Depression Quilt (2022) is made out of material recycled from my late grandfather’s wool suits as well as Mylar and black felt. It was created as part of the development process for my Emergency Blankets project which was exhibited in ‘Carnivale Catastrophe’ at Cementa22.
The Emergency Blankets project was a creative exploration of the way that we respond to crises, whether natural disasters, economic hardship, or mental health problems. The title of this work references the Australian tradition of quilts made during the depression era from recycled material. The title acknowledges depression as one possible side-effect of crisis, but also depression as a potential crisis in and of itself.
Depression Quilt was a finalist in the ‘Seed Stitch Contemporary Textiles Award’, and was exhibited at the Australian Design Centre and Tamworth Regional Gallery.
Tom Isaacs 