A Symbiotic Gathering
Megs sustainable approach to working sees her utilising her fabrics that are either repurposed or grown herself at home. A range of silk offcuts, re-purposed mattress fabric and Kombucha scoby or ‘leather’ have gone through lengthy processes, that include the application of shibori dye-resist methods, immersion in puffball dye baths and fabric manipulation techniques.
These explorations have resulted in a collection of three-dimensional objects that, when placed on the body, aim to open up a dialogue to explore new design possibilities and applications.
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Puffball mushrooms are sourced locally, from my long walks by the Merri Creek, and dyebaths boil away on a backyard stove. The Kombucha leather, or SCOBY (Symbiotic Community of Bacteria and Yeast) is grown in plastic storage tubs under the house. The bacteria in the kombucha feeds on a tea and sugar mix, to produce a thick, cellulose film. This film is dried on a wooden board and replenished with coconut oil to create a sturdy, responsive fabric. Mattress topper fabric was cut and ripped from old mattresses, washed, dyed and manipulated, as have the silk offcuts.
Working intuitively and allowing materials to inform and respond to each other, relationships are formed and suggest new outcomes. An opportunity to find beauty in the unique and unexpected.
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Exploring new possibilities for the materials, the unique outcomes aim to question our view of the world, how we produce, consume and the impact our actions have on the earth. The hope is to stimulate new perspectives within these practices, so that we can design sustainably for the future, in order to bring about renewal and positive change.
