AS I ENTER MY SEVENTIES I AM THINKING A LOT ABOUT WORK I DID IN
THE NINETEEN SEVENTIES WHEN I BEGAN MY CAREER IN THE ART WORLD.
“CREATIVE EMBROIDERED TEXTILES WERE THEN NOT SEEN AS ‘ART’
BY MANY, BUT I SOLD WORK FROM MY FIRST & ONLY SOLO EXHIBITION
AND GAINED COMMISSIONS TO ‘CRAFT’ SEVERAL NEW TRADE UNION
BANNERS. THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY A DECADE OF FACILITATING
COMMUNITY ART PROJECTS IN WESTERN SYDNEY.
I WAS EMPLOYED TO PRODUCE BANNERS WITH RESIDENTS ON THEIR
CHOSEN THEMES. MULTICULTURALISM, LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES,
CELEBRATING NEIGHBOURHOOD AND CULTURE ATTRACTED FUNDING
FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE TO CREATE EXTRAORDINARY ART AND SHARE IT.
I CONTINUED TO DEVELOP MY OWN TEXTILE ART AND ADOPTED THE
ROUTINE PRACTICE OF PHOTO-DOCUMENTATION WHICH LEAD TO VIDEO
MAKING WHICH NOW TAKES UP MUCH OF MY CURRENT ART LIFE.
I HAVE ALSO RESUMED MY ART EDUCATION – FINE ART DIPLOMA AT TAFE.
TO CELEBRATE A DECADE OF LIVING AND WORKING AMONG FRIENDS IN A
VERY SPECIAL PLACE THIS SELECTION OF ART IS DEDICATED TO THIS
COUNTRY WHICH CONTINUES TO AMAZE AND INSPIRE US ALL.