Since 1989 (detail), 2017-2018, cotton, wool, sequins, felt , Port Adelaide member lanyards, cotton thread, Port Adelaide scarf, linen thread, half-made cotton t-shirt, synthetic curtains, metallic thread, donated dance costumes, Port Adelaide t-shirt, Port Adelaide membership pins, Official AFL Micro-Figures, Port Adelaide single bed quilt cover, wadding, merino knit fabric, rope, Port Adelaide socks, Port Adelaide earrings, curtain rings, tassels, beads, tarp, fake pearls, trimmings, Pat McGrath Labs sequins, lanyards, silk, t-shirt offcuts, sequinned fabric, Port Adelaide magnet, ribbon, Photography by Steph Fuller
Since 1989
Floating Goose Studios
13th July - 5th August 2018
As long as I can remember I have been an avid fan of the Port Adelaide Football Club, and consequently an obsessive knitter of all things black, white and teal. Each week the PAFC Cheer Squad come together to create the team banner, erected on match day for the team to run through in a ritual practice of solidarity. Fans are notoriously prolific producers, and through craft practices they are able to engage in their fan community in a tactile, creative way. For Since 1989 I have created my own banner, in an act of obsessive devotion.
My love of PAFC was inevitable given my family background, as my mum says: “Honey, you were born a Port supporter”. Through this exercise in banner making, using textile construction as a method for engaging in fandom, I aim to navigate this inescapable development in my identity. Additionally, I attempt to validate the repetitive and obsessive tendencies that develop through involvement in fandom and hobby crafts, working to challenge notions of superficiality and inferiority to present the deep emotional connection that is felt through this engagement. Within this ritual I invite the audience to contemplate their own fanatical affinities in order to highlight the importance of these communities in promoting social inclusion and helping to develop a greater sense of belonging.
This exhibition has been supported by the City of Adelaide and is part of SALA Festival 2018
