COLLECTING IN COLOUR: STORIES OF FASHION AND ART

As winter draws to a close, we are delighted to present Collecting in Colour: Stories of Fashion and Art, a collaborative exhibition between Maitland Regional Art Gallery and the Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles (AMCAT). Connecting the two diverse collections for the first time, this exhibition will showcase historical garments spanning from the late 19th century right through to the new millennium, alongside some of MRAG’s recent acquisitions and treasured works from the collection.

Based in Maitland, AMCAT was founded in 2005 and now has over 6000 textile garments in its collection. Founded by Maitland local

Nell Pyle OAM, AMCAT was initially developed from her own personal collection of clothing. Gradually the collection has continued to expand to include community donations, some of which have state or national significance. AMCAT continues to operate from Maitland’s Brough House and is managed by a group of dedicated team of volunteers, all who have the common goal of preserving the history and legacy of the clothing and textile industry and for this important collection to be made accessible to the public. Being the first textile exhibition of its kind to be presented at MRAG, staff were initially challenged by the method of which would allow the AMCAT collection to be displayed in the most seamless way. Turning to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney for knowledge and inspiration, gallery staff and volunteers have been on a journey behind the scenes learning and creating ‘Fosshape’ mannequins.

Fosshape is a low melt polyester fabric very similar in appearance to felt. Heating with steam causes the material to harden and mould to a shape or form, such as a dressmaker’s mannequin. Once the basic form has been created, it then requires customisation, often including cutting away excess fabric and adding padding with the aim that it will sit invisibly beneath the garment it is supporting. Our goal was to create a minimum of 20 Fosshape mannequins for Collecting in Colour, which was no easy task, as each one would take at least one hour to make. Despite the steep learning curve and time-consuming production time, we are well on the way to achieving this goal in time for the exhibition.

Collecting in Colour: Stories of Fashion and Art has also provided fabulous opportunity for this historical textiles to be presented alongside some of MRAG’s more colourful and contemporary works from its collection such as Ildiko Kovacs, Nyarapayi Giles, Dani Marti, Sydney

Ball, George Barker, John Coburn, Euan Macleod, Timothy Maguire, and Col Jordan. These works will surround an eclectic array of textiles, from evening gowns from the 1940s - 1970s to bridesmaids’ dresses and outfits worn to weddings, to a child’s cape from the late 1800s. Memories imprinted within these garments will be given an alternative story, casting them in a new light.

Nell’s wish was for the AMCAT collection to be accessible to the public and this exhibition does just that. Collecting in Colour: Stories of Fashion and Art offers a unique opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves into a world full of colour, where stories are unravelled, and connections and histories are stitched together.

Anna Buxton Soldal, Curatorial Assistance and Gallery Officer