SOPHIE CONOLLY

Sophie Conolly is a visual artist originally from the UK, though has spent the last 16 years living in Australia. She recently returned to the UK to undertake a Graduate Diploma of Fine Arts at West Dean College of Fine Arts & Conservation in West Sussex.

Underlying Sophie’s current practice is an examination of the self and memory, as well as a desire to reconnect with and validate past experiences, gravitating towards materials, textures and colour that resonate with memory and association.

In terms of process, Sophie works primarily with textiles using traditional craft techniques such as stitching, papier mâché, felting and weaving to re-contextualise personal memories.

These techniques have ‘women’s work’ connotations and have been used for centuries by women – quietly, meditatively and privately – to mend and repair.

Sophie spent two weeks at Boisbuchet on research and experimentation for her current project which involves translating morse code into a constructed textile form: knitting.

• Morse code is a binary code that was commonly used as a communication device (and understood by many) but which has been ‘discontinued’ by the miliary and is largely obsolete.
• Knitting is also a binary construction (the knit stitch and the purl stitch) and has a place within the history of espionage throughout the ages.

This body of work is about connecting to the language of emotion in a way that is inoffensive or covert.

Sophie first started using morse code in her work as a way of expressing emotion that she was uncomfortable expressing. The shame legacy attached to emotion meant she wanted to keep her feelings private. Morse code is the perfect solution. Visible yet illegible to most. And for good measure Sophie’s is sometimes written backwards.