How would you describe your art?
It’s pretty diverse - I range from small hand stitched works to large-scale outdoor ephemeral sculptures. I use hand and machine stitch, fabric manipulation, and simple weaving and printing techniques to create contemporary artworks.
What inspires you?
My work is inspired by the lost beauty in the ordinary, domestic life. Family stories, local history, observations on current events, and the impacts of textile production on the world and its people.
How did your work ‘Love Letter to Inglewood' come to be?
I am a local – I live in Inglewood. In my time living here I’ve developed a deep love and appreciation for the area and its history. In particular, I’ve watched the face of Beaufort Street change through time to meet the changing needs of the community.
Could you elaborate on how 'Love Letter to Inglewood' appears to serve as both a tribute and a cautionary message?
No—you’re right. As hubs for locals to meet, like the tram stops, the Banks, the Town Hall, and the Theatres, have been removed or their purpose changed, places for people to meet as a neighbourhood have dwindled. The recent dominance of chain supermarkets on the visual landscape of the strip is a little concerning to me. Is our suburb at risk of becoming a cookie-cutter version of any other in the country? Are we at risk of losing our unique status and history?
You have showcased your work extensively and received numerous accolades. Can you share more about that?
I’m very grateful to say yes. I was a finalist in Bunbury Biennale 2023, International Fibre Art Australia 2023, Australia Wide 8 2022, twentyFIVE+ 2022, York Botanic Art Prize 2021, Collie Art Prize (CAP) and Australian Textile Award 2020. In 2019 my work was selected for Cultura Diffusa, in Italy, and Fiber Arts IX, in the USA. I have also been a finalist five times in Wearable Art Mandurah, and won the Avant Garde category in 2017. That was such fun! My solo exhibitions include Of Our Time - Ordinary Lives 2018, Suburban Secrets 2021, and Visible Traces 2024. My work is held in public and private collections.
Tell us more about 'In Pub to Pub – A Street Scape'
Artist Louise Wells invites you to take a stroll along the history of Beaufort Street, Inglewood. Buildings are built and demolished around the needs of the community. As these needs change, many large-windowed shops along Beaufort Street approach their 90th or 100th birthdays having housed butchers, grocers, bootmakers, drapers, hairdressers, pizza bars, delis, and most recently cafes, gyms, and gift shops. The tram stops at 7th Avenue, Dundas Road, and Salisbury Street were each hubs for essential items. The postal service, police station, banks, and library all started as agencies or parts of a general store before lobbying from the community assisted in the development of permanent purpose-built buildings.
As cars became affordable vacant land turned into petrol stations and car yards. As the land has become more valuable, many of those old homes and shops have become apartments and office blocks.
Purpose-built hotels, a theatre, and a town hall have come to Inglewood, each now turned over to accommodation and hospitality businesses. The largest regular meeting of Inglewood residents is likely now the Monday Night Markets
The recent dominance of two major chain supermarkets on the visual landscape of the strip is a little concerning to me. Is our suburb at risk of becoming a cookie-cutter version of any other in the country? Are we at risk of losing our unique status and history?
Each long strip of this work represents a single building and/or block of land along Beaufort Street between the Civic Hotel and Inglewood Hotel. Each rectangle represents a year that a building has been on that particular block. An index of recycled and vintage fabrics adorned with coloured stitches show the types of buildings.
Louis's work is included in the Love Letter to Inglewood Exhibition on 30 October - 9 November 2024:
Connect with Louise Wells:
Website: https://louisewells.com/
Instagram: @louisewellsartist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouiseWells