Looking to use an image of my artwork, in your next book, game, album, magazine cover, advertisement, film, prints and merchandise, then you’ll need to request a image license.
Australian requests click on the link above ^
International requests contact the artist directly info@outlook8studio.com
Art and recycling goes hand-in-hand in the textile and mixed- media side of my arts practice.
My artworks are often
created from old, discarded clothing, vintage and antique textiles,
papers and found objects. I enjoy making use of stuff that has had a
life already; a life that is often purely functional and as far
removed from ‘art’ as you can imagine.
I’ve been recycling all my life to make art. As a child, I pulled apart, old clothing and nylon stockings “I used to collect fabric waste from mum’s sewing and knitting basket, making wall hangings out of that.” Nowadays, I cut up my own clothing and others, antique quilts, vintage linens, fancywork and men’s suits.
The process of searching and collecting materials, is also, a very important part of my art’s making. It may take weeks, months, even years, to find a piece that talks to me. Most of the time though, a fragment of fabric, clothing or object, will trigger off the idea. I collect and document many of the pieces I find, by labeling or remembering, its history of when & where it was found. This gives me another layer to work with.
The search for
materials has taken me to many weird and wonderful places over the
years.
The sometimes, dodgy, back streets of cities, in Barcelona, Italy and France. Markets and charity shops in Australia, France and England. Underground spaces, abandoned buildings, coast lines and vacant beaches. Friends, family and strangers, have also, donated materials to use in my work.
By transforming old,
recycled and reused materials, it enriches the stories I like to tell
in my contemporary art and gives a new life, to materials destined to
be wasted and thrown away.
3 New mixed- media collages on 300gsm watercolour paper (Unframed).
I like to create new visions, by recycling and dissecting vintage papers that I may, or not hand paint with acrylic paints and inks.
Process – On a background of strong 350gsm artist water- colour paper, I add layers of acrylic paints, fragments of vintage papers and random marks, using French ink pens.
As a small child I pulled things apart. Even, before I could talk, I ripped apart dolls and toys. I used to make little displays, installations of the fragments and other discarded things. Today I still pull things apart. I find fragments more pleasing and sometimes, even more interesting than the original object.
Recently, I pulled apart an old chair that had been hanging around for years. The wood was still good. The cloth and leather had grit and rust, just perfect for sculpture. The rustic bits and pieces also related to some textile fragments, I unpicked from an 1800’s, quilt topper. I’m still working on outcomes and painting has crept in too. Below are some pics of the process.
Connections and contrasts of imperfections, found in the urban environment, highlighting, insignificant marks, weathered surfaces and cast – offs. I am influenced by abandoned and derelict spaces, vacant industrial sites, structures, old walls & graffiti.One of a kind, handmade ( Limited Edition) artist books from Australian contemporary artist Jenny Davis
Each book consists of:
1 Vintage cigar tin lined with eco- dyed crochet scrap in Shibori- dyed indigo blue, or rust.
1 Handmade concertina artist book, collage with rust – dyed papers and slow stitched with Japanese Shibori threads.
A vintage button with an 1800’s, rusted suspender buckle, winds around the book to close. Some buckles have “Paris” engraved.
1 Scrap piece of rust – dyed canvas cloth, frayed, embellished with slow stitching.
1 Handmade collage created from aged, rust paper, antique suspender buckle and slow stitching.
2 photographs in an acrylic pouch, taken beneath the City of Paris, France.
1 rusted fence loop found in the outback Australia.
(Each artist book is original, handmade and differs from the other. They are all created from the same materials though, making each one, a collectable piece of art)
As, mentioned in an earlier post , (Vintage Pulp Fiction Collages) here are some photos of my published article last year, in “Sew Somerset Summer 2016” magazine. (Now Sold Out) I have also included below, how you can to make your own mixed – media collage and drawings from damaged books. I get really addicted to making these little artworks and love reclaiming, tattered books, destined for the garbage, giving them a new life.
Supplies:
Supplies: Damaged vintage “Pulp Fiction” books, or any other book Acrylic gesso paint. Coloured pencils, pens, inks, crayons etc. (I wouldn’t use felt pens as they might seep through) Vintage fabric. (Damaged, stained, vintage tablecloths, tea towels, even old doilies) Glue stick Needle Threads (any colour)
Equipment Cutting mat Box knife or scalpel Scissors Sewing machine (Optional) Small cheap paint brush or, sponge brush A few rags for wiping paint or glue
Instructions Carefully cut or tear out a page from the book. This will be used for your artwork base.
To stabilize the delicate book page, paint each side with acrylic Gesso paint, leaving sections of text, and images showing.
Now for the fun part. Once the Gesso paint is dry, draw, paint, scribble and smudge, onto one side of the paper only. You can use paint, coloured pencils, ink, pens etc. Start gluing on bits of found text and images, cut from other pages in the book. It doesn’t have to make sense. It’s fun creating nonsense “gibber jabber”
Next, cut a piece of vintage cloth, about 1 inch – 2cm. larger, than the book page.
Leaving the edges of the cloth raw, hand or machine stitch the cloth to the page, on all 4 sides. Without being too precious, make random marks, by stitching and detouring across and through the piece, as you like.
Continue working on the collage with more stitching, marks and text, until satisfied.
Note: On the underside of the collage the stitching will have left some very interesting marks. Two artworks in one!
Displaying your artwork
The finished artwork could be displayed in a conventional frame, or in a double sided, glass or acrylic frame. As an installation, hang a piece of string from the ceiling and peg the artwork to the string. Both sides can be viewed when it swings around. Several collages could be used for journal pages, book making, or just as a piece of artwork to sit on a shelf in a special place.
Tips
Using damaged vintage books and vintage fabrics, adds to the character of the artwork and saves it from landfill.
Collect found papers, textile scraps and text to make collage.
Old books can be found cheaply, from second-hand shops, flea markets and library throw outs.
A sharp scalpel is very good for cutting close to the book spine.
Add a tiny amount of water to your Gesso paint to make it more translucent.
To give your page a more aged appearance, stain with a tea dye. Put any amount of tea bags in a sink, 1/4 filled with hot water. Plunge and leave until stained, then bake the page in a low oven for around 10 minutes.
I found an old army blanket from my childhood and couldn’t resist it’s raggedy worn, loveliness and further rusted it. Leaving it in the elements outside for a few weeks.
It can take ages moving pieces around to get the right composition.
then sometimes it just happens straight away.
Adding more marks…
The good thing about using a stretched canvas as a base, I can stitch right into it.
The process of transformation. Time, change, erosion and decay are qualities I like to celebrate. I examine and explore, the properties and possibilities, of my material and want to push the boundaries of something to get a deeper understanding.
In my latest project, I’m working with textiles over a 100 years old. I want to work with the worn and deteriorated textiles and collaborate alongside those, who in the past, so carefully stitched, mended and created, the pieces for comfort and warmth.
Each piece was once, carefully hand -stitched and now, breaking down and worn. I have very selectivity pulled apart and unpicked areas, and kept some intact.
Some areas of fabric, are so badly worn it breaks in my hands, so I have to reinforce it. Most pieces though are just left in their original state.
I then, like to push the process further with, natural & rust dying methods, mark making, hand stitching and painting with caste iron, botanical paints.
Numerous times, I expose the materials to the elements to experience the changes.
Getting to the essence of my material helps me to translate and describe its being. I rarely know the outcome of my projects and just go with the flow.
A huge thank you to everybody who attended the opening of my new exhibition Wallmatter last Saturday. A special thank you to all the people who helped me pull it altogether and make it a special day. I feel so blessed and encouraged with all the support shown for my artwork and the new friendships I made.
Wallmatter continues until Tuesday August 16th at The Memo, Healesville Victoria. Free Entry. All artworks are for sale.
A few photos I took the next day as I forgot my camera on opening night.
An installation of paint, concrete, rust and
textiles, inspired by imperfections and
weathered surfaces, linking to the abandoned
and neglected spaces found in urban and rural
environments.
“Surfaces and objects touched by time tell a
story and are a raw reflection of their environment.
I want to highlight the significance of a random
mark, or the crumbling texture of a wall in an
underground space. They are evidence to a
previous time in history. My abstractions are
investigations into marks and traces left behind
in the urban and rural environment.”
– Jenny Davis, Artist
Congratulations on having your artwork and article published in Sew Somerset!
Earlier this year I was approached by Stampington & Company in the USA. to write a feature article, about my mixed- media collages, for their magazine.
Today I am happy to announce my article and artwork has been published and is featured in the latest, “Sew Somerset Summer 2016” magazine.
My paper mixed media collages, are created from old, damaged, vintage pulp fiction book pages, vintage pieces of linen and more. I will post photographs of the article and where you can buy the magazine soon!
Rust & Shibori. Vintage Cigar Tins. Work in Progress.
A heap of vintage cigar tins in the process of change.
Vintage buckle, Japanese Shibori dyed scrap. Rusty fence wires and Victorian silk buttons were purchased from Penny’s antique and vintage mixed media supplies. Faginsdaughter
Old rusted door lock and fence wire with weaving made from beach- combed finds and indigo cotton string.
The beginnings of a textile book.
Rust and indigo dyed wall piece
Finally, another tin. Metal detector find, central Victoria, 1800’s suspender buckle, rusty wire and rust indigo dyed doily scrap. Unfortunately the beautiful buckle broke in this installation. It could be made from gold, as it was very soft.
I may use some of these artworks in my next solo exhibition, “Wallmatter” in July
A couple of altered postcards. I call them “postacards”. When I’m in a creative slump, I pull out a box of vintage postcards, found papers and tear, cut & paste. Weird things happen when you throw in unrelated images together. A whole new narrative is created.
Vintage cards collected from all over the world
This is one of my first postacards I created using paper off-cuts from other projects. Its a bit of a time- machine embeded in an underground chamber.
D’arc time capsule
This one is untitled for now. 3 ominous figures, guardians or threatening invaders.
It’s never too late… finally after many changes, a couple of sculpture’s I started back in 2006 are now complete. ( I think). Sometimes I have to wait around a long time for the right object to turn up. Of course, I don’t know what it is until I come across it.
TITLE – Axis of Evil Sonata. 2006-2015
SIZE – 19x12x11cm. approx
MED – plastic cowboy, eagle, wooden music box, mirror, metal, glass vials, black sand, paper,enamel paint, music box movement.
Found -Object sculpture. Music box beats out Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” while a gunslinger from the “Wild West” spins around. Beside the black box sit, 5 glass vials, filled with fine black gravel. The inside of the box is filled with more, fine black gravel. Reflections on war and global conflict. A response to the invasion into Iraq, 2003.
TITLE- Equilibrium. 2006-2015
SIZE- 18″ x 8″ – 47x20cm approx.
MED – plastic,rock-metal,music box ballerina,wire, enamel paint.
A series of mixed media collages. By reclaiming and re-using abandoned matter, each piece gives new meaning to the (discarded) found in the environment. Mark making with thread, found papers and stains.
VMX – Jenny Davis
TITLE VMX.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE TraXE.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE TraX.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE TraX2.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
TITLE VArow.
MED Acrylic gesso paint, ink, staining, acrylic sealer, found papers & font, thread and cardboard packaging mounted on deep olive green acid free board.
SIZE Artwork 5.5″x 3″ – 14x7cm.
SIZE Mount Board 8″ x 5″ – 21 x 13cm. approx.
YEAR 2014
Signed on front by artist
Ready to frame
In support of the opening of Second Time Around, the MSV will concurrently present WASTE NOT, a version of the exhibition Green Revolution which is made available by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service based on an exhibition originally created by the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, and its Black Creativity Council. WASTE NOT uses family-friendly, interactive activities and reused or re-purposed materials to focus on the environmental need to rethink, reuse, recycle, and reduce.
We mostly think of artists working alone in a studio to produce works of art but, artists have also been working collaboratively, in groups and partnerships for centuries, even in the Renaissance. Now with technology, it’s even easier to connect and work with other creative people.
Lately, I have been working on a collaborative arts project with Australian artist Jack Oudyn using a couple of little handmade books I created .
“No Yes” Book
Work in progress…
The books are sent by snail- mail back and forth to each other. We then, work on each page, the reverse sides or, add to each others marks and collage, until we are both satisfied with the piece.
We will then, colour photocopy the book and both have a copy, or keep an original each.
After 2 collaborative swaps the book below is still a work in progress. Today, I created more marks and will send it off to Jack, for more additions or thoughts on the project.
I find it lots of fun and liberating working in this way, as well as, a bit scary. You never know if you will connect with each others mark- making and make the piece, work for both artists.
MUSEUM OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY
901 Amherst Street, Winchester, VA, 22601 USA
888-556-57997th. September 2014 – March 1st. 2015Opening Saturday, September 06, 2014 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 pm
Finally, be sure to register for the opening party on September 6 if you plan to attend!
If you have any questions, please contact Marge Lee at mlee@museumword.comArts Project Creator
Image credits on exhibition logotype: Pasta Maker Machine, 2010, Kathy Rebek, New Jersey, and Untitled 2009 by Linda Leviton, Ohio. Courtesy of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
