"The scars tell the story and the stitches replace the words.”
“The emotional scars of surgery, the fear and the bad memories all remain invisible.”
“It’s about survival and strength, the mending and knitting together to build a relationship with art.”
Currently on show at Creative Arts Napier
Cabbaveggio is an earlier work of art created while I was studying for my Diploma of Art. This cabbage has had quite a journey having been photographed in various real life situations including a supermarket and alongside a bemused group of Chinese bus tourists. The resulting collection of images were collated into a book about the one and only cabbage named Colin.
Mini Books
Miniature Books are the result of creating special one off books to swap with other New Zealand and International Book artists. Each book is created around a theme of personal meaning. I decided to create two books for each swap, one to give and one to keep in the collection.
Over two dozen books have been swapped with book artists to date. The dimensions are around 2inches x 2inches
Starting out as a side project, the eggknobs quickly became a quest to retrieve discarded doorknobs ready for their new life as eggknobs.
We are all too familiar of the door knobs that make up homes from decades gone by. This collection of eggknobs plays with the juxtaposition of daily rituals and the the opening and closing of doors of each stage of life. A dozen is of course, the ideal number.
Ladies A Plate has been my largest project to date, the Ladies A Plate collection of 500 dolls was two years in the making, culminating in the release of the book, Ladies A Plate available for purchase here.
The dolls in this book carry the mantle from past generations and offer a glimpse into the next generation. The collection elicits an emotional response through the recognition of the cannibalised parts. The construction techniques show layering, stitching, crochet and embroidery together with discarded items from our industrial and technological age like washers, doorknobs and volume controls. Enjoy their individual personalities and strengths and create your own narrative with each of them.
The owl was created at a workshop taken by English artist Samantha Bryan. There are techniques here that have expanded my reportoire of skills in creating pint sized characters with their own life. The wood is foraged from nearby Napier beach Marine Parade. I feel Mr Owly could fly off at any moment.
Dementia
Each head has been crafted by hand from recycled garments, patterns, lace, printing and knitted materials. While each head has it's own personality they are showing the vulnerability and rusty patches that appear when the memory fades. Fragments of worn garments and pieces of the past, a disjointed glimpse of what was and is now.
The hanging threads and raw fibres show a life disintegrating.
Knitting has played a foundational role across many of my various artworks and has always been part of my life. I started knitting as a young girl and then never really stopped. In the 90's I formed a knitting fashion label, Shernz, selling one off fashion knitwear through Havelock North Craft Shop, Rua Longley Gallery. They have also been sold in Queenstown, Rotorua and Internationally.
More recently, knitting is more of a component in my artwork, although I have recently created new knitted coat for myself and my sister Robyn Stenning
This is a group of Indian ink images with collage and stitched highlights. They tell a story about my own life. Each work represents a moment in time, recounting the story of a generation. The visual symbols represent a sign, or emblem or an idea or an emotion. This work currently hangs in my art studio at home
Each Art Bra is crafted from a collection of fabrics unique to the design and personality of the individual.
No two Art bras are the same, and while many of the materials are recognisable, a creative dissonance can be seen in the out of place items of the bath plug.
This one has a plumbing theme.
