Fall of the Damned

For the “Bags” series, Spiller + Cameron made use of paper bags collected from Moira’s time in New York. (Many dated back to the 1980’s, following her from studio to studio for decades, Moira unwilling to throw them away.) They came with ready-made slogans printed over them, banners that proclaimed ‘Just say no to drugs’, ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ - important messages, global issues pertinent then (and perhaps more so today).

From periods spent in New York, much of Moira’s early works were based around using text and stencils from Pearl Paint (New York’s amazing art supply shop). She was fascinated by graffiti that occupied the streets and subways: words, slogans, images, Haring, and Basquiat were all dominant influences. Moira was energized by enjoying the visual anarchy of “living in a work of art.”

Xavier’s early pieces were about categorizing and assembling found objects, combining ephemera already loaded with emotional energy. His work has always retained the notion of taking items for repurposing and forensic archaeological ideas. In this way, unearthing the treasure trove of paper bags offered new possibilities. Xavier: “I was always amazed with what Moira did with her earlier work; she turned away from traditional canvas, preferring instead to use paper bags that she patched and glued together. Revisiting the material now, with her, in a different format is really interesting. It’s all part of the ideology of utilising what we find -- site-specific objects unearthed from abandoned cupboards or discarded objects that already had a previous history. We are demonstrating the aesthetic merit and perception of “junk,” challenging perceptions beauty and holding magical properties… alchemy.”

The bags are first ritually opened up, flattened and primed, grouped and stitched together into an assemblage of 9 panels. Layers of paint are built up on the brown paper, then scrubbed, scratched, and sandpapered to create the desired textures. The surface is excavated, bringing back its history like fossil hunting to unearth hidden treasure.