Egg geneology

Egg geneology

Kate Coolahan’s practice is process-driven and employs a number of innovative printmaking and papermaking techniques to explore feminist concerns. Throughout her career, Coolahan had opportunities to travel, learning from print and paper-making experts in Britain, Europe and Japan. She was the first in the country to introduce photoengraving in her work and experimented with plastic casts. She often employed multiple plates and techniques in one composition, resulting in grid or web-like compositions.

Coolahan began experimenting with handmade papers in the early 1970s as a response to growing environmental concerns and strict import regulations which made high-quality papers difficult to obtain. She crafted papers from native and introduced plant fibres, allowing her to embed a unique set of hybrid cultural references in her works. Egg geneology is one such experiment, where orange and blue flecks from recycled pulp are highly visible and integrated into her exploration of form and surface.

Coolahan developed a language of symbols drawn from her environment, a visual language which she believed could communicate across cultures. Tamarillos, seeds, shells and eggs, to which she ascribed a feminine meaning, appear in many of her works. In Egg geneology, five egg prints are arranged in a sequence in the centre of the paper, with a sixth print radically cut off at the top edge, suggesting continuity or perhaps an abrupt ending. Does Coolahan offer comfort within continuity, or does she resist the reproductive demands placed upon women of her time?

— Amy Weng, 2023