VITA COCHRAN
Exploded Coats
08/10/22 — 03/11/22
Vita Cochran’s ‘Exploded Coats’ are an enthralling trip into the secret language of clothes. The catalyst for these reconfigured beacons was her earlier immersion in rag-rug making. The first step in making a rag rug is taking a garment to pieces, unpicking the seams so the maximum amount of wool can be shredded into fettucine-like strips. Eventually the question has to be asked: Can I cut this vintage item up? When is a shape too interesting to slice into elongated slithers?
Vita Cochran, Exploded Notes on Exploded Coats
House of Youth, 2022
1960s wool coat on wool fabric backing, 2280 x 1450mm
House of Youth, 2022 (detail)
Ralex, 2022
1960s wool coat on wool fabric backing, 2280 x 1450mm
Ralex, 2022 (detail)
Saint Laurent, 2022
1980s wool jacket on wool fabric backing, 1830 x 1580mm
Saint Laurent, 2022 (detail)
Saint Laurent, 2022 (detail)
Stiletto, 2022
1980s wool jacket on wool fabric backing, 1520 x 1660mm
Stiletton, 2022 (detail)
Bespoke Black, 2022 (detail)
1980s wool jacket on wool fabric backing, dimensions to come
Events, 2022
1990s wool jacket on wool fabric backing, 2120 x 1460mm
Events, 2022 (detail)
Leonard St, 2022
2000s wool jacket on wool fabric backing, 2120 x 140mm
Vita Cochran was born in Wellington in 1975 and now lives in Sydney. She received an MA in art history from the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau in 1998 and is known for the distinctive bags and other embroidered objects she began making around 2000. Recent exhibitions have showcased her work with the sampler, rag rug and bag. Cochran is interested in the traffic between fine and applied art. Her work has been included in curated group exhibitions at public galleries in Aotearoa and Australia. She frequently presents workshops to engage others in her knowledge of textile making traditions. Vita Cochran’s work is held in public and private collections including those of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Tūhura Otago Museum, and the Dowse Art Museum.