1980s wool jacket on wool fabric backing
Vita Cochran, Saint Laurent, 2022.
You will be able to book tickets from 9:30am on Monday 29th January.
Book here
Lecturers: Nic Fern and Amelia Skelton
Location: NAS Sculpture Studios, Building 11
Textiles are ubiquitous. They make up a part of almost all our experiences with the surrounding world. They surround our bodies, they fill our beds, line our homes and hold our possessions. Their history and production are tied to our economy, our social and cultural structures and our politics. Over the four days of this course we will explore the potential for textile use as a material and conceptual starting point for drawing and making, unpacking some relevant histories and ideas and drawing on the vast canon of textile work within contemporary and historical art contexts.
On the first day the class will be introduced to relevant artists and some of the complex ideas that are explored through the use of textiles in contemporary practice. The group will investigate a textile object they have chosen to bring to class and consider its intended use, construction, historical context and potential. This will be followed by individual discussion of ideas and approaches for self-directed activities.
The following two days will focus on self-directed work using textiles and exploring the possibilities inherent in these materials and processes. Students will bring their own materials and will be supported and challenged to develop new directions in their work and expansive approaches to textile practice.
The class will culminate on the final day in an installation of the developed works in the space and discussion of the outcomes as a group.
Please note, this course is not a technique-based class, but rather an experimental approach to using textiles as a drawing material. Sewing machines and relevant equipment will be accessible, however the class does not focus on teaching these skills. Elizabeth and Jacqueline are both artists working in textiles and are happy to discuss individual student projects and advise on technical and conceptual elements.
Carolina Ponte, Untitled, 2011. Crochet and wood frame.
Junko Oki, La Dolce Vita, 2022. Cotton, hemp, silk.
Shinique Smith, Bale Variant no. 0023 (Totem), 2014, Clothing, fabric, accessories, twine and wood.
Tenant of Culture, Dry Fit (Series) Pink, 2022. Recycled outerwear and sportswear, fabric, elastic, toggles, buckles, thread, fabric.
Provided materials for day 1 project: calico, pins, cotton, swing machine, pencils, chalk, rulers, scissors
Students will need to bring their own materials for their self-directed projects on days 2, 3 and 4. These could include fabrics, threads, fibres, clingwrap, wool, carpet, found clothing, rope, flyscreen, hair etc.
Please bring a sketchbook to draft ideas and a phone/camera to document your work
Provided materials for day 1 project: calico, pins, cotton, sewing machine, pencils, chalk, rulers, scissors
Students will need to bring their own materials for their self-directed projects on days 2, 3 and 4. These could include fabrics, threads, fibres, clingwrap, wool, carpet, found clothing, rope, flyscreen, hair etc.
Students will need to bring 1 x Old, second-hand, pre-loved textile object. Suggestions include - T-shirt, pants, socks, table cloth/tea towel, blanket, soft toys, cushion cover, etc.
Please bring a sketchbook to draft ideas and a phone/camera to document your work
Aims:
1. To introduce students to textiles as a material starting point for a conceptual investigation.
2. To develop skills in devising an approach to making, and managing a self-directed project – i.e. students will devise an approach to an idea/material/process, and explore how this might manifest in through the use of textiles.
3.To give students leads for their own research into the histories, legacies and practitioners of textile practices.
Lecturers:
Nic Fern works in textiles, drawing & painting, often combining all three to collapse the boundary between high and low art. Her work communicates through material selection, methods of production and allegorical imagery borrowed from historical paintings. Through these methods and techniques Nic challenges hierarchical norms created by patriarchy.
Amelia Skelton
Working at the intersection of quiltmaking, sculpture and assemblage, Amelia Skelton’s practice is a meditation on the complexity of textiles; their abundance, familiarity, significance and inextricable political implications. Skelton graduated from the National Art School with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Sculpture) in 2016 and a Master of Fine Arts (Drawing) in 2022. Skelton has participated in several national and international group exhibitions and has most recently presented a solo exhibition, Some things last a long time (2023) at NASHA Gallery, Sydney.
Amelia Skelton, Bricks (Well), 2023, fabric from artist’s studio, vinyl, thread.
