BOATS made out of old microwave parts, celestial bodies stitched together on fabric, and meditative line art are some of the eccentric artworks in Uncommon Threads.
The Fremantle exhibition is a collaboration between arty pals Ali Biddiscombe, Peter Woodward and Zita Pal.
Known for her textile art, Biddiscombe specialises in Japanese stitching and her own slow-stitching style.
One of her pieces for the exhibition features a sort of cosmic quilt with floating astronauts, a bulging sun and lots of stitched stars.
• Some of the amazing artworks in Uncommon Threads.
Spiritual
It was inspired by NASA’s Artemis II mission, which took astronauts further away from Earth than anyone had gone before.
“The images and videos were extraordinary,” she says.
“I remember watching the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 as a child.
“I’ve had fun creating two textile art pieces to commemorate the mission and its significance in history. They’re stitched on fabric I dyed and I’ve introduced felts and gold and silver stitching plus a fun inclusion in each piece.”
For the exhibition, Biddiscombe also created smaller, brightly coloured pieces depicting Mexican artist, activist and poet Frida Kahlo, and Mother Mary.
“Kahlo is someone I have admired for a long time,” she says.
“I embellished favourite portraits to bring out her creativity and passion.
“I’ve used jewellery pieces, textiles, embroidery and slow stitching.”
If naïve wooden boats are more your thing, then you’ll get a kick out of Peter Woodward’s idiosyncratic art.
Look closely and you’ll see he’s used tiny transistors, capacitors and other electronic components to furnish his jerry-built armada.
Instead of taking old electrical goods to the dump, he takes them apart and upcycles the components into his art.
“I have taken apart a microwave, radio and remote control and whatever else I find in my shed,” he says.
The Chook’s favourite boat is a striking red number with different electronic components masquerading as handrails and chimneys.
The charming little boats in Uncommon Threads were inspired by the Indonesian Phinisi sailing vessels at Labuan Bajo on Flores.
Woodward has lived in Greater Fremantle for the past 40 years.
Last but not least is Zita Pal with her spiritual and impressionistic line art.
Pal is a spontaneous “doodler” who enjoys the process as much as the finished piece.
“It’s not so much cathartic as meditative,” she says. “It relaxes me and I find myself in the zone.
“I am inspired by nature and folk art, particularly Hungarian, with repeated floral patterns appearing in my work.”
Her artworks in the exhibition have an Indonesian flavour, mixing dreamy, tranquil colours with shapes and goddess-like faces.
Uncommon Threads is at Amante and Co Coffee, corner Price Street and South Terrace, in Fremantle from July 25 to August 21.
As part of its support for the local art community, the cafe showcases up-and-coming artists on its Art Wall.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK