Weaving new meaning from iconic flag

AN EXHIBITION is on at the Eureka Centre displaying works created in response to the Eureka Flag.

Constellation: Forming the flag has textile and fibre artworks by Donna Blackhall, Amanda Ho, Sara Lindsay, David Pearce and Gosia Wlodarczak.

The original flag is now displayed at the Eureka Centre and played a vital role in the 1854 Eureka Rebellion, which is seen by many as the birth of Australia’s democracy.

Artists in this exhibition focused on the material qualities of the flag when creating their own works instead of the cultural, political, and historical implications.

“The flag itself is quite contested territory these days and one of the striking things about is it’s a really beautiful object for someone interested in textiles without adding a political bias,” said exhibition curator Sara Lindsay.

“I was so astounded by the warm quality of it and the way colour changed with age.”

Lindsays work in the exhibition was inspired by some scraps of fabric she found.

“I was just cleaning up and I came across this piece of blue and white fabric and a gold silk shirt that I’d worn in the early 80s,” she said.

“They just kind of spoke to each other and echoed the aging quality of the flag.”

Lindsay said the aim of the exhibition isn’t to educate people about the historical aspects of the flag but instead to draw attention to its material qualities.

“I’m hoping that people think more about the presence of textiles in their life and the memory because with textiles we wear and we sit on them,” she said.

“I want them to look at the flag more closely and notice what’s going on with the flag because the fact is it has a lot of meaning for people over time and it’s a beautiful object.”

The exhibition is on now and open until Sunday 20 August.