Art Quill Studio: 2013 Australian Craft Awards - FinalistResource ReviewMarie-Therese Wisniowski

Logo of the Australian Craft Awards.

The aim of the Craft Awards was to:
• Celebrate those who produce excellent craft works.
• Celebrate those who sponsor, fund or commission craft projects.
• Promote and encourage participation and conversation in all aspects of craft.

Entries were submitted online and reviewed by an appointed advisory panel to ensure they met entry criteria. Once an entry was shortlisted, it was published on the Craft Awards site and was then available for public and peer viewing, comment and voting.

The Assessment Process involved an expert panel, members of the craft industry and people from the craft marketplace. Award winners were not determined by popularity but rather by their overall rating.

The Advisory Panel chose the judges. Their criteria were to choose judges who have an understanding of design from both an aesthetic and marketplace perspective. Every judge was then given a number of entries to view and rate. Every entry was viewed by at least two judges. A judge scored an entry across a series of criteria namely:
• The Project brief.
• The response to the brief.
• Design challenges faced and answered by the project.
• How the project answers sustainability.
• Overall quality of the project.

Each criterion was rated out of 5 and the score was averaged. A judge was only allowed to rate a project once, and if they or their organization was involved with the project, then they had to abstain from the rating process.

For marketplace ratings, members of the public came to the site and rated each project. They also provided a rating out of five. However, their rating was only placed against one criterion namely, the overall quality of the project.

All ratings for each project were aggregated and averaged and awards were provided to the leading entry with the highest average. Any projects that shared the same rating would be referred back to the judges and Advisory Panel for final consideration with the Awards Chairman having the final say if a deadlock continued to ensue.

In total there were 15 categories, namely: craft event; craft publication; craft retailer; craft supplier; display; fashion – accessories; fashion – apparel; fashion – kids; furniture; home wares; jewellery; kids – toys; lighting; outdoor; stationery.

I wish to congratulate the winners of each of the following categories and they were:
• Contemporary Craft Retreat | Craft Event | Creator: Lex Sorrentino | Commissioner: Lex Sorrentino.
• BrisStyle Markets | Craft Market | Creator: BrisStyle Inc. | Commissioner: BrisStyle Inc.
• Claylink Magazine | Craft Publication | Creator: Ceramics Victoria Incorporated | Commissioner: Ceramics Victoria Incorporated.
• Sturt Craft Center |Craft Retailer | Creator: Sturt Craft Centre | Commissioner: Sturt Craft Centre.
• Kumihimo | Craft Supplier | Creator: TrishAlan Designs | Commissioner: TrishAlan Designs.
• Dura Mater (Tough Mother) | Display | Creator: Sharyn Dingeldei | Commissioner: Sharyn Dingeldei.
• Megan Jackson | Fashion - Accessories | Creator: Megan Jackson | Commissioner: Megan Jackson.
• Two Threads | Fashion - Apparel | Creator: Two Threads | Commissioner: Two Threads.
• Pallets be a Buffet | Furniture | Creator: Sneaky Boarding Design | Commissioner: Sneaky Boarding Design.
• Tableware Collection | Homewares | Creator: Alison Jackson | Commissioner: Alison Jackson.
• Empire necklace | Jewellery | Creator: Blanche Tilden | Commissioner: Blanche Tilden.
• Secret Hideaway Teepee Range |  Kids - Toys | Creator: Joyjoie | Commissioner: Joyjoie; • Refraction XI |  Lighting | Creator: Christine Atkins | Commissioner: Christine Atkins.
• Woodland Series Cards |Stationery | Creator: I make it | Commissioner: I make it.

Entries from the 15 categories were also eligible for the ten “best category” awards, which were distilled into the following sections: Chairman’s award; best use of ceramics, best use of glass, best use of metals, best use of mix media, best use of paper, best use of plastics, best use of paper, best use of textiles and best use of other. I wish to congratulate the winners in the “best categories” and they were as follows:
• Chairman’s Award: Ceramics with Keyboard surface design  Display | Creator: Mairi Ward | Commissioner: Mairi Ward.
• Best use of Ceramics: Dura Mater (Tough Mother) Display| Creator: Sharyn Dingeldei | Commissioner: Sharyn Dingeldei.
• Best use of Glass: Refraction XI Lighting | Creator: Christine Atkins | Commissioner: Christine Atkins.
• Best use of Metal: Marisa Molin Jewellery | Creator: Marisa Molin | Commissioner: Marisa Molin.
• Best Use of Mixed Media: Knicks desk light Lighting| Creator: Gilbert Riedelbauch | Commissioner: Gilbert Riedelbauch.
• Best use of Paper: She Choked on Her Words Jewellery | Creator: Eva Schroeder | Commissioner: Eva Schroeder.
• Best use of Plastics: I make it Brooches; Fashion - Accessories | Creator: I make it | Commissioner: I make it.
• Best use of Textiles: Two Threads Fashion - Apparel | Creator: Two Threads | Commissioner: Two Threads.
• Best use of Wood: Pallets be a Buffet Furniture | Creator: Sneaky Boarding Design | Commissioner: Sneaky Boarding Design.

• Best use of Other: Terra Australis Jewellery | Creator: Noelanne Wyres | Commissioner: Noelanne Wyres.

For further details of their work in both divisions of the Awards please visit Australian Craft Awards.

I wish to thank all those who voted for my entry in the Award and so what follows are details of my entry (which may assist some of you to construct your own entry for next year's awards). Thanks for nominating me to be a finalist in this inaugural Australian Craft Awards. It was very much appreciated that you cared about my work and gave up your valuable time to vote.

Velvet ArtCloth Scarves Collection
Art Quill Studio | Fashion - Accessories - New South Wales
Summary
There are three basic ingredients (as opposed to definitions) that all artworks possess: (i) they need to be “engaged”; (ii) they are non-functional; (iii) they are aesthetic. Wearable Art is “Art” when placed in an art context but when it is not placed in an art context, its functionality obscures the act of engagement.  My scarves are wearable art.   My scarves have been created using a range of fabrics and various hand dyeing and hand printing techniques. I am particularly fond of silk rayon velvet due to its ability to impart rich, luscious, intense colors and yet retain its super soft, luxurious handle when dyed and printed using various media.  My scarves are a unique creation, never to be repeated in color, tone or overall design. Some of the design elements may re-appear in other scarves, but the overall colors, printing/overprinting and design features is what ensures their uniqueness as a one-off specialty wearable art item to covet.

Project Creator
Art Quill Studio: Marie-Therese Wisniowski
Project Team
ArtCloth artist   Marie-Therese Wisniowski works full-time as a studio artist, author, curator, speaker and tutor. She is the Director of Art Quill Studio, the Education Division of Art, Quill & Co. P/L at Arcadia Vale in New South Wales, Australia. She is a casual lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She recently took up the position of co-editor of Australia’s “Textile Fibre Forum” magazine.   Her written works have appeared in journals such as ‘Literature and Aesthetics’, ‘Craft Arts International’, ‘Textile Fibre Forum’, ‘Fibreline’, ‘Embellish’, ‘Down Under Textiles’ and ‘Quilting Arts’. She has also authored articles on websites such as ‘Pop Art Legitimizing Prints as an Art Medium – A Generator of Future Processes and Art Movements’ for the Exchange Partners in Print Media website. In 2007 she was invited to be the inaugural guest editor of the international e-zine ‘HeArtCloth Quarterly’.   She specializes in the area of ArtCloth, artist printmakers' books and limited edition prints. She has created signature screen-printing techniques that she has named “Matrix Formatting” “Multiplexing” and “Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP)" on her natural fibre ArtCloth works and “MultiSperse Dye Sublimation” (MSDS) on her ArtCloth works using disperse dyes on synthetic fibers. She conducts workshops and lectures on these and other techniques, which she tutors at international and national conferences, forums, textile/print groups and in university courses.  Her current work explores contemporary post-graffiti, socio-political and environmental issues.   Her printed ArtCloth works have been exhibited internationally and nationally and are held in major public and private collections in Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Sweden, Thailand and the USA. She has received numerous international awards for her printed fabric lengths.

Inspiration/Method
The first Prime Minister of India - Nehru - said to his daughter Indira Gandhi: “Be Brave - the rest will follow!” Underlying all of my work is this drive to take risks - to create bold, edgy, contemporary designs and so let my adrenaline drive my artwork. Nonetheless, discarding mainstream design elements is not in itself inspirational, but rather it is an important part of my inner core - to drive my work to create edgy design elements.   Urban and landscape environments inform my images and works. My contemporary urban landscape themes include my interpretation of post-graffiti work. I operate my artistic skill set on these thoughts to project rich and vibrant landscapes on the cloth medium. The ArtCloth scarves I create rely heavily on researching design elements consistent with my worldview to create images from the “utten welt” and/or from life-forms threatened with respect to survival.   I employ various surface design techniques to create the imagery for my scarves. These techniques include the initial image/mark making processes of drawing and designing which are followed by dyeing, discharging, hand painting, stenciling, stamping, screen printing, foiling and other processes on natural fibres.

Design Challenge
A large motivation for my wearable art sits within my role as a casual lecturer and international tutor, teaching University and textile/craft/art/print students how to use cloth as an art and craft medium.   This motivation fuels my desire to explore personal design challenges as well as being able to impart and effectively communicate these challenges to inspire my students, as many have an artistic curiosity that needs to be channeled and driven.   I feel privileged that I can create my wearables using time honored and complex surface design techniques. My scarves are unique, are imbued with color, shimmer with luscious textures, are comfortable to wear and are thoughtfully designed, dyed, printed and finished. A wonderful formula which imparts my passion about ArtCloth wearables to my students and to those who purchase my scarves and who cherish them to this day.   This is the catalyst which continually drives my artistic curiosity and those of my students to the exciting, personal, visual, tactile and ever challenging world of textiles – a new continent of art and craft called ArtCloth.

Velvet ArtCloth Scarves Collection

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 1.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, over-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 180 cm (length).

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 1 - Detail View.

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 2.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, discharged, overdyed, silk screened, hand painted and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 185 cm (length)

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 2 - Detail View.

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 3.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Shibori multi-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 210 cm (length).

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 3 - Detail View.

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 4.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 183 cm (length).

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 4 - Detail View.

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 5.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, overdyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 188 cm (length).

Velvet ArtCloth Scarf 5 - Detail View.

1 comment:

Flora Fascinata said...: A wonderful review, Marie. All finalists including you are certainly in a league of their own, so sophisticated and with so much practice and knowledge. I love the the way you set up a scaffold to help and encourage others to enter. I am wondering if you'd do a little retail round up post where you sell from? You might have already? I love those velvet surface treated scarves. :D; November 9, 2013 at 8:33 AM