Current Projects
Concerning the wading birds of the Warrnambool wetlands
Work Commenced: January 2012
This tapestry, which is a commission for Warrnambool Base Hospital, is based on a watercolour by John Wolseley. Wolseley was born 1938 in England and settled in Australia in 1976. He has travelled and painted all over the continent from the deserts of central Australia to the forests of Tasmania and the tidal reaches of the far north west. His work can be found in all of Australia’s state galleries as well as numerous other public and private collections.
The Workshop has collaborated with the artist on two major tapestries, most recently Fire and Water- Moths, Swamps and Lava Flows of the Hamilton Region, commissioned by the Hamilton Art Gallery in celebration of its 50th birthday in 2011.
The artist’s sensitivity to regional natural environments, which is so evident in Hamilton’s Fire and Water, is also readily apparent in the new work. This work grew out of Wolseley’s personal exploration of the wetlands and lakes of south west Victoria. In 2006, he joined seven other artists for a three-week journey along the Great South West Walk in Victoria, a project that drew on the long history of artists engaging with this area over more than a century and a half. Then in 2008, Wolseley followed up this initial encounter with further explorations. Together, these hands-on experiences informed the creation of A Natural History of Swamps II, infusing it with the intimacy and authenticity that close observation enables.
The watercolour includes evocative and beautifully-rendered details of flora and fauna native to the region, with a focus on representative birds from the region, particularly shore birds of the Warrnambool coast. The mysterious and inviting realm that Wolseley has created will serve as a place for contemplation and escape for those who may be dealing with difficult health situations while the sheer beauty and life energy of the work will engage the broad cross-section of the community who pass through the hospital’s doors.
