Being Keepers: Ecology of Refuge to Home was made during a month-long residency at Yarra Sculpture Gallery. I approached the site without a pre-set plan, playing slowly within a small, 3 x 5 metre space enclosed by shimmering black walls.
I brought in a fire pit from my garden, where a length of Yarn had fallen and been left to weather. I collected mirrors, some broken, from hard rubbish and marketplaces, and projected a multi-layered timeline onto the Yarn and mirrors: red Yarn in the sea, children’s crafts, flowers, the neighbour’s cat. The mirrors fractured the light into a kaleidoscope.
For the first time, Yarn and Thread came together physically. The mirrors were also the first breakable objects I had brought into my installations. The practice had shifted from a shield of protection to a space where fragility could be exposed. The work was supported by Yarra City Council.
