Crocheted tapes to transform

AS part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale 2023, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is housing an exhibition by two female artists.

Effacement opened last week, and features works by Karenne Ann and Heather Horrocks, artists who live and work in Ballarat.

The pair formed a collaboration called ISOyoh following the COVID-19 pandemic and the exhibition explores identity and how this can be changed by masks.

Horrocks began using old VHS taped to crochet, and this eventually turned into making masks, curtains, and other objects aimed at giving the illusion of chainmail armour.

“There was a BBC Crime Drama called Edge of Darkness and it was about the end of the world and that was signalled by black daisies,” she said.

“I was on a job with a friend in South Australia and I decided I needed to make black daisies to remind everyone how we have to look after the environment.

“The only thing I could find in the outback was some black cassette video tape.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Horrocks then moved to mask making to express her frustrations.

“I made the Empiricist mask because I was so angry when people wouldn’t wear their masks because we have so much science and we know how important it is,” she said.

“They were trying in the 1500s to protect themselves with completely ineffectual stuff.”

Ann then photographed Horrocks in the masks, creating the final images which are used in the exhibition.

“Seeing the Empiricist was what drew me to working on this project,” she said.

“I was trying to focus on the mask flat on a table or on an old hairdresser’s head and I said to Heather ‘you’re going to have to wear these, I can’t get these to work’.”

Ann said she hopes the works encourage people to think about women’s experiences.

“I think it’s confronting to see the images because they’re bigger than real life,” she said. “Women always have to put on armour in any situation.”

Horrocks echoed the sentiment and said she hopes the exhibition creates conversations around women and the environment.

“I hope people see that recycling is really good because as a baby boomer we’ve done a lot of damage,” she said.

“Also, that craft, which is a very gendered world, I wanted to punch a hole in that concept of crochet being some sort of dainty craft.”

Effacement is now open at the Art Gallery of Ballarat and will be on display until Sunday 19 November.