Dead leaves nourish new growth; last year’s grass and dry twigs nestle newly laid eggs . . . so much of Spring is about making use of the old, to bring forth the new.
New old things are happening at FibreWorks Studio & Gallery in Madeira Park.
Newly transitioned to non-profit status, FibreWorks Studio & Gallery (est. 2006) has a fresh mission and a wonderful array of workshops lined up for 2022. These include Batik, Spinning, Wild Dyes, Felt Work, Boro (Japanese patched or mended stitch), and an expanded slow Sunday offering on the last Sunday of every month.
Alexis Bach, Executive Director of FibreWorks Studio & Gallery has a strong grounding in creative work and values the role of FibreWorks in providing a hub for opportunity, learning, and inspiration in the community:
“We do this through our ongoing work with local artists, fostering and maintaining partnerships with trusted community groups, and by providing programming for the public.”
People are fascinated by fibre work. Yet so much of the clothing and textiles we use every day is of the cheapest synthetic materials. This is creating big problems for the environment, consuming large amounts of resources (natural and synthetic fibres, chemicals, and especially water), and heaping landfills with waste. Bach sees the rebirth of “slow fashion” as part of the answer:
“Handmade clothing and visible mending are helping our shift towards a fully sustainable wardrobe. The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global wastewater (it takes more than 3,000 litres for a t-shirt!). While sustainable fashion might not be enough to save the environment, it takes a crucial part in building a more responsible future of fashion.”
Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing fibres together. It is a perfect example of an age-old method being used in new ways. Creative and practical uses for felt are always being explored:
“Felt has been around since the dawn of man, and this versatile medium continues to stretch the imagination with its endless possibilities: wall art, sculptural, mixed media, wearables, functional items, and even furniture.”
Bach loves the way the mediums blur as new technology meets fabric in surprising ways:
“I love the mixture of ancient arts with new technologies, especially in the form of digital textiles. An artist will use an original photograph and then manipulate it with a particular program until they are satisfied. This image then gets printed onto fabric to be further embellished with other mediums like stitch, paint, inks, etc. This also can be done with an original painting or drawing that is then printed on the cloth and then embellished.”
Watch for a diverse and thought-provoking line-up of exhibits throughout 2022.
