Posts Tagged ‘textiles’

And….There’s a Light on

Posted: October 7, 2020 in 2020, Gallery
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Opening Celebration – Saturday 10th October 12-4 pm

TAP Gallery is at 1/259 Riley Street, Surry Hills, Sydney

Exhibition from Thursday 8th of october – Sunday 18th of October 2020

Wednesday 14th for Craft up Late – 5-7pm

And… There’s a Light On, an art exhibition, is a response to the Sydney Craft Week theme, Change Maker. Immersion in the gallery space will offer a sensory shift for the viewer. The space is compact, and the textile art is hung Salon style for limited visual resting places, artwork titles draw on song lyrics to evoke mood and past experience. The artwork is tactical, and touch is encouraged on some pieces, bowls of sweets are offered creating small dopamine hits. The artist’s intention is to provide a space for sensory immersion as an intermission from the unfolding world at large. Niki McDonald, Tapestry Girl, employs the half cross stitch traditionally used in needlepoint tapestry to find the balance between playfulness, industriousness and urban sass.

http://www.tapgallery.org.au/and-theres-a-light-on-niki-mcdonald/

Stitching for our environment

Posted: August 1, 2020 in 2020, Gallery
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Intelligent Animal and Darlington Installation Project (DIP) present Niki McDonald, Tapestry Girl.

This is the sixth exhibition in an awareness and fundraising campaign series to support Frontline Action on Coal (FLAC) curated by intelligent animal in conjunction with DIP window Gallery.

50% of all sales will go to supporting the community members from around the country that are undertaking frontline action to stop the construction of the Adani Carmichael Mine at Moray Downs, Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef is at risk of being destroyed and since I haven’t been there yet, I really want to make sure it’s preserved and is ready to welcome eco tourists.

Our environment is precious, precarious and needs our help to thrive and survive. Covid 19 has taught me that with less planes, trains and automobiles, by keeping life simple, the skies are crystal clear, the water ways can play host to marine life and our environment has a chance to recover.

The window exhibition can be seen at 30 Golden Grove street, Darlington, NSW until 16.08.2020

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Opening on the 12th of never

Posted: April 5, 2020 in 2020, Creating, Exhibition, Gallery, Group Show
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In these unprecedented times when an exhibition is hung and a catalogue has been created but for the health of all no one can visit it. Please check out my body of work in the Traffic Jam Galleries catalogue.  https://www.trafficjamgalleries.com/Niki-McDonald

Amending Traditions is a body of work that pays respect to the tradition of needlepoint tapestry, it honors its process and considers its subject matter. Art reflects society and in the 19th century, tapestry affirmed rigidity and modesty. The role of the amended tapestry is to break the customary stereotypes by sassing up the traditional subject matter. Stitching and mending recontextualises and allows for autonomy and sustained self-expression.

Traditional tapestries are stitched and darned with contemporary urban themes and incorporate humor to show contrast.  Niki McDonald employs sub-culture slang and lyrics from popular songs to prompt the viewer to complete the line and relive a moment in time. By inviting the audience to connect their own experience with that of the subject in the tapestry she hopes to ignite impact.

Birds represent freedom, they have a higher perspective and a big picture view. In the series, Amending Traditions, the bird gives us insight into how the subject is feeling and what their challenge is.

TJG

I hope you enjoy the exhibition catalogue as much as I enjoyed creating and stitching it x

Slowly Taking Dictation

Posted: April 18, 2019 in 2019, Creating, Sew as I go
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Anni Albers Quote. Being creative is not so much the desire to do something as the listening to that which wants to be done: the dictation of the materials. Creating is the most intense excitement one can come to know.

I was chatting with a friend about my needlepoint tapestry, Slowly Taking Dictation, she said that it worked with the Polish Poet’s, Secretary of the invisible. I’m drawn to the idea of slowly taking dictation in the role of the secretary of the invisible.

Niki_McDonald_ Slowly taking Dictation _ NP Tapestry _ 2019

Slowly Taking Dictation 110x90cm. Hand dyed 30ply wool, 3.75 tapestry canvas, 2019

Secretaries by Czeslaw Milosz

I am no more than a secretary of the invisible thing
That is dictated to me and a few others.
Secretaries, mutually unknown, we walk the earth
Without much comprehension.  Beginning a phrase in the middle
Or ending it with a comma.  And how it looks when completed
Is not up to us to inquire, we won’t read it anyway.

Sydney Stitches + Craft show Guest Artist

Posted: January 31, 2019 in 2019, Creating, Exhibition, Gallery, Sew as I go
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front cover

Stitches and Craft

I am honored to be a guest artist at the Sydney Stitches and craft Show, I’ve been stitching for months and am looking forward to hanging my new body of work. In addition to my tapestry pieces I am selling cards and printed tapestry canvases so you can reap the benefits of stitching yourself. I am also offering free workshops each day from 2pm for the first 10 to sign up. If you’re in Sydney, please come by and say, Hi.

Artisan’s On Lewis – Sew as I Go, Mudgee

Posted: September 3, 2018 in 2018, Gallery, Sew as I go
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Sew as I go, at Artisan’s on Lewis, Mudgee was everything I wanted, a gorgeous gallery, my body of work professionally and carefully curated, enthusiastic gallery goers, family and friends, the most heavenly wine from the sponsor, Pieter van Gent and an array of red dots.

To be playful I themed up for my exhibition and wore a, Lady and the Unicorn, tapestry  printed skirt.

Mudgee is a 4 hours drive from Sydney, it’s over the Blue Mountains and into the Central West. For all those that couldn’t make it to the opening I’ve posted a photo collage. Sew as I Go, runs until September 16th, so if you’re up for quintessential wineries, colonial buildings and friendly Mudgee folk take the trip and visit.

An Invitation – ‘Sew as I Go’- Mudgee,NSW

Posted: August 2, 2018 in 2018, Exhibition, Gallery
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Join me at Artisan’s on Lewis, in beautiful historic Mudgee. On show, is a year’s worth of ‘Sew as I go’, where I seek to transcend old habits that inhibit playfulness and industriousness. As I sew and as I go, I explore, refresh and cultivate curiosity. This body of work seeks to find the balance between playfulness and industriousness. 

Opening on Saturday 25th of August at 3-pm. Be inspired by over 20 contemporary needlepoint tapestries, be uplifted by the memorable, Artisan’s gallery and be refreshed by Pieter van Gent’s sumptuous quintessential Mudgee wine.

I hope to see you there xInvitation Sew as I Go

Mother May I?

Posted: May 27, 2018 in 2018, Gallery
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Mother May I? Use the tools of domesticity for sustained self expression and urban sass. 

As a textile artist I sometimes feel the confines of expressing myself through the textile medium. I am asking for permission and validation to use needlepoint tapestry as a medium to break the rules of tradition using a traditional medium.  Mother May I, is a ‘Darn Bombed’, repurposed traditional tapestry that I have roughly darned with black wool to impart urban sass and individuality.  I give myself permission to go outside the needlepoint tapestry grid.

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Using the tools of domesticity for urban sass

Posted: March 7, 2018 in 2018, Creating, Gallery, Sew as I go
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Using wool, tapestry canvas and pegboard for urban sass. On exhibition at Be Brave Art Space at 5-7 Careel Head Road, Avalon. Opening 16th of March and running 3rd of April.Invite PNG

Wrapping up 2017 so I can move on to 2018 with new intentions and conversation starters.

Posted: November 16, 2017 in 2017, Creating, Exhibition, Gallery
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2017 was all about maximising the needlepoint tapestry medium. I played with spray painting my 5ct canvases (90x60cm) and using the luxurious KPC yarns for a double half cross stitch which revealed the background allowing depth and layering. I’m drawn to size and wanted bigger so I moved to 3ct canvas and stitched with 20ply wool (180x110cm). I was satisfied with the size, it had impact and maximised the medium.

Throughout the year I wanted to break the rules of tradition using the traditional medium. I’m saying that the colours and shapes from our streets empower our urban woman and give them sass and individuality.  The repetition of the tapestry stitches echoes the pixels in digital work and is in line with the photographic term DPI (dots per inch)

Some 2017 highlights were; The KPC yarn Pop up shop in Paddington, the exhibition with the ‘Seedstitchers’ at Gaffa Gallery where we employed textile mediums to express our theme, Wonderment. An exhibition to celebrate The Manly Warringah Arts Festival at, Gallery Diverasity and an exhibition at TAP gallery for Sydney Craft Week.

5 big exhibitions meant a year of painting, stitching, purchasing, evaluating, creating, framing, talking, connecting, organising and feeling. I also had the honor of 4 interviews, 3 workshops and a design published in MR Xstitchs’ Modern Xstitch magazine. It was a great year and I’m feeling maximised out,  now I’m in anticipation for 2018 with 2 new body of works in process and so many notes in my art diary……. I’m giving myself permission to use the tools of domesticity to start a conversation on permission.

 

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