Wall Stories (2006) was a site specific project that explored the material and the history of one of the gallery rooms at the Forrester Gallery in the historic town of Oamaru. Over a 2 week period I worked within the space, its architectural features and the immediate fabric of the walls through historical references to the site prior to its function as a gallery. The upper floor of the grand Victorian building was the living quarters for the various bank managers and their families for over 100 years until its redevelopment into a gallery space in the late 1980's. Discussions with the gallery manager and anecdotes from the gallery visitors book provided some glimpses of those who had lived in the building and what life was like for those families living above the counters of commerce below. Aspects of the work referenced these fragmented stories and an imagined domestic interior while the jute walls shifted into sculptural forms to suggest, amongst other things, the dwellings of those who contributed significantly to the early wealth of Oamaru; the homes and shelters of the early settlers and gold miners in the Waitaki valley and beyond used jute often recycled from tow sacks to reinforce and provide shelter and as a ground for wallpaper. During the two weeks of Wall Stories development visitors and locals were encouraged to call in and embroider the jute walls while sharing their stories and memories of the space. This dialogue contributed not only to the project but to the growing collection of anecdotes surrounding the building. Artist's Log
Wall Stories catalogue