Vital element inspires Sue Ferrari's CrossXpollinatioN work

Published on 04 July 2019

Southwest Victorian artist Sue Ferrari’s work Ebb and Flow, a feature of this year’s CrossXpollinatioN fibre and textile art exhibition, represents the fragility of the element that connects us all – water.

Ferrari’s work is one of many on display at this year’s CrossXpollinatioN exhibition; a festival celebrating textile and fibre arts in its seventh year at COPACC.

Ebb and Flow, made from reclaimed blankets, natural dyes and materials, is a demonstration of the artist’s creative language using fabric and thread to create a work multi-layered in meaning in response to the exhibition’s theme – ‘Connections’.

When talking about her work, Ferrari said it represented how as humans who inhabit bodies made mostly of water, connecting to water means connecting to a large part of who we are.

“Water sustains us, vital both to our survival and survival of the environment, an element that connects all,” she said.

“The work also represents how throughout history humans have endeavoured to control water to meet their own needs.”  

Ferrari said the environment and the preservation of skills had become the focus of many of her recent works.

She reflected on the strong parallels between the loss of skills and knowledge and loss of important fragile elements within our environment, and how the ultimate fragility of our lives makes their preservation essential.

Ferrari regularly shows works in group and solo exhibitions and undertaking work on collaborative installations and community art projects, her work is in private collections here and overseas.

Sue currently teaches at South West TAFE Warrnambool and Colac in the Visual Arts program and hosts specialised workshops on a regular basis.

CrossXpollinatioN is open daily from 10am to 4pm at COPACC. CrossXpollinatioN is proudly sponsored by Tarndie, Star Printing and the Baronga Motor Inn.