aly de groot

from Arnhem to Arnhem, recent work at Outstation gallery, Nov/ Dec 2011

2012-01-11T21:15:00.002-08:00

From Arnhem to Arnhem - Outstation Gallery, November 18-december17

2011-11-20T15:41:00.001-08:00

In September 2010 I participated in an art residency in the township of Renkum, within the municipality of the City of Arnhem in the Netherlands. The name Arnhem means place of many eagles. On the other hand, Arnhem Land in Northern Australia was so named by Matthew Flinders after a vessel of the Dutch East India Company during his circumnavigation of Australia. The area named Arnhem Land by Flinders was in fact all that part of Australia north of Australia, including Darwin and Katherine (Evans, 1995).

The contrasts and similarities between these places became the foundation of my creative practice whilst in the Netherlands which are intrinsically connected, by history and name. This involved documenting the leaves and plants found in the forests surrounding the city of Arnhem using cyanotype processes then dying the prints with plant pigments sourced back in the NT. As my art practice is heavily entwined with the methodology of weaving, this was a way to engage with the plant life in foreign surrounds. In the past weaving and harvesting planrt materials along with the use of a myriad of basket making processes has allowed me to create a relationship with Northern Australia. The exhibition embodies the long history of exchange between the Netherlands and Northern Australia.

Finland 2011

2011-10-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

just got back from finland, was amazing but cold, i dont reccomend travelling from 10 degree weather to 30 degrees in a hurry, my body has just recovered from the shock. But was worth it. Why Finland?? you may ask. I was fortunate enough to be invited by artist Nancey Tingey who back in march, saw my 5 minutes of fame on abcs art nation. She was interested in my use of ghost nets as an artisticmedium as she is involved in an inter-univesity relationship between ANU (australia) Cumbria University (UK) and Novia Design School ( Turku, Finland) They have had a creative relationship and partnership over the past two years. They have maintained dialogue through a blog and have had several group exhibitions in Australia revolving around the theme of nets. So i was lucky enough to be invited to join them in Finland to talk about my involvement in Ghost net projects with Indigenous rangers and weavers in Northern Australia as well as share skills and insight into my own practice using recycled materials and basketry methodology to make art. We even went to the ekoturi ie dump shop in Finland, which felt like home.

2011-10-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

sea horses

2011-05-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

2011-05-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

2011-05-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

new work

2011-05-05T20:08:00.001-07:00

2011-03-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 21st of March I arrived on Groote Island as an artist employed by Ghost Nets Australia to work with Indigenous rangers and weavers at the Alyngula art centre to experiment with ways to make ghost nets into baskets and art.They were really interested and have already made several bags baskets and net sculptures.

2011-03-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

Some of my Ghost Net Baskets will feature in Annual Mannual, a survey exhibition at sydney's Object gallery, opening April 8th 2011. The work will sit beside the work of 7 other designers from throughout Australia, selected out of 120 nominees of selected designers Australia wide.

free workshop at CDU sat 19th feb

2011-02-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

UNDERWATER BASKET WEAVING

A FREE WORKSHOP WITH ALY DE GROOT

www.alydegroot.com.au

WHEN? SAT 19^TH FEB 11.30-2.30

WHERE? CHARLES DARWIN UNIVERSITY SOUND SHELTER, CASUARINA CAMPUS

BOOKING IS RECOMMENDED AS SPACE IS LIMITED

FOR MORE INFO OR BOOKING EMAIL-weaverorwoven@yahoo.com

During the 2011 MERGE Festival held at Charles Darwin University Aly will hold a workshop which will involve the use of a basic basket making technique known as coil stitching to make sculpture and vessels from recycled fishing nets. These nets, which can sometimes be kilometers long, are the refuse from fishing vessels from throughout the world, washing up on the beaches and bringing with it much of our marine life.

As an Australian contemporary Fibre artist and recipient of a University Post Graduate Scholarship to undertake re- search for a PhD, Aly is focusing on environmental and social issues in regards to fibre art and basketry. She was interested to discover that the American term ‘underwater basket weaving’ is used to depict ‘easy’ degrees that have no valuable educational content. Aly questions this notion, as she values the inspiration and knowledge gained and exchanged through formulating ideas and projects which can inspire and educate people, using readily available materials that may other wise be a pest or environmental threat.

Un-spun Mythologies, solo exhibition at 24hr art, darwin, 11th feb- 19th march

2011-02-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

In Greek Mythology, the Moirai were the weavers of Fate. Clotho was the spinner, Lachesis the measurer, and Atropos, the cutter. The three goddesses wove the thread of a human life in the darkness of their cave and their work could not be undone by any man or God, not even Zeus. Un-spun Mythologies weaves a visual narrative from interdisciplinary creative experimentation using basket-making techniques along with ‘shibori’ (Japanese tie dying) and ‘shibari’ (Japanese rope bondage) processes.

OPENING 6PM, FRI FEB 11

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

2011-01-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

RECENT WORK, 2011
BOX JELLY FISH
SEA HORSE
WEAVER OF THE TIDES

GHOST NET BASKETS

2011-01-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

2010-12-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

WILL BE AT WOODFORD FESTIVAL DECEMBER 27TH TILL JANUARY TWO DOING FIBRE SCULPTURE AND GHOST NET BASKET WORKSHOPS, HOPE TO SEE YA THERE, X

2010-12-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

CATCH OF THE DAY

2010-11-18T18:15:00.000-08:00

2010-10-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

bur·lesque

[ber-lesk]

noun, adjective, verb, -lesqued, -lesquing.

–noun

1.an artistic composition, esp. literary or dramatic, that, for the sake of laughter, vulgarizes lofty material or treats ordinary material with mock dignity.

BURLESQUE BASKETRY

A FUN WORKSHOP WITH LOCAL FIBRE ARTIST

ALY DE GROOT

All materials supplied to make a sassy basket or sculpture using contemporary basket making techniques and locally sourced plant and recycled materials. Cost-$65

refreshments available

Tuesday December 7^th

6pm-9pm

at artwarehouse

Daly Street

Darwin

Phone 0416363950, 89814778

e-mail-weaverorwoven@yahoo.com

spaces limited, booking recommended

As an artist I am a traveler and a collector of memories and sensory experience, channeling these into my art.(Watson, 2004)

2010-09-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

An integral element within my studio-based research includes an exploration of my Dutch origins by taking my art practice to the Netherlands. This is important because I feel that I should explore my own culture and forge a creative connection with my heritage, as fibre art in Australia is intrinsically aligned with connection to land and culture (Keller, C, 2010).

Therefore, I am currently undertaking an art residency with the OBRAS Art foundation in the Netherlands. This is a consequential motivation for the title of my PHD thesis, Under Water Basket Weaving. The imagery that ‘Underwater’ suggests isn’t far from the truth, considering the proximity of the Netherlands below sea level. As an artist in residence with the OBRAS foundation I am living in a 100-year-old mansion in the township of Renkum, which is within the municipality of the City of Arnhem. The name Arnhem means place of many eagles.

A large expanse of land in Northern Australia was named Arnhem Land by Matthew Flinders during his circumnavigation of Australia, after a vessel of the Dutch East India Company. The Arnhem was blown off course and touched and mapped land near what is now known as Gove Peninsula. (Evans,1995)My art practice is immensley informed by collaborative art projects where I have spent time in Arnhem land which is rich in indigenous cultural and fibre practice. It is apt that the art residency was located within the municipality of the city of Arnhem. I am embracing this through interweaving the histories of the two contrasting places, which are connected by history and name. The contrasts and similarities between these places has become the foundation of my creative practice whilst in the Netherlands. Fibre sculptured figures made from plants found in the surrounding parklands and rivers are emerging. I am also documenting the leaves and plants found in the area using cyanotype processes. This is an example of how my creative and practical research is consistently supported and influenced by the both ways philosophy, which essentially involves an interweaving of Indigenous and non-indigenous histories to digest post-colonial issuesMy favorite artist and mentor, Pamela Crofts, laments the importance of an embracement of the both ways philosophy if reconciliation is ever to become a reality in Australia.

Always remember that what makes you all Australian is the fact that you live on this land, on our ancestral lands and with our creation stories. Lastly what makes you Australian, is in fact your interactions with us, the First Nations peoples of this land- in the past now and in the future It is what makes you different from your ancestors whose spirits lie in other lands. We are what help to make you, Australian. It is what gives you belonging on and to this land. (Croft cited in Mellor and Haebich 2002 p.225)

http://www.obras-art.org

from Arnhem Land , NT to the Arnhem Region, The Netherlands

2010-09-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

2010-04-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

next workshop sat 8th may 2010 at artwarehouse, darwin, ring 0416363950 for bookings Through the creation of art, teaching and working collaboratively, i seek to fufill a 'mythical' life through the weaving of multiple layered stories which respond to the social, political and personal, mourning the overlooked whilst celebrating the discarded. Regularly exhibiting throughout Australia as well as facilitating contemporary fibre art workshops in Darwin, nationally and with remote Indigenous communities, i value the inspiration and knowledge gained and exchanged through formulating ideas and projects which can inspire and educate people, using readily available materials that may other wise be a pest or environmental threat.

2010-04-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

2010-04-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

2009-07-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Artists talk/workshop with Aly de Groot
at Darwin Community Arts, Chambers Crescent Theatre, Sat August 8, 1pm- 3m, free
for bookings or more information please call Aly on 0416363950 or email-weaverorwoven@yahoo.com

Darwin Fibre Artist Aly de Groot was fortunate
enough to attend the Design Island Bay of Fires Walk workshop In Tasmania earlier this year. The workshop was attended by Australia’s leading designers, and focused on sustainability concepts in regards to Art and Design.
On Sat August 8 Aly will take the opportunity to share her experiences at this amazing event which was held at an eco lodge on the Tasmanian coast in the bay of Fires.
The artists talk/ workshop will involve discussions about the direction of art and design in regards to sustainability followed by demonstrations by the artist of techniques and materials which can be used to make art from recycled and found materials.

All materials supplied, please confirm attendance by Thursday August 7
Image- A Second Chance, Aly de Groot, 2008, made from recycled plastic