Researching artist Archie Moore led me to a number of connections – we both shared a Queensland education with serious gaps in it, he focuses on genealogy which has long been an interest of mine and in particular his installation Remnants of My Father was an inspiring springboard for me.
I explored the concept of connection and disconnection through the women in my family. A connection with the past – generational expectations values through religion and reflecting a disconnect with the future. This led me to using the motif of the dress which symbolises femininity, highlighting the skill and attention to detail of handmade clothing along with the emotional attachment. Wearing your Sunday best
The school uniform – both my mother and I wore a box pleated school uniform. This representation is constructed from pages of a school textbook that did not acknowledge the truth of Australia’s past. Something Archie Moore referred to in his schooling – an ignored presence.
Wedding dress – an emotional challenge – something mum treasured in spite of a failed marriage. Her mother in law made the dress – she was a seamstress and fashion designer prior to getting married. I experimented with a range of imagery – I’d like to try drawing it full scale.
Children’s dresses - Christening gown – smocked dress – 3 dresses – each one uniquely printed using graphite transfer, oil based ink print and ghost print
Pillow case installation – the weight of responsibility – someone else’s memories - wrapped rock that weighs the same as my mother’s wedding dress, washi paper sculpture of the pillowcase that carried the dress for decades connected by paper cord. Hung in a way that the paper piece appears heavier than the rock.