Artists statement

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.

Physical description

A small tapestry of a tree and its root system handwoven using a colour palette of black, grey, and white.