In conversation: Fran Reeve-Palmer
Image: Tasmanian artist Fran Reeve-Palmer. Photo: Richard Harmey.
Fran Reeve-Palmer's bold and confronting needle-felting works challenge viewers to consider the question: how does sustained eye contact with her art make you feel?
A multi-disciplinary visual and performing arts artist based in Hobart, Reeve-Palmer has been recognised as one of Tasmania's significant emerging artists in the biennial exhibition RISE in 2023.
She states, "It feels very special to be chosen to be an artist in RISE at QVMAG. The support that the QVMAG is offering is a hugely impactful stepping stone for an emerging artist such as myself.
"My newest work, made specifically for RISE, has been my largest sculpture yet and presented the fantastic challenge of navigating new techniques and materials."
Reeve-Palmer's exhibition showcases needle felting - a meticulous practice that requires patience and repetition.
"Needle felting is the process of repeatedly stabbing raw wool fibres with a barbed 'felting needle', with the aim of tangling these fibres together and, over time, building up a form which can then be moulded through further 'stabbing'," she said.
"This process demands more time, patience and discipline than methods I have previously used, such as gathering fabric and sewing; the organic, consistent growth of the sculptures over an extended period reflected my personal connection to each artefact.
"Originally what excited me about needle felting was an opportunity for mindfulness and meditation.
"Nowadays, I still find calmness whilst felting - though I find myself most excited by how the dyed fibres can look like skin, and how the needle-puncture marks look like pores. I love how sharp needles can form something so soft."
Image: Tasmanian artist Fran Reeve-Palmer uses needle felting techniques to create her artwork. Photo: Richard Harmey.
Palmer recalled how her view of art as a profession was influenced from childhood.
"Growing up in the Meander Valley, being surrounded by characters and creatives, definitely influenced and strengthened my artistic outlook," she stated.
"I saw people making a living from their artistic practice and this opened the possibility, in my mind, of following a similar path."
She began drawing around seven years old, enjoying cartooning and creating characters - and finds that these characters are still very present in her work today.
"My art has consistently been influenced by the circus, characters, layers, spirals, and a general sense of play," Reeve-Palmer said.
"In the early days I was inspired the most by stories: Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus and Cirque Du Soleil's The Winds of Change heavily influenced my art as a teenager, and continue to do so now."
Image: Fran Reeve-Palmer imbues a sense of play into her artwork. Photo: Richard Harmey.
This 'sense of play' is a theme that strongly resonates with Reeve-Palmer, and influences how she approaches creating art.
"As a multidisciplinary artist I have felt, for the majority of my time studying art, that I should 'choose' a discipline and commit to learning as much as I could within its scope - so as to reach my 'full potential'," she said.
"However, I go where the excitement is, and I have found myself excited by a wide range of artistic techniques. The challenge has been committing to following the excitement - and not getting distracted by what you think you 'should' be doing."
When asked to provide her advice for newcomers commencing their journey as professional artists, she has a direct message: "Playing is Serious Business. Learning how to talk to your art will let others into your world. Also, it's always worth applying for The Thing."
Reeve-Palmer is confident that art will continue to be a constant part of her life.
"In my eyes, art is playing and exploring to reach some form of understanding," she stated.
"Life without art sounds boring and confusing - and I say, 'No Thanks'."