HELEN PHILIPP
Artist in Residence Linden New Art


MY WORK
helen philipp
‘Stitch by stitch, circle by circle, weaving is like the creation of life, all things are connected”. Auntie Ellen Trevorrow, 2003
Although predominantly using Ngarrindjeri weaving style taught to me by Elder and mentor Ellen Trevorrow, my work has departed from the use of native grasses in favour of dyed Madagascan raffia, paper twine, wire and found plastics. The focus of my sculptural work is colour, as it complements and enhances form. My weavings draw inspiration from the vibrant colours and circular forms of ocean creatures, using enlarged photographs of plankton as a reference for creating sculptural forms.

SOLO EXHIBITION
"14 PIECES"
Carlisle Street Art Space
May 12-June 9 2021
A show of woven sculpture which explores the increasing presence of waste plastics on the foreshore and their effect on marine plant and animal life.

ARTWORK
Dive into My Portfolio

THREE SQUIDS
2019
'Three Squids' took my weaving to a new level of complexity and intricacy. I work in fine stitches. There is no frame. The density of the stitch creates a solid form. I use a netting stitch with the basic coiling stitch to create the squid's frills.

THREE SQUIDS-DETAIL
2019
Close up of one of the squids

FLOTILLA
2018-2019
In Flotilla the eleven Jelly Fish are suspended on fishing line. They are light and catch the breeze easily. The constant movement creates the sense of weightless floating.

RED AND WHITE TINTINNID
2020
A year ago, I began to collect plastic debris from the foreshore of St. Kilda to stop it washing out to sea and being ingested by birds, sea animals and fish. I have started to incorporate them into my woven sea creatures, aiming to raise awareness of the ingestion of plastics which is occurring and the risk to the ecosystem this poses. It also demonstrates how, through the creative process, we can begin to rethink our relationship with plastics; I hope to promote more awareness of the way we use and dispose of everyday items such as straws and bottle tops.
PLASTIC FILLED SQUID 2020
I find new ways of using the plastic; here the plastic filled squid symbolises the mass ingestion of plastic by marine life.

3 wall hangings 2019-20


RECENT SHOWS
SOLO EXHIBITION AT YARRA SCULPTURE GALLERY
May 2-19 2019
'Shapes beneath the surface'
woven forms inspired by photographs of plankton
STOREHOUSE-100 BARKLY ST. ST KILDA
2018,2019 ongoing
Storehouse is a design gallery that sells my baskets
YARRA SCULPTURE BONANZA GROUP SHOW
Oct 22-Nov 16 2019
I piece -'Transmutation'
GROUP SHOW
GEELONG ART SPACE
February 16- March 29 2020
(show extended due to Covid 19)
I piece -' 8 piece Flotilla'
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
LINDEN NEW ART
November 2019- November 2021
Studio space at Linden has allowed me to continue working, throughout Covid 19 lock-down, towards my solo exhibition at Carlisle St ( due to open in August 2020 but postponed due to gallery closures because of virus)
XMAS GROUP SHOW
NO VACANCY GALLERY
34-40 JANE BELL LANE MELBOURNE
Dec 16-23 2019
baskets and 5 jelly fish
LINDEN POSTCARD SHOW
Nov 2019 -Feb 2020
4 entries 8x10 wall pieces
SOLO SHOW CARLISLE ST ART SPACE
May 12 - June 9 2021
Exhibition focusing on using and transforming discarded plastics in woven sculptural images.


Baskets
I learned my craft by making many, many baskets- I learned to control form and attain a regularity of stitch. Basket also allow me to play with colour.
