THINKING THREAD THOUGHTS AFTER THE GALLERY

When Catherine spoke at the Gallery on Tuesday, she spoke of how she is a bit naughty in her failure to use high tech lighting and so on, but rather sits, specs on, by reading light crocheting micro-threads at night. I thought “This is how it should be”
I thought of Dylan Thomas’ 1940s poem “In My Craft or Sullen Art” that says how it should be

“In my craft or sullen art

Exercised in the still night

When only the moon rages

And the lovers lie abed

With all their griefs in their arms,

I labour by singing light

Not for ambition or bread

Or the strut and trade of charms

On the ivory stages

But for the common wages

Of their most secret heart”.

(Dylan Thomas - “In My Craft or Sullen Art” verse 1)

and, with the same thread running through what is left of what I used to call ‘my mind’, I thought too of This Mortal Coil’s “The Jeweller” … (the lyrics I paste below © Tom Rapp / This Mortal Coil)

“Jeweller has a shop on the corner of the boulevard.

In the night, in small spectacles he polishes old coins.

He uses spit and cloths and ashes.

He makes them shine with ashes.

He knows the use of ashes.

He worships God with ashes.

…”

and I thought - ‘that’s our Catherine Buddle at work - even if she doesn’t realise it, that’s what she does”.
CJB working at night for the sake of the thread, not the fame or money - doing honour to not only the materials, but also those who made them, thought of them, and the ancient tradition that gave birth to such things.
Preservation and inspiration all in the same breath.
Yep - that’s how it should be.

November Adelaide Review: - Ansie van der Walt at The Fabric Thread 

A blurry intro