Newdegate Machinery Field Days ‘Us’ exhibition launched by two local women leaves many in tears

Candid conversations were artfully transformed into a visual experience that captured the hearts of locals and visitors alike at this year’s Newdegate Machinery Field Days.

The new photography exhibition, titled ‘Us’, featured at the Dyson Jones Shed on September 3 and 4, and uncovered the narratives that revealed the challenges and triumphs of Newdegate women.

The strength, resilience and loved that keeps the heart of local families, business and rural communities alive were on full display, and left many in complete awe.

Us was the brainchild of local farmer Davina Hams, created in collaboration with local farmer and photographer Greta Butcher of Greta Wolzak Photography.

Ms Hams said she was happy with how the event turned out and the response they received from people walking through.

“There were few tears when people were looking at the exhibition, even from people who don’t know the women we had featured,” she said.

“But it was amazing to be able to give these women a bit of a platform, and to share what their lives are like now and what their lives were like before coming to Newdegate.”

While nine women were featured — including Liz Guelfi, Steph Clarke-Lloyd, Lynne Ellard, Holly McDonald, Sammy Horsfield, Jasmine Offer, Sarah Lloyd, Ms Hams and Ms Butcher — many were able to find reflections of all of the women in their lives.

Ms Hams said they duo spent hours piecing the exhibition together in a bid to do each women’s story justice.

“We went out to each person’s house and followed them around while they did their work. Greta took pictures, and I just wrote a million pages of notes,” she said.

“I typed it all out and started piecing it together — diving into their lives and their stories and trying to write it the best I could.”

The exhibition space was a masterpiece in itself and featured moody lighting, stunning silk drapes and comfortable seating in the middle of the room that allowed visitors to relax as they immersed themselves in the space.

The blue-hues featured throughout the exhibition, from the frames to the signage, were chosen on purpose, and tied together with the cyanotype print process used — an early, sun-printing photography process known for creating distinctive Prussian blue monochromatic images.

Ms Butcher said the process was chosen specifically in a bid to showcase the soft femininity, strength and beauty of the women in the prints.

Also featured at the exhibition was a lovingly crafted, handstitched quilt produced by Ms Butcher and her mother-in-law, Juliet, that showcased the unseen photos of the project.

The squares combined cyanotype prints of pressed florals with black-and-white photographic transfers onto fabric which resulted in the merging of the delicate beauty of nature with the depth of personal history.

Ms Butcher said the quilt came together organically — a love story for herself that allowed her to learn from the past generation while showcasing the present.

It blended the stories of each woman, their lives and experiences coming together to form a collective narrative of strength, resilience and connection.

Ms Butcher said she was overwhelmed by the positive response her and Ms Hams received on the project they poured their heart and soul into.

“I’m so grateful to the community for getting behind us. I’m so proud of the town — I get teary just thinking about it,” she said.