While examining modern-day Sydney, Schnitger became inspired by a figure from Sydney’s past, Mary Reibey (1777–1855). Schnitger also channels Australia’s earliest suffragists and its first two female Olympians, communicating a message of female empowerment that is uniquely Australian.
With the figure of the Eora fisherwoman, the artwork reflects the shared experience between suffragists and Aboriginal women. It was developed with Wiradjuri/Yuin Elder Bronwyn Penrith, whose journey has been dedicated to reclaiming the culture of and respect for Aboriginal women. Penrith has said: ‘Too often Aboriginal women are projected as being inferior to male counterparts. Casting a different light on this myth, Eora fisherwomen were providers and traders.’
Schnitger has commented:
The images for Patchwork of Light are derived from my work creating quilts with stencils and bleach. The colours of each quilt block are harmonious because the bleach pulls forward hues that already exist within the fabric. In my work Suffragette City, quilts are carried on a one- time procession through the city. For Patchwork of Light, I have digitized the images so they can be read clearly and legibly in their final format as permanent double-sided signs. The light boxes will be layered and scaled in their installation in a manner that no sign takes precedence over another.
I have specifically designed Patchwork of Light with Sydney in mind, making reference to Asian-Pacific trade, the combination of craft and industrial design, and the evolving landscape of Australia’s feminist movement. Conceptually and logistically this piece will work especially well on the large blank vertical wall at Reiby Place.
Dark alleyways are notoriously dangerous places for women to walk; Patchwork of Light will illuminate the laneway with literal light, as well as slogans and images of empowerment. This quilt of light, colour and ideas reflects the fabric of Sydney’s diverse cultural landscape.
Schnitger has described the imagery of the work in detail.
[Swimmers (black/yellow)]
In this image, I portrayed two Australian women who stood up to authority and pursued their dreams in Australian history. Mina Wylie and Fanny Durack were close friends and Australian swimming champions. When they were official refused permission to go to the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, they persuaded swimming officials to let them attend and organised their own fundraising to pay their way to the Games. Durack became the first Australian woman to win a gold medal; Wylie was the first to win silver. On their light box they stand together, their arms and bodies crossed in unity and defiance.
[Mary Reibey (circle)]
Reiby Place is named after the successful Australian businesswoman Mary Reibey. Born in 1777 in England, Reibey was sentenced to seven years transportation to Sydney at the age of fourteen for stealing a horse. In 1794 she married, and when her husband died, she took over his numerous trading businesses while caring. Known for her determination and her strong business sense, Reibey is still an inspiration to women today. She is now featured on the Australian $20 note.
[Fish on Bike]
The slogan ‘A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle’ was popularised by American feminist Gloria Steinem in the 1970s, and became a beloved saying among feminists. Many do not know that this phrase came had an Australian origin. Irina Dunn, writer, social activist, and filmmaker, coined a similar expression in 1970 when she was a student at the University of Sydney, and Steinem used it as inspiration. I enjoyed the humour and truth of the phase; an absurd notion is brought to life in the image of a disoriented fish pedalling a bicycle.
[Years]
Australia was one of the first countries in the world to give women the vote. To celebrate this the light box illuminates significant years in Australian’s suffragist movement. In 1884 Henrietta Dugdale formed the first Australian women’s suffrage society. In 1902 women of European descent were granted national suffrage; in 1962 universal Aboriginal suffrage was enacted. In 2010 Julia Gillard became the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of Australia.
[Be The Walker not the Dog]
This is a fun feminist slogan to encourage you to take the lead.
[WYAN]
To include an Aboriginal language originally spoken in the Sydney area, I worked with Aunty Bronwyn Penrith, a Wiradjuri woman and campaigner for equality and the recognition of Aboriginal people and their rights. Aunty Bronwyn is the chair of Mudgin-Gal Aboriginal Corporation and has been an advocate for Aboriginal women’s issues for over 20 years. Together we played poetically with two powerful words, ‘right’ and ‘fight’. Wyan gi pyalla means ‘Fight the right fight’.
[Fisherwomen]
Another work I worked on together with Aunty Bronwyn Penrith is this image of an Eora fisherwoman. ‘Eora’ refers to the Aboriginal people of Sydney. Sydney’s coastal women were the main food providers for their families, giving them status and power in their society, in the bark canoes (nawis or nowies) of their mothers. The short pinkie finger of the woman depicts the practice known as malgun, in which the tip of a baby girls’ pinkie finger was tied off, cutting off the circulation. When the end of the finger fell off it was thrown into the sea, so the child would be fortunate in fishing. You give before you take.
Eora fishing women made their own tools, including beautiful crescent-shaped fish hooks (bara or burra) made from the turban shell (Turbo torquatus). Fish hooks and lines were sometimes worn around women’s necks like necklaces. But they were not decorative objects. They were Eora women's working tools, essential for survival.
In this patchwork of history and culture the bara simply bears the word ‘equal’. Feminism means equality for all.
[FIRE]
The Eora fisherwomen always had fires burning in their canoes. These were used to cook their catch, to keep them warm and help with navigation. Fires were carried in coolamons (shallow vessels with curved sides), as depicted in the artwork.
Fire is the only one of the four elements that humans can produce themselves. We use it to burn, to cook, to warm, and to illuminate. From Eora women to ‘This girl is on fire, fire has been used to scare or to warn, and as a symbol of power. Let’s pass it on!
[ALL OF US]
The shapes and colours in Patchwork of Light come from quilts, In the early days women came together in ‘quilting bees’ to make huge blankets, but the social aspect was more important as they sat together sharing their stories, worries and advice. In this light box I wanted to create a sense of community, a patchwork of history and culture that includes everyone.
[IRON WILL]
Iron will. All the women shown in this work have it. The women I worked with to make this image have it. To make a change you need it. This is an ode to what it takes.