Look South by Clare Plug

 Clare Plug is one of New Zealand’s more innovative artists. That she has gone largely unrecognised can be traced back to her choice of contemporary applied art and in particular quilt making as her medium. Clare Plug presents works with a conceptual resolution, intensity and sense of time and place which are without parallel in many of the fine arts, and stand head and shoulders above the works of many other quilt makers.

Clare came to a full-time career as an artist later in her life, her interest in textiles having been sidelined in favour of a science-related career in the early years. In the late 1980s a redundancy and retraining offer allowed Clare to undertake a craft design course. The formality of the classroom challenged her to work across a range of media and forced her to think carefully about the possibilities of art within quilt making. This new understanding of her position within a wider art community encouraged Clare to approach her quilts in a way that responded to the world of contemporary art, rather than to traditional quilting or embroidery.

A major development in Clare’s work has come through her involvement with the Antarctica New Zealand/Creative New Zealand Artists to Antarctica programme. This residency gave Clare the opportunity to travel to the Ross Sea region of Antarctica, returning to New Zealand to create new work engaged with the experience. The experience struck a chord with Clare, providing the link between her own background and interest in science and the strong relationship between place and identity which has underpinned her earlier work.

Look South is Clare’s response to Antarctica, presenting a series of around 15 quilts which tease out the different relationships between human culture and this continent. The exhibition, which is planned to tour nationally, will also include a series of banners that reflect the culture of fabric and textiles in Antarctic history. Clare has described Antarctica as “a time capsule, an ark and an early warning station”, themes which find resonance amid the typically dark, sombre and poetic handling of surface and texture in her works.

Look South is the culmination of a residency which was made possible by the generous support of Antarctica New Zealand and Creative New Zealand. The exhibition has also been supported by the Mary Vigor Brown Trust, Hawke’s Bay.

Associated Events

Exhibition opening Thursday 7 May 2009 at 5.30pm

Friday 8 May 2009 at 11am

Gallery Floor Talk with Clare Plug and Ursula Ryan

Join Ursula Ryan, from Antarctica New Zealand and artist Clare Plug who will discuss the Artists to Antarctica programme, and the exhibition. Free entry.

Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 October 2009, 9.30am – 4pm

Demystifying the Design Process A Textile Design Workshop with Clare Plug

This is an opportunity to spend a weekend with leading textile artist Clare Plug to explore a range of interesting, quick techniques and fun exercises that will give you the tools necessary to create new and exciting textile designs. Without using a scrap of fabric Clare will demystify the design process for you and help free-up your approach to quilt making, and other textile arts. Bookings essential, places limited. For more information phone 06 835 7781 or see our website