Symbiocene Blanket

The Symbiocene Blanket is an artifact from an imagined society called the ‘Biotic Commune’. Humans no longer dominate and exploit the natural world, instead returning to the compostable and regenerative ways of their ancestors. Following in the textile traditions of the past, the Symbiocene Blanket acts as a story telling aid of this imagined community. Depicting approaches to building, death, interspecies relating and cautionary reminders of the past. This work was created during a yearlong residency with the Botanic Gardens of South Australia. *Symbiocene is a term coined by Australian philosopher and basically means a time of ‘living together’. This work has been hand embroidered with cotton and wool over a period of about seven months. The imagery was drawn onto the base fabric as I went, growing alongside the research and plant experiments I was undertaking. I see it somewhat of a research journal and blueprint for the body of work I created for this residency.

photo credit: Sam Roberts