Hannah Deshon, 6, was fascinated with the yarnbombed flowers in the garden

September 3, 2012

What does a tractor named “Alice”, jumping ants, teapots, tractors and knitting have in common?  The answer is simple: Tractor Tattoo.

And if you have to ask, you obviously weren’t at the Kingaroy Information Art and Heritage Precinct (ie the Kingaroy Art Gallery) on Saturday morning.

An exhibition, “Tea and Tractors” – the first major event of the South Burnett’s whimsical Spring festival of art and music – was officially opened on Saturday by the South Burnett Council’s General Manager Community and Economic Development Eleanor Sharpe.

The exhibition features works by members of the Jumping Ant Arts group in the main gallery as well as funky teapots crafted by local residents during an RADF-funded workshop earlier this year.

The teapots, which are on display in Gallery 4, will be auctioned at 2:00pm on Tractor Tattoo Day (September 15) to raise funds for Lifeline.

The Booie Spinners have works in the Back Gallery; while in the front gallery, local artist Susan Goddard has mandalas and other works with a tractor theme.

But the big surprise is out the back of the gallery, where yarnbombed flowers and fruit have sprung up in the garden alongside a fully transformed 1939 Allis-Chalmers tractor.

A team of local volunteers, led by Susan Goddard, have been knitting and crocheting for months to create the colourful  “coat” that the tractor is now wearing.

Sadly this won’t be a permanent display – the tractor has to go back to the farm to become a tractor again, and its coat of many colours isn’t designed to last – but it will be at the Kingaroy Information Art and Heritage Precinct for the next few weeks.

More than 40 people, including local knitting groups the Knitter Knatters and Angel Knitters, worked for more than six months to prepare the pieces to “yarnbomb” the tractor.

A highlight of the launch was the auction of ceramic birdbath crafted by Byron Bay artist Suvira McDonald when he hosted the funky teapots workshop.

Related articles:

Artist Susan Goddard – the driver of the yarnbombing project – with “Alice”, the yarnbombed Allis-Chalmers tractor, and South Burnett mayor Cr Wayne Kratzmann   

Judy Gray adds some finishing touches to the yarnbombed tractor

Tamika Schultz works to cover the steering column in time for the grand opening

Fay Stumm with two of the teapots made during the RADF workshop

Jaclyn Hine, of Brisbane, with Carla Cross, Kingaroy, at the opening

Liz and Brian Greensill, Memerambi, with Moffatdale potter Margariet Laughton; Margaret’s pieces feature in the main gallery

Auction winner Donna Antony with Fran Van Vegchel (Jumping Ant Arts) and Eleanor Sharpe who opened the exhibition 
The Sing Australia choir provided a musical accompaniment at the gallery opening; music and singing will be the highlight of Tractor Tattoo on September 15