Ararat Regional Art Gallery presents two distinct yet related
exhibitions by Australia’s most prominent male textile artists, Paull
McKee and John Parkes. Paull McKee's 'The Art of Repair' and John Parkes' 'Present in the Process' were presented from 30 January to 16 March 2014.
Paull and John have developed their
practices on opposite sides of the Australian continent: John in Perth
and Paull in Canberra. At first glance what links them is the use of
reclaimed materials. These similarities soon diverge through the artists’ different approaches to their materials. The artists share an immense respect for the utilitarian origin of
cloth - highlighting remnant marks and signs of wear and tear - with
reference to the relationships of cloth to memories, the body and the
environment. You can view the catalogue online here.
John Parkes was in residence
at the gallery from 31 January to 2 February 2014 and during his stay in Ararat he established a stitching circle in the gallery. John was
mentored in Perth as a student by the late textile artist, Elsje van
Keppel, and he remains a passionate champion of her legacy.
This photo shows John with local resident Nolene Fraser admiring Elsje
van Keppel's 'Equivocal Landscape' 1991-92 from the gallery's permanent
collection. Nolene also brought with her a van Keppel piece from her
own collection.
