Leonie Oakes
With Shadows that were their nightgowns
With Shadows that were their nightgowns
Maps, ephemera, antique paper, thread, letter press, screenprint, shellac, dye, ribbon.
Photo: Bernie Carr
About the piece
With Shadows that were their nightgowns… conveys a narrative that reveals – partially - a hidden internal story of the body, and the inherited cultural text we receive when we are bought into the world. This text is never complete, however, so the work and the materials used suggest a fragmented and broken text, rather than the disclosure of an actual story. (Edited from Artist’s Design Concept submitted with entry). When interviewed after receiving the award Leonie commented “My designs fixate on the hidden stories we, as humans, keep quiet. It’s only upon an intimate interaction with the person, or dress, that outsiders can start to read their story.” (The Advocate 25th May, 2012). With Shadows that were their nightgowns… uses pages from vintage women’s etiquette books, reflecting the fragility inherent in the themes of the work.
Materials: ephemera, maps, antique book pages, letterpress, thread, shellac and dye
Photo: Port Jackson Press
About the artist
A prolific and in-demand artist and teacher, Leonie has a background in bookbinding, printing, photography, paper and wearable art. Based primarily in Hobart, Leonie has exhibited throughout Tasmania, including the Long and Side Space Galleries (Salamanca Place), Meadowbank Gallery, Schoolhouse Gallery (Rosny), Plimsoll Gallery (UTAS) and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
Leonie has been awarded and commended in both academia and the arts. In 2000 she was the recipient of the Golden Key Honor Society for Academic Achievement. 2003 saw her awarded the Australian Postgraduate Award, along with being a Fullbright National Finalist. She won first prize in the printmaking section of the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council Art Prize (2011), and was a finalist in the Hutchins Art Prize (2003). In addition to Leonie’s teaching career and strong dedication to artistic practice, Leonie has organised many print exchanges (both national and international) and undertaken numerous residencies.
Core themes in Leonie’s work are focused on the cultural association of the book with women and the development of the artists’ book as wearable objects. These themes are expressed in her most recently awarded works: Listening to the night, winner of the 2022 Paper on Skin Award in Honour of Pam and Neil Thorne sponsored by Janet de Boer OAM, $1000; and Between the lines a story lies, winner of the Temple-Smith Lawyers (Linda Johnston Director) Major Award for the inaugural Paper off Skin, $1500.
https://www.instagram.com/leonie_oakes_artist/
http://www.yorkfestival.com.au/exhibitions/leonie-oakes/