Square Edge Community Arts

Legacy | Maggie Duff

2020 is my 60th year and as we move into the next decade, there is uncertainty surrounding our planet and its future.

The older I get, the more I appreciate the natural world around me and think back to the world of my youth and that of my grandparents. I look at how much the world has changed and I choose a slower, less stressful way of living; wondering what the future holds for the generations to come.

I have no children, however through my art I leave a legacy that harks back to simpler times; to the times of my ancestors. A time when women used what was available in the natural world to clothe, feed and nurture their families; where skills were passed down from one generation to the next.

Taking nature as inspiration and my sheeps wool as paint, I have created my ‘paddock to picture’ collection of artwork using the skills of past generations; not out of necessity, but out of a desire to reconnect with the natural world around me. In doing so I connect with my ancestors, honour the past and leave my own legacy for an uncertain and fragile future.

CONTACT
For purchases or to get in contact with Maggie please email.

Email: maggiefibreart@gmail.com

Facebook: @MaggieDuffArtist

Instagram: @maggieduff_artist

Framing done by Renata’s Art and Framing: https://www.artandframing.co.nz

Note: All images cannot be reproduced without the consent of the owners/artist.

When:

May 4th – June 1st 2020

Where:

Square Edge Community Arts | Main Gallery

Admission:

Free

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

June is environmental month and welcome to my exhibition titled ‘LEGACY’

Hindsight is 2020 and what more apt an expression for environmental month in the year 2020.

When I booked this exhibition 6 months ago, little did I know what was to befall the world or what reaction Covid 19 would have on the natural world around us.

The positive environmental impact of humanity in lock down is undeniable and has been felt across the world. While we have been in crisis the birds have been singing, wildlife has invaded our towns and there has been a huge reduction in carbon emissions, resulting in a drop in worldwide pollution levels.

However, the question as I see it is not what impact Covid 19 has had on the environment but more what we will do to ensure that climate change doesn’t go back to the level that it was before.

Hindsight really is 2020 and perhaps now is the time to push for more permanent change.

Times of crisis force us to think about our priorities and what is important. Suddenly the three core principles of permaculture (a practice close to my heart) becomes even more important.

‘Earth care, people care and fare share’.

Small changes make huge differences when made by many. Reducing our use of plastics, growing our own food, sharing excess with friends and neighbours, shopping locally, we can all do something, however small that will have an impact on the environment, our lives and that of our communities.

I am no expert in climate change but I for one will be considering how I wish to move forward when this crisis is over.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy my view of the New Zealand landscapes in my ‘paddock to picture’ collection of artworks and my exhibition ‘LEGACY’

KIWITEA SHADES OF GREY

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool and locks with silk. Embellished with a touch of dyed Merino wool. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

790 x 800mm
$2500
SOLD

KIWITEA SHADES OF GREY

DAWN IN THE TARARUA RANGES

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool and locks. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

660 x 610mm
$1950

DAWN IN THE TARARUA RANGES

TEQUILLA SUNRISE

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool with silk and coloured wool. Embellished with coloured wool, wool locks and silk. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

450 x 530mm
$1400

FANTASY IN GOLD

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool with silk. Embellished with dyed and coloured wool locks, wool yarn, and silk. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

540 x 490mm
$1400

MOONLIGHT & SHADOWS

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool and locks. Embellished with alpaca wool and silk. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

420 x 300mm
$1200

THIS FRACTURED LANDSCAPE

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool with silk. Embellished with silk and coloured wool. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

345 x 345mm
$1200

BLACK SAND SUNSET

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool with silk. Embellished with coloured wool and silk. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

430 x 370mm
$1200

DAWN FLIGHT OF THE KOTUKU

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool with silk. Embellished with silk, coloured wool and wool yarn. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

520 x 420mm
$1900

HAAST EAGLE SPIRIT OF THE PAST

Hand washed and carded mixed breed Sheep’s wool and locks with silk. Embellished with silk, coloured wool and yarn. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

440 x 510mm
$1900

FIRST WAVE

Dyed Merino and Corriedale wool with silk. Embellished with hand-sewn detail in cotton thread. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed with museum quality non- reflective glass.

315 x 315mm
$700

(can commission similar)

AQUA VITAE

Dyed Merino and Corriedale wool with silk. Embellished with hand-sewn detail in cotton thread. This piece is hand-sewn onto archival mounting board and framed with museum quality non- reflective glass.

480 x 465mm
$1100

PERPETUAL MOTION

Dyed Merino and Corriedale wool with silk. Embellished with hand-sewn detail in cotton thread. This piece is mounted and framed using a double mat board.

760 x 480mm
$800

(can commission similar)

TRANQUILITY 1 BUSH WALK

‘Tenax’ handmade harakeke flax paper, original photography and watercolour. This piece has been shadow mounted and box framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

450 x 300mm
$1100

TRANQUILITY 2

‘Tenax’ handmade harakeke flax paper, original photography and watercolour. This piece has been shadow mounted and box framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

300 x 450mm
$1100

THINKING OUTSIDE THE WOOLSHED

‘Tenax’ handmade harakeke flax paper and original photography. This piece has been shadow mounted and box framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

360 x 400mm
$800

RURU SPIRIT OF THE FOREST

‘Tenax’ handmade harakeke flax paper, original photography and watercolour. This piece has been shadow mounted and box framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

390 x 495
$1100

RURU

‘Tenax’ handmade harakeke flax paper, original photography and watercolour. This piece has been shadow mounted and box framed using UV resistant non- reflective glass.

290 x 355mm
$950

SOLD

Artist Statement

Originally from the UK, I am a photographer and self-taught artist and I began my journey with fibre when a friend gifted me a Gotland Ewe called Elsie with her twin lambs.

Taking nature as inspiration and wool as my paint, I combine my passion and need for creative expression with my interests in permaculture and sustainable, organic living.

My images ‘of the land, from the land’ explore the New Zealand landscape and rural life.

I enjoy the challenge of using my hand washed and carded sheep’s wool, combined with silk, coloured wool and yarn to create something of beauty, from what would otherwise be a waste product. I feel the combination gives my creations an honest, organic feel that fits with my philosophies, and forms the foundation of my ‘paddock to picture’ collection of artwork.

My creative journey is now taking me full circle to return to my photographic roots and expanding upon my ‘paddock to picture’ philosophy.

Hand made Harakeke paper by Tenax papers is combined with original photography and watercolour paint to add texture, dimension and authenticity to my photographic and multimedia images. These are then expertly box framed and mounted using UV resistant non-reflective glass to further enhance the works.

PRESS ARTICLES
Dec 6th 2018

Feature by Carly Thomas

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/108839003/from-paddock-to-frame-the-art-of-maggie-duff

March 30th, 2020

Online exhibition ‘Spirit of Manawatu’ with the Kimbolton Sculpture Festival

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/120647324/artists-respond-to-virus-outbreak-with-virtual-viewings?fbclid=IwAR03ktw0hWP5pjDvB-6mQpJDd3BQPW4pfDAk01dD_54fpaMQMrSTWwXHZyA