works on paper - weaving
artist statement
"QR codes are a symbolic reminder of life during Covid. The pandemic is over? Or are we over it? The personal connections to this disease and how it continues to impact our lives, hospital systems, workforce, economy, and society persist." This work is interactive. context This work is a continuation of my qr code series that was first exhibited in 2021. The works are made in response to the pandemic and its impact on daily life in Australia. We are now in a 'post covid' time and the reporting in both the television and print media is almost non-existant. Our hospitals and the health sector across the country are still under strain from the pandemic and case numbers, deaths and long-term covid still exist. Recently a number of schools were reported to return to at-home learning due to the low number of staffing due to the illness and the inability to safely deliver classes in the traditional way. Over half of the Australian population have one or more 'underlying health conditions'. These still exist, they have not gone away. There are still vulnerable groups in our society that suffer from the impact of covid. material choices that inform the work
Each work is made by weaving newspaper to create the unique QR code. The dark newspaper was woven from Harvey Norman advertisements in the paper. Harvey Norman was one of a number of big businesses who claimed millions of dollars from the 'Job Keeper' programme. During the extended lockdowns it did not run at a loss, but rather as a profit and yet, until recently it did not repay the government funds it received. This was not a requirement by the government (unlike the Robodebt scheme). Harvey Norman claimed $22 million. After it's 2020-21 financial year postings of record profits, and much public backlash, it repaid $6 million of the government handouts it received. The light newspaper contrast was woven from pages cut from the obituaries and racing guides of the newspaper. When there was no access to a vaccine, and later limited access, the chance of contracting covid and recovering from it or dying from the disease was, for many vulnerable people in the community, a bit of a gamble. To create an opaque dark contrast for the codes to be readable, black Sumi ink was used to unify the dark woven papers. |
about qr codes
A QR code is made up of dark and light-coloured squares which represent information that is stored and can be 'read' by using your phone or tablet or a scanner much like a barcode is 'read'. The information stored can be a range of things including; an image, website link, text, music, pdf, email, twitter, wifi, apps and so much more. For these works, the QR code contains text. This work is interactive. You can read the codes. without a trace - continuing the qr code series
framed: 25.5cm (h) x 25.5cm (w) newspaper, Sumi ink, Above - 2023 'connections' exhibition, macarthur textile network as part of 'macarthur and beyond' exhibition campbelltown arts centre, campbelltown, NSW
Above Left - 2023 'the girl who climbed trees' solo exhibition, tamworth regional gallery, tamworth, NSW |