Melanie Olde, Evolve, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist.
Melanie Olde
Gallery 3
Friday 14 June - Sunday 7 July
Opening Thursday 13 June 2024, 6pm - 8pm
As one of the oldest technologies, weaving is the medium Olde uses to investigate and respond to the coded complex systems of the natural world. This new work continues Olde’s woven exploration and experiments to mimic microscopic life-like structures that challenge viewers’ concept of human-made fabric. Olde considers weaving an ultimate metaphor for complexity within life systems: the small individual elements and rules acting cumulatively upon the whole, resulting in emergent behaviour.
Drawing inspiration from artificial life algorithms, Olde engages in experimental weaving practices within the depth of the cloth to craft organic forms from predictive plant growth models. The pressures on the threads created from the structure result in the emergent, organic movement. Olde uses the technique and materials to create sculptural forms; individual threads, programmed and responsive, to form its unique, collective, complex whole, demonstrating that emergent, synthesized natural forms can occur from a set of instructions.
Olde uses unusual combinations of paper, nylon monofilament, and metal threads to complement these innovative handwoven reflections. Paper and metal yarns are natural materials that only exist in this form due to human processing. Nylon monofilament is considered a wholly manufactured material. The contrast and similarity of the materials, combined with the organic movement of threads, ask the viewer to question the boundaries of what is ‘artificial’; the form is representationally natural, though the entity is inherently human-made.
The five large pieces show variations in the expression of plant growth models. The nine smaller pieces explore the evolution of individual cell forms, subtly developing, though with similar initial instructions.
These works challenge weaving as a medium for questioning how cloth can mimic a living system.
About the Artist
Melanie Olde is a Canberra-based experimental weaver with professional experience in art, production weaving, research and teaching. In addition to a BA (visual) and her current MA, Melanie has studied nationally and internationally and is a compulsive researcher. Her artistic practice involves researching natural structures for form, function, and array to interpret these in biomimetic, woven 3-dimensional cloth, advancing innovative exploration. She regularly exhibits and publishes nationally and internationally. She recently won 1st place in consecutive international Complexity weaving exhibitions, presented and exhibited at Bridges Mathematics/Art Conference in Helsinki, Finland, gave lectures and workshops in New Zealand and has recently taught at ANU School of Art.
