Working with Carley as an exhibitor gave me a great sense of how much research goes into their work, particularly the cultural aspects of the fisheries and the ecological aspect of debris from the fishing industry that ends up on the shores.
According to Mullally, they are technically a weaver. Drawn to the tools, equipment, and history of weaving, they attended graduate school in the U.K. specifically for weaving and focussed on methodical explorations of structure, combining knitting and weaving to create fabrics in a variety of ways.
Arriving in London, Mullally felt landlocked. It was their first time being away from the ocean, and they couldn’t access the materials they were accustomed to using. The cost of materials, and Mullally’s professors urging them to work—and think—bigger, led them to realize that they needed to start making their own materials. There was a natural progression to making their own equipment so they could use thicker yarns and thicker ropes. Mullally began drawing from references to Atlantic Canadian or coastal themes, and nautical motifs.
Images courtesy of Carley Mullally.
