Experiencing Time | Anne Williams (expired event)

Anne Williams’ latest exhibition Experiencing Time, showcases daily stitched creations, and reflects on the daily, weekly and yearly rhythms.

At the beginning of 2016 textile artist Anne Williams made a New Year’s resolution to stitch every day for a year; she didn’t miss a day and now over two years on in early 2019, is still hand stitching each and every day.

Through hand stitching Anne Williams has found a gentle respite in a world where the increasing acceleration of daily life often threatens to overwhelm. Williams states that she began to experience time differently whilst stitching freely on a long length of fabric.

Williams regards herself as a “Slow Cloth” artist, which is a practice based on the thoughtful use of resources, mending and hand-stitching. Whilst these practices return to traditional skills originally developed as a necessity, Williams finds freedom in the choice to stitch in imaginative and creative ways rather than because she has nothing to wear. That being said, Williams is mindful of the issues of the fast fashion industry which results in materials and labour being undervalued and a huge abundance of clothing sent to landfill each year. Preferring to use recycled natural fabrics repurposed from op shops or the wardrobes of family and friends, her only new purchase for this project has been a small amount of thread. Williams enjoys bringing new life to quality materials and believes cloth can be powerful in carrying purpose, familiarity, touch and embedded memories.

Anne Williams will be working as an artist in focus as part of Experiencing Time, and will be stitching each day amongst her exhibition in Midland Junction Arts Centre’s The Store. Watch the artist at work and take a quiet moment to contemplate your own daily rhythms.