Crosscurrent #1 Painting

As a multi-disciplinary fine and fiber artist, Peter translates emotions, thoughts and concepts into tangible experiences. The work is rooted in the ancient art form of knot tying; macramé. The technique weaves not just physical materials, but also ideas, memories, feelings and discoveries into creations. Peter first learned fiber arts from his grandparents in Newcastle, UK, they owned an alleyway arts and craft store. Their influence nurtured an initial understanding of how raw materials could be transformed into something meaningful. During time spent in Melbourne, Australia his practice truly evolved. Immersed in a creative community of street artists, florists, photographers and ceramists. Peter began to see macramè as not just a craft, but as a medium to express complex emotions and narratives. The process of knot tying is meditative and labor-intensive. Some pieces take 100+ hours to complete. Within that time the repetition of knots becomes a kind of silent storytelling. The pieces aim to explore the tension between structure and fluidity, containment and freedom. The garments created are wearable expressions of emotion - each knot holding a moment of thought, struggle or release. Peter looks develop his practice further by slowing down the act of tying a knot to translate the experience, narrative or emotion within the illustration. Knots have long been recognised as articles of strength, resilience or meaning. With this concept in mind, he explores new modern landscapes humans experience and portrays this through the medium of knots once more.