We’ve become so dependent on fossil fuel that we’ve forgotten how to warm ourselves with wool.
The lament of a Western District sheep farmer has been spun out as the basis for WARM, a Sustainable Environment Arts Movement (SEAM) textile art project involving over 200 knitters across the country.
WARM opens at the Art Gallery of Ballarat on Saturday.
SEAM co-director Lisa Kendal met the former farmer, Frank, during a tour of Western Victoria with SEAM’s production Ella’s Choice.
“One of the farmers we interviewed said ‘the problem is we’ve forgotten how to warm ourselves with wool’,” Ms Kendal said.
“That was gem for us, it brought together all the things we were feeling but hadn’t yet articulated as well as that farmer did on that day.”
Hundreds of people contributed to a knitted landscape designed by local artist Lars Stenberg with knitting patterns designed by Georgie Nicolson of tikki knits.
Jessica Black
Ballarat journalist.
Ballarat journalist.
