 7 cm (arranged geometrically)

& up to 40 x 40 x 30 cm (arranged randomly)

The Camphor Laurel tree, an introduced species, is invading Queensland's native forests. It is proving to be a ‘stumbling block’ in the environment. Interestingly, it is only after the tree is felled (and is no longer a threat to the habitat) that the fragrance and interesting colour and grain in the timber is revealed - thus proving that sometimes something beautiful can be salvaged from amidst seemingly-desperate situations.

The blocks contain quotations about the importance of preserving the world’s natural forests, and not upsetting the fragile balance of our environment. The texts are written in brown and green tones - representing the cycle of decay and regeneration in nature, and also in human thought processes. Just as people see things from different perspectives, the texts are written at various angles.

The words are legible when the blocks are arranged in three rows and four columns. By rotating the blocks other sets of quotations become visible on the other sides, and sometimes the words become jumbled if the order of the blocks is upset, or if the blocks are randomly stacked. Thus the viewer can decide to make sense of the message, or to create chaos. This arbitrary manipulation of the text mirrors man’s haphazard impact on the precarious balance of the natural world.

Note that when the blocks are arranged so that the text is legible, the direction of the grain and the variation in colours are haphazard. This symbolises the upheaval and mis-alignment caused by displacing living things from their natural surroundings. Sometimes the ink bleeds into the wood, showing that the consequences of our actions are often unpredictable, and not as we would wish!

2005

11 cm x 28 cm (diam)

papier mâché, with quotes written in various inks on tea-dyed papers

Tea has played a very important part in human society in many cultures throughout history, at both a personal and political level. The benefits of drinking tea have been highly praised, sometimes over-rated, and occasionally condemned.

This significant and vital role of the tea ceremony and tea-drinking in human society is symbolised by this “larger-than-life” cup and saucer. It was created in papier mâché, then entwined with hand-lettered quotes, written on tea-dyed paper, extolling the virtues of drinking tea.

2004

18 x 22 x 22 cm

commercial paper, photographs, text

Earth, fire, water and air are our planet’s building blocks, and essential to human existence. Many cultures believed these Elements were the key to the mysteries of our Universe, and modern societies are now re-appreciating this natural harmony. This pyramidal structure, with its attached books, emphasises these connections between the Elements.

made in collaboration with Judy Barrass

2003

waxed and dyed kozo paper, Japanese paper, ink, light box

19 x 30 (diam) cm (including base)

Our innermost beliefs and emotions are the guiding lights in our journey through life, as each of us struggles to understand the vagaries of this world.

This light-sculpture represents the inner glow of the true self which shines out as a beacon proclaiming each person’s unique character and hidden attributes. The black tracery of letters reads ‘THE INNER JOURNEY’, and the coloured sections gleam with gems of wisdom to inspire nomadic pilgrims on the meandering path of life.

As the viewer moves, the sculpture is seen from different perspectives, and these altering light-patterns symbolise the glints of different facets of our personalities which are revealed as we traverse the constantly changing paths of our lives.

2001

acrylic inks on board, fabric, paper, threads, yarns, beads, wire

70 cm diameter (compressed) & up to 1000mm (expanded)

During our lives we develop perceptions, intuitions, attitudes, sensibilities, experiences and understanding of the world in which we live. These all influence the way we interpret a particular situation, and can limit (or even obscure) our ability to ‘see clearly’. Here each of these concepts is “written” inside a magnifying glass through which we can observe the world. Each is depicted in a different medium (crochet, tapestry, felting, beading, embroidery and decorated paper) to represent the different approaches we can take to make sense of our surroundings.

Many writers have described their experiences of the world as well as their hopes and dreams. Here these ‘ways with words’ are represented as circular bands of colour, illuminating the dark recesses of the unknown. The central focal point in each field is shaped like an eye, symbolising one perspective (or ‘outlook’) on life, or it could be interpreted as a ‘third eye’, a window to the inner core of the subconscious.

The various colours encompass the full spectrum, and this represents the wide range of diversity and individuality in the human population.

In this interactive display, by layering some or all of the lenses over your choice of text, you can create many alternative views of the world.