CLARA FRAIN-ATALLAH

Tinfoil, Linen, Oil, Charcoal

In Poised for a Forward Movement, we encounter a series of tinfoil swan sculptures, alongside a painting made up of smaller linen scraps stitched together.

Over the 10-month span of this programme, Clara has been preoccupied with pace and what it means to make art with this in mind. A recurrent condition throughout her art career has been balancing paid work in hospitality and the labour of art-making. The tinfoil swan has become a symbol of this conflict: a dynamic sculpture made in seconds that Clara would make at restaurants. The swan imbues outdated opulence and manufactured theatrics within the workplace.

Displayed in a circular motion, the tinfoil swans exist in a constant loop of movement and are made directly in the exhibition space during the two-week installation period. Viewing painting as a space to be activated, the stitched linen acts as a backdrop in conversation with the swans. The patchwork technique reflects the scale of Clara’s studio space, working in fragments Clara focused on mark making and navigating colour.

Poised for a Forward Movement is an installation that reflects the conditions in which it was made: space, time, and labour. It is designed with the intention of disassembly at the end of the show.

Tending to

give ground

Tending to

our site,
our situation here

Tending to

and from
the situation out there

A manicured home is a labour of love
we want to last longer
longer than you are here
longer than we are here
Take notice of the notice board
Please see how we have loved this building
Exhibit A: The Garden
Exhibit B: The Library
Exhibit C: The Despactio Room
Exhibit D: The Basement

The Library Project was formed in a collective as part of the exhibition Give Ground. Within this space of learning we we believe that knowledge should be free and accessible to all. We value the preservation of tangible and written artefacts collected, curated, and donated by those who came before us. We also embrace the continuous pursuit of order out of chaos, and recognising the potential of the messy and unfinished, as well as the importance of constant transformation. 

 This project and body of research was formed from a collaboration with artist and researcher Hugh Nicholson.