The Chux cloth is recognised by everyone as a basic piece of equipment for cleaning & domestic labour. Utilised, sullied, washed, worn and discarded, it is of seemingly little value. These particular Chux cloths, however, have been laboured over for hours, invested with time and care. Here societal preconceptions of “women’s work” collide - the drudgery of housework, and the traditional embroidery sampler as an appropriate activity for young women. Obscured or ambiguous purposiveness provides the primary line of enquiry for Walton. She appropriates mundane material as part of an ongoing concern with the theme of utility.
Walton is based in Tāmaki Makaurau and previous Chux works each correspond to a home-bound period; covid isolation, atmospheric river, or cyclone. With access limitations, and the need for a calming activity while processing updates, stitching became art practice. This work was made while consuming media about the global slide into authoritarianism.