Naturescapes - Solo Exhibition by Melinda Heal October 25th-November 12th 2017.

Opening Wednesday 25th from 6pm, ANCA 

Drop-in workshops on Sunday 12th November. 'Dye your own Beautiful Weeds', all ages, $5

'Sweeping branches, twisting creek lines and beautiful weeds; these are all fragments of our natural surroundings that come together to form ‘naturescapes’. More than a traditional landscape, the focus here is on the details, the complex parts: blackberries with native birds, callistemon beside an invasive flowering vine, map fragments, sonograms of bird-song and towering groves of fennel. 

Dyed on semi-transparent silk, several large works will hang suspended in the centre of the gallery. Multilayered imagery of local sites including Narrabundah Hill and the Molongolo River are dyed using the Japanese resist-dyeing techniques of katazome and yuzen. Focusing on true-to-life details, as well as broad silhouettes and washes of colour, the layered fabrics create a sense of depth and space and move as the viewer’s presence stirs the air. These pieces push a new sensory approach to pictorial textile dyeing, allowing the viewer to feel a part of the work.

The Beautiful Weeds of Canberra series pays homage to the many unique species to be found around our nature reserves and kerbsides. Without making a judgment call on their status, these are portraits of unique plants, each with a presence in our surroundings. Hung together as a large series of dyed free-hanging silk works, they too become a naturescape of their own; a true representation of nature in Canberra, albeit a fraught one.  

Naturescapes presents a fresh view on textile dyeing as well as examining the way we represent and reflect upon the natural world around us.'