When fabric vanishes, form appears
- Meredith's embroidered sculptures recreate nature’s delicate architecture
- She works with freehand machine embroidery and water-soluble fabric
- Her practice is informed by her technical expertise and scientific knowledge
Meredith Woolnough’s artistic path branches and spirals, just like the coral fans, leaf skeletons and shell lattices she evokes in her embroidered sculptures. A simple enrolment mix-up in her fine arts degree in Sydney diverted her from photography into textiles. "It was an error that became a defining turn for my career," Meredith says. Guided by her curiosity and the fortuitous mistakes that have shaped her work, she found the twin techniques that anchor her practice. Today, Meredith works with freehand machine embroidery, which allows her to draw with the needle, and water-soluble fabric, which disappears to reveal her nature-inspired stitched forms. In this fusion of art and science, fortified by her degree in natural history illustration and her beloved scientific books, Meredith liberates and sanctifies nature’s forms.
Interview
- Was there a defining moment in your journey?
- I did my honours in 2006. It was a year of focused study, in which I combined the use of freehand machine embroidery and water-soluble fabric. I just threw myself into it, experimented and made all sorts of mistakes. It was such a wonderful luxury to play and explore. So much of what I do today, I learned that year.
- How do you find the forms you want to interpret?
- In my interpretations, I focus on what first draws me in, such as colours. For example, I did a series of gum leaves, not in green, but in the rainbow tones they take on as they dry and fade. Whatever captures my attention becomes the design focus of the final piece.
- Are you surprised by the way your work is received?
- People often insist a piece is one thing, when it is actually another. My work online is often mistaken for leaves, when it is actually corals. If someone is not familiar with coral structures, they connect them with other elements. I hope my work makes people curious about the plant or animal behind it.
- What does well made mean to you?
- A well made piece encapsulates the love that went into its production. I can see and feel the passion of something when it is well made. The maker's dedication is visible because they have taken the time to learn how to do it well.
Meredith Woolnough is a master artisan: she began her career in 2006 and she started teaching in 2012
Works
Where
Meredith Woolnough
