Stockroom

Meet Your Maker: Lucy James

2012-02-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

What better way to kick off a brand new yearof exhibitions than with an artist full of potential and energy, and in themiddle of a flurry of prolific creation and presentation. Lucy has recently hadher work shown in Sydney, Adelaide and Berlin, and this year has exhibitionsbooked at the Rooftop Gallery, Anna Pappas Gallery and two collaborativeexhibitions at Craft Victoria. If I was a gallery director I’d say she was justabout the perfect investment. 

So, in my capacity as an actual gallerydirector (ha!) I fired some questions at her while she busily kept cutting upold books with her medical scalpels.

SR: We were just talking recently about the materials you use for yourcollages and I think it's very intriguing the way you collect them and wherethey come from. Could you explain how you go about sourcing your images?

LJ: I initially started using books formaterials when I was in art school, and in an effort to save cash I stuck scrappaper into old books to use as sketchbooks. I kept finding amazing imagery thatI couldn't bear to waste, so I salvaged them and started to use them in artworks.

Now all of my images come from secondhand/antique/recycled books and magazines, which is often quite a contentiousissue - so many people believe that it is sacrilege to cut up books. My view isthat a lot of these books have already been rejected by their owner, and arecollecting dust on a bookshelf (or worse, in landfill). I guess I try to breathenew life into these forgotten images and texts. These books come from op shops,markets, antiquarians, friends, online. Often I have a specific book that I'musing for one work, and I'll need more than one copy of it in order to getenough imagery. (Some of those leaf collages require a LOT of leaves!) That'swhen I'll venture online. I'm pretty anal about the kind of paper stock I use,the printing technique, the period in which they were printed etc - a lot ofthose reasons are purely material based, however I'm also drawn to books that areimbued with a strong sense of history.

SR: The other element to your work that is quite significant isaccumulation. Often you have masses of flowers, butterflies or leaves in yourworks. What's the driving force behind masses of objects for you?

LJ: Hmm that's a good question. Um. I thinkinitially it was a subconscious thing, I've always been interested incollecting. I think what I find interesting about these 'masses' is thatindividually, each flower/leaf etc, is quite different, in colour and shape andso on, but then collectively, these pieces become uniform and start to functionas a single entity. Once you get to a certain point of accumulation, theobjects/images as a whole tend to gather their own force and energy, similarlyto swarms of bees, or crowds at a rock concert, that kind of thing. Which Ireckon is pretty cool. And quite weird really, seeing as making work of thisnature is a really solitary venture.

I wonder what that says about me: woman sitsat home by herself, cutting out hundreds upon hundreds of pictures of leaves toglue onto paper. I sound like a creepy chick from a horror movie, that sings toherself and also has the power of telekinesis. Unfortunately I do not have thepower of telekinesis. But all that other stuff, yep.

SR: Well, that leads me to pose another question to you. Your work often hasthese hybrid creatures in it, and for this show there's a few people withplants for heads. Conceptually, I find there's a lot in that. Humans with theirintellect supplanted by brainless, yet thriving flora. Supplanted. Nice.Anyway, people sometimes see a dark edge to your work, due to the cutting up ofthe bodies - splicing body parts. What are your thoughts on that, and what's theintention with the hybrids from your point of view?

LJ: Well I think you've said it really! There is a bit of darkness in thework, though I don't necessarily see it as cutting heads off in a beheadingsense. In a way these plants are representing a headspace (quite literally). Inwould I rather be a sunflower, I was referencing the song 'Sunflower' byTinpan Orange. That particular aspect of the song talks about being solitaryand alone, as a sunflower, as opposed to being a daffodil (which is what theimage actually is of), blooming 'as one'. I thought that was a really beautifulway to reference the utter confusion of the desire to be altogether and aloneall at the same time. Like we discussed before, so many of these worksreference a mass of beings, yet to put them together, takes days of beingalone. I don't sit at my desk and cut up bodies in a vicious sense - they areonly made of paper Kent, they can't feel it. I think it's more of a rearrangingand interpreting of images. Maybe in a melancholic longing sense.

Awesome. You can see more of Lucy's work at www.lucyjames.com.au

Meet Your Maker: Sophie Milne

2011-12-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

A little while back I had the chance to chat with ceramicist Sophie Milne. Sophie's work tends to sit on that happy line between fine art and functional design, creating pieces that are beautiful and simple to use everyday.

S: Tell us a little bitabout your background. What path has led you to what you do now?

SM: After finishing a BA Iundertook a few short courses to keep myself entertained while I contemplatedwhere to next. When I tried pottery everything seemed to fall into place. Icompleted a diploma in ceramics, set up a shop/studio with some colleagues andhave been making and teaching ever since. My making space has varied during the14 years since I finished my studies but my passion to create with clay hasnever diminished.

S: Whatdoes a typical day at work involve for you?

SM: There is no typical day asevery day is different and it’s often weather dependant in regard to howquickly things are drying. Some typical activities are… throwing, turning pots,decorating, glazing, packing the kiln, unpacking the kiln, sanding,contemplating, drawing, photographing, bookkeeping, blogging, emailing,delivering, packaging, posting…

S: Whatmaterials do you most enjoy using and why?

SM: That would be clay. I couldgive all sorts of reasons relating to the character of this material - itsmalleability and fluidity - but to be honest I haven’t explored any othermaterial to the same degree and it simply feels like my language. I enjoyceramic objects, particularly vessels, as they are functional but can alsopossess a multitude of meanings.

S: Whatprocesses do you go through to get to the finished piece?

SM: I am comfortable with afairly low tech approach but am no purist in regard to my craft. I use thepotter’s wheel, my clay comes from a bag, I use a combination of commercial andnatural materials for colours and glazes and I fire in an electric kiln.

S: Youtend to often use subdued and earthy tones in your work. What is it about thiscolour palette that you are drawn to?

SM: I am interested in creatingobjects that can withstand fashions and trends and I guess I feel an earthy,quiet palette is more likely to be something someone can live with longer thana bold, colourful statement.

The colours I use tend tobe the ones I surround myself with in my own home, which to me means they aresynonymous with comfort and peacefulness - qualities that I hope my workspossess.

S: Whenstarting a new body of work, where do you turn for inspiration and ideas?

SM: The material itself oftensuggests forms and my ideas usually evolve from previous work. I am inspired bymy immediate environment. When I become more acutely aware of one particularaspect of life I sometimes feel driven to celebrate it in vessel form - therhythm and chaos of power lines for instance or an aerial view of thedelineation of fields.

There are also times when Iam simply function driven. Right now I seem to be short of good pasta bowls!

S: Youalso sustain a strong teaching practice alongside creating your own work. Howdo you strike a balance between these two aspects of your career?

SM: I really enjoy teaching.It’s a constant reminder of the joy of discovering expression through clay andinquiring students remind me to question my own practices and keep a freshapproach to my work. Time wise however this ‘balance’ is a whole other story.

S: Whatare your future plans for Sophie Milne ceramic pieces?

SM: I am currently playingaround with coloured porcelain and inlay. The combination of these twotechniques is extending my range of matte finishes and giving new direction tomy line work and mark making. I am noticing subtle nostalgic elements creepinginto my forms so am allowing myself to explore this a little to see where itleads.

Oh, and I want to makethose pasta bowls.

Thanks Sophie - you give us a ring when the pasta bowls are sorted! In the meantime, you can purchase Sophie's work online here, or come in store to receive 20% of Sophie Milne Ceramics until 8th January, 2012. (Um, woo-hoo!)

Meet Your Maker: Made By White

2011-12-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

Recently I was lucky enough to get a hold of the dynamo sister team Kelly and Lyndsay, to chat to them about their impressive jewellery label Made By White. 

S: Hi Guys! Thanks for taking the time to do this. First of all, who is Made By White?

MBW: Made By White is two sisters, Lyndsay and Kelly White from Sydney, Australia. We Design, laser cut and hand make everything we do!

S: What’s it like being sisters and running a business together? 

MBW: Being sisters and working together is great. We both have similar ideas and interests and we manage to combine our ideas into a brand we both love. We like animals, colour, fairytales, quirky creatures and basically anything cute, and we think our brand reflects that!
 

S: Tell us a little bit about your background. What path has led you to what you do now? 

MBW: We both have design backgrounds and have always been creative for as long as we can remember, due to our mum's continuous crafting when we were little. Currently Lyndsay is a web designer extraordinaire by day (www.whitepixels.com) and Kelly works in a small design boutique a few days a week too(www.made590.com.au). We both have side projects we create as well as making Made By White together which gives us both an opportunity to make something completely ours! 

Kelly's project is The Storybook Rabbit (www.thestorybookrabbit.com) which combines her love of vintage, floral, animals and illustration into one of a kind plates for the wall and other things adorned with cute animals (but mostly bunnies) which are sold through her etsy shop. 

Lyndsay also has an amazing online store called Candy Stripe Cloud (www.candystripecloud.com) which is a myriad off colourful, fun and cute products. She designs Candy Stripe Cloud jewellery, homewares and sells a million other adorable things there. 

So we have very busy and very fun lives which we are lucky enough to share with one another through Made By White and as sisters.

S: It's hard to imagine you even having time to run Made By White on top of all these extra projects! Can you take us through the processes that you go through to get to get to an end product? 

MBW: We usually start with an idea either one of us will come up with, usually Kelly will do a drawing of the idea/character, Lyndsay will then trace the drawing in illustrator, make the design work technically, and then we'll cut a sample. We'll look at the sample together, talk about if it works, and if its doesn't we'll make adjustments to size, shape, colour, materials etc until it does. Then when we think we have it right we'll make the product up in a small amount and make it available online through madebywhite.com and see what everyone else thinks!

S: Can you give us a bit of insight to the company structure of Made By White? Do you have a large team of employees or are you both still very hands on? 

MBW: Made By White is literally just us, our very supportive boyfriends, our pets (kelly has a bunny and french bulldog, lyndsay has finches and hungry goldfish) and our at home workspaces! We are both very hands on and make and pack all our own orders, reply to all our own emails and just generally share our brand as best we can.

S: All of your pieces are handmade in Australia (by the two of you no less!). What challenges/triumphs have you faced not only manufacturing in Australia, but also having each of your pieces made by hand? 

MBW: It obviously is very time consuming but important to us to make each piece by hand because this means we can put a little bit of love into everything we do. We also like to know we can ensure a quality, unique piece in each brooch, necklace or earring set we produce which is all made locally, and not mass produced. We think people do appreciate the specialness of each design and all the work we put into keeping our ideas new. And also we like to think buying locally handmade is a great way to ensure you support designers doing what they love, like us!

S: When starting a new body of work, where do you turn for inspiration and ideas?
 

MBW: We love to discover new animals, draw from our travel experiences and just basically look at everything we love and try to design jewellery around it. Sometimes we will see a baby animal and think, "that would be an amazing brooch!" or look at a fairytale we know and see what elements we can interpret and make our own. All our ideas are completely random and some are just based on something as small as a conversation we have together.
 

S: And lastly, what does a typical day in the Made By White studio involve? 

MBW: We unfortunately don't have a studio, but Made By White lives in both our houses. On a typical day we might laser cut some pieces, make up a batch of brooches, glue 30 pairs of stud earrings for a stockist, pack orders from our website to go off to their new homes, write a blog and do a trip to the postoffice, (very importantly) picking up some coffees on the way for all of us. It's a busy but fun way to run a little brand together and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Many thanks to you both for taking the time to answer these questions. Shop online for Made By White's current range here! 

Meet Your Maker: Page Thirty Three

2011-12-02T16:57:00.001-08:00

Recently I had the privilege to have a chat with Bianca Riggio of Page Thirty Three to discuss their new collection, the woes of offshore manufacturing (and how to avoid it) and that tricky line between art and design.

S: Who is Page Thirty Three?

BR: Page Thirty Three is an object design label run by myself Bianca Riggio & my pertness Ryan Hanrahan.
S: Tell us a little bit about your background. What path has led you to what you do now?

BR: We have both always been creatives, & have always wanted to do an independent, creative venture, so it evolved pretty naturally when we met. We both also studied fine arts.

S: What does a typical day at work involve for you?

BR: It depends a lot on the time of year. In the Christmas season, there is a lot to do in the warehouse.

Ryan starts his day by making 5 Essentail Oil Burners every morning. We try to time block; like one day for production, one day for marketing + PR, one day for research etc... so many hats!

Standard 3:00pm coffee breaks all year around.

S: Is Page Thirty Three art, design or an amalgamation of both? Discuss.

BR: Page Thirty Three is definitely an amalgamation of both art & design. Some our pieces started out as artworks, such as the Cinematic light box & life sucks drinking straws. We are constantly intrigued by the cross pollination of art into other genres. I think its a great thing to be an artist that designs, as there isn't much to be tied down to. We don't know the rules of design, so we just design by intrigue. I like to think that most of what we do is conceptual.

S: You recently launched your new collection ‘Entertaining the Myth’. With pieces like the scientific-style oil burner and the reclaimed book sculptures, there is quite an old school feel. Can you tell us a little bit about the ideas and direction behind these pieces?

BR: Well over a certain time we collect pictures, fabrics, machines, books. We also visit places like test tube factories and thats were the creation begins. All of these collectables along with our personal interests get mashed up together and come out as the ideas we have for new products. Ryan and i love burning oils at home so as soon as we visited the test tube factory all we saw (in our minds) were oil burners. It was so obvious.

The fact they they are old looking stems more from that we are trying to design towards repurposed materials. They have so much charm and it feels ethically responsible as a designer.

S: The majority of your products are manufactured in Australia. As a country increasingly turning to offshore manufacturing, what are the challenges/triumphs you’ve faced in keeping your production in Australia?

BR: Have you got all day? It is in some cases impossible to manufacture in Australia, because we don't have the actually tooling required. And in other situations the few people who have the machinery are not willing to try and create products.

But overall I guess the biggest challenge is trying to consider multiple things at once, the main question we have to ask ourselves is, would I pay X amount for this? In such a price conscience retail environment you have to make the call sometimes whether the product you have in mind is actually viable at a certain price point. Like you finally find someone in Australia what will make your wacky creation, but you cannot go ahead because it would mean such an inflated retail cost. This is why we are moving to creating pieces in house.

But it's all worth while, we are working towards 100% Australian made. It just feels more aligned with the state of the world, to try and do small runs of products locally that mass producing. It also allows you to be more responsive to the market condition.
S: What is currently written on your cinematic lightbox?

BR: "Soul food served here" sitting in our kitchen.

Thanks Bianca! It's so good to see a small Australian business creating original and creative products. You can find much of Page Thirty Three's iconic range at Stockroom - lots of perfect Christmas gifts!

Meet Your Maker: Larissa Kemp from Little Lari

2011-11-18T16:33:00.001-08:00

Larissa Kemp is the silversmith behind her jewellery label Little Lari. Her work is beautifully handcrafted from her Hobart Studio from recycled silver. I recently caught up with Larissa to chat about her background and the methods behind her jewellery practice.  

S: Tell us a little bit about your background. What path has led you to what you do now?

LK:I spent 5 years of my high school in New Zealandwhich was the beginning of my passion for jewellery. We were taught how to dobone carving, and I have never stopped. It was only when I moved to Hobart fromSydney about 8 years ago that I did a two year course in art, craft and design,majoring in jewellery. I worked for a bronze sculptor for a while which alsogave me a different take on working with metal and my partner Benis is aBlacksmith, so that also has a big influence on me. I have always been creatingthings it just took me a while to find a medium that was right for me. So longas I am doing something with my hands, I am happy. 

S: What does a typical day at work involve for you?

   
LK: It involves rugging up and heading out to my little, yet cold, green shed in the back yard with a coffee, procrastinating for a bit (I'm really good at that) and then making stock for any orders. If I have none, I get to play and make new things all whilst singing badly to loud music.

S: You primarily use recycled silver in your designs. Can you tell us the reasons behind this decision?

LK: The reason behind using recycled silver is forenvironmental reasons. I was bought up to know and ask where things come from.Metal is a very dirty product. As shiny and pretty as it is when we finish withit, it started out from a great big hole in the ground. I believe the lessholes we make in the ground the better. 

S: What processes do you go through to get to a finished piece, in particular your stitched pieces?

 
LK: I start with a very thin sheet of metal and I chopit into a disk, then hammer it on an anvil to give it texture. I then put it onmy favorite stump (given to me by another blacksmith) and hammer it into a holeto give it shape, then I drill out the holes for the stitches and solder thestem in ready to go into the tumbler to get polished. After it has beenpolished I can sit on the couch after dinner and stitch all the pretty coloursin to make pretty flowers. 

 
S: In a world that’s increasingly mass-produced, what challenges and triumphs have you experienced in creating pieces that are hand made from start to finish?

LK: I can't recall any challenges from the mass produced world, I think if there is any it just comes from peoples' ignorance of what made by hand means and how long it takes. It's not just buying components and putting them together, it's making something from start to finish with your own hands. When I get to go to markets and sell my jewellery it's so lovely to hear peoples' comments on your work - makes you feel all fluffy inside.

S: When starting a new body of work, where do you turn to for inspiration and ideas?

LK: For inspiration I normally take that from nature,and from what scraps of metal are sitting on my work bench. My best ideas sofar have come from what I have in front of me, and one of my many ideasfloating around in my brain will find it's way out. Ideas give me sleeplessnights. 

S: What are your future plans for Little Lari designs?

 LK: I'm not very good at plans I can make them but Idon't seem to stick to them. I dream of makeing more sculptural pieces but onlytime will tell. 

Thanks Larissa - we look forward to seeing what's next in store for you! In the meantime, as well as our extensive range of Little Lari earrings, Stockroom has just received a lovely new shipment of Little Lari necklaces and brooches - check them out!

Meet Your Maker: Sandra Bowkett

2011-11-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

S: Tell us a little bit about your background. What path has led you to what youdo now?

SB: Other than a 4year stint as a secondary art teacher and some time in the Kimberley when I hadlimited access to kilns, I have always worked with clay. Most of this timeI have used the pottery wheel to make functional tableware. It is in recentyears that I worked totally ‘handmade’.

S: What does a typical day at work involve for you?

SB: I like to focus on a series of making forms at the beginning ofthe day as it is quite taxing on arms, hands and back then I like to do themore relaxed painting.

S: Where do you create most of your work?

SB: I work in a farmer's tin shed in the middle of a grassy paddock with cows near the small town near where I live.

S: What materials do you most enjoy using and why?

SB: At the moment I am using a lower fired porcelain called CoolIce. For the small vessels I make the fine nature of this clay enables refinedforms and edges. I am also enjoying using a limited palette of oxides.

S: What processes do you go through to get to the finished piece?

SB: I work on a series of about 3 pieces at atime, gradually forming the vessels from a ball of clay letting the clay dry alittle to then complete the form. The piece then dries and is gently spongedover. When bone dry I paint the elemental oxide motifs. The pieces are thenonce fired. I lightly sand with wet and dry emery papers to get a really smoothsurface. After this the dragonfly decals are then adhered to the pieces andthey are refired.

S: You frequently use the image of the dragonfly in your work, what significancedoes this symbol hold for you?

SB: It is more a of visual and spacial interest than a symbolic one. I have likedthe idea of having fine lines on ceramic, but of course I am always happy tosee dragonflies flying free.

S: When starting a new body of work, where do you turn for inspiration and ideas?

SB: I rarely start a new body of work that is notsomehow connected with what has gone before. I am usually inspired by thenature of the material I use and my work slowly moves to the next phase. If Ihave travelled and drawn or radically changed work environment this mayinitiate new work.

S: Whatare your future plans for Sandra Bowkett pottery pieces?

SB: I am thinking of returning to the wheel incollaboration with some Indian potters to make a range of simple woodfireddrinking vessels and bowls. This is in the realm of dream at the moment.

Thanks Sandra! More images of Sandra's work can be found on her website.You can purchase Sandra's current range of handmade vessels at Stockroom.

Meet Your Maker: Tara Gilbee

2011-11-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

S: Tara you’ve been such a busy lady, it’s hard to know where to begin! 
Tell us a little bit about your background.

 
TG: I have been exhibiting since 1998 so i guess that makes it 13 years now, I studied art in my mid 20s after training and working as a nurse for a while. I have incorporated this experience at times in my work and i have continued to work as a nurse alongside making art as well.

S: What path has led you to what you do now?

TG: I have always been interested in the sense of phenomena that I can captivate my audience with and have not been so interested in making objects. This was not the approach focused on in my early training at VCA but on graduation I participated in events such as the Birdge project, which was my first taste of site specific art, from there i organised a residency at the hospital I trained at and curated a few shows at Platform space. The relationship with public space and transition of people through spaces, their history and uses were more exciting ground for me to consider work.

From there I continued to look at this relationship and found moving to the country another challenging space to engage. In the city you can move and make interventions in a very anonymous way, in a small town this is less feasible and an interesting ground for further exploration of the public spaces that can be potentially utilised for art. The fun really began looking at things like the local Chinese restaurant or a disused toilet block, posters in the bush etc. All of this exploration was supported and mentored through a very important arts organisation (Punctum Inc) and its director Jude Anderson. My association and work with her has opened up many possibilities and taught me a lot about the 'theatrical' and live arts potential within activities i was seeking to undertake.

S: You recently just completed a cultural exchange at the Abbaye de Noirlac in the Loire Valley, France. Can you talk a little bit about that, and how that has influence/affected this particular body of work?

 
TG: The cultural exchange project at the Abbaye was to look at sound and mapping the environment of the Abbaye. The aim being to explore the transformation of sound into a sculptural installation within the Abbaye. As it was research a proportion of the work has been undertaken but there is more to develop. The work I have produced for this show was taken from an earlier concept I developed and have sat with for many years. It is based on notes I have found in the streets and in my travels. Some of the notes were found in France while on this cultural exchange and I was fortunate to be given an opportunity through my time and association with the Abbaye to work at the Ecole de Nationale Superier Arts school in Bourges. I had access to the dark room and assistance from a professor who specialises in photograms. This was an exciting opportunity I had not anticipated. 

The artworks [for You Must Remember This] are photograms of crumpled notes that have found their way to me, some are more personal and in a way all seem to have a autobiographical relationship. They are beautiful inscriptions when made into photograms and have an X-ray quality to them, which is fitting for I have worked in this medium. I am interested in the handwriting and the personal broken narratives. I was reading a piece of writing by Paul Carter recently were he describes the nature of remembering as a pun, the break down of the word to 'remember'. Just as recollection breaks into a pun in this exhibition, the process of collecting and representing these works exerts some of the notion of the process of memory and recall.

As for the outcome of the research at the Abbaye, the project will continue to be developed in Australia and I am anticipating it will have some exciting presentation options in the future at the Abbaye.

Also some readers may be interested to know more about the Inhabit International project in general and opportunities to participate have just been advertised for 2012, so I recommend they go to the Punctum website and/or they are welcome to contact me about my own experiences.

S: Your practice encompasses a range of media and techniques, from photography to drawing to installation. What have you worked with for this particular body of work and why have you chosen this media?
 

TG: I started with the photogram with the notes as it had a transforming capacity, turning the writing into negative and giving it a forensic quality. I also liked the effect of the reversals and negative/positive relationships. Some of these qualities negate understanding and create a more gestural nature for the artwork. With this in mind I moved on to draw up some of the notes, inscripting my own mark on top of the found authors, enlarging the notes also brings out the marks and distinctive textures of the notes, which I have enjoyed exploring. The installation and configuration of all the works and presentations I have explored is going to be a trial of the medium of photography, projection and potentially drawing. I like to leave things open. 

 S: You’ve mentioned an interest in forensics – what is it about this area of research that fascinates you?

TG: My Father was a detective/policeman. So in a personal sense it has some currency but I also like the mixture of science and personal. It's the use of forensic process or language to evoke a wider narrative and mystery or investigation for the audience. I aim to involve a handwriting expert in the future presentations of this work. To create a dialogue and analysis of what I have found and this field. Actually from a cursory review of this field its divided into two areas, document analysis for courts and a type of psychological profiling. I will see where this all fits in further development.

S: What does a typical workday involve for you?

TG: My studio is in my head a lot of the time, my favourite space for contemplation at present is driving to Maryborough for work and sitting by the Cairn Curran waters. At present I work a lot of hours and creative time is a privilege but when I was in France, I found photographing and discovering at dawn and dusk really productive and then other activities during the day, driving visiting cultural sites etc. At night I love to draw, to settle into a really meditative space if I can.

S: What would be your dream creative project?
 

TG: I created two proposals for the Abbaye to return and present, the second was a large scale installation, which I proposed a team of artists and some interesting material to develop. It focusses on creating a fortress like maze for the visitors of the space. Further funding and opportunity to do this would be a 'dream creative project' realised and a fantastic way to extend my creative relationship so much further.
 

S: What are you looking forward to?   

More of what I already have and maybe more time for art. I look forward to working more with Punctum, I am participating in a mentoring project with them, so imparting some knowledge to others will be great. I enjoy all the artists, their energy and vitality in this region, so I know lots of good creative life blood will always be here to help me thrive, hopefully I also add to this as well. Lastly - I look forward to going back to France with my daughter next time, all going well!

Meet Your Maker: Deborah Parker

2011-11-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

S: Tell us a littlebit about your background. What path has led you to what you do now?

DP: Ok... my background... well, I grew up on afarm in NSW and although not fully appreciating it at the time I now realisehow special that was and how it has had such an impact on who I am.

I got the camera bug in school... my artteacher had a dark room set up and I was totally captivated by the magic. Afterfinishing school I studied graphic design for a year but decided it was notreally for me... so took an entry-level job with a regional TV station. Here Isaw that people got paid to go places and shoot pictures, all the news of theday... I thought that looked pretty good so wormed my way into a news cameraposition and that was the start of my visual media career... I shot and editednews for years, changing to still photography along the way shooting fornewspapers.

Still, photography won out because Ilove the fact that the whole story has to be captured in one frame... a splitsecond in time...

I eventually made the move from countryto city (Wagga Wagga to Melbourne), to study photography whilst honing myskills in a portrait studio.

Since then I continue to combine work inboth TV (just editing these days) and still photography... but when your"art" is your work its sometimes hard to re-find the passion and justdo it for pure enjoyment, and that's how this exhibition came along really... Iwas getting sick of photography because it came with clients’ expectations andmonetary pressure... so I thought ‘bugger this’ and just went for a walk oneday in the beautiful countryside of Malmsbury and took my camera ‘just for fun’and it was... I loved it... that's when art happens...

S: Wallflowers is a collection ofphotographic works that clearly have a lot of process in them. Could you talk abit about the processes you go through to get to a finished work?

DP: Well it starts with a photograph...composition and good light essential... then I take that image and overlay itonto another... I used textured images like rust predominately... there aresome great old tanks near my house oozing rustic decay... I then play aroundwith the colour, contrast, opacity, brightness, levels... I tweak everythingbasically... there is no set plan... its very organic I guess... a case of‘does that work?’ what happens if I do this"...nine times out of ten itdidn't work but then I'd hit on something that made me go yes!

S: Your work has awonderful sense of whimsy and nostalgia to it. Can you talk a bit about theideas behind these images?

DP: Well, it started out as just pictures ofweeds mostly, glittering in the sun, back lit, really beautiful en mass in apaddock... I didn't see them as weeds I thought they looked quite magical... Ididn't even set out to just photograph weeds, I was drawn to them and beforelong I realised I had quite a collection of this type of image... So I startedplaying around with them on my computer (my dark room) in an attempt to removethe photographic element... I wanted them to be more of an interpretation notjust a representation... So I started the overlay technique and experimentedwith different textures and kept coming back to the rust as I liked the senseof decay it gave the images. Someone described them as looking like paintingsthat had been left in an attic which had faded and rusted over time so now wesee only glimpses of their past beauty. I like that... it relates to this wholeidea of beauty... what IS beautiful? What do we expect to be beautiful... can adecaying photograph of a weed be beautiful?? I think it can :)

S: When starting anew body of work, where do you turn for inspiration and ideas?

DP: I am constantly inspired and always havea million ideas in my head... making those ideas come to fruition... welllllthat's called procrastination...

I see the world in a fragmented way... through a lens... you can take something ordinary and by zooming incropping out tilting... whatever... change it into something else entirely... Ilove that.... changing the perception of the expected... a common central themethat I keep coming back to in various ways.

S: Having done thetreechange from Melbourne to Malmsbury only a few years ago, have you foundthat your practice has changed or developed in anyway?

DP: Well not in any obvious way... but I guessit's fair to say that when I first moved to Melbourne I spent my weekendswalking the city and taking photographs of the urban landscape. It inspired mewith its architecture and structure... all man made and busy busy... similarlysince moving back to the country I am now drawn to nature ...it's peace andquiet and stillness... I think for any artist in any medium you are alwaysgoing to be influenced by your immediate surrounds... I moved to Malmsburybecause I want those things in my life... peace stillness... so I think it'sonly natural that that's what I end up creating??

S: What does a typical studio workday involve for you? How do youseparate time between your editorial work, field work (spending timephotographing etc) and then altering and enhancing images in the studio?

DP: Well I'm afraid Ispend more time on work related photography than I do on creative pursuits...It's a case of finding the time amongst trying to make a living and everythingelse life throws at you... I find I work best on my own personalstuff only when I feel like everything else is "in order" ie, thelawn's mowed, the house is clean and therefore my mind is less cluttered and I'mable to just relax and let the creativity come (and this is not afool proof plan by any means). I am easily distracted and there is alwaysa cup of tea to have! My favourite part of the photographic process, be it workor art, is coming back to my computer and downloading my images to see what I'veshot... from there I know what I have to work with... and I start to see thepossibilities...

S: What would be yourdream creative project?

DP: Hmmmmm... lets seeeeee... ok... well someonecould buy me a completely new state of the art camera kit and then give me aticket to Paris (or insert any amazing location) and say "be inspired."

Yeah that would be nice :)

S: What are youlooking forward to?

Winning a million dollars and dinnertonight!!! (not necessarily in that order!!!)

S: And lastly, why did you decide to exhibit at Stockroom?

First and foremost it's local and I'm all for supporting local business, local art and local community. I think it's fantastic that we have so many amazing art spaces in our area giving opportunity to all artists (from the very well known to those like myself starting to find their way) to exhibit their work. The Stockroom is such an ecletic space ... it's full of beautiful art made by very talented people... yet it didn't feel overwhelming or imposing. It felt like there was room for what I could offer and I'm so happy Jason and Magali have shown faith in my work... yayyyy :)

Thanks Deb! We're looking forward to seeing your work in the flesh. Wallflowers opens on 12 November from 4.30 - 7.30 pm. The show is on until 4 December. Hope to see you there for a drink!

Meet Your Maker: Jennyfer Stratman

2011-10-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

1 Tell us a little bit about your background. What path has led you to what you do now?

I have always been a creative person. If I look back I’d say it was in high school that a simultaneous interest in Ceramics and Earth Science/Astronomy classes captured my imagination. Working with my hands seems to have won out over pursuing a degree in science, but there certainly is a marriage somewhere in there. I continued with ceramics for years until my forms got skinnier and skinnier to the point where most of my work ended up broken. My ceramics professor suggested I take a foundry course and that’s where I fell in love. There are a lot of processes used to cast metal that teach you how to build and use other materials and tools. I really enjoy the hands on nature of sculpture and I think it’s somewhat empowering to know how to put things together and make something from nothing.

This path also led to meeting a certain someone backpacking through Europe many years ago, which then led to migrating to Australia, but that’s another story altogether.

2 Your studio practice is divided between Melbourne and Phoenix. How do you find balancing your time and energy between the two?

It is both exciting and exhausting. I have lived in Melbourne for nearly 11 years. I have found it challenging to make a full-time living from my work exclusively in Australia, so continue to practice from my studio in Arizona as well. My work is represented in five galleries in the US and Canada. I travel back 2-3 times per year for exhibitions or to bring new work to the galleries. The expense of shipping means it’s better for me to make my work in components to take with me to the US for finishing. By travelling there so often I can spend time with my friends and family and maintain my connection to that part of my life for which I’m grateful.

3 Do you find that your practice changes depending on whether you are in the U.S. or Australia?

I definitely work at a different pace when I’m in the US. Because I am on a fixed schedule, usually 6-9 weeks at a time, I work long hours and tend to make quicker decisions with form and composition. This sometimes works to my advantage and other times ends up being a project that gets put on the backburner. I have to say I think it has helped my sculpture evolve as I constantly work through ideas and move on to my next interest. It also means I continually have a deadline so I tend to be quite prolific. In Australia, I have more time to research and try new things, build larger works and also have a life!

4 Your work is an investigation into the ‘interconnections between all things from the subatomic to the galactic.’ Could you talk a bit more about this?

I guess I have always been fascinated with where we fit into the grand scheme of the universe. As an artist and nature lover, finding patterns and connections within the natural world is a constant source of inspiration. It’s a complex and elegant arrangement of essentially the same elements. While I’m mesmerised by things like quantum mechanics and string theory, my work is more of my own intuitive contemplation of these big ideas.

5 You tend to use metal as your primary medium, is there a particular metal that you are drawn to, and if so why?

I use a variety of metals for different looks and characteristics. For this show, I have primarily focused on aluminium for the wall-based pieces and bronze for the freestanding work. I love the reflective quality of aluminium. It gives the work an open, light feeling, which mixes well with the white pigments I’ve been recently using. The bronze works in this show have openness to them as well. I like to think of them as line drawings in space. Metal is a strong and durable material, but depending how it’s used can be soft, earthy and quietly contemplative.

6 What processes do you go through to get to the finished piece?

I could go on for days explaining the myriad of processes used in my work. This body of work is largely collages on aluminium. I cut, drill, nail, rivet, glue and paint pieces of metal to the panels. The collages are backed with wood, so there is the cutting, sanding and painting of the wood. A high-speed engraver is used to etch text and patterns into the metal. I cast my own pewter trees and other forms in my studio as it has a low melting point.

The bronze work is cast using the lost wax process. This requires specialised equipment and is done in a foundry. Having said that, all of my bronzes are still one of a kind. I make all of my waxes and do the welding and patina work myself.

7 A lot of your work tends to be suggestive of traditional two-dimensional paintings in their composition, but in reality are really quite sculptural. How would you describe these works?

From the beginning, I have used the wall or ceiling to install my sculptural works. There is a lot of freedom in these more painterly works because I don’t have to deal with engineering or gravity. I can paint or nail something on anywhere and it won’t fall over- it’s great!

While I have investigated the landscape in past work and how it was an influence on my identity, the landscapes in this show capture quiet moments of contemplation. While not specific landscapes, they interestingly look more like the Australian bush than anything I’ve previously made.

8 What does a typical workday involve for you?

Typically I start the day with a strong coffee and office work. This is the not so fun, but necessary part of making this a business as well as my life. I get into the studio between 9-10 and work until 6. Because of the nature of my work, I often have 20+ pieces on the go at one time. I may be working on waxes one hour, painting or gluing something the next and whilst that dries do some welding or metal grinding. Some of these repetitive processes can get tedious or tiring so I’m pretty fluid with the way I work. I also do my own photography, editing and website updating, so it’s more than a full-time job!

Thanks Jennyfer – what a fantastic insight into your practice, thank you for sharing with us!

Digby Banks "Social Contract 44"

2011-10-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Whats a Social Contract?

One afternoon when were were in our 20s we tried to balme our woes on the brady bunch. Everything for them was great, when things went bad for one of them the parents worked it out sensibly, Alice perked the kids up with her goofy comments and the other kids were supportive or owned up to what they had wrong and apologized or who ever it was just realized their mistakes or got realistic about the situation and moved on. The fridge was full they lived in an awesome house and went on holidays to Hawaii or the Grand Canyon. when they went to bed at night everything was hunky dory. Loads of media projected the same ideal society so we grew up with those models of society in the back of our minds, that our lives would be like that At some point we worked out that that reality was never going to happen. The Projection of these ideas is in effect a contract between the broarder society and the powers that be. We are all on the same page and heading in the same direction. These social contract are broken or expire now and then. Post wwii one finishes with the youth movement in the 60s and the Vietnam war, there is the oil crisis of 79, the recession of 1990, and the list goes on they are kind of obvious once they are over but not at the time.

How did this show come about?

We have know each other since we were teenagers and have shared ideas for a long time. Melissa studied painting and interior design and Digby studied film and video and later museum studies. Our topics of interest over lap all the time especially where there is a large question that isn’t amswered, something that is preposterous, or absolutely absurd. We also have a great delight in not knowing or wanting to know the reason or truth for some things. It keeps a small part of the world a mystery and intriguing. Melissa doesn’t want to know which way you change the you clock for daylight savings and I’m in denial about how the carrot isn’t actually the national vegetable of Vietnam.

So how did the show come about?

some furniture was bought at auction and in the lot was a box full of studio negatives of marriages from what we think is the 40s. as some of the men have army uniforms. We were looking at them thinking who are these people. Where are they from are there pictures of a kind of war bride factory? Are any of these people still alive.

Some of Melissas work in the past involved printing wedding dresses and dolls clothes and I have a 20 year collection of found photographs. This was a great find and we just thought we should do this. Plus neither of us has shown for a long time and its about time to get into image making again.

What have been the challenges in working from this kind of source material?

When you haven’t created the image or chosen the content of the image it can feel a little distant which in its self can be attractive. Having negatives is kind of odd too as the true nature of the image is kind of hidden until you turn it into a positive. The day we first saw one of the images in positive was quite surprising. These shadowy figures instantly burst into life. Also once you have found a starting point, it becomes easier to find a path to the interpretation of the images. Its finding that that point is the challenge.

What do you think the audience will get out of the 'social contract 44 show? As in what kind of experience do you hope they have?

In a way its really about image making. We love art and ideas, for sure, but wouldn’t be making too great claims about that in the work. We have moved away slightly from what we would normally do which isn’t surprising since neither of us can settle on one thing for too long. There is no video or painting but where there might normally be a mechanical mark it might have been replaced with a handmade mark and vice versa.

It would be good if people came away from the show knowing less than when they got there at least were amused by it.

Ry Hasking "Muzzle Zeal"

2011-09-25T00:13:00.000-07:00

Your new show is called Muzzle Zeal. Where did the name come from?

Its a take on Curb your enthusiasm which is a take on Whatever doesn't work which is a take on Whatever works.

How does the work in this show differ from the past?

My last few projects haven't been conventional gallery shows and I'm approaching this show more like a gallery show.

There are so many vibrant colours throughout your works. Do they act as symbols, or are they merely an aesthetic?

The abstract colour compositions are usually coded. Colours are assigned numbers and the numbers come from a variety of sources.
What is the attraction of creating a work for a specific space?

I consider the architecture, history and general function of a space important in regards to all the decisions made when preparing for a show.

Do you consider the viewer when creating wok or is it entirely a personal endeavour?

The viewer plays an active role in the network of relationships that a series of works proposes.

Your tertiary art education spans 15 years. Do you have a thirst for further development and learning?
I'm currently undertaking an MFA at Monash University

What is your next big dream, in art or otherwise?

I've never been to Europe before and I am currently looking forward to going there at the end of the year.

Also, why Curb Your Enthusiasm and Whatever Works? Larry David is obviously comedy God, but how did his work translate into an art show?

I don't really have a straightforward answer. All I can say is that these titles and therefore Larry act as reference points amongst many to be presented in the show that promote relations between them, the works, the viewers and the space. In one way it acts simply as a way to relate the two shows.

Meet Your Maker: Masato Takasaka

2011-09-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

Can you write an exhibition statement in the form of a sentence to sit alongside the title of the show "Whatever doesn't work"

Whatever doesn't work?...art doesn't have to 'work'...I like how art is a bit 'whatever' sometimes...sometimes I guess whatever doesn't works - works the best...maybe.

Your previous work looks like a crazy mash-up of colour and paper. Is it actually organised chaos?

Actually, it is a mash-up of previous work I have made- which makes the next work and so on...I try not to plan anything if I can help it..otherwise there would be no point in making the work if I already knew what I was doing...I tend to improvise with the elements of my installations, I guess it's a bit like playing guitar but not knowing how to play but making up the song as you go along and pretending that I know how to play...

How did you get into sculpture, and which modern sculptors are flicking your switch?

I'm not sure if you can call it sculpture...I try not to make anything I can help it...most of the time I end up ooking out of the window of my studio...kind of like that episode of Seinfeld where George Costanza gets a new job and doesn't know what to do...-mostly the elements I work with are already made, and each time I have an exhibition, it's like activating storage or something. I like the idea of arranging, instead of making.

Most of the the time I literally look at the past works that I have made, and then combine them with other found objects which I have come across or given to me by friends. I like the idea each time that I have an exhibition it is like constructing my own travelling museum so in a way I guess I am my own muse(um...)

I recently watched an excerpt of a clip on You-Tube where Warhol was asked "What do you think of Jasper Johns?" and he replies, "He makes a good sandwich...".

‘Whatever doesn’t works’ is kinda self-explanatory. Do you think that concept gives artist’s more confidence to proceed? ‘Cause either way it will work?

I guess art doesn't have to 'work'...again, I like playing guitar, sometimes I just like making up my own songs- making up my own scales...-and doing cover versions of myself and others -...I guess maybe like method acting, but I like to make up my own methods...which don't necessarily 'work' but in not working, it works for me or at least I can pretend it has worked...fake it 'till you make it!

The name stems from the Larry David movie. What’s your LD moment?

I prefer Seinfeld myself actually...did you say LSD moment? I havn't dropped acid in years...except having a half tab at art-school way back in the mid-latte nineties...

Your CV is so packed with exhibitions, awards and experience it is overwhelming. What’s been a highlight?

This show at Stockroom with Lane Cormick, Ry Haskings and Lisa Radford, because they all make great sandwiches...

Masato Takasaka
creative director

STUDIO MASATOTECTURES
progressive masatotecture + design
masterplanning the universe in space + time
http://studiomasatotectures.wordpress.com

Incidents in Time - Jason Waterhouse

2011-09-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

Incidents in Time is a series of works by Jason Waterhouse, depicting what at first glance appear to be banal representations of everyday settings, but upon closer inspection offer insight into intimate and strange moments.
Recently I had a chat to Jason about hislatest installation for the City of Ballarat. Nestled in the walkway of TimeLane, twelve artworks speak of the Artist’s interest in poetic moments, strangeoccurrences and the architectural nature of the site itself.

R.M.B.s
Did this commission have a brief and howdid that affect the direction you took?
The lack of specific brief or theme wasquite daunting in a way.  It feltlike a lot of rope … 
I was given the site of Time Lane, andasked to submit a proposal for a public work, and that was it.  
The Lane is narrow with pedestrian-onlyaccess, so a large placed work was out. There were the two obvious choices of suspended or wall works, but I wasmore interested in the character of the lane and its ‘incidental architecture’,as in broken bricks, disused pipes and holes. From this place I decided topropose a dozen small-scale sculptures that nestled into the walls andresponded to the character of the space and its marks of time.  
The small works are for me like sculpturaldrawings depicting slightly strange moments and happenings.  The sort of stuff that is almostprobable, a bit poetic, or a moment where you would say, “if only I had acamera … ”
  
Miner's Cottage 
How did the commission being‘site-specific’ affect the creation of this work?
While the commission was for a designatedsite (Time Lane), the commission did not specify that the work was to respondto the site, that was my choice. Things like scale and shape were directlyinfluenced by the site, as the works needed to physically fit. Indirectly, anumber of the stories told within works also relate to the urban/rural localityof Ballarat. I also like the idea of the discovery element to these works andtheir placement. They are not large tangible objects that one would expect ofpublic art, which is a credit to the City of Ballarat for going there.
  
Silver Cloud Corp. #2 
These pieces are quite surreal andwhimsical renditions of relatively banal everyday buildings and sites. Can youtalk a bit about what made you take that angle? 
 
I guess I’m interested in moments, bothimagined and plausible. I was also very conscious of the audience and wanted tocreate works that would resonate with the passers by.  I am aware of the cutesy scale of the works, which I hopewill bring an instant positive response and a smile. But if time is taken andthe viewer reads the work, the subjects are quite dark observations andmoments. I like this duality.
 
The Idyllic Getaway 
These works are made of mild steel, Cortensteel, and stainless steel and are permanent public works in Time Lane (offBridge Mall), Ballarat.
See more of Jason's work on his website.
 
Words by Lucy James
www.lucyjames.com.au

High-five for Spring-time

2011-09-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

The sun is finally starting to peek through the gloom of winter, so its time to crack out the good stuff. We're talking, of course about our amazing range of unused vintage eyewear of JOY!

More happy styles are in-store, but stock is limited, so be quick!

Meet Your Maker: Jessie Fairweather

2011-08-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

Were you a stationary nut as a child?

In a word, yes. I loved making little books, or notes or letters, that always had elaborate headings, borders and pictures, but mostly I loved surprising someone with a handmade paper something with a personal message, and gauging their reaction. Classroom time was generally spent drawing headings, and art was always my favourite class. Although that is a long time ago now, what I really like doing hasn’t changed all that much!

Where does your design inspiration come from?

My approach to design begins from a conceptual standpoint: the content and ideas are key and the aesthetics follow from there. The old school of: form follows function. Most of my inspiration comes from ideas: big ideas of astronomy from people like Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Paul Davies, or nature and evolution, Charles Darwin, Ernst Haeckel, and inventive designers from Buckminster-Fuller to Bruno Munari.

It also comes a lot from nature itself. I love botanical and anatomical illustration, birds, eggs, feathers, shells, patterns in nature and seasons, and underlying structures, and recurring number patterns, fractals... science and maths.

Some of your works use bright colours, others dark with black and gold. Does this come from your artistic eye or heart?

I went through quite a big phase of just using black and white – I loved the completely sparse feeling you get from absence of colour – and that the form had to work really hard to make the page come alive. Black always features heavily; mainly because my subject matter is often related to astronomy in some way. And recently, over the last year, I have become seduced by colour again and am really enjoying playing with vibrant colours, particularly for screen-printing. It is so satisfying and wonderful to be pulling colour across the screen, and then see it jump off the sheet just printed.

Tell us about being able to live off your art.

For me, graphic design enables me to live off creativity. This is my first year being involved in exhibitions and creating art. I am really enjoying the freedom of it, and also the physical act of making. I guess I feel it is important, at this point, to be approaching an art practice as aiming to create things that I believe in and am passionate about, and if other people like it then opportunity to live off it would be the dream!

How does research play a part?

I spend most of the time researching. Mainly reading books, and Google, and Wikipedia is great for random correlations and learning unexpected things. Research is central to any design or art project for me; it is where I find inspiration and ideas, and it gives the work a context, and most importantly - content. It all comes down to content, and communication. I like a meaty subject matter that I feel strongly about and want to have some kind of dialogue about.

You've won numerous design awards. Did that change your art practice in any way?

It is very nice to win an award, but not the reason for doing anything but more a means to an end: a connection with peers, and the more cynical sceptical me admits, the business end of things.

What did you want to express in new show "Everything is from Nothing"?

I am continuously drawn back to astronomy. The first time I was introduced to astronomy, in a way that really clicked for me, was when I was shown an image of a scattering of galaxies. The Milky Way was one tiny dot amongst many others, and every speck of light in the image was not a star, but actually a galaxy that could be much smaller, or larger than our own. It is kind of impossible to fathom that beyond our own galaxy, there are potentially infinite galaxies. When I first saw that image, it was the first time the monument of the universe made some kind of sense to me, and the following wonder of my place as one human being, and all the myriad of flora and fauna and seemingly infinite and amazing minutia of existence. I never have believed in a god, or creation, but here I found something I could believe in and be inspired by.

Since being introduced to this first image – I have done quite a lot of reading on astronomy, and it is a pivotal subject matter for me – both creatively and personally. Astronomy raises questions of belief, mortality, and existence. And I find it quite an unrelenting subject because whilst there has been amazing advances in our understanding of our planet, and progress on the universe at large: the ultimate question is unanswered: is there a grand unified theory of the universe and, if so, exactly where do we fit into it? What are we doing here, apart from enjoying some excellent company, having some fine times, and enjoying a lovely drop of wine? So I decided to explore that question: the beginning – where we might come from and how, and discovered that the best theory going at the moment is that everything that we know comes from nothing; and came into being in a spontaneous explosion; everywhere and all at once. Beyond our imagination and realm of possibility.

Is there a reason you chose Stockroom?

I have had the pleasure of knowing Jason and Magali for the last couple of years – since they opened Wolf at the Door in Hepburn. That was a beautiful and great space, and their amazing undertaking at Stockroom is that ten-fold. They have breathed new life into an old stock room of a completely different kind, and created a place that is a joy to be in, and a celebration of the arts and culture.

“Everything is from Nothing" will exhibit from September 17 - October 9, at Stockroom.

Can you hear me, Major Tom?

2011-08-20T17:26:00.001-07:00

Last night Major Tom opened an amazing set of installations in the Project Space at Stockroom. A hidden video,
a goldfish, and a whole lotta 100s & 1000s just some of the oddities that made up this unique show. But enough about how much we love it.

What did you think of the show?

Meet Your Maker: Cameron Robbins

2011-08-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Your work has been described as kinetic sculpture. Can you explain that term?

It’s always hard to describe art. ‘Kinetic’ is a word used to describe scultpures that move - which does describe some of the works I do. Unfortunately, it’s a little dated and does limit the understanding of work such as drawing machines and dynamic mechanical systems connected to elemental forces – such things aren’t only about movement. The drawing machines are more like instruments and can even be thought of as prosthetic - an extension of the mind and body. They are not automatic, but must be played and practiced in order to perform.

Does nature equate to limitless inspiration?

One thing I am attracted to about wind and weather is that the scale is pretty much “nought to infinity”: from barely noticeable to extreme destruction. So using this to motivate artwork lends a beautiful dynamic – although it’s very challenging to work with elements such as the ocean, where the engineering becomes quite onerous and much work has to be done to make the work responsive but resilient.

However, I now realize that ‘nature’ is a troubled term. Thinking about nature as a concept leads quickly to questioning what it represents and where the idea came from. Humans are as much a part of nature as wind or ants or comets, and the more our technology can act like the beneficial living things (such as most plants), the likelier is our comfortable survival. Also, nature is not all good –asteroid impact, volcanoes, viruses…

What has been your proudest art moment?

My son getting A+ for Art in VCE. It’s all his work of course, but hopefully his parents provided some support along the way. Second was probably playing improvised music with Brian Ritchie (bass player from the Violent Femmes, now curator for MONA FOMA in Hobart) alongside my ocean wave-powered pipe-organ installation, at the end of a Hobart pier in front of a crowd for MONA FOMA 2009 - followed by table tennis and astronomy discussions with David Walsh.

You make science beautiful, graceful. Is this intentional?

Thank you, yes I do like to make nice drawings and captivating objects if I can. But I have come to understand that my attraction to the science world is about the accidents, some of the appartatus, and the visual outcomes. I am not so interested in proving anything or creating repeatable experiments to back up theories, which is the driving force of science. I’m happier getting wrapped up in the mysteries and what is generally beyond knowledge.

Also a jazz musician on clarinet and tenor sax - is music essential while creating your artworks?

Hopefully the title ‘Working with Atmosphere’ alludes to creating a nice work environment including music, and also to the playing of wind instruments. Some works such as the wave-powered pipe-organ incorporate music.

In times of studio production I can work with music, it is great to be in the zone. However I really enjoy quiet for thinking about what to do next – I find it quite a challenge with the creative and technical decisions of sculptural machines and instruments. Music is great for drawing and painting. Sometimes in group studios, other people’s music can become irritating, so quiet is a happy compromise.

What did you want to explore in your new show "Working with Atmosphere"?

I am hoping to generate intrigue with some new shapes derived from wind drawings, and to work with the massive old chimney in the space to create a work about interior/exterior airflow.

Why did you choose to exhibit at Stockroom?

The directors Jason and Magali are very good to work with, and creating a great gallery and scene at Stockroom. The fact that they thought of me when they saw the huge old chimney was enough to make me feel excited to take on the show, as a continuation of my exploration of site-specific work connected to the outdoor elements.

What's on the cards for Cameron Robbins?

After the ‘Working with Atmosphere’ opens, I am showing at the Korean International Art Fair with Sydney gallery GBK. I’ll be in Seoul for 5 days, then on to explore Japan by shinkansen – bullet train - while researching a project there. Back in Australia, I am organising an on-site project at a weird magnetic mountain - a 4 hour hike between Falls Creek and Mt Hotham - to try to create some work about that.

"Working with Atmosphere" will exhibit from September 17 - October 9, at Stockroom.

Meet Your Maker: Dale Fort

2011-08-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

There is a tranquility to your landscape paintings. Can you tell us where you draw you inspiration from?

I take most of my inspiration from my immediate surroundings. I live in central Victoria out on the fertile plains and surrounded by an endless horizon and monumental skies. The tranquility in my paintings is a result of me being able to be still in the moment in the landscape. To listen and to observe, without noise or clutter that man imposes on the landscape. So in my works I find that I am able to celebrate the majesty of the silence of an horizon that is eternal and so provoke these feelings of tranquility.

What is the process you go through when creating work?

I see my works as gestural studies and responses to the landscape and its ever-changing seasons and moods. So when I approach a new work, I believe that a lot of the work has been done by my daily deciphering of the land I inhabit, and such I am able to employ my gestural mark making process without hesitation; choosing to be inspired by what is going on around me at the moment, be that a mist or a wind or a particular colour in the sky as the moon begins to do her thing, every evening!

Once the quiet story begins to reveal its self…for me, it then becomes a process of layering gestural marks and translucent glazes, building up the surface until I feel some level of harmony and balance has been achieved. In these works, that harmony is all about a silence and stillness, as colour plays a minor part in these twilight landscapes.

Is there a theme that runs through your work or a key message you attempt to convey to the viewer?

In most of my landscapes the horizon usually plays an important role in my process of finding the right balance of sky and land, to suggest a certain depth of field and a feeling of space. With these new works I give the viewer the chance to witness those still and silent moments when the moon rises above the constant horizon, illuminating a glimmering twilight landscape. I would like people to pause in front of these works and enjoy the stillness and the silence that I am trying to convey in these intimate, spatial nocturnes.

What can we expect from you stockroom show “Nocturnes”?

My works from previous exhibitions have been mostly large works on paper; gestural works full of colour and movement. With this body of work, I have chosen a much smaller format: 16 or so small works on linen and canvas, which accompany larger works informed by these smaller studies. Nocturne refers to a romantic nocturnal landscape that captures the softness of the evening twilight. All of the works are called nocturne and all are crepuscular landscapes…that is they all pertain to a study of twilight glimmerings and on an intimate scale.

Have you found your favourite landscape?

Hard to answer…there are many but I do also have a few favorites. “Moonrise” by David Davies will always inspire and hence has, but I would also like to mention a work by the Zen calligraphy artist called Kim Hoa Tom, a unique artist who provides a great insight into the interconnections between illusion and the mind. The work “Becoming one” I saw in an Exhibition of his, which happened to be called “moon in Reflection”. It is an image of a meditating monk with his chanting and meditations becoming an undulating landscape around him. Monk becoming mountain and moon rising, man and nature are interchangeable and have become one. This is also a theme I investigate in my work, the connection I, and we, all have to the land and the cosmos.

You can see Dale Fort's new show "Nocturnes" at Stockroom from August 20 - September 11.

Meet Your Maker: Jennie Stewart

2011-06-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

On July 16th you will open your show “Landscapes and Longings” at Stockroom. What is the show about?

All art is a means of making public a personal obsession. It seems that my obsession is with the landscape. It’s difficult to explain why an artist does what they do – it’s hardly a rational thing. These paintings represent years of fiddling around trying to express something, presumably meaningful, about my interest in the landscape. They also represent years of looking and thinking about other peoples’ art. On a ridiculously basic level, of course they are simply daubs of coloured paint on canvas. I’m more than happy for the viewer to decide.

What inspires you?

Other artists who have remained true to their vision and who have persistently worked to realise their vision.

Exhibiting since 1994, with tertiary qualifications in both Visual and Fine Arts; could you imagine dedicating your life to anything else but art?

My first qualification was is in political and social theory, but I’m not convinced that what you do or have done is as important as how you do it. It’s the passion that’s important. No matter what your calling, if you carry through with conviction, energy and integrity then that’s sufficient to provide meaning in life. So, should a new interest emerge for me that demanded my undivided attention then of course I would have no option to pursue it with the same qualities I outlined above.

“Be true to your passion” is what I say. Incidentally, I recently had cause to research the etymology of the word passion. It is interesting to note that passion comes from the same latin root as patience: pati . And it doesn’t mean to flow with exuberance, it means to suffer.

What are the challenges you have faced as an artist?

Finding time for my art is the greatest challenge. Having raised a family and worked for a living, I am fully conscious of the demands of modern life. The biggest challenge for me is to ensure that art making is a priority. I rarely succeed with this. I am resigned to painting intermittently and sometimes weeks go by and I haven’t lifted a brush. I just have to accept this situation.

How do you know when a work is “done”?

A work is “done” or “resolved” when it no longer irritates me. It is an ineffable thing, this “finished work” business. I think it’s a bit like magic.

You grew up in regional Victoria. How does this influence the themes of your work and the materials you choose?

My memories of growing up on a farm on the plains of western Victoria sustain a great deal of my imagery. It was quite a revelation when I realised that the mountain shape that keeps recurring in my current set of paintings is, of course, Mt Elephant. Or is it Mt. Leura, Mt Myrtoon, or the Wirigil Hills, Mt Porndon, or Mt Noorat…all of which were visible from my home.

The dramatic west coast near Port Campbell is also of special importance. My grandmother’s family were pioneers there and I am compelled to return to that region. It has a magnetic pull that I am more than willing to submit to. I sometimes drive there and back in a day in order to satisfy a type of yearning, hence the “longing” in the title of this show.

What does a space like Stockroom do for regional art?

Places like Stockroom challenge the predominant notion that art practice in regional areas is somehow parasitic or in thrall to the authority of the city. Certainly, artists living and practicing outside of the city experience a sense of difference that sets them apart from their city colleagues but it is unhelpful to dwell on these differences or to set up false dichotomies between city and regional artists.

Places like Stockroom give expression to the way art interfaces with its community. I applaud Stockroom for its faith in regional artists and its celebration of art that arises out of a commitment to a specific area.

What do you long for?

My landscapes embody a longing for the vast open spaces where I feel most at ease. I long also for an appreciation of the landscape as a vital subject of artistic concern. But mostly I long for the time and space where I can paint and draw to my heart’s content.

'Landscapes and Longings' will show at Stockroom July 16 - August 14.

Meet Your Maker: Teresa Poletti Glover

2011-06-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

Teresa, you studied painting before becoming a self-taught leadlight artist and a self-taught textile artist. Do you think confidence is vital to creativity?

I have played with a lot of different art mediums and gained so much from each of them. I think that confidence is definitely required to put your work out there, but I do not think it’s the main requirement of creativity. I think that my creativity is more aligned to just being passionate about the making, with a strong connection to what’s around me.

What has textile art allowed you to express that other mediums didn’t?

Textile and natural fibres offer so much in art expression. The combination of texture, softness, shape, 3D, vibrant and earthy colours, strength, light and dark, and how it captures light. Then there is the integration of grass, sticks and leaves that I find in the bush. The possibilities and the combinations are endless.

With your husband, you designed and built the solar powered earth house you live in. Prior to that, you lived self-sufficiently in the forest. How does your experience with nature affect your choice of materials?

The materials that I use are often part of my natural surroundings.

They may consist of an incredible black fleece someone has given me, some wool dyed with gum leaves from a fallen tree, some recycled silk, and special rock, stick, or some fibre from the forest floor gathered during one of my morning walks.

Being close to the bush is a conscious choice, and our house reflects our environmental ethics. It makes for a quiet and simple life, working with the light of day, and enjoying quiet evenings.

How does it affect the theme of your work?

I am very conscious of light and dark, of seasons, and the sounds of the bush. There is a relativity to place that comes through my art. This series of vessels is very much about the strong forms found in nature; the strength of the ironbark tree. The theme of my work will always relate to place through how I live and interact with the landscape, vegetation, and the fibre closely observed and subtly utilized within my art.

Do you think the community is becoming more environmentally conscious? And as such does it show in their response to your work?

The response to a natural fibre vessel that is slow, organic and chemical free is pretty incredible from most people. The artwork carries its own message. I think that people are becoming more environmentally conscious in many ways.

In July your work will show, in collaboration with Petrus Spronk, in ‘The quietness of clay, the stillness of wool; a meditation’. The show explores the tall vessel. Do you see this tall vessel as a recurring metaphor in your work?

Exploring the tall vessel in collaboration with Petrus has been an amazing experience for me. In this exploration I have placed all of my focus on tall, strong vessel forms. The progression of my artwork has been in leaps through the technical elements that enabled the development of this collection of vessels. I have found that it is such an expressive sculptural form that exhibits elegant curvature, colour, and texture. I am not quite sure where this work will take me in the future.

One of your pieces is called ‘The evening light fading - accompanied by the song of a solitary bird’. It sounds surreal to a girl who lives on a major intersection in Melbourne. Was it important to show your work in regional Victoria as opposed to the city?

I think it’s vital that you are known and seen in your local region and that is why we have chosen the Stockroom Gallery space to show our artwork. It is a quiet open space. It is also incredibly quiet here and often my artwork titles reflect something in the making of that art. I remember the birdsong in the still evening I was working on this vessel; it was a golden whistler with a beautiful melodic song. It has flown to warmer weather now the days are cooler. Guess you would not hear many of them where you are.

Your textile artwork is versatile and has moved through felt making, natural vegetation dye, detailed stitch, and sculptural vessel art forms, how has this art journey evolved?

My art is always about the attention to making. I began my textile art making with scrap fibre from the local woolen mill some years ago. Through using this recycled wool, alpaca, silk, and thread I learned how certain fibre reacts through the technical aspects of wet felt making. Making many large rugs in modern landscape designs, I found that the commercially dyed colours from the local mill were limiting, and it was sometimes difficult to express the warmth of the land around me, so I started dyeing fibres with native vegetation.

The vibrant hues from the natural dyed fibres were and are very attractive. The dyeing of fibres and recycled fragments of fabric lead me toward random stitch and sculptural forms.

Much of this progression has happened in a global context through my website and blog where I talk to a wide circle of artists on a regular basis. I have found over the years that the art community is changing in a global way through the internet.

In the past my art work has been spread over a number of textile techniques, but felt, dye and stitch have now come together in this collection of tall vessels.

'The quietness of clay, the stillness of wool; a meditation' will show at Stockroom July 16 - August 14.

Meet Your Maker: Petrus Spronk

2011-06-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

Petrus, your ceramic works have been shown both around Australia and overseas. Do you see ceramics as an international art form?

From our Australian point of view this is probably the case but in other cultures, which are also part of this international space, this may be viewed differently. While in Korea for an art residency some years ago, ceramics seemed one of the revered expressions of that culture, and was not necessarily seen as an international art from. I don't know if it was an art, craft, or any other expression of human activity. While in turkey ceramics was not an art form, but a way of making an income and so on.

Why did you choose ceramics as the tool for your self-expression?

The main motivation in my work and life is: the love for making beautiful things with my hands.

During my time at art school I had to make a choice between 2 and 3 dimensional work. 3D always suited me better; felt right for me. As a child I always made things rather than making drawings of things. This continued into making my house, my work in the studio and many other activities which involved my hands.

You have produced big public art works in Melbourne and Daylesford, but your upcoming solo show ‘Black Moon-Light’ looks at the ceramic journey of the bowl. Is there a higher level of intimacy when making smaller works?

The public art commissions are just great and very occasional gigs. The work in my studio is my soul work and is a continual journey of the bowl which has been going on since 1975 when an American Indian Medicine man pointed at the setting (first) moon and told me we call that the receiver. Somehow this clicked.

It has been, and continues to be, a great and wonderful journey which has taken me both around my outer and inner world, and inspired wonderful adventures for both the body and the spirit.

The public works always involve many other people and forces while the work in the studio is an expression of my own private creative spirit, which is as stated before, a solitary activity; a bit like writing poetry.

As an artist what excites you about your solo show, and working in collaboration with Teresa Poletti Glover in 'The quietness of clay, the stillness of wool; a meditation'?

Each solo show is like an examination for the student of (in my case) ceramics. I am testing myself and I am being tested by the reaction of the audience. It is the result of a period of quiet, intense and meditative activity, the outcome of which I share with anyone interested.

The collaboration with Teresa was exciting because it created another approach to my work in clay. It allowed me to once again play (making stuff without the expectation of an outcome) with the material, which was a refreshing experience.

On August 6 you will present a floor talk at Stockroom. What can the audience expect from the event?

A series of stories of those experiences which have shaped my work, from my eight year hitchhiking journey around the world, to my wonderful residencies in Korea, to my experiences in my studio; interesting anecdotes. My floor talk aims to inspire, hopefully creates a high for the audience and will not bore them with information about irrelevant technical stuff.

Your work is also showing at the prestigious National Gallery of Victoria, and later this year at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery! How does it feel to have such a successful year? What have you learnt from it?

A selection of my work will show in both places, this is a wonderful experience and a bit like a cherry on my ceramic activities cake. I have not necessarily learnt anything from it. I just am grateful for all I receive.

How important are art spaces like Stockroom for the art community?

I can't speak for the art community, but personally I feel any space dedicate to the Arts is a winner. If we look at the space which is given to any other expression of human endeavor, such as sport, we have a long way to go. Places such as Stockroom are making an incredible contribution.

And (with the year you’re having) will you remember us when you are rich and famous?

The concept of 'rich and famous' has nothing to do with my art work, which is a solitary activity in most cases. I have always been rich, because 'rich' is a state of mind, and in my case, I have been rich all of my life because I have been able to do what it was I needed to do.

Part of being rich for me was figuring out the difference between my wants and needs very early on in the piece as a result I have not had to work that much, which gave me a great deal of freedom and I learned how to deal with that so that it became beneficial.

As far as 'famous' is concerned, that is an aspect in other people’s minds, and has nothing to do with me. However, if it had, I would be careful not to let it go to my head, because if that stuff (success) goes to your head it would leave your heart, and that would be disastrous.

'Black Moon-Light' & 'The quietness of clay, the stillness of wool; a meditation' will show at Stockroom July 16 - August 14.

Meet Your Maker: Oliver Cole

2011-06-04T20:31:00.001-07:00

You grew up in the Macedon Ranges. How has regional Victoria influenced your art?

Growing up in the Macedon Ranges has had a huge influence on my photography. The Macedon Ranges is fortunate to have such variation in landscapes from the rivers that weave their way through the district and on to the rocky granite hills of the Great Dividing Ranges that undulate through the district. The Macedon Ranges still holds on to its strong rural qualities all within an hour’s drive of Melbourne.

Regional Victoria has influenced my work incredibly. I look at the landscape and will try and find an interaction between man and the environment. A lot of my work is documentation in style to show a time or situation. The drought over the last decade for instance was incredible to shoot; you had the beauty in the landscape but at same time the land was being brutally punished by nature itself.

What attracted you to photography? What special power does it hold?

Since I was child I have always been fascinated by photography; from early days as a child flicking through National Geographic, TIME and Life magazines at home. I am fascinated by photography as a form of documentation of one exact moment in time. With photography I love that feeling of what I see is what you get with my work.

Do you work with through any other medium?

Photography is my medium but I take influences into my photography from other mediums. I look at my photography and will ask myself, “how would this look as a painting?”

Given careful consideration your works are quite emotive. Can you tell you’ve take a great shot by how it makes you feel?

My photography is about honesty. I am not going out to shoot an image so I can get on to Adobe Photoshop later to manipulate it. What I see through the lens is the result I want when it is developed. I guess you could say in the honesty of my work there will always be an emotion in my work, because it’s all about seeing something and replicating that time and a place into an image that you can hopefully admire and appreciate for its honesty.

To get the great, or know you have taken a great shot to me may not come till later, when I have sat down and seen what I have taken. I need to sit back and look at the image for its composition, its theme and colour - these are all qualities that are needed in a shot; to know I have taken a great shot.

I once saw a piece of graffiti which said “Embrace Imperfection”. In your works you Embrace the Common… and yet somehow make it uncommon. Can you talk a bit about that?

I say my work is common in the theme but it can be interpreted for bracing uncommon qualities. I always shoot for a theme or a composition but beauty can be found in anything, it’s just how hard you look to find beauty. Once I find the beauty in the common I must capture it for the shot.

You’re now based in Kyneton. What does it mean to the town to have a space like Stockroom, and for you to be able to exhibit there?

Yes, I am based in Kyneton. Having Stockroom open has been fantastic. Macedon Ranges is fortunate in that there is an array of extremely talented artists and crafts people, many whom have lived in the district for decades, and with new people moving into the district, Stockroom has filled a void in Kyneton. It’s a fantastic gallery and now has great coffee too.

What photo moves you the most?

I must say there is no image that moves me more for the show. All the images move me. I find it extremely hard to say this image moves me more than another image. It is incredibly hard to try and narrow a show down to 20 images, let alone down to one image.

People always say if their house was burning down they’d grab the photo album first. Would you?

Each image chosen for this show moves me in their own unique way. Hopefully when you get down and see the show you will see what I am talking about.

Yes that’s true if your house was burning down the first thing you would grab would be the family photo album. I guess I would grab my laptop - that’s the modern day equivalent of the family photo album.

CATCH OLIVER'S NEW SHOW "LANDSCAPES & TRUCKS" IN STOCKROM'S PROJECT SPACE FROM JUNE 15 - JULY 10

Meet Your Maker: Rhett D'Costa

2011-06-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

Rhett, in your work you have used paint, markers, newsprint, linen thread and a multitude of other media; is freedom an important aspect of your work?

I was formally trained as a painter. I always think about issues in my work as if I were painting; except I don’t feel bound by the medium. I am happy to use any material and process in my practice, relevant to the content or ideas in my work. It is the set of ideas that I am I interested in. I explore the best way to visually bring forward these ideas, and in doing so the appropriateness of the materials.

You lecture in painting at RMIT. Does working with younger artists keep your own work fresh? And does it give you an insight into future art trends?

Well not all my students are younger than me. In fact when I first started teaching I was often mistaken for a student in the first class, but I understand what you are asking.

I feel so lucky that each day I get to spend time with people who are grappling with the same stuff as me. That is trying to find an appropriate visual language for a set of ideas. For me making art is about the experience of living in the world. I don’t worry about ‘trends’ in art. But certainly I try to keep as up to date as possible about what is happening in contemporary practice, globally. I expect my students to do this, so I guess I need to know what is happening as well.

There are beautiful flashes of colour through your work. Where does that come from?

Yes, colour is important. It has always been important in my work. I am beginning to understand that for me, colour is cultural. I cannot get away from my early experiences of India; particularly colour, its combination. I see it in Persian miniature painting, in saris, in bazaar culture, my home environment, in soft furnishings; it’s everywhere in India. Sometimes it’s right up front and in your face, but sometimes, as you rightly describe, it’s ‘beautiful flashes of colour.’

Born in Bombay, your work has been shown from Swanston Street to Singapore and even Seoul in South Korea.

How does your experience of all of these different cultures add to you as a person and furthermore to your work?

I guess we all have a relationship to the global. Even if our relationship to the global is only through technology, we communicate in a global landscape. For me, my relationship to my culture is at the core of my art practice. I am Anglo-Indian. I have a dual ethnicity: half Indian, half English. I suppose I have always lived between cultures, two great cultures. Being born in Bombay is significant. Bombay is such a complex city on many levels; culturally, historically, geographically. I am looking more closely at this in my research. It is throwing up all sorts of interesting possibilities and certainly influencing the work I am making.

Your new exhibition ‘Here With You’ is a group show with fellow RMIT lecturers Robin Kingston and Fran Van Riemsdyk. What are the advantages of working with other artists?

I have known both Robin and Fran for so many years now, as artists, as colleagues and as close friends.
We have many shared interests both within our art practices and outside of them. It’s the conversations that are the advantages of working with other artists. It’s building and sharing of experiences. We each work in different ways.
For this show, we deliberately didn’t try and work thematically around a set of specific ideas. Instead we thought we might see what the show might throw up in terms of ideas. We didn’t try and predict this. It’s the starting point. The title of the show, I think, takes this same position. ‘Here With You’ is a song title by the performance artist Laurie Anderson. We liked that there is this inherent code of shared experiences, or the potential for shared experiences, (in the title of the show) between the artists, the artwork and the audience.

As a lecturer you would know the challenges that upcoming artists face. How important is regional art, and a space like Stockroom, to new artists and the wider artistic community?

I moved to Central Victoria from Melbourne about ten years ago. I didn’t think about being away from the ‘centre’- Melbourne. I don’t think like this. But I know it is probably how most people operate. I don’t think about ‘regional art’. Art is many things to many people; that’s fine. For me, I think about art and art practice from a critical perspective. That is why I wanted to show at Stockroom.

I think what Jason and Magali are doing with Stockroom is so important for the area, because they are taking risks. They are prepared to support shows which might be seen as challenging, or that don’t immediately show a commercial return.
They have created a space that allows artists who are seriously engaged with their practice to put forward their ideas.

With all the commercial pressures that exist in the world, this is becoming more rare. Stockroom is such a great model; it does so many things well, in terms of art, design, education, business, community.
Really, we are lucky to have Stockroom; it is a credit to Magali and Jason.

How can you best use the space for your art?

Well it’s a great space. We are all working sight/site specifically, so are aware of the space in the context of installing the work.

What do you hope that we take from your work, and the show?

Well, I haven’t shown this work before. I have been working on some ideas for a while now without getting the work to a ‘resolved’ state. When I actually install the work it will be the first time I will see it, so it’s a risk. I am in the middle of a PhD, so this work relates directly to my research. The title of my research is; ‘Shimmering Spaces: Installation Art informed by an Anglo-Indian experience.’ I guess I am using the opportunity to test a series of ideas that I have been working on. In a way, most of my recent exhibitions have taken this tact. I don’t really have any expectations about what one might ‘take’ from the work.
In a general way, I always hope that the work allows an entry for the viewer on multiple levels. For some people the materials might act as a signifier of content, others might be reminded of the spaces they have been to or lived with, objects might trigger memories or associations.

The work is experiential. I hope I create a set of conditions that allow entry for the viewer at a point that is relevant to their situation.

CATCH RHETT'S NEW SHOW "HERE WITH YOU" AT STOCKROOM FROM JUNE 15 - JULY 10

Meet Your Maker: Fran Van Riemsdyk

2011-06-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Fran, you have been producing art for almost 40 years. How has your art and your art practice changed in this time?

Well…not quite forty years but it has been quite a while. My work has shifted and changed along side my own experiences but since the late 1980’s the strongest influence on the way I make work has been the ability to access computer technology. I didn’t have the first mac ever made, but I think I came close to having the second.

You have lectured in Digital Imaging and it featured repeatedly in your own work. What part does technology play in your art?

I have always worked with digital imaging in relationship to traditional studio practice. Using technology is the way I produce most of my work.
The visual images we experience each day generally come from a computer using standard imaging software. I use this same process to create works that visually interlink with the types of images we see everyday but offer different readings.

Does technology bring freedom to your work or force you towards perfection?

I use computer software in the same way as I would use any other art making material or process ie. as a tool. Although using the computer is quite a contemporary way of making art, I use it in a very traditional way. I will often spend days or weeks pulling an image to pieces to understand how it works in order to change it. Having said that, it certainly is extremely easy and quick to create certain types of images. The freedom it brings to the work is the ability to go through a multitude of visual possibilities in a relatively short period of time.

Of a Dutch/Indonesian background and having worked in Hong Kong, along with your life in Australia, means you have been privy to many different cultures. What have you taken from your experiences?

Most of the people around me come from a multicultural background so it has always seemed natural for me to be informed by different cultural bits and pieces. The work I am showing in Stockroom has its roots in my father’s history. He was trained as a horticulturalist in pre ww2 Holland and his education was rigorous and exacting. He helped me establish my own garden and I loved his clarity and attention to detail.

Is there a recurring theme in your work? What motivates you to create?

For the past 20 or so years I have been interested in how the viewer creates meaning from what they see and how this is informed by their own belief systems. My art work investigates how visual strategies used in areas such as science, or business can be applied to Fine Art to create readings that traverse both areas.

The project I am currently working on is slightly different in that it contains actual objects. This work forms part of an ongoing project which examines the role of the constructed natural environment as found in the suburban garden and how this role connects to social and cultural beliefs/behavior concerning the natural world.

How do you use space? And how do you intend to use the Stockroom space?

Generally when I have a show I consider the space first then make work that will discuss both my ideas and the space together. When I first saw Stockroom I was very excited about the concrete plinth in relation to a project that I am currently working on. The plinth is like a mini stage in a building that reveals its history both in its internal structure (particularly the brick walls) and in its location. The work that I am showing investigates ideas related to the constructed suburban garden, so Kyneton is an ideal place to exhibit this work as it sits within the country but still has strong links to the city.

After 40 years do you still get excited about new artist spaces and a new show?

Yes!!!! Each new space is just as exciting as the last.

What do you hope that we take from ‘Here With You’?

This will be a new work that consists of a series of rose cuttings and a diagram. Through the use of numbers the viewer is encouraged to mentally reconstruct the parts. Each viewer will bring their own experience and logic to this.

CATCH FRAN'S NEW SHOW "HERE WITH YOU" AT STOCKROOM FROM JUNE 15 - JULY 10

Meet Your Maker: Robin Kingston

2011-06-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Robin, in 1978 you won the St. Leo’s College Prize for one of your abstract paintings, and more than 30 years on the form still fascinates you. What is it about abstract art?

Abstraction is a sophisticated universal language with a long history not only in the west, but originating at the beginning of human culture where it may have had more concrete meanings. It incorporates visual and experiential information both in the making and in the viewing, that work on a number of levels.

Without reading your PhD thesis (and in 25 words or less), is there room for rational thought in abstract painting?

Yes. Rational thought operates in the choice of formal visual language used when I start a work and in the analytical choices used when nudging a work to completion.

You lecture in painting at RMIT and studied your PhD there in 1998, how does your work reflect the constant exchange of ideas available through tertiary education?

As part of my work at RMIT I run the New York Study Tour and return every year to a city I lived in for 10 years. This allows me to view major shows and artworks first hand. This experience and the research whilst preparing for the tour, feed directly into my practice and teaching. I enjoy the exchange of ideas with students. It works both ways – I learn lots from them too.

You also studied, and received awards for your work, at the New York Studio School. How did your time in NY affect your art?

Hugely! I would not be the artist I am without my experience of New York. I needed to experience artworks first hand, unmediated – to learn directly from them –historical and contemporary. Art has kudos in New York and it is taken very seriously. Still pretty much everything gravitates to NY – ideas, thinkers, major shows, contemporary art and there are lots of ways to operate as an artist there. Art and culture is valued.

A Series of Variables is a huge work. What are the ‘abstract’ advantages of working across a large space?

The work is always made in direct relationship to the space. I am always mindful of how the viewer will move through the space and what I am asking them to engage with in the work.

The body, or the performative, is considered both for me and for the viewer.

You also have the ability to move your work and re-create it in a new space. How does that benefit the artwork and you as the artist?

Every space has its own issues and challenges. What I can change and what I can’t etc. I do not plan a work and ‘fit it to the site’. It actually works the other way around – the work is dictated by the site. I have a vocabulary that changes each time I make a new work. No work is repeated as it is a new experience depending on the site. This is exciting and a challenge. I work intuitively and have no idea exactly what a work will look like until it is finished.

Space is certainly no issue within the huge refurbished factory walls of Stockroom. Being city-based what motivated you to take your work to Kyneton?

I grew up in the country, so Kyneton is reminiscent of the town nearest to the family property in NSW. The country is a source of inspiration to me as I spend a lot of time walking and contemplating. I enjoy country towns – everything is so accessible, so am looking forward to my time in Kyneton whilst painting in the work.

Abstract art often feels quite futuristic, which will work in contrast to the historic feel of Piper Street. Is there something exciting about bringing old and new together?

I have not considered this issue in relation to this exhibition. I have never considered Abstract art futuristic. My work is made with attentiveness to the surroundings so we will see if it arises whilst painting in the show.

Your work will be shown with fellow artists Rhett D’Costa and Fran Van Riemsdyk. How important is the art community?

My peers are important to me. I love engaging with their artworks. We don’t often discuss art – more issues of interest such as dogs, food, gardens, shoes and clothes…. For me art arises out of things I consider important in my life – observation, perception and reading included.

And finally, what do you hope people get from your piece?

My work deliberately looks easy – it is however very complex. My work is all about issues in painting. I hope that people will slow down enough to engage with the work and that they will find surprises that encourage them to look harder. What they see on first encountering the work will with work, unfold. The work is experiential, and only exists for the time of the exhibition. The people who see the work are the only ones who will have this experience. Photo documentation can never capture the real meaning of the work. Documentation pictorialises, rather than giving you the experiential - which is paramount in the work.

CATCH ROBIN'S NEW SHOW "HERE WITH YOU" AT STOCKROOM FROM JUNE 15 - JULY 10

Meet Your Makers: Julie Collins & Derek John

2011-05-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Renowned Australian sculptor Julie Collins, curator of this year’s Lorne Sculpture Exhibition, and husband Derek John, a boiler-maker by trade, have been collaborating for the past 10 years, showing in over 15 solo shows and 92 group exhibitions within Australia and internationally.

In May they will transform Stockroom into a ‘Shared Journey’, a project two years in the making with a distinct message: “We are all in the same boat.”

You me and everybody, 2011.
Julie you have been sculpting for over 20 years, what has Derek brought to your work?

Derek has amazing skills and can use any material we need to make sculpture. This ability has really allowed our ideas to grow and expand. When we have an idea for a sculpture we are not restricted by the logistics of achieving the end sculpture.

For me this is liberating. Making art is about ideas and nothing is stopping us tell our stories

How hard is it to collaborate after having complete control up until then?

At first I suppose I was leading the way in the concepts and the formal decisions. I had been exhibiting a long time and just knew that some ideas worked and other didn’t, so I had the final say.

Now days it is definitely 50/50 we discuss every aspect of the work, concept, materials, formal, and installation choices. It is easy; we think very similarly but push each other to think harder about what we are doing. We just keep working until we are both happy.

Sculptor Julie Collins.

What are the challenges when creating art with another person, specifically when it’s your ‘other half’?

Derek is my collaborator in art, life and love. Everything we do is a collaboration so we are getting very good at it.

You’re raising three children. How do you maintain a work-life balance and what keeps you energized?

We just involve the children in everything we do, they are great studio helpers and they love being a part of what we do. Other times we are glad we have three children; they are great friends and keep each company when we have deadlines and need to keep working.

They are our inspiration in our story telling and the reason why we want people to stop and consider their position and actions in the world. Our energy, well that is simple, we live in paradise, 10 acres in the country Victoria, surrounded by bush, kids and sculpture.

Being based in regional Victoria, how does this influence your artistic expression from a city-based artist?

I have been living in regional Victoria full time for about six years now, before then I was very much a city-based artist. What I have noticed is my ability to see has expanded. I see further into the horizon now, both physically and metaphysically, I suppose.

Sculptor Derek John.

Derek grew up in Ballarat and has only lived in Melbourne off and on for about 10 years. He comes from a different perspective; I guess I’m moving closer to him every day.

If any, what do you see as the difficulties of being a regional-based artist? And how important is an artist-run gallery such as Stockroom?

I really miss being able to see every exhibition in Melbourne, going to special events I read about that morning and so on. However we live 1-½ hours from Melbourne so with a little planning I get to see that things I need and want too.

The Internet and email have dramatically changed the world for many, including the artist. We have networks all over the world and have participated in exhibitions everywhere because of our online activities. This wasn’t possible say 15 years ago, and because of this an artist can live just about anywhere and many do.

A gallery like the Stockroom is at the forefront of this mind shift, showing that the regions can support an important contemporary art space with cutting edge exhibitions.

The days of the regions being about arts and crafts only are numbered and spaces like Stockroom are beginning to attract collectors and audiences who have traditionally only frequented city based galleries.

Your latest project ‘Shared Journey’ culminates two years work created in both Australia and Ireland.

Where does the Irish influence come from and how does the work differ between the two countries?

Save our Souls, 2011.

Our work is about being a global citizen, the Irish part comes from a residency we had in Cork in 2010 and many of the works were created there. We don’t really see the work as different but yes we did get a lot of inspiration from being in Cork, Ireland and many of those ideas we are still processing.

The Shared Journey project is based around the form of a ship used as a metaphor, symbolizing the journey we are all on. Symbolically it points to global responsibility for issues such as climate change, poverty, and consumer waste. It asks: What role do we play in this journey?

The form of a ship seems to connect us all, everyone has a romantic notion of a journey and it is that emotional response which is the premise for our story telling. The ship is symbolic of the universal cross-cultural reference, bound with heritage, culture, migration, romanticism, survival and adventure.

Seven Rescues, 2011.

The ship is always by nature connected to water, whether it is represented or by its absence. Water is many things, it supports life, it aids in transportation and migration, and it is symbolic of the flow of ideas and is considered a purifier in most religions.

Why did you feel the need to create a ‘Shared Journey’?

As our local communities diminish we are increasingly becoming absorbed by a global community. This is made possible by new technology and communication.

Will it return us to the one tribe?

As artists we feel we have a significant role to play in raising such questions. Art is a vital communicator in a media drenched world. The subtlety of art can potentially create a more potent message of universal action. It is within these parameters that our practice sits.

And what do you hope people take away from the exhibition?

We are hoping that people may just consider their own position in the world and what they can do to help protect it.

Shared Journey opens at Stockroom Saturday May 21, and continues until June 12.

Words: Chauntelle Roelandts.
Thanks to Julie Collins & Derek John for the interview and images.

Meet Your Makers - Daniel & Matthew Butterworth

2011-03-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

Brothers Daniel & Matthew Butterworth are figurative painters who in the past have been known to collaborate on the same painting.

And man, can these guys paint.

Their new show at Stockroom however - called - ‘Taste It’ - will be made up of individual works by both artists.

Both regional artists, Daniel is based in Kyneton and Matthew lives in Romsey. Both have shown their work in galleries around Victoria and Australia, receiving various commissions in recent years and their work featuring in a number of Victorian gallery collections.

Above, work by the Butterworth brothers for 'Taste It'.

'Taste It' opens April 16 (and continues until May 15), and will also reveal a striking contrast in size, with Matthew creating small intimate works and Daniel exhibiting works large in scale.

Not only that, they have recruited a chef for their opening at the gallery!

"Hmmm, a chef.." I hear you say.

Stephen Turner is the chef who will "interpret" 4-5 five works in "edible creations" says Daniel, at the show’s opening event on April 16. "He will evoke the ‘mood’ or ‘feel’ of the paintings in the form of taste."

It all sounds very strange and extraordinary.. Daniel Butterworth kindly spent some time with Stockroom to answer a few key questions'about his and brother Matthew's painting, and the not-so strange pairing of art and food...

How would you describe yours and Matthew's artistic and working relationship?

Daniel Butterworth: We are very close. We have supported each other in every way sharing the great times and also the bad. There is a lot of trust, knowing that when a work has been passed on that it will come back better for it.

Right, work from 'Taste It'.

And the work you both do?

DB: When working together we create work that is unique to both of our individual work. Matthew and I have similar styles with noticeable differences. This exhibition Matthew will be showing a series of intimate portraits were as my work will be bold and in your face. The contrasts will prove to be an exciting show.

What's it like working on one another's paintings? Is it an unusual experience or a natural one?

DB: Working on a piece that Matthew has had first go at is exciting! Having worked out what the image will be together, the absence of the work builds excitement and curiosity. Once I get the work, it doesn't matter what time or what day it is I need to start on it without delay.

And why did you decide to do a show where you painted individually?

DB: As I mentioned before, when we collaborate the work is unique to our individual work and I believe that both our individual and collaborative work demands attention.

What inspired 'Taste It'?

DB: We were at a sculpture show and we bumped into [chef] Stephen Turner, we got talking and I suggested that we could collaborate using his skills as a chef to bring another element to the work. Over the next few months we were thrashing around a few ideas, bringing us to 'Taste It'.

This is the first time I have worked with Stephen. I met him through a work colleague.

Left, work from 'Taste It'.

What do you think the audience will get out of the 'Taste It' show? As in what kind of experience do you hope they have?

DB: Hopefully the audience will get a lot. We would like them to be attracted as well as repulsed. What we aim for is for the the viewer not being able to walk past any one of our works without giving them time.

What's the best thing about collaborating? And the most 'challenging'?

DB: The best thing is the excitement. Challenging.. Well the most challenging is the distance we live apart, but it isn't a huge problem.

Who or what inspires your work?

DB: Family, Freud, Chapman brothers and life.

And more importantly... Are you going to eat the food Stephen makes on opening night? And are we invited to as well?!

DB: Absolutely! Everyone is encouraged to try some of Stephens creations...

Right, 'Matisse' by Daniel Butterworth.

'Taste It' opens 4.30pm on Saturday April 16 at Stockroom, and continues until May 15.

Find out more about Daniel Butterworth here and view more of Daniel and Matthew's previous work here.

Words: Megan Spencer. Thanks to Daniel Butterworth for the interview and images.

Meet Your Maker - Michael Needham

2011-03-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

Michael Needham is a Melbourne-based artist and academic. He lectures in Fine Arts at the Monash and Australian Catholic Universities. His practice primarily incorporates sculptural installation, drawing and increasingly, “architectural intervention”.

Right, 'Untitled diptych (for Moments of Being)', 2004.

‘Curious Duality’ is an exhibition of drawing, sculpture and “architectural intervention”, in which artist Michael Needham probes a relationship between representation and death, through a visual and spatial exploration of body-space and trace.

It will be on display in the Stockroom gallery from April 16 - May 15, 2011.

In the show, Needham will stage a conversation with his 'audience', around the site of the body and its potential to reveal a sense of both ‘wonderment’ and ‘lack’.

It's a new and recent body of work by the artist, where, in his words, "multiple forms of representation are proposed by which the parameters of ‘the self’ might be explored."

Curious?!

Michael Needham enjoyed answering some questions about 'Curious Duality' for Stockroom...

Stockroom: What inspired ‘Curious Duality’?

Michael Needham: 'Curious Duality' has come about after an exhibition I had late last year titled 'Contours of the Self' at Light Projects in Northcote, Melbourne.

This show was my first solo since finishing my PhD and while I was still keen to extend on some persistent themes I’d been looking into for several years, for me it signaled a slight shift in subject matter and an important development in my practice.

For the current show at Stockroom I am pursuing a similar line of enquiry, but the space is bigger so I can basically fit more works in the gallery.

As far as what concept has actually inspired this show, it is many things. Though perhaps it is most consistently about the limitations of representation through objects which invoke bodily absence. It is also inspired by a peripheral inquiry into the subject of melancholia, that is, as a kind of a melancholic predicament that progresses in relation to the main theme/s.

SR: Can you give us a bit more detail about the 'conversation' you are having with your 'audience' in this show?

MN: What I have tried to do in this body of work is to stage a conversation between the separate works in the show. This is something that always happens anyway with a group of artworks sharing the same space, but I’ve considered it more intentionally because the form and medium of the artworks vary quite a lot. In fact a relationship between several works is partially suspended, at least from immediate recognition.

I anticipate that for the audience this will strategically point towards an underlying dialogue between the works and encourage people to linger with them for longer.

Of course this would only work practically if the artworks are appealing both aesthetically and conceptually - which I believe I have considered on multiple levels.

For instance there are subtle motifs and design features together with a prominent monochromatic palette, that hold drawings, sculptural objects and an underplayed architectural intervention together.

At the same time each of these works are presented as careful responses to complex ideas in themselves, in this case pertaining to ‘the self’ and its limits of representation as understood in a particular stream of philosophy and psychoanalysis.

SR: And what does the title of the show mean exactly?

MN: Titles are often really tricky to get right and sometimes there are a few options that can work equally well or be equally as restrictive in terms of condensing a large body of thought into several words.

Right, 'Hauntings of the Imaginary' by Michael Needham.

For 'Curious Duality' I’d have to say that it mainly refers to all of the works individually and collectively ‘mirroring’ the viewer. However this is meant to be more psychological than literal, even though there are some distinctly physical echoes of the dimensions of the body together with a kind of figural transference between human and animal.

SR: Why have you chosen the body as your primary site of exploration?

MN: It’s actually less about the body being a site of exploration than the site of the body being a crucial subject of exploration. This may sound like a trivial difference but it is enough to separate work that utilizes figurative representation or work that is about adornment of the figure, from work that essentially plays with either disfiguration or absence of the human figure.

For example a gravesite is an archetypal site of the body. It carries everything that is associated with the body, from its practical dimensions to its memorial function to its presage of mortality to even pictorial representation (of the deceased). But each of these features still point to an absent figure. They all define a space loaded with memory and therefore a space charged with the imaginative image. It is a space that facilitates – as much as is possible – an imaginative, commemorative, reassembling of the body that has become immaterial.

For me, that’s why this subject of the ‘site of the body’ is so closely related to death and the process of mourning. And that’s also why the very humanistic ideal of seeking a means of transcendence (or representation claimed as a marker – or means - of transcendence) from these basic limitations is never far away as an interconnected subject.

SR: And how many months have you been working on this show?

MN: Truthfully, every show I make is in some form or another a result of many years of an ongoing exploration. Although if I include the 'Contours' exhibition for which this show is a more direct extension, I guess it’s been about 18 months.

SR: Is it a difficult balancing act, teaching and continuing to practice as an artist?

MN: Not really, no more than being an artist with living expenses like everyone else. I find that teaching actually keeps me engaged with the experience of investigating, making and generally articulating ideas through creative means.

Above, 'Contours of the Self'' by Michael Needham.

Sometimes it would be nice not to work away from my own studio work but I can’t complain because as a sessional lecturer I have a lot of time off during semester breaks. And the pay rate is usually just enough to scrape through.

SR: What do you enjoy about teaching?

MN: I’d have to say the most enjoyable part about teaching is when there is genuine interest maintained by the student’s own dedication and teach-ability. Whether they struggle or not with their technique or expression, if they are focused and driven by an innate desire to learn and create, there is usually the most progress made and the rewards are clear for the student and teacher/s.

SR: And from being an artist - could you imagine your life without making art? What would you be doing instead?

MN: I can vaguely imagine not making art in the ‘fine art’ sense, although I’m not sure how happy I’d be. If I weren’t an artist I’d definitely be doing something practical or something with the freedom to explore, imagine and problem solve. Possibly this would be archeology.

SR: Is it difficult making a career from being an artist in Australia?

MN: Well, yes, if you mean making a living from it. Commercially I believe it is quite possible to make a living if one is prepared to strategically adapt their creative urges for the art market. But to make a satisfying career and to sustain this throughout one’s life, I think this is a necessarily idealistic pursuit.

SR: Where do you see yourself in five years time?

MN: I hope to be in a similar position only with more experience. If my artistic career has afforded me further creative opportunities in Australia and overseas, while sustaining a relatively simple family life, I certainly won’t be complaining.

SR: What kind of experience do you hope those who see 'Curious Duality' will take home with them from Stockroom?

MN: I’d like them to be 'curious' (as the title suggests!), to remember something from the show, for something to linger in their mind, whether that be a simple image or a more complex idea.

Right, 'Splash' by Michael Needham.

I hope they are haunted by something they saw, in a good way. I hope they take some idea, inspiration or rumination away with them, something that impresses on their mind. I like to think this is what a successful artwork or show does for viewers.

SR: Are you looking forward to this show at Stockroom?

MN: I am. Having moved to Kyneton mid-way through last year just before Stockroom had opened, it’s been quite exciting to follow what Jason and Magali have done. As an artist, it’s also plain to see that Stockroom - as a well considered and professionally presented contemporary art space - is definitely an asset to Kyneton and Regional Vic. It’s great to have the opportunity to have my work showcased here.

'Curious Duality' opens at Stockroom on Saturday April 16 at 4.30pm and continues until May 15.

Visit Michael Needham's website here.

Words: Megan Spencer & Michael Needham. Thanks to Michael Needham for the interview and pictures.

Flood Aid - art with heart!

2011-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

Over 250 people attended the Flood Aid Art Auction at Stockroom, on February 12, between 4-6pm.

Over $17 000 was raised in the charity art auction, with proceeds being donated to the national flood appeals.

Organised by Jason Waterhouse and Magali Gentric - co-directors of Stockroom, Kyneton - weeks of preparation and hundreds of hours of time went into making the event run as smoothly as possible.

Over 70 artists, makers, designers and businesses donated work and services to be auctioned on the day.

Ever the entertainer, professional auctioneer Steve Graham - who donated his time and expertise to the event - did an amazing job, auctioning works for 2 hours straight, and spell-binding the crowd who had travelled from all over Victoria and Melbourne.

Art collectors, artists and punters stood side by side jammed into Stockroom's Gallery I.

The crowd was on high alert and hungry for art bargains, with several fast-paced bidding wars breaking out over donated works, including one over a piece by high profile Melbourne artist and sculptor, Cameron Robbins.

In full flight.. Steve Graham and Jason Waterhouse, working hard at Flood Aid.

A silent auction concluded the charity event at 6.30pm.

Organisers Jason and Magali were exhausted by auction's end, working well into the night to finalise proceedings, saying "it couldn't have gone any better."

A massive thank you to everyone involved: the organisers, artists, businesses, Stockroom friends and staff who supported the event throughout the day, Steve Graham, and to all who bought art and helped to generate such a fantastic amount, going to much-needed flood relief and recovery.

Right: "Knock off beers.." Artists Jason Waterhouse, Larry Parkinson & Cameron Robbins.

See the full photo gallery from Flood Aid on Facebook.

Words & pics: Megan Spencer

Meet Your Maker: Simon Moule

2011-02-04T22:19:00.000-08:00

Australia has a long and excellent tradition of documentary filmmakers, camera people and photographers working in war zones and war-torn countries.

You could say, in terms of journalistic practice, it’s what we excel at…

Think of Roger East and the ‘Balibo Five’ who sadly gave their lives for their work in East Timor; in the 1970s; journalists Neil Davis, Mark Davis, Michael Ware, Ben Knight, Jill Jolliffe, (on occasion) filmmaker David Bradbury and TV programs 4 Corners (ABC) and Foreign Correspondent (SBS) – only the start of a very long list of programs and people who have previously made it their business to bring us confronting, truthful information and images of war, from all over the world, with sound reliability.

These images and stories are usually reserved for 'traditional' viewing platforms ie cinema screens, tv screens, inside books, not so often art galleries, any more, anyway…

That’s about to change at Stockroom.

In 2007-08 Melbourne filmmaker Simon Moule found himself in Afghanistan, working on a television documentary series as a "shooting producer/director" for a British production company.

Between filming he snapped a few pictures of his own. ‘Incidental Images - Afghanistan’ is a collection of still images and video he took of the beautiful and confronting things he saw there.

“It is not what you have seen in magazines and on tv,” stresses Simon about the exhibition. “This is more a ‘backstage pass’. It is the day-to-day, the mundane, the obscure, the beautiful and the sometimes shocking reality of life in a war zone.”

The show is in two parts: a collection of 60 photos of ‘everyday life’ and ‘behind-the-scenes’ in a military base in Afghanistan, and, a video installation. The video work comprises of split-screen video clips running simultaneously.

Former art school grad turns filmmaker… Simon Moule (right) sheds some light on what he found in Afghanistan and how it changed his view of the world.

Stockroom: How did you find yourself in Afghanistan?

Simon Moule: I had previously done some freelance work (shooting and directing a gangster-focused documentary series, ‘MacIntyre’s Underworld’) for a producer, who was commissioned to make a series about frontline medics in Afghanistan.

He called me and asked if I would be interested in working on it. I had always been staunchly anti-war (especially in regards to Afghanistan) so I jumped at the chance to go and see for myself. The second time I went, a production company called me having seen the first series and asked if I would go again to make a series about the military base in Kandahar.

SR: What did you find when you first got there - what was your very first overwhelming impression or feeling?

SM: Well, it was a surreal introduction to Afghanistan in that I flew in with the British military. They have a fairly confronting way of entering a war zone in that they turn all the aeroplane’s lights off, climb to an un-attackable height, and when they are above the landing area they perform a ‘corkscrew’ maneuver and descend as quickly as possible. That was pretty crazy.

On arriving however, the thing that first hit me was the overwhelming heat. It was about 45 degrees and stifling. You cannot drink enough water to keep up with the sweat. Once in the ‘arrivals’ area we were then briefed on a few procedures including what to do in the (fairly regular) event of a rocket attack. A military guy read a piece of paper, that he has read a thousand times, in a monotone drone, instructing us to ‘put on your body armor and helmet and lie face down on the ground as quickly as possible and await the all-clear siren.’ All in all, it was a fairly confronting experience.

SR: Had you been in an ‘official’ war environment before? And did it change you being there?

SM: I had not been in a war zone before but had been in some confronting situations before with the gangster stuff. I had also done a week of hostile environment training in preparation for Afghanistan but needless to say, witnessing some of the things I did, had an effect on me. When I returned home I didn’t have any trauma counseling but maybe I should have.

SR: Being in a war environment, how were you able to “snap” personal pictures – was it difficult to arrange?

SM: As I was there to film, with pre-arranged military clearance ‘to secret’ as they very militarily called it, access wasn’t a problem. In fact we were the first (and to my knowledge the only) film crew that could freely wander about with a camera.

Most of the time I was filming for the documentary so the snaps I got are more like what you might take on a holiday rather than photo journalistic stuff. I snapped a few here and there when I could or when I had put the video camera down for the day. Any of the real ‘war-y’ stuff I had to film so the photos are more ‘behind the scenes’ type stuff.

SR: Were people wary of cameras – especially soldiers – or were they grateful to have the reality depicted – a voice given to the situation?

SM: The military is kinda funny. Although I’m sure there were people that didn’t want to be filmed, because their commanding officers had "okayed" the doc and briefed the soldiers about us being there, they were obediently, extremely accommodating.

As with any documentary you get a feel for who wants to be on camera and then more importantly, who works well on camera and then tend to leave the other, not so willing people alone.

There were of course some things and some people that couldn’t be filmed. Special forces guys (or beardy weirdies as I came to know them) were definitely off limits as were Afghan translators. Devices used as defense against attacks and the screens that showed what the unmanned aircraft (predator and reaper) could see, were also taboo. The military were worried that if those pictures got into enemy hands then they could figure out a way around them.

Otherwise everyone I filmed was keen to tell his or her story. Most people felt that the public didn’t know anything about the realities they were facing and indeed felt as if their efforts were of little interest to the people at home so were happy to be involved.

SR: As a documentarian, do you have a particular approach?

SM: Gee. I don’t know. I guess I just listen. Listen and keep an eye out for anything interesting that may be about to happen. Asking an annoying amount of questions helps too.

SR: How would you describe your new show ‘Incidental Images’ as in what is it about? How many different works are in it – and what kind?

SM: Incidental Images – Afghanistan, is a collection of images I managed to snap while working in Afghanistan. It is not what you have seen in magazines and on tv. It is more a backstage pass. It is the day-to-day, the mundane, the obscure, the beautiful and the sometimes-shocking reality of life in a war zone.

The show is comprised of two parts; a collection of about 60 photos of ‘behind the scenes’ and everyday life in a military base in Afghanistan as well as a video installation. The video work is a split-screen of two video clips that run simultaneously for about 13 mins. On the left of screen is a sequence I shot from a Chinook helicopter, of some of the astonishingly beautiful landscapes of Afghanistan. The footage on the right of screen is an un-edited tape (that I sneakily copied before handing it over to the production company) of an experience that particularly affected me, where we fly in a med-evac helicopter to collect two British soldiers after they have driven over a roadside bomb. It is an exploration of beauty and horror and the relationship between the two.

SR: Have you shown any of these images before? Or is this the first time?

SM: This will be the first time I have shown the images to anyone bar a handful of friends.. The video has had a couple of seconds used in the doc series but has never before been shown in its entirety.

SR: What kind of reactions to the work in ‘Incidental Images’ are you hoping people will have?

SM: I hope people are surprised, informed, tickled, saddened and appalled.

SR: Did you learn anything about yourself – or anything else you might like to share – when you were in Afghanistan and taking these photos?

SM: I learned many, many things from my experiences in Afghanistan. Many of those things would be better suited to the pages of a political, anti-war novel than to the walls of a gallery.

Some of these things you can learn by typing ‘Afghanistan profiteering’ or ‘soldiers post traumatic stress disorder’ or ‘Afghanistan land mines’ into Google...

But one thing I learned about myself and indeed humans on the whole is that we are extremely adaptable. If we are thrown into a situation (a teenager into battle, me into a helicopter or an Afghan farmer into crushing poverty and unwanted occupation) it doesn’t take long for it to become familiar and manageable and even normal.

I’m not suggesting it is without (often dire) consequences but it is interesting to find that flying at tree-top height in a helicopter doing 200kph, taking enemy fire and evacuating a kid with a bullet hole in his chest can become ‘just another day at the office’.

'Incidental Images - Afghanistan' shows at Stockroom 19 March - 10 April, 2011.

Opening: 4.30pm - 7pm, Saturday March 19.

Stockroom, 98 Piper Street, Kyneton, (03) 5422 3215.

Words: Megan Spencer. Thanks to Simon Moule for the interview & images.

Meet Your Maker: Alex Sanson, Metaform

2011-02-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

"Do sculptors see the world differently to the rest of us?"

The answer to that question might indeed be a 'yes' after you glimpse the work of Alex Sanson...

Practicing for the last 20 years, Alex Sanson is a talented sculptor who primarily works with metal. He likes to make it move and do things it shouldn't - emulating human movement..

Left, work from 'the delicate equilibrium of being' by Alex Sanson.

He also brings an 'emotional' element to metal - no easy feat! - revealing the softer, more flexible possibilities of a material that usually perceived as inert, hard and 'masculine'.

Simply put, he makes his pieces 'dance'.

Which is the thesis behind his upcoming show at Stockroom, entitled 'the delicate equilibrium of being'.

Drawing on his "lifelong fascination with movement and pattern," Alex says he has "sought to create work that, despite being mechanical in nature and function, is at once capable of liquid grace and jolting awkwardness. As the human body is also capable of such contradictions, the work playfully references the link between the human body as a physical/emotional entity and the mechanical structure that gives rise to its movement."

Equally at home creating work for galleries or private commissions, Alex is an artist who lives his work, clearly seeing sculptural possibilities where others couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't. His work is also very beautiful, giving rise to deep, fascinating and affectionate engagement for audiences.

They also look equally at home out there in the wide open spaces of the world, or indoors in art spaces.

Based in Taradale, Victoria, Alex has been working hard getting his new show (literally) into shape for the Stockroom gallery. He kindly takes some time out to preview the show, giving us a glimpse into how he sees the world through sculpture.

Stockroom: What do you love about your job as an artist?

Alex Sanson: Well, everything really,. It’s a real joy and privilege to find inspiration somewhere in the world around me and build on that somehow to create an actual physical manifestation which hopefully provoke delight or pleasure in someone.

Right, 'Small Revolutions' by Alex Sanson.

It can seem a bit indulgent sometimes, having this much fun in my work, but if a piece really works and someone really gets it and enjoys it, it does seem to validate the time and effort and path chosen…

SR: Tell us about your new show - how you would you describe it?

AS: My starting point was to try and create pieces that through their motion, reflect or provoke thoughts of our various physical motions and their associated emotional states, or I suppose more bluntly, to make abstract kinetic sculpture that can induce emotional responses similar to a dancer dancing, someone excited quivering, or someone drunk lurching about. And the primary device with which I chose to do this was by making a variety of pieces which exist in a delicate equilibrium, easily upset, pushed, blown or fiddled with.

I chose this mechanism, partly because it allows many interesting motions, but also much of our motion such as even simply walking is based on a cycle of balance, falling forward, recovering balance again, falling forward…a delicate equilibrium, constantly upset and restored. Physically, this may look like delicate feathers guiding slender steel elements in a breeze, bells making tendrils quiver, heavy steel balls doing loopy graceful pirouettes.

Above, 'Gyre' by Alex Sanson, installed at Yering Estate, Yarra Valley.

SR: And how did you become interested in this particular form of sculpture? Especially the 'kinetic' or motion aspect of it?

AS: I like art that I can get involved with, touch and feel, move and explore. There are so many opportunities for interaction, for a variable form rather than a static one and to engage with people on a different level. I’m also always glad not to be too precious about art, to get it off a pedestal and out from behind barriers and to do away with the ‘do not touch signs’.

Many people find sculpture a hard one to 'empathise' with, as it is often static, made out of hard material.. Yet your work is all about emotion and movement and the human condition..

SR: Did you set out to make sculpture as 'emotive' as other art forms eg film, music - very emotional are easy 'push-button' emotional art forms..

AS: I think initially, I just wanted it make it engaging, for it to be fun, for people to be able to touch the works and have that direct and tactile connection and making them kinetic invites that interaction. I think I find too often that highly conceptual art, while interesting in the moment, can leave me cold, I love the emotional connection, of hearing kids squeal and sometimes even grown-ups making excited noises too. So my typical mediums of steel and abstract shapes are not natural mimics of human states, but if it is possible to create pieces that successfully reflect emotional connections, that is a very enjoyable challenge to take up.

SR: Did you study anatomy or any other related discipline - even unofficially - in order to more understand the 'fluidity' you speak of in relation to the work in your Stockroom show?

AS: Some of my earliest pieces were small mechanical copper marionettes of skeletons and heads and other elements of human anatomy. To build these, I spent a lot of time going through anatomy books and diagrams, taking measurements and looking at the linkages.

Left, kinetic sculpture from 'the delicate art of equilibrium' by Alex Sanson.

And it was at this time too that I was studying physics at uni so had an inclination to interpret the human body as a mechanical system. While it is easy to represent our bodies as a series of independent joints, ball joints in our shoulders, hinges in our elbows etc, where it really gets interesting for me is how movement of one element causes ripple effects through the whole system. And ultimately, why is it that a dancer can look so beautiful when really what we are seeing is just a whole lot of bones and muscle moving about?

SR: What or who inspires you?

AS: It is perhaps a cliché to talk about nature as an inspiration these days but as I look out my window at one of our trees that were planted too close to each other and is now very tall and thin, blowing resiliently in the wind, knobs growing on weak points of branches and forks to reinforce it but others slender, flexible and extraordinarily strong and I find similar examples to this every day and love them.

More conventionally, Alexander Calder is an obvious one, playful engaging and interactive, bold and heavy, but also delicate and beautiful. Also Lee Bontecou for her exquisitely detailed, fragile and intriguing sculpture, David Nash for his gently shaped living tree ‘installations,’ also some of the ‘organic’ architects, Bart Prince, Imre Makovecz, Renzo Piano, for pieces that are flowing curved exciting constructions that still sit lightly and easily in their surrounds.

SR: Do you enjoy creating commissions?

AS: Most of my practice is working on commissions, some sculptural, some more in the design world and many cross over. I have found them to be enormously useful in developing both my creative and technical skills and appreciate the particular challenges they pose. Having to satisfy the creative requirements of another and usually meet a range of site specific conditions generally means working within a set of boundaries that overlaps my normal practice but extends beyond it too. So finding something that works here and still has artistic integrity to me and my own internal visions can be frustrating and challenging but usually very rewarding at the end.

SR: What's the best thing anyone has ever said about your work?

AS: I think I particularly liked seeing a group of teenage school kids come in to look at Small Revolutions (produced by Melbourne Fringe Festival, Federation Square, 2007), all very cool and standoffish, minutes later, completely engaged, dropped all pretensions, discovering all the levers, alternative paths and variations of the installation, and now that they were engaged, taking the time to explore the deeper content.

Above, 'Astrum Major', by Alex Sanson.

Explore Alex Sanson's beautiful work at his Metaform website, and join the Metaform community on Facebook.

Alex Sanson's show 'the delicate equilibrium of being' will exhibit at Stockroom February 19 - March 13, opening Saturday February 19, 4.30-7pm. Stockroom is located at 98 Piper Street, Kyneton, and open Wed - Sun, 10.30-5pm. Phone: (03) 5422 3215.

Words: Megan Spencer. Thanks to Alex Sanson for the interview and images.

Flood Aid Art Auction

2011-01-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

The Flood Aid Art Auction has received overwhelming support and generosity from the art community - and some great coverage in the media, in the lead up to the event.

Over 70 Victorian artists have donated over 100 works to the Auction, which will take place at Stockroom Art Complex, 98 Piper Street, Kyneton, Saturday February 12, 4pm.

View the full list of artists on the Stockroom website.

Viewing of the works is available from February 9-12the in the Stockroom galleries, during business hours, Wed-Sun, 10.30-5pm. Phone: (03) 5422 3215

Jason and Magali are hoping to raise a sizable sum at the Auction, to donate to the national Flood Appeal, to assist with recovery in the flood affected areas in Queensland and Victoria.

Tune in to Statewide Drive on ABC Local Radio this week, to hear an interview Jason did about the Auction with arts reporter, Courtney Carthy.

And come along to the Art Auction - put in a bid and you might even pick yourself up some great art too!

Meet Your Maker: Nick Young, Two Ruffians

2011-01-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

The New Year has only just begun and Nick Young from Two Ruffians is already having a big one - met with characteristic good humour...

"What a few weeks... The shop's been flat out, both cars have broken down in the last week, and my dog's losing his hair."

"It will grow back (something to do with an operation he had a month ago.) If the wind blows he's a bit like a dandelion in the breeze. He turned a passer by into Chewbacca yesterday..."

Above, Nick Young as featured in the December issue of Home Beautiful.

The shop to which Nick is referring is one that he and partner Clair opened in regional Flinders, Victoria in 2010 (called 'Curio & Curio') on top of his already burgeoning design business, Two Ruffians, where he designs and makes pillows, tea towells, cards, clothing, cushions, art prints, bags and more.

Such is Two Ruffians' success that it came to the notice of national magazine Home Beautiful, in which Nick featured in a 3-page spread in December.

Not bad for someone who is (happily) self-taught, once describing himself as having "No training, No CV, No Hope..!"

Suffice to say Nick's success as a designer has come as a bit of a surprise to him, a Londoner who has made Melbourne his home for almost a decade. And as we all know success comes to those who least expect it (those who work hard, have talent and don't take themselves too seriously are are also serious contenders...)

Nick's eternal curiosity about the world - and irreverent sense of humour - has also helped make his designs stand out from the pack.

Which is why Stockroom loves them (cards, tea towells and tee-shirts sell madly), and why we have chosen Nick Young to feature in our 'Meet Your Maker' series...

Stockroom: What inspired the name 'Two Ruffians'?

Nick Young: I was reading a book called 'The New English Dandy' by Alice Cicolini. In the introduction it talks about the original dandys of 18th century London. That made me think of the old fashioned term, 'ruffian', which is the opposite to a dandy. I liked the sound of it, plus being self-taught means my printing techniques are probably a bit rough around the edges. So ‘Two Ruffians’ was born.

And also because there's generally more than one ‘ruffian’ working on the designs or sewing up stuff from time to time.

'Curio & Curio' in downtown Flinders, regional Victoria Street. Pic: Nick Young.

SR: What inspires your designs?

NY: At the heart of my designs are the sights and sounds of mid to late 90s Hoxton in London. I've never quite burst out of that bubble. I absorbed a lot of design inspiration from night clubs + bars in the east end of London, such as ‘The Blue Note’, ‘333’, ‘Bricklayers Arms’, and ‘Plastic People’ on Curtain Road run by my friend Adi.

Banksy stencils started to pop up around the East End at this time too – magic! I've also just started drawing new designs, that have no relation to this time in my life, but still have an urban, thought-provoking feel.

Also people like my best friends Ali (aliaugur.com) Phil (bespokebristol.co.uk) and my long time partner and buddy Clair (curioandcurio.com) have had a massive influence on the direction my life has taken.

SR: "No training, No CV, No Hope..!" Just how hard was it to break into the world of design?

NY: When I first moved to Australia 8 years ago, I started cutting out stencils on water colour paper and printing a few basic designs. I was determined to leave my old life in sales and marketing in London and start a fresh in Melbourne.

I used to talk about designing T-shirt's and clothing but I think most people thought I was mad. I knew that if I saw even the slightest chink of light, I'd run straight for it and wouldn't look back.

Clair was working as Real Living's Melbourne Style Editor, and I started assisting her. Basically I was the props boy, and although I really didn't enjoy rushing around Melbourne in a pre-shoot frenzy, I did get to meet a lot of shop owners and young designers, and it started to make the world of design feel a bit more accessible.

Right: A Two Ruffians logo

I bought some books, asked some questions and taught my self the whole printing process, from design to end product + web design. I'm exhausted just thinking about. A year ago I did the Mornington market. This year Clair and I opened a small shop called ‘Curio & Curio’ down the road in Flinders, next to the Flinders General Stores (Shop 4, 50 Cook Street, Flinders, Victoria).

It's been 3 years since I started to teach myself to screen print and 2 years since I picked up my first stockist. Now I've got my own retail store and quite few stockists selling my work - it's amazing.

SR: What are the advantages of being 'self-taught'?

NY: Being self-taught makes you fearless, there's no voice in the back of my head saying "you can't do that." Clair's been a big help recently, taking a more active role in the design process, including colour choices. She's worked as a interior stylist for 14 years, and has an art + textile background. I think this will make a big difference this year. Already I’m enjoying seeing customers positive reactions to our colourful designs in the shop.

Be patient and make lots of mistakes - you get it right eventually and that's it. Don't give up.

SR: What kind of design ambitions did you start out with, and have they changed over time?

NY: My ambitions have always been realistic to my ability. I've come a long way in 3 years. I'm ambitious and confident enough to believe that, with a bit of luck, I'll keep improving, so my designs will ultimately have a much wider audience.

Above, Two Ruffians bags

SR: How do you go from a business-finance background into a full-time creative endeavour, the way you have? You don't just 'flick a switch' do you...

NY: When I was 16 I remember talking to the head of the textile department at school, because I knew I wanted to create, but she put me off. There was ‘no room at the inn’ when I approached the Head of the Art Department either. So I did Economics and Business Studies.

I considered doing business and fashion at Uni, but opted for business and finance, because I've always wanted to work for myself, and maybe didn't have the confidence to back myself as 18 / 19 year old. I thought that a bit of business and marketing knowledge would maybe come in handy one day.

For me the 'switch' was always there, it was just a matter of someone I didn't know (and wasn’t my mum, who always says my designs are great), liking something I'd done.

I'll never forget getting the call from Sal at LuLu in Balaclava, she'd seen my first 2 tea towel designs, and liked them enough to call me and stock them. That was it - the switch was flicked, someone I'd never met, paid money for something I'd done, because they thought they were good.

SR: What do you love most about your job? And your life?

NY: Being able to talk to people about what I do, with a happy soul. It sounds strange but for years I was always outside, looking in, as most of my friends have art backgrounds and creative careers.

Now I feel equal, and it's really cool.

SR: Two Ruffians designs really appeal to people. What do you think is the 'essence' of Two Ruffians' - what is it that people respond to in the work?

NY: They're fun and bold without taking themselves seriously. For example I generally find art galleries uncomfortable places. It often stops me enjoying the paintings, as I feel awkward in a gallery environment. Maybe this stems from my own insecurities as I hung out with creative friends in London. None-the-less I think that when I design I'm trying to make my work as unpretentious and approachable as possible.

SR: Do you have any heroes?

NY: My Dad, Jim Baxter, Gavin Hasting, Davie Cooper, Jim Brown, Ali Augur, Clair Wayman, Phil Taylor and my dog Jack.

SR: How important is humour in your work?

NY: Everything's funny apart from sad things; so hopefully that's most things, as I'd hate to think that sad things are winning. I'd have to stop printing, no one wants to look at a print of a sad face. Just thought of a new design. Maybe they do!

SR: How would you make the world a better place?

NY: I’d let the whole world know that it's cool to be kind...

Check out Two Ruffians cards, tea towells and tee-shirts at Stockroom.

And visit the Two Ruffians website. And you can follow Nick's tweets at Twitter #tworuffians and his blog, where you will find the Home Beautiful design feature.

Words: Megan Spencer. Many thanks to Nick Young for the lovely interview.

Meet Your Maker: Andy Hutson

2011-01-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

“It’s the end of the world as we know it…” sang REM’s Michael Stipe on that legendary 1988 pop song of the same name. Somewhat disconcertingly, he wound up telling us that he felt "fine” about it.

Most people who contemplate 'the apocalypse' aren't that comfortable with the scenario, as Melbourne artist Melbourne artist Andy Hutson knows only too well.

He's made study of such people (also known as 'preppers'), part of the inspiration behind the new exhibition he's about to launch at Stockroom, entitled It’s a long way to TEOTWAWKI* (*the end of the world as we know it).

Andy's show is an exploration of the ‘catastrophe’, in our culture, and those who ‘catastophise' - these preppers or 'survivalists'... people who actively secede from society and/or prepare for ‘the end’.

Andy describes his new show as an installation which "depicts a life-sized tradesman’s van, parked in the middle of the gallery and containing an ambiguous collection of objects: it might just be the stuff left in the back of a builder’s truck...but it could be the materials required to build a bomb. The entire work is made from papier-mâché, using recycled materials. In the adjacent gallery, a collection of drawings on found materials depict scenes which could just as easily be post-apocalyptic landscapes as they could be images of building sites.”

He goes on: “The acronym ‘TEOTWAWKI’ pops up regularly on internet forums and websites put together by ‘preppers’. These are a loose grouping of people, predominantly in the US, who believe that our civilisation is en-route to certain disaster, and are taking the necessary precautions to ready themselves. Situations such as governmental collapse, nuclear fallout [maybe even zombie apocalypse?] are outcomes that are being taken into serious consideration.”

“It’s a long way to TEOTWAWKI* is an attempt to examine the parallels and anomalies between the homemade, shonky and DIY, and the aesthetics of terrorism.”

The end of the world might be nigh in Andy’s subject matter, but the exhibition is only the beginning of a fascinating, darkly humourous conversation about something that our culture usually either sensationalises or sweeps under the carpet.

In between these two polarities lies the good oil - space for an interesting exchange of ideas, some of which you're going to get a taste of here, in an interview Andy recently gave Stockroom. APOCALYPSE NOW!

Stockroom: What is it you think or feel attracts you to "the catastrophe", with regards to your work?

Andy Hutson: The idea of catastrophe interests me because I view it not only as something that exists within great geological upheavals or military conflicts, but also on a more personal, immediate scale – like the emotional or mental.

To me disaster is a useful catalyst for self-reflection.

Above, artist Andy Hutson, firmly ensconced in his 'bunker'... Pic: Andy Hutson.

SR: For how long have you been preoccupied with this theme? And how do you think it has evolved within you? Was there some kind of catalyst for it?

AH: The theme has been on my mind for some time. It started out as a kind of awareness of catastrophe as the zeitgeist of our times – terrorism, environmental collapse – these things were in the news all the time, and I began to get a feeling that it wasn’t likely to change any time soon.

Over the years I’ve done a bit of reading into different forms of catastrophe. I became very interested in the concept of entropy – the law of thermodynamics that states all matter will slowly lose its energy until it’s an amorphous, colourless mass – and I began to see that catastrophe was an inherent aspect of life.

I remember quite clearly the moment when I felt that we were living in an era of global disaster: I was reading an article that described the London bombings from first-hand experience. The horror of it all affected me quite deeply, and I suddenly felt a strong connection with the people involved, even though I was on the other side of the world.

SR: Do people find your work ‘confronting’? And what kind of reactions do you get from those who experience your work?

AH: I don’t know if confronting is a word that I would use… I try to make immersive installations; I often black out the space to focus as much attention on the sculptures as possible. But there’s always an element of humour too, so I guess any of the darker aspects of the work are usually balanced with a sense of fun.

People tend to respond differently, but when the work is successful I think it’s a sense of enjoyment, maybe even wonder – I recently made a sculpture with a lot of moving parts which was very popular with kids...

Above, the van from It’s a long way to TEOTWAWKI*. Pic: Andy Hutson.

SR: Here's a big fat serious one for you! Since ‘9/11’, the topic of terrorism has become almost taboo to discuss openly in forums (like art galleries!!), lest the initiator be dubbed a terrorist themselves… Given your new show in part explores this theme, are you anticipating any 'trouble'? And do you have any views around this kind of cultural censorship around this kind of 'conversation', and the impulses that drive it?

AH: I’ve made work like this - and potentially more confronting or controversial - before, so I don’t anticipate a riot or anyone taking to the work with a hammer. Plus the exhibition is supposed to be humorous, you know? I suppose that given the recent spate of media attention around Wikileaks and Julian Assange, the issue of censorship is quite pertinent at the moment, but I think in general the art world tends to be somewhat immune to such things – except in the occasional case of political overreaction such as we saw with Bill Henson’s work.

I think that censorship can be a healthy societal force, in that it inadvertently drives innovation, both in the content and approach of an artist’s work.

SR: What do you love about being an artist? And how did you get into art in the first place?

AH: I enjoy being able to work when I want to, most of the time. I think I ended up at art school because I didn’t get into design or fashion.

SR: What kind of work can we look forward to in It's a long way... And have you enjoyed making the show? Did it take long to make the work and come up with the ideas?

AH: The show is centred on the sculpture of the van. The idea to construct a model of my housemate’s van is an old one - I was using it a lot to shift my work and materials around, and it seemed to be verging on becoming an integral part of practice. Transforming it into a car-bomb was the obvious way of integrating it into the actual work. It’s been a relatively short period of construction, as I have only recently returned from a research trip to Europe. I’d say that once the show is up, I’ll have been working on it for just over a month. It’s been fun.

SR: What is it that fascinates you the most about 'preppers'? And are you in fact one yourself?! (Do you have a bunker?!)

AH: I guess the preppers interest me because I have always enjoyed being outside; my parents took me and my sister camping almost every weekend when I was a kid, and I started in scouts when I was eight – so the idea of survival in the wilderness has always been of interest to me. I look at the preppers in America as being a kind of contemporary spin-off of 60’s counter-culture, like Drop City and other self-sufficient communities who wanted to live off the grid; except these guys seem to be inspired by some deep-seeded paranoia, most likely induced by Hollywood films. Look at James Byron Birkhead, who was accused of making bombs to ‘protect his family’ after he watched the movie 2012.

Right, a 'sketchbook sketch', recently published on Andy's blog.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I was a prepper, but I’m certainly excited by the idea of living off the land, cut off from society. Sometimes I feel like my studio is a bunker. It’s partially underground anyway…

SR: What would the end of the world look like do you think - if you ever let yourself imagine it.. Would it be like one of those apocalyptic movies, or less spectacular?

AH: Despite my love for disaster movies, I suspect that T.S. Eliot was on the money when he said that it would be “not with a bang, but a whimper”. It’s a condition of thermodynamics...

SR: What is your favourite ‘end of the world’ story - film, literature.. anything.

AH: I really like Time Of The Wolf, by Micahel Haneke. It predates Cormac McCarthy’s book ‘The Road’ by a few years. I think films that portray the post-apocalyptic scenario are far more interesting than films that actually portray disasters, as they generally allow for a more in-depth exploration of the human condition. Although I am a sucker for special effect films like 2012, in all their CGI glory...

SR: And if you were going to write an end-of-world-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario, what would happen?

AH: Probably something along the lines of Dr. Strangelove. Colonel Ripper could have easily been based on George Bush Jnr.

Right, Sterling Hayden as Colonel Ripper in Stanley Kubrik's 1964 film, 'Dr. Strangelove'. Pic: imdb

It’s a long way to TEOTWAWKI* opens at Stockroom on Saturday January 15, (4.30-7pm) and continues until February 5, 2011.

Enquiries: (03) 5422 3215, 98 Piper Street, Kyneton, Victoria.

Visit Andy's fantastic blog and read his Artist Profile.

Words: Megan Spencer. Thanks to Andy Hutson for the interview and images.

Meet Your Maker: Christine Boyle, Queen Clothing

2010-12-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Christine Boyle is Queen...

...The founder of Queen Clothing that is, chief designer and an independent business force to-be-reckoned-with, based in inner-city Fitzroy, Melbourne. Her clothes however have travelled far and wide, such is the allure and popularity of her stunning range of womens and mens wear.

And wearing her clothes doesn’t just make people feel good, it makes them feel great!

Her 'Audrey' dress for example, is a scene-stealer - it's not uncommon to meet women who have more than one in their wardrobe. (A few weeks ago a woman came in to Stockroom, who owned five...)

Christine has been around the clothing industry long enough to watch the dramatic ebbs and flows of it, yet stays true to her independent instincts without compromise. That’s why her clothes are so beautiful, innovative, popular and classic. They’re also well, well, sought-after – and right now, the Queen Clothing range is the biggest-selling clothing line at Stockroom.

In person, Christine is warm, stylish and interesting – just like the clothes she creates. She likes to listen to others, and has a great passion for life.

She has an equally passionate and interesting story about how Queen Clothing came to be, which she has kindly offered to share with us today. It's a rare interview from one of Australia's most talented independent designers...

Stockroom: You have an 'art school' background - how did you come to make the leap to making clothes and fashion?

Christine Boyle: I took that ‘leap’ a long time ago now almost as an extension of art school really. I have a degree in Visual Art with majors in painting and drawing. My work was most often made up of Mixed Mediums. I graduated with distinction but it certainly wasn’t because I was an amazing technician with a paint brush; it was more that I was creative and resourceful I think.

A country childhood helps with those elements because there were less physical boundaries… We could play out on the farm all day on weekends and holidays. This enabled me to nurture my instincts. I was always making things.

I left art school and found work at a community support centre for the unemployed. I held a fabric-printing course and encouraged a lot of handheld stencilling until I had time to brush up on my printing skills. We then moved into screen printing in the second term of the course and from there my students wanted to learn to sew up their fabric creation into tablecloths or clothing and so did I.

We all joined the sewing class & I learned to thread a sewing machine at 22. Within 6 months I had opened a shop in Rozelle in Sydney with my sewing teacher. My grandmother, for one, was very proud and more than a little shocked that the tom-boy who never was interested in sewing at all had opened her own ‘boutique’!

Right, the famous 'Audrey' dress.

My skills have developed on the job over the years. With equal amounts of instinct and bluff, I somehow managed to make clothing that fitted in the earlier days. Now however I have acquired a firm knowledge of the trade and feel I can decide just how I want my clothes to fit as well. The ‘art’ however is still always there in my work.

SR: How would you describe your style?

CB: Always a difficult question for me… I’d like to think it’s changing all the time and growing with me. I would describe my style as distinctive but understated with a hint eastern aesthetic. My clothes are comfortable and uncontrived.

In Queen and McQUEEN (my menswear label), one is noticed without appearing to have made too much effort. It all comes down to an incidental sophistication.

SR: What influences or inspires you with your designs?

CB: I am a sponge! I am influenced by everything around me: music, advertising, animals, water, concrete, landscapes, rubbish, politics, jokes, people , antiques, travel, Fitzroy, sleeplessness, family, history architecture, fabrics, movies, friends, alcohol, toys, climate change, love, glass, food, silence, sadness, rags, art, dreams and coffee.

What inspires me is finding ways to harness all these influences and channel them into making something good, original and beautiful.

SR: What makes Queen unique in the marketplace"?

CB: Queen has been established for over 15 years. This experience combined with the assistance of a brilliant pattern-maker means we continue to bring creatively and beautifully cut clothing in sizes XS to XXL, which is locally made! To a savvy and grown-up clientele!

Keeping an open-mind and with a constant stream of inspiration I am able to keep my label fresh labels & exciting for all ages and genders. In a fashion climate which embraces disposable clothing, ageism and weightiest, this is quite unique.

Above, the 'new' Queen store, 77 Smith Street, Fitzroy.

SR: How did the Queen store start?

CB: I moved into my first Queen store as a studio space. I was renting a space in the Nicholas Building and living in a share-house when I met my partner John. The cab fares grew too expensive one cold winter and we decided to look for something together. Smith St, Fitzroy was desolate and cheap.

I set up my studio at 71 supplying a few shops around Melbourne and we lived upstairs. People started to knock on the front window and ask me what I was up to until eventually I opened the door a few days a week while supplementing my income by waitressing at night. Friends like Roula & her MONKHOUSE label (Now at 102 Lygon St East Brunswick) and Bernie from the Saloman label (still supplying Queen) were soon hanging their clothing for sale at 71 Smith St. The sales grew, I gave up waitressing, moved studio and employed my first shop assistant, the lovely Vanessa Flett who now supply’s Queen with the Echoiic label.

There were very few small independent designer clothing outlets then and it was great to see and hear just how much people appreciated our hand made & original designs. Soon people like Rachael from Lekker and Rebecca Pocock came on board with jewellery and you might say the Good Ship Queen set sale.

We moved to the beautiful big new store ten years later (which was two years ago.) I really didn’t want to move my flagship out of the neighbourhood it enjoys so well so its new location, one the corner of Gertrude Street, is ideal. Not so ‘desolate’ anymore either!

SR: What's the thing you like most about your job - and has your role changed very much over the years, as the business has grown?

CB: My favourite time in when I can just be alone making something in my studio although those times are rare. The thing I like most about my job is that I work for myself and to do that I need to balance my time. It’s not easy in business but I enjoy the challenge of making it work. There is a lot of risk and creativity in the commerce of clothing that stretches far beyond the design table.

My role has changed immensely since starting out the Queen label. As I mentioned I was basically working ‘loosely’ with clothing and paying the rent by waitressing when I opened the first shop. My role then was purely artistic I think you could say. It was great to be free to work when I liked and I could reminisce romantically about those days…

But for me freedom is working on my art and I really don’t think I gave any more time to it then than I do now. I now have five great people working with me, three in the store and two at the studio/office. My job is extremely busy coordinating production and generally overseeing the business. I source fabrics and ultimately make all the decisions artistically and commercially.

Sometimes I would have to say it’s hectic and stress is not a stranger, but it’s not without consideration that I say “I wouldn’t give it you for the world!”

SR: The fashion world can be very cut-throat and 'unhealthy'... Do you have a particular approach to it or philosophy?

CB: I’ve had my own share of theft and treachery over the years. The first shop (discussed earlier) way back when I was in Sydney, was cleared of stock in a break-in the week before Xmas (uninsured!) And last year a client who’d bought a business I was already supplying stole a significant amount of my clothing and then copied a few of the designs!

Right, this Queen Audrey dress was blogged! Read the story here.

This was to add to the shock that another two shops on Brunswick Street were also displaying Queen Designs they’d copied last year. What surprised me was that they were so close-by! There have been some steep learning curves…

I suppose my approach has been to never join that “cut-throat and unhealthy” part of the fashion world. I don’t really think of my clothing as fashion. I try to take a different path, focused on ethical production and warm and friendly relations with the people I deal with. When you have your own store and maintain a close circle of stockists and machinists, I guess it’s a lot less threatening out there.

I’ve learned to listen to my loud and banging intuition! And just try to stay true. To use a metaphor, “I hold my Queen card a lot closer to my chest these days.”

SR: What is it you think that the people who buy your clothes respond to?

CB: What I ‘hope’ people respond to in my clothing is a knowledge of peoples’ needs that comes from experience and a passion for beauty that comes from the heart.

What I’ve ‘learnt’ that people who buy my clothes respond to, is the way the clothing makes them feel and that is strong, confident and comfortable.

SR: What's the best bit of advice you could give to aspiring designers - and the best piece of advice you were ever given?

CB: My advice is… Be true to yourself and your own ideas. Don’t let trends drive you - no matter what anyone says - and follow your intuition! The best advice I’ve been given in just that: to follow my intuition.

Left, Queen Clothing, part of Stockroom's 'clothes forest'.

ALSO; every day I’m given great advice by my assistant Ellie, she is such a pragmatist and just tends to bring be back down to earth.

Sometimes “never mind” is the best advice….

A large range of Queen Clothing is for sale at Stockroom, and orders can also be taken. Visit the Queen Clothing website.

Words: Megan Spencer. Many thanks to Christine Boyle for the interview and images.

Take the struggle out of Christmas...

2010-12-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

If you're struggling for gift ideas this Christmas season, why not make it easy and have a fun day out at Stockroom in Kyneton's lovely Piper Street too?!

We have hundreds of beautiful gifts to choose from, handmade by over 100 of Victoria's most talented independent makers and designers, to suit every budget..

Homewares, art, collectables, furniture, clothes, accessories, ceramics, jewellery - & coffee at Winnebagel!

Everything in Stockroom has been made with love and care.. Nothing is mass-produced or imported...

Every item has been carefully selected by Magali and Jason, with you - and the community - in mind.. And new stock is coming in all the time.

Fast and inexpensive delivery is available on most items too.

Stockroom is open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am-5.30pm, with special late night Christmas shopping on Friday December 17, until 7pm.

Come and say hi to Jason and Magali and spend your Christmas shopping time having some fun!

Stockroom is located at 98 Piper Street, Kyneton, one hour from Melbourne, straight up the Calder Highway. Tel: (03) 5422 3215

Vist our Facebook to see the latest in stock!