Welcome to my world of textiles
As you view the Gallery you will discover my textile designs deliver messages about the environment especially focussed on water in all its iterations
I use non-connected traditions in my textile designs with political comments on dyed textiles, by using scientific details from the electron microscope and by combining natural landscapes and text
The driving force in my world
Water is the driving force in my world. My work delivers messages—sometimes political and always passionate—about our water environment. The designs are generated using scientific research, various fiber techniques, bright colors, and hand stitching. I connect traditions such as dyeing with political comment; scientific details with text embedded in textile land and seascapes. I have also experimented with natural dyes and mordants, using indigo, and Australian flora as source materials.
Alison Muir Custodial Water 2019, cotton, silk organza, dye, Pentel pen, pencil, block printed, drawn, hand- and machine-stitched, 38″ x 29″. Photo: Andy Payne. Right top and bottom: details. Indigenous Australians have managed the resources of coastal and inland waters for millennia with care to nurture stocks, feed the people and provide custodial techniques for future generations. When will immigrant Australians adopt the same values and let the indigenous people fix the broken water systems for all Australians?
Curriculum Vitae
Originally trained as a commercial Interior Designer, Muir started using textiles as a communication tool in 1993, having developed a fused applique technique that produced relevant images to the messages she was endeavouring to broadcast.
Over 80 works raising issues about fresh and salt water have been exhibited Internationally and nationally.
Muir completed a research Master of Design (Hons) 2010 at the College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, using textiles as a communication tool, entitled ”Fathoming the depths”. The Masters exhibition is shown on the Home page, with Muir and Dr Martina Doblin, one of her collaborators.
Recent work has used natural dyes on natural fabrics that continue to impart messages about the environment and water, often political and always passionate.
Sustaining health’ exhibition 23 SEPTEMBER to 3 NOVEMBER 2020
My ‘sign’ is water and it is the driving force in my ‘World’. I am passionate about the environment and am interested in how water represents the feminine, and allows meditation.
In 2017 after being struck down with chronic inflammatory polyradicular neuropathy (CIDP a form of Guillain-Barres syndrome), I used my passion for textiles, water and making to redevelop my hand skills and later to judge the progress of recuperation, so I could go home. It took 9 months in various institutions
My textile works start with a ‘message’ and the design is generated following research, experimenting and testing techniques, colours and stitching often bringing together unconnected ‘traditions’ such as political comment, scientific details, graphics and text to form abstract landscapes/seascapes.
Thanks to RNSH I am able to display these works that have given me hope mentally, physically and spiritually. 50% of sales go to the Hospital
I will be in attendance every Wednesday from 10 am to 12 midday, for the duration of the exhibition, sitting stitching.