Louise Saxton

Sanctuary reinterprets a selection of historical bird and insect paintings. Substituting pencil, paint and paper it is constructed solely from discarded needle-work, pinned precariously to nylon tulle. Everyday textiles, made in and for the home, are on the brink of extinction and many of the plants and animals which inspired them are today also vulnerable. Sanctuary seeks to address this imminent sense of loss—of domestic art traditions and of species within the natural world, and to re-evaluate the home as a point of reference for, and inspiration in contemporary art. For the past decade my art practice has engaged with reconstructing the detritus of home, including the re-use of everyday business envelopes and vintage wallpapers. Since 2007 I have collected, extracted and reconfigured the discarded needlework of others, into large shallow-space installations. The works in Sanctuary are also made from the textiles of bygone eras: doilies, tablecloths and bed linen. Gleaned on regular visits to opportunity shops and second-hand markets, or donated by friends and family, the painstakingly produced domestic objects have become part of our throw-away culture. While discarded by others, for me they have come to represent a silent collaboration between myself as the one who salvages and reconstructs; the original historical artists (some of whom are largely unknown or forgotten); and countless anonymous needleworkers. © Louise Saxton 2021, in the exhibition catalgue: Louise Saxton Sanctuary, 24 March - 29 July 2012, Heide Museum of Modern Art.