“Make More noise.”
— Text from Suffragette Banner by the Somerset Stitch Sisters, 2018
‘NO WALLFLOWER’ WALL HANGINGS
Inspired by Suffragette banners, sage advice handed down the generations and techniques traditionally considered ‘women’s work’, this is Pellegrino’s latest series ‘No Wallflower’.
In the studio with her 'A Stitch in Time' wall hanging.
'A Stitch in Time', 2021. 110xm x 80cm. Original piece, made from textile printed found photo, vintage doilies, vintage card placement holders with embroidered monacle and top hat-wearing turkey, and various fringing.
Close up of materials for 'A Stitch in Time'.
Close up of materials for 'A Stitch in Time'.
'Fit In At All Costs', vintage postcard of 'Marty' performing Macaw at Miami's beautiful Parrot Jungle, with digital collage printed on canvas with gelati coloured trim. 60cm x 50cm.
Close up of materials for 'A Stitch in Time'.
'Just wear the damn bikini’, 2022. Photograph of artist’s mother printed on cotton, with collage found imagery and tassel fringing. 70cm x 40cm.
'Hunter Gatherers Too', 2021-3. 110cm x 90cm. Original piece, made from textile printed found photograph, ombre tassel fringing and clay sea creatures handmade by the artist.
Close up of 'Hunter-Gatherers Too', 2021-3. 110cm x 90cm. Original piece, made from textile printed found photograph, ombre tassel fringing and claysea creatures handmade by the artist.
‘STUFF’, 2021. 72cm x 39cm. Italian playing card symbol printed on canvas with beaded lettering, tassel fringing and gold beading fringing. Limited edition wall hanging (1 of 5).
Close up of 'STUFF', 2021. 72cm x 39cm. Italian playing card symbol printed on canvas with beaded lettering, tassel fringing and gold beading fringing. Limited edition wall hanging (1 of 5).
'Enjoy Yourself'. Vintage Polaroid printed on canvas with hand applied glitter lettering, gold piping and pink and black tassel fringing. 120cm x 70cm.
'Always carry a handkerchief and a safety pin'. Approx 40cm x 50cm. Textile print from found photo, vintage embroidered handkerchief and safety pins, with tassel fringing.
Close up of 'Always carry a handkerchief and a safety pin'.
'Always carry a handkerchief and a safety pin'. Approx 40cm x 50cm. Textile print from found photo, vintage embroidered handkerchief and safety pins, with tassel fringing.
Close up of work in progress: textile wall hanging, 'You Never Know When It Might Come In Handy'.
Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, part of Rossanne's inspiration for her 'No Wallflower' series.
'FOMO (Just Put The Phone Down)'. Canvas wall hanging with textile collage of found photograph with 100s and 1000s, with hand sewn letters on front and hand embroidered french knotes, and neon ombre fringing. The piece is soft with quilting wadding. The back of the piece is made with calico and handprinted FOMO lettering repeated.
Close up of the reverse of FOMO (Just Put The Phone Down. Handprinted FOMO.
'Rose-tinted (glasses)'. Canvas wall hanging with textile collage of found photograph (from artist’s family album), with text and handmade fusebead fringing with pompoms using original deisgns by Rossanne Pellegrino and Evelyn Maffre Pellegrino.
'Don't Spend It All At Once'.
'Don't Spend It All At Once'. Canvas wall hanging with textile collage of found photograph and vintage imagery, with text and enchantment under the sea sequin fringing. The back includes handprinted ‘MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY’ in gold block printing.
'Stuff the Lot of Ya'. Canvas wall hanging with textile collage of found photograph, with digital shapes, text, gold trim and dreamy ombre fringing.
'Make Your Own Fun'. Approx 40cm x 45cm. Limited edition wall hanging (1 of 5). Made from collage using found imagery and watercolour bubble, glitter lettering, and green and gold fringing.
'Messy Room, Messy Life'. Approx 30cm x 60cm. Limited edition wall hanging (1 of 5). Textile print of artist collage with hand embroidery and various fringing.
Close up of 'Messy Room, Messy Life'.
'Enough Is As Good As A Feast'. Found imagery on canvas with embroidered lobster patches, tassel fringing and glow in the dark rope.
'Have Fun!'. Collage on canvas using vintage holiday postcard, hand applied gold glitter text, digital shapes and embroidery, with vintage blue scalloped trim and acid neon fringing.
'A Change Is As Good As a Holiday'. Found imagery with digital shapes on canvas, tassel fringing and gold wooden seafood forks.
Pellegrino talks about her inspiration behind the ‘No Wallflower’ series:
“I discovered on my daily walks, a blue plaque commemorating Elsie Bowerman, a local St Leonards-on-Sea woman who was a Barrister, Suffragette and Titanic Survivor. That is an impressive CV and Elsie was obviously a women of high standing and financial means to achieve this. My mind immediately turned to Mrs Banks of Mary Poppins and her Vote For Women sash on her powder grey-blue dress with yellow frill trim, white gloves and straw hat.
Inspired by Suffragette banners as well as the age-old, if not out-dated, advice from 'Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management', I started making my own banners, using techniques often considered 'women's work' such as sewing and embroidery, with collages of imagery from vintage women's magazines.
Also inspired by the sherbet tones of old 1960s films, fringing and embellishments from costumes of the big screen like in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and as worn by 1950s mermaid Esther Williams, and by set designs of Technicolor-hued MGM movies, these wall hangings sometimes also incorporate found, pre-loved treasures. Like doilies, cloth name placement cards with top hat-adorned, monocle-wearing smoking turkeys, or children’s toys I have replicated with clay.
They explore themes of memory and 'women's work'. Many of them are also about sage advice handed down - some well-known, others not. Like ‘A Stitch in Time’..., ‘Messy Room, Messy Life’ to the lesser known, ‘Always Carry a Handkerchief and a Safety Pin’ (quote, my nonna) and ‘Just ‘Wear the Damn Bikini’ (quote, every good friend).
Some now live in private collections and others are currently on show in an exhi bition, Extremely Supernormal at Solaris Gallery in St Leonards on Sea.”
Extremely Supernormal exhibition dates 17 June - 12 August 2023.
Video close up of ‘A Stitch in Time’ (2021). Made from cotton fabric, found vintage doilies and cloth name placement card holders, and tassel fringing.