Page 23 - Art Almanac (February 2020)

Step Into Paradise

Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson

Thames & Hudson

‘I have to be close to nature.
I really cherish this Earth,
and it inspires everything
I do.’ – Jenny Kee

Two of Australia’s most
iconic textile and haute
couture designers Jenny
Kee and Linda Jackson are
celebrated in ‘Step Into
Paradise’, an exhibition
on view at the Museum of
Applied Arts and Sciences
in Sydney until 22 March
and in this richly illustrated
publication.

Presented as the first in-
depth survey of their work
in the field of fashion from
the 1970s until now the
book features a marvellous
display of Kee and
Jackson’s designs, highly
recognisable for their bright
dyes and bold patterns,
predominantly inspired
by the flora, fauna and
landscapes of the Australian
bush and deserts, the pair
treasure so deeply.

From the outset, we are
drawn into the artists’
dazzling world of creativity
from their formative years
in the 1960s to a partnership that blossomed in the 1970s, the branching out into individual
enterprise and collaborative works with other notable fashion designers in Australia and on the
international stage.

In Jackson’s note, she says ‘I hope this book will inspire others as I have been – to care about our
country, to be passionate about the work that one does, and to rejoice in the rich, complex history
of this land.’

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