TUFT (Temporary Utopian Fibre Temple) PRESENTS….
Birth, Sex and Death
An experimental interactive fibre installation
Using handspun, dyed, crocheted, needle felted, and woven yarns, along with written yarns and the performance of a photographic crochet birth, local fibre artist Helena Post will be setting up residence at the Urban Paradise Gallery in Woolloongabba from the 15th till the 29th of March.
These two weeks will be an investigation into these great oxytocic events in everyone’s lives, this sacred and indivisible trinity, that forms the transformational foundations on which we stand. Also our greatest fears and taboos. And after travelling and living all over the country, fine tuning her creative process through markets and festivals whilst also birthing 7 babies with her soul mate, Helena is qualified by life experience to deeply examine these archetypes.
With the focal works of the Birthing Suit, a crochet pregnant torso with a baby, umbilical cord and placenta that can be born, along with the Willy Pilly and C#@t Cushion (C#@t is used in the most respectful way in this context, from the root word Kunti who was a goddess, and source of the most excellent word, C#@ctipotent), and the wearable head dress called Death Vale, Helena dives into these life changing events that we don’t like to talk about. And connects them to metaphors in spinning, weaving and creating, which are also forms of meditation and therapy.
This is one installation that you are allowed to touch! Indeed you are invited to feel the textures and textiles, and to hear the yarns about how they are made, and differ from factory fibres. Along with discussions about the modern textile industry and sustainability, the history of textiles, slow fashion and the Makers Movement, ancient spinning and weaving archetypes, and the forgotten arts.
During the installation, workshops by donation can be arranged for spinning, weaving, rope making, needle felting, wrapped wire sculptures, and crafting your own way. Dress ups and hand puppets and crochet sculptures will be ready to play with, and there will also be hosted circles sharing stories about Birth, Sex and Death, with the focal artworks.
The installation opening on the 15th of March from 6pm, will feature a photographic crochet birth, with spoken word at 8pm. Urban Paradise Gallery is at 64 Annerley road, Woolloongabba, and is a unique collective of outsider artists, facilitated by Frederick Berjot, whose artwork will also feature, along with photos by Ana Jol. For more information call 0468300986 or check out the event on facebook
Urban Paradise Gallery 