A local artist testing out a new technique has won an award in the Changing Threads National Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards.
Giles Panting was accepted as an exhibiting artist in this year’s awards and won the Bernina Award for the most creative use of a sewing machine and the $2000 associated cash prize.
Changing Threads is a national contemporary art award and exhibition held at the Refinery ArtSpace in Nelson that showcases fibre and textile art.
Held annually, the awards encourage fibre and textile artists to push the boundaries of contemporary practice.
Giles’ submitted work was a three-metre-long, almost one-metre-wide, textile piece using reverse appliqué with machine stitching, cutting and hand-stitching.
“It’s pretty scary to have your work on display,” he says. “It’s natural that you then compare your work to others.”
Giles says, when he found out he had won he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Just being selected was honour enough. It’s nice to feel that someone else values the work you’re producing.”
Selectors said competition for inclusion was particularly high this year, as was the quality of work entered.
There were 110 entries that were whittled down to 31 finalists with a total of 37 pieces being selected for inclusion.
Working in Wellington, Giles had not yet seen the exhibition when he was announced as one of the winners, which was accepted on his behalf by his wife.
“Strongly encouraged” to enter by his family, Giles says they are thrilled he won the award.
“Obviously they’re thrilled for me, very excited by the award and, of course, it was them that made me submit it this time.
“It really is New Zealand's most important award for textile arts and promoting textile.”
He says the piece was a reaction to a lot of media coverage at the time around the growing awareness that some historical figures who were once considered great and historic icons, are being re-examined and re-evaluated on grounds of how their wealth was amassed.
“When we look at these men and women and their source of wealth and power, it’s not something we would be necessarily be proud of and maybe we need to reconsider their place in history,” Giles says.
He said the work uses a traditional sewing machine but in a more contemporary way.
“You’re using the machine as a drawing tool so it’s a much more free-flowing way of using the machine.”
It took several months for Giles to complete, but he was not yet sure what he was making it for.
“I guess I was making it with a view to be exhibited at some point but not knowing where that would be.”
Changing Threads creative director Ronnie Martin has an unwavering passion for the exhibition.
“This is the 14th exhibition for Changing Threads, and I still get incredibly energised with every new suite of works. It’s a thrill to see the innovation and skill in the finalist works, especially those that investigate the endless possibilities of contemporary textile practice.
“I’m very proud that Changing Threads remains one of Arts Council Nelson’s most popular exhibitions.”
Giles says he has already started planning his next piece.
“The next work will lead on from this piece, but I’ll be looking to develop the concepts and techniques.”
Changing Threads is on at the Refinery ArtSpace until 10 June.
