The Making of Perspectives on a Flat Surface

'Perspectives on a Flat Surface', 2016
Designed by John Wardle Architects,
Woven by Chris Cochius, Pamela Joyce, Jennifer Sharpe, & Cheryl Thornton Size: 2.26 (H) x 3.85(W) m
Materials: Wool, cotton
Commenced: June 2016
John Wardle Architects’ winning design for the Australian Tapestry Workshop’s inaugural Tapestry Design Prize for Architects has been produced for the proposed Phoenix Gallery in Sydney. The design, entitled Perspectives on a Flat Surface, was awarded joint first prize in 2015, along with a design by Kristin Green (director of KGA Architecture) with Michelle Hamer entitled Long Term Parking.
Following the competition last year, John Wardle Architects, on behalf of the Australian Tapestry Workshop, approached arts philanthropist Judith Neilson AM for a donation to help fund the making of the tapestry. The practice is currently designing a new art gallery, performance space and garden for Neilson with Durbach Block Jaggers, artist Janet Laurence and timber craftsman Khai Liew. “We approached Judith thinking that she may wish to donate some money towards it,” said John Wardle. “She decided to fund the whole thing, which is an extraordinary act of generosity.”
The tapestry design plays on the relationship between architectural interior as an enclosure and tapestry as a surface. “We thought, maybe we could combine what we do as architects - space-making and the performance of space - and see if we could project that into a form that could be made into a tapestry,” Wardle said. “The one thing that we deal with that tapestries invariably don’t is perspective.”
The tapestry references Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre) in Vicenza, Italy with its set design by Vincenzo Scamozzi. The sets feature exaggerated perspectives of long streets receding into the horizon. “What we did was we inverted that. We created an imaginary object - a structure that actually projects towards the audience to create new picture planes and a sense of advanced perspective and then rendered the effects of light and view within this imaginary object,” Wardle explained.
The tapestry was designed to be site specific, to be hypothetically hung in the new Australian Pavilion in Venice design by Denton Corker Marshall. “You can see [there’s] a slight bluey-ness about it that suggests the position of the pavilion on the edge of the canal,” Wardle said.
Text by Linda Cheng, published in Architecture AU, 22.06.16.
The design rationale from John Wardle Architects original Tapestry Design Prize for Architects entry is: The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza designed by Palladio, houses Vincenzo Scamozzi’s trompe l’oeil street scenes. The design is renowned for creating the exaggerated perspective from each of Palladio’s grand portals. Our design refers to our own exchange between Italy and Australia. A series of imagined sets have been created that reverse Scamozzi’s inverted perspectives, forming a series of picture planes drawn toward the audience. Each multiplies shifting perspectives across one wall whilst allowing another to exaggerate the proportions of the space. The partial views and variant transmissions of light within each inverted chamber suggest a place that is ‘elsewhere’. About John Wardle: John Wardle established his architectural practice in Melbourne in 1986. His practice includes working on small domestic dwellings to university buildings, museums and large commercial offices. The architecture of John Wardle Architects (JWA) is closely tailored to its place and highly experiential in nature. In 2001 he completed a Master of Architecture at RMIT University, and he is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Art, Architecture and Design, University of South Australia. Wardle has formed strong links with both artists and public art galleries and, as a practicing architect and board member of both the Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art and the Ian Potter Museum of Art, has contributed to important public art programs.

[@RebeccaMezoffTapestry]

I so appreciate these videos about the making of your tapestries. The videos are gorgeous and so inspiring to all us tapestry weavers in the world. Thank you!

[@AustralianTapestryWorkshop]

You are most welcome Rebecca! We love making them :)

[@4odyssey645]

What a wonderful way to wake up in the morning to behold an inspiring video. More skills and technique to add to my bucket list. Many thanks for sharing.

[@annetteelizabethsykes9189]

An amazing tapestry, thank you for sharing, so inspiring!

[@loominationskarenleblanc5750]

Fascinating process. I'd love to know how much this piece weighs, and I'd love to see a video of the installation!

[@AustralianTapestryWorkshop]

@loominationskarenleblanc5750
We usually estimate the weight to be 3kg per square metre, so this tapestry would be approximately 26kg. While we don't have a video of this tapestry being installed, you can see some footage of the very large 'Parramatta' tapestry being installed here: th-cam.com/users/shortsErZ3Cte5yao?si=S74cKPzH2waqlorn

[@aalovelace2776]

Just wow .. it’s like sunlight

[@maryamtavakoliann]

Very good

[@xxi7841]

Very good!!!

[@utabollmeyer.bildwebkunst]

This looks great, I like it very much. But I do not understand how you weave without a template (I do not know the correct word in english) behind the warp? Or do I just don't see it?

[@AustralianTapestryWorkshop]

Hi Uta, thank you. It is tricky to see in these images but the weavers are using a cartoon.

[@utabollmeyer.bildwebkunst]

@@AustralianTapestryWorkshop Ah o.k. Thank you for your answer!

[@ShampooWow]

Nice video! I like it

[@inekedusseljee3093]

WOW!!😍😍😍😍

[@amyelise6673]

[@maryamtavakoliann]

خیلی دوست دارم کارگاه هاتون رو ببینم

[@maryamtavakoliann]

من در ایران آموزشگاه قالی و گلیم .....به صورت تخصصی .با مدرک بین المللی ارائه میدم .و کارهای شما زیباست

[@gamworldworldwide673]

Hey what’s your email I’d like to hit you up to learn more 👍🏾

[@AustralianTapestryWorkshop]

Hi Xavier, you you reach us through [e-mail].