A common thread

Helen Reeves

A common thread in my art, is a thread. I like the way a single thread of fibre can create direction, movement, continuity, and can enhance the surface texture.

The use of a thread in these works is set against a background of handmade paper, remnants of dressmaking patterns, sheet music, and recycled paper; creating a collage — a process that involves assembling various materials on a surface.

Collages are my preferred art media. Collage enables me to work intuitively, with a result that is more random, and spontaneous. Not surprisingly, I have gathered a collection of papers, fabrics and threads — all precious sources of inspiration. Searching for the right colour paper or texture, its ragged or hard edge, is always part of the process and inspires the direction of the work. 

While the use of a thread is common in these works, to me there is nothing common about a thread.

Biography

Helen Reeves lives at Mount Eccles in the Strzelecki Ranges of South Gippsland, as well as in Melbourne. 

Living in the Strzelecki Ranges provides me with the time, space, and environment to immerse myself in my art, and, with the long rural views, an opportunity to process thoughts and ideas.

Helen has a B.Ed. (Art & Craft) from Melbourne State College. Her training in textiles led her to collage and creating small scale textured works that invite closer viewing.

While teaching in the Northern Territory, she held a solo exhibition at the Crafts Council of the Northern Territory and contributed to many group exhibitions in the NT and interstate, including the Ararat Gallery Acquisitive Exhibition, which subsequently acquired her work for its Fibre and Textiles collection.

After a career in education in Gippsland where she grew up, and later in Melbourne as a public servant, she returned to her art and is thoroughly immersing herself in her practice.