Embroidered Abstraction: Vita Cochran in conversation

Vita Cochran is a textile artist with a particular interest in early 20th-century women modernists, and the way that the decorative arts of that moment informed painted abstraction and vice versa. Artists such as Sonia Delaunay and Sophie Taeuber-Arp applied their distinctive visual languages to painting and also embroidery, furnishings and fashion, which they considered of equal value.

Vita's Object Space exhibition, En Vitrine was conceived as a homage to a fascinating and forward-looking window display created by Sonia Delaunay for the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. In photographs of Delaunay’s window we see boldly embroidered handbags, draped patterned scarves, and a wonderful screen of contrasting geometric patterns. Diana Vreeland described it as “a one woman campaign of irresistible visual exuberance”.

Come and listen to Vita chat with Lisa Cahill, CEO and Artistic Director, Australian Design Centre about her fascinating practice and the inspiration behind her Object Space show.

Where: Australian Design Centre, 101-115 William Street, Darlinghurst

Time: 6-8pm

Free event, bookings required

Image credit: Square Envelope Clutch, 2015, Courtesy of the artist