Pandemic-inspired exhibition features four Margaret River artist’s at Curtin University’s Bentley gallery

A showcase of regional artists at Curtin University features for Margaret River’s most prominent practitioners.

Opening today, August 11, at the John Curtin Gallery, the exhibition Open Borders features work by artists Shayne Hadley, Elisa Markes-Young, Kate Alida Mullen, and Helen Seiver.

Most of the artists already developed their work through the Emergences project that was set up at the Holmes a Court Gallery at Vasse Felix earlier this year.

A spokesperson for the gallery said the aim of the new exhibition was to represent “the quality and diversity of arts practice from across the State”.

Director Jane King said the exhibition was the culmination of its three-year Mycelium project, overseen by Southern Forest Arts, which had its genesis in the closed borders during COVID-19.

The Margaret River artists contributed projects including paintings, sculpture to textile installations.

Hadley told the Times his piece Once Upon A Time was chosen from his three artworks featuring in Emergence.

“The pieces were an exploration of creativity based upon the emergence of belief and direction through chance and process,” the artist said.

“As Open Borders had its genesis in COVID-19 times, the chance for artists from across the State to come together and share experiences and ideas is a positive and fertile direction to be headed in.”

A stitched blanket was the basis for the piece submitted by Seiver, focused on the Nullagine River area she saw as “the site of a tragedy shared across cultures”.

“The work is a personal cross-cultural exploration of tragedy, healing and forgiveness,” she said.

Her personal experience during the pandemic also informed the project, with a long-planned trip to the Pilbara called off.

“My practice became internal, quiet, and my processes more contemplative,” Seiver said.

“This work uses the shape and the imagined geographical boundary of the Nullagine River to speak about the framing and creation of psychological boundaries of making art within personal context.

“Through intentional processes this work attempts to untangle the threads, then reweave the story by darning and repairing, making whole, healing and cleansing.”

Polish-born artist Markes-Young said the disruption of the pandemic triggered a re-examination of the geographic limits of her own lived experience, which was reflected in two specific works using an old Polish technique to create “lace” skirts out of tulle netting adorned with paper and textile appliques and embellished with sequins and beads.

“At the time the exhibition was being planned, the fear of infection, general uncertainty and the increased costs of travel all hampered our movements,” Markes-Young said

“As an introverted person, my art ‘opens borders’ for me and allows me to present myself and my story to the world in ways I’m often unable to do in a conversation.”

Open Borders runs until October 8.