ArtKeeper is an initiative by the Gold Coast's Home of The Arts (HOTA) that supports emerging and established artists to keep creating by providing them with studio space and putting them on the payroll for a 6 month residency.
Following the call out in Nov 2023, HOTA was pleased to announce that Lisa Smith, Loki Liddle, Samuel Leighton-Dore and Tal Fitzpatrick would join the HOTA team as Artists in Residence, while Lachlan Woods will be Storyteller in Residence. This program was awarded the Innovator Award at the Performing Arts Connections (PAC) Australia Impact Awards 2022. ArtKeeper is designed to empower artists to take risks, experiment and create great art in conjunction with internationally acclaimed playwright and artistic director, Wesley Enoch AM, who’s been engaged as Artist Provocateur for the roles.For more information on the ArtKeeper program, visit: hota.com.au/artkeeper
Quietly Seething: Fate, Fury & Transmutation (2024)
350 cm high x 307 cm wide x 443 cm long, audio 94min, appliqué quilted with hand embroidered details on repurposed wool theatre drapes, assorted fabrics, cotton and synthetic thread, fabric paint, glass beads, bent steel pipe suspended from the ceiling, MP3 players, headphones.
ARTWORK LABLE
Using the motif of the vessel as an allegory for the body, this artwork depicts the lifecycle of women as they grow from child to maiden, mother, crone and finally ancestor. The three figures in the work represent the three sisters, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, who personify destiny in Greek mythology and are also known as the Moirai (Fates). Their role is to spin, allot and cut the thread of life, which is couched in red across each of the panels. Moving from spring to winter. This work is layered with theological references including nods to the Virgin Mother, Eve and to Marzanna, the Pagan Slavic goddess of death and rebirth.
The accompanying audio stories shared in this installation were collected from 60 female identifying participants who shared their experience of feminine rage with Tal via an anonymous online questionnaire. This audio was recorded by George Carpenter and is voiced by 10 women aged between 17 and 70 years old. As a collection, these stories of feminine rage are an incredibly honest exposition of how many women navigate the complex emotional landscape of anger. This installation was created in honour and gratitude to all those who bravely shared their stories and is designed to serve as a contemplative space where audiences can pause, listen and reflect.
Much of the hand embroidered detail on the work was stitched by participants who attended a public cross-stitching workshop facilitated by Tal during her ArtKeeper residency.
This installation was created during Tal’s time as artist-in-residence at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast, as part of the 2024 ArtKeeper program.
Project BACKGROUND
Tal dedicated her time at ArtKeeper to creating a largescale installation artwork that explores the power and pain of feminine rage through a combination of textiles and sound. This project builds on her most recent body of work ‘Quietly Seething’ which was first shared in a solo exhibition at Art-Work Studios, Mermaid Beach in May/June of 2023.
Tal describes her project:
"This is the first time I’ve attempted to translate my 2D textile work into a 3D form and the first time I’ve incorporated sound into my work. The time, space and support to undertake this kind of ambitious experimentation is one of the unique gifts that ArtKeeper gives its artists. To give a sense of the scale of the work I’ve undertaken, the textile element of the installation is made up of a 3m high X 9m wide hanging made using repurposed theatre curtains salvaged from HOTA.
When installed, this work is suspended in a large ellipse, with the figurative appliqué artwork facing the in, so that audiences must enter the work to view it. In this softened visually alluring space audiences will find a seat and some headphones where they can choose spend time listening to the audio component of the work which features 10 different voices reading out 60 reflections from different female identifying people who shared their experience with feminine rage with me via an anonymously survey."
Details form the test installation of this artwork at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast in September 2024. This artwork is yet to have its public debut.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING
As part of her time at ArtKeeper Tal delivered a public 'very cross-stitch' workshop in her HOTA ArtKeeper studio. The workshop invited participants to learn the basics of cross-stitching and contribute to Tal's project by embroidering directly on to her artwork, all the while taking part in vulnerable conversations about the challenging emotional and gendered landscape of anger.
To Participate
This artwork is the latest and most ambitious iteration of Tal Fitzpatrick’s socially engaged project Quietly Seething, which explores the power and pain of feminine rage through the gentle and familiar textures of cloth.
The stories that make up the audio component of this installation were collected via an anonymous online questionnaire. This survey was conducted by Tal as part of her 2023 solo exhibition at Art-Work Studios on the Gold Coast. During this time, Tal collected over 60 responses from female identifying people at various ages and stages of their lives.
Going forward, Tal will continue to collect stories about feminine rage via her ‘Quietly Seething’ questionnaire. This completely anonymous survey invites female identifying people to share their stories and experiences with anger and Tal will draw on these responses as a key source of inspiration in future iterations of this body of work.
Take the Quietly Seething Questionnaire.
Photos by Lachlan Woods and Claudio Kirak2024