This woven work explores identity and is part of a larger body of work that looks at the various roles women play. Some aspects of our own lives are more defined than others. Here the figure is abstracted resembling a more primitive fertility god or symbolic bust. There is a reference here to my place of birth in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and my subsequent displacement from that community and its cultural heritage.
The form is made in three parts so each can be removed and seen/used as a separate basket or vessel. 'The vessel' is an object that has other layers of meaning that relate to aspects of womanhood, the practice of craft and functional aspects of community life – vessels that store food, carry water and so forth.
My work stems from an interest in landscape and a type of mapping of place through the process of weaving or playing with scale to build up abstract forms and 'sites'. My practice is primarily sculptural incorporating elements such as fibre, weaving (basketmaking, carpetmaking, tapestry and knitting), sculptural installation, drawing, painting and printmaking.
Fleur Brett completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) in Sculpture at RMIT University in 2008 following a Diploma of Visual Arts in printmaking. She also holds a Master of Arts from Griffith University, Queensland and a Diploma of Design from Phillip Institute of Technology, Melbourne.
Fleur has been exhibiting work for the past 10 years, including most recently an outdoor installation at the 2015 Montalto Sculpture Award, printmaking at the 2015 Supergraph Exhibition at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne and a small textile piece at the inaugural Victorian Craft Awards. Her outdoor sculptural work was in the 2014 Yering Station Sculpture Awards and the 2014 Lorne Sculpture Biennale sculpturscape program.
Fleur was an artist in residence for a month in Guardia Sanframondi, Italy in 2014 and was artist in residence for 8 weeks part-time in 2013 at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. Her works during the art residency were exhibited in a group exhibition Inspirati alongside the work of two other artists from Sydney and India.
recycled cotton and wool yarn (bobbin ends), tapestry thread, recycled cardboard
30 x 27 x 22 cm
Finalist
Fleur Brett, in conversation with Professor Ian Howard, discusses her work My Primitive Self and answers questions from the audience. Recorded on 10 October 2015 at the exhibition.
Download MP3 (6 MB)
Judges of the 2015 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize: Dr Michael Brand (Director of the Art Gallery of NSW), Penelope Seidler AM (Arts Patron and Director of Harry Seidler & Associates) and Barbara Flynn (International Curatorial Advisor).