Rural realities: Book review
Helen Druce
1840mm x 1940mm /
3D Works
This artwork is available for purchase. Please contact the exhibiting gallery for details
As a fabric artist, I have created this piece to highlight the things I love most about my community. The diversity in nature is part of my rural reality, from, cropping and grazing domesticated animals, to natural woodlands, wetlands, native birds and animals. I have created a bookcase that is filled with books made from fabrics that reflect my rural experience and reality. The ornaments on the shelves extend to include some of my favourite things and offer a point of difference, encouraging the viewer to explore the bookcase and my rural reality further.
Curator’s Comments
This work engages with contemporary debates surrounding the convergence of arts and crafts, and a high level of technical skill is evident. It would be interesting to unpack some of the individual components further in terms of their symbolic value, particularly those which seem at offs with the overall context (e.g., images of the Eiffel Tower). To expand your individual practice, you could experiment with the fabric surfaces e.g., by utilising natural dyes drawn from local environments or hand-printed surfaces (e.g., block or screen etc.).
About the artist
Helen Druce is a creator of fabric art in many genres, from slow stitching and traditional embroidery to machine and hand pieced patchwork and crochet. Druce is inspired by the beauty around her and her spiritual journey, and often exploits texture to investigate these.