Hutchinson’s latest series of hand-stitched textile works marks a departure from the found objects that have traditionally informed his practice, while continuing his exploration of our disposable, throwaway culture.
While cleaning up after his daughter’s birthday party earlier this year, Hutchinson became fascinated by the remnants of celebration left behind once the party was over. For “After the Party” he chose to embroider three novelty balloons purchased from a nearby convenience store, meticulously reproducing each one in digitally printed and hand-stitched textile.
Presented in distorted, deflated forms within white box frames, the balloons become quiet remnants of a moment that has already passed. The series is accompanied by a hand-stitched textile replica of a generic Panadol box, crumpled and resting on a floating shelf — another small, discarded object left behind after the party.
Through these seemingly insignificant remnants, After the Party reflects on the fleeting nature of celebration and the cycles of consumption that surround it. The works transform objects intended to be temporary and disposable into carefully constructed, enduring forms, inviting us to reconsider the value and significance we assign to the things we so readily throw away.
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