Archive for the ‘Wot happened on this day’ Category
ART GALLERY IMMERSION: GOMA VISIT Part 2 ~ YAYOI KUSAMA
We then entered the Kusama exhibition space. Words alone cannot convey the experience encountered—images and videos may help. And that’s they key to the immersive gallery visitor’s strategy, you are allowed to photograph! In fact everyone is blazing away with cameras imaging their encounter with the art and artist’s wacky view of the world. Somehow Kusama just doesn’t seem weird – she just seems in tune with knowing what the viewer wants!
A self-portrait in the first room of the Kusama show
Kusama video mirror space + other visitors
Kusama sculpture flower
Vicky in the Kusama Obliteration room
Kusama Obliteration room photographer
Kusama Obliteration room table and chair
ART GALLERY IMMERSION: GOMA VISIT Part 1 ~ DRAWING MATISSE
For some time I’ve been uncomfortable with the way that the concept of ART GALLERY has transformed from a place for the quiet experience of art and of seeking personal enlightenment, into one where visiting crowds seem hell-bent on seeking entertainment. Ultimately I gave in and developed an expectation that a gallery visit could be about an experience cram packed with gratuitous fun, and … a few personal epiphanic moments.
GOMA Director Tony Ellwood states that he would like audiences to the Yoyoi Kusama Look Now, See Forever exhibition to “immerse themselves in the artist’s unique and compelling world view”. To test Ellwood’s immersive suggestion Vicky and I recently visited the Kusama show and the more traditional historical survey show – Matisse: Drawing Life which is touted as being ‘the most comprehensive exhibition of Henri Matisse’s prints and drawings ever mounted.’
We took in the Drawing Life show first. Matisse drew everyday and one would, from the pervasive theme of the show, think he drew the female nude obsessively—or is it that he just obsessively drew. The transition to immersive experience happens on leaving the show as viewers are enticed to try their own hand at drawing. To stir the budding artists to action, they are supplied not just with pencil and paper, but also a Matisse-esque tableau of drawing fodder—fruit baskets for still life, mirrors for self-portraits and art-school plaster ‘nude’ sculptures to practice on the human form.
Matisse Drawing space - Doug+Vicky cheat - 'drawing' a self-portrait with a CAMERA
For the techno-inclined tablets were available loaded with a drawing program that enabled a drawing to be made with finger or stylus. Not necessarily following the subtlety of lead on textured paper but none-the-less an ‘experience’. We drew the Brisbane city skyline opposite GOMA. The experience was value-added by the opportunity for the ‘drawing’ to be emailed to friends. (We were to later discover that when viewed, the drawing grew on the screen accompanied by music.)
Vicky sends off her 'digi-drawing' as an email
Vicky's 'digi-drawing' of Brisbane River --- Doug's 'digi-drawing' Brisbane city
With the Matisse ‘experience’ behind us we entered the Kusama show ….. SEE THE NEXT POST
Graduation Event for SQIT Photoimaging Students
Lindsay Collier, Alison Ahlhaus, Shanea Rossiter and Doug Spowart PHOTO: Hardy Ahlhaus
Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE’s Photoimaging students attended a graduation event at the Hume Ridge Centre in Toowoomba on Saturday 25 of February. Prize winners at the event are pictured with teachers Alison Ahlhaus and Doug Spowart. Lindsey Collier (left) was awarded the SQIT Diploma Photoimaging Student of the Year. Shanea Rossiter was awarded the Bob Walker ‘Focus’ Memorial Trophy for recognition of excellence in study and the community. Jess Martin (not pictured) was the recipient of the Syd Owen Certificate IV Photoimaging Student of the Year Award.
Eight students graduated from the Diploma of Photoimaging and a further fourteen graduated from the Certificate IV in Photoimaging. Congratulations to all graduating students and their families and friends…
SEE: Toowoomba Chronicle Newspaper story “Students hard work pays off” 27/2/2012
AIPP Student Event @ SQIT
Sue Lewis, as part of her AIPP Education Liaison attended SQIT and made a presentation to photoimaging students about the professional photography industry and the peak industry body – the Australian Institute of Professional Photography. The presentation, on the 22 February, consisted of print displays, AIPP books, PowerPoint and video show. Sue was assisted by AIPP Queensland Divisional councillor Tony Holden.
Sue Lewis presents an AIPP talk at SQIT
Sue spoke of the AIPP’s history, structure, services and events. The Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards in Melbourne and the Nikon AIPP Event in the Hunter Valley were featured as ‘must attend’ events in the coming year. Sue also discussed her own photo history as a SQIT photography student 10 years ago and how she networked and connected with the APP Awards firstly working as a ‘helper’ behind the scenes. She is still behind the scenes however now she is a major manager of the national event.
Sue Lewis @ lecturn – presents an AIPP talk at SQIT
The response by SQIT students to Sue’s presentation was significant – 8 students signed up for AIPP Student membership on the day – joining many other SQIT students who are AIPP Student members. In appreciation of Sues efforts over the years and her support for students across the nation she was presented with a bouquet of flowers by teacher Rachel Susa.
What is amazing is Sue’s enthusiasm for professional photography and how the AIPP helped her along the way. She called it networking, networking, networking, and having fun with, and through, photography. Something I’m very familiar with – I joined the AIPP as a student nearly 40 years ago – still a member and having fun with photography.
Thank you Sue, and, the AIPP…
Sue Lewis with Rachel Susa @ SQIT
Feb 11: STORM LASHES Toowoomba – Blackout most of the evening
When the clouds get dark in Toowoomba these days we check the Bureau of Meteorology’s website to see what’s in store … Last year’s floods have made us sensitive to potential disasters. Today we checked BOM at 6.00pm as a storm appeared to be coming in from the west …
BOM Website 6.00.41sec 11-02-2012
Within a half an hour a severe thunderstorm hit Toowoomba and caused a power blackout lasting 3.5 hours. Just as well the MACs were charged …
Doug and Victoria caught out after storm blacks out electricity
ALLORA SHOW: Bush Poets and passionate people
Telling living stories: Bush Poets and passionate people
FOR MORE PHOTOS OF DISPLAYS CLICK HERE!
Beyond the football and cricket ground there is a great Australian tradition of the agricultural show. In Allora recently we had the privilege to spend some time with a regional show – a show that had been running since 134 years. Doug judged the photography section and then we spent some time with the people and the exhibits that made the show an interesting and engaging event. These were passionate people busily supporting this local community event.
There were displays showcasing with their creative pastime pursuits and community projects. The local schools had creative displays; there were the hobbyist awards for hand made objects and Leggo sculptures. Also in the big shed were the usual competitions for the best cakes, scones, dampers and my favorite – the fancily iced arrowroot biscuit, the heaviest pumpkin and the best Dahlia and the woodwork and quilts displays.
Allora Show - Best Dahlia
In the main oval there were suitably attired young girls with their horses in the dressage event. With their plaited hair matched the plaited mane and tails of the horses they competed with serious attention to the requirements of the event for the judge.
Lindsay Ashcroft with landscape photo and poem (see below) Photo: Victoria Cooper
Lindsay Ashcroft poem
Lindsay Ashcroft, the bush poet, seasoned regional traveller, with his lyrical repartee made impromptu performances to our group of workers as Doug judged the photos. He passionately recited his poems of Australian sentiments that referred to iconic symbols like the poems of Banjo Patterson. Photographs taken by Lindsay or a graphic and artwork that inspired the words accompanied each poem, were available for purchase.
Baillie Boys Show Photo: Victoria Cooper
Beside Lindsay was a miniature show, a scale model carnival, with a painted background featuring Toowoomba buildings. A trio of enthusiasts, the Baillie Boys Shows, created this as a departure from the usual model trains display. They are now working on their next venture. You can see more of their work on their website, www.baillieboysshows.com , where they show the construction of various elements and display venue schedule.
Margaret Phelan and Chief Pavillion Steward Barrie Geitz
It was fun to spend time with these people, their passions and their stories.
FOR MORE PHOTOS OF DISPLAYS CLICK HERE!
Words and photos: Victoria Cooper
JUDGING: ALLORA SHOW PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION
Most photographers and commentators of photography discuss endlessly the biggest and the ‘best’ photo competitions around the country. It would appear that competitions are considered a most important aspect of the genre. But photo competitions come in many forms, some of which come in under the radar. Recently I judged the Allora Show Society’s Section “P” Photography, and the experience connected me with the grass roots of the world of photo competitions.
At the Allora Show photography stands alongside a diverse collection of arts, crafts and skills from needlework, baking, woodworking and scrapbooking, to painting, big pumpkin growing and cut flowers. My task was to work through the submitted entries in the 27 categories and select the winners. But first, on Vicky’s and my arrival we took a moment to take tea with the stewards, Kate Gordon, Judy Acason and Margaret Phelan. The tea was made from hot water brought in a thermos by Judy and was accompanied by home-baked fruit slice and butter and mini-lamingtons. Conversations over tea discussed the pros and cons of organising and presenting photographic competitions. Whether we were talking about the event we were about to participate in, or the big capital city extravaganzas of the AIPP Professional Photography Awards, the concerns and issues are the same.
We began the judging of class 1 – First and Second prizes were awarded as well as appropriate Highly Commendeds. Then the next, and the next category – working our way through the adult sections to the Junior sections. I was taken by the nature of the community document that the photographs represented. The ‘quality’, if you can call it that, was uneven at times, but the purpose and the honesty of each image as an authentic representation of an experience encountered and recorded is no different to those of the major national competitions.
Allora Show Photography judging - Landscape Section
Subject matter included; flowers, pets, family portraits, bugs, birds, frogs, lots of sunsets, people doing stuff, pictorial landscapes, sporting moments and vignettes of rural life. And the number of categories enabled specialist areas a chance to have comparisons between similar works. An interesting category was one in which a set of images were required to tell a story.
In the end a Champion Photograph of the show was chosen and for me the task was at an end. Vicky and I wandered off to view equestrian events, other displays of competitive work and lunch. When we returned the volunteer steward team was hard at it hand annotating the 80 or so award cards that had been made. I felt that maybe I should have held back on some of the Highly Commendeds. Participating in this event was just as important to me as any other I have had the honour to judge.
Stewards; Judy, Margaret, Kate and judge Doug
Words: Doug Photos: Vicky + Doug
AIPP QLD ‘Hair of the Dog’ Conference
IMAGES ONLY AT THIS TIME – Texts to follow shortly!!
Yervant Zanazanian speaking @ the 2012 AIPP Hair of the dog
Matt Adams speaks at the 2012 AIPP Hair of the Dog
Murray Fredericks with workshop group and time-lapse rig
Murray Fredericks with time lapse rig at AIPP Hair of the Dog 2012
Murray Fredericks SALT Video GREENLAND Project Sydney New Years Fireworks
William Long at AIPP Hair of the Dog demonstarting the Hasselblad H camera and Phocus software
AIPP “Normally” Event, MSIT, Brisbane
FLOOD DONATION: ‘Toowoomba Water’ book to SLQ
Helen Cole + Doug with the book 'Toowoomba Water'
At a time when all Queenslanders were reflecting on the first anniversary of the devastating floods of January 2011 it was fitting that I was able to make a presentation of the book Toowoomba Water to the Australian Library of Art at the State Library of Queensland.
The book features a response to flooding in Toowoomba that took place on January 10th. The book was designed to be output using Australia’s premier print-on-demand supplier – AsukaBook using their Book Bound Hard Cover 10″x10″ format.
On the studio step + our 'rainforest' backyard
Water came within 20cm of our studio and a brown torrent flowed into our garden and under the house. At the bottom of our street a massive flow of water along East Creek took the lives of two people.
East Creek in flood at the bottom of Burns Street
The book makes a commentary on the flood by responding to an aspect of the event that was ‘sampled’ and then brought together to form the book – it is an unusual approach to the documentation of place. Reference for this methodology comes from the work of Marcel Duchamp‘s Paris 1919, Sol LeWitt’s colour grids and Bruce Nauman‘s L.A. Air.
The donation was accepted by Helen Cole, Senior Librarian, Australian Library of Art, State Library of Queensland.
SEE THE BOOK: http://www.cooperandspowart.com.au/2_PLACES/OtherBooks/Twba_Water_Flip/TwbaWater-Flip.html (Note: This link is to a Flash Flipbook that may not play on all viewing devices)
VISIT: Georgia Hutchison & Beverley Bloxham – daughter & mother artists/designers
Georgia, Beverley and Victoria with the book
We had a visit from Beverley and Georgia, we shared ideas and methods and secret knowledges on the art of simple binding for handmade books, referencing the notable texts and work of Keith Smith. Georgia showed us her submission for her degree in Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design at RMIT, which she had only recently been awarded as First Class Honours. This unique state handmade book , Wild Order was beautifully designed – its simplicity belied the complexity of the content. Georgia utilized, Riso print, to produce monochrome images, diagrams and texts: black and white some were pale shade of colour eg yellow or green. These delicate and grainy images were astutely placed with texts and diagrams to tell the narrative of the major project the Georgia produced. See www.georgiacharlotte.net
Beverley, is an artist, designer and curator of note and substantial experience you can check her work on http://www.behance.net/BFBloxham She has worked hard to establish local community arts organizations and networks and is now working with others to establishing online presence for an NGO community in India.
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