Archive for the ‘Regional arts’ Category
OLIVE COTTON AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT + GALLERY TALKS
ADVANCE NOTICE: OLIVE COTTON AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT/OPENING & FLOORTALKS
The biennial Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture is once again on show at the Tweed River Art Gallery Murwillumbah. Each time this award is offered the best and most diverse collection of contemporary Australian photographic portraiture is assembled for public viewing and appreciation. This year’s judge is Associate Professor Helen Ennis from the Australian National University School of Art. A list of the finalists is available here: 2013 Olive Cotton Award_list of finalists
.
Details about the Tweed River Art Gallery are available here: http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/artgallery
This Gallery has the most beautiful view of Mt Warning and the Tweed Valley caldera – Equally as inspiring as the photographic art that it contains.
.
This year we will be presenting a floortalk about contemporary portraiture as well as a presentation about The Artist and Social Media.
Damien Kamholtz: ‘My Icarus’ @ TRAG the VIDEO
My Icarus invitation
.
FROM THE ART GALLERY WEBSITE:
‘My Icarus’ is a culmination of one painting, one sculpture and one film. These three interrelated works delve into poetry and mythology and showcase the Gallery’s recent acquisition of Mr Kamholtz’s painting, ‘The Spit that Joins the Magic Together’.
The exhibition title refers to the artist’s fascination with Greek mythological figures, Icarus and Daedalus, and the works of 19th Century French poet Arthur Rimbaud.
Additional creative ‘spittle’ for the performance was delivered in verse by guest speaker and former USQ lecturer in literature Dr Brian Musgrove with a simultaneous performance by Toowoomba movement artist Kirsty Lee.
The exhibition works include the recently acquired painting, an assemblage and a collaborative film produced by Mr Kamholtz, Jason Nash, Kirsty Lee and Craig Allen.
..
.
Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery attendees witnessing the event
.
Kirsty Lee in performance
.
Photos and Video © 2013 Doug Spowart
.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
UPDATE: Nocturne Muswellbrook
Intersection of Sydney & Haydon Streets
..
We’ve been busy in the Nocturne Muswellbrook project – Here is an update …
.
A NEWSPAPER STORY
Chronicle News story: 28 June 2013
.
Our Gallery
The Nocturne Gallery in SHop 8 Campbell’s Corner
.
An ABC Radio interview
Mike Pritchard from ABC Radio interview
.
A presentation to the local Camera Club
Muswellbrook & District Camera Club
.
Working in the rain – nearly every night lately …
St Alban’s Anglican Church
St James’ Catholic Church
56 Bridge Street
Southern end of the Subway
Corner Sydney Street and Maitland Road
.
SEE MORE IMAGES AND TO ALSO MAKE A PERSONAL COMMENT ON THE POSTS about your experience of ‘PLACE’ or stories evoked by the subjects we have photographed:
.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nocturne-Muswellbrook-Project/462047657214253.
AND
The Blog: www.nocturnemuswellbrook.org
.
Comment Now …
..
To Follow us on FACEBOOK ‘Tick’ GET NOTIFICATIONS and ALL UPDATES
.
© 2013 Victoria Cooper and Doug Spowart for The Nocturne Muswellbrook Project
.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
.
.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: Muswellbrook Nocturne
.
Nocturne Muswellbrook
.
Victoria Cooper and Doug Spowart
For those of you who have been following our nocturne work over the last twelve months at WOOLI and in XMAS STREET we are now working on a new project in the Hunter Region of New South Wales. We are Artists in Residence at the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre and are now making nocturne photographs at dusk using the afterglow of sunset and streetlights documenting the town of Muswellbrook.
Nocturne light creates a sense of drama or a setting for a movie scene – a place where stories can be evoked and told. In this work we explore of the idiosyncratic nature of the architecture and street scenes of country and regional towns. The prosaic nature of these towns, when photographed in the dusk light, becomes part of a found aesthetic–a site-specific sculpture of light, colour and form. But there is also a visual narrative, isolated and exhumed by this light, one that has evolved from the activity of everyday life—yet the familiarity rendered it invisible.
Making the photographs is only the beginning of the project’s activity; the next part involves making a space for the telling of stories. Therefore the photographs are being posted on social media sites, a blog and Facebook to attract comments.
We now call upon the Muswellbrook community to share their stories of each place including their everyday and meaningful experiences by connecting with the project’s Blog and Facebook sites. We also invite other participants to comment if the photographic subject invokes the recollection of an experience or story.
The Blog: www.nocturnemuswellbrook.org
and Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nocturne-Muswellbrook-Project/462047657214253
.
…
Doug+Vicky moving in to the Artists in Residence Studio
.
The Residence Studio
.
Comment Now …
..
To Follow us on FACEBOOK ‘Tick’ GET NOTIFICATIONS and ALL UPDATES
.
© 2013 Victoria Cooper and Doug Spowart for The Nocturne Muswellbrook Project
.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
.
.
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 …
.
Zine Cover
.
Observations 4 to 7: Living in the BIG City
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
..
All photographs © Doug Spowart 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
.
.
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.
.
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.
Alex Stalling and Elysha Gould
.
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]
.
Kerryanne Farrer addresses the assembled group
.
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]
Cr Geoff McDonald speaks
.
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 speaks
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.
.
Tarn McLean speaks
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.
.
Ian McCallum speaks
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.
.
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
.
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.
Animating Spaces workshop @ TRAG May 24, 2012
.
All photographs © Doug Spowart 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
JUDGING THE SHOW: Photography @ the Goondiwindi P&A Show
Goondiwindi Photo Section Display
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.
.
Goondiwindi Photo Section Entry Details
.
Goondiwindi Photo Section panorama
.
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.
.
Photo Section Team: Mandie O’Shea, Michelle Kearney, Janet Doyle, Vicky & Doug
.
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.
.
The Grand Champion Print: Flood victims by Rick Kearney
.
Rick Kearney’s Flood victims+Reserve Champion Teeny Runzer’s Head Stockman. Photo: Michelle Kearney
.
Equal First Prize – Primary Hot Shots: Jenna McCall for Selfie
.
Junior Champion and Equal First Prize – Primary Hot Shots : Bethany Buckle for Poppies
.
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.
.
Victoria Cooper and Doug Spowart.
.
Janet and Mandie place the Champion Ribbons
.
.
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
..
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
VISITING ARTISTS: Foto Frenzy ‘Exploring Photography’ Workshop @ Mt Barney Lodge
Mt Barney soon after dawn
.
Last weekend we participated in a Foto Frenzy workshop at Mt Barney Lodge in South-East Queensland’s World Heritage listed Scenic Rim.
This bushland retreat is nestled in a valley only a few kilometres from the rugged Mt Barney peak alongside the upper reaches of the Logan River. The location for the workshop is ideally suited for photographers as there are views of both pastoral and rugged natural landscapes in abundance.
.
Late afternoon clouds over the Mt Barney peak
An early morning encounter
A nearby peak
Reflections on the upper Logan River
Workshop participants relaxing in their accommodation @ Moringararah Homestead, Mt Barney Lodge
.
Workshop lecturer Darren Jew links opportunities for photography with a hands-on computer set-up with a fine art printing facility. Participants start with an inspirational introductory session followed by colour management induction and calibration of their monitors to ensure quality output.
The keen photographers assembled pre-dawn on Saturday to witness and photograph the setting full moon behind the Mt Barney summit and a cloud-streaked sunrise.
The setting moon over Mt Barney
.
Darren, assisted by Vicky and I, worked with the photographers to ensure that they made full use of the photographic opportunities provided. Breakfast followed and the work of editing and optimising files was carried out with tutorials presented by Darren.
Darren working with participants @ dawn
.
As part of our visiting artists program we worked with the participants offering suggestions and ideas for image enhancement. Other projects undertaken with the group included the setting-up of a camera obscura in Boolamoola Homestead and a ‘projection and light painting’ on Saturday evening.
For many years we have created images of place by combining projected images with electronic flash light painting on outdoor subjects and buildings. These Projections or light sculptures are constructed from individual exposures to make a composite photograph. The final image or series of images presents the viewer with a visual story that is drawn from our exploration of, and empathy with, each place.
On Saturday night we included the participants to witness and make their own photos of the projection work around and on the Moringararah Homestead. The capture of separate elements for the final image was presented by Doug as a performance of how we work in these situations. First we projected a dawn image of Mt Barney over the front of the house for an initial exposure. Next, the internal house lights were switched on to create an exposure for the windows. Finally, additional flash work illuminated aspects of the garden surrounding the house–on this occasion the time exposure for the light painting enabled the ambient moonlight to create a glow in the sky.
Moringararah Homestead projection and light paint
Moringararah Homestead in daylight
.
After this there was another ‘painting with light’ performance and photography opportunity for the participants in a sheoak grove by the small stream at the entrance to the Lodge. Each of the photographers present was given an opportunity to photograph the performance of the projection and light sculpting work.
.
Sheoak grove light paint
.
On Sunday 28th April students were assisted in taking photographs for World Pinhole Photography Day using pinhole devices made at the workshop and fitted to their DSLR cameras. The Boolamoola camera obscura was also available to the students a subject to document or just experience..
The workshop concluded with a frenzy of fine art printing of student work overseen by Darren.
.
Student group Photo: Darren Jew
.
The natural location of Mt Barney Lodge, the facilities and catering provided by the owners Innes and Tracy Larkin helped to make the workshop a great success. The Lodge provides access to this remote and rugged part of South East Queensland. For accommodation and camping information see their website HERE
This region, alongwith most of Queensland and other Australian places of natural beauty and agricultural importance, is under threat of Coal Seam Gas extraction and open cut mining – Being in this place makes you realise the need for care and consideration of the natural places in this energy hungry, development crazy world. For details of CSG and mining in the Scenic Rim click HERE
.
OTHER IMAGES FROM THE WORKSHOP FOLLOW
.
All photographs and texts © of the authors 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
.
WORLD PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY DAY: Our Contribution
We were working with Darren Jew on a Foto Frenzy ‘Exploring Photography’ workshop @ Mt Barney Lodge, a bushland retreat in South-East Queensland’s World Listed Scenic Rim.
We briefed workshop participants on pinhole photography and helped them make pinholes for their DSLR cameras, and everyone joined in the activity of ‘pinholing’.
On Saturday we blacked-out a store room of about 3 x 3 metres square in the rear of the Boolamoola Homestead using plastic and curtain material in readiness for the big WPPD on Sunday.
Boolamoola Homestead – store room window at upper left
The room before set-up
While the others sat outside eating lunch on Sunday (World Pinhole Photography Day) we sneaked into the Camera Obscura and made our image of our lunch time. The ‘pinhole’ was around 8mm. Exposure of the image was by lensed (focal length=16mm) DSLR using f8 200 ISO and time exposure of 30 seconds.
Lunchtime Camera Obscura Mt Barney Lodge
The other way ’round
Looking up to the ceiling – Camera Obscura Mt Barney Lodge
View from the window
.
VISIT THE GALLERY OF IMAGES http://www.pinholeday.org/gallery/
.
All photographs and texts © of the authors 2013.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
SPOWART Artists Book Shortlisted for LIBRIS AWARD
The artists book Have you got your Chronicle Today? has been shortlisted for the 2013 Libris Awards – The Australian Artists Book Prize.
.
The Libris Awards are Australia’s premier national artist’s book prize. An intitiative of the Mackay Regional Council through Artspace Mackay, these biennial awards seek to develop awareness of council’s significant collection of artists’ books and to develop the collection further through the acquisition of new works by leading Australian artists working in this field. (from the Artspace Mackay website)
My book Have you got your Chronicle today? makes comment on how the tabloid newspaper is reliant on the advertising dollar to support the necessary communication of the daily news. This artists book is a mashup of the news with advertising. The collaged elements comment on content and the way the reader is directed by the newspaper design through the placement of advertisements, journalism texts, photography, community notices and sport. After deconstructing the newspaper, the book’s form changed as new associations of text/image/graphics determined the new structure. The flow through the book matches the newspaper it parodies as it also can also be folded flat for post-reading storage. Details and images of the book and its construction follow – Enjoy … Doug
Have you got your Chronicle today? installation
View a video performance of the book – Click the YouTube image
Have you got your Chronicle today? closed
Have you got your Chronicle today? detail
Have you got your Chronicle today? oblique view
Have you got your Chronicle today? detail
Doug in his atelier making the book
Doug in his atelier making the book
The mess when making a collage
The list of other Finalists is available HERE
.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
.
wotwedid 