Wonderful world of wool

The Taxidermist solo exhibition by Penola based crochet artist Trevor Smith is now on display at The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre, presenting a new collection of his much-adored crochet sculptures.

The exhibition will be on display until January 28 and assembles a body of sculptural work exploring animals, birds, sea creatures, coral and even wall mounted mammal heads.

Using predominantly pure wool yarn and basic crochet stitches, the supports of the sculptural and wall pieces incorporate various combinations of polystyrene, foam rubber, wire and foam core.

Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre team leader curatorial Chris Clements said Smith’s series The Taxidermist neatly brings together decades of exploration of soft sculpture into a concise and playful body of work.

“Trevor has masterfully realised pieces transform the world we live into a parallel world of wonder,” Mr Clements said.

Completing a Diploma of Visual Arts at Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education in the early 1980s, Trevor is a self-described obsessive maker who has crocheted his way through hundreds of kilometres of yarn in the production of an array of unique flora and fauna wonders.

“I am always making something, whether it’s irons and toasters, legs of ham or mounted deer heads, I like to keep busy – but there is no pattern, I couldn’t make the same thing twice if I wanted to,” Trevor said.

The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre will be running gallery tours for children as part of the City of Mount Gambier School Holiday Program at 10.30am on Saturday, January 3, and Tuesday, January 9, and 2.30pm on Thursday, January 25. Bookings are essential. Please contact The Riddoch on (08)8721 563 or email [email protected]

The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre is open from 10am to 5pm weekdays and 10am to 2pm weekends and most public holidays. Entry is free.