Dale Hollingsworth | Artist 

Exhibiting artist at 'Things I Wanted To Say But Never Did' | Group Exhibition. 

Opens to the public 4th September 2019, 6pm - 8pm.  

Tell us about yourself.

Never Really is a project I’ve been working on for a while. The idea comes from multiple experiences, but I guess it started with the death of an old school friend. It wasn’t my first time dealing with loss, but this was different, I found it hard to place my feelings around his loss. His family had moved away so I lost any physical connection to my memories of him.  I have been fortunate enough to have worked in the performing and visual arts for the last 15 years and have a lot of business and operational experience in creating a space that allows for contemplation, experience and understanding. I wanted to use this knowledge to create a place for people to be able to experience grief differently - through the items left behind, items that create connections, conjure memories and complete a picture. It’s this understanding that made me want to start the Never Really project. This is my first installation work and reflects on the ideas I want to explore in the future through Never Really. It’s looking at a private experience in a public space. I want to explore the deep feelings and connection we have during loss or grief that are inherently individual yet somewhere we shared with others that experience loss. It is unresolved and I’m not sure how it will go, but with loss and grief I think it is never really resolved.

What can the audience expect of your response to the theme?

The installation is shown in two parts. Initially as just a collection of the boxes with items that belonged to the decreased. They are presented as a pile of boxes of unsorted items. This is the task, the burden, the responsibility, the difficult task still to be done. The second part is the participant going though these boxes of their loved one and sorting them through for further storage, for keeping or deposal. The part is performance in nature, but it is not a performance. The participant is not a performer, they are just a person from the local community going through a very private, sometimes lonely, experience, in a public space. I will be part of the participant’s sorting, to talk, to share, to hear about the items. Following this the participant will do the same for another participant. This will be repeated as many times as there is interest. 

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Kind, considered, weary

If you could say 1 thing to an ex lover, what would you say?

I thought we had more time.

ARTIST BIO: Having worked extensively in management within the visual and performing arts sector, Dale Hollingsworth is now working with end of life charities to explore ideas around grief and loss. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia and a Bachelor of Psychology from Edith Cowan University.

Website: neverreally.com.au

https://contactsheet.com.au/blogs/exhibitions/things-i-wanted-to-say-but-never-did-exhibition