Alysn Midgelow-Marsden has been described as an energiser and inspirer for her art making and her teaching practice. She is a maker of inspiring and visually compelling forms comprising three-dimensional lines, structures and patterns in complex, lyrical fluidities using media such as textiles, wires, metals and plastics.
Alysn says: “There are two major factors in my life which ran side by side for many years, moved apart and are now intertwined once again.
- The first is that I can’t remember a time when I didn’t spend time ‘making’, or stitching. These efforts were not always successful, but we all have to start somewhere! As I grew older my creative efforts included painting and poetry but always included fibre arts.
- The second major influence is a combination of biochemistry, marine biology and conservation which were my degree subjects. I think that my approach to my art and my world view is informed by the investigative, experimental exploration which is the basis of the scientific method.
My work concentrates on the themes of place, culture and stereotypes associated with textiles; and the coastal and marine environment – it’s beauty, raw energy and challenges.
In psychological terms we see not only individual objects, but their edges. It is a dynamic space in which we find tensions and strange interactions. These interferences touch on inter- and intra- personal interactions. Your viewpoint is everything; the approach and personal interaction with the pieces is everything.”
Her practice creates an invitation for you to experience personal connections through viscerally emotive interactions. The work is driven by curiosity about science, the psyche and the marine environment, and are marked visually by a complex and raw yet lyrical fluidity.
Alysn’s works stretch traditional definitions of media and dissolve boundaries between sculpture, installation and video works, often incorporating metal, wire, fibre, textile and stitch.
Recent awards for selected exhibitions include: Mandurah Wearable Art (Australia) for ‘What Lies Beneath’; ‘Wall Brooches II’, (Australia) for ‘Taniwha’; ‘Changing Threads’ Nelson Arts ‘Bernina Award’ for ‘The Space Between VII’. (New Zealand)
Published books:
‘Between the Sheets with Angelina’
‘This Lustr’ed Cloth’
‘Stitch, Fibre, Metal and Mixed Media’
W: www.alysnmidgelowmarsden.com
I: @alysnmmart
W: www.takingtextilesfurther.com
I: @takingtextilesfurther