Summary

I work with textiles that are layered and stitched. Often their purpose is functional, such as for warmth, sound damping in echoing rooms or to screen something. But I also want them to embody an idea and a mood.

Organisation

Inspiration/Method

Most of my work is informed by my education as a designer, my training as a landscape architect, and where I live. Once a design idea is formed I use a process of abstraction to shape it. Fabrics and colours are selected, layers are formed then stitched together. Colour, line, surface texture and overall pattern are manipulated to create an overall mood.

Design Challenge

I like to create exhibitions. 'Urban Forest' was made as a specific gallery installation. Its purpose was to communicate the idea that urban trees deserve respect. They are planted for a purpose, in a particular way, and need careful management. Over time they will decline through old age or lack of care and will eventually require removal. However, when trees are replaced, as with all living things, they take time to grow to maturity.

Species selection and the way trees are planted give streets their distinctive character. Straight lines of trees, called avenues, provide visual order while irregular arrangements seem natural. In Canberra many avenues have vistas onto tree-clad hills and mountains that are carefully managed to appear natural.

Felt was chosen to create the avenue of stylised gum tree trunks as it provided bulk without weight. Unlike trees in the natural environment that may have branches low on their trunks, city trees have their lower branches removed to enable traffic to pass underneath. Hence branching starts above head height. Polyester net was used to emphasise the transparency of air and symbolically to represent trees removed.