The unexpected fusion of engineering and art in Michael Hammer's textile masterpieces displayed at the Kyabram Town Hall Art Gallery.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Vivid colours, varied angles and impressive textile precision, but there’s one peculiar ingredient in this artist’s recipe of creativity.
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The Kyabram Town Hall Art Gallery will be showcasing the Michael Hammer Textile Arts exhibition from March 3 to May 17, the result of the artists' dedication to arts and science.
Michael trained as a mechanical engineer, but was drawn towards the creativity provided by a research job.
He worked for years, experiencing the highs and lows of creating new technologies and discovering new formulas to make millions of dollars for companies.
So, when he retired in 2018, he became disillusioned with the lack of a creative outlet and turned to textile art.
Michael Hammer used onion peels to create the pattern on the white fabric of this piece.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
He uses his research and science skills and tests how different chemicals react to fabrics and analyses them over time.
Hydrogen peroxide, sulphate, aluminium mordant — and even repurposed vegetable scraps — are ingeniously used to create these fascinating, eco-conscious patterns on the fabric.
Michael said it's all-part of the artistic process.
“It’s an extension of engineering, really,” he said.
This was one of Michael’s favourite pieces, using patches to create depth and colour in this seascape piece.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
“It's about the creativity. I will spend more time thinking about the context of devising and doing sketches than making the quilt.”
Crafting these textile masterpieces demands anywhere from four hours to a full week of meticulous work, but for Michael, the joy of seeing the finished quilt hanging to dry makes every moment worthwhile.
“If you value these moments of ecstasy, and you prepare to go through the misery to get them, that’s what it's all about,” he said.
There’s one thing he wants people to takeaway from this exhibition: textiles are an art form.
Michael used paint on this textile piece to create the fishes.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
“People think when they think of quilting, they think of it as a craft — it’s something women do because, in the past, the women stayed at home, and they did the sewing, and the knitting and the cooking and the cleaning — that’s an antiquated idea,” Michael said.
“I think the fact that I’m a man, and I’m doing it, should give the message that this is not something that’s only for women, just the same as engineering isn’t only something for men.”
Other exhibitions in March
JOHN STEVEN & FRIENDS: from Monday, February 3 to Friday, April 4.
‘EXTREMITIES’ – Splinter Contemporary Artists: from Monday, February 3 to Saturday, May 5.
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