Ode

Two poems come to mind when I think about this work.  Ode by Arthur O’Shaugnessy (1844-1881) “We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams,” reminds me of the calling of the artist to make experience tangible and to reveal obscured truths. The artist points to the future, as a signpost at the crossroad shows the way ahead; but a signpost also shows me where I have been.  “We will remember them”, from Laurence Binyon’s (1869-1943) For the Fallen reminds me that artists need to bring the past into conversation. That remembering what has gone before, gives honour to the throng of unknowns in our history. 

One of the surprising areas of interest to me this year has been my fascination with the unknown makers of the doilies.  Their ghostly presence visible within each pass of thread; choices of design, colour, material and yarn all celebrating the anonymous person, probably a post-war housewife, utilizing skills learnt through necessity now stitching to beautify her surroundings and ground herself within her home. It is this invisible essence, the breath of vitality, spoken in each stitch that captivates me and calls me to champion these abandoned linens and their absent but evident makers. 

How does this work stand in light of these two poems?  As an artist who is concerned with the lives of the ordinary housewives of 20th century Australia, I aim to highlight their creative endeavours by considering their hand as a tool in their creative choices – holding the needle as it passes through the fabric, again and again, building up thread upon thread to paint a picture of domestic life. This glove speaks of the unknown maker, the black enamel a momento mori of sorts, recognizing the death of the provenance of doilies found in op shops, reminding us to acknowledge those makers who have gone before and to recognize and applaud their endeavours.