It's high time I caught up on a few of my Gallery Visit Blogs - so let's start with a fab exhibition at Gympie Regional Gallery way back in February - April ...
The Gympie Regional Gallery is housed in the 1905 School of Arts building ...
Barely Wearable is is a traveling exhibition of body adornment for the age of over-consumption by Sydney-based sculptor Ruth Downes.
This
body of work is a continuation of Ruth Downes’ passion for reappropriating
everyday materials and objects to celebrate their intrinsic beauty. Materials
for these thirty ‘wearable’ artworks have been gleaned from a diverse range of
sources – from aircraft headsets to coffee capsules. Detritus from nature has
also been salvaged to be re-born as a fashion statement.
Hard Wired Mouse - computer keyboard parts, adapters & mouse
Caffeinated - used coffee pods & neoprene
Hi Vis Couture - safety barrier netting & mesh netting
Tickle the Ivories - piano keys, felt & wire
Lippy Galore - lipsticks, lip gloss & compact mirror
By
re-imagining these materials, she has created works that transcend their
utilitarian function, casting them in a fresh light. The works question our
accepted values and how we award status by projecting these everyday materials
into the realm of art. They have a preciousness that confounds our expectations
irrespective of their humble origins. This is much more than a simple
‘up-cycling’ exercise – Downes has an acute awareness of the potential of these
materials. Her trademark humour also runs as a thread throughout the exhibition
adding a further dimension.
A Wheel Within a Wheel - plastic caps & sprues
Transmission - hammered aluminium transmission wire
Brazarre - bra under wires and hooks, strainers, mesh & clips
Lunar Orbits - copper wire
These
3D works are mounted on a spectrum of coloured ellipses (350 – 750mm high) with
several ‘busting out’ on mounted body forms. Some works are augmented by photo
portraits of models (of varying sizes and gender) attempting to make them
wearable.
Light me up - redundant light bulbs, electrical cable & ducting
Pencil me in - graphite pencils, erasers & coated wire
Hear Me Out - CD discs, stainless steel wire & alligator clips
Domino Effect - timber dominoes
Hanging in the Balance - coat hangers, wire & teflon tape
Six Pack Dreaming - beer bottle caps & beer can six-pack holders
I'm all ears - reject head sets, coated wire & felt
Wired for Sound - ear buds & plastic cable ducting
Stitched Up - timber knitting needles & plastic coated copper wire
34b For a Warrior Princess - stainless steel chocolate melting pots
All Stirred Up - birch ply disposable spoons
Hose Me Down - garden hose and fittings & acrylic ball
Out Damned Spot - single use toiletries, plastic caps & tube
Hard Boiled - plastic egg, egg cups & wire springs
Nature's Laurel - Jacaranda needles, pods & linen thread
Bound to go astray - palm fruit stalks & linen thread
Pining For Support - Norfolk Island Pine
The Halo Effect - Jacaranda needles & coated wire
Mixed Fruit and Veg - mesh produce bags, pvc & neoprene trim
Over three years the Ruth Downes’ Barely Wearable
exhibition will be on the road in Eastern Australia. It can be seen in eight
galleries in Sydney and Hunter and South Coast NSW, as well as in Brisbane and
regional Queensland.
https://ruthdownes.com.au/
