I have completed and sent off another commission. Once again, the works are winging their way to Melbourne to be part of the new McAuley House for homeless women.
Life Fragments is a collection of four works where the words of women who have been supported by McAuley Community Services for women are gathered under the four values of
Hospitality
Compassion
Justice
Community
Both Hospitality and Compassion reflect the comments women have made about their time at McAuley; how they felt valued, cared for and supported by the Service. Justice and Community contain comments from women to women who will follow – words of hope, dignity and strength.
Hospitality
Compassion
Justice
Community
It was important for me to use the women’s own handwriting and words, to make it personal and real, and to transfer them onto fabric using handstitching, symbolic of women’s work over centuries and connecting women of all cultures.
The pieces drape within their container, seemingly delicate yet resilient. They have not been held rigid or bound within a frame. These moments of difficulty, these fragments in a lifetime, are transient and the women are not held back or contained or restricted by them. They move forward in their lives, freely, yet supported.
As ever my work proves nigh impossible to photograph, so here are a couple simply sitting on my table before packaging.
Being able to see the stitching on the back of the fabric, through the fabric, shows the steps we all take to grow, become stronger and more independent. Nothing is hidden; the effort it takes to change is on show. Thanks to Barry for holding the pieces drifting, draping.
Most of all these works are reminders of each and every woman who passes though these doors – and the hopes they have for their futures.
Life Fragments is a collection of four works where the words of women who have been supported by McAuley Community Services for women are gathered under the four values of
Hospitality
Compassion
Justice
Community
Both Hospitality and Compassion reflect the comments women have made about their time at McAuley; how they felt valued, cared for and supported by the Service. Justice and Community contain comments from women to women who will follow – words of hope, dignity and strength.
Hospitality
Compassion
Justice
Community
It was important for me to use the women’s own handwriting and words, to make it personal and real, and to transfer them onto fabric using handstitching, symbolic of women’s work over centuries and connecting women of all cultures.
The pieces drape within their container, seemingly delicate yet resilient. They have not been held rigid or bound within a frame. These moments of difficulty, these fragments in a lifetime, are transient and the women are not held back or contained or restricted by them. They move forward in their lives, freely, yet supported.
As ever my work proves nigh impossible to photograph, so here are a couple simply sitting on my table before packaging.
Being able to see the stitching on the back of the fabric, through the fabric, shows the steps we all take to grow, become stronger and more independent. Nothing is hidden; the effort it takes to change is on show. Thanks to Barry for holding the pieces drifting, draping.
Most of all these works are reminders of each and every woman who passes though these doors – and the hopes they have for their futures.
deeply beautiful, fiona. reading these words i hear the words of so many of the women, many of them struggling single moms, that i have worked with. "nobody has ever listened before. nobody listens, nobody cares." i've heard these words, too. i am very moved by this work.
ReplyDeleteThanks V - I found this a very precious piece of work, and the words really ring true don't they? I can almost hear them spoken by the different women (every quote is from a different woman)...thank you.
DeleteSo beautiful,deceptively simple looking and apt, as always.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jac - deceptively simple and beautiful is a great compliment. Go well.
DeleteLovely. The use of their own handwriting makes it much more powerful for someone coming along later as they can see it wasn't just one person's statement.
ReplyDeleteSandy in the UK
Thanks Sandy - I agree. I really really needed the original handwriting and the different colours also show different voices.
Deletewell wrought
ReplyDeleteThanks MO - as ever lot so pondering testing and hoping, but it has come together. Go well.
Deleteexceptionally powerful!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Renata - even that seems soft; it is powerful...
Delete