Australian Tapestries

A wildly colourful 1970s hand woven woollen wall hanging by Australian artist Deanna Conti. Titled 'Mango Fool', it's a good example of Conti's work, which focuses on tropical themes and colours. Working from her Queensland studio since the 1970s, Conti's work is held in many private and public collections. The central shape is ovoid and could represent a setting sun over water. The hanging tangles of wool inside this shape have been carefully woven to reveal deeper background colours. The background hangings in purple can be pulled through and draped as one pleases, or pushed back and allowed to attract the eye into the background of the weaving. We love how this piece is so resonant of the 1970s Australian movement to organic living in Queensland. It so clearly belongs in a mudbrick home in the tropics, with raw timber joists and tiled floors, unglazed windows and resident Geckos, Tree Frogs and Orb-weaving spiders...