Archive for May 2013
OUR ZINE @ MCA ZINE FAIR Sunday 26th May, 2013
Thanks to Jo Kambourian of Lismore’s MS Browns Lounge a special edition of our Centre for Regional Arts Practice Artists Surveys will be presented as a zine for the event at the Sydney Writers Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art’s Zine Fair. Entitled The Lonely Artists Guide to Living in the Big City it presents a commentary of two artists and their experiences living in Brisbane for the month of April 2013.
A REPORT FROM JO IS AVAILABLE HERE http://msbrownslounge.com.au/unpacking-the-zine-fair/
The zine is an 8 page fancy fold and we made them up as an edition of 40 over the last few weeks. Here is what it looks like …
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Handmade in Print. The MCA Zine Fair is back tomorrow from 11.00am (via Broadsheet Sydney)
Join the Facebook event here -> http://on.fb.me/13rY3P1
Presented in association with the Sydney Writers’ Festival
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All photographs © Doug Spowart 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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hEAdoN/Sydney: Doug to moderate panel on Photobooks
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THE FUTURE OF PHOTO BOOK PUBLISHING FORUM
Presented by Momento Pro http://www.momentopro.com.au/events/publishingpanel
A Head On Photo Festival Event
Wed, 29 May, 6.00 – 9.00pm
@ The Museum of Sydney
Admission is free but please RSVP to events@momento.com.au by 25 May
Join panelists and guests from the photography, publishing, print, book retail and creative industries to discuss local and international trends in photographic book publishing, and contribute to shaping its future. The panel discussion will conclude with open questions from the audience, followed by refreshments and networking.
Should you wish to submit questions for consideration please email events@momento.com.au.
THE PANEL
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Doug Spowart …..Moderator
Photographer & Academic
Dr Doug Spowart has been extensively involved in creative media areas for over 40 years — his practice includes: artists books, photobooks, artist, critic, judge, writer and teacher. He has completed a Doctorate of Philosophy at James Cook University researching issues of the contemporary photobook. Spowart’s work, as well as collaborative work with Victoria Cooper has found its way into many private, regional and state public galleries, national and international photography and artists’ book collections. Spowart’s photobooks have won the AIPP Queensland Photographic Book of the year on two occasions and he has twice been Runner-up to the national AIPP photobook award.
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Sam Harris / Photographer
Sam Harris has been a passionate photographer and educator for more than 20 years. He started freelancing in the London music industry making album sleeve art then went on to shoot editorial portraits and documentary features for leading publications including The Sunday Times Magazine, Esquire, GQ and Ray Gun (USA).
In 2002 he re-evaluated his lifestyle to travel the globe with his family, until he settled in the forests of South Western Australia in 2008 where he shoots his on-going family diary, lectures photography, runs workshops and creates photographic books. His book Postcards from Home has received multiple awards including the publishing industry’s Galley Club Book of the Year and Australian Book of the Year Award 2012.
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Kim Hungerford
Kinokuniya / Art & Design Department Manager
Kinokuniya stocks an extensive collection of graphic novels, art, design and travel books and also features an instore Art Gallery which exhibits works from creative artists to help them develop their careers. As Art & Design Manager, Kim is versed in the distribution, sales, marketing and financials of art and photographic book publishing, the different publishing options available and the differences in reception from book consumers, critics and collectors.
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Paulina DeLaveaux
Thames & Hudson / Publishing Manager
Paulina de Laveaux is Publishing Manager of Thames & Hudson Australia specialising in illustrated books on art, architecture, design, photography, fashion and other creative fields.
Paulina is passionate about books, and familiar with what makes a photographic book artistically and commercially successful, what is popular with the mainstream consumer verse the cultural consumer, and has also been a judge for the Head On Momento Photobook Awards 2013 and the Most Beautiful Books Awards
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Dan Rule
Perimeter Editions / Director
Dan Rule is a writer, critic, editor and publisher from Melbourne, Australia. He is the co-director of Perimeter Books, Perimeter Editions and Perimeter Distribution, the co-publisher of Erm Books and an editor of Composite Journal.
He is also a weekly art critic and columnist for The Saturday Age, contributing editor and senior writer at Broadsheet Media and has written on art, photography, music and culture for The Sydney Morning Herald, Dazed & Confused, Oyster, Vault, Art Guide, Australian Art Collector and countless others.
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Libby Jeffery
Co-founder and Communications Manager @ Momento
Libby has enjoyed studying and working in communications and media production since undertaking a B.A. Communications at UTS and volunteering with interactive CD-ROM producer Pacific Advanced Media Studios in 1994. Since then her career has revolved around communications, events coordination and media production for creative industry pioneers including OzEmail, the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA), IPR Systems and most recently the Chippendale Creative Precinct.
Following her role in 1999 as Project Manager for the Australian Society of Authors’ e-publishing and digital rights management experiment, OzAuthors, she, partner Geoff Hunt, and colleague James Whitwell founded Momento in 2004. Momento was Australia’s first print-on-demand photo book service and the proprietary Momento layout software, lets anyone design their own coffee-table photo book easily, ready for printing. Momento remains the ‘finest’ service provider in Australia today, celebrating photography and photographers in all forms
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GETTING the BLURB on PHOTOBOOKS
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Daniel Milnor is Blurb’s Photographer-at-large and inspirational bookmaker. Last week we attended presentation by Daniel at the Edge (SLQ) in Brisbane. Attended by an audience of around 80 the presentation, of three hours duration, told the story of how to make photobooks. Not just a bunch of photos in a catalogue or folio form but something that told a story – expressing a narrative.
Milnor is the consummate presenter and storyteller – adding to each technical concept and thing to consider in book-making his own personal story. And there were some amazing insights into Daniel’s career as a photodocumentary photographer of exotic places like South America and Sicily, but also of his own life. In one book he discussed, which was made entirely in his own home, he showed a picture of his shower curtain!!
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In the presentation Milnor provided a step-by-step approach to the making of a book:
Step 1 Make/locate a body of work
Step 2 Give yourself time to edit
Step 3 Time to sequence
Step 4 Start the book using an online POD service – Like Blurb.
Step 5 Get the book
And – not really covered specifically although constantly part of his refinement of book ideas: Step 6 – Review it and re-do it better!!!
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His little phrases and comments that stuck in my memory (or notepad include):
Photobooks that are driven by the photographer –“don’t make any money” unless you have a big-name and are chosen by Steidl. However “subject driven books” can be successful
“Leopard lighting” portraits made under a tree – dappled light
Unless you “Think about your work, write about your work, talk about your work and show your work – You are never going to have a connection with your work!”
“Book builder”
Landscape “rocks and twig” photography
“The narrative arc”
“The perfect solution is YOUR solution”
“Don’t be afraid to play around…”
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What interested me was the excitement he expressed for his own books – their concepts and development. Towards the end of the presentation he showed examples of books created as collaborations with artists, books that were ‘added-to’ by creative intervention whereby the outcome became a unique state work of art. A seminal book for him in his challenge to the ‘normal’ photobook is the book On Approach which has won much acclaim for him. He commented that a curator he had met casually had described him as a ‘conceptual artist’ he seemed excited by the title and that his work, as art, could enter another space – the gallery.
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In the second last question of the day I asked him about the idea of the artists’ book and how artists can inform, as he had found, a new direction for photobooks – in his answer he spoke at length about the proposition — I think he agreed…
Thank you Daniel Milnor, and thank you Blurb for bringing some discussion on photobooks into this country. And the opportunity to engage with so many Australian photographers wanting to tell photo stories using the emancipating opportunities of print-on-demand indie publishing.
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Doug Spowart
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LINKS TO DANIEL MILNOR:
His Website: http://www.smogranch.com/
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All photographs © Doug Spowart 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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ANIMATING SPACES: Toowoomba Projects Announced
Animating Spaces is a state-wide multi-arts initiative, which is intended to revitalise and celebrate significant or unusual spaces within regional communities through locally-driven arts activities and events. Animating Spaces is funded by the Australia Council for the Arts, Arts Queensland, Regional Arts Australia and participating local councils. The initiation and coordination of the Animating Spaces in Queensland will be supported by Artslink over the next three years and will assist 15 regional Queensland communities and their local projects.
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Toowoomba Celebrates Animating Spaces Celebration
After the invited guests and artists had time to mingle and participate in refreshments provided Community Coordinators Alex Stalling and Elysha Gould addressed the meeting. The following is from Elysha and Alex’s speech.
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I firstly like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land in which we are gathered, and acknowledge any elders past and present. Formal welcome to Cr. Billl Cahill and Cr. Geoff McDonald, Artslink Queensland Regional Arts Development Officer Kerryanne Farrer, Curator of Art Galleries Toowoomba Regional Council Di Baker, and Animating Spaces Project Coordinators Andrew MacDonald, Tarn McLean and Ian McCallum and the artists involved in each project.
Tonight we celebrate the beginning of Animating Spaces in Toowoomba. We will start with an introduction from Kerryanne from Artslink Qld, then Cr Geoff McDonald will speak on behalf of Toowoomba RC, and then I will briefly introduce the Project Coordinators who will talk more about their projects.
So to introduce you to Animating Spaces please welcome Artslink Queensland Regional Arts Development Officer Kerryanne Farrer. [Kerryanne spoke of the Artslink connection with the Animating Spaces Project – SEE video for details]
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Now welcome Cr. Geoff McDonald from TRC. [Geoff spoke of the Toowoomba Regional Council’s support for Animating Spaces and the important role of art and artists in the community]
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I am so pleased to be participating alongside my Co-Director of made.Creative Space – Alex Stalling as the Community Coordinators for Animating Spaces Toowoomba.
Animating Spaces represents an opportunity to identify, embrace and celebrate the some of the city’s unexpected places through the collaboration and creativity of some of this region’s best artists.
It provides a chance for everyone in the community to contribute to the cultural fabric of Toowoomba and inspire a sustainable creative culture.
Toowoomba is home to a passionate and close knit arts community. Through Animating Spaces, Artslink Queensland, have given this community the chance to establish and strengthen the needed skills to develop and coordinate projects like this, and nurture the potential for future projects. These are projects that can further promote the value and participation of the arts, which in turn contribute to the resilience and identity of our community.
We encourage everyone here to it to get involved. Whether you are an artist, or an arts lover, this project’s success relies on the generosity of financial and in-kind sponsors and volunteers. A sign up sheet is available to record your details on the front desk.
There are three amazing public art projects which are Animating Spaces in late August. It is my pleasure to introduce the three project coordinators who are also artists in their own right.
Andrew MacDonald
Andrew is a technician and sculptor with 20 years experience in the industry. With a passion for recycling, Andrews practice has seen him through an amazing list of career success. Working at USQ, Andrew was the visual arts studio manager and then later production manager working on productions such as the renowned Shakespeare in the Park. He featured as an artist in residence at the 2010 Crush Festival in Bundaberg, and has been involved as an artist in the Woodford Folk Festival, Hampton Food and Wine and numerous other festivals.
He has public artwork in Brisbane’s West End, and I’m sure you’ve all seen his striking work cloud trees just down the road on Margaret Street. He is now working as the factory Manager at Cobb and Co Museum.
Andrew’s project is entitled Up the Creek and will feature the use of pest timbers (such as Chinese Elm, Camphor Laurel and Privet) which will be removed from Toowoomba’s waterways and made available as materials in timber whittling workshops in a public space. Participants work together to create large ephemeral sculptures from the timbers sourced. The artist-designed sculptures will then be displayed back along highly visible waterways.
Local artists Christian Low and Jesse Wright will be involved with the project.
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Tarn McLean
Tarn has 5 years experience as a painter who also bridges into design and video installation. She launched her successful accessories and textiles label ochre designs in 2009, which services international clientele and is also located just down the road upstairs at 249 Margaret Street. As well as being a star mum and devoted wife, Tarn is Co-Director of the artist run gallery Raygun Labs which continues to connect Toowoomba with international arts communities.
She is currently working in collaboration with an architectural design company in Melbourne and has just started her PhD in painting with a cross over into design and architecture.
Tarn’s project is entitled Real Time Your Time and will animate the Toowoomba CBD.
Real Time Your Time will create a public, interactive video projection in the main street of the CBD illuminated at night. Described as a very different experience for people, encouraging them to play and interact with the installation. Free movement and painting workshops will encourage maximum involvement of people.
Participating in the Tarn’s project will be Beata Batorowicz, Ric Carlsson and Aidan Ryan.
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Ian McCallum
Ian is a sign writer by trade and a local street art advocate and artist. He is currently completing his Bachelor of Creative Arts at USQ, and also runs his business Kontraband right here at the GRID. Ian has worked alongside internationally renowned street artists at the 2012 crush festival in Bundaberg. You can also see his work right here in Toowoomba’s CBD through his commission with Cracker Print and Press at Club Lane on Ruthven street, Ground Up alley’s Seales walkway just across the street, and the former Sojo’s collections on Margaret Street.
Ian’s project will centre on Serls Laneway including the wall of TheGrid in Chandler Laneway. Entitled Story Wall it will feature a large-scale, comic-book-like urban artwork drawn up by three graffiti artists from around Australia that depicts local children’s stories and drawings of our town. This project includes workshops for children and opportunities for all ages of the community to learn new skills.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANIMATING SPACES
ARTSLINK QUEENSLAND FAQs http://artslinkqld.com.au/animatingspaces/faq
TOOWOOMBA REGIONAL COUNCIL http://www.toowoombarc.qld.gov.au/about-council/newspublications/8529-funding-for-toowoomba-arts-project-announced
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In the Beginning…
Where the planning for the Animating Spaces project began at a community meeting at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery on May 24, 2012.
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All photographs © Doug Spowart 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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2013 LIBRIS AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
FROM THE ARTSPACE MACKAY WEBSITE: http://www.artspacemackay.com.au/whats_on/news/and_the_winner_is…
JUDGING THE SHOW: Photography @ the Goondiwindi P&A Show
We have been to Goondiwindi before as their local camera club hosted the South East Queensland Association of Camera Club’s conference in 2011 for passionate amateurs to connect and learn about their chosen hobby. This time we were at ‘Gundy’ to judge the P&A Show Society’s 2013 Photography Section. The organizing team are an energetic, cheerful and professional group of people who carry out their duties as a service to the local community.
When we arrived all 424 images were already installed on the portable screens. A welcoming cup of tea and Janet’s delicious homemade orange cake refreshed us after our two-hour drive from Toowoomba. Then all we had to do was to judge the 14 categories, the grand champions and the encouragement award winners. This was an enjoyable task as the images were delightful mix of landscapes, action, animals, humour, travel, poetic and abstract images.
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Although there were interesting images of travel, urban spaces, people and places some of the strongest images were found in the sections landscape, ‘a picture tells a thousand words’ and the youth categories. Images taken of their own environment, local people and animals communicated the desire to share and record their own stories. This made our task challenging but more rewarding as we encountered these images.
Some images were amazing: a fish, firmly grasped by a cormorant bites on its captors neck, a young girl fires-off a shotgun, old blokes sit on a park bench in the sun, a huge irrigation sprinkler glistens backlit by the morning sun and a young girl kneels before a poppy studded war memorial. There is a visual calisthenics required to be a judge in this competition. What was evident was a passion for photography and a quality, both technical and conceptual, that would match anything seen from their city cousins.
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The Grand Champion photograph was by Rick Kearney and was entitled Flood victims. The photo was made from a helicopter during the floods and shows an island surrounded by water on which 80 or more kangaroos had taken refuge–the helicopter has startled the mob and they have taken off in all directions. The photograph captures this frenzied dash from these isolated animals.
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Thanks to the Goondiwindi team of Janet, Michelle and Mandie and the photography community for sharing their creativity and vision with us and the hospitality extended to us during our visit.
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Victoria Cooper and Doug Spowart.
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Images of the exhibition installation © Doug Spowart, Text © Victoria Cooper, Photo of Rick and Reserve Champion Michelle, © in all other works the photographers credited in the caption
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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COOPER+SPOWART TALK ABOUT PHOTOBOOKS
On the evening of May 21 Victoria + Doug presented a talk and showing of their self-published photobooks and artists books. Entitled LOOKING GOOD IN PRINT: PHOTOBOOK, the talk connected participants with concepts and techniques on how to personalize and create photo-stories in the form of the bespoke self-published book.
Participants engaged in a lecture presentation that helped them to develop a broader understanding of what a photobook can be—extending them beyond just a collection of photos into a resolved personal narrative of high technical and aesthetic values.
The range of options for making photobooks was discussed and samples of hand-made, inkjet printed and hand-bound artists’ books, as well as print-on-demand books were available for viewing and handling.
The Intro Session included an overview of the following topics:
- Simple and advanced forms and structures of books
- The creative influence of artists books
- The image, sequence and the narrative flow
- Production and design issues for handmade/print-on-demand book
- Computer processing of the book
- Simple bindings for the handmade book
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Location:
Unit 3/429 Old Cleveland Road, Camp Hill, QLD 4152.
Time + Date: 6.00 – 8.30pm, Tuesday May 21, 2013.
THE FEE: $ 75.
Bookings were made through:
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All photographs + text © Doug Spowart 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
SLQ Siganto Seminar: The trouble with artists’ books
AT THIS TIME THE BLOG WILL FEATURE IMAGES OF THE EVENT
We are happy to receive comments and dialogue arising from the seminar and will post selected feedback. Please leave a comment on this blog for consideration by us for posting.
The podcast is available at http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/audio-video/webcasts/recent-webcasts/siganto-seminar
Cheers Doug+Victoria
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BLOGPOSTS ABOUT THE EVENT ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING:
Judy Barrass ‘Critical mass Blog’ http://www.criticalmassblog.net/2012/?p=2568
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All photographs © Doug Spowart 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.