AUGUST 2014 ISSUE 30

FEATURING • ARCHITEXTURE & TAPESTRY NOW • NEW WORKS BY BRONWYN BANCROFT,

ANGELA BRENNAN, JUAN DAVILA, HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES & SANGEETA SANDRASEGAR

ON THE LOOM: BROOK ANDREW & JOHN OLSEN • EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS • IN APPRECIATION

In addition to launching this new program, several

other existing programs were expanded. Weaving

into Wellbeing, the therapeutic weaving outreach

program launched at the Royal Children’s and

Royal Women’s Hospitals last year, grew to include

two new partners, the Northern and Warrnambool

Base Hospitals. We look forward to expanding this

program in 2015.

The Workshop’s popular offerings of classes

continued to expand with numerous sessions of

beginner, intermediate and master weaving, along

with children’s school holiday workshops and

classes on bookbinding and Japanese printmaking.

The Artist-in-Residence program has also

experienced growth, and for the 2014 residency

period we received nearly twice as many applications

as in the previous year. This year artists working in

drawing, painting, jewellery, sculpture and installa-

tion art, as well as textile artists are in residence,

and are sharing their work and experience through

a series of informal public talks.

There have been many other opportunities for

cross-disciplinary experiences mainly through thecross disciplinary experiences, mainly through the

ATW’s collaboration with partner organisations.

We were delighted to be invited to work for the

first time with both the Melbourne Festival and

Melbourne Fringe Festival, presenting musical and

theatrical works at our venue. The ATW continued

to work with neighbouring organisations to present

the Emerald Hill Festival, a day of art, music and

interactive experiences. We are also proud to

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ANTANTANTA ONIONIONIO A SA SA YMEYMEYME

our donors on the back cover of this publication,

and I would like to express my deepest appreciation

for their continued support. This campaign runs

until the end of the year so we welcome your

collaborative contributions.

Also crucial in keeping the art of contemporary

tapestry alive are the efforts of the ATW’s dedicated

Board and the Trustees of the Tapestry Foundation

of Australia. While we had to say farewell to two

valued Board members, Guy Abrahams and John

Ridley, we are delighted to welcome Robyn Baillieu,

Peter Bancroft OAM and Rachel Peck to the Board.

A warm welcome was also extended to Freya

Sewell, a weaver from Dovecot Studios (Edinburgh,

Scotland) who visited earlier this year, launching a

three-year weaver exchange program between the

ATW and Dovecot Studios. This creative exchange

is designed to raise the profile of contemporary

tapestry weaving by fostering talent, building

relationships and sharing knowledge. ATW senior

weaver Sue Batten will travel to Dovecot Studios

later this year.

These words just seem to fit together naturally,

and they can certainly all be used in describing

the activities at the Australian Tapestry Workshop

during the past 12 months. And we must not leave

out productive, as five new works were cut from

the looms this year.

Tapestry commissions continue to be the

Workshop’s main focus, and provide a tremendous

opportunity for creativity. Our recent and current

commissions allowed ATW weavers and staff to

collaborate with a range of inspiring artists, and

together we continued to push the boundaries of

tapestry, using innovative techniques and materials.

The public art we create relies on the generous

support of donors, as do many of the ATW’s

programs and outreach efforts. While we receive

some support from the State of Victoria as well as

income from private commissions, the Workshop

is dependent on fundraising through the TFA

increasingly through the Give An Inch campaign,

now in its third year. We are delighted to recognise

The Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW)

enjoys an international reputation as a leader

in the art of contemporary tapestry.

Established in 1976, it is the only workshop of

its kind in Australia and one of a few in the world

dedicated to the production of hand-woven

tapestries. Collaborating closely with Australian

and international artists to discover new ways

of working, ATW artist-weavers have created

more than 400 extraordinary tapestries.

The Workshop is one of Australia’s leading

producers of public art, and millions of people

view an ATW tapestry every year. Its tapestries

can be found across Australia at leading

institutions such as the National Gallery of

Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, National

Library of Australia, State Libraries of NSW and

Victoria, Sydney Opera House, Arts Centre

Melbourne and many other cultural institutions,

as well as at prominent corporate and govern-

ment locations including Parliament House,

Canberra and West Australia and the High Court

of Australia. They also appear internationally,

including at eight Australian embassies and

high commissions worldwide.

ATW BOARD

Peter Williams, Chairman

Rachel Peck, Deputy Chair

Robyn Baillieu

Peter Bancroft OAM

Dr Rebecca Coates

Richard Hilton

Bronwyn Johnson

Prof Kay Lawrence AM

STAFF

Administration:

Antonia Syme, Director

Alime Adieva, Assistant Accountant

Josephine Briginshaw, Front of House/Office

Coordinator

Rayna Fahey, Development & Marketing Manager

Adriane Hayward, Public Programs Coordinator

Jenny Port, Business & Administration Manager

Production:

Sue Batten, Weaver

Chris Cochius, Weaver

Pamela Joyce, Weaver

Milena Paplinska, Weaver

Tony Stefanovski, Dyer

The Tapestry Foundation of Australia (TFA)

supports the ATW by fundraising to promote

the art of tapestry in Australia as a vital

contemporary art form and by fostering relation-

ships with government, private and philanthropic

organisations, and individuals. Donations to the

TFA of $2 and over are tax-deductible. The TFA

was formed in 1995 by J Arnold Hancock OBE,

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE, Jack Kennedy

and Baillieu Myer AC.

The TFA has commissioned many tapestries

including the Embassy Tapestry Collection,

which loans large-scale tapestries designed

by Indigenous artists to Australian embassies

and high commissions around the world.

The educational activities and programs it

supports include an Artist-in-Residence program

at the ATW and international exchanges such

as the Hancock Fellowship, which allows

international artists and experts to give public

lectures in Melbourne.

TRUSTEES & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Janet Calvert-Jones AO, Chairman

Ian Evans, Trustee

Carrillo Gantner AO, Trustee

Anne Robertson, Trustee

Dr Fiona Caro

David Pitt

Baillieu Myer AC, Emeritus Trustee

Arnold Hancock OBE, Emeritus Trustee

AUSTRALIAN TAPESTRY WORKSHOP TAPESTRY FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA

EXCELLENCE, OUTREACH,

EXCHANGE. CREATIVE, VIBRANT,

COLLABORATIVE.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Front cover:

Catching Breath, 2014, (detail)

designed by Brook Andrew,

woven by Chris Cochius,

Pamela Joyce and

Milena Paplinska, 1.9 x 1.5m,

wool, cotton and Lurex

Image: ATW

Below:

Everything has two

witnesses, one on earth and

one in the sky, 2014, (detail)y

designed by Sangeeta

Sandrasegar and woven by

Sue Batten, 164 x 89cm, wool

and cotton

Images: Jeremy Weihrauch2 3

TAPESTRY NOW

The ATW has been creating contemporary art in

Melbourne since 1976 and therefore it comes

as no surprise that the ATW has collaborated with

many of the artists featured in the National Gallery

of Victoria’s Melbourne Now exhibition, that was w

on view from 22 November 2013 to 23 March 2014.

Covering the spectrum of contemporary practice

across the visual arts, design, architecture, sound,

dance, fashion, performance and film, the project

was an unprecedented showcase for the enormous

creative talent that exists in Victoria.

Many of the ATW’s past collaborations on both

major works and small tapestries involved Melbourne

Now artists including Peter Atkins, Jon Campbell,w

Jon Cattapan, Louise Forthun, Gareth Samson and

Jan Senbergs. In just the past four years, the ATW

has collaborated on large tapestries with no fewer

than seven Melbourne Now artists: Brook Andrew,w

Angela Brennan, Juan Davila, Brent Harris, David

Noonan, Sangeeta Sandrasegar and John Young.

In addition several of the artists in Melbourne Now

spent time in residence at the Workshop (most

recently Paul Yore, Michelle Hamer and Vicki Mason).

Working with Melbourne’s leading artists leads to

rich interaction and discovery. For example Juan

Davila was a frequent visitor during the weaving of

a commission for the State Library of Victoria last

year. The discussions between the artist and weavers

on issues such as colour palette deeply influenced

the weavers’ interpretation.

Brent Harris said he learned

more about his own work

through his collaboration with

senior weaver Sue Batten on

the 2012 tapestry Rome,

noting: ‘Sue is amazing.

Through her work she brought

out elements from the study

that were just lurking under

the surface.’

David Noonan also noted the

ingenuity of the weavers when

speaking about the tapestry

they collaborated on in 2009,

saying that they ‘wanted the

tapestry to retain the mystery

and enigmatic nature of the

artwork’ and noting that

‘the result is a stunning and

completely engaging tapestry.’

Melbourne is a city that is,

as NGV Director Tony Ellwood

noted, ‘significantly shaped

by the artists, designers,

architects, choreographers,

intellectuals and community

groups that live and work in its

midst.’* The ATW is committed

to remaining a transdisciplinary catalyst, reaching

out to artists from all spectrums and sharing their

creativity with the public, through works of tapestry

as well as lectures, classes, talks, demonstrations

and open days.

TAPESTRY NOW

Giurgola of Mitchell Giurgola Thorpe, included

the monumental Arthur Boyd tapestry Untitled

(Shoalhaven Landscape) in the new Parliament

House in Canberra. Harry Seidler, the European

émigré and pioneering Modernist architect in

Australia, included great tapestry works in his

Australian buildings. Jørn Utzon, responsible for

the world-acclaimed Sydney Opera House,

designed his tapestry Homage to CPE Bach for

the Utzon Room in that same building.

A point to note is that the realisation of the two

great tapestries for new Parliament House and the

Sydney Opera House was through collaboration

with the ATW. In fact most of the ATW tapestries

are designed with a specific location in mind,

and architectural considerations often have a

great effect on the designing artists and the

weavers when creating a commissioned work.

Ainsley Murray, in her marvelous review of an

installation by Sandra Selig at the MCA in 2004

(Artlink vol. 25, #1), wrote perceptively and

provocatively about architecture and intervention:

‘Architecture has long since surrendered the

tactile in favour of grander visions. Processes of

digitisation, prefabrication and mechanisation

countries and societies. They show great scope,

from traditional designs and imagery, employing

historical and mythical themes, to being utilised

as a preferred medium by avant-garde architects

and artists at the beginnings of the modern

movement in Europe.

From their earliest history to the full integration

of textiles into the comprehensive design

program of the Bauhaus in Germany under

Walter Gropius (1919-28) and later under Mies

van der Rohe (1930-33), tapestries have been

linked intimately with built space and its creation.

One only has to think of the great architect

Le Corbusier and his integration of textiles,

including his own masterly self-designed epic

tapestries, with architecture to understand the

significance of placement in architectural space.

William Morris in the 19th century and the

contemporary French artist Jean Lurçat paved

the way to be followed by others, including

internationally-influential artists such as Picasso,

Calder, Léger and Miró, who used the medium of

tapestry and textile as key platforms for their work.

In our Australian context the architect and

enthusiastic champion of integrated art, Aldo

There is a long-standing historical connection

between architectural space and textile art,

and in particular, tapestry. Rare tapestry remnants

have been found in Greece dating from the

3rd century BC and the tapestry-laden walls of

European museums and palaces are very familiar

to us. The longevity of this art form over the

centuries makes my 15-year connection with it

via the Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW) pale

into insignificance. Time is not the relevant

metric however when measuring the alchemy

that occurs in the creation of tapestry—this is

timeless.

Significant wall hangings have been created

around the world and used in a myriad of

configurations for functional, decorative,

celebratory and didactic purposes, with a clear

knowing of their ‘other’ underlying capacity to

modify thermal and acoustic conditions within

interior built space. Tapestries have ranged from

monumental formats in great public and private

buildings down to small-scale intimate works

for personal enjoyment. Often underpinning great

wealth, they have been traded and presented

as gifts to leaders for hundreds of years across

have led to the widespread abandonment of

the human hand in architectural practice, and

private eccentricities are now buried, smoothed

over with flatter, more uniform design solutions.

Recalcitrant fingerprints and other imperfections

have dissolved from all but the vernacular and

indigenous architecture of Australasia. The

question is, how might we reconsider our

relationship with built matter to restore a direct

connection with human experience? I suspect

the clues lie not in architecture, but in

contemporary installation.’

An upcoming design competition promoted

by the ATW will reinvigorate this undoubted

connection between architectural built form and

textile art. It will help to build an awareness of

tapestry as a relevant medium that sits comfort-

ably within the materiality of contemporary

architectural thinking, providing another tool that

architects can draw on in response to the ever

increasing complex and challenging world.

As Ainsley Murray concludes her Artlink article,

‘Perhaps the handmade in architecture is nothing

to do with the physical character of buildings,

but entirely to do with how we engage with

them in our enlivened and repetitious gestures.

Not only is architecture rethought, but the

relationship between being and building

reconsidered.’

Hear, Hear.

PETER WILLIAMS

Chairman of the Australian Tapestry Workshop

and Director of Williams Boag Architects

Below:

The Visitor, 2008 (detail),r

designed by Jon Cattapan

and woven by Chris Cochius,

John Dicks, Milly Formby,

Emma Sulzer, 1.5 x 7.7m,

wool and cotton

MELBOURNE NOW

Homage to Carl Emmanuel Bach, 2003, designed by Jørn Utzon, woven by Cheryl Thornton, Pamela Joyce, Milena Paplinska, Chris Cochius, 2.67 x 14.02m, wool, cotton, Sydney Opera House

*Foreword to Melbourne Now ebook at melbournenowebook.ngv.vic.gov.au

4 5

further emphasising this sense of exuberance

and bringing rich details to the forefront.

The ATW had previously worked with Angela

Brennan on the tapestry It was not I who looked

(2006), which is now in a private collection. This

gave an ease and depth to the collaboration as

the artist was already familiar with the ATW

working process as well as the interpretive

possibilities of the tapestry artform.

Collaborative decision-making between artist

and weavers saw the artwork evolve from design

to the finished tapestry. Brennan had felt that

the sky wasn’t fully resolved in the painting, and

was happy with its final outcome in the tapestry.

As another example, while the painting used

gold paint subtly, together the artist and weavers

decided to place a greater emphasis on the

gold and use it in select places in the tapestry.

The design for this private commission was

inspired by the landscape, flora and fauna of

Point Addis in Victoria, situated between Torquay

and Anglesea on the iconic Great Ocean Road.

It shows the dramatic lines where the land meets

the sea and sky, as well as the big boulders

and soft foliage. The scene also includes the

Rufous Bristlebird, a bird which nests in the

coastline cliffs, as well as various native

eucalyptus and banksia species.

Angela Brennan has had numerous solo

exhibitions at prominent galleries, and her work

is also found in public and private collections

both in Australia and overseas. Her paintings use

bold, joyful colour combined with vigorous shapes,

lines and strokes of paint, which together give the

works great energy and life. This tapestry was

woven at almost twice the size of the design,

NEW WORKSNEW WORKS

The palette for the tapestry provided a challenge

to the weavers, as did working from a photograph

rather than the original artwork. They strove to

give depth to the limited palette, moving through

gradations in weaving to give the appearance

of watercolour. The team also decided to use

cotton extensively, as this provided subtler

shades of colouring as well as texture.

The project was kept carefully under wraps

until it was revealed during a ceremony at the

Workshop on 14 May, at which The Premier of

Victoria The Hon Dr Denis Napthine and Mr

Beddison AO cut off the completed tapestry.

The Premier remarked on His Royal Highness’s

keen interest in Australian wool, and noted, ‘It’s

terrific to see the produce from great Victorian

farmers put together with the dyer and weavers

to produce such a fantastic piece of art. The ATW

is seen as an absolute icon around Australia

and the world.’

The Australian Tapestry Workshop has woven

its way into history, becoming the first to

translate an artwork by His Royal Highness The

Prince of Wales into tapestry. This work was

commissioned by Mr Tony Beddison AO after a

visit from HRH The Prince of Wales to the

Australian Tapestry Workshop in 2012. During

the visit, His Royal Highness was enchanted by

the skills of the ATW weavers and expressed a

desire to see what they could do with one of

his own watercolours.

His Royal Highness has been an enthusiastic

amateur artist, keen collector and patron of the

arts for many years. He has combined his love

of the environment with his passion for art

through the practice of watercolour, painting

whenever his schedule allows. The artwork for

the tapestry design was personally selected by

His Royal Highness, and he was reportedly

thrilled with the images of the tapestry’s progress

periodically sent to him.

Below left to right:

Robyn Baillieu, Tony Beddison AO,

Robyn Beddison OAM,

The Hon Mr Ted Baillieu,

Premier of Victoria

The Hon Dr Denis Napthine

Image: Jeremy Weihrauch Images: Jeremy Weihrauch

Above left to right:

Point Addis cutting off

ceremony,

by Carol Schwartz AM,

Eva Besen AO,

and Mark Besen AO

TAPESTRY FACTS

Title: Rufiji River from Mbuyuni Camp,

Selous Game Reserve, in Tanzania, 2014

Artist: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales

Weavers: Chris Cochius,

Pamela Joyce, Milena Paplinska

Tapestry size: 1.37 x 1.73m

Weaving time: 480 hours

TAPESTRY FACTS

Title: Point Addis, 2013

Artist: Angela Brennan

Weavers: Sue Batten, Chris Cochius,

Milena Paplinska

Tapestry size: 1.8 x 2m

Weaving time: 1,025 hours

6 7

This tapestry has been generously funded by

the TFA through Give An Inch, the ATW’s

annual fundraising campaign. The tapestry will

be exhibited in Scotland at Dovecot Studios as

part of a show of contemporary tapestry in 2014

celebrating the newly-established exchange

program between Dovecot and the ATW.

The brief for the design was to examine the

concept of multiple identities emerging out of a

colonial and indigenous past as well as proposing

what a future Commonwealth holds for these

countries. Selected for the project was Melbourne

artist Sangeeta Sandrasegar, who works within

a research-based practice. Sandrasegar explores

her context within Australia and its relationship

to migrant communities and homelands.

In creating this design, the artist focused on

the seas which have brought us in contact

with one another. Thinking about themes such

as trade, conquest, industry and pollution, she

notes, ‘sea life knows not our national boundaries

… As the Indigenous people of Australia have

understood “everything has two witnesses, one

on earth and one in the sky”, so we too must

begin to listen to such testimony. We need to

work together to not lose any more of this

common wealth, just as we have sought to do

in our homelands.’

While the artwork incorporates a paper cutout

it was decided, for the tapestry, making a separate

shaped piece would have looked clumsy. Instead

the artist supervised the photographing of the

artwork so that in the two-dimensional tapestry,

the shadows appear in her desired position.

Weaver Sue Batten’s extensive use of the

Soumak technique, which uses a needle, helped

capture the delicate line work.

NEW WORKSNEW WORKS

This work evokes a personal sense of place,

relating to the sun on Washpool Creek in

northern New South Wales. The vertical

ribbons represent the artist’s family DNA, the

background is a representation of the land.

The artist was born in Tenterfield in NSW and

is a descendant of the Djanbun clan of the

Bundjalung nation.

Bancroft is represented in many collections

in Australia including the National Gallery of

Australia. She has exhibited extensively around

the world, and her work is held in overseas

collections including those of the Prime

Minister of Turkey and the Governor of Tokyo.

This tapestry, a private commission, was

woven vertically to create a string stepping of

the vertical lines. The original design was done

in A4-size, so enlarging the scale presented

a wonderful opportunity for interpretation

and discovery.

The ATW was delighted to work with

Bancroft, and the artist and weavers expressed

the hope that they will be able to collaborate

again on a larger work in the future.

On 24 October 2013 the ATW Board and staff

were delighted to welcome guests to the

Workshop to celebrate the completion of Sorry.

Designed by Juan Davila, the tapestry was a

commission by the State Library of Victoria

(SLV) in celebration of the centenary of its

iconic dome. The tapestry was cut from the

loom by the artist and the Hon Heidi Victoria

MLA, Victorian State Minister for the Arts.

As always there was sadness with

celebration as the ATW bid farewell to this

work, which had been ‘living’ at the Workshop

since March 2013. This tapestry was a

particularly collaborative effort, and the

weavers enjoyed the visits of the artist, who

stopped in frequently during the 2300 hours

of weaving.

Sorry has now joined Spring Street end,

a tapestry designed by Ben McKeown,

commissioned for the SLV. Like the McKeown

commission, Sorry was made possible

by philanthropy, and we are grateful to

Peter Walsh for his support of the project.

The tapestry is a gift of the Eldon Hogan

bequest, the Marjorie May Kingston bequest

and the Margery Ramsay bequest in memory

of Father William Hackett SJ, (1878-1954)

founder and director of the Central Catholic

Library and Trustee of the State Library of

Victoria.

TAPESTRY FACTS

Title: Sorry, 2013

Artist: Juan Davila

Weavers: Sue Batten,

Pamela Joyce,

Milena Paplinska,

Cheryl Thornton

Tapestry size: 4.2x 3.26m

Weaving time: 2344 hours

Client: State Library of

Victoria

TAPESTRY FACTS

Title: Sunrise on

the Washpool, 2013

Artist: Bronwyn Bancroft

Weavers: Sue Batten,

Pamela Joyce, Cheryl Thornton

Tapestry size: 1.05 x 1.27m

Weaving time: 473 hours

BRONWYN BANCROFT

JUAN DAVILA

Image: John GollingsImage: Jeremy Weihrauch Images: Jeremy Weihrauch

TAPESTRY FACTS

Title: Everything has two witnesses,

one on earth and one in the sky, 2014

Artist: Sangeeta Sandrasegar

Weaver: Sue Batten

Tapestry size: 1.64 x 0.89m

Weaving time: 350 hours

From left to right:

Sangeeta Sandrasegar,

Antonia Syme, Dr Isobel Crombie,

Assistant Director, Curatorial

and Collection Management,

National Gallery of Victoria

8 9

ON THE LOOMS

This work, supported by the Department of

Foreign Affairs and Trade and the TFA, will be

loaned to the Australian High Commission in

Singapore as part of the Embassy Tapestry

Program. This program has placed tapestries

designed by Indigenous artists in eight Australian

embassies and high commissions around the

world to date.

Brook Andrew is a Melbourne-based artist

who works with neon, installation, photomedia,

mixed media, performance and video. Of the

Wiradjuri nation, Andrew challenges cultural and

historical perception, using text and image to

comment on local and global issues regarding

race, consumerism and history.

The ATW is delighted to have this chance to

collaborate for the first time with Andrew, and

the artist made several visits to learn more about

the art of tapestry and its possibilities before

finalising his design.

Catching Breath is a veiled portrait of a

seemingly unknown subject. The original portrait

by Charles Kerry is from Andrew’s archive of

rare books, postcards and paraphernalia. The act

and presence of a veil is well known to conceal

or represent faith, culture and social values. In

Catching Breath the veiled subject peers through

the veil with eyes clearly focused on the outside,

catching our attention and our breath.

This tapestry uses several innovative

techniques and unusual materials, including

silver Lurex thread. It is being woven in two parts;

the portrait and the veil. While these parts use

the same palette, the veil is a thinner, shaped

piece. It is woven with an even weave (wool

warp and weft visible in even amounts) using a

technique similar to cloth weaving.

It was important to the artist that the tapestry

maintain the pixilation of the original design. This

was achieved in different ways in the two pieces.

The main tapestry uses a ‘half-pass’ technique,

while the veil section uses a visible black warp,

dyed in-house, to create a pixilation effect.

The ATW is delighted to be again working

with John Olsen AO OBE, an artist who is not

only loved across Australia, but who has also

been one of our greatest supporters since the

beginning. This is our eighth collaboration with

Olsen, and the opportunity to work with the

artist, who truly understands the nuance and

potential of the medium, has generated palpable

excitement in the workshop.

While the extensive catalogue of ATW tapestries

is renowned, many people are unaware of the

comprehensive samples library that has been

built up over the decades. As each new project is

imagined and trialled, a vast collection of ideas

and approaches has grown. It is these samples

our weavers are drawn to at the commencement

of each project for technical guidance and

inspiration.

The opportunity to work with John Olsen offers

the chance to explore over 25 samples created

over almost 40 years. A selection of these

samples are being exhibited in the ATW Gallery

so members of the public can get an up close

look at the full process of a tapestry design.

Image: ATW Images: ATW

TAPESTRY FACTS

Title: Catching Breath, 2014

Artist: Brook Andrew

Weavers: Chris Cochius, Pamela Joyce,

Milena Paplinska

Tapestry size: 1.9 x 1.5m

Estimated weaving time: 1113 hours

Brook Andrew with Catching Breath cartoon and sample

Right: Brook Andrew’s working design for Catching Breath

10 11TAPESTRY FACTS

Title: Sun over the You

Beaut Country, 2014

Artist: John Olsen AO OBE

Weavers: Sue Batten, Chris Cochius

Tapestry size: 1.6 x 2.8m

Estimated weaving time: 1130 hours

PROGRAMS AND CLASSES

ATW OPENS ITS DOORS

ENGAGEMENT

EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES

OTHER VENUES

The ATW is always honoured to be included in

exhibitions at other venues. In 2013, ATW

tapestries were featured in the Amity Craft

exhibition at George Paton Gallery at the University

of Melbourne, as well as Wrapped in Wool at

Sheila Inc Gallery as part of Euroa Wool Week.

PERFORMANCES

Partnering for the first time with both the

Melbourne Festival and Melbourne Fringe Festival,

the ATW was delighted to host the following

performances:

YARN – Created and Performed by Lily Fish

(25-28 September and 2-5 October)

This site specific performance by 2012 ATW

Artist-in-Residence Lily Fish was well-received

at the 2013 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

HAYDN UNPICKED (26 October)

This Melbourne Festival performance was a

special treat for lovers of classical music,

featuring a behind-the-curtain peek at the

acclaimed Australian String Quartet.

FLEECE TO FIBRE EXHIBITION (1 April- 6 June 2014)

This exhibition focused on Victoria Crowe’s

celebrated painting, Large Tree Group (1975),

commissioned to be created into tapestry in

2012 by Dovecot Studios (Scotland) as part of

its centenary celebrations. Curated by Ben Divall,

the exhibition explored how the project came

to fruition, tracing the journey from sheep to

yarn to tapestry. It was held in conjunction with

the launch of a three-year weaver exchange

program. Earlier this year Freya Sewell visited

the ATW, and ATW weaver Sue Batten will travel

to Dovecot later this year.

FERTILE GROUND (11 March-4 April 2014)

An exhibition of 15 artists who were in residence

at the Australian Tapestry Workshop from 2012

and 2013. This inaugural exhibition celebrated

the work these artists produced while working

at the ATW.

The ATW is committed to promoting the art

of contemporary tapestry not only at its

heritage-listed building in South Melbourne,

but throughout the region, the country and the

world. The following are highlights of the many

activities we have recently engaged in to further

this mission.

The ATW welcomes the public from Tuesday

to Friday from 10am to 5pm. Entrance to the

galleries is free, while self-guided tours can be

taken at anytime for $5 and guided tours

($10 per person) and are available through

advance booking on Wednesday and Thursday

(or by appointment for large groups). We are

pleased to welcome visitors as well to our open

house and other events:

OPEN HOUSE MELBOURNE

After hosting a total of approximately 1500

visitors in 2012 and 2013, the ATW was delighted

to again participate in OHM 2014 on 26-27 July.

During this citywide event, visitors were invited

to take a tour, talk with our production staff,

and participate in weaving activities.

GIVE AN INCH LAUNCH

On 21 May donors to the annual campaign and

other special guests were invited to be the first

to see the completed tapestry by HRH The Prince

of Wales, as well as a preview the new works

on the looms.

EMERALD HILL FESTIVAL

Held on 27 October, this collaborative event

between the ATW and the Australian National

Academy of Music, Arts Access Victoria, Emerald

Hill Library & Heritage Centre, Multicultural Arts

Victoria and South Melbourne Police, featured a

smorgasbord of free activities: concerts, children’s

workshops, tours, exhibitions, pop-up food

trucks and more.

PUBLIC TALKS

The Friends of the Workshop host six talks per

year featuring artists currently working with

the ATW or experts on textiles. The Artist-in-

Residence program is also holding a series of

artist talks.

The ATW has continued to expand its offerings

of classes. The focus is on providing one-

week intensive experiences with six hours of

instruction and weaving each day supplemented

by one or two evening events. Two introductory

programs, taught by Joy Smith, were held in

February 2014, while intermediate classes, led

by Cresside Collette, were held in April and May.

A masterclass is scheduled for the end of August

(Works created by participants in the 2013

masterclass can be found in an online exhibition

on our website).

In addition last year we successfully launched

School Holiday Weaving programs, in which

children (age 5+) could learn the art of hand

weaving and take home a colourful tapestry.

These popular sessions were held in October,

January, April and July.

The Workshop was also pleased to continue

its collaboration with former Artist-in-Residence

Kyoko Imazu, who conducted classes on

bookbinding and contemporary Japanese

woodblock printing.

Reaching beyond its walls, the Workshop

continued Weaving into Wellbeing, a highly

flexible and creative therapeutic weaving

program. Initially funded by the Teresa Wardell

Trust managed by Perpetual it was piloted with

two partners, The Royal Women’s Hospital and

The Royal Children’s Hospital, which created a

related app Create Explore Learn, that looks at the

process of weaving as well the ATW tapestry on

view at the RCH. New regional partners include

the Northern Hospital and the Warrnambool

Base Hospital, and we are hoping to continue to

expand the program to other hospitals, especially

since the ATW has tapestries in 13 hospitals and

medical centres.

SAVE THESE DATES!

25 AUGUST 2014

BROOK ANDREW

Friends of the Workshop Artist Talk

25-29 AUGUST

TAPESTRY MASTERCLASS

with Tim Gresham

20-21 SEPTEMBER

BOOKBINDING WORKSHOP

with Kyoko Imazu

22-26 SEPTEMBER

INTRODUCTION TO TAPESTRY WEAVING

with Cheryl Thornton

2 OCTOBER

SCHOOL HOLIDAY CHILDREN’S WEAVING CLASSES

22 OCTOBER

BEVERLY GORDON

Hancock Fellow Talk

26 NOVEMBER

EMERALD HILL FESTIVAL

www.austapestry.com.au

Children’s weaving workshop, 2014 Image: ATWLily Fish Image: Hannah Spence

Below:

ATW Weaver

Milena Paplinska

public talk at Emerald

Hill Festival 2013

Freya Sewell,

from Dovecot Studios,

Edinburgh on weaver

exchange at the ATW

Opening night, Fertile Ground exhibition, 2014 Images: ATW12 13

PEOPLEPEOPLE

2014 ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

2014 Artist Residents to date:

NATASHA DUSENJKO has a strong interest in

using diagrams to represent invented systems of

language and geography, photography, drawing

and sculpture.

STORM GOLD uses a range of personal and

ethnographic iconography in work exploring the

contrasts between experience and memory.

MICHELLE HAMER uses hand-stitched pixilation

to map the small moments of apparent

‘nothingness’ that characterise everyday life,

focusing on text and signage within urban

landscapes.

VICKI MASON is interested in notions of place,

belonging and the life cycle, and she uses plants

as metaphors to represent these ideas. Mason

uses textile processes and materials alongside

metal and metal techniques to create a cross

media/material discourse.

CAROLINE PHILLIPS works primarily in sculpture,

employing recycled and industrial materials to

create handmade objects and installations that

explore the materiality of the body.

LYNDALL WATSON’s practice involves weave

being reduced to a basic one-to-one ratio of yarn

over yarn—the simplest constructed textile

concept; such a simple beginning considers

the material as an inherent part of design.

Other artists selected for the 2014 program:

TROY EMERY creates suites of artworks where

dislocated animal forms are brought together

as a collection through a uniform approach in

their construction and materials.

EMILY FERRETTI’s painting practice draws from

both autobiographical and imaginary sources

and focuses on themes from the everyday world,

which are translated through still life and

constructed scene paintings.

GILLIAN LAVERY explores repetition and line or

mark-making in conjunction with language.

Hers is a process-based drawing practice

informed by her background in textile art.

NIKOS PANTAZOPOULOS explores the public

and private, the personal and political. At the

ATW, he will undertake to access new skills,

techniques and material for his practice-led

project ‘Masculine Identities’.

DELL STEWART combines various processes

often regarded as belonging to the world of craft

(ceramics, textiles, animation) with a deeply

embedded personal history, and a particular

interest in fostering new material connections

and collaboration.

Collaboration is at the heart of the ATW’s work,

and its Artist-in-Residence program is one

of its diverse collaborative programs. It provides

a means for the Workshop to interact with

artists, both established and emerging, working

in a wide range of media. Friends of the ATW

and the general public are invited to learn more

in a series of informal talks presented by the

artist-in-residence.

Artists are invited to immerse themselves in

the Workshop’s studio environment, and those

who are not tapestry artists themselves may also

choose to have instruction in weaving. The next

application period will start in late 2014 for

residencies in 2015.

VOLUNTEERS

ADMINISTRATION

As a not for profit organisation with limited

resources, the Workshop relies on volunteers to

help with vital administrative tasks, such as

conservation, archiving, database maintenance

and public programs.

Hannah Jonas (work experience)

Silvia Krambeck

Joan Korn

Maddie McCredden (work experience)

Annelise McNab (work experience)

Clare Norris (intern)

Cleo Pitt (intern)

Emily Sims

Olivia Wright (work experience)

GUIDES

Voluntary guides help the Workshop reach

hundreds of visitors every year, promoting our

work and the art of tapestry. Our dedicated

guides provide bi-weekly tours for the public as

well as by appointment for groups ranging from

curious schoolchildren to textile design students

to enthusiastic Probus visitors.

Kay Bailey Catherine Linton

Carolyn Berger Janet Lilley

Robyn Cass Phillip Norris

Margaret Crothers Jan Wallage

Diane Dwyer (retired 2014)

FRIENDS COMMITTEE

An engaging series of talks, tours and other

events is organised by the Friends Committee,

who meet on a bimonthly basis and also help

with set-up and greeting at the events. We

deeply appreciate their service as well as that

of longtime member Dr Fiona Caro, who will

continue her association on an ‘ex officio’ basis.

The committee is actively seeking new members

and encourages those who might be interested

to contact the Workshop.

Jan Wallage, Convenor Kay Bailey

Dr Fiona Caro Catherine Linton

Tuppy Cole Joan Korn

Chris Collingwood Dr Di Tibbits

BUSY BEES

This dedicated corps of volunteers comes to

the Workshop every other week, collectively

donating many hundreds of hours of work on

tasks otherwise not achievable by staff in the

day-to-day running of the Workshop.

Nancye Cain Therese James

Tuppy Cole Janet Kidson

Rosemary Clark Helen Lane

Stephanie Coote Christine Matthews

Mary Crosby Mary McCowan

Betty A Dixon (retired 2014) Delwyn Poyser)

Ruth de Fegely Anne Rayment

Marguerite Gibson Mavis Sheedy

Elizabeth Gibson Geraldine Sheridan

Suzanne Haymes Jenny Turnbull

Pam Hendy Jo Wilson

NEW ATW BOARD MEMBERS

RACHEL PECK is Principal of peckvonhartel,

Architects, Planners and Interior Designers.

She was a former Divisional Council Member of

the PCA (ACT), and founding member of 2050,

a national group for young professionals

dedicated to creating a sustainable built

environment. Rachel was an ADC Future

Summit 2006 Leadership Awardee and was the

Telstra ACT Young Business Woman of the Year

(2008). Rachel is also on the Board of ACTEW

Corporation Limited. She serves as the ATW’s

Deputy Chair.

The board and staff of the ATW would also

like to take this opportunity to again express

appreciation to outgoing board members

Guy Abrahams and John Ridley for their

dedicated contribution to the ATW.

The Australian Tapestry Workshop simply

wouldn’t exist without the unceasing support

of its talented and committed Board. Last year

we were delighted to welcome three new

members:

ROBYN BAILLIEU has been involved with many

community organisations and projects, with

roles including Ambassador for the Breast Cancer

Network, Community Ambassador for the

Virgin Australia Fashion Festival, and Committee

Member of Second Bite, Epworth Hospital and

Australian Ballet School.

PETER BANCROFT OAM has been contributing to

Melbourne’s cultural vibrancy for over 60 years

and brings a wealth of financial skills to the

Board. Peter is Founding Director and former CEO

of The Treasury Group Ltd, former Managing

Director of Stikki Products, former CEO of Paper

Technology International, and former owner of

a number of restaurants. He is also former

President of the Victorian Licenced Restaurant

Association, Vice President of the Federal

Licenced Restaurant Association, and Board

Member of International Specialised Skills

Institute. Back rowBack row left to rightleft to right::

Guy Abrahams (former board

member), Antonia Syme,

Prof Kay Lawrence AM,

John Ridley (former board member),

Bronwyn Johnson, Rachel Peck,

Richard Hilton

Front row left to right:

Peter Williams, Robyn Baillieu,

Peter Bancroft OAM

Not present:

Dr Dr Dr Dr RebRebReRe ecccca Coates

Busy Bees volunteer group

Artist-in-Resdient Vicki MasonImages: ATWImage: Jeremy Weihrauch14 15

FRIENDS OF THE WORKSHOP

BECOME INVOLVED

GIVE AN INCHTHANKS TO OUR DONORS

SUPPORT THE WORKSHOP

www.austapestry.com.au

Since 1996 support from the Friends has been

invaluable to the Workshop, and members

gain a special insider’s view of the ATW’s

collaborative activities with leading Australian

and international artists.

Programs organised by the Friends in the past

12 months have included talks on the history of

cultural exchange between the ATW and Dovecot

Studios and an exploration of historical and

contemporary tapestries in Europe. And as

always, Friends received special insight into

the collaborative process through a dialogue

between the designing artists and the weavers;

a highlight talk this year featured senior weaver

Sue Batten and artist Sangeeta Sandrasegar.

In addition to discounted tickets for talks,

Friends members enjoy the following benefits:

• 10% discount on in-store and mail/phone

orders of yarn, cards and books (not available

for online orders).

• Access to the Workshop, including the viewing

mezzanine, at no cost for Friends and their

guests.

• This annual newsletter, a great resource on

contemporary tapestry, especially for those

Friends unable to visit regularly.

• Invitations to ATW events including the

Christmas party, Cutting Off Ceremonies, and

the biennial Kate Derum Award and Hancock

Fellow’s Lecture.

The Friends are an active and diverse group,

with approximately 300 members hailing from

seven states and territories in Australia as well

as several foreign countries. Visit our website

to learn more or join online today!

You can ensure the survival of one of Australia’s

most significant cultural institutions and a

world leading producer of contemporary tapestry.

Please support the ATW, through the Tapestry

Foundation of Australia, by participating in the

annual giving campaign, Give An Inch 2014.

It is our generous donors who allow the

Workshop to continue to operate and produce

the highest quality works, and to promote the

art of contemporary tapestry worldwide.

Last year with your help:

• 9 exhibitions were curated

• 11 workshops were facilitated

• 80 tours were guided

• 5000 visitors were engaged

Your support will ensure that the Australian

Tapestry Workshop continues to be a global

leader and innovator.

• DONATE by Giving an Inch – or 2 or 100! –

you will support the work of the team who

collaborate with contemporary artists to

create wonderful new hand-woven tapestries

from high-quality Australian wool.

• SUPPORT our regular giving program and make

a weekly, fortnightly or monthly contribution.

• JOIN the Friends of the Australian Tapestry

Workshop, and support the ATW while receiving

great benefits year-round.

• THE TAPESTRY FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA

plays a crucial role in supporting the ATW.

Donations to the TFA of $2 and over are

tax-deductible. To give, please go to

www.austapestry.com.au/donate,

email us at contact@austapestry.com.au

or call 9699 7885.

ATW Ambassadors $10,000 and above

John & Chris Collingwood *

John & Janet Calvert-Jones *

The Calvert-Jones Foundation *

Carrillo Gantner AO

Geoff & Helen Hanbury Foundation *

Baillieu Myer AC *

The Myer Foundation

The Brenda Shanahan Charitable

Foundation *

The Yulgilbar Foundation

Associate Supporters $500-9,999

Betty Amsden AO OAM *

Annamila Pty Ltd *

Australian Decorative & Fine Arts

Society South Yarra Inc. *

The Hon Mr Ted & Mrs Robyn Baillieu

Bill Bowness *

Amy Boyd & Stephen Rebikoff *

Fiona Caro *

Robyn Cass *

Dr Rebecca Coates *

Ann Cole *

Juan Davila

Roslyn Epsie

Ian Evans *

Gina Fairfax *

Joan Gabb *

Neilma Gantner *

David Gibbs *

Leslie Griffin *

Barbara Hadle *

Michael & Susan Hamson *

Arnold Hancock OBE *

Bronwyn Johnson *

Caroline Johnston*

Anne Kantor*

The Hon Rod Kemp & Daniele Kemp *

Robert & Mem Kirby Foundation *

Prof Kay Lawrence AM *

Alison Leslie *

Frank & Barbara Lewincamp *

Susanna Mason *

Helen Masters *

The Orloff Family Charitable Trust

Anne & David Pitt *

Barbara & John Ralph *

Lynn Rainbow Reid *

Anne & Mark Robertson OAM *

Judith Robinson *

Margaret S Ross AM *

Anne-Marie Schwirtlich

Brenda Shanahan *

K & S Shelmerdine Family Foundation *

Gary Singer & Geoffrey Smith *

Antonia Syme *

Elizabeth Syme *

James Syme *

NS & JS Turnbull *

Peter Walsh *

Roslyn Webster *

Janet Whiting & Phil Lucci *

Peter Williams *

Give An Inch Supporters $25-499

Anonymous (1)

Anne Cunningham

Alime Adieva *

Dr Adriane Anderson *

Barbara Anderson *

John Atkin

Frances Awcock AM *

Maureen Barden *

Barbara Batistich

Sue Batten *

Gail Bett

Josephine Briginshaw

Beverly Boyd *

Tania Brougham

Michael Butcher

The Hon John & Mrs Nancye Cain *

Margaret Cash

Anne Cawsey

Teresa Christiano

Elaine Clark

Charlotte Clemens *

Christine Clough *

Rosemary & Alan Crosthwaite *

Fairlie Cunningham

Rosanne Cunningham *

Susan Cunningham

Tim Davey

Ruth de Fegely *

Betty Dixon *

Stella Downer

Jenny Dunstall

Rayna Fahey

Robert & Sue Freeth *

Carol Geary *

Glenora Weaving & Wool

(Christine Sloan) *

Gaye & Bill Goddard *

Jennifer & Dr Greg Goodman *

Janine Harrison

Adriane Hayward

Bill & Mary Hick

Richard Hilton *

Judy Holding *

Janet Holmes à Court AC

Elizabeth Howcroft *

Barbara Jacob *

George & Grace Kass *

Sue Lindton

Emma Mackey

Susanna Mason *

Kirstin Mattson & Joerg Raichle *

Joyce McCloskey *

Jill McFarlane *

Eve McGlashan

Marion McPherson *

Kay McVey

Fiona Menzies

Alexandra Merrett & Richard Hoad *

Teresa Miller

Carolyn Mitchell

Lisa Molvig *

Diana Morgan *

Margie Moroney

Sharon Nathani

Jan O’Reilly

Di Parker *

Beth Parsons *

Gaye Paterson

Margie Patrick *

Marianne Perrott Hay

Lyn Phillips

Anna Polias

Lady Primrose Potter AC *

Delwyn Poyser

Janet Quilty

Diana & Ian Renard AM *

Zelda Riddell

John Ridley *

Gay Rosen *

Louise Saxton *

Clive Scott

G Sinclair *

Cliff Skinner & Helen Graham

Sadrine Smith

Lady Marigold Southey AC *

Katrina Strickland

Emma Sulzer *

Robin Syme

Prof Leon van Schaik AO

Jan Wallage *

Sue Westwood *

Ursula Whiteside *

Gavan Woinarski *

In memorial donations received

Meg Warren in honour of Bev Warren

Alan & Alayne Davies in honour of

Irene Davies

Non campaign donations and in kind support

The Clayton Family

John & Janet Calvert-Jones

Anne & Mark Robertson

Michael & Cathy Blake

Corporate and Trust Supporters

Allens

Australian Hotels Association –

Hotel Care

John & Janet Calvert-Jones

Foundation

Shadowfax Wines

Shelmerdine Wines

Sofitel Melbourne on Collins

Government Supporters

Arts Victoria

City of Port Phillip

Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade

Editor: Kirstin Mattson

Assistant Editor: Rayna Fahey

Writer: Kirstin Mattson

Editorial Assistant: Adriane Hayward Design: Lynda Warner

Production Assistant: Tracey Diggins

Photography: Adriane Hayward, Ari Hatzis, John Gollings,

Hannah Spence, Jeremy Weihrauch

Printer: Focal Printing

Printed on: Silk HD

This paper is produced in an ISO 14001 accredited facility

ensuring all processes are of the highest environmental

standards. FSC Mixed Sources Chain of Custody certified.

AUSTRALIAN TAPESTRY WORKSHOP

262–266 Park Street

South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3205

Telephone: 61 (0)3 9699 7885

www.austapestry.com.au

Patron: Baillieu Myer AC

*Made previous donations to Give An Inch16