This Ain’t the Archies

Timeless Textiles Gallery,  Newcastle
August 02  2021 –  September 12 2021
www.timelesstextiles.com.au

This Ain’t the Archies is an international fibre and textile art exhibition curated by fibre art gallerist, Anne Kempton, that re-imagines portraiture and takes the form of a multi-artist response to what is arguably Australia’s favourite portrait art award, the Art Gallery of NSW’s Archibald Prize. This Ain’t the Archies exhibition comprises approximately twenty one fibre and textile portraits created by national and international artists invited by Timeless Textiles gallery to explore ideas and methods of portraiture utilizing traditional and non-traditional fibre and textile practices, and materials and forms (both 2D and 3D).

Janice Lessman-Moss, Melissa English Campbell – Cotton yarns, painted with ink and dye, woven using a double weave structure. (2021)

Portraits have fascinated people for millennia, with the oldest found portrait dating from the 6th century BC. The Archibald Prize was first awarded in 1921 with a bequest from former editor of The Bulletin, J. F. Archibald. The competition has not only reflected Australian cultural history in artist’s choice of subject matter, but also innovation and change in art styles and mediums.

For Ain’t the Archies, a diverse group of artists have created portraits either of themselves or of another fibre artist who has influenced them. As conceptually thrilling as it is aesthetically rich, Ain’t the Archies features new works that reinterpret and reimagine portraiture.

Artists of various ages and backgrounds and hailing from different parts of Australia and the world, have created new works for this exhibition. Their works apply a range of textile art techniques creating unique and inspired artworks.

Nysha,Mary Pal (cheesecloth, canvas, acrylic paint) 2021

Many of the fibre artists represented are well known for a particular technique. They include:

Brett Alexander – Australia – mixed media (self portrait)

Jim Arendt – USA – cut denim (Marie Bergstedt)

Kerstin Bennier – Austria – performance art (self portrait)

Marie Bergstedt – USA – buttons/embroidery (Jim Arendt)

Melissa Campbell – USA–  fibre art (Janice Lessman-Moss )

Chris Clifton – Australia – photography and stitch (Hinke Schreuders)

Jo Hamilton – USA – crochet (Xenobia Bailey)

Judy Hooworth – Australia -art quilt (self portrait)

Anne Kelly – UK – embroidery (self portrait)

Anne Kempton – Australia- mixed media (Nalda Searle)

Katharina Krenkel – Germany – soft sculptures (Yayoi Kusama)

Anne Leon – Australia – eco-dye and screen print (Anne Kempton)

Alysn Midlow Marden – NZ -mixed media (El Anatsui)

Mary Pal – Canada – cheesecloth and stitch (Nysha)

Sharon Peoples – Australia- machine embroidery (Julie Ryder)

Wilma Simmons – Australia- mixed media (Margaret Adams)

Sue Stone – UK – textural stitch (Constance Howard )

Dionne Swift – UK – thread stitching (self portrait)

Emily Tull – UK – thread painting (Sue Stone)

Sylvia Watt – Australia – mixed media (Margy Alexander)