What takes a fleeting moment from ordinary to extraordinary?

“It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.”

– David Bailey

I’m fascinated by those moments that appear ordinary but are made extraordinary either through the visual telling or in the story behind the image. We create our culture and influence our relationships with others through the song each of us sings within our lives and the resulting impressions we leave behind us.

Inspired by heirloom patchwork quilts that told the story of family and ancestry, Memory Quilt was created using printed iphone images, combining ordinary, fleeting moments from people’s lives, with the symbolism of a quilt, to tell a point in time story about our society and culture.

Each image in the quilt was a pocket. Exhibition visitors were invited to consider “What memories do these images trigger for you of extraordinary moments in your life?” Visitors were encouraged to write a message or thought in response to this statement about any image that resonated for them and to leave these messages in the pocket behind the image.

Memory Quilt exhibited at “Ordinary (extra)Ordinary“, a group exhibition I co-curated with Johanna Bodewes-Leach, held at Mona Vale Music, June 2013. Each artist was asked to respond to the question: what makes a fleeting moment meaningful and takes it from ordinary to extraordinary?

Contributing artists:

• Bea Pierce
• Johanna Bodewes-Leach
• Hayley Lewis
• Julie Cowell
• Rita Kluge
• Mel Anderson
• Katherine Roberts
• Mia Dalby-Ball
• Faith Hibberd
• Sharon Schofield

Materials

• Images shot on iPhone 4 + Hipstamatic
• Fabric squares
• Post-it notes and coloured textas
• Elna sewing machine