Leanne Wick’s unique bird sculptures are this month’s Plinth Show exhibition in Mudgee, coinciding with this weekend’s Capertee Valley Bird Watching Festival (19-21 September).
Three Australian birds sculpted from yarn and found materials by Capertee Valley artist Leanne Wicks be on show in the foyer of Mudgee Arts Precinct for a month from Wednesday 17 September.
Leanne Wicks is a textile artist living and working on Wiradjuri country at Bogee. Leanne sees the world through a bird lens. At her Capertee Valley studio, she yarns with feathered friends and uses yarn to represent them.
Each species that she sees has a personality that she wishes to capture in textiles. Since meeting a particularly engaging King Parrot five years ago, Leanne has designed over 120 knitting patterns of mainly Australian native birds.
“Each sculpture takes 10 hours to make – time to reflect on the beauty of our environment in the Central West and how to protect it,” Ms Wicks says.
Birds depicted in the Plinth Show are the Masked Lapwing Plover, the Kookaburra and a work called ‘Knitting Country’ which honour her connections to the North East Wiradjuri Cultural Centre in Kandos. The works are made from yarn but also felt, glass beads, wire, recycled PET fill, knitting needles and other found objects.
Respecting Dabee/Wiradjuri Country is crucial to Leanne Wicks’ process of gentle bird walks, slow stitching and use of salvaged materials. Leanne uses traditionally feminine techniques of knitting, crochet, embroidery and dyeing to record birds and feelings of Place.
“I hope that the audience responds with a sense of wonder and will also take the time to look for birds, enjoy their presence and help to conserve endangered species,” Ms Wicks says. “Look at the birds. Spending time bird watching is an act of self-care.”
Arts OutWest’s Plinth Show program puts work of local artists on portable art plinths at a different visitor information centre around the Central West each month. Mudgee is the 12th stop on the regional program that launched in June 2024.
“The Plinth Shows brings art directly to tourists and encourages an exploration of local galleries and cultural experiences,” Curator, Arts OutWest’s Steven Cavanagh explains.
Works are not for sale, but visitors can contact the artist.
The Plinth Show program also highlights the Culture Maps Central NSW website (www.centralnsw.com) – visitor maps for hundreds of galleries, museums and heritage, shopping for handmade, Aboriginal experiences, public art and events across the NSW Central West – part of Arts OutWest’s continuing focus on cultural tourism.
Arts OutWest is the peak regional arts body for the NSW Central West. It is one of 15 regional arts development organisations across the state, receiving funding from state, local and federal government and working with a wide range of partners to deliver support and run strategic arts projects in the region. Contact Arts OutWest for arts information, advice or support on 02 6338 4657 or www.artsoutwest.org.au
Mudgee Arts Precinct and Mudgee Visitor Information Centre is at 90 Market Street Mudgee. Open 7 days a week 9am -5pm.
The Capertee Valley Bird Watching Festival runs Fri 19 September – Sun 21 September with walks and tours in the valley, showcasing the 240+ bird species found in the Capertee Valley and the conservation of their habitat, plus a local art exhibition and a Sunday afternoon musical performance at Glen Alice Community Hall. https://caperteevalleybirdfestival.com.au/
IMAGE: Knitting Country, 2024, Leanne Wicks
