Busselton quilting artist “memory” of Antony Gormley remote sculptures featured in Manjimup Art Gallery

A Busselton quilting artist is exhibiting a “memory” piece in Manjimup reflecting her time at Lake Ballard near the Shire of Menzies where she discovered artist Antony Gormley sculptures in the desert. The works form part of the biennial quilting exhibition at the Manjimup Art Gallery by the WA Quilters Association to highlight the work produced by Western Australian textile artists. Barbara Weeks said her quilting piece reflects the “very remote” destination near Menzies in her travels of WA. “I’m trying to record it as a memory of the place, as somebody who’s been here five years from the UK,” she said. “I’m just soaking up everything that WA has to offer,” she said. Ms Weeks said she wanted to capture the “quirky sculptures” by the British artist Antony Gormley through her quilting practice. “You often hear people say, why didn’t he put them in Cottesloe so everyone could see them? But he wanted a remote place, and this was remote,” Ms Weeks said. The quilted works are featured among 48 works by 44 artists encouraged to push the boundaries of the traditional quilting format in the Stitched and Bound exhibition at Manjimup. “You stand on this cracked Earth and you just feel it’s a little bit vulnerable. But it was fine. Ms Weeks walked on the cracked Earth in her “wellies” embracing the “50 sculptures” spread out over desert terrain. “You choose your pathway, and you just wander around,” she said. The final works featured in Manjimup are a cultivation of “abstract” details, the “twilight” sky and “misty light” first thing in the morning or in the evening. “The sky . . . the beads represent a night sky map . . . and the Southern Cross is a place that’s not so far from Kalgoorlie,” she said. Ms Weeks told the Times she credited the Manjimup Art Gallery for holding the exhibition and “tours”. “They’re quite difficult to organise, and particularly textiles. It’s not necessarily the first choice, and it’s really good that we’re getting lots more textile tours at the moment,” she said. Stitched and Bound will be on display at the Manjimup Art Gallery from April 5 until May 10.