Got wrinkles? Got stories

WHAT tales could the lines on your face tell?

The visual art of paper portrait sculptor Ro Bancroft and the complementary poetry of her partner, wordsmith Robin Taylor, is currently on show at the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s Backspace, aiming to celebrate older women and the ageing process.

Exhibition Lines and Wrinkles was inspired by a book, When I’m an Older Woman, but initially wasn’t a collaborative project.

“We suddenly realised I was writing about age, and Ro’s paper sculptures were about age, so we decided to work together. I used her portraits to spark my poems,” Taylor said.

“When I turned 80, I didn’t want to be there, but I’ve changed those feelings into something positive through writing. Let’s bring a more positive attitude to ageing.”

Bancroft made the choice to depict anonymous women, because she said often older ladies are overlooked by society.

“These women do some amazing things out there, but they’re just not recognised for what they do,” she said.

“So many women have a passion for something, and that’s important.”

Lines and Wrinkles is all about women not just being seen but being appreciated and celebrated for their uniqueness.

“If you’ve got wrinkles, believe me, you’ve got stories. You’ve seen changes through your life,” Taylor said.

“Age isn’t all positive, but it’s not all negative either, so I try to bring that lightness to the poems.

“Old age is just living through changes… of the body this time,” she laughed.

With fine details, contours and many layers, Bancroft’s sculptures can take five to seven weeks to complete, while Taylor’s poems can flow quickly and easily, or over a longer period.

“We might be a bit old, but we’re really just emerging artists,” Bancroft said.

Lines and Wrinkles is part of the City of Ballarat Seniors Festival and is on display until mid-November.