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Second Life

Education

Kit

Photos by Rod Buchholz

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Contents

Teachers Notes: P. 3

Artists Profile P. 3

About the Exhibition P. 4 History & Technique of Coiling P. 5 Photos & Rationales for Selected Works: P. 6 Seams – Twists & Turns Series P. 6 Fabric of Family P. 6 Small Family Tree 1 P. 7 Family Tree - Winter P. 7 Many Facets Series P. 8 Mum’s Teddies & Toys Series P. 8 Bauble Series P. 9 Activities P. 10 Curriculum Vitae P. 14

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Teachers Notes

Artist’s Profile

Mary Elizabeth Barron came to art later in life after raising her family but had

always been creative doing a lot of sewing and craft. She enrolled with the Brisbane

School of Distance Education in 2006 to do year 11 art and completed year12 art the

following year. Her first solo exhibition was at the end of 2006 at the Logan Art Gallery

with her „Rags to Riches‟ exhibition.

Sewing and fabric have always been an important part of her creative life. When

she started studying art she did drawing, painting and other things but soon gravitated

back to her first love fabric. Her other passion has always been using what others throw

away, recycling.

In „Rags to Riches‟ she drew on her family heritage of sewing passed down

through the female line and made rag rugs from scraps of fabric collected over many

years of sewing using the same technique that her grandmother used to make floor

coverings. Now in her current body of work for the „Second Life‟ exhibition she is using

old clothes predominately of family and friends to make sculptures using coiled basketry

techniques.

She has spent most of her adult life being a full time wife, mother and home

educator so this primary focus on family must of course carry over into her art. This

combined with a love of fabric and sewing led her to this current body of work. Her

daughters had cleaned out their wardrobes and the bags of clothes were waiting to go to

St Vinnies. She was making a rag rug sculpture at the time and cut the seams out of some

of the clothes in order to use the fabric but couldn‟t throw the seams away they just

looked too interesting. She had just learnt a coiled basketry technique at a workshop with

Judy Barrass using natural materials and even while making this tiny basket she was

thinking of using fabric instead. So those seams became the first coil sculpture made

from old clothes and it grew from there. Now she uses almost every part of the old

clothes to make a large variety of sculptures and continues to develop new ideas and see a

seemingly endless variety of possibilities.

Mary Elizabeth feels very passionately about the importance of family, recycling

and expressing creativity, “To me expressing my creativity is as essential to my

wellbeing as food and water is to life itself. I believe it is a basic human need. During

periods in my life when I could not express my creativity I was desperately unhappy and

unfulfilled but often did not realise this until afterwards. However having gone though

these times I can now appreciate, enjoy and cherish my creative time so much more.”

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About the Exhibition

When making art from recycled materials the work retains a memory of the

materials original function. In this case they were clothes, utilitarian and practical and

their purpose in this first life helps to inform their second life as art. Our clothes are very

personal and intimate and in using them to make these sculptures they imbue the work

with these qualities. Also being made predominately from the clothes of loved ones they

are embedded with their memories and our shared experiences. Both the physical form

and the emotional memories guide and inspire the form of these sculptural pieces.

During the years in which this exhibition was being developed several of Mary

Elizabeth‟s family members passed away. Using their clothes alone and in conjunction

with the old clothes of other family members has made this a very special and emotional

journey. She has made individual pieces and series dedicated to their memory. By

incorporating their clothes with other family members she shows that they are still part of

the family and will always be.

“The theme of family and friendship is a universal one. When I ask family and

friends for their old items of clothing I ask them to extend this to their family and friends.

I think of when we meet someone who knows or has some connection to someone we

know we feel a connection to them without even knowing them. In this way we are all

connected & this is what makes community.”

The „Second Life‟ exhibition represents second life not only because of the use of

recycled materials but also on a personal level now that her children are adults, Mary

Elizabeth has embarked on her „second life‟ as an artist. This work is the current

embodiment of this „second life‟ which of course builds on and is informed by the first.

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History and Technique of Coiling

The remains of coiled baskets have been found in one of the world‟s first towns

already established in c. 6250 BC., in southern Turkey. In Egypt fragments of coiled

baskets have been found that date back to 5200 BC. The technique of coiled clay pottery

may have arisen from coiled basketry work.

It is clearly a very ancient technique and has traditionally been used in Europe,

Asia, North and South America, Africa, Pacific Islands and Australia. It is a common

basketry technique still widely used throughout the world. The materials vary greatly

depending on the natural materials available in the area. It is an adaptable technique and

there are many variations in both materials used and in the stitch or stitches used.

The basis of the technique is that a core of pliable material, either a solid rod or

rods, or bundles of fibres, is coiled around on itself and stitched together as it is coiled.

Both a core material and a stitching material are required.

Historical information taken from „Basketry A World Guide to Traditional Techniques‟

by Bryan Sentence, published by Thames & Hudson 2001.

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Photos & Rationales for some Selected Works

‘Seams – Twists & Turns’

Series of sixteen pieces five

shown.

Seams cut from old clothes

predominately from family and

friends, crochet cotton, polyester

thread

2008 & 2009

These pieces were made from seams cut from old clothes that belonged

predominately to my family and friends. In clothing the seams are what holds the item

together and gives it its shape. In making an art work from recycled materials it takes

some of its meaning from its original purpose. The seams that held together and shaped

the first life now form the substance and body of the second life. Just as seams curve and

bend as required in a piece of clothing, these sculptures have curves, bends, twists and

turns. I specifically used old clothes from family and friends as this work expresses the

bond of family and friendship. As seams hold clothes together I used them here to

symbolize the holding together of family and friends and the twists and turns of these

relationships.

‘Fabric of Community’

95 cm wide length will continue

to grow, old clothes, crochet

cotton, polyester thread

Started late 2009

Each coil in this piece is

made from an item of clothing

that belonged to a friend or

acquaintance or their friends,

family and acquaintances. People are what make community and here I am using

something very personal, a person‟s clothes, to represent each individual. We are all

connected in some way and this is what makes community.

This piece will continue to grow at each venue as the exhibition tours.

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‘Small Family Tree 1’

Old clothes of mine and my family, crochet cotton, polyester

thread

2008

This tree sculpture is made from the old clothes of

members of my family and so it is literally my family tree.

Just as we speak of family trees using the tree branches

as a metaphor for the connection between family members

here the use of the family members‟ old clothes all mixed and

entwined together emphasises the bond that is family.

As a tree grows so does family expanding reaching out to bring in new members

as family members take partners and through births. On trees some branches may die as

do some family members but part of them stays in the tree for ever. By incorporating

clothes of family members who have passed away they will always remain with the

family entwined and connected in the „Family Tree‟.

‘Family Tree – Winter’

Old clothes of mine and my family, crochet cotton,

polyester thread

2009

I made this piece over a four month period,

the winter of 2009 during which my father suffered

several serious health problems leading to his death

on the 18th

June 2009.

This family tree made from Dad‟s and other

family members‟ old clothes encompass his and the

family‟s suffering over this period and our absolute

knowledge that he will always be with us and that life

continues.

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‘Many Facets’ Series

Cliff Barron‟s old clothes, crochet cotton, polyester

thread

2009

My father-in-law passed away on the 18th

October 2008. He loved fossicking for precious and

semi-precious stones then cutting and faceting

them, winning many prizes for both his cabochons

and faceted stones. Dad had many interests, a very

broad knowledge base and an enquiring mind,

always reading and interested in learning something

new. This continued right to the end of his life. He

truly was a man of many facets.

‘Mum’s Teddies & Toys’ Series

‘Elizabeth Bear’

‘Humpty Dumpty’

‘Teddy’

‘Clown’

Jean Tanner‟s old clothes, crochet

cotton, polyester thread

2009

My mother is truly one of the

quiet achievers of this world. She is a nurturing, generous, caring, gentle soul who always

puts others first. These qualities can be epitomized in her love of making soft toys which

she gave away, donating them to charity, giving them to friends and family. All her

children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have been recipients and we all treasure

these beautiful gifts of love. I made these in honour of my beloved mother and her

creations.

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‘Bauble’ Series

We hang decorative baubles to

celebrate special occasions especially

Christmas. This was the inspiration in

making this series of decorative baubles

to celebrate the individuals whose

clothes they are made from, all special

people in my life.

‘Bauble - Jean Wheatley’

Old clothes of Jean Wheatley‟s, crochet cotton, polyester thread

2009

My good friend Jean Wheatley likes to acquire one

special, usually hand made, bauble each Christmas and so it is

especially appropriate that it was an item of her old clothes with

interesting circular cut-out features that inspired the making of

this first bauble which lead to the making of the series.

‘Bauble –Aunty Edna’

Old clothes of Edna Adams‟s, crochet cotton, polyester thread

2010

Edna Adams 30-8-1916 to 28-10-2007 was my father‟s

oldest sister. The items of clothing used to make this were in a

bag of my mother‟s old clothes. When I was making it the

shape was not turning out as I was intending but after initially

thinking I would unpick it I decided to just go with the flow.

When it was well under way I was telling my mother that I was

making a Bauble dedicated to her and described the clothes

used. She smiled and said that outfit was originally Aunty

Edna‟s. The shape that wasn‟t right for Mum seemed just right

for Aunty Edna!

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Activities

Pre & Post Visit

Discussion Points:

What is appropriate gallery behaviour & why.

A common public perception of a visit to an art gallery is to view painting. There

are no paintings in this exhibition. Art can take many forms & use many different

media. Discuss examples of art other than painting.

The works in this exhibition are predominately sculptural which to most people

brings to mind the use wood, clay, metal or concrete. The works in this exhibition

are made from fabric. Almost any materials can be used to make sculptures. Show

students examples of sculptors working in alternative media.

Although fabric is soft & pliable these works are quite solid & firm because of the

way they have been constructed.

Discuss the history of the coiling technique & that it was traditionally used to

make useful items such as baskets & mats. These were often embellished in some

way to make them aesthetically attractive as well as useful.

Discuss recycling especially making art from recycled materials. Show some

examples of artists who work with recycled materials.

Discuss the significance of using personal objects in art & what this brings to the

artworks. In this exhibition the artist has used the old clothes of her loved ones.

Clothes are very personal items. What do our clothes say about us?

Through the use of clothes associated with particular individuals the artist is

expressing the importance of the connection she has to her family, friends & the

greater community. Discuss personal connections & how this can also reach out

into the greater community eg. clubs.

Practical Projects

Students could make simple sculptures using plasticine, clay or salt dough.

Students could make sculptures from recycled materials on hand found at home.

Students could make twisted rope from strips of fabric to use as jewellery or coil

& sew together into a mat or bowl.

Students could make button jewellery.

Students could make collages individually or as a class incorporating scraps of

fabric, buttons, zips etc from old clothing.

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Coiling Activities

Pig

Pink chennell sticks cut – body whole stick

Head 20cm

Arms 11cm

Each leg 10cm

Noise 5cm

Ears 7cm

Coil body, head & noise. Glue ends of coil down on head & body.

Fold legs as shown

Fold rest as shown, glue together.

Glue ribbon or fabric or felt bow or other trim on bottom of head.

Cut 1.5cm of red chenille stick, or red felt for mouth, glue in place.

Glue on 5mm joggle eyes or beads for eyes.

You can glue a piece of magnet strip on the back to use as a fridge magnet.

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Frog

Green chenille sticks cut – body whole stick

Head 20cm

Arms 11cm

Each leg 8cm

Coil body, head & noise. Glue ends of coil down on head &

body.

Fold legs as shown

Fold rest as shown, glue together.

Glue ribbon or fabric or felt bow or other trim on bottom of head.

Cut 1.5cm of red chenille stick, or red felt for mouth, glue in place.

Glue on 8mm joggle eyes or beads for eyes.

You can glue a piece of magnet strip on the back to use as a fridge magnet.

Children can be encouraged to design their own animals using this basic

technique.

The same style can be employed using long rolled out pieces of

plasticine, clay or salt dough.

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Wire of varying types and thickness can be effectively used to create 3D

coiled sculptures.

Stick Insects by Sarah

Barron

Dalek and insect collection by Laura Barron

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Curriculum Vitae Mary Elizabeth Barron

My work may be viewed on the NAVA website: www.visualarts.net.au/gallery/maryelizabethbarron & on ABC Open at http://vimeo.com/groups/artistbyartist Selected Exhibitions

2012 ‘Second Life’ Touring Exhibition Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, Bundaberg, Qld (July, August, Sept) Dogwood Crossing @Miles, Miles, Qld (Oct, Nov)

Solo Exhibition

2012 ‘Connection’ Qld Regional Art Awards Flying Arts Touring Exhibition Four Regional Galleries throughout Qld & State Library of Qld

Group Exhibition

2011 ‘Fibre Fest – New Traditions’ Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens Auditorium, Brisbane, Qld (Oct)

Group Exhibition

2011 ‘Artfelt Exhibition & Art Prize Beautiful Nature Finalist Exhibition’ Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Ballina, NSW (Sept, Oct)

Group Exhibition

2011 Salon de Refuse Exhibition The Little Art Shop Gallery, Alstonville, NSW (Sept, Oct)

Group Exhibition

2011 ‘Postcard Exhibition’ Trans-Siberian train from Moscow to Beijing (April)

Group Exhibition

2011 ‘Femme’ Robina Community Art Gallery, Robina, Qld (March)

Group Exhibition

2011 'The Women’s Project' 19KAREN Contemporary Artspace, Gold Coast, Qld (March)

Group Exhibition

2010/11 ‘The Border Art Prize’ Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah, NSW (December, January)

Group Exhibition

2010,11 ‘Small Works Prize & Exhibition’ Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Vic (Dec, Jan)

Group Exhibition

2010 ‘Rio Tinto Alcan Martin Hanson Memorial Art Awards’ Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum, Gladstone, Qld (November, December)

Group Exhibition

2010 ‘Second Life’ Touring Exhibition Gympie Regional Gallery, Gympie, Qld (Sep, October) Warwick Art Gallery, Warwick Qld (June, July, August) Logan Art Gallery, Logan, Qld (April, May) Beenleigh Library, Beenleigh, Qld (April) Logan West Library, Logan, Qld (March, April)

Solo Exhibitions

2011, 10, 09, 08, 07

‘Jumpers and Jazz Arts Festival’ Street exhibition, Warwick, Qld (July)

Group Exhibitions

2010, 2009

‘Textile Art Festival the Art of Recycling Competition’ Brisbane Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane, Qld (May 09, June 10)

Group Exhibitions

2011, 09

‘Craft + Design = Art’ Dogwood Crossing @ Miles, Miles, Qld (Nov, Dec, Jan)

Group Exhibition

2008 2009

‘Size Matters’ Papermakers of QLD Touring Exhibition Studio Red, Redcliffe, Qld (September) Toowoomba Regional Gallery, Qld (June)

Group Exhibitions

2009 ‘Not The Flat Surface’ University of Sunshine Coast Art Gallery, Sunshine Coast, Qld (April/May/June)

Group Exhibition

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2009 ‘Seamed Together’ Artisan’s Ivory 27-7 display window, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Qld (April/May)

Solo Exhibition

2009 ‘Dimensions’ The Centre, Beaudesert, Qld (February/April)

Group Exhibition

2009, 2008

‘Warwick Art Prize’ Warwick Art Gallery, Warwick Qld (August/September)

Group Exhibitions

2008 ‘Arts West Exhibition ‘Out There’ The Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach, Qld (July, August)

Group Exhibition

2007 ‘Logan West Library’ Logan, Qld (November, December)

Solo Exhibition

2007 ‘Gold Rush Art Competition’ Cooloola Shire Public Gallery, Gympie, Qld (October)

Group Exhibition

2007 ‘The Border Art Prize’

Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Qld (October) Group Exhibition

2007 ‘Fabricated Exhibition and Challenge’ Outback Regional Gallery, Winton, Qld (July, Aug)

Group Exhibition

2007 ‘Carnivale’ CBD Gallery, Brisbane CBD, Qld (April)

Feature Artist

06/07 ‘Rags to Riches’ Logan Art Gallery, Logan, Qld (Nov, Dec, Jan)

Solo Exhibition

Studies/Awards

2007 VHA, Honour Award and Principal’s Art Award Year 12 Art, Brisbane School of Distance Education

Prizes

2010 (June) & 2009 (May)

Finalist Textile Art Festival Competition, The Art of Recycling

Textile Art Festival Competition Brisbane Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane, Qld

2007 Winner Collage/Mixed Media Category Fabricated Exhibition and Challenge, Winton, Qld.

Selected Bibliography

2010 The Gympie Times, Gympie, Qld, 15 September

UpClose ‘A new life for exhibition pieces’

2012 2011 2010 2008 2006

Albert and Logan News, Logan, Qld 29 February, p 29 14 September, p 31 18 June, p 14 12 March, p 30 31 March, p 51 5 November, p 29 20 December, p 37 20 December, p 60

“Artist weaves her way into community heart’ ‘Recycled works of art’ ‘Sewing seeds of artistic creativity’ ‘Old clothes reborn as works of sculpture’ ‘Fabric fits fine art’ ‘Remember This?’ Doug Cartwright, ‘Gallery Express’ Review of exhibitions at Logan Art Gallery

2012 2010

The Reporter, Logan, Qld, 8 February, p 2 12 March, p 2

‘Weekly Snapshot’ ‘Old clothes make exquisite art’

2010 Logan West Leader, Logan, Queensland, 7 April, p 42

‘Just Sew Creative’

2009 Sunshine Coast Sunday, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 3 May, p 32

‘Scissored paper rocks’

Textile Fibre Forum Magazine,

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2010 2009

Issue 3,no.99, p 50 & 51 Issue 2, no. 94, p 60, inside & outside of back cover

‘Second Life’ ‘Rags to Riches to Second Life’

2008/09 Brisbane & South East Queensland Arts Guide, Dec 2008 through Feb 2009, p 28

‘exhibitions @ the Centre’

2007 Arts West News, Arts West (Western Qld Arts Assoc) Inc., September, p 6 & 7

‘2007 Fabricated Exhibition’

2007 Warwick Daily News, Warwick, Queensland, 25 July, p 2

‘Word of our winter festival travels far’

2012 Selected for inclusion in ‘The Art of Textiles’ by Mary Schoeser, specialist author in textiles

to be published by Thames & Hudson in the UK Autumn 2012

Experience

Thirty years sewing including fifteen years making dance costumes

Raising and home-schooling two daughters for twenty years

Volunteer at Logan Art Gallery since 2006, installation crew since 2007, children’s art activities team since 2008

School group workshops at Logan Art Gallery 2010

Artist’s Talk, Logan Art Gallery, Logan, Queensland

‘Artist by Artist ’project run by ABC Open & QAC, http://vimeo.com/groups/artistbyartist

Employment

17, 20 & 21-7-10 Workshop Tutor at Jumpers & Jazz in July, Warwick, Qld

18-7-10 Artist’s Talk & demonstration at Jumpers & Jazz in July, Warwick, Qld

14 & 18-5-10 Workshop Tutor, Logan Art Gallery, Logan, Queensland

07 - 09 Children’s Art Workshop Facilitator for Start Kidz Creating, Qld

27-4-08 Workshop Tutor at Art in the Olives, Lost World, Qld

Grants

2012 RADF Grant to run a Community Arts Project in Logan City

Listings

2009/10 ‘update exhibitions available for tour’, Museum & Gallery Services Queensland, Issues 45 & 45

Public Collections

Warwick Art Gallery Collection

Membership of Professional Associations

NAVA

Artisan

Papermakers of Queensland

Queensland Spinners Weavers & Fibre Artists

TAFTA (The Australian Forum for Textile Artists)

Online Galleries I have work currently featured in

Flying Arts QRAA online gallery of works in touring exhibition: flyingarts.org.au/qraagallery Artfelt Art Prize & Exhibition website http://artfeltartexhibition.shutterfly.com, gallery 2011, entry numbers122, 123 & 124