Eliza to Claira
Julie Haddrick 2001
117 x 150 cm
Hand
dyed, painted, stencilled & printed fabric: machine pieced , hand
& machine quilted and embellished
Stained glass applique technique
This
quilt follows the history of women in my family, using flowers as symbols
of historic, political and social events, in styles mirroring art and
design eras.
Joseph and Eliza, with 4 children, arrive at the Port of Adelaide in 1855,
seeking a warmer climate and new opportunities. Decades of lives transform;
botanical studies adorn a postcard sent from a homesick, isolated farming
community. A new century, National spirit; Federation rose window. Violets
in Nouveau style; happier times precede the ravage of wars. Customs, primarily
British, change to cope with the heat, isolation and distance; ornamentation
from lost culture. Women’s emancipation; modernism embraced. Female
artistic credibility; Indigenous recognition. A child’s sampler;
hollyhock embroidered tray cloth. Herbs; Mediterranean influence - diversity
and multiculturalism. Psycadelia; activism, consumerism and choice. ‘Australiana’
liberates the decorative arts; pride of identity. New Age; embraces sexuality.
Concluding is the computers multiple imagery; female role diversity, opportunity
and choices for Claira.
Treasure views through your windows; explore stories.
Invitation entry to AQIPP 2001 exhibition; ‘Journeys; stories of
immigration’