Cocoon Lines
Cocoon Lines
History
Location
Deakin University Prime Ministerial Library Gallery, Deakin WaterfrontStart date
2020-03-13End date
2020-03-20Language
engResearch statement
This research explores materiality in my collaborations with silkworms as I raise them and they respond to the environments I create for them to weave silk (in my sculptures etc.), their droppings and other marks they make on their journey and of course the cocoons they leave behind when they hatch and the works I generate from these material happenings. Raising silk worms and allowing the moths to hatch has taught me much about how these collaborators of my practice have created a range of cocoon shapes and colours in the environments I have created for them, and how the moths have then created their own openings as they emerged. Part of this process is social (therefore an aspect of place-based research as much of my practice based research is); it involves sourcing mulberry leaves from strangers – advertising through facebook, journeying out to people’s backyards or front yards – learning about different kinds of mulberry trees, bushes and leaves. I learn from this process - in particular I learn how trusting people can be, as many invite me to enter their property when they aren’t home to help myself to their mulberry trees. This aspect of my arts-led research has opened up a new kind of social engagement and knowledge about how people live, suburbs, houses and garden -layouts I never knew existed. I sourced leaves from these houses but also from public places within a 2 hour driving radius from where I lived. Therefore this project became about ways of creating art with nature but also the environment and social aspects of Place. I learnt about silk thread (it can be stretched a kilometre long and that when the moth breaks out of its cocoon the silk thread is broken). I became familiar with when the worms and cocoons would be ready to move and this keen observation and handling of the cocoons is what conjured up ideas for developing sculptural forms such as this image here - Cocoon Lines, 2020.Publication classification
JO4 Original Creative Works – OtherScale
NTRO OtherEvent
Energetical. Exhibition (2020 : Geelong, Victoria)Publisher
Shelley HanniganPlace of publication
Geelong, Vic.Usage metrics
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