Tools of the trade

In 15th century England to 'upholden' was "to repair, uphold, keep from falling or sinking" and the 'upholdester' was a "tradesman who finishes or repairs articles of furniture". Last week at Chapman Upholstery, Islington, Newcastle, NSW, Kurt Chapman showed us that essentially the trade carries on unchanged -with a little mechanisation to make life easier, keeping furniture in good working order without 'falling or sinking'. With such deep roots and a tradition of making and repair to keep us all comfortable and well poised we all have a debt of thanks to the 'upholdesters' of the world! 

Surrounded by the tools of his trade and countless springs, trims, fabrics, reels of jute webbing and beading it is a pleasure to step for a moment into another craftsmen's world. Enthusiastic about the Deeper Voice of Textiles project Kurt has plans in mind and his tools are at the ready.

Sweat & nails

You have to admire their persistence! Mick Ritter and David Styate of Round Two Timbers in Hamilton North, Newcastle, NSW work hard to bring out the beauty of their raw material. Sourced all over the Hunter region their recycled timbers are brought back to life for use in contemporary furniture, interior decor and collaborations with architects, governmental bodies and community organisations. This makes great sense as these beautiful Australian hardwoods have years of good service in them yet and from an environmental point of view any business that reclaims and recycles native timbers rather than importing tropical hardwoods is good for everyone.

Buckets of nails and cables - not to mention sweat - attest to the effort it takes to make old timbers good - but the product speaks for itself - furniture of character and good design sits mid-process in their workshop. Visiting with Anne Kempton of Timeless Textiles we got down to detail working out possible structures to make weaving with their offcuts possible for the Deeper Voice of Textiles project. Call me when you get the steam-bender out guys!

love the bean

Our adventures continue as we visit all the eager participants of Deeper Voice of Textiles in their native habitats - today we had to sit, drink coffee and chat - it's a tough job but someone has to do it!
Meeting up with Chris Johnston of Suspension Espresso in Islington, Newcastle NSW, was a pleasure as he talked of his passion for the bean! From the thickness of the Italian ceramic cups to the weave of the hessian bean sacks - Chris has an intimate knowledge of his craft and he spoke of how every coffee passed to the customer is a work of art in itself. Later this week we'll be popping back to see how his makings evolve and perhaps savour another cuppa.....

progress made

street signs

Beautiful calligraphy lines the roads of our neighbourhood, bitumen seals the gaps where the heat of the day and the roots of the figs disturb and cleave the tarmac.

Our lips are sealed.....

While initially secretive about the work he has in mind, John was full of enthusiasm to share his ideas with us once we were in his workshop hidden away among the industrial units on the edge of Newcastle, NSW. Working alongside fellow sculptor Jamie Sargeant,  John Morton is a highly skilled metal and stone worker who can sort out all kinds of technical problems to fit the clients needs. We can't wait to see his piece come to fruition - but we'd be foolish to let slip what is in the making....

 

Weaving lifelines

Dr Peter Saul is a senior intensive care specialist for Hunter New England Health - clearly a highly skilled man with an important job relevant to us all - so it was an honour to spend an afternoon with him at Timeless Textiles on his day off exploring the materials of his 'trade'.

Brought out of context the variety of surplus and sterilised breathing apparatus used in the care of patients quickly become abstract vessels, (life)lines and woven or tangled strands available for creative manipulation. Colour coding, internal heating elements and high-tech non-confusable joins distinguish these materials from those one might find in a hardware store, however essentially they have the same function as tubing used in engines, plumbing or wine making - they provide pathways for gases and liquids to the correct places. Together we discussed possibilities of how to re-deploy these materials and how creative play is essential for everyone - to exercise the mind and assist in problem solving in everyday life. Unfortunately many of us do not allow ourselves to have the time or opportunity to do something without apparent functional outcome, this is what Deeper Voice of Textiles is all about and we hope all our participants will benefit from our 'invitation to create'.

drawn to contrasts

These days landing in Newcastle, NSW and letting my eyes and ears adjust to the different patterns and sounds of nature I've been finding connections. Without intention I have been drawn to things black and white - shells on the seashore, feathers found and the striking birds - Currawongs, Butcherbirds and Australian Magpies - all black and white and with evocative songs unlike the sounds of birds of a similar size in Europe.

The textile like patterns of Zebra Top Shells of two species - with thick stripes Austrocochlea porcata and thin stripes Austrocochlea concamerata are strewn along the shoreline amongst many other sea creatures washed up after the storms earlier this week.  Below wing feathers of the Australian White Ibis - unfortunately found dead below powerlines crossing wetlands along the Hunter River.

My gathering informs my making and drawing explores the connections, more soon on where the lines lead.

It takes a keen eye....

It takes a keen eye to achieve the level of perfection and finish required for the products of Red Block - an industrial design company based in Newcastle, NSW. On Tuesday we met up with Martin Tauts as he put the finishing touches to a couple of hardwood and aluminium Redblock Chairs one of the signature pieces from the company. Once these chairs are delivered to their new owner we look forward to hearing of Martins ideas for his contribution to Deeper Voice of Textiles. Thanks for taking time out to look down the lense Martin!

Leaf curl and silken threads

As the participants of Deeper Voice of Textiles get underway developing plans for their contributions to the project and exhibition, I've begun to start my own making process. As I start a new project I like to gather local materials, experiment and play and not have too tight an idea of where the making process might lead. Ideas come and go and technical solutions and specific properties of materials guide the hand. As I have been untangling ropes and curling leaf plates in-between rain showers in the garden I see that I've been watched by the locals doing very much the same thing but on a different scale.

Above: One of the Leaf Curling Spiders (Phonognatha sp.) hiding above my garden workspace.
Below: Cabbage Leaf Palm (Livistona australis) leaf sheaths - hot pressed into sustainable plates and recycled from our welcome barbecue and re-processed for making.