Kate Just, A Sign of the Times: A knitted translation of Susan O’Malley, Less Internet More Love, 2015, Kala art institute public artworks project, Berkely, CA, USA (2026)
Hand knitted wool and acrylic yarn, timber, canvas
51 x 67 x 2.5cm
This is a small knitted translation of a big printed billboard by North American artist Susan O’Malley. It was part of a series of public print works and a book O’Malley produced called Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self. The project involved O’Malley asking 100 ordinary people between the ages of seven and 88 what advice their 80-year-old selves might give to their present-day selves. Kelly, aged 25 submitted this piece of advice: “Less Internet More Love”. This was installed in a store-front mural in Berkeley California on San Pablo Ave part of Kala Art Institute’s Print Public project.
O’Malley’s art was engaged in social practice, participatory exchanges, public art and positive messaging. Often drawn from conversations, her work took the form of prints, posters and buttons, large-scale vinyl signage and billboards. In 2015 at the age of 39, Susan O’Malley collapsed and never regained consciousness. She was in her last week of pregnancy with twins, who survived only briefly. Her artworks were deeply poignant as they embodied the artist’s work to generate more presence, love and attention to what matters in everyday life. They continue to resonate and ripple today.
Kate Just is a queer, feminist artist of Polish, Irish, German and Scottish descent (born USA, migrated to Australia 1996) best known for her inventive and political use of knitting. In addition to her solo practice, Just often works socially and collaboratively within communities to create large scale, public or textile-based art projects that tackle significant social issues including gender-based violence, reproductive freedom, LGBTQIA rights and political protest. Kate Just holds a PhD in Sculpture (Monash University), an MA (RMIT), and a BFA from University of Melbourne, where she is a Senior Lecturer in Art. She has exhibited extensively across Australia including at the NGA, ACCA, Heide, Gertrude Contemporary and CCP. Internationally she has exhibited at AIR Gallery (New York, USA), ICA (Richmond, Virginia, USA), the Rijswijk Museum (the Netherlands), Auckland Art Fair (NZ), Kunsthalle Krems (Austria), Sanskriti Gallery (India), Youkobo Artspace (Japan), Contextile Biennale (Portugal) and SUWON Museum of Art (South Korea). Just’s work is held in collections nationally and internationally including Just's work is held in public and private collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, the National Gallery of Australia, Artbank, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the City of Port Phillip, Wangaratta Art Gallery, Textile Art Museum of Australia (TAMA), The Sheila Foundation and Proclaim Management Collection.
Kate Just is represented by Hugo Michell Gallery in Adelaide.
