Sarkcloth – wearing in the landscape

A collaboration between artisan dress maker Theresa Jackson from Sark and textile designer Julie Paterson from cloth.

A land of sombre, silent hills, where mountain cattle go
By twisted tracks, on sidelings deep, where giant gum trees grow
And the wind replies, in the river oaks, to the song of the stream below.
From Australian Scenery by Banjo Paterson

The early poems and stories of Banjo Paterson have inspired Julie Paterson to paint landscape images on silk accompanied by some of his evocative words to create lengths of fabric that, in collaboration with Theresa Jackson, form the basis for a limited range of clothes and accessories exploring this unique Australian voice and bush sentiment.

Sarkcloth is the very beginning of a potentially long term collaboration between the two artists.

Julie Paterson from cloth, paints the silk organza in metre pieces and Theresa Jackson from Sark makes the garments by hand, one at a time. They are collaborating on a project they dreamt up for Sydney Design Week.

This year the Design Week theme is ‘Old is New’ and after reading some poetry by her name-sake Banjo Paterson, Julie felt inspired to paint abstracted landscapes onto silk with Banjo’s words drifting in and out of the picture.

These painterly one-off lengths of fabric were used by Theresa to form a prototype range of clothes and accessories that feel full of light, filled with substance.

Theresa’s approach to dress designing comes from a sculptors sensibility which combines beautifully with Julies painterly poetic silks.

The resulting works feels quite ethereal and atmospheric – a very modern collection of clothes with a contemporary cut and a bit of bush sentiment.

Once they have shown the Sarkcloth collection and have a feel for the results Julie and Theresa may well develop these one-off pieces into a commercial collection if it feels right. Which, right now it does.

Wearing In The Landscape was launched during Sydney Design week in August, which will run until 14th August 2011

www.sydneydesign.com.au

About Cloth:

cloth fabric designs and makes contemporary textiles for the home and for boutique commercial interiors. cloth are a small Sydney based company focused on producing natural, handmade fabrics with an earthy, relaxed Australian feel.

Fabrics are designed by Julie Paterson founder of Cloth. Each design has its own story, beginning its creative journey as a landscape drawing in her sketch book, becoming a painting on found wood, then a prototype print in her studio. Finally, the work is produced as fabric yardage by craftsman on 20 metre tables in a tin shed in country NSW.

Produced locally, by hand in short batches gives the fabric its soul, keeps it real and allows for a controlled approach to manufacture and materials.

In addition to the fabrics, cloth produce a collection of homewares, rugs and accessories. cloth also create bespoke fabrics and products for commercial interior projects.

www.clothfabric.com

sarkstudio.com.au

The Girls from Surry Hills
(With apologies to Banjo Paterson)

There was true collaboration as the scissors cut the cloth,
And Theresa Jackson’s hands were moving fast
As she nipped and tucked and pinned and tacked, the garments took their shape
In Julie’s fabric full of words from ages past.

In such oranges and charcoals and rich ochre painted silk
Teresa has made gauzy floaty dresses
From the landscapes drawn by Julie out of poems that Banjo wrote –
And the work sprung from this partnership impresses.

And that’s how old is rendered new, and Banjo rides again
On dresses light as spirits in the trees,
For Paterson and Jackson, the girls from Surry Hills.
Have renewed his work with skill and expertise.

Sarkcloth yokes together JP’s art and TJ’s skill
The sum of which is worth more than their parts.
So in Design Week make damn sure you Wear the Landscape In –
In dresses built for minds and souls and hearts.