Uruguay Field Notes: Street Parades II

The Llamadas (literally means 'calls') parade took place over 2 days in Montevideo on the 3rd and 4th of February. The llamadas is a competitive event specifically for the comparsas or drum groups including dancers and other key carnival figures. It was a great atmosphere on the two nights but particularly the second night was a standout with some of the best comparsas on show. I loved all the colour and texture of the costumes, the comparsa banners and amazing flags that bearers would wave over the crowd. They say it brings you luck to touch the flag as its waved past just over your head. The winning comparsa on the night was Elumbe, and far from signifying the end of the competition, the Uruguay carnival continues on with various comparsas performing in local clubs and at theatres. Just now as a I am writing I can hear the local comparsa rehearsing a few blocks away.

Along with the smell of wood fire as parillas (bbq's) are fired up I'll miss the call of the drums when I return home to Sydney.

Uruguay Field Notes: Street Parades

One of the many Carnival floats to take part in the parade

Bits of paper and styrofoam debris left behind by kids

who throw the foam in the air as the floats pass

One of the many street vendors that continuously walk by offering food, drinks,

ready cut foam, foam in spray cans and masks

An interesting shop-front along Av.18 de Julio

View of office buildings along Av.18 de Julio

I have been in Montevideo Uruguay for the past 2 months. I've been incredibly lucky to be able to spend some time thinking about my art practice, developing new work and gather research for my thesis. Although I have come back to Uruguay before, this is the first time since I was little that I've been able to stay during January and February to see the Carnival street parades. Uruguay has the longest Carnival season of any of the South American countries including Rio in Brazil. The photos above were taken along the main street (Avenida 18 de Julio) in Montevideo on the day of the 'Desfile', a street parade marking the start of the competition for best carnival performers. There's an amazing atmosphere here this time of year. I've been totally seduced by the summer heat, brilliant sunsets and the vibrancy of the Carnival.

Art on Edge: The Precarious

Images from top: Quipu from the collection of the Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg, Sweden,

Cecilia Vicuña's Poncho of Five Strands 1992 and Quipu 1991.

I've been searching for contemporary Latin American artists working with textiles. Specifically I am interested in artists and makers drawing upon their experience of exile, migration and culturally diverse heritage, who consciously take up inherited craft traditions in their practice as a form of exploring identity and challenging notions of the ‘other’.

I am currently very interested in Cecilia Vicuña's art practice. Vicuña was born in Chile and has been living in exile since the 1970s. She has lived and worked in London, Colombia and is now based out of New York. Interestingly her practice is as much about writing, specifically poetry as it is about making. I am particularly drawn to the works in which she references the Inca use of Quipu. Quipu were used by the Inca as a form of communication to record information and relay messages. Quipu are predominantly made from cotton string including a primary cord and subsidiary cords which have been knotted at particular intervals. To this day, researchers are trying to decipher the Quipu code (see The Quipu Project).

I'm fascinated by the practice of knotting, weaving, looping, coiling and binding with fibre and textiles as a way of embedding or coding narrative.

If you are interested in Cecilia Vicuña, there is a fantastic book on her practice The Precarious: The Art and Poetry of Cecilia Vicuña edited by Catherine de Zegher, there is a preview version on amazon here. Vicuña also has a great website here

Mellorado: The Beginnings

Saying it

Untitled, part of installation at Carriageworks for Brendan Penzer's "Starving Artist", 2009

Maybe its just because its election time, but I'm feeling angrier than usual. I think its all those political ads, the spin, the constant reference to boat people as a threat to the Australian way of life. I'm angry about the continuing lack of respect government has for Indigenous Australians. Why isn't inequality and injustice a priority? Sometimes it feels like the election process is a farce and a choice between the lesser of two evils. But I don't think negativity is the way to deal with the frustration and anger. I think about the positives. I think about the day mum, dad and I got our Australian Citizenship. My beloved Australia makes me feel safe and for me it is always going to be home when I return from travel. After 23 years of citizenship I feel a responsibility to speak up, to talk about the things that some may feel are best ignored (like there is no racism here because everything is just fine and dandy) or topics that are just too hard to think about so they're best left alone. Even though in the words of GZA "I'm not caught up in politics/I'm no black activist on a so-called scholars dick" I'm going to keep trying to find ways to remind myself and others about the things we prefer to forget to think and talk about.

I have a voice and its the voice of a 30 something brown skinned woman living in Sydney's green leafy suburbs who migrated to Australia as a little kid.

Casa Mujer/Woman House

Casa Mujer/ Woman House (detail, work in progress, started 2008). Series of 6 embroidered antique cotton napkins.

Sydney Design 31 July to 15 August 2010

Image: Sydney Design - Knitty Gritty & Loopy Transformation workshop

I'm looking forward to Sydney Design this year. I must admit I haven't paid it much notice in previous years but this time round I've booked myself in to some workshops and penciled in various talks to attend.

I feel like I've been hibernating in the studio, crocheting, coiling, writing and reading lots of books. Mostly I'm looking forward to getting out and about despite my dislike of the cold weather. So far I'm doing the Weaving Yarns and Knitty Gritty & Loopy Transformation workshops.

You can check out what workshops and talks are on at the Sydney Design website here