Gaye Jurisich
Shocking pink builders twine and wire pegs
Stitch is a site-specific, temporary sculpture work
that takes the land for its fabric. Jurisich uses shocking pink
builders' twine to sew the hillside, with each line drawn taut and
secured invisibly at each end so it appears to be coming straight
out of the grassy ground. The threads accentuate and alter the
perception and perspective of the bay and the horizon, subtly
changing the colour of the area, creating fine shadows that alter
the space as the sun moves across the sky. Viewers are able to
touch and pluck the threads, creating a pulsing transfer of
movement like a heartbeat.
'I see Stitch as a calm and meditative work sewn onto
the ground like single thread Saturn stitch embroidery. It will sit
comfortably in the landscape accentuating the magnitude of the
slope. By placing the strands across the spaces, where grass and
slope form the base, the flat, semi transparent surface of the
strands will encourage viewers to examine the space itself as a
series of encounters, constructing the image as a whole as they
pass by. I would also like visitors to begin to consider the
expanse of their surroundings; and become awakened to new thoughts
about space and time, the domesticity and practical notions of
sewing and embroidery as heirlooms,' Jurisich says.
Gaye Jurisich is a Waikato-based artist whose work in the past
five years has moved from two- to three dimensions. She regards
public art as an important and democratic enrichment of the daily
life of individuals - its placement outside art galleries makes it
accessible and its relationship with its audience is immediate.
Jurisich's role is that of facilitator, provider of opportunities
for audiences to engage in reflection on the complexities of the
work and in some cases participating in its production.
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