Women In Art is a showcase of exciting, diverse works by South Australian women artists. The exhibition is part of the Every Woman Expo 2002: The Ultimate Girl's Day Out, held at the Wayville Show Grounds, Adelaide.

Women In Art has been co-ordinated by Craftsouth: Centre for Contemporary Craft and Design and features the work of twenty-three of its members. The selected artists explore themes of identity, body image, science and nature through a range of media - ceramics, glass, jewellery, painting, printing, and woven fibre.

Women In Art features work by:

Bev Bills Jane Burbidge Annabelle Collett Simina Comanescu Helen Crawford Tegan Empson India Flint Carole-Anne Fooks Mel Fraser Liz Haywood Kathryn Hill Pamela Kouwenhoven

Marianna Mastrapasqua Deborah Miller Ros Miller Vanessa Murdoch Megan Scarlett O'Hara Helen Printer Libby Pusz Christine Pyman Tracey Rosser Regine Schwarzer Annette Vincent

Bev Bills Where Our Land Is (Detail) Fibres are very much part of Bev's life and with the diversity they offer, the ability to create is endless and extremely rewarding. Working with handmade wool felt and machine embroidery, Bev 'paints' an Australian landscape, a sculptured land, capturing colours and textures from central Australia.

Jane Burbidge Memory of Space Jane's hand thrown southern ice porcelain vessels in tight classical forms represent the structured and strict family life imposed on women from early history. The hand polished and eroded, yet sensual surface created by shellac resist, indicates the breaking away from the bonds and the discovery of a world beyond - a softer, easier life illustrated through the muted, earthy tones that are revealed.

Annabelle Collett Post-Classical Age In classical times the highest aspirations of the spirit were expressed in the perfection of the human form. It was based upon harmony and proportion, with perfect bodies artfully chiselled in white marble to represent the ideal. It was believed that beauty made the spiritual visible. This sculptural work is the deconstructivist model. Made from smashed white marble it looks at the non beautiful, the non perfect. Its shape shows an aging and sagging form that comes from the 'Middle Ages'!

Simina Comanescu Portrait Vases These functional, decorative vases are made from porcelain with hand coloured pigments. Created with an artistic shape of a girl's head, the 'Portrait Vases' form a gathering of women, showing grace and style, strength and fragility, and blissfulness.

Helen Crawford Seed Hand (Time, Potential) The 'Seed Hand' is a strong visual representation of the potential of human actions. In detail, the delicacy of each 'saga' seed speaks of the potential inherent through our links with all creation, and our place within nature; our fertility. We are all rich with potential. Each of the seeds has the potential to become a great tree. Hands are so often used to communicate through touch and gesture. These actions hold great potential and lead to what and how we achieve.

Tegan Empson Lateral Line Series (Vessels i, ii, iii) Inspired by South Australia's unique coastline, Tegan's glass vessels involve the murrini technique, a process for producing an intricate pattern which is then handblown into shape. The 'Lateral Line' vessels show the colours and patterns not only from the waters edge, but the wonders that lie beyond.

India Flint Into The Wild set forth clad in this soft skin this document of chance a topography of memory set forth into the wild The felted robe was created from South Australian and European wools, dyed with both indigenous and exotic plants, stitched and beaded to form this richly coloured and textural artwork.

Carol-Anne Fooks To Wed Or Not To Wed These rings are created in pairs as a sign of committment for two people: friends, life partners or in marriage. The rings symbolise the constancy of love and provide a special reflection and connection with their chosen mate. The components for the rings: gold, stirling silver, copper and shibuichi combine to present an individual interpretation for the wearer.

Mel Fraser Hole Series Working with negative space, Mel has highlighted the relationship between mass, form and colour. The organic shapes rely on the positioning of the piercing to dictate the form and to accentuate the character of the glass. The vibrant colour and contrasting surfaces provide a radiant glow that invokes a tactile reaction.

Liz Haywood Dress In creating this elegant and sensual work, Liz aims to show the expansiveness of the medium of felt. To show tranquility and softness, the bodice is formed through steaming and teamed with flowing chiffon. Created as a wearable work of art, the dress enhances the figure and is a delight to wear.

Kathryn Hill Pear & Fig Study Part of a larger body of work, 'Pear & Fig' uses still life as a symbolic vehicle for contemplating the strength and splendour of the mature female form. The brightness and vibrancy of the painting encourages the process of allowing time for the fertile space to bear fruit.

Pamela Kouwenhoven Australian Landscape Series (Detail) In celebration of the Year of the Outback in 2002, these works are part of a series of small semi-abstract landscapes which focus on an Australian outback theme. The uniqueness of the image lies in the use of a variety of materials to create the works, including discarded objects which have been worn by nature and then reworked into the 'landscape'.

Marianna Mastrapasqua Century of Dialogue These works are a homage to life lessons that sometimes take the form of hardships, but most importantly are a reminder that without these lessons and without hope, where would we be? They represent a journey within ones own mind, wondering, perservering and, with the help of hope, encouraging us to continue on.

Deborah Miller Small Body Parts From Small Clones Deb combines techniques of printing, painting, and jewellery-making to create her works. These mixed media collographs form part of an ongoing series of works exploring human cloning. As a discussion point, these works highlight the many ethical questions that surround human cloning and the need for us as a society to answer these questions.

Ros Miller Inner Strength This work refelcts current explorations into the mysteries of existence and identity. Woman once had a strong connection to the mysteries of life, to the primal elements of nautre and to the Great Mother. How might our lives have been different if we had carried an inner image of a Great Mother as a source of comfort, substance and strength?

Vanessa Murdoch Calm Confusion The two companion pieces are made from clear float glass that has been heavily sandblasted and then kiln formed into shape. The artworks are symbolic of the geographical, physical and emotional experiences associated with a place. A place that Vanessa returns to when she seeks solace and comfort, hence the titles: Calm Confusion and Skimming Stones.

Megan Scarlett O'Hara Pomegranate The pomegranate or passion apple is a metaphor for childbirth: the swelling of the fruit, the magenta colours and the seeds inside, with the final stage, the birth, when the fruit is ripe. A personal piece, but one shared by many women, the nine images represent the nine months of pregnancy, created during the artist's own pregnancy.

Helen Printer Arpeggio (Series 1) These bowls have been tuned to the notes of an arpeggio, and the act of striking them draws the observer closer to examine the detailed engraving. The engravings explore both the world journeys and internal journeys that we make, with real and imaginary maps to plan from and labyrithns to show the twisted nature of the paths. The text from the 'Loving Kindness Sutta', along with the sound, acts as a guide in this journey of life.

Libby Pusz Square Dance A playful and light-hearted piece, 'Square Dance' celebrates the simple joys of life, family and friendships. Layering and stitching recycled fabrics from her mother's dressmaking days, with exclusive evening wear fabrics from a designer friend, Libby's creation becomes a representation of the bond the three women share.

Christine Pyman Joyous Women (Champagne Ladies) The joyous women jewellery range expresses the celebration and exuberance of living joyously. This series is designed for women who understand that joy is to be found in a variety of everyday thoughts and activities. Made from a combination of precious and non-precious metals, using production and hand-working techniques, each piece is created unique.

Tracey Rosser The Bottle Family Tracey's contemporary ceramic forms represent the individualism yet connected bonds of families. Hand-thrown from earthenware clay, the forms are manipulated whilst still on the wheel, creating a string-line textural surface. The whimsical forms highlight the connection that exists between individuals, captures movement and relationships, and presents the works in their own little 'families'.

Regine Schwarzer Chrysoprase Jewellery Regine's "Chrysoprase Jewellery" clearly displays her skills in collecting rough stone and gem materials and working with these to unearth the beautiful artstone within. The gemstones in the artworks are from Australian classic stones, cut and presented in a contemporary style. Through her work, Regine is able to show the beautiful resources Australia has to offer and what can be achieved with these.

Annette Vincent Ghosts of Global Warming With a strong feeling in the old saying: "think globally - act locally", Annette's artwork, 'Ghosts of Global Warming', depicts one of South Australia's major environmental assests, water, which is now causing us a problem. Our rivers are drying up and we are using more water than is being replenished from rainfall. Composed of nine intaglio and relief zinc plate etchings, this work asks how we, the women of the world, might help in fixing the problem.

Women In Art was made possible by the co-ordinators of Every Woman Expo 2002 and Craftsouth.