Quilts by Susan Cunningham

Quilts by Susan Cunningham

Written by Barbara Macey

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

My work is strongly informed by my relationship to the surrounding environment, and my response to its structure, composition, texture and colour. Because I live in a rural town with forest, mountains and farming nearby, much of my work reflects aspects of this landscape.

 I sometimes refer to the effects of the passage of time: people conduct activities and leave evidence as litter or landmarks or structures. Layers build up over the years and partially mask what was, and what is now. Eventually these marks will change and slowly fade away. In the case of bushfire, markings are covered relatively quickly, with the regeneration of vegetation and trees.

 Landmarks is part of a series documenting my response to marks made by humans. In this instance I have considered the effects of human activity before, during and after bushfire. Digital aerial images taken over farmland near the Grampians immediately after the 2005 Illawarra bushfire, document infrastructure such as roads and evidence of farming practices. Overlaid over these are the patterns made by either farm or fire fighting vehicles - all very clear on the burnt earth.   These stark images can be reduced to pattern, which itself can be overlaid over each other.

 I like to work in a loose way that dissolves demarcation of shapes and colour, so that the viewer experiences an altered way of seeing the world. Emotion and spirituality are conveyed through the abstraction of the work, assisted by the textures which are an inherently sensual part of working with textiles. There is the opportunity for the work to offer something new at any particular moment, assisted its ambiguity.

Susan Cunningham

November 2010

Recent Exhibitions:

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2008 re-fabricating environments, Braemar Gallery, Springwood, NSW
2008 Dare To Differ-2008, Adelaide, South Australia
2008 Australia Wide – a national touring exhibition of small art quilts by members of the Ozquilt Network Inc.
2008 The New Quilt, Manley Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2007 Beyond The Border Exhibition, Yarrawonga Arts Council
2006 The New Quilt, Manley Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2006 Dare to Differ, Prospect Gallery, Adelaide, SA
2004 One Step Further Exhibition – Victorian Quilters – Hawthorn Town Hall, Vic
2003 One Step Further Exhibition, VictorianQuilters, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery
2003 The New Quilt, Manley Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2003 Re-fabricating enchantment, Braemar Gallery, Springwood NSW
2000 Expressions 2000, National Wool Museum, Geelong, Vic
1999 The New Quilt ’99, the Manly Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
1994 Colours Of Australia – A National Touring Program, Australia
1990 Hands All Around VI, Houston, USA

Awards:

1994   1st prize Melbourne Quilt Exhibition – Contemporary