‘PACK and Unpack’ is the first solo show by emerging Canberra artist Sabrina Baker.

The title of this exhibition is perhaps intentionally evasive as it is not about luggage, rather an exploration of how we as individuals chose to reveal or conceal ourselves to others through written or oral conversations.

The work ‘Tete-a-tete’ is notably a reference to the concept of chatter. Varying shades of coloured wool are intimately wrapped around sections of rope, appearing haptic in their placement this piece is in fact a series of recorded interactions, methodologically tracking Baker’s encounters with friends and family over a period of time. The success of this work comes not from this abstracted method of three-dimensional diary keeping but how it inadvertently forces audiences to gossip, a third party made privy to a private conversation.

Baker’s use of scale in ‘S.T.A.Y’ reinforce her desire for the viewer’s presence. Picnic blankets are augmented to reveal a coded message, a tactile beacon which signal for our attention. Comparable to fabric works such as “Ode A La Bievre” by Louise Bourgeois, Baker also utilises connotations of the body to evoke feelings of nostalgia and longing for the familial.
‘Pack and Unpack’ is an exhibition that visually represents Sabrina Baker’s desire to emotionally unload and that we as viewers are on the receiving end of this conversation.

Anja Loughhead is currently Writer in Residence at M16 Artspace, Griffith.