Elizabeth Carefoot and Laura Feeleus joined the same art collective in 2020 in the thick of COVID restrictions.   Each was drawn to the colour and playfulness of the others’ work, and the two became fast friends.  

 Both are painters, but where they really clicked was in a love of textiles, costume,  and fibre art.   Ravel, the exhibition,  was at first conceived by Feeleus who has a studio at arc.hive artist-run centre, but she thought it would be a great opportunity for the two to collaborate.  

The centrepiece of the show is a giant ball they have named Ravel constructed of shredded and braided recycled fabrics and clothing.

The result is a burst of colour and personality.  Feeleus has been driving around with “Ravel”, stopping at various locations in Victoria to photograph it.  The ball alludes to the familiar COVID virus image, but speaks also about travel, escape, joy, and play.  Yes, our lives ravel as we wait for a vaccine and constrain our movements, but they are also coming together in new ways and through previously unexplored avenues.

Carefoot places the ball in locations around the world – the Middle East,  Turkey, Morocco and has made an arrangement of postcards from “Ms Ravel” as she has also come to be known.

Other pieces in the show include a knitted sculpture by Carefoot and a series of masks made of re-purposed textile work done by Feeleus over the last decade.   Previously flat wall hangings, the works now form sculptural faces that express a perplexing history of cuts and stitching.

This is a joyous, yet thought-provoking exhibit not to be missed.