Skip to main content

Connecting and Interpreting : Story #3 from the ATASDA Collaborative Golden Cape



 

Connecting and Interpreting : Story #3 from the ATASDA Collaborative Golden Cape 

Background : The Golden Cape is a collaborative project for ATASDA members and it celebrates the 50th Anniversary of ATASDA in 2024. 50 present day members have  received  an image of one of 50 yesteryear members artworks, to use as a muse, to create new artwork based on the past. Inspiration can come from textures, colours, style, design, subject, culture or history of the original artwork. 
The new artworks have become panels stitched together to create a Golden Cape - an anniversary art wearable .  The Golden Cape will be displayed at various venues around Australia from May 2024. 

Vine  (Exotica 2009 ATASDA exhibition ) : Norma Warnecke

Meg Buchtmann chose Norma Warnecke's 2009 artwork shown in the ATASDA  exhibition "Exotica" as her inspiration for her contribution to the golden cape project . 

Golden Cape panel 2023 : Meg Buchtmann

Taken with the colour combinations and the 3D nature of Norma's work,  Meg  knitted flowers in similar colours and folded them, origami style, the way Norma had. Meg also added to the texture of her panel with an appliqued butterfly  and embellishing the flowers with beads and sequins.  On an entirely knitted background with leaves and stems, Meg's work not only shows her skill in her chosen technique, but also a lively, colourful and respectful interpretation of the original work.  In this work, all the elements of the original are retained, but  reinterpreted and reworked using different materials - woollen yarns, in various weights, embroidery threads and  glass beads. and techniques. 

Meg Buchtmann's work is joyful . It acknowledges the past and celebrates the present. Meg's contribution to the 50th Anniversary Golden Cape not only revisits Norma Warnecke's original work in a unique way but also uses the traditional technique of knitting to create contemporary fibre art. 

Read  other stories about Golden Cape artworks. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks ....  The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and  message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or  my husband or from off cuts gifted to us  from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks.   Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt  or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

Meditations on Mercator

‘ The Timelessness of Stitch’ was an invitational group exhibition at Timeless Textiles Gallery, Newcastle NSW , 1 April  – 10 May 2026   ….  Across generations and cultures, the act of stitching has woven together stories, traditions and identities. Each thread carries not only aesthetic value but also the memories and emotions of those who crafted it, demonstrating how this simple act transcends time and place. I was honoured and humbled to be amongst the twenty-three artists (national and international) participating in this exhibition. My small installation took some time to develop…. Although I knew about this exhibition for some time, I kept procrastinating, going from one idea to another and not settling on any. Recently, I came across the word “mercator” and while a vague notion of maps was recalled, I really needed to research. Besides the modern commercial connections, Mercator has its origins in cartography, which Is often a source of inspiration for my ...

Wednesday's Child /2

Work in Progress - 3 of the 193 for "Stitched Up"- Wilma Simmons   The work for the "Stitched Up " Project  continues. See the previous "Wednesday Child" post for the background to this art project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Newcastle Industrial School. I have been documenting the progress of my work, so I thought it might be interesting to share some of the early stages of the "stick dolls" ... Here are some of the beginning steps.. Sticks collected while walking the bushland in my neighbourhood  Drying and getting rid of any insects - oven heat 75 degreesC for approx 1-2 hours.  Trimmed and cut if necessary  Ends sealed with matte sealing solution.  Drying  - solution goes on white but dries clear.  First wrapping - foil to create a body shape  Second wrapping - stretch fabric.  Third wrapping - fabric strips  Some stitching - more stitching and embellishment to ...