Ola Robertson migrated from Scotland with her husband and baby son in 1967. Having lived in different countries and also in many places in Australia due to her husbands work, she dabbled in sewing and different crafts over the years and did not seriously get involved in textiles until recently. It was when Ola was at the Art School at the Australian National University in Canberra, that she found she absolutely enjoyed fabric printing, discharging and dyeing. Digital printing and other new technologies are also of great interest. Ola graduated in 2000 with a Diploma in Printmaking and in 2006 with honours degree in Textiles. She has exhibited in selected group exhibitions in Australia, France, and New Zealand.
‘Fragile Skin 1’ 2010
Medium: Pig gut, and printing pigment
Size: Height: 155cm x Width: 35cm
Medium: Pig gut, and printing pigment
Size: Height: 155cm x Width: 35cm
Photographer Leise Knowles
Photographer Ola Robertson
Artist statement about the work:
This work came about due to a couple of recent health problems. I wanted to show how the ageing body fared health wise on it’s journey through life. For this I have used as my medium pig gut or sausage skin – this medium has a fragile translucency but also has incredible hidden strength and because of this I was able to metaphorically show that although the human body grows older and everything can become more fragile, infect inwardly the strength for living is stronger than imagined. The material used has the look of vulnerability and fragility, but in fact it has great strength a fitting metaphor for this. The print on the gut is fragile bones on wrinkled skin (a network of lines), and references the way our skin can look as one ages, using the medium as an allegory of a life well lived.
Background to the work:
Over the past years I have been basing my artwork on the concept of ageing. It has covered the perception of seniors in society and their invisibility. The benefits that can be provided by this older generation to the modern society are often lost due to the perceived notion that a person with grey hair, a wrinkled face and a fragile body are weak, worthless and useless .
Over the past years I have been basing my artwork on the concept of ageing. It has covered the perception of seniors in society and their invisibility. The benefits that can be provided by this older generation to the modern society are often lost due to the perceived notion that a person with grey hair, a wrinkled face and a fragile body are weak, worthless and useless .
Laying the gut
Silk screen with repeat pattern for Fragile Skin 1
Distressed gut
Detail of Fragile Skin 1
Photographer Ola Robertson
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