Shrines to the historical archive
- Family history inspires Jody's mixed-media art
- Every day is filled with creativity at her home studio
- She uses found objects and materials to construct her sculptures
Born in Margaret River, now based in Broome, Jody Loaring studied textiles in a Bachelor of Art. Today, this influences her sculptures, coiled forms and woven works, that include found natural materials. Her family history and personal life experiences feed the thematics of her artworks. Jody's process begins with gathering as she explores environments such as the shoreline, looking for interesting textures she can use in her artworks. She collects natural fibres such as driftwood and grass fibres, as well as recycled discarded nylon beach rope. Jody draws inspiration from the collected materials with their beauty and natural colouration. She combines these with other manufactured fibres, metals, and plaster to create sculptural works that stand on a handmade armature base.
INTERVIEW
I tell stories from the past through my work using gathered elements from the environment where they occurred. Natural, found materials, weathered by the landscape, evoke memories of time and place – critical to my process. This has evolved from simple landscape installations to sculptures imbued with spirit and texture.
Digging into the story of my Great-great-great-grandmother, Mary Smith, informs much of my current work. I have delved into her story of hardship as a servant in the early colony of Western Australia and her subsequent murder by her husband in 1835.
I had quite a strict Catholic upbringing, so churches, temples, and shrines were familiar sacred spaces. I appreciate the beauty of the holy objects, the tabernacle and altar. I have the urge to create reverent spaces, shelter-like forms that carry a sense of spirit.
It is so valuable to teach because you open yourself and you give – and what you get back is threefold. It is amazing to see and get inspired by what the other students do. The joy. The success they have. And the interpretation of your own knowledge and experience.
