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The 2 vintage boxes above grabbed me today and got me thinking…. I found them on one of my trips to France in a little old messy antique/secondhand corner shop in Asnieres sur Seine. I kept them as an item I thought I would eventually sell in my vintage shop Ateliernostagi
Now, I find them too precious to let go of. Instead I’ve decided to use them in a future art project.
Look at those marks….
Life is too short to hold onto precious things and pack them away into boxes and cupboards. Waiting for the perfect time to use them or, pass onto family and friends, who really aren’t as interested in them as you are.
Enjoy and use them while your still here!
To me, they look like some sort of storage box that may have held wooden or metal letter stamps. Maybe a hold for jewelers burs, or counters…
I’m not sure, if I’m finished with concrete & textiles, I was using a few years ago.. I’m thinking of very fragile wafers of concrete, sewn into, like sutures closing a wound, enhancing and protecting scars on delicate skin. Maybe it’s time to play some more…
Exploring objects and textiles is keeping me away from painting in the studio at the moment, but that’s ok, because I’m not just a painter…..
Today, I have been working with time and nature but, now it’s too hot to do anything much, as the temp in the valley has reached 39 Celsius and getting hotter.
I get torn between contemporary and lush, extravagant. Old bones, textiles, rusted wires, watch faces, bits of stick with moss , vintage cosmetic bottles and handmade French influenced, embellishments are on my bench.
Memories and feelings keep flooding back from my times spent in France. Especially touched by Versailles palace and other places in Europe and England. Old history feeds my creativity.
Old rusted wire and found textiles are twisted and sewn with gold threads and remind me of couture and Versailles decadent history.
Formed into fragments that will probably be part of something else.
This one looks like a weird kind of bird.
I’ve also had the de-clutter bug lately so its feels liberating to use up stuff Ive been hoarding for ever.
Art and recycling goes hand-in-hand in the textile and mixed- media side of my arts practice.
My artworks are often
created from old, discarded clothing, vintage and antique textiles,
papers and found objects. I enjoy making use of stuff that has had a
life already; a life that is often purely functional and as far
removed from ‘art’ as you can imagine.
I’ve been recycling all my life to make art. As a child, I pulled apart, old clothing and nylon stockings “I used to collect fabric waste from mum’s sewing and knitting basket, making wall hangings out of that.” Nowadays, I cut up my own clothing and others, antique quilts, vintage linens, fancywork and men’s suits.
The process of searching and collecting materials, is also, a very important part of my art’s making. It may take weeks, months, even years, to find a piece that talks to me. Most of the time though, a fragment of fabric, clothing or object, will trigger off the idea. I collect and document many of the pieces I find, by labeling or remembering, its history of when & where it was found. This gives me another layer to work with.
The search for
materials has taken me to many weird and wonderful places over the
years.
The sometimes, dodgy, back streets of cities, in Barcelona, Italy and France. Markets and charity shops in Australia, France and England. Underground spaces, abandoned buildings, coast lines and vacant beaches. Friends, family and strangers, have also, donated materials to use in my work.
By transforming old,
recycled and reused materials, it enriches the stories I like to tell
in my contemporary art and gives a new life, to materials destined to
be wasted and thrown away.
I grew up in a “make do and mend” family, where nothing much was thrown away and would be mended or, re-purposed into something else, therefore, many of my textile pieces are hand- made, created from antique & vintage sourced materials and may include, discarded, abandoned, found objects. I have been working with textiles all my life. My mother was a dressmaker and as a child, I would collect the fabric scraps and make wall hangings and soft sculpture.
“TurkRedghost” series
Sometimes the antique textiles I work with, seem to yell at me, but mostly, they lay silent, as I make my own marks alongside, others gone before. Ragged bits, old and new stitching, tracing marks left behind on old textiles are a reminder, of a time when women, had many obligations and few choices. I feel comfortable, as I stitch, tear, dye and reinforce the fragmented pieces. Somehow, I hope, in a small way, by reclaiming and reworking the textiles, I can give a voice to those women.
A small glimpse of paintings in progress for my next exhibition, in April at Yering Station Gallery. I will be showing, new and older paintings and will include an installation of framed photographs, “Spaces Below”, shot in France. The gallery is large and raw with an industrial feel. A perfect space for larger abstracts. All commissions taken from my sold artworks at Yering Station Gallery will be donated to…
As a small child I pulled things apart. Even, before I could talk, I ripped apart dolls and toys. I used to make little displays, installations of the fragments and other discarded things. Today I still pull things apart. I find fragments more pleasing and sometimes, even more interesting than the original object.
Recently, I pulled apart an old chair that had been hanging around for years. The wood was still good. The cloth and leather had grit and rust, just perfect for sculpture. The rustic bits and pieces also related to some textile fragments, I unpicked from an 1800’s, quilt topper. I’m still working on outcomes and painting has crept in too. Below are some pics of the process.
The process of transformation. Time, change, erosion and decay are qualities I like to celebrate. I examine and explore, the properties and possibilities, of my material and want to push the boundaries of something to get a deeper understanding.
In my latest project, I’m working with textiles over a 100 years old. I want to work with the worn and deteriorated textiles and collaborate alongside those, who in the past, so carefully stitched, mended and created, the pieces for comfort and warmth.
Each piece was once, carefully hand -stitched and now, breaking down and worn. I have very selectivity pulled apart and unpicked areas, and kept some intact.
Some areas of fabric, are so badly worn it breaks in my hands, so I have to reinforce it. Most pieces though are just left in their original state.
I then, like to push the process further with, natural & rust dying methods, mark making, hand stitching and painting with caste iron, botanical paints.
Numerous times, I expose the materials to the elements to experience the changes.
Getting to the essence of my material helps me to translate and describe its being. I rarely know the outcome of my projects and just go with the flow.
Large Format Metallic Photographic Prints. Biomorph Series by Jenny Davis.
In creating my artwork I use various processes. By physically dismantling objects and clothing, I reassemble them into something else. My intention is to reconstruct the significance, or purpose of an object, from its earlier meaning and appearance.
COLLECTING
Collecting. What do you like to Collect? Collecting can become so addictive, especially for an artist. My found objects and things are the inspiration and starting point for most of my artwork and ideas. When I see something, it can trigger off an instant idea and give me a vision to work with. I think this is why I love museums, as display and arranging objects are an important part of my sculptural and photographic work.
I have been collecting since I was born. I used to hide stuff under my bed in boxes as a child. As an adult, I’m still putting stuff into boxes, plastic bags and other strange things. I view my collections as arrangements. They are all art installations scattered around my place, as well as, material for use in my arts projects
Walking through the streets to the local shop I always come home with something foot trodden. A piece of paper, packaging, a bright piece of plastic, glass all, will be used in my art, eventually.
When I travel overseas (much to the sometimes embarrassment to friends and family) I pick up off the ground, bottle tops, lolly papers, wires bright bits of plastic, even if an item might disturb me, I’ll bring it home. On a tour once, in Europe the whole busload of passengers collected bottle tops for me.
My stuff may brood for years in a dark space or cupboard, till I come across it again, sending me off on another project.
On my last trip to France, I came home with 15 kilo of junk. I collected baguette bags, string, stones, free ad cards, labels from food items, torn posters, books and papers from a bin.
I also, collect vintage photographs. They tell stories of people and places, I’ll never know about, so, I make my own narrative.
Scientific stuff, equations, wire, tin, bones, animal skeletons, fur, hair, watches, old mobile covers, old shuttlecocks, vintage buttons, eye glasses, shriveled things, found numbers and fonts from keyboards.
Magazines and advertising, boxes, packaging, all sorts paper, vintage clothes, fabrics, wall papers, shells, vintage items and china, driftwood, snow-globes, toys, children’s books and so much more
I go to op shops, city streets, airports, underground spaces, beaches, garage sales, friends houses and sometimes, find stuff on EBay. Part of the fun and attraction for me is, the actual finding of discarded material that has been thrown away. I will recycle it into something else or, just show it’s beauty, as it is.
Collections of things are extremely important, for future generations too. 100’s of years from now, someone may come across my piece of fabric, wallpaper ,lolly paper, box ,bone etc. that will give them information on how we lived in our time, in our place.
Collections are also portraits of those who love to glean…..
Check out Andy Warhol’s boxes of stuff he collected over his life time “Warhol Time Capsules”
Before, I throw anything away, I like to see if I can use it in my creative ideas. Not only am I dealing with issues concerning, over- consumption, re- cycling & renewing, I also love using the found material and always have a ready supply of art materials available.
Recently, I acquired a large amount of men’s ties, I’m pulling apart, to create abstract paintings.
I also have 3 wardrobes of old clothing, I’m slowly, using to make textile art pieces, books and more. The physical act of pulling apart and de-constructing my own clothing, connects me to the textures, memories and history of the piece. The materials are then, made into new ideas, re- introduced and re- valued.
Paper packaging, used coffee filters, table napkins and clothing dyed and baked in coffee, tea and rust
Vintage jumpers, jeans and shirts, torn and cut ready for book-making and other projects
Artwork in progress using scraps of vintage sheer curtain and upholstery material, rust dyed.
A series of mixed media collages. By reclaiming and re-using abandoned matter, each piece gives new meaning to the (discarded) found in the environment. Mark making with thread, found papers and stains.
VMX – Jenny Davis
TITLE VMX.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE TraXE.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE TraX.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE TraX2.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE VArow.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x 5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
