Gathering is a series of contemplative sculptural objects that represent a visual continuity between the Australian landscape and the city. They embody totemic beings which hold the beliefs, values and attitudes of an individual who resides within the urban context, yet has a deep connection to place through their engagement with temporal moments and meaningful interactions. They aim to facilitate dialogue between the viewer and the viewed, seeking to re-orient an individual's perception, awareness and values surrounding the importance of fostering a connection and sense of place with the land we walk on.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA contemporary sculpture made using weaving techniques to create a mesh-like linen cylinder tuft with alpaca fibre, mounted upon a limestone base.tulla carson, sculpture

The cormorant weaving was depicted through the traditional weaving method of the blanket stitch of the Yorta Yorta people. As birds are very significant and important in Aboriginal culture, the cormorant was created to represent the meaning of Wangaratta for the local people and wider community. The weaving is an extension of my series of works which represent wildlife along the waterways, particularly in the North East of Victoria and within my tribal homelands. In 2001 I was taught to weave at a weaving workshop held at Gas Works in Port Melbourne by old aunties from Victoria and South Australia which included Yvonne Koolmatrie. A body of my weaving works, which include turtles and spirits, is held at the National Gallery of Victoria. Other collections which hold my fibre weavings are the National Museum of Australia, Albury Museum and Wagga Wagga MuseumWangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA textile sculpture of a cormorant woven from natural and man made fibres.cormorant, treahna hamm, yorta yorta people, traditional weaving, weaving

Unsettlement She strains the mud through gauze. It is quiet dirty work. The earthy messenger seeps into the fabric in search of new understanding. She sorts through possibilities about how this might occur. What if the small white tents eventually blended with the landscape as if they had never been there?Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA sculpture made up of 30 cotton gauze tents each covered in varying amounts of red mud.marianne penberthy, sculpture

12 apostles I researched daily temperatures taken from the Wangaratta aerodrome station -#82138- when it first operated in mid May 1987. This year is significant as the Wangaratta Art Gallery also opened in 1987. Noting the daily minimum and maximum temperatures, I drew a graph to show this information for each month on a plywood block forward for 12 months. On the reverse of each plywood block, I collected and drew a graph of the daily minimum and maximum from May 2014 backwards for 12 months. Using a steel nibbed pen with silver ink directly on the plywood block, the drawing relates the temperatures to the shape of the landscape. The title refers to the common usage, from the original classical Greek ‘apostolos’, meaning one who is sent away to convey messages- this one being the difference seen most acutely between the 2 faces of each plywood block separated by a quarter of a century in time.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA contemporary sculpture made from plywood and silver ink that depicts graphs of weather readings, and a glass panel that displays the weather readings that corollate to the graph on the plywood panels.dana harris, sculpture, weather

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA sculpture of a pair of hands made from red gum and steel.anderson hunt, sculpture, hands

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA hand sculpture ceramic square bowl glazed in green, blue, white and grey featuring an pattern engraved and stamped into the glaze. Design of the bowl is based on the 16th Century Japanese Oribe ware.tom strachan, after 16th c japanese oribe ware, ceramic bowl

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA sculpture of a steel gum tree silhouette on a stained red gum base.rose wedler, sculpture, gum tree

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA sculpture of a steel gum tree silhouette on a stained red gum base.rose wedler, sculpture, gum tree

Milagros is inspired by the Mexican tradition of pinning ‘ex-votos’ or ‘milagros’ onto the robes of Patron Saints when requesting a miracle. Ex-votos or milagros are votive offerings of small metal shapes which represent a visual form of people’s prayers. The central question in this piece is:If the creatures of the river could, which ones would be asking their Patron Saints for a miracle or two? Most of the wetland and river fauna which are depicted in Milagros are listed as endangered or vulnerable and are recorded as belonging to the area of the Ovens River stretching from Wangaratta to the Murray.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA rectangular sculpture that features a light wood beam with a brown fabric hang from it, with small golden animal pendants attached to the fabric.rose wedler, sculpture, milagros

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA jewellery sculpture featuring a pendant style necklace in a dark wooden hand-carved block stand. The necklace pendant consists of three metal disks and four clusters of red beads.

A cast terazzo vase covered in a blue wash with sculpted wires arranged in the vase.rose wedler, sculpture

Making marks with needle and thread across the landscape of life, sometimes treading lightly but often leaving scars. Wandering was inspired by marks left from the eucalyptus leaves on the fabric, a scrap of fabric easily carried, an idle moment to make a few marks with needle and thread. A longer time to stitch becomes a wandering mind, like taking a walk in the bush, deciding on the tracks ahead and reflecting on those already taken.Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Donated by June BrownA rectangular silk piece that has been botanically dyed brown with eucalyptus leaves and then green, blue, and orange cotton threads have been handstitched across the piece to create tracks.kathy beilby, botanical dying, handstitching, textile

My work has always involved textiles. I began my art practice in the darkrooms of photography, but I often came back to textiles to expose my images on, with either cyanotype or daguerreotype processes. I love way textiles can be manipulated so quickly and how each piece of fabric can have a different feel and weight. I prefer to use old materials with an inherent history that I can repurpose and reinterpret, usually linen, cotton, silk and other natural fibers. My work has increasingly become about texture, an overload of visual complexity and the introduction of hard materials into the soft sculpture medium. Almost anything can be stitched into a piece and so far the inclusion of brass, bronze and copper as small components of the finished work has opened the boundaries of where my practice can go. I use stitches and beads and other things to ‘draw’ and make patterns on each work; I love the detail and the investment in each slow stitch it takes to reveal the final piece.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA black, golden, white, and silver handsewn protection totem encased in a glass dome case.gillian bencke, textile

‘Sky Series’ Changes are constantly taking place in the sky . I love the variety, colour and movement of the sky which are all a direct result of the clouds, sun and time of day. I certainly think about the sky much more when we are on Safari. The sky is a great indicator of the ever changing time of day and weather conditions …... fine and clear, cloudy, sunset, sunrise and storms. The artwork features a simple ‘mesa’ shape against the sky. A mesa is a flat topped hill. Which are part of the Australian Inland. The mesa I have featured is in recognition of Mt Connor in the Northern Territory.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA embroidered textile depiction of an outback landscape scene at sunrise featuring a colout palette of soft pastel blues and pinks, and vibrant reds and oranges.june brown, landscape, textile

Stormy skies can be memorable with dark and contrasting colours. They often appear menacing and producing apprehension in the air because of the oncoming weather. Fabrics used in this piece are all commercial. I have endeavoured to make the sky angry with stitches. The mesa has some very dark and ominous craggy rifts. ‘Sky Series’ Changes are constantly taking place in the sky . I love the variety, colour and movement of the sky which are all a direct result of the clouds, sun and time of day. I certainly think about the sky much more when we are on Safari. The sky is a great indicator of the ever changing time of day and weather conditions …... fine and clear, cloudy, sunset, sunrise and storms. The artwork features a simple ‘mesa’ shape against the sky. A mesa is a flat topped hill. Which are part of the Australian Inland. The mesa I have featured is in recognition of Mt Connor in the Northern Territory.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA embroidered textile depiction of an outback landscape scene during a storm featuring a colour palette of blues and browns.june brown, textile

When in the desert it is frightening to see a distant fire, even though you may not see the actual flames. As evening approaches the sky reflects anger and colour. The mesa is also reflecting some of the glow . I imagined it had been burnt already and some embers are still aglow in the evening light All fabrics used in this work are cotton commercial fabrics. My stitching has been done to accentuate the red reflection in the sky. Black rayon thread gives a certain sheen to the mesa with a dried grassy foreground. ‘Sky Series’ Changes are constantly taking place in the sky . I love the variety, colour and movement of the sky which are all a direct result of the clouds, sun and time of day. I certainly think about the sky much more when we are on Safari. The sky is a great indicator of the ever changing time of day and weather conditions …... fine and clear, cloudy, sunset, sunrise and storms. The artwork features a simple ‘mesa’ shape against the sky. A mesa is a flat topped hill. Which are part of the Australian Inland. The mesa I have featured is in recognition of Mt Connor in the Northern Territory.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA embroidered textile depiction of an outback landscape scene during a fire featuring a colour palette of pinks, purples, and browns.june brown, textile, landscape

I am interested in the history and practice of weaving and textile production and the growing of cotton in different areas of the world, especially as it relates to my Lancashire, UK heritage. The cotton painting drop cloth has been dyed with Australian native plants and the warp threads exposed by removing the weft showing the simple robust structure of this fabric characteristic of the interlacing of warp and weft in plain weave. This work can be hung or can stand on a plinth or table.Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Donated by June Brown.A textile work that features a piece of cotton drop cloth that has has sections of the warp threads removed and other sections plant dyed brown to create a radial effect.hilary buckland, textile, plant dyed

‘Unidentified’ is part of a body of work challenging distinctions between art and craft, looking at the relationship between women and needlework, and through this questioning aspects of the human condition such as the impermanence of life and what we leave behind. This triptych is part of a series of portraits inspired by daguerreotypes. I am interested in capturing a sense of the ephemeral nature of life which is reflected in these images which appear as photographs from a distance but become less and less focussed as you approach until they become just stitches on fabric.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionThree separate black and white petit point pixelated portraits.ying chew, petit point, textile, embroidery

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA small weaving with a colour palette of black, reds and oranges.esmae emerson, weaving, textile

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA small weaving with a colour palette of black, green, yellow and white.esmae emerson, weaving, textile

The genesis of this work was an exploration of materials and sustainability, which led to the use of jute twine as the base material - a humble, sustainable fibre, and an unlikely material for the creation of 3D forms. Machine sewn with a simple zig zag stitch, the work contrasts the most basic of materials and equipment with the creation of beautiful and sophisticated objects. Embedded textures are constructed with a variety of threads, yarns and techniques, allowing the minimal palette to highlight serendipitous interplays of form and texture.Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection5 twine bowls of various sizes in a colour palette of black and cream.fiona gavens, textile, twine bowl

Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Acquired with the assistance of The Robert Salzer Foundation.A small hand-woven tapestry featuring a jagged line pattern in shades of blue on a ochre coloured background.tim gresham, tapestry, weaving

Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Acquired with the assistance of The Robert Salzer Foundation.A small tapestry featuring dark blue and white rippling lines on a light blue and aqua background.tim gresham, tapestry, weaving, textile

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA small maquette tapestry featuring a scalloped design in a colour palette of white, olive, and grey.tim gresham, weaving, tapestry, textile

Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Gift of the Artist.A spherical sculpture made from black inner tubesmandy gunn, sculpture, recycled

Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA textile sculpture of a red book that has a ribbon of woven pages flowing from it.mandy gunn, textile

I draw inspiration from the world around me and from particular aspects of life. Previously my work dealt with my experience as a Scottish migrant – looking back and forward, north and south, here and there, between two countries. This ‘in-between-ness’ of the migratory experience, while not unique to me or other Australians, contributes to my sense of being made up of many parts, a kind of fragmentation where certain components come into play at different times. There is an eternal mismatch or sense of being out of place in my world as I am recognized as Scottish in Australia when people hear me speak but in Scotland people comment on my Australian accent. In a wider sense Australia’s history and culture is made up of many examples of people and things brought together without a good likeness or fit. Woven tapestry allows me to combine my interests in textiles and visual art using the tactile qualities of materials in the highly complex woven form. It allows be to create realistic images, but change format, composition and placement to create images which invite the viewer to question. The intricate nature of multiple wefts twined between warps parallels the complexities of life and tapestry’s building /constructed process embodies the advancement of time.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA small tapestry of a gum leaf and a singe root system handwoven in a colour palette of black, grey, and white.valerie kirk, tapestry, textile

I draw inspiration from the world around me and from particular aspects of life. Previously my work dealt with my experience as a Scottish migrant – looking back and forward, north and south, here and there, between two countries. This ‘in-between-ness’ of the migratory experience, while not unique to me or other Australians, contributes to my sense of being made up of many parts, a kind of fragmentation where certain components come into play at different times. There is an eternal mismatch or sense of being out of place in my world as I am recognized as Scottish in Australia when people hear me speak but in Scotland people comment on my Australian accent. In a wider sense Australia’s history and culture is made up of many examples of people and things brought together without a good likeness or fit. Woven tapestry allows me to combine my interests in textiles and visual art using the tactile qualities of materials in the highly complex woven form. It allows be to create realistic images, but change format, composition and placement to create images which invite the viewer to question. The intricate nature of multiple wefts twined between warps parallels the complexities of life and tapestry’s building /constructed process embodies the advancement of time.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA small tapestry of roots and leaves handwoven using a colour palette of black, grey, and white.valerie kirk, textile, tapestry

I draw inspiration from the world around me and from particular aspects of life. Previously my work dealt with my experience as a Scottish migrant – looking back and forward, north and south, here and there, between two countries. This ‘in-between-ness’ of the migratory experience, while not unique to me or other Australians, contributes to my sense of being made up of many parts, a kind of fragmentation where certain components come into play at different times. There is an eternal mismatch or sense of being out of place in my world as I am recognized as Scottish in Australia when people hear me speak but in Scotland people comment on my Australian accent. In a wider sense Australia’s history and culture is made up of many examples of people and things brought together without a good likeness or fit. Woven tapestry allows me to combine my interests in textiles and visual art using the tactile qualities of materials in the highly complex woven form. It allows be to create realistic images, but change format, composition and placement to create images which invite the viewer to question. The intricate nature of multiple wefts twined between warps parallels the complexities of life and tapestry’s building /constructed process embodies the advancement of time.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA small tapestry of a tree and its root system handwoven using a colour palette of black, grey, and white.valerie kirk, tapestry, textile

Caught Fish, PANGASIANODON GIGAS” is a miniature version of the larger tapestry described below and it embodies the same ideas: The giant Mekong Catfish is under threat of extinction due to over-fishing and loss of habitat. It is beleived that the fish used to reach sizes over 3 metres, but the largest recorded catch to date is 2.7 metres – a monster fish caught in Thailand in 2005. As its fame and the mythology surrounding it increases, so does the number of game fishermen keen to land a record catch or earn a sizeable amount of money in the exotic food marketplace. However, the water flow of the river is increasingly more controlled by China, changing the natural habitat of the river. It seems that survival of the great catfish is being left to chance and the fish’s ability to avoid nets, lines and traps in the murky green waters of the Mekong. My exhibition piece is a giant, woven Pangasianodon Gigas – made as a shaped tapestry which will hang the way a fisherman would hold up his catch to display or be photographed as his trophy. The drawing was made from photographs of very large fish I observed in Laos and the detail on the body of the fish is deliberately ambiguous scales/nets. The piece will be woven on cotton seine twine (which was originally made as a string for fish netting) with mixed weft yarns. Artist statement about the work: The final work is an abstraction of fish and nets – an image made with a hand drawn quality suggesting the personal observation that goes with looking and responding with ink on paper. The tapestry technique mimics the original marks to a certain degree but is also very obviously a woven form with its stepped edges and shapes, blending of tones through hachure and broad set of warp and weft.Wangaratta Art Gallery CollectionA small tapestry of a caught fish handwoven using a colour palette of black, grey, and white.valerie kirk, tapestry, textile, fish