MORE MYSELF A Journey of Self Love - ArtistTalk

Описание: Artist Talk by Tracy Stirzaker

Where Tracy talks about her art practice, her inspiration and the stories behind the artworks.

‘With art I feel I can express my emotions and I can get lost in the process of making. Art lets me say things I couldn’t say out loud.’

Inspiring and thought-provoking artist Tracy Stirzaker explores her life as a woman, mother, carer and artist. MORE MYSELF - A Journey of Self Love provides a commentary on society through an investigation of the body and human experience from a female perspective. This solo exhibition explores themes of self-worth, self-love and self-care.

Pause, breathe, a moment passes

I pause for a moment
To still the scattered chaos of my mind
A thought comes forward
Wistfully I am thinking that if only
If only I had time
I would….

I would take time for myself

Employing painting and textiles techniques, Stirzaker uses the repetition of motifs in her artwork to explore the emotional body within the everyday constraints of social politics, cultural values and beliefs.

The words I AM ENOUGH are at the core of self-worth, Stirzaker acknowledges the yearning for something and recognises that the acceptance of self, starts with I AM ENOUGH.

The canary motif is drawn from the concept of the miner’s canary and the inner canary. Historically canaries were early warning signals of dangerous fumes in the coal mines. The inner canary is your inner voice or knowing – a calling that guides you to do the things that make your heart sing.

Other motifs like Audrey and Jackie reference the inner child, childhood memories and innocence. The Inner Child Audrey says ‘when I was born, I knew I was enough’.

In a world of self-doubt and low self-worth and inspired by the work of English speaker and therapist Marisa Peer whose practice revolves around self-esteem, American researcher and storyteller Brene Brown, and Australia’s Sarah Wilson’s journey with anxiety in ‘First We Make the Beast Beautiful, Stirzaker leans into her inner canary to seek and affirm her place in the world through her art.

Tracy Stirzaker is a Sydney based artist, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Distinction) from Art & Design, UNSW. Stirzaker has exhibited regularly in group exhibitions. In 2018 Stirzaker curated and exhibited in A Fragile State at 107 Redfern. Following an artist residency, her first solo show Recalibrate was at Gallery Lane Cove in 2018 and included a successful panel discussion on the role of the arts in mental health. Stirzaker was a finalist in the Hunters Hill Art Prize 2018 and the Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize 2018. Tracy Stirzaker had a solo show Songs of Myself at White Rhino Artspace, culminating in a yoga and meditation class in the art gallery in 2019. Recently awarded a Willoughby City Council Arts & Culture grant, More Myself: A Journey of Self Love is Stirzaker’s third solo show.

Website: www.tracystirzaker.com Instagram: Tracy.Stirzaker

Recorded March 2022