Janine Morris
the very fabric of life is you, child
the very fabric of life is you, child
handmade paper from Creative Paper, pages from Modern Medical Counsellor
Photo: Heath Holden
About the piece:
The work is a child's cape, symbolising protection, a social uterus, a garment which shelters a child from the pressures of the outside world. The cape allows the child to grow in a safe, nurtured environment, where individual thoughts can be valued and protected as they develop.
The delicate nature of paper illustrates the cocoon a child grows within. The outside of the cape is covered with paper rolls. These represent individuals in society, collectively using knowledge to protect and educate. Paper thin, but collectively strong.
"The child inside the cape can be seen as humanity, the collective that needs to be nurtured and protected from the influences of society."
The cape reflects patterns in nature, the veins in our body, collections of driftwood on the beach. (Edited from Design Concept submitted for entry).
Materials: Handmade paper sourced from Creative Paper (Burnie), pages from Modern Medical Counsellor, glue and silk thread.
Photo: Rick Eaves
About the artist
Janine is a fibre artist whose work utilises natural, recycled and collected materials. Qualified in Early Childhood and Community Service, she has extensive experience bringing her artistic skills to community-based projects. These projects span all age groups, and include working with teachers and professionals. 2015, for example, saw Janine involve adults and children in 'fence weaving' as part of the Art and Play project (Burnie Community House and Burnie Child and Family Centre); project manage Stoking the Fires of Creativity, the community arts feature of Central Coast Council's Festival in the Park, and conduct 12 Out of the Coffin workshops along the North West Coast. During these sessions Janine would teach people how to make string whilst facilitating conversations about life and death. Janine's solo exhibition, Nurture, toured Tasmanian towns in 2013. Her piece Mater was selected in the 2015 Hutchins Art Prize, and she was part of the touring exhibition Paper Garments for the Grave in 2014/2105. Her entry in the 2016 paper on skin - safety blanket-elderdown - received a Highly Commended from the judges. Also in 2016, Janine collaborated with paper artist Pam Thorne on the Tasmanian Regional Arts project Waterlines (for more on Waterlines, go to the ‘Community’ tab).
http://www.secondsister.com.au/
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/…/…/project-sparks-creativity/