Yolande Norris

You Are Here Bike Event

Bicycles. You love them. They’re the past, the future and the present, what with their wheels and forks and spokes and chains, from untouched specimen to mud-crusted corrosive death machine. You’ve got four bikes in the carport, two frames in the shed and one shiny beastie that has the honour of living in your bedroom.

Canberra is one of the bike capitals of the world, encompassing all aspects of bike culture. Carefully cultivated bike paths send us snaking from North to South, The bush is laced with world-class trails and our skate parks have the rest of the country pressed enviously against the glass. We are spoilt and we’re loving it.

As if that wasn’t enough this city also manages to host a crazy number of bike events. From the Mountain Bike World Championships and the BMX games to 24-hour races, pump tracks, naked bicycle rides and the welded fury of the Rat Patrol. Despite all the action on offer it’s still often just enough to be around like-minded folk who share your obsession; sizing up, swapping scars, showing off.

It’s moments like those that this month’s You Are Here festival wants to help facilitate, and on Sunday March 13 the organisers invite all bike-loving folk to converge on the CBD to show off their pride and joy, to network, and to advocate for Canberra’s riding culture. Townies, road bikes, fixed gear, single speed, bmx, mountain, vintage and more will meet at the Garema Place chess pit in a mobile spectacle that demonstrates just how many folk are doing amazing things with bikes in the ‘Berra, helping to ensure bike-related events are given due consideration for funding in future ACT events, including Canberra’s Centenary year in 2013.

You Are Here is particularly interested in revealing the vast array of small businesses and individuals in Canberra who build or restore bicycles or produce cycling related goods. These aspects of bike culture have exploded from hobby to booming back-yard industries that encourage the DIY aesthetic, personalising the practical, melding design and demand, promoting sustainability, innovation and supporting local handmade products. Designers, builders and repairers are encouraged to bring their wares along on the day to promote what they do.

Whether you hurtle yourself down mountains, fling yourself over jumps that you and your mates dug yourselves, get out on the road in the morning to race the climbing sun or just give dinks home from the pub, there are still some days you just wanna cruise into town, catch up with friends, see what everyone else is riding and where two wheels will take you next. March 13 is one of those days. Bring your most excellent ride – it’s time to show off.

You Are Here’s Canberra Bike Round Up takes place on Sunday March 13. Meet at Garema Place chess pit, 3pm.

In Review

The tumultuous 12 months that follow graduation from art school are a time when some artists are finally able to let go and dig in. They may not have been the students who had the most celebrated exit, may not have been the ones with the most accolades, but their creative fires stay burning long after the pow wow of a visual arts degree has called it a night. For some the first year ‘out’ means long hard months of unlearning with many falling by the wayside, but for others it’s a golden hour in which the penny finally drops.

One such case in point is Dan Lorrimer, an ANU School of Art Sculpture workshop graduate in 2009 who threw himself wholeheartedly into the emerging artist game in 2010. But now, in the opening moments of 2011, Lorrimer has really asserted himself as a deadly serious contender.

[Space Displace], Lorrimer’s debut solo exhibition, finds him pulling out all the stops. Where his earlier works were weighted by the onus of institutional expectation and the requisite conceptual baggage, [Space Displace] finds a body of work as ebullient as it is elegant, renegade yet refined.

For the show Lorrimer has joined forces with emerging curator Vanessa Wright, and between them they present a highly considered and impeccably executed exhibition that leaves no box unticked. The works are complimented by pristine plinths, edgy signage and an eloquent catalogue text, but it is the sheer presence of the five steel sculptures that leaves these other aspects barely registering.

Lorrimer’s hard-edged luxe forms bring to mind the finely honed wares of fellow Canberra sculptor Kensuke Todo, demonstrating a grasp of the trade well beyond his years and experience. Like many of his contemporaries, he is informed by symptoms of the digital age. But bypassing the overt references or of-the-moment clichés Lorrimer instead marries the solid, unchanging characteristics of his material (oxidized steel) to a digital ether and the intangibility of the modern condition. It makes for a reactive yet surprisingly harmonious union, and the resulting sculptures are uniformly, gracefully explosive. A terrifyingly strong debut that heralds a formidable 12 months to come.

YOLANDE NORRIS

Looking Forward, Looking Back

The last 12 months in the Canberra arts scene was punishing, boasting more events than anyone could reasonably be expected to attend, more often than not all on the same nights. But for those who put in the effort and forewent any chance of a balanced lifestyle the rewards were many and varied.

2010 may be remembered as the start of some major changes to Canberra arts as a whole, thanks to the ACT Government’s commission of an independent inquiry into the sector. Known as the Loxton Report, the inquiry thrust the entire of the arts community into the bureaucratic spotlight, whether they wanted to be there or not. While attendance to the public hearings was dismal to say the least, the consultants took on board the ever-present issues for all art forms surrounding a lack of venues for exhibitions, performances and artist studios.

The visual arts held its cards close to its chest at the start of the year, with little looming on the horizon. It very quickly became apparent that 2010 would be a year of surprises, with a number of excellent exhibitions popping up early in the piece. The hands-down standout was one we never saw coming: Something In The Air: Collage and Assemblage in Canberra Region Art at Canberra Museum and Gallery was a landmark exhibition assembling over 40 contemporary art heavies in a show packed to the helm with gorgeous artworks. Right from the art-star-studded opening we all knew this was something special, and CMAG asserted itself as a serious rival in curatorial prowess to the big-name institutions.

Outside of CMAG it was the publicly funded art spaces who hosted the best of the rest throughout the year. TJ Phillipson, Leah Bullen and Jessica Herrington held standout solo exhibitions at CCAS Manuka, while the old M16 Artspace programmed a cracker year including unforgettable group exhibitions Musk and A Little Bit Precious. ANCA gallery in Dickson also benefited from excellent programming with a solid lineup of Group and solo shows.

Another event to ambush the visual art community in 2010 was This Way Up – a symposium and exhibition series on contemporary abstract painting. Dreamed up and executed by students, alumni and staff from the ANU Painting workshop, This Way Up was a joyous meeting of likeminded folk, giving the ACT painting community a chance to nerd out over three intensive days of discussion, while providing an opportunity to flex the power and might of the ANU’s abstract painting tradition.

2010 will also go down as the year a number of big promises were delivered upon, including the National Gallery of Australia finally unveiling the first stage of its redevelopment, four years after it’s announcement. Also bringing itself into the twenty-first century was M16 Artspace, leaving the industrial chic of its shed in Fyshwick and relocating all studio tenants to a new studio and gallery complex in Griffith.

In dance it was the Canberra expats doing the city proud. A powerhouse group of performers, including dancers Laura Boynes and Dean Cross, returned to town and their old stomping ground of QL2 with their new operation Autumnal Collective. It’s not quite dance, not quite art or theatre, but by throwing aside the labels and conventions Autumnal managed to hypnotise their audiences and inhabit an entire spectrum of emotion with their debut work Exciting A Blush at QL2 in August.

Another victorious return was that of Daniel Riley McKinley, also to have emerged from QL2 as a youngster. McKinley presented his debut choreographic effort for Bangarra Dance Theatre in September with the aptly titled Riley, as part of the double bill Of Earth and Sky at the Playhouse.

While McKinley is somewhat of a performing arts success story the Loxton Report highlighted a struggle within both the dance and theatre communities to reconcile the relationship between amateur and professional companies and productions. Interesting, then, that 2010 was a strong year for theatre works falling under that ‘amateur’ heading – a positive, homegrown energy that was dampened only by the sudden and distressing downsizing of the ANU’s drama department as part of a wider humanities ‘overhaul’.

For the Exhibitionist team it was Boho Interactive’s True Logic of the Future that ticked all the boxes for contemporary theatre in 2010, being an interactive steampunk science-fiction work based on the 19th century economist, meteorologist, logician, musician, programmer, 3D photographer, philosopher and cloud-maker, William Stanley Jevons. Devised by David Finnigan, Jack Lloyd and Michael Bailey and directed by barb Barnett the production was a meeting of masterminds boasting engrossing ideas and sophisticated use of interactivity that made it a must-see.

Another standout for Exhibitionist’s theatre writers was Everyman’s The Laramie Project at the Courtyard Theatre, delivering a gripping and highly charged performance well above and beyond the amateur label. The story of a vicious hate crime was told by eight of Canberra's finest actors (Fiona Atkin, Micki Beckett, Jessica Brent, Duncan Driver, Dave Evans, Duncan Ley, Steph Roberts, and Tony Turner) portraying more than 60 characters.

All in all, 2011 has big shoes to fill. There are already a number of major productions to watch for, including BIGhART’s Namatjira at the Canberra Theatre, and the highly anticipated second National Indigenous Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia. If last year is anything to go by however you can be assured there’s a mountain of smaller independent productions waiting in the wings to ambush the unsuspecting punter. Stick with us at Exhibitionist and you won’t miss out!

In Review Altered States Canberra Museum and Gallery Until Sun Feb 27

Major exhibitions at Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG) have largely been art focused in recent years, but for Altered States the CMAG team has truly taken on the ‘museum’ mantle, delving into their holdings of heritage objects and images to mount this social history exhibition.

Altered States looks at the at times uneasy relationship Canberra has with its past and the meandering journey it has taken in forming its identity as the capital of a nation. The focus of the exhibition is upon Canberra buildings that have been lost, salvaged and repurposed over the course of the last 100 years. Many have been demolished, while a lucky few remain as distinctive and much-loved architectural features.

Visitors to the exhibition are given the opportunity to not only learn about how and by whom these landmark structures came to be built but also to gain an indication of the soul of these places – what it felt like to be there in another time.

Of particular interest is the iconic Albert Hall, these days the distinguished host to many an antique fair or market day. Altered States reveals the Hall as its dashing younger self – packed to the rafters during wartime socials. A stunning evening gown is on display, as worn by one bright young thing to an Albert Hall dance, shown alongside examples of handwritten invitations. The impression of an era of properness, pomp and ceremony is belied only by the cheeky glint in the eyes of the youngsters in the 1942 photograph.

The Yarralumla Brickworks is another curious old beast, built in 1913 and currently being sized up for future redevelopment. Saved from being demolished in 1976 by builder Alan Marr, the gorgeous stone building went on to house weekend markets and artists studios in the early 1990s. Also around this time came the hilarious notion that the imposing structure would make a great locale for an adult magazine photo editorial, in true Vaselined lens soft focus fashion. The resulting spread is displayed in the exhibition to prove it.

Particularly stirring my nostalgia is the Griffin Centre, demolished in 2005 to clear way for the new ATO building in Civic. Although you could never call it pretty, the photographs of the old Centre bring to mind carefree days of gigs at the Youth Centre, or hours spent loitering at the old 2xx radio studio.

We all recognise that Canberra has a love affair with the wrecking ball, having little patience for the tides of time or regard for its own short history as a city. What Altered States reveals however is the fact this isn’t an altogether recent state of affairs. A well-timed look at the way we were and the way we are, for Canberra lovers and history geeks alike.

David Finig

What do you do?
I'm a pharmacy assistant. I'm 27 and I live with my parents and my niece. I write, make plays, produce festivals and the women eating pasta at the table opposite me are looking at me with narrowed eyes.

When did you get into it?
January 2001 and now I can't get out of it. When we graduated from College, myself, Jack Lloyd, Mick Bailey, Muttley Shaw and Nicky Johnson formed a theatre company called Bohemian Productions and started producing plays - a mixture of Absurdist works by writers like Harold Pinter and our own scripts. Turns out if you pursue your dreams too hard you end up incapable of pursuing anything else. Like Mickey B said, never have a plan B.

Who or what influences you as an artist? Ever make anyone's life measurably better or worse?
Yes. That happened.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far
Too hard. The biggest project was co-directing (with Gillian Schwab) the Crack Theatre Festival, a national festival and forum for theatre and performing artists as part of This Is Not Art in Newcastle. Gills and I founded the festival, directed it for its first two years (2009-10) and recently handed it over to a new batch of co-directors to take into the future. Applications for the 2011 festival should be open soon - check out cracktheatrefestival.com if you’re interested.

What are your plans for the future? Is it true that your mentors include Christian hip hop legend Kevin Max of pioneering holy hip hop trio dcTalk?
It is completely true. He is my rogue Unitarian Mentor.

What makes you laugh? How important is it that I visit YouTube and search for dcTalk's 1992 hit Jesus Is Just Alright? Nothing could be more critical at this point in history.

What pisses you off?
It's okay.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?
I am a creation of the local scene. In every meaningful sense, I have grown out of Canberra's independent/fringe theatre community. My skills, my aesthetics, my understanding of the art form; these are all completely the result of collaborating with fellow Canberran theatre-makers over the last ten years. So objectively it might be good or bad, but personally, the local scene is the reason I'm still making theatre.

What are your upcoming projects?
I'm touring a new solo show This Is Patient Zero: A Christian Guide To Intimate Sexuality, directed by barb Barnett, to the Adelaide Fringe Festival as part of a double-bill with Hadley entitled HOW TO SEX. Following that, I'm curating and producing a new arts festival in Canberra in March. (Watch this space! – Ed)

Contact info:
I am curled up online at www.blind-dragonfly.com

Uninhibited

I do love a new year, laid out like the promising pages of a blank sketchbook, the inherent possibilities of a just-sharpened pencil or a fresh tub of margarine, when you first peel off the weird little plastic sheet to reveal a smooth glossy surface free from vegemite crumbs.

When I look back to 2010 - gazing into the distance for effect - at all the incredible things I got to see and do, it seems beyond belief that I should get to do it all again in 2011.  Another 12 months fat with exhibitions, performances, plays, gigs and festivals, boasting a whole new crop of talent scattered among my longstanding favourites.

As you all emerge blinking into the sun like hibernating bears, albeit sweaty ones with new and unusual swimsuit tans, I thought I would feign power and wisdom by presenting you with my hot tips for artists to watch in 2011.

Stella Rae Zelnik

Graduating from the ANU School of Art’s Photomedia department, the prolific Zelnik spent 2010 hurtling from strength to strength. Her timeless eye borrows from Australian photography masters Carol Jerrems and Rennie Ellis, while boasting a distinctive and irrepressible spirit. It’s tried and true methods made contemporary and everyone wants a piece. An excellent and frequently updated tumblr proves this is a girl who never stops and nor would we want her to. If you don’t know her work by now you surely will soon.

Lee Grant

While she has been busily completing her Master of Visual Arts at the ANU School of Art, Grant’s photographs have been popping up in publications, exhibitions and art websites everywhere. Though you may have yet to hear of her Grant is no Janey-come-lately, having spent the better part of a decade perfecting what from all outward appearances seems to come incredibly naturally. Her ability to capture people in their places is one of the best in the business, and among other travels Grant portrays Canberra with love, bemusement and squirm-inducing realness. Belco Pride, a body of work completed in 2010, is still on the up and up, permeating the psyche of photo fiends everywhere and planting Canberra firmly on the nation’s art map.

Jon Webster

Of all visual artists, Webster belongs to that rare and wonderful breed who don’t just make art but have it flooding through their veins to a point where it becomes a compulsive part of everything they do. Though he studied painting there is no media that Webster denies when it comes to creating his diminutive yet breathtakingly beautiful works from paper, paint, pencil, glitter, clay and sometimes alphabet spaghetti. Though small and subtle, there is an inherent poetry and rawness to his pieces that cuts through art wank crap and hit you right where it hurts. Not long before he gets under all of our skins, as he’ll be popping up in plenty of shows around the city in 2011.

And then there’s all the artists we have yet to meet. 

John Sharman, Richard Siemens, Susan Sutton and James Willebrant

WHAT: Exhibition – Coast Watch
WHEN: Until Jan 30
WHERE: Paintbox Fine Art, Braddon

Paintbox Fine Art in Braddon have gone coastal for their January exhibition Coast Watch, featuring John Sharman, Richard Siemens, Susan Sutton and James Willebrant. Sharman paints on location, mostly depicting NSW south coast landscapes and seascapes in oil, While Siemens’ work belongs to the 'ultra-realist' school of painting. Sutton’s works depict coastal scenes along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, and also jumping on board the beachy theme is Willebrant, a senior Australian artist whose iconic style has seen him present more than 50 solo shows. So if you didn't get to the beach this year, or if you did and too much is never enough, call into Paintbox until January 30. All that's missing is the fish and chips!

Jeff Green

WHAT: Comedy
WHEN: Wed Jan 19
WHERE: Civic Pub

A rare opportunity to see Jeff Green perform in Canberra, as he makes a rare appearance before carrying on to the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals. Green takes the stage at the Civic Pub in Braddon, a venue rapidly becoming the home of Canberra comedy, over two nights on January 18 and 19, from 8pm. Tickets are available for $15 now from www.comedyact.com.au, but if you’ve read this all too late then be sure to check the site for more awesome Civic Pub comedy coming up.

You perhaps?

WHAT: Call for writers!!
WHEN: Now
WHERE: Right here in Exhibitionist

It’s another year and the times are a’changin. If you’ve ever flipped through the pages of Exhibitionist and thought you’d like to have a crack at this whole arts writing caper, or you’ve thought “what is this dribble and who do these people think they are”, then now is your chance to get amongst it.  We’re looking for wordsy folk to contribute articles and reviews, so if this sounds like you (or someone you know), then drop us a line at exhibitionist@bmamag.com. There’s no money, but plenty of kudos, as well as the chance to chat to curators, directors, artists and all manner of interesting personalities, while also getting to see your name in lights, er, print.

Vintage trawlers

WHAT: Aprils Caravan
WHEN: another 18 days
WHERE:  The Front

While there’s a lull in The Front’s hectic exhibition schedule the enterprising lass behind Aprils Caravan vintage has repurposed the gallery space as a temporary shop. Up ‘til now Aprils Caravan as been an occasional vintage treasure trove based out of a Lyneham house, but for now you can freely peruse the gorgeous girls and guys clothes, shoes and accessories anytime you like (well, nearly). As if you needed any more excuses to wile away the hours at this legendary Lyneham haunt. If you have a penchant for beautiful things than perhaps it would be safer to leave your wallet at home. But what would be the fun in that? Check out Aprils Caravan on Facebook, or drop a note to aprilscaravan@gmail.com

Bright Young Things

WHAT: Sculpture Bar
WHEN: Every Friday, 5pm ‘til Late
WHERE: National Gallery of Australia Sculpture Garden

If you work somewhere in the parliamentary triangle, and going back to work after the Summer break really got you down, then this should be a little light at the end of the working week tunnel. Throughout these warmer months the National Gallery of Australia presents Sculpture Bar, every Friday night from 5. Presented in association with Veuve Clicquot (delicious!) the bar is nestled in the NGA’s luscious sculpture garden, making it a perfect spot for chilling of a balmy evening, soaking up some culture and some beverages. There’s even a dedicated website with plenty of social pics and Sculpture bar news: www.sculpturebar.com.au.

Old School movie tragics

WHAT: Summer Outdoor Cinema
WHEN: Saturday evenings throughout Jan/Feb
WHERE: National Film & Sound Archive courtyard

We’ve all heard of ARC cinema at the NFSA. Haven’t we? Yes? Good. Well over Summer it all gets even sweeter, with the Summer Outdoor Cinema. Deckchairs are provided and drinks are on hand for this series of screenings under the stars in the lovely NFSA courtyard. More exciting is the fact this years Summer cinema has a particularly 80s slant: Karate Kid, Ghostbusters and Raiders of the Lost Ark all feature in the stellar lineup of movies on the lawn. Check www.nfsa.gov.au, or follow ARC on twitter or Facebook to keep a tabs on what’s playing, but be sure to book early because the sessions WILL sell out. Tix are $15 or $12.50 concession.

Stella-Rae Zelnik

What do you do? I'm a photographer.

When did you get into it? I've been into photography for about 5 years. But I've certainly realised that I’ll be doing it for the rest of my life - it's part of who I am now fortunately. 

Who or what influences you as an artist? My biggest influence would be the skateboarding scene. I've met so many amazing people from all over the world and they have had such an impact on the style I have now. When it comes down to it the scene really does have the best atmosphere around it, it gets pretty addictive after a while.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Finishing 20 Dudes Magazine! That was 6 long months of blood sweat and tears. But now seeing people hold it in their hands is really rewarding, and photographing 20 dudes…well that's always fun.

What are your plans for the future? First thing is to get the next issue of We Are Not Obscene published, which should be out around April. But as for the rest of my life? Just killing at bein’ awesome.

What makes you laugh? Bernard Black from Black Books. That man can kick me out of his store any time...

What pisses you off? I hate the fact that film is getting so expensive. That really pisses me off.

What’s your opinion of the local scene? I think people really underestimate the Canberra scene. When you find a group of people who really support what you do and understand your intentions it's great! When I think about what I want to do with my own photography there is a lot I want to achieve and I know that I can do that here, ‘cause I think Canberra is only what you make it.

What are your upcoming projects/exhibitions? In January I'll be exhibiting 20 Dudes in Melbourne at the Blue Tile Lounge which will be extremely fun. You gotta love showing art work at a bar, it's the perfect combination for success!

Contact info: stellazelnik73@hotmail.com, stella-raephotos.tumblr.com

20 Dudes is sold at Smiths Alternative Bookshop in the Melbourne Building, 76 Alinga Street Canberra City

We Are Not Obscene can be found at I Trip I Skip, Lonsdale Street, Braddon and other reputable zine outlets

Little people and the folk who have ‘em

WHAT: Shop ‘Lellow
WHEN: Open seven days
WHERE: Lonsdale Street, Braddon (next door to the Hive)

Once upon a time there was a kid’s shop that was sick of all the tacky plastic crap or computer operated junk that passes for toys these days. That shop was Lellow, and last month they opened their doors to provide Canberra with a better option for buying kid’s toys and clothes. Lellow supports handmade and locally produced goods, so you can pick up something unique while giving back to the creative community. If you have a little person to buy a pressie for this Christmas it’s definitely worth the trip, and if you don’t you’ll still have fun, and can check out the beautiful mural by local artist Lisa Twomey inside the shop. Or have a game of hopscotch out the front. Just sayin’.

ProppaNOW

WHAT: Exhibition - New Recent Works
WHEN: Until Sat Feb 12, 2011
WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space Gorman House

“Individually they are much exhibited, awarded and collected. Occasionally they exhibit together under the banner of proppaNOW. This is one of those rare and special times.” Says the catalogue essay by Anni Doyle Wawrzynczak, and ain’t that the truth. Now’s your chance to check out the political, compelling, challenging and sometimes downright funny artwork of Australia’s most important artists collective. The CCAS galleries are set to be taken over by works from Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Bianca Beetson, Richard Bell, Jennifer Herd, Gordon Hookey and Laurie Nilsen. They’re proppaNOW. They’re changing the world. And if you’re organised you’ll be able to make it along to the opening: 6pm Friday December 10. Check www.ccas.com.au for updates.

The Forgery

WHAT: Jewelry launch
WHEN: 6pm, Fri Dec 10
WHERE: I Trip I Skip, Lonsdale St Braddon

Jewels! Beautiful jewels! The Forgery is the brainchild of local artists Danyka Van Buuren and Jessica Herrington, who have recently begun collaborating on a collection of wearable art pieces. This unique “hand forged frippery” includes rings, necklaces and brooches, each a chunky blend of glitter, gems and oversized crystal growths. The pieces are nothing short of eye-catching, being undeniably over-the-top and bordering on the ugly - a fine line the girls like treading. If regular jewelry bores you to tears then come check out the launch of their inaugural collection “Painted Gold” at I Trip I Skip.

Liz Williamson

WHAT: Exhibition - Textiles
WHEN: Until Sat Dec 18
WHERE: Craft ACT Craft & Design Centre

Craft ACT Craft & Design Centre is currently showing the forth installment of their series Living Treasures – Masters of Australian Craft. Being honoured this time round is textile artist Liz Williamson. Williamson, who has carved out a niche by experimenting with cutting edge weaving techniques, presents a series of new works that includes objects as well as wearable pieces such as scarves and wraps. The exhibition provides an opportunity to experience and appreciate this practitioner’s outstanding skill in the field of textiles, her research into the qualities of cloth and the extraordinary contribution she has made to Australian craft culture and innovation.

Vexta, Ha Ha, Anthony Lister & more

WHAT: Pop Up Exhibition Exterior Motvieser
WHEN: Until Nov 28
WHERE: I Trip I Skip, Lonsdale St Braddon

Melbourne’s Metro Gallery is descending upon Canberra with a delicious side serving of street art, specially assembled to accompany Space Invaders at the National Gallery of Australia. One of Metro’s aims is to show how the work of many of the artists who appear in the NGA show has progressed recently, namely Vexta, Ha Ha, Anthony Lister and many of the Everfresh crew. The “pop up” exhibition will do just that, appearing at forward-thinking Braddon boutique I Trip I Skip for five days only. Be quick or you’ll miss it. If you’re an eager beaver and picked up BMA fresh from the press then you might just make the opening night – Thursday November 25. 

Gary Smith

WHAT: Exhibition Industrial Desire
WHEN:  On now until Dec 5
WHERE: M16 Artspace Griffith

The industrial landscape is transformed into a place of ethereal beauty by Canberra artist Gary Smith in his latest exhibition Industrial Desire. Smith, who was awarded a Master of Philosophy from ANU in 2005, grew up in the industrial town of Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsular of Victoria. So began his early fascination with the distant flare of the oil refinery and bay-scapes dominated by heavy industry. Images of storage tanks, piers, and pipelines are transformed into shimmering, ambiguous objects by a multi-layered process of printing and painting.  Smith’s subtle, alchemic paintings reveal the surprising beauty found within the mix of oil, salt and fumes in these areas. 

Martin Schoeller

WHAT: Exhibition Close Up
WHEN: On now until Feb 13
WHERE: NPG

When New York based photographer Martin Schoeller creates a portrait, he doesn’t mess around with sets and contexts. Instead he gets right to the point and up extremely close. The National Portrait Gallery presents Schoeller’s first Australian exhibition with a selection of these very works – many of which are celebrity portraits capturing the likes of Bill Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Iggy Pop, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Manson and more. These full-frame full-face extreme close ups reveal surprising complex details of the human face and bring all Schoeller’s subjects - regardless of whether they are politicians, musicians, actors or unknowns - to an equal level.

Last Man To Die

WHAT: Interactive installation and performance
WHEN: Sat Dec 5 Installation 11am – 5pm, Performance 7pm
WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space Gorman House

An announcement from Last Man To Die: “LMTD Tours is pleased to announce our guided explorations into the future/past of humanity will continue in December. The Last Man To Die explores a future where humanity has triumphed over ageing and death and looks back at a time when people lived for barely a single century. You'll experience first hand the brave new world explored by those first immortals and the choices faced by the last to die.”

“But what does it mean?!” I hear you say. Why, it means an interactive all-day installation and evening performance. Featuring Hanna Cormick, Benjamin Forster and Charles Martin in collaboration with writer Pete Butz. Tickets are on the door for $10 or $7 Concession and CCAS members. Unearth more at www.lastmantodie.net.

Tiffany Cole

WHAT: Exhibition Unexpected Guests
WHEN: Opens 6pm Thu Dec 2 - 12
WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space Manuka

A perfect warm-up for the Graduate Exhibition, Unexpected Guests showcases the latest work from acclaimed Canberra painter Tiffany Cole. Also a graduate from the School of Art, Cole recently won the prestigious QANTAS Encouragement of Contemporary Art Award, enabling her to travel to Peru and the Galapagos Islands earlier this year. The adventure perfectly appealed to Cole’s preexisting interest in nature, flora and fauna, and this latest body of work draws upon inspirations she found along the way. Be blown away by Cole’s incredible technical skills in this suite of succulent and seductive oil paintings, as she investigates the clash of suburbia and exotic faraway places.

ANU School of Art Graduates

WHAT: 2010 Graduate exhibition
WHEN: 6pm Fri Dec 3
WHERE: The entire School of Art building

There’s no better way to bid farewell to a year of visual art in Canberra than the ANU School of Art Graduate Exhibition. Each year an estimated 2000 punters descend on the School for its night of nights. It’s the best of what’s to come, as the class of 2010 fill the school with the fruits of their labour and fill their glasses to match. There’s something for everybody – painting, photography, new media, sculpture, glass, ceramics, textiles, printmaking, furniture design and gold and silver – the works are for sale, so are the drinks, but the electric atmosphere is free, morale is high and the outfits outrageous. Don’t miss out on the awards ceremony, where the art world picks its favourites of the year’s crop.

Craft ACT

For all its positive messages, Christmas has long represented all that is depressing about throwaway consumer culture. Recent years however have seen a defiant move against these attitudes, and a resurgence of  all things handmade. There are global movements, such as Etsy.com, as well as local activity, such as the Handmade markets, but one organization that has long championed the cause in Canberra is Craft ACT Craft and Design Centre, exhibiting and promoting cutting-edge work by designers and artisans.

In June of last year Craft ACT launched its retail shop front, responding to the calls from local practitioners for more opportunities to increase the visibility of their practice and the viability of their careers. Local makers can now produce and sell wares all year round, not just when the rare opportunity to exhibit arises. The inviting space, located alongside the Craft ACT gallery, is a feast for the eyes and imagination. One wall boasts a site-specific work by local graf artist Byrd, and the remainder is packed with diverse and innovative handcrafted goods.

Craft ACT curator Diana Hare estimates that 95% of artists stocked in the shop are from the Canberra region – making it a hub for local creative talent. Even the remaining 5% generally have some connection to the ACT, often being alumni of the prestigious ANU School of Art or artists who have previously exhibited with Craft ACT.

Because of their dealings with beautiful and unique objects Christmas has always been a busy time for the organisation and the makers with which it associates. The shop means they are able to rise to the occasion more than ever before, while also taking time to celebrate another year of creative activity in the capital.

This year the shop will burst its seams at a special one-night-only Christmas event. New works by Craft ACT’s dearest artisan friends will fill not only the shop and storeroom, but the entire foyer area too. There’ll be music, drinks, and a chance for an end of year catch-up with the who’s who of the Craft and Design community.

Central to the festivities will be a specially commissioned Christmas tree, by local designer and craftsman Tom Skien. The tree will be festooned by decorations made by some of the scene’s most well known artists – to give this centuries old Christmas tradition a contemporary spin.

Contrary to popular belief locally handcrafted goods don’t have to be bank-breakers. People from all walks of life are drawn to the handmade, so all different budgets and tastes are catered for. Ultimately, the value of these handcrafted goods is beyond monetary – being a step towards sustainable practices and production, supporting independent industry and keeping the local creative economy strong. It’s shopping with a conscience, keeping Christmas individual and keeping you free from the horrors of the mall.

Check out what’s on offer at Craft ACT Craft and Design Centre from 2-5pm Saturday November 27, upstairs in the North Building, 180 London Circuit.

Tiffany Cole

What do you do? I’m painter. I mainly paint still-lifes featuring animals, insects, flora and shiny objects. I use oil paint because of its capability to conjure beautiful textures like opalescence, glass and fur. I like to explore ways to blur the lines between reality and the artificial.

When did you get into it? I think I’ve always made things. I was a crafty child… in a good way. I really got into painting more seriously though just before I applied to uni. The course at the School of Art opened my eyes to all the complexities of the art world, and introduced me to the genres in art that I now love.

Who or what influences you as an artist? I am fascinated by nature and the lives of different creatures. I think life is mysterious, and I enjoy imagining what existence would feel like as another creature. David Attenborough is my hero. He has such a regard for nature, not to mention an incredible whispery narrator voice. I also love still-life paintings from the 17^th Century Dutch era. They are like magic shows in painted form, recreating nature in such a juicy and glamorous way.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? Winning the QANTAS Foundation Encouragement of Australian Art Award, which I used to travel to the Peruvian Rainforest and Galapagos Islands this year.

What are your plans for the future? My solo exhibition titled Unexpected Guests is going to be on show from December 2 to 12 at CCAS Manuka, you should come along! Not sure what’s next as yet… I would like to spend a long period of time making a new series of paintings. 

What makes you laugh? The ridiculous scandals ensuing daily on the Bold and the Beautiful - will Ridge get back with Taylor after Brooke’s outrageous scandal? Glamorous 80s clothes, dramatic hairdos, Kath and Kim… lots of things.

What pisses you off? People who are rude to service staff - it’s just no good.

What’s your opinion of the local scene? I think we have a great local scene. It’s just the right size to be close knit, which is great for the word to get around about things, and there’s a really supportive atmosphere here.

What are your upcoming exhibitions? Did I mention an excellent exhibition coming up at CCAS Manuka…?

Contact info: tiffany_joy_cole@hotmail.com

Uninhibited

Until recently I thought of myself only as a visual arts person. I went to art school, worked in galleries and was so immersed that I had very little time to think about any of the “other” art forms on offer. In fact I confess to seeing them as something pretty well separate. Suddenly I’m the editor of Exhibitionist and my creative universe has increased tenfold - I’m surprised to realise how much these art forms have in common, and more so that I love them equally as much.

This week just past is a prime example of how far I’ve come; a week that saw me heading to the theatre not once, but twice. I know, I know, it sounds like hardly a stretch, but bear in mind this is someone who would have been lucky to see the curtains raised perhaps annually over years previous.

The nature of my two outings could not have been further apart. The first was a highly civilized visit to the Playhouse at the Canberra Theatre Centre after I bought into the hype surrounding When The Rain Stops Falling. Everyone was talking about it; one particularly convincing review from the Sunday Mail cited it as “probably the best play I’ve ever seen” and that was good enough for me. So, faced with the prospect of either lumping on the couch watching IT Crowd or checking out said production I chose the latter (I must be growing old) and went alone (like I said).

Thank the universe I did. In the space of two hours, perched on the edge of my seat and being overcome by spasmodic snuffling crying fits my life was slowly and irrevocably changed by this epic and stupefyingly beautiful masterpiece. Not having the appropriate theatre background I feel hopelessly ill-equipped to put my impressions of When The Rain Stops Falling into words, so allow me to quote: “it was probably the best play I’ve ever seen”. Days later now and I am unable to shake many moments from my mind and replay parts of dialogue over and over in my head - problematic because this makes me start snuffling all over again.

Then, in complete contrast: the Phoenix Players rendition of 1970s musical Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, taking the stage in Queanbeyan. “Texas has a whorehouse in it – Lord have mercy on our souls!” And let me tell you one more thing you probably already know – amateur musical theatre is alive and well in Canberra.

Again I will borrow from the professionals: Best Little Whorehouse is the probably the funnest production I’ve seen in my life. Ultra-catchy and ridiculous songs, outrageous costumes, bawdy humour, cute characters and crazy high jinks, all with a bittersweet centre and side order of cowboy boots and Texan accents. No snuffling here but snorting with laughter instead, and a self-scolding for not having realised that this kind of talent walked among us.

Now I rue the past twenty-odd years of theatre I’ve missed and appear to have a burgeoning addiction to show biz. If only my vocabulary could catch up.

Byrd

What do you do? Most of my time is spent putting pictures on walls, which involves reading and re-dressing spaces. To this end I also make objects which are less reliant on an external predetermined space.

When did you get into it? Some time around 1992 I started using public spaces as a place to publish my art, but I’ve been making stuff and drawing forever.

Who or what influences you as an artist? Stuff I come across, pieces of things, fragments of the world. The way an old man carries himself on the bus, the colour of middle-aged women’s shoes, a wall that’s never buffed with the same colour twice, the words a child uses. Paying attention to other artists’ processes. Collaboration, technical prowess and giving it a go.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?  Getting a line right or being happy with a painting the day I finish it. Having people say “Oh you did that?!”. Selling a collection of my handmade stickers to the NGA.

What are your plans for the future? To turn some of the drawings I’ve been doing lately into paintings and stencils. Have a solo show sometime this year. Seize what opportunities are presented to me and travel a little more extensively.

What makes you laugh? Just about everything. Misreading situations/intentions/people.

What pisses you off? I love that people care so much about so little. I despair that people care so little about so much.

What’s your opinion of the local scene? I’m not so closely involved as I once was and even then my involvement was peripheral, but people drift in and out, few stick with it. The stayers at the moment are a Graff crew, a clothing brand and a Sydney based artist, I didn’t even make that list.

What are your upcoming projects? I’ve got work in the National Gallery of Australia show Space Invaders till Feb. I’ve also got a number of public commissions coming up and any number of little interventions as the mood/opportunity strikes.

Contact info: byrd.hq@gmail.com

Video and sound artistes

WHAT: Digital Jam
WHEN: 8pm, Saturday November 20
WHERE: NGA underground

Car park that is. But the hefty concrete surrounds make the perfect setting for cooler than thou live events – a fact that Digital Jam 2010 takes full advantage of. On Saturday November 20 settle in for a night of video, live sound scapes and people watching. Projections, including work by London-based video director and illustrator Danny Sangra, will dovetail with an epic sound space and dance music by a number of DJ's including Melbourne sound artist Buttress O’Kneel.

Naturally there will also be a lounge/bar to aid your enjoyment. Check out www.nga.gov.au for more info, but swing by Moshtix.com.au to secure yourself a place.

Circus folks and their lovers

WHAT: Circo Belco
WHEN: 8pm, Friday November 12
WHERE: Margaret Timpson Park, Belco!

A stellar line-up of Canberra talent in one of the most memorable nights of the year – all housed in a beautiful boutique circus tent! Enjoy an evening of circus, song and eccentric entertainment in The Bally, in Belconnen's Margaret Timpson Park. Alongside live music and thrills from a host of performers, saucy circus snippets from Elena Kirschbaum and Jane Schofield will spice up the night.  These two incurable, globetrotting carnies are virtuoso hula-hoopers; they juggle, contort and wear fabulous costumes.  Elena is the brains and the beauty behind Highwire Entertainment and The Bally.  They will preview material from their up-coming Street Theatre show, The Blue Marquessa. Tickets are $18/$15 – for bookings contact 62640232.

Shoppers in the night

WHAT: Night Markets
WHEN: 6.30pm, Thursday November 11
WHERE: Smiths Alternative Bookshop

Stop Press! If you have just picked up your freshly minted copy of BMA, then chances are you still have time to get thee to the night markets! The good people at Smiths Alternative Bookshop have gone above and beyond AGAIN. Not satisfied with simply selling fine books and providing a cosy city hideaway, the Smiths crew have been presenting gig nights, poetry readings and most recently – the night markets. Thursday night from 6.30 the bookshop will be taken over by market stalls of glee, touting second hand and homemade wares, with drinks available to fuel your socializing and shopping good times! If you missed out this round then keep an eye on their very entertaining Facebook page for to the minute updates.

Timo Nest

WHAT: Exhibition Misunderstood
WHEN: On now until Sun Nov 14
WHERE: M16 Artspace, Griffith

Timo Nest, one of Canberra’s most respected and innovative photographers, journeyed to Iran at the end of last year. Needless to say he packed his camera, and ended up taking thousands of photographs to document what he saw, the people and places he came to know. Through images that highlight everyday life in Iran, and the ‘human face’ of Iranians, Nest sets out to dispel a sometimes negative western perspective of Iran and Islam. A portfolio of images is now on show in Nest’s exhibition Misunderstood at M16 Artspace.

Jessica Herrington

WHAT: Exhibition Cave
WHEN: On now until Sunday November 14
WHERE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space Manuka

Jessica Herrington has spent recent years making her mark on the local, interstate and even international contemporary art scene. Many first came to know of her after she took out the inaugural National Youth Self Portrait Prize with a photographic work, while studying Printmedia at the ANU School of Art. Now Herrington has moved on to the third dimension, and, informed by an artist residency at the Research School of Chemistry at the ANU, is creating amazing sculptures of crystalline structures, paint, glitter and all things shiny. Her exhibition Cave (and the title doesn’t lie) is currently showing at CCAS Manuka. Mmm. Mystical.

Lovers of homegrown theatre

WHAT: Love, Lies and Hitler
WHEN: November 18 – 27
WHERE: The Street Theatre

The play that asks: is it worse for a liar to tell the truth than for a lover of truth to lie? Enter morally ambiguous territory with Lies, Love and Hitler by Elizabeth Avery Scott. It’s a “dramedy” exploring the boundaries of love, friendship and personal significance. With the playwright’s husband James Scott playing the lead of Dr Paul Langley it’s like Canberra’s very own Cate and Andrew! The contemporary Australian drama was shortlisted for the 2009 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award and is now playing at as part of The Street Theatre’s awesome independent artist series Made In Canberra. There will be twilight and evening showings, so check the Street’s website for all the booking details www.thestreet.org.au.

School of Art painting alumni

WHAT: Exhibition This Way Up
WHEN: Until October 30
WHERE: ANU School of Art Gallery

Last issue you may have caught Sarah Mason’s story on a series of exhibitions and two-day symposium entitled This Way Up – now it’s your last chance to catch the major exhibition by the same name, before it’s all packed down. The show, in the School of Art Gallery, is a look at a diverse range of abstract painting from School of Art painting workshop alumni – encapsulating nearly three decades of amazing artistic practice. Don’t be scared off by the “abstract art” moniker – there really is something for everyone in this very sexy show. A must-see for any Canberra art lover.

All you photographers

WHAT: National Photographic Portrait Prize
WHEN: Entries close November 12
WHERE:  National Portrait Gallery

If you’re a photographer, or an aspiring one, you will have seen the National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibitions of previous years at the National Portrait Gallery. But you may not have considered entering. Well, I’m here to tell you to get off your arse and do it! One of the best things about the prize is that it encompasses photographic artists from all walks of life - from hobbyists, complete newbies, to those who make a living off their art. The other best thing about it is the incredible $25,000 prize for the winning portrait, courtesy of VISA. For full information about the prize, as well as entry forms, head to www.portrait.gov.au. You owe me a beer if you get selected.

Chloe Bussenchutt

WHAT: Exhibition Where The Fleeting Collide
WHEN: On now until November 27
WHERE: CCAS Gorman House

In simple terms, local artist Chloe Bussenchutt is a sculptor, but her unique artworks encompass so much more than that clumsy label. Chloe states: “my work is informed by the process of collecting from considered sites. Connections are created between familiar objects, artefacts, specimens and emotions. Memories surface, personal histories are exhumed, natural histories recognised.” For her most recent installation, Where The Fleeting Collide, Chloe pairs natural and man-made elements; the dense and the delicate. Definitely one of the hidden gems of the Canberra art scene whose career is about to take off. Catch the show at Canberra Contemporary Art Space Gorman House until November 27.

E.L.K.

WHAT: Purty new website
WHEN: All of the time
WHERE: www.elkstencils.com

Be it coincidence or a master stroke in marketing, Canberra’s favourite stencil-making son E.L.K has launched his slick new website, right as the town goes mad for all things street art related (see previous). Even if you think you don’t know E.L.K’s work you do. His commissions grace many a wall of this city, including murals in City Walk and Petrie Plaza, and pieces can be seen in fine drinking holes Knightsbridge Penthouse and Parlour Wine Room. To get a full sense for the awesome breadth of his practice you’ll have to have a flick through the photo gallery on the site, so click on over to www.elkstencils.com.

Anyone who has ever loved zines, and anyone who’s wondered what the fuss is about

WHAT: Capital Letters - NGA Zine Fair
WHEN: 11am – 4pm Saturday October 30
WHERE: National Gallery of Australia

Coinciding with their new exhibition Space Invaders – Australian Street, Stencils, Paste-ups, Zines, Stickers, the NGA is going gangbusters and hosting a fittingly huge zine fair. For the whole of Saturday October 30, zine makers will descend upon the opulence of the NGA’s new Gandel Hall, and fill it with all kinds of DIY deliciousness. The fair has been organised by The Sticky Institute, Melbourne, so you know it’s good. And as if that wasn’t enough, there’s heaps of other amazing stuff going on that same day, including graffiti demos, artist’s talks and books signings – and of course you could check out the exhibition. Sounds like you’d be mad to be anywhere else.

Chris Gudu

WHAT: Rhythms of Zimbabwe
WHEN: 8pm Saturday November 6
WHERE: The Street Theatre

In his homeland, Chris Gudu’s music is known as “umbaqanga”, or “township jive”, originating from the streets and shebeens of Soweto, South Africa. Gudu, born and raised in Zimbabwe, now tours his trademark rhythms around the globe, and Australia is his next port of call. Rhythms of Zimbabwe, a powerful and exuberant performance, hits Canberra when Gudu and his seven-piece band perform at The Street Theatre for one night only. They’re joined by special guest Felix Machiridza - a Canberra-based Zimbabwean traditional singer, dancer, mbira and drum player. To check out Gudu’s sound visit www.chrisgudu.com, and once you’re hooked, you can book tickets to the show by calling the Street Theatre on 6247 1223 or dropping by www.thestreet.org.au .

Katie Green

What do you do?
I’m a gold and silversmith. I make wearable jewellery using porcelain and silver, and I incorporate various mechanical elements to make pieces more interactive.

When did you get into it?
It wasn’t until my degree at the ANU School of Art that I really got started, but it’s definitely a craft that I’ve always been interested in – when I was little I would collect anything that looked like gold and hoard it in a stash under my bed. It finally got discovered when we moved house.

Who or what influences you as an artist?
I’m influenced by everything around me, in all mediums. Nature is a huge inspiration – it’s amazing that it can create such beautiful shapes and perfect lines.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?
Finishing my first commissioned piece – an engagement ring – and knowing that I had the skills to put my study into practice.

What are your plans for the future?
To work less at my day job and devote more time to making. In the near future I’d like to finish setting up my workshop.

What makes you laugh?
Almost everything. I’ve been known to giggle way too much.

What pisses you off? Arrogance - you’ve got to be able to laugh at yourself.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?
There’s a lot of amazing stuff here if you look for it – if people hung around rather than moving away it would get even better.

What are your upcoming projects?
I’m in a group exhibition next year that explores the art of making and why different people make the things they do. In the meantime I’m setting up my business and taking on more commissions.

Contact info: janika51@hotmail.com

Uninhibited

Last Friday the crew of the good ship BMA had a party, complete with the promise of as much free beer as one small girl could drink, and the company of some of the best darn folk round these here parts. And I didn’t go.

No, not because I’m some kind of pig-headed, snob-nosed arts editor who would rather sit alone of a weekend with a bottle of red, an overflowing ash tray and a crazy-eyed cat while watching subtitled films on mute to the soundtrack of The Birthday Party on vinyl and feeling the weight of the world. No.

It was because the last week was so crammed with arts events, so cruelly, unreasonably, laughably over booked that it was all I could do not to fold onto the floor in a fantastic toddler-inspired fashion beating my fists squawking “why why why!” But this, as with the bohemian lock-down and BMA soirée, was sadly not an option.

After two days spent at the School of Art’s painting symposium, and another three at the NGA’s printmaking conference, the week climaxed into Thursday and Friday nights of exhibition opening madness.

I felt like a mother choosing between her children: amazing art vs. free beer, inspirational arts organisations vs. the pub, art world superstars vs. the devastating appeal of Allan Sko, Julia Winterflood et al.

What twisted world is this - that would make me choose sides?

Unfortunately this predicament is nothing new. This time of the year always turns out this way, and I think I know how it happens. Every New Year dawns to Canberra as an empty shell. Students have gone back to their hometowns, public servants are all racing each other down the Clyde on pilgrimage to the South Coast, and those that fall into neither category, like myself, are doubtless hiding sweatily in fibro houses with the blinds drawn and air conditioning in the form of a bowl of ice in front of the oscillating fan. There, peeking out onto the deserted streets and shut-up shops, we began to fear that maybe all the talk is true – maybe there really is nothing to do here in Canberra. Maybe it really is a hole.

Anxious to make amends we begin to make plans for the year ahead, looming huge and starkly empty. We form bands, collectives, collaboratives; make artworks, blogs, zines; organise plays, parties and exhibition after exhibition.

Momentum gathers, and slowly but surely these summer projects come to life.

By the time winter descends things are humming along nicely, but then August and September are gone in a flash while October rears its glitzy head, full of frivolity and over-stimulation, too many Facebook invites to hazard a glance and a BMA that rivals the Canberra Times in density.

With eight hours sleep a night, a well-maintained caffeine habit and a strict no party policy I should survive. Until then however, until that sweet time swings around once more when we can all complain of having nothing to do, do you think you can forgive me?

Leah Bullen

What do you do? I’m a painter. I make images that draw from photographic and screen based imagery seen daily on the TV, the Internet, and in newspapers. My paintings are developed through a combination of processes including collage, drawing and photography.

When did you get into it? I did a lot of drawing at high school, but didn’t start painting until during my degree at the ANU School of Art.

Who or what influences you as an artist? Stories; be they momentous, odd or ordinary. I’m also influenced by other contemporary and historical artists, music, literature and photojournalism.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far? That I haven’t quit and gotten a ‘real’ job.

What are your plans for the future? Hmm...In light of the last question, maybe not to take out a mortgage?

What makes you laugh? Probably too many things…

What pisses you off? Ignorance. And the fact that I’m not multi-lingual.

What’s your opinion of the local scene? There are a lot of opportunities here in Canberra when you’re starting out, with a supportive network of fellow artists, art groups and art spaces.

What are your upcoming exhibitions? In 2011 I’ll be having a solo exhibition at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Braddon. Next year I’ve also been invited to undertake a one-month artists residency at Cataract Gorge in Launceston.

Contact info: www.leahbullen.com or email leah@leahbullen.com

Melissajay Egan

WHAT: Solo Exhibition
WHEN: Opens Oct 13 until Oct 20
WHERE: The Front Gallery & Cafe

Artist Melissajay Egan is interested in notions of portraiture and self-identity, the construction of those portraits and the creation of images in the digital age. After capturing imagery with both video and still photography Egan then works into this raw material with Photoshop, as well as organic methods of drawing and painting, to maintain a visibly human presence. A preview installation of Egan’s latest body of work is on show at the Front in Lyneham until October 20^th, so drop on by for a chai and a leisurely look.

Michelle Day

WHAT: Exhibition Elka Mar Is Lost
WHEN: Until Oct 17
WHERE:  Canberra Contemporary Art Space Manuka

Emerging from somewhere between niggly fine wires, cyborg insects, attics, antiques and biological creatures is the work of up and coming local artist Michelle Day. Elka Mar is Lost presents Day’s light and silicone sculptures and is her first solo exhibition since graduating from the Sculpture department of the ANU School of Art. While she continues to engage with bodily notions, Day has moved away from works encompassing darker medical themes toward lighter, more whimsical reflections with a touch of nostalgia and future gazing. See how this multimedia installation transforms the gallery at CCAS Manuka until Sunday October 17^th, or visit www.michelle-day.com for more.

James Turrell

WHAT: Skyspace Installation
WHEN: Daily 10am – 5pm and until 10pm Wed and Fri
WHERE: National Gallery of Australia

You might have noticed the grassy, geometric protrusion in the grounds out front of the extended National Gallery of Australia building. It’s not some whim of landscape architecture, but actually one of the NGA’s most recent and most sizable acquisitions – an artwork entitled Within Without by American artist James Turrell. Turrell constructs what he calls ‘Skyspaces’; beautifully sculptural structures through which the audience views the sky, therefore seeing it in new ways. The artwork is breathtaking any time of day, but because its features emphasise changes in light it is most amazing at dusk or dawn. The NGA has adjusted the viewing times accordingly, so check their website for full details at www.nga.gov.au but you can have a daylight experience of the Skyspace for free seven days a week.

Roller Derby Dames

WHAT: Art & derby lecture
WHEN: 1pm Wed Oct 20
WHERE: ANU School of Art Lecture Theatre 

Have you noticed that a bizarrely large number of ladies in the Canberra Roller Derby League are also amazing visual artists? Yeah, I know, why is that? The ANU School of Art has also realised and asks the same question. Like any good university they’ve decided to investigate the phenomenon and in doing so will be presenting a public lunchtime lecture on the crossover between derby and the arts. The hour-long Wednesday lecture at the School of Art is totally free and all are welcome. Derby stars (and amazing artists) Roulette Rouge and Bullseye Betty will be teaching us a thing or two.

Contemporary Dancers

WHAT: Short Sweet+Dance
WHEN: 8pm Oct 20 – 23 & 2pm Oct 23
WHERE: Courtyard Studio, The Playhouse

Short Sweet+Dance Canberra will hit the stage from Wednesday October 20 to Saturday October 23. A range of dance styles will be on display in palatable 10-minute morsels by established and emerging independent dance artists from Canberra and interstate. This year’s extraordinary line-up will present everything from dancing on glasses, sliding on point shoes through to physical ramification on nuclear technology and atomic theory. Short Sweet+Dance premiered in Sydney 2007 and is now an International Festival including Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and India. This year is the very first Canberra season! Tickets available through Canberra Theatre Centre

P: 02 62752700 or www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Min Mae & collaborators

WHAT: Performance Still Standing
WHEN: October 28 to October 30
WHERE: The Street Theatre

Tableau artist Min Mae presents her new performance work Still Standing as part of Made in Canberra 2010. For three shows only, from Thursday 28^th to Saturday 30^th October, Min Mae and her three central performers – Jordan Best, Alison McGregor, and Michael Ellis – experiment with the human animal’s most essential means of communication: the wordless gesture. A multi-form piece, Still Standing combines live music with the distinctive theatrical elements Min Mae has become renowned for. The work seeks to translate the rich and complex history of its performers’ lives in an empathic exchange with the audience. Stripping back the layers of clothing, ego, and language in a quest to rebalance the mind/body battle, the performers reveal something deeper than mere flesh. 

Blanche Tilden

WHAT: Exhibition Fer Et Verre
WHEN: Opens 6pm Wed Sep 29 'til Thu Nov 18
WHERE: Canberra Glassworks

Contemporary glass artist and jeweler Blanche Tilden trained in glass at the ANU School of Art in the 90s, but relocated to Melbourne to work under acclaimed jeweler Susan Cohn. She now lives and works in Melbourne but is returning to town for her exhibition Fer Et Verre at the Canberra Glassworks. This show of new work presents Tilden’s cutting edge glass and metal jewelry and is also the launch event for a slick new book about her work, entitled ‘Blanch Tilden: True’. Sounds like there will be some covetable stuff on show, so get on down to the Glassworks gallery to have a wistful gander.

Long Run Theatre

WHAT: The Clever Country
WHEN: October 6-16
WHERE: Street Theatre

You’ve heard of Art Vs. Science – well now it’s Fashion Vs. Science in Bruce Hoogendoorn’s play The Clever Country. University science enrolments have dropped alarmingly, and it now takes a higher tertiary entrance score to study fashion design. So the minister for Science hires Andrew Dean, an incredibly good-looking researcher, to work to put things right. Will it come to fisticuffs? Apparently so. This Long Run Theatre Production takes the stage at the Street Theatre from October 6 to 16. For bookings contact 6247 1223 or check out www.thestreet.org.au.

Richard Blackwell

WHAT: Exhibition Grotto
WHEN: Until Sunday October 3
WHERE:  M16 Artspace Griffith

Young Canberra artist Richard Blackwell is going from strength to strength since graduating from Printmedia at the ANU School of Art. Blackwell’s most recent achievement was receiving a highly competitive New Work grant from the Australia Council for the Arts. Pair that with the relocation of his studio to the new M16 complex and being picked up by a commercial gallery in Melbourne, and it looks like 2010 has been an incredibly busy and fruitful time for the artist. His solo exhibition Grotto presents outcomes from this buzz of activity, showing Blackwell’s latest 2D works alongside some new developments in 3D. A must-see for anyone who likes bold, graphic and brain-melting art.

Dayne Rathbone

WHAT: Comedy Club
WHEN: Wednesday October 6
WHERE: Civic Pub

Following performances in the Green Faces final and at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival this year, Canberra laugh merchant Dayne Rathbone is set to headline the October installment of Civic Pub’s Comedy Club.

Rathbone is known for his unpredictably bold performances and hilariously awkward character pieces. His act frequently includes audience interaction, fantastical stories… and cats. The comedian will soon be making the exodus to Melbourne so catch him in his small town glory while you can. Comedy Club is held the first Wednesday of every month upstairs at Civic Pub in Braddon. Show starts at 8pm. Entry fee is $10 at the door.

Young portraitists

WHAT: Headspace 10
WHEN: On now until Sun Nov 7
WHERE: National Portrait Gallery

Headspace is an annual exhibition that celebrates self-portraiture from secondary school students around the country. It’s a pretty good gig - giving young artists the chance to have their work to be shown in the illustrious National Portrait Gallery before they’ve even graduated their college art class. It’s been a decade since the project began, and every year the exhibition is full of powerful, amusing, innovative and highly sophisticated portrait works in a vast range of mediums. Each Headspace the students respond to a particular portraiture related theme, and this year it’s Self/Reflection. Stop in, have a look, and have a whinge about young people being so obscenely talented.

Phillip Escoffey

WHAT: Mind reading madness!
WHEN: Thursday October 7
WHERE: The Playhouse

The performance ‘Six Impossible Things Before Dinner’ is touted as ‘mind boggling, baffling and utterly compelling.’ It’s a show that sees Phillip Escoffey, one of Britain’s leading mind readers, challenge his audience’s beliefs and better judgment by performing seemingly impossible feats of prediction. Following eight years of international touring Escoffey is touching down in Canberra after sell-out seasons wowing the crowd at the Sydney Opera House and The Melbourne Comedy Festival.  “Mind reader or con man?” the media release asks. “Come and decide for yourself”. Touché. For tickets contact 6275 2700 or visit www.canberraticketing.com.au

Cirque Mother Africa

If you turn on the television or radio, open a newspaper, or (be you so inclined) log onto a quality news website such as news.com.au, you're unlikely to hear a story about Africa relating to something other than war, poverty, the pillaging of natural resources by multinational corporations or, (ahem) cricket and lions. The false perceptions of African fostered by such 'news' is what Winston Ruddle hopes to dispel in his brilliant, colourful celebration of the world's most misunderstood continent, CIRQUE MOTHER AFRICA. "In two hours, we try to take the audience to Africa, and to show them a different side of the country to what the media portrays. I want people to be inspired by Africa, not depressed by it."

After beginning his performing career as a break-dancer in Zimbabwe, Ruddle travelled the world (including Australia) performing in various circuses, before opening his first acrobatic academy in Tanzania in 2004. In 2007 he produced and directed the first incarnation of Cirque Mother Africa. In its first performance season the circus played to more than 450,000 people throughout Europe, and then sold out in Europe in 2009-2010, before coming to Australia for an extended tour.

"Our first stop was the Gold Coast. We were supposed to be there for six weeks, but it ended up being extended to seventeen" says Ruddle of the show's stay-over at the infamous Jupiters Casino. "The owner said he'd never seen so many standing ovations in his theatre!"

The show is comprised of 40 performers from the great spectrum of African nations. With more than a quarter of these being musicians, Cirque Mother Africa's strong focus is on music and dancing, giving it a pulsating infectiousness that - in addition to a plethora of other elements - sets it apart from traditional circuses. "This is the fourth production I've made, and the dancing and music is certainly my greatest inspiration" says Ruddle. "There are just an incredible, boundless number of tribes and styles." 

When describing the show, Ruddle can only nominate Cirque du Soleil as a comparison in terms of uniqueness. He then goes on to list the many tribes of South Africa. "They all have different dances, different traditions - and that's just one country" he says. "If you think of the whole of Africa, I could change the production every night and we'd never run out of inspiration. I want to package these different histories, these different parts of Africa, to bring them to the audience and show them how awe-inspiring Africa is. To show people a different side to the news is so important for us."

Cirque Mother Africa will perform at the Canberra Theatre Centre from October 6-9. Tickets are available through Canberra Ticketing and canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Uninhibited

TiNA. Seductive, bold, fiercely independent. Where have you been all my life?

For twelve years now, every October long weekend, a DIY festival called This Is Not Art has shown Newcastle who’s boss. It was only last year that I finally cottoned on.

With my first trip my impressions were that Newcastle was the Canberra of my dreams; ocean on the doorstep and packed with delicious old buildings. More so, those old buildings were actually being utilised for interesting creative projects – little shops, gallery spaces and venues. These Novocastrians had it figured, and I fell hard.

This Is Not Art, with its enduring sense of irony is, of course, completely about art, and comprised of five smaller festivals. There’s the dubiously named Crack Theatre Festival, the tech-tastic Electrofringe, The National Young Writers Festival, the ever-cerebral Critical Animals and Sound Summit, for the best of new things for your ears.

A trip to TiNA is no easy feat, I’ll admit. The program of events for the four days is so unreasonably, optimistically sprawling that there is no way in hell you can see even half of the performances, forums, gigs, exhibitions or networking (drinking) sessions you want to. Such is the nature of this beauteous beast, and the weekend will leave the soles of your shoes worn right through while your poor, overloaded brain leaks onto the pavement.

The jewel in TiNA’s crown is a terrifying large and nauseatingly good zine fair and makers market – which dominates the majority of a multi-storey car park for one golden Sunday every year.

Shockingly, the entire festival is free, powered by an army of dreamers. See what you like, join in when you want, it matters not. And if you must sleep, campsites are available for spare change prices, topping off your cultural experience with all the earnest ambience of a Steinbeck novel.

It will leave you more inspired and motivated than three double-shot espressos, without the constricted blood vessels and cold sweats. It will renew your faith in the creative universe, and remind you that there are people out there who make things happen, irrespective of their bank accounts or hipster ratio. And it will make you realise that Canberra and Newcastle (apart from the whole ocean thing) are similar in many ways. The things that they do well (bar surfing) we can do too.

Canberra art heroes appearing at TiNA this year include irrepressible national treasure Adam Hadley, merchant of noise Shoeb Ahmad, and Exhibitionist’s original sweetheart Naomi Milthorpe. I’ll be there too – the nerd in a raincoat and sensible shoes, flipping frantically through the program, trying to choose between panel discussions or writing workshops and tripping over her boots while drooling over ageing architecture. Come and join the Canberra contingent, we from the ‘other’ sleepy city. Your October long weekends will never be the same.

IN REVIEW – OF EARTH AND SKY: BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE

Bangarra is dance theatre that can appeal to people who aren’t particularly interested in dance or the theatre. Such is the magic they weave over audiences.

Following Bangarra’s twenty-year anniversary and retrospective last year the pressure was on for Of Earth And Sky to herald a new era for the company. The hotly anticipated double bill pairs new work ‘Riley’ by emerging Choreographer (and Canberra expat) Daniel Riley McKinley and ‘Artefact’ by the acclaimed Frances Rings.

McKinley’s spark of inspiration for his choreographic debut was the minimal yet powerful work of his cousin and well-known photographer the late Michael Riley. I had seen the images from Riley’s Sky Series on exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, and there they had left me a little cold. But now, in massive projection above the stage and retold through movement, the images burst to life.

Six images were interpreted by McKinley, each of them symbolic of stages of Riley’s life journey. The aggressive rhythm of ‘Locust’ created a crescendo of excitement about what was to come, subsequently tempered by the ominous regimentation and unsettling black crucifixes of ‘Bible’. The duet ‘Angel’ exuded a somber, simmering strength and ‘Feather’ swung between beauty and pathos, hope and loss, ending ‘Riley’ with the gravity of its namesake’s voice ringing posthumously through the theatre.

Following interval ‘Artefact’ commenced with quiet power. In the half-light two dancers emerge from a huge and sumptuous possum skin cloak; Plumes of ochre powders unfurling from the fur and dancer’s bodies contributing to an intoxicating mysticism.

From here the cast proceeded to interpret other traditional objects - such as the grinding stone or coolamun - and important traditional practices such as weaving. The closing piece of the same name left the audience spellbound and aching for more.

With ‘Artefact’ choreographer Rings is bringing to light the uncomfortable positioning of culture as curiosity and the treatment of a people as specimen. The objects are simply a starting point through which to reclaim ownership; to delve into the deeper meaning and associations they possess beyond the anthropological surface.

An innovative set and incredible costumes help realize this vision, sensitively setting the scene and adding a warmth and tactility. The score by David Page perfectly rounds out the sensory experience.

In the pre-show Q and A session, Rings spoke passionately about Bangarra’s intention for their dance works to act as a starting point for audiences to gain a fuller understanding of Indigenous culture; a culture that the company comfortably encapsulates so many aspects of. There are the views of both urban Indigenous people and those living traditionally, stories from the past, reflections of the present and visions of the future. With such breadth, accessibility and eloquence, Of Earth and Sky is another solid step towards Bangarra’s ultimate aim, leaving the audience both moved and changed.

Simon Maberley

WHAT: Exhibition Reflection
WHEN: On now until October 2
WHERE: CraftACT Craft & Design Centre

If you thought of Simon Maberley as a glass artist then it looks like you’ve got another think coming. For his latest exhibition Reflection at CraftACT Maberley has developed a multimedia installation in which glass is hardly anywhere to be seen. The installation invites the audience to become a part of the work, enabling them to see themselves as never before. How you ask? Well that would be telling now, wouldn’t it. Suffice it to say that Maberley’s ongoing interest in self-representation is alive and well, as he muses over philosophy of body and identity and makes us wonder if we really know ourselves at all.

Maybe you?

WHAT: Liquid Gallery call for proposals
WHEN: Now
WHERE: 7 Clint Place, Macquarie, Belconnen

Liquid Gallery is a new exhibition space near Belconnen Town Centre seeking artists or groups of artists who would like to exhibit in 2011, as well as 3D work to show in a sculpture garden. Their website http://liquidgallery.com.au boasts: ‘The gallery spaces are filled with natural light and are surrounded by leafy gardens. We have 2D and 3D work changing regularly and great opening nights’. Oo sounds good! Check out the website for contact details and guidelines on making a proposal and submit an application now.

Simon Scheuerle, Jay Kochel & David Spooner

WHAT: Three new exhibitions
WHEN: On now until Sunday October 3
WHERE:  Canberra Contemporary Art Space Gorman House

If you like your art in 3D then the new exhibitions at CCAS have got your name all over them. Simon Scheuerle and Jay Kochel are two local sculptors who continue to amaze, surprise and often freak everyone out a bit with each new exhibition of their work. Scheuerle is pairing new silicone creations with sound and video, while Kochel presents an eerie body of work he developed following a research trip to Eastern Europe. Joining the local lads is Brisbane based artist David Spooner with a one of his signature kitsch craft creations.

ANU Za Kabuki

WHAT: Kabuki of course!
WHEN: Thursday September 3 and Friday September 4
WHERE: The Street Theatre

You love your sushi, your anime and hyperactive Harajuku fashions, so why not put your money where your mouth is and check out some Kabuki? It’s Japanese traditional theatre, brought to you by the clever young things in the ANU’s Za Kabuki group. This year, the performers bring you ‘Topknot Bunshichi’, and before you start thinking this all sounds a little to high culture just bear in mind that Kabuki typically boasts a great deal of comedy and cross-dressing packaged up in a musical extravaganza.

Natalie Mather Dianne Budd, Jane Barr, Vedanta Nicholson and Naomi Xeros

WHAT: Exhibition 5 after 7
WHEN: On now until Thursday September 16
WHERE: Alliance Francaise, Turner

The Alliance Francaise is a little slice of culture in leafy Turner where Francophiles learn the language, eat fine cheese and get together to watch the Tour De France. The organization is also an avid supporter of the arts, every year providing exhibition and performance space to lucky artists and musicians. 5 After 7 is a showcase of artwork by recent School of Art Graduates selected by the Alliance as a part of the Emerging Artsist Support Scheme. Pop in to see a selection of new paintings, prints and ceramics. Magnifique!

Emma Beer & Joel Bliss

WHAT: Exhibition Beer and Bliss
WHEN: Opens 6pm Thursday September 2
WHERE: M16 Artspace, Griffith 

The surnames of these two artists sure does make it easy to market an exhibition. Who would say no to Beer and Bliss? Painter Emma Beer and sculptor Joel Bliss are two recent graduates from the ANU School of Art who were awarded the opportunity to exhibit at M16 as a part of the School’s Emerging Artists Support Scheme. Beer specializes in opulent large scale abstracts, while Bliss is known for his imposing constructions of reclaimed wood and steel. While in many ways their work couldn’t be more different, both artists create work with a commanding presence that embodies a raw beauty. Until September 12 at the new M16 Artspace!

In Review Autumnal Collective's Exciting A Blush

It’s not quite dance, not quite art or theatre. By throwing aside the labels and their conventions Autumnal Collective has managed to inhabit an entire spectrum of emotion and experience with their debut work Exciting A Blush. Though touted as an exploration of the phenomenon of blushing and other bodily betrayal, the performance, under the direction of choreographer Angela Goh, succeeded in uncovering so much more.

From the opening minutes the audience was sent pitching and rolling through an ever-changing assault on the emotions, with no indication of where they might find themselves next. Uncomfortable and real, from utter delight to claustrophobic squirming to heart-shattering tenderness, nothing could have prepared me for this.

My immediate impressions of a lackluster set and uninspired costumes quickly became little cause for concern, as these elements were quickly eclipsed by the sheer intensity of the performance. Unfortunately the score, composed specifically for the work, continued to provide an unwelcome distraction. For the most part it was at odds with what was happening onstage and at other times it was completely superfluous. There was one point at where pre-recorded sound was used to great effect – being a sample of recorded applause, which increased in volume to a menacing end – but largely it was incidental sound - the rustling of paper, the ragged breath of the performers - that sat comfortably with this unconventional piece.

The performers themselves oozed personality. Eleanor Wood was the perfectly awkward outsider with a sting in her tail, while the owl perched akimbo atop her head was a stroke of prop/costume genius with allegorical intensity. Dancer Laura Boynes brought her powerful presence back to the Canberra stage: characteristically self aware, even self-deprecating, but always exuding a certain magnetism that leaves you unable to blink.

Dean Cross and Patricia Wood form a pair with electrifying chemistry, between them boasting some serious acting chops. The audience drew hardly a breath as they teetered the divide between violence and tenderness, ugliness and beauty, culminating in a heart-stopping kiss that left even the most hardened theatre-goer weak at the knees.

While it seemed much of my fellow audience found plenty to laugh about within this work, and left the theatre using words like ‘quirky’ and ‘sweet’, I felt I had an altogether different experience. There were definitely elements of wry humour, but for me the overall impression was one of aching poignancy. Every movement and utterance was captivating; heart wrenching in its familiarity, uncomfortable in its truth. Image after image remains still burnt into my memory.

Simple, raw and concise, Autumnal Collective have given form to an experience which is as close to home and close to the heart as all art hopes to be.

Uninhibited

Eighteen months ago I started a blog. I was quite a late bloomer in the technoverse, and had only just, for the very first time, set up an Internet connection. 

An eBay addiction was swift and debilitating, but surely there was a way I could use this new power for good rather than evil. Or at least rather than solely the purchase of ill-fitting and strange smelling clothes. 

The answer came to me suddenly one Saturday morning, buried under the pages of the newspaper and somewhere between the two halves of a toasted bagel. My sunny weekend disposition was obscured by a dark, blustery cloud of annoyance as I went flipping keen-nosed through the arts section. 

This apparently local arts guide appeared to be full of nowt but staggeringly irrelevant stories from far-flung lands, a few regurgitated press releases and a tired assembly of advertisements. Where were the reviews, the heated discussion, enlightening interviews and profiles? Where were the stories about Canberra? 

‘Write them yourself’ my brain retorted instantaneously ‘or quit your whingeing.’ It was a good point, and I conceded that all this time spent with bagels and newsprint could be better utilized. And so, in this golden space between boredom and outrage, my ‘online publication’  (as I prefer to call the blog) was spawned. 

As it turned out I wasn’t alone in my disdain for the current state of arts coverage. Elsewhere, around the very same time, members of Canberra’s independent media elite were also busily scheming. 

BMA, which since 1992 has stood for Bands, Music and Action (heh), was maturing gracefully with a new vision of Bands, Music and ART. Exhibitionist was about to be born. 

Since that momentous occasion, not only has Exhibitionist made it easier for punters to navigate this town’s sprawling art scene, it has given Canberra’s artists, performers and practitioners the recognition, constructive criticism and validation that was sorely and sadly lacking. 

BMA and Exhibitionist have also bolstered opportunities for and subsequently the profile of arts writers in Canberra. The dedicated team of writers here at Exhibitionist are out amongst it, not because of a price paid per word (coz there isn’t one) but because they live and breathe art in all its forms. 

This little publication has achieved an awful lot in such little time, in no small part due to the terrifying talent of outgoing Editor Naomi Milthorpe. I am not as well read as she, nor as quick-witted and am sadly without the gargantuan (that means big yeah?) vocabulary, but I love art and I love this little city. You too? I thought so.

Say hello at exhibitionist@bmamag.com. And by the way, we’re not greedy - there’s always room for more writers here at Exhibitionist. Send me an email with an expression of interest and we can talk.

Natalia Ludmila

What do you do?

Visual Artist- painting and drawing.  For well over a year I been working on something called The drawing project,  with it I want to explore all the possibilities that drawing has as a medium.

When did you get into it?

Most likely since I was a child my parents always engaged us in artistic      activities, but I started taking it seriously until uni a few years back.

Who or what influences you as an artist?

Everyday life.  I think having the ability  to be influenced and inspired by whatever is surrounding you is what differentiates creative people from others.

What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?

Been awarded together with another artist the second prize at the Ibiza      Biennale on its 18th edition.

What are your plans for the future?

Keep working on my project and exhibiting it.  Completing a masters degree.

What makes you laugh?

Pretty much anything that is not at the expense of others.

What pisses you off?

Righteous and ignorant individuals.

What’s your opinion of the local scene?

In one word, thriving.

What are your upcoming exhibitions?

Just got back from a show in Melbourne. And then time became line... will be running from August 18-28 at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre where I'll be exhibiting with two other artist.

Contact info: contact@natalialudmila.net

M16 Artspace

It’s opening week at the new M16 Artspace, and stress is hanging in the air. The drill is whirring in the gallery, while workmen scurry about, putting the finishing touches on the building before Friday’s grand opening.

M16 Director Joseph Falsone and Exhibition Manager Janice Kuczkowski are worn thin, having been plowing through 60-hour weeks to get to this point. Though exhausted their passion for this grass-roots organisation is still intact, and Falsone drops everything to tour me around the new facilities. “It’s nice,” he beams “after 25 years, people are coming in saying ‘this is the space we always dreamed of’.”

It was 25 years ago that M16 Artspace was known as Leichardt Street Studios in Kingston; part of a bustling group of arts organisations in the area, in what was a boom time for visual art in Canberra. The name change came following relocation to a warehouse at number 16 Mildura Street in Fyshwick. There, tucked away in this industrial setting, M16 flourished, with 35 artist studios and three gallery spaces showing one of the most diverse and exciting program of exhibitions in town.

It wasn’t glamorous however. Hot in summer, cold in winter and off the beaten track, the going could get pretty tough. “It wasn’t the most comfortable or attractive,” Falsone laughs, about the space he spent his first years as Director. “It was hard to get your head around what was there”.

In 2007, with the sale of the property pending, tenancy at Mildura Street was no longer viable. So began a long hard road for Falsone, as he sought government assistance to relocate the M16 family. After extensive negotiations, months of promising highs and debilitating lows, M16’s fate was saved by the opportunity to utilise the Blaxland Centre in Griffith. Following a modest refurbishment the former school is a perfect fit.

The conversion includes the implementation of three slick gallery spaces: a vast main gallery, a dark space for multimedia work and projections, and a smaller project space. Community art classes are an integral part of M16’s program, with over 700 children, adults and people with special needs participating on any given week, so four practical workshop spaces have also been included in the new layout. Most enviable are the 28 artist studios, large, airy and home to list of tenants that reads as an illustrious who’s who of the Canberra art scene.

Natural light floods through high windows looking out onto the leafy suburb. “Isn’t it unbelievable?” Falsone says, taking in the view. “The contrast is really startling. Everything was dark and dusty, and here it’s so clean and open. Now what we do is much more visible.”

That openness is especially important to Falsone, as the new layout encourages dialogue between tenants. “The sense of community and level of interaction has already changed. Because of the way the old M16 was set up the artists never interacted with each other. Now people are meeting each other who never met before.”

While the majority of tenants are emerging artists and recent graduates there are also a number of more senior artists in their midst. Falsone is quick to point out the number of nationally and internationally renowned artists who have been involved with M16 over the years, and a selection of these are the focus of the first exhibition at the new space.

The show, Audible Surface, features artists such as Kensuke Todo and Derek O’Connor and is being co-curated by Helen Maxwell, Canberra art world figure of note. Maxwell has been familiar with M16 since the early days, having shared the facilities at the old Leichardt Street complex while running her Australian Girls Own Gallery. “With Helen doing the inaugural show things have really come full circle,” Falsone notes. “With a space like this we can continue to grow the program. Next year is going to be really interesting – we’ve got some surprises we’re still working on.”

One of the greatest achievements of the new facility is the balance it has found between being a hard-working, functional space while also drastically improving M16’s accessibility and presentability. Falsone and the M16 tenants had a lot of input into the refurbishment design process – meaning the gallery spaces and studios are as user-friendly as possible. “It made it easy that M16 is an organisation that knows what it’s doing and has a clear idea of what its needs are.”

While the dream has been partly realised, Falsone is well aware the hard work is by no means over. M16 have only secured a lease on the building for the next five years, and there is barely enough money to pay one full-time staff member. The relocation project itself was done on a shoestring budget – its reappropriation of disused buildings and materials is a great example of sustainability and innovation in comparison with similar multi-million dollar projects.

For an organisation whose funding grossly falls short of the mark existence is never going to be easy, but then the arts have always survived on tireless enthusiasm and the smell of an oily rag. If it wasn’t for the dedication and determination of Falsone and his small team this year may have seen M16 closed for good. Instead, it’s re-asserted itself as one of the most important centres for art in Canberra, finally in a home that does justice to the plethora of talent it produces and presents.

M16 Artspace is now open at 21 Blaxland Crescent Griffith.

Exciting A Blush

Many of us would assume that dance is about grace, strength and exercising control over the body, but choreographer Angela Goh is busying herself with the more problematic aspects of our physicality. “As a dancer I am interested in those qualities,” she says, “but I’m also interested humanity, and while it is not always beautiful, it never fails to be interesting.”

Goh is currently part of Autumnal, a new performance collective whose members all originate from Canberra. Many of them first established a connection while performing with youth dance theatre QL2, and they are now returning to Canberra to mount their debut performance Exciting A Blush.

The inspiration for this work is drawn from the all too familiar and thoroughly frustrating experience of blushing. The unmistakable and uncontrollable rush of blood to the face, neck and chest is a human quirk that is of particular interest to Goh. “I wanted to examine the heightened state of self-awareness that people experience when blushing. It’s such a baffling human trait, and it interested me because it is such a physical action, yet can only be induced emotionally. It’s an equaliser between all people, and a really humbling thing to realise that we aren’t in control.”

As choreographer, Goh joins performers Laura Boynes, Dean Cross, Chrissy Norford, Eleanor Wood, Patricia Wood and composer and sound artist James Brown under the Autumnal banner.

“A dance collective differs from a dance company in that the collective is creatively driven by the sum of its parts, rather than one artistic director,” Goh explains. “We are an interesting mix of artists”.

Goh cites QL2’s Soft Landing program for emerging dance practicioners as a catalyst behind the formation of the collective, whose members can now be found spread across the country making their mark on the world stage. A winning combination of skills, talent and experience, Autumnal has already been invited to show the work in Sydney later this month.

As Exciting A Blush is diving headfirst into “moments of awkwardness, modesty, social blunders and sexual awakenings,” it is easy to see that it could potentially be a difficult performance to watch. Goh agrees: “The audience may feel uncomfortable in parts. One of the many theories of blushing is that it’s a signal to others that says, I’m uncomfortable, please look away, and it is actually quite hard to continue looking at someone that is incredibly uncomfortable!”

Once again it is this more fragile side of the human condition that appeals to Goh’s aesthetic. “I think that there is something really beautiful about seeing something vulnerable, so audiences can expect to experience that as well.”

Autumnal’s Exciting A Blush is showing at the QL2 Theatre, Gorman House, from Thursday 12 to Saturday 14 August.

Sydney Nolan

Is there anything more iconic in the world of Australian art than the solid black box of Ned Kelly’s helmet?  I am sitting in the National Gallery of Australia with Deborah Hart, Senior Curator of Australian Painting and Sculpture. We’re in the new Nolan Gallery, soaking up the rich visual treats resulting from one of Australia’s most legendary artists painting one of Australia’s most fascinating legends. When Sidney Nolan painted his first Kelly series he could never have foreseen that his retelling of this tough-as-nails tale of hero and anti-hero, would go on to take pride of place in the NGA.

“He was obviously obsessed,” laughs Hart, of the twenty six paintings in the series. “Nolan identified with Ned Kelly. He had absconded from the army during the Second World War, and lay low for a while, even using a different name. So he shared the same idea of other self, and an anti-authoritarian streak.”

The now famous artworks had humble beginnings. They were painted in the late 1940s on the kitchen table at Heide, an artist’s sanctuary and the home of art world champions John and Sunday Reed, Nolan’s great friends and mentors.

Around this time artists were becoming interested in ways of telling local stories and history, not much of which had been done in the settler society. There wasn’t the plethora of movies and books about the Ned Kelly legend that there are now, so it was a story that Nolan researched for himself, travelling through Kelly country to get a sense of the landscape where these infamous events unfolded.

In 1977 Sunday Reed gifted the paintings, which had been left at Heide, to the NGA, on the condition that the series should always be shown together. “She believed they would be fitting in the National collection,” explains Hart.

For decades the series has been exhibited upstairs in the Australian Art Galleries, but current Director Rod Radford decided that paintings of such iconic status deserved to be far more accessible. He imagined a dedicated gallery space that would show the series to its best advantage, and encourage an active engagement with Australian art. In late 2009 his vision became a reality, with the unveiling of the purpose built Nolan Gallery.

In their new home – an elegant, oval shaped room – the paintings are revitalised and unified. The most iconic image – Kelly on horseback – is front and centre, with the expert lighting and design creating an immersive and meditative space.

As Hart and I watch an excitable school group make a circuit around the Nolan Gallery it is easy to see the magic Ned Kelly and Sidney Nolan weave over the visiting public. Just as the Kelly legend continues to resonate with Australians, influencing Australian art and culture, the Nolan Kelly series will continue to capture our imaginations.

Get amongst Nolan’s Kelly series at the National Gallery of Australia – entry is completely free and the gallery is open seven days.

Musk

Hardware, maths and arm wrestling. That’s what real men are made of.

Benjamin Forster, Robbie Karmel and TJ Phillipson are a group of local artists questioning and exploring what it is to be men in their exhibition Musk at M16 Artspace.

All three are well known about town for their tongue-in-cheek cultural appropriations and witty subversions of the art world. For Musk, the lads have collaborated on many of the works on show and are refusing to credit individual artworks with their maker. This over-arching anonymity means that the artists are released from the confines of self-representation, able instead to present bigger picture ideas and a common view. Despite this, the contributions of each artist are easily recognisable to fans of Forster, Karmel and Phillipson, who have been storming the local art scene for the past eighteen months.

No stereotype is spared and pop-culture references are peppered throughout.

Fans of TV’s first family The Simpsons will instantly recognise Spice Rack – After Homer, a perfect replica of Homer Simpson’s attempt to prove that he is manly enough to build things for Marge.

This persistent cliché of the Man As Builder is expressed in the plentiful references to hardware that appear in the show. The unmistakable influence of Ben Forster is evident as he nerds out in typical form with a selection of artworks that utilise custom computer programming. The Men I Look Up To series is portraits of Forster’s heroes, their likenesses mapped out by binary code in a patterned nuts and bolts motif.

Robbie Karmel (face obscured) appears in a row of gargantuan photographs on the adjoining wall. Resplendent in glittering tights and a peacock feather headdress he makes an eye-popping homage to ostentatious male beauty in the natural world. Nearby, a collection of rubber pool toys are intermittently inflated to attention by screaming leaf-blowers - those iconic suburban male playthings - before again withering out of shape in a suggestive though pathetic display.

The flexing and posturing continues with Arm Wrestle, a platform built for the very purpose including a camera to record and play back bouts for subsequent spectator’s viewing pleasure. This hotbed of competition becomes the central focus of the exhibition and represents a competitive streak that some would say is inherent to maleness.

An unmistakable self-deprecating humour occurs throughout the show. This larrikin approach particularly anchors the works in the realm of Australian male identity and creates a non-threatening environment into which more serious agendas are able to emerge.

Although Musk doesn’t attempt to make any hard hitting constructive commentary on the state of modern masculinity, it is a collection of highly entertaining works that antagonise further consideration of male identity.  It does only scratch the surface however, and maybe, in this case, bigger would be better.

Musk continues at M16 Artspace until May 2.

Powerhouse

National Photographic Portrait Prize

National Portrait Gallery Director Andrew Sayers is the first to admit that this year, in its third instalment, the National Photographic Portrait Prize (NPPP) has really come into its own. Art prizes can take a few years to hit their stride, and now, as interest and profile has increased, the entries into the NPPP have, quite accordingly, exploded in quality.

The annual exhibition receives plenty of national attention, not in the least because it comes hand in hand with one of the most generous cash prizes in the country. A whopping great $25,000 is the award up for grabs, courtesy of an ongoing sponsorship from VISA.

Portrait prizes, and particularly photographic ones, will always get a running start in the popularity stakes, because people will always love photographs of other people. Human curiosity and our predisposition to voyeurism means that audiences soak up these images with unbridled enthusiasm, regardless of who the subjects are and the reasons for having their portraits taken.

This year’s exhibition of NPPP finalists looks to be more popular than ever. What in previous years has been a hit-and-miss, at times cliché heavy affair, is now a consistent and surprisingly revealing exhibition, relentless in its emotional intensity.

Curator Christopher Chapman believes many of this year’s finalists “evoke moments of defining self realisation and powerful self awareness”, and upon seeing the show it’s easy to see how he’s drawn this conclusion. Many of the selected works exude either a vulnerability, a defiance or an intriguing mix of both. In stark contrast to the largely forgettable fare in the 2009 exhibition, some images are so striking I find them difficult to shake from my mind even days later.

One of these is the commanding, goose-bump inducing ‘Gori, Bougainville’ by Stuart Miller, the subject staring down the camera as he stands in the ocean under a blackened, storm torn sky. Softer but no less powerful is ‘James’, Nicole Marie’s sensitive and understated portrait of a dedicated Dungeons and Dragons player. Simultaneously gritty and ethereal, her sitter’s face is bathed in an otherworldly computer-screen glow.

Unlike other more established portraiture prizes there is refreshingly little in the way of celebrity here. Even in works that do portray well known faces, including entertainment personalities Chris Lilley, Paul Capsis and Julia Zemiro, we are treated to a far less guarded and manufactured view (Zemiro nearly unrecognisable). These few familiar faces aside, the exhibition acts as a survey of a more realistic Australia, as the forty-three finalists neatly sidestep portraiture stereotypes and the tendency of these occasions to try to depict a nation of heroes (the Aussie battler, the sporting superstar).

Instead this is a salon of people living quietly and otherwise unnoticed, going about their business, and caught up in the banality of everyday life. A waitress takes a moment’s break in a downtown Melbourne café, while a migrant family poses proudly in front of their red brick suburban home. Two sisters sunbathe unceremoniously in their backyard, and a young man at boarding school shaves, bathed in golden morning light.

Many of the subjects are caught up in difficult circumstances, but the resulting portraits remain dignified and honest, rather than romanticising or overly politicising their situations. Perhaps the most poignant of these, and certainly the closest to home, is the cuttingly titled ‘Master chef’ by Canberra’s own Andrew Sheargold. The portrait illustrates the reality of life for award-winning apprentice chef John Campbell, forced to live at government housing facility Havelock House in the face of the rental crisis - a world away from the glamorous existence portrayed by dozens of food-focused reality TV shows.

Not only are the sitters from all walks of life, but the artists themselves are too. The winner of this year’s prize is Scott Bycroft, a high-school art teacher from Perth and self-taught photographer who has only been experimenting with the medium for a few years. His striking black and white portrait ‘Zareth’ captures one of the students from the school with what the NPPP judges recognised as an “immediacy and power”. As with many of the subjects in this year’s collection of finalists, Zareth regards the camera with an intense, almost unnerving gaze.

Moments like these occur throughout the exhibition – a testament not only to the power of photography to capture these definitive snatches in time, but also to the keen eye of the artist behind the lens. It is, after all, the artist who seeks out these split seconds instances, managing to capture the essence of a personality and identity in a single image.

Now, as it comes of age, the National Photographic Portrait Prize is finally succeeding to deliver on the core aims of the National Portrait Gallery: “to increase the understanding of the Australian people – their identity, history, creativity and culture – through portraiture.” By creating portraits of the people around them, both amateur and professional photographers across the country are taking control of this understanding.

The exhibition of NPPP finalists is on show at the National Portrait Gallery until the May 2 before it begins a tour of regional galleries. Keen snappers should bear in mind that a call for entries in the 2011 National Photographic Portrait Prize will take place from August this year.

In Review Masterpieces From Paris National Gallery of Australia

In Review On Course, QL2 Centre For Youth Dance, Dec 12 -13, 2009

Australian of the Year – Inspiring a Nation

Emerging Elders

Masterpieces from Paris

Thinking of studying art history at university? Well, some would think you’re better off jumping on a plane and making a pilgrimage overseas to the great art galleries of the world. As people say, seeing the treasures of the art world in the flesh will teach you more than any lecture, textbook or essay ever will. This is easier said than done, though, and as yet an overseas jaunt isn’t something you can add to your HELP debt. But never fear! This Summer, some of the world’s most famous paintings, from one of the world’s most famous museums, are coming to you.

The Musee D’Orsay in Paris is proud custodian of one of the best collections of 19^th century art in the world, and an obligatory stop on any art-lover’s trip to France. Currently renovating their Post-Impressionist galleries, the museum has made the decision to lend out some of its most important paintings – works which ordinarily would never leave the gallery walls. And who, of all the galleries in Australia, in all the world, gets the first honour of hosting these treasures? Why, the National Gallery of Australia of course, in lil’ ol Canberra. 114 paintings have been sent across the globe for the exhibition Masterpieces From Paris: Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne & Beyond.

This is obviously awesome, but I met with Sim Maxwell, NGA Exhibition Assistant, to delve a little further into why exactly everyone is buzzing with excitement.

First of all, there are the names. As if Van Gogh, Gauguin and Cezanne, mentioned in the exhibition title, aren’t enough, Maxwell name drops Seurat, Monet and everybody’s favourite Frenchman Toulouse Lautrec. Secondly, unlike some other ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions we get here in Australia, it’s not just boring scraps that have been thrown our way, but fine art royalty. Big, bright, and dripping with credibility.

In Maxwell’s words, this is an exhibition that is ‘all killer, no filler’. As she runs me through a list of highlights from the show, I can hardly believe that I will get to see pieces like Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’, and Toulouse Lautrec’s ‘The Clown Cha-U-Kao’ for myself. Stuff that I’ve previously only ever drooled over in books.

The focus in Masterpieces From Paris is on Post-Impressionism. Think of music and Post-Punk. In much the same way as it categorises much of what followed the earth shattering Punk movement, Post impression encompasses the work of anarchist artists working after the formative rise of Impressionist painting. Similarly to music, they are sub-grouped into distinct styles.

One such group represented in the exhibition are the Neo-Impressionists , using bright, bold colours; ‘we call it panel-van art’ jokes Maxwell. Another group that played a major role in the era are the Nabis, a sort of secret art society, or really, as Maxwell divulges, just a group of kooky young guys who liked getting together, dressing up in weird costumes, talking about painting and giving themselves a mysterious name.

After spending such a long time researching and working to bring this exhibition into being Maxwell is beginning to know these artists on an almost personal level. We all knew that Toulouse Lautrec was an alcoholic bohemian with a penchant for prostitutes, but very few of us know that Gauguin was a money-hungry traveller who visited Australia on a few occasions, or that Van Gogh, often portrayed as a mad man, was really just a sensitive soul who painted for his mother. We’re so accustomed to seeing these works in reproduction that we rarely stop to think about the actual people who painted them, way back in the 19^th century.

Masterpieces From Paris is a massive coup for the NGA, thanks in no small part to the great relationship Ron Radford, NGA Director, has struck up with Musee d’Orsay President Guy Cogeval. The two worked together to bring Degas to the National Gallery earlier this year, and now Canberra will be the only Australian venue for this new exhibition.

If not for this partnership between the galleries, and for the fact that the Musee d’Orsay is undergoing renovations, there would be next to no chance of these works ever leaving home. This is partly due to the fact they are some of the Musee’s star attractions (and there is nothing scarier than a tourist who hasn’t been able to see what they came for) and partly, as Maxwell explains, due to the extremely fragile nature of some of the works. Lautrec’s ‘The Clown Cha-U-Kao’, for instance, is particularly delicate, having been painted directly onto cardboard. Far from archivally sound, but such was the life of a starving artist.

The timing is great: over the Summer break thousands of tourists will descend onto Canberra to visit the exhibition, and us lucky locals will be able to pop in and out as much as we want. For those wanting to escape the crowds, and the intense Summer heat, there are going to be late evening openings, breakfast packages and night-time ‘Summer Sessions’ with music and guest speakers.

At $25 (or $16 concession) a ticket the price ain’t cheap, but then neither is travelling to France. Get the best of both worlds this summer by checking out the Musee d’Orsay from the comfort of your own city. Berets optional.

Masterpieces From Paris: Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne & Beyond is on show at the National Gallery of Australia from 4 December 2009 to 5 April 2010.

Doppelganger

I have only recently set up an internet connection at my place, and as that connection is about as fast as a sloth moving through a jungle canopy, it is safe to say that I don't know a great deal about the mysterious online world known as Second Life.

When I heard that the National Portrait Gallery would be launching its new exhibition Doppelganger within Second Life I was even more baffled, but fortunately Gillian Raymond, the exhibition's curator and NPG Web Manager, was on hand to shed some light on this virtual phenomenon.

Raymond was initially drawn to Second Life when it was launched in 2003. Like many of us, she'd always been fascinated by the idea of virtual realities, just like those seen in cult-classic movies such as The Matrix.

"Second Life is an online 3D virtual environment accessed by creating an account and downloading a free viewer to your computer," Raymond explains, keeping things nice and simple for me. "By creating an 'avatar', a 3D digital version of yourself, you can take on the appearance of a new person; a different sex, a different age or even an animal.  Once you have built your avatar you can walk, fly or teleport to islands created by other users and use text or voice chat to communicate with the other 'residents'."

The residents that Raymond refers to are an ever-growing pool of other users from all over the world. Over 16 million accounts have been registered to date, with more than 65,000 users online at one time! The residents are responsible for forming the communities within Second Life which make up a big part of the experience. Raymond admits, "I think to really get into Second Life you have to find a community to become a part of - it's a bit like Canberra - you have to know the good places to go!"

I am surprised to learn that the arts, including music, theatre, and visual art, already make up a large part of these communities. There are over 2000 'museums' in which art can be viewed, virtual exhibition openings for artists to network with avatar audiences, and many Second Life artists even sell work online. "There is a very strong artistic community working in Second Life who are using the full potential of the online environment to produce unique forms of art, much more than just reproductions of real-life works of art - why would you go to Second Life to see bad reproductions of the Mona Lisa?" Raymond quips.

The artists invited by the NPG to be involved in Doppelganger are certainly doing more than that. Gazira Babeli (Italy), Andrew Burrell (Sydney), Cao Fei (China), Patrick Lichty (USA) as well as Adam Nash, Christopher Dodds and Justin Clemens (Melbourne) are all practising digital artists in both the real and virtual world. They all jumped at the opportunity to work with the National Portrait Gallery to simultaneously push the boundaries of both portraits and galleries. Digital artworks within the exhibition investigate subjects dealing with beauty, illusion, self-image and the ever fascinating concept of cloning.

Although this is the second online exhibition to be launched by the NPG, it is the first time the gallery has used Second Life, and the first instance in which an Australian institution has curated an exhibition within it. In this alternate reality, the National Portrait Gallery has constructed a purpose-built landscape called Portrait Island, and it is here that Doppelganger takes place. Visitors log on and explore the space using their chosen avatar. Along the way they encounter artworks, most of which are interactive. In many instances, the visiting avatars become parts of the work itself.

I know that the National Portrait Gallery has really been pushing boundaries lately, but to me the idea of a virtual art exhibition seems like something out of the future, not a present reality. Raymond's simple explanations and her approach towards the project help me see that perhaps it isn't such a far fetched-notion after all. "The NPG sees Portrait Island as no different to the physical display spaces and will continue to display digital art that investigates notions of identity and portraiture in this space."

While the project is certainly a challenge to the traditional concept of an art exhibition - chiefly that is has to inhabit a physical space - Raymond points out that it enables the NPG to contact a wider audience than ever before. "Exhibiting in Second Life gives us the opportunity to reach a massive online community but hopefully also to inspire people who have never experienced this kind of thing before."

It looks like I may be one of those people - if only I can sort out my stone-age net connection to take the plunge into this new dimension! Those happily online are able to get involved by sending their avatars to Portrait Island and checking out Doppelganger for their (virtual) selves. Artistic types may even be able to step into the Second Life spotlight at some stage. "We are calling on artists to submit proposals for work for display on the Island," says Raymond. "And, of course, we're already thinking about the next exhibition in the online program!"

Doppelganger is online until March 23 2009 and can be accessed by visiting www.portrait.gov.au

Shepard Fairey

When National Portrait Gallery Curator Michael Desmond first saw Shepard Fairey's now famous Obama 'Hope' poster he was caught between two emotions. Excitement that the mainstream exposure of Fairey's work would make it easier to successfully mount an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and sadness, that one of his favourite artists was out of the box. Kind of like when your favourite obscure band suddenly hits the top forty.

Now, almost twelve months after Obama's subsequent election, Desmond has finally been able to realise his goal, in the form of the exhibition Obey: Shepard Fairey Posters at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Since the late 1980s Fairey has been sharing his artwork with the world via street-based poster, paste-up, sticker and stencil campaigns, such as 'Andre the Giant Has A Posse' and 'Obey Giant'. With a background deeply rooted in punk and skateboarding, Fairey started out as a teenager in the 80s creating artwork for t-shirts and skate decks. Nowadays, although he is still actively involved with skate culture, Fairey's name is synonymous with his own punchy brand of political poster art: screenprinted series that combine a retro aesthetic with pertinent social issues.

Long before he exploded onto the collective public conciousness with his poster for the Obama campaign (which has since been called the "the most efficacious American political illustration since Uncle Sam Wants You") Fairey was working with political subjects, chiefly anti-war and anti-Bush messages. More recently, he has been concerned with the fight for democracy in Burma, and campaigning for clean energy in the face of climate change.

A number of his political posters are currently on display in the NPG, coupled with a selection of Fairey's pop-culture portraits, all drawn from the last ten years of his practice. Throughout his career, Fairey has created screenprints of a wide range of iconic figures, many of them from the music industry. The exhibition includes representations of Public Enemy, Johnny Ramone, Tupac and Joan Jett, as well as a nod to Andy Warhol, the Grandaddy of the screen-printed poster portrait.

After the fervour of 2008, 2009 has been another big year for Fairey. In February the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston launched a retrospective of Fairey's work (only to find he was unable to attend the opening celebration on account of being arrested for grafitti charges en route to the gallery). Obama 'Hope' was acquired for the permanent collection of the Portrait Gallery in Washington. Now Obey: Shepard Fairey Posters is on display in Canberra.

Whether his images are postered in the public domain or framed on the walls of a gallery such as the NPG the essential messages remain the same. For Fairey, that is perhaps what is most important.

Obey: Shepard Fairey Posters continues at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra until January 17 2010

Frederick McCubbin: Last Impressions

In the late 19th century, in the spirit of the times, a group of artists in Victoria began working towards a new form of painting that they believed would capture the very essence of Australia. "Australian artists had usually depicted subjects that might be found elsewhere in the world. Now they wanted to portray a subject which they believed would distinguish Australian life from that lived elsewhere: the life of the station and the bush."

National Gallery of Australia Curator Anna Gray is referring to the pioneering painters of the Heidelberg School, on the eve of a new NGA exhibition showcasing the works of perhaps the group's most favourite member, Frederick McCubbin: Last Impressions.

The members of the Heidelberg School, named for the area in which many of the artists painted, are a who's who of Australian art history, including Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Charles Condor. So what set McCubbin apart from this esteemed company? Essentially, he kept it real: "McCubbin stayed in Australia, living most of his life in Melbourne and its surrounds. While the other artists lost their way in their efforts to become accepted in Britain, McCubbin stayed at home, and his art continued to improve."

McCubbin did travel overseas once in his lifetime: a six month tour of Europe in 1907 which enabled him to see the work of his favourite artists, such as Turner, Constable and Monet. "He realised, when he was in London in 1907, that 'we have more colour in our landscape in Australia than they do in England, and more light'," says Gray.  "He returned home determined to capture this new vision in his paintings."

This determination brought about a dramatic change in McCubbin's work, and it is the work following this change that is the focus of the exhibition McCubbin: Last Impressions 1907-17. "The late works have more light, more colour, and more expressive paint. He also painted views of Melbourne as a modern place - scenes of public streets and of factories, trains, trams and cars."

But it was the Australian bush that he loved the most. "In his last impressions McCubbin made nature come alive on his canvasses" explains Gray. "Many of the places he depicted were his own, those that he knew well and loved. He felt closely tied to the environment, in tune with the landscape, and he captured the spiritual essence of place."

Last Impressions is the first time audiences will be able to see these later works together; to view the brilliant colour and experimental use of paint that we might not otherwise associate with this Aussie great who strove to give Australian art its own identity.

McCubbin: Last Impressions 1907-17 is on show at the National Gallery of Australia until November 1. Admission $12/ $8.

Exhibitionist In Review Twist Wall + Fever

High expectations were set for Twist Wall + Fever, as Richard Blackwell, Tim Dwyer and James Langer are three guys who demand to be noticed. Paired with Dan Lorrimer, undergrad from the sculpture department at the ANU, the resulting exhibition was full of surprises.

Firstly, Dwyer was a breakaway favourite. I knew he was a prolific maker with a penchant for techno-gazing, but here he has risen to the occasion with the most completely original and exciting body of work I have seen in a long time. His large-scale digital prints (pixel colour field computer mash-ups), which by definition should seem contrived, instead pack a mighty punch. But best of all was his work in the projection space. Analogue video spliced and diced into a reconstructed retro reality, spitting nostalgia and set to a soundtrack of Dwyer's own (masterful) invention.

Dwyer's projection was shown side by side with Blackwell's, an unusual approach (obviously to maximise on available space) that actually enhanced these works, rather than confused them. Blackwell's austere monochromatic animation of an oscillating high-rise building sits quietly in complement to Dwyer's flickering hyper-colour palette.

Unfortunately Blackwell's print and assemblage works in the main gallery space did not fare so well in holding their own against the crowd of commanding works. It is evident that his minimal, clean lines require a little more space and air, and have generated more impact in other settings.

James Langer has come in leaps and bounds following a move to Melbourne at the end of last year; his printed canvases injected with a new-found energy and executed with a fresher, more light-handed approach.

Scattered throughout the gallery space, debutante Dan Lorrimer's steel frames in a variety of angles and aspects are deftly handled and pull the show together while flying the flag for the third dimension.

In Review

Every now and again there pops up an artist who shows a quiet audacity in their approach to both concept and material. They often work on a small scale, employing involved, repetitive processes, everyday objects and humble materials. They create artwork that is a little bit cheeky, a little amusing, impossibly sad and at once about nothing and everything.

Adam Veikkanen is one such artist. He blew me away with his work in the ANU School of Art Graduate Exhibition last year, and he has done it again in his first solo show – Stumped at ANCA.

At Veikkanen’s hand things that shouldn’t work, do: a ball of spent staples, a drawing made entirely from fingerprints, a sheet on paper emblazoned with a single word.

He certainly shows a great fondness for text. Pure gold leaf pressed into a sheet of rag paper spells out ‘something special’, gilding the most basic and hardest working of artistic materials. The surface of another paper is nearly completely obscured by markings from a black ball-point pen – the only gaps visible form the words ‘Black Out’, at once announcing and defeating the artist’s intent. Upon the wall, a tiny pink fluorescent sign illuminates the word ‘Cool’, its wiring laid bare and pathetic, a feeble statement or misdirected verdict.

Perhaps most incredibly, entire books have been reduced to skeletal objects. Pages have been sliced away and reduced into volumes of only a selected word; tiny fragments of text, quivering on delicate tendrils that remain extended from the publication’s spine.

Who would have thought that this oddball collection of objects and images would result in one of the most arresting exhibitions I have seen all year, and haven’t been able to shake from my mind.

National Youth Self Portrait Prize

We are introduced to the concept of self-portraiture from the earliest age, beginning with scrawled efforts consisting of bubble-like bodies with stick arms and legs, proudly positioned alongside our bubble-stick-leg families. Further down the track who can forget slaving over drawings in high school art class, perched self-consciously in front of a mirror and sweating on details like individual freckles and your too-big nose?

For most of us, unless our parents frame these hideous sketches of us in our most awkward years, and force us to relive them every time we walk through the living room, we might not make a foray into self portraiture ever again. That is, unless there is a $10,000 sweetener!

Last year, the National Portrait Gallery coughed up that sweetener (with help from the Tallis Foundation and the Association of Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Societies), as the first place prize for the inaugural National Youth Self Portrait Prize (NYSPP).

The NPG has long been a supporter of young artists. Since 2000, it has hosted Headspace - an annual exhibition of self portraits from students in years 10, 11 and 12. The NYSPP is the next logical step, taking that support to a whole other level by offering not only the generous cash award but valuable exposure to big-name media and art world heavies.

In 2008, from the nation-wide pool of entrants, the NYSPP was deservingly awarded to  local Jessica Herrington, and succeeded in instantly catapulting her into artistic recognition. This year, the prize is up for grabs again; open to all two-dimensional and screen-based art forms and ready to launch another young up-and-comer into the limelight!

To assist with judging of the prize this year, the Portrait Gallery called upon former Canberran Stuart Bailey, who now calls Sydney home and is currently a lecturer at the Sydney College of the Arts. I caught up with Stuart as he was finishing up his day of judging at the NPG.

"We just decided on a winner. I won't say who though," he laughs. "We're going to wait and announce it when the exhibition is launched, and that's when the winner will find out they've won $10,000!"

Now that he is an esteemed judge of art prizes, I challenge Bailey to explain what he thinks defines a self portrait: "My definition would be pretty broad," he admits. "I can see elements of portraiture in many works that would be considered outside the genre. Really, any image that contains a representation of some personal aspect of the artist would be considered a portrait in my eyes."

And they're eyes that have been hard at work, given the difficult task of selecting a shortlist of works to be exhibited from this year's crop of entries. I'm desperate to know: what were the judges looking for?

'We were really won over by works that drew you into the artist's world. Works with a strong concept behind them are engaging, but ultimately it was the works that seamlessly combine imagery, process and concept into a moving experience that really stood out."

Bailey may have the talk, but he's also got the walk, being a widely exhibited practicing artist himself. As it so happens he even dabbles in self-portraiture: "Even though my practice is not based in portraiture I like to implicate myself in the issues my work attempts to engage with, so I guess that occasionally involves my likeness popping up in my work."

And in the work of other artists, do any self-portraits by well-known favourites come to mind? "Probably German artist Martin Kippenberger's painting of himself bruised and bandaged after an attempted robbery, or perhaps a big night out! Later in his tragically short life he created many unflattering images of himself as an out-of-shape man heading towards middle age."

The term 'youth' is bandied around a lot, but for the purposes of the NYSPP entrants had to be between the ages of 18 and 25. A narrow window, yes, but a time when many up-and-coming artists are beginning to hit their stride. Portraiture prizes seem to be dime a dozen, but I am curious to know: does the way young people approach self-portraiture differ from their more 'mature' counterparts?

"I think many young artists are focused on presenting an image of themselves as a whole being that may subconsciously map out the kind of life they are looking forward to,"' Bailey muses. "Older artists are more likely to engage with the unexpected twists and turns in life that tend to crop up when you've been around for a bit longer!"

There is a lot of money to be had in the art world, if you know where to look for it, with prizes for every medium and subject matter. The hard part for artists it seems is simply getting their arses into gear to submit an entry! Being that the NYSPP is taking place in our own backyard, I push Bailey to reveal how the local entries held up against the interstate competition.

"The contribution of young people from the ACT was very strong," he assures me. "Having said that it would be great to have more involved in the future."
So does he have any advice for young portraitists, who might want to give it a crack next year?
"Well, works that seem to give a real insight into an individual or an aspect of an individual, regardless of the medium, always engage viewers. You always need to give away something of yourself to create a compelling artwork."

So, if you missed out on entering the NYSPP this year, don't delay: start thinking now about an entry for next year's competition. Remember - you only have until you're 25!

The 2009 National Youth Self Portrait Prize launches on July 23 and continues at the National Portrait Gallery until September 13. Get down there to check out the best of what your contemporaries have to offer of themselves.

Vanity Fair Portraits

Ahh, celebrity. Love to hate it or hate to love it, there's certainly no avoiding it. This is a world where Michael Jackson is more famous than Jesus. In fact, Jesus may have been the first superstar, because celebrity isn't a new phenomenon - oh no. When Vanity Fair magazine first began in 1913, dedicating itself to popular culture, the world's obsession with famous faces was already in full swing.

"It was an era when photography was rapidly growing in popularity, and the film industry too," explains National Portrait Gallery Curator Michael Desmond.

Nearly one hundred years later, the exhibition Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008 has descended on Canberra to leave us all starry-eyed.

The exhibition is a collection of photographs from the Vanity Fair archives - straight from the glossy pages of the magazine. Some of the images are iconic, some rarely seen, but all are people we recognise - famous folk who have shaped our culture in one way or another. These personalities include actors, writers, athletes, film stars, musicians, singers, designers, politicians, royalty, and even plain old socialites.
At first I am a little sceptical: what makes Vanity Fair any different from other mags full of celebrities and gossip?

"Well there is the historical element," explains Desmond, "a continuing tradition that you might not find with other publications. There is also this idea that Vanity Fair is more high brow, featuring academics and authors, people from the 'high arts', not just starlets" - although there are plenty of those, too. We can be sure the Paris Hiltons and Lindsay Lohans of today are no more outrageous and scandalous than the Jean Harlows and Josephine Bakers of days gone by. The old gals were just lucky that gossip blogs and camera phones weren't around in their time, so they could always be seen as glamorous and gorgeous, just as they appear in the exhibition.

The magazine itself existed in two distinct eras: from 1913 until folding in 1936, then re-launching in 1983 and continuing to the present day. The first incarnation of the magazine perfectly captures the excitement of the roaring 20s and early 30s, and particularly the dawn of the uber-cool 'Jazz Age'. Hemlines went up, hair was cut short, and everyone seemed to party all day and night. Don't be surprised if these photos have you wishing you were born many decades ago. The 1980s, when the magazine was reborn, were not all that dissimilar - everyone seemed rich, young and beautiful all over again. Hollywood was big, supermodels were bigger, and hair was biggest of all.

Today more than ever, Vanity Fair has become a 'who's who' guide to popular culture, and many regard an appearance in the magazine (especially one on the front cover) as a sign you've really 'made it'. A photo shoot for Vanity Fair has the ability to make or break a star's reputation. As such, the magazine's photographers are powerful celebrities in their own right - the most well-known of which is the legendary Annie Leibovitz. Leibovitz first came to fame as a photographer for Rolling Stone, before being poached by Vanity Fair in the early 80s. Her luscious, theatrical images seem more like oil paintings than photographs - a style that has given the magazine a definitive 'look' that people recognise today.

But why are we as a society so obsessed with celebrities anyway? "It's a familiarity thing," Desmond believes. "We live in a global village, and these people are like our friends and neighbours. We feel like we know, say, Princess Diana or Scarlett Johansson better than we know the people who live across the road from us...And to an extent we probably do!"

Madonna, Barack Obama, Nicole Kidman, Carey Grant, Prince William...they all look out at us from the gallery's walls and cabinets, united only by the fact that we know more about them than we probably should.

The magazine put the exhibition together in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery in London. Interestingly, this happened before the global financial meltdown. Does Desmond think the current times will affect the way people view a lavish exhibition filled with fame and fortune? "No, I don't think people will look at it differently, because it's ultimately about escapism. That's part of what our interest in celebrity always was about. Even during the Great Depression people still wanted to read about film stars as a way to dream and escape their everyday realities."

It is an escape that will cost you. Entry to the exhibition is ten dollars, but Desmond is quick to point out that bringing an exhibition of this size over to Australia is a costly logistical feat and at the end of the day "it's still cheaper than a movie ticket."

There's no pretending that this is a challenging exhibition. More like a walk down a sort of collective memory lane, this crowd-pleaser is good fun for film buffs, fashion fans and there's plenty of eye candy to boot. Vanity Fair has never been afraid of the theory that sex sells, and bare flesh abounds, male and female alike. In 1991, to great outrage, the cover was graced by a very naked and very pregnant Demi Moore... this is a magazine that knows a little controversy goes a long way.

After seeing Vanity Fair Portraits I was struck by the realisation that despite nearly a century having past since the magazine began not a great deal has changed. As a society we are still drawn to images of youth and beauty, we still admire talents in film, sport, music, we still wish we were them. Whether this is comforting or depressing I will leave for you to decide.

So, rather than reading a magazine this winter, why not take a walk through one?

Vanity Fair Portraits, exclusive to Canberra, is on show at the National Portrait Gallery until August 30.

The 2009 M16 Drawing Prize M16 Artspace

Generally speaking, art prize shows are hit and miss affairs. When they are bad, they are excruciating, self indulgent or mind-numbingly dull affairs, but when they are good: well, they’re like the M16 Drawing Prize.

Yes, entries for the prize had to be drawings, but as today’s definition of drawing is so broad, if not a little vague, M16’s solution was to go BYO definition. Along with their artwork, artists were asked to submit a statement explaining ‘what is drawing?’. If you could justify it, you could enter it, and this has made for a deliciously diverse range of work.

There were a staggering 120 entries for the Drawing Prize this year, 29 of which have been short listed and hung in the exhibition. Among the 29 works there are luscious colours, bold statements, whispered lines and dedicated draftsmanship. There are oh-so-clever computer programs, reams of digital printouts, delicate threads and fabric, crafty paper and glue and more.

In addition, the entries that didn’t make the short list are being shown on a DVD loop as a part of the exhibition. This is a fantastic idea, meaning everyone gets their 15 seconds of fame and visitors to the show can see just what an outrageous (and kooky) array of submissions there were.

This year’s winner, as judged by Patsy Payne, is the gloriously graphic graphite drawing Untitled by local wunderkind Robbie Karmel, and though this piece doesn’t really challenge the notion of drawing it was definitely one of my favourites. Other standouts for me were Sean Dwyer’s A Darlinghurst View and Surya Bajracharya’s Wet Cheeks and Stormy Collisions.
The nice thing about a good art prize is knowing that it’ll come around again next year, always giving you something to look forward to. This year’s exhibition closed on May 31, but there’s always next year…

National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition

The National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition will not change your life. In fact, it will hardly make a blip in it. To be fair, the NPPP is only new on the art award scene – this year was only the second instalment – and awards do take some time to find their niche and gain momentum and all that. It is entirely possible that the National Portrait Gallery just didn’t get enough entries to be able to be overly selective – after all, the temporary exhibition wing in the new building has a lot of wall space to fill.

To start at the beginning, the prize was open to entries from all over the country, so long as they were photos and portraits. Easy enough criteria to fill, but one would like to think that like say, the Archibald Prize, artists would use this as an opportunity to push the limits of the medium and the notion of portraiture itself. No such luck. This is where the NPPP has me worried. There are some very, very average works in this show. No sooner had I stepped out of the exhibition had I forgotten pretty much everything that was in it.. I did a second round – concentrating as hard as possible, but same result. When I was later asked what my favourite piece was I came up with absolutely nothing.

That said, the judges have done a good job sorting through the chaff and picking a winner to take home the whopping $25,000 prize. Cormac and Callum, Ingvar Kenne’s portrait of his sons, is fairly interesting as these things go, quite dark and bizarre, and definitely one of the more accomplished works in the show. Interestingly it was bagged in all major newspapers the day after the prize was announced. Despite the exhibition’s pedestrian nature I would suggest a visit to the National Portrait Gallery anyway. Take your mother. The exhibition is free, the permanent collection is pretty satisfying and if you haven’t yet checked out the new building then it’s about time you did.

Soft Sculpture

"The 1960s saw a fundamental shift in thinking about sculpture," says curator Lucina Ward, who is showing me around the National Gallery of Australia's latest exhibition Soft Sculpture.

"Historically, sculpture meant carved wood or stone, or bronze cast from clay or wax models. In the early twentieth century, artists began to make constructions, incorporate found objects, and designate everyday items as art. Materials were increasingly diverse after the development of mass-produced synthetic polymer products in the 1950s."

Essentially, art discovered plastic, along with a new-found love for anything that could be moulded, modelled or reappropriated. Ward tells me that the idea for Soft Sculpture began back in 2000, when she and then co-worker Anthony White were working on a cataloguing project of the Gallery's extensive sculpture collection. They were particularly taken by works from the '60s and '70s that could be classed as being part of the 'anti-form' movement which sprang forth in the 1960s and reacted against traditional artistic forms, materials and methods.

From the minute you step foot into the NGA's exhibitions wing you can see why Ward is so excited about this show. The foyer has been transformed into a scene not unlike something out of Alice In Wonderland. A pile of oversized candy-coloured pills spill into the space from one corner, while a giant-size droplet of grey liquid oozes ominously from the ceiling. The whole while, a clear plastic lotus flower is waving hypnotically, beckoning you to enter the show.

Putting on an exhibition specialising in three dimensions is no mean feat. "This was one of our biggest installation jobs ever!" she laughs. Looking around at the sheer size, fragility and complexity of some of these pieces it's easy to see why. Eagle-eyed gallery fans will recognise that a few of these works have been on display previously to now, but Ward is excited that they are being seen here in a new light and a different context. A major exhibition such as this also gives curators the chance to purpose-build the exhibition rooms to house particular artworks so that they can finally be experienced just as the artist had intended.

One example is Penetration by French artist Annette Messager. A darkened room has been filled with handmade body parts suspended from the ceiling - a cloud of squishy bones and organs all painstakingly sewn out of wool and cotton. Visitors weave in and out through the organ maze as if touring their own insides. Ward is also grateful to have on full display the sprawling installation Stripes From The House of the Shaman by the uber-famous Joseph Beuys. This bizarre arrangement of seemingly unrelated materials - lengths of felt, animal skins and ground minerals - has been given a powerful symbolism by the artist's hand.

Sculptors are using soft materials to imitate hard, and hard materials are masquerading as soft. "These artists are completely de-constructing the idea of the sculpture as a monument - that monuments are historically what sculpture is."

Locals may also find Sheep On A Couch strangely familiar - artist Les Kossatz is the very same man responsible for everyone's favourite baffling public art piece Ainslie's Sheep, also known as 'those weird sheep in Civic'. "He's moved on from sheep now," Ward amusedly assures me.

Soft Sculpture may be a feast for the eyes, but the desire to touch is overwhelming. It will be hard to control yourself and any kids, little or big, that you take with you. Ward agrees, "this is a great exhibition for little people," and I wonder if there is something about sculpture, about objects, texture and movement, that sparks our imagination and appeals to the child inside of all of us.

This is an exhibition experience that leaves you feeling invigorated and inspired. Back in the outside world, you'll find yourself looking at things differently, and you may find you want to touch everything: hair, foam, fur, felt, plastic bags, feathers, breasts. What makes a sculpture a sculpture anyway? I ask Ward. "Exactly!" she replies enthusiastically.

Soft Sculpture is on show at the National Gallery of Australia until July 12 and is absolutely one hundred percent free.  

Tess Stewart-Moore - Inside Out

Local photographer TESS STEWART-MOORE is inside looking out… “In Canberra we pull so much down only to build another cheap construction. I’m really frustrated by that lack of value for our history as a young city. Things just get knocked down and we don’t get a chance to voice our opinions. I feel like there is a lot to be angry about and things like the punk scene seem to speak directly to those feelings.”

Like the chicken or the egg, it’s hard to know whether photography or politics came first for Tess. She got her hands on an SLR camera in high school and started cutting her teeth at the youth centre shows of bands like Half Mongrel, Mugshot, Henry’s Anger and Mightyfew. “I was reading lots of political and hardcore/punk zines, I was going to punk shows and those scenes had an incorporated media that was much less static than the sort of thing in say, Rolling Stone.”

The fascination didn’t wear off and now Tess is a graduate of the ANU School of Art, still into photographing live shows. While these photos are a way of documenting the music, the emphasis is on capturing the raw experience of the whole show and often that comes through the crowd, rather than just the band’s performance. “I like the way the crowds interact,” she says. “When I look at the photos I’ve taken I can’t help thinking of Renaissance paintings – brutal scenes with bodies everywhere! Our society doesn’t allow much in the way of human contact - it’s sort of taboo - this is a chance to let go of social norms and etiquette.

“Everyone has been going to shows for so long, you all know each other. Guys jump on each other and spit on each other but everyone’s friends.  I guess it’s kind of like a feeling of community when you’re in an isolated place like Canberra.”

Does she think that living in Canberra is good for artists and musicians creatively? “There are so many artists in Canberra making exciting and inspiring work, whether or not living here encourages this might be hard to see.
“I’ve lived in Canberra for nearly 25 years - my whole life - and as a creative person you can only take from what you know. Canberra is made up of these banal institutional spaces. I started taking photos of them because they were so sterile - I find it funny but sort of depressing at the same time. Whenever I go anywhere in Canberra I’m seeing images I could make.

“Walking around public service districts on the weekend – they’re the most bizarre places. These little towns that are created for public servants and Monday to Friday they’re chaos but on weekends they’re ghost towns. I always found those empty spaces interesting as a metaphor for the whole city.”

In her latest exhibition Tess is showing the photos she has taken at gigs alongside the images she has made of buildings and spaces. Although it isn’t immediately obvious, there are strong connections between the two subjects. “The gig photos aren’t so much about the music but about showing an internal side of our static environment. The whole show is more about a psychological space. It’s about buildings and building something, construction and deconstruction… The way things go up and come down and as a product of that the tangible things that matter - our family and friends”

Tess Stewart-Moore’s exhibition Inside, Outside, Puppy Dogs Tails is on at Canberra Contemporary Art Space Gorman House from April 5 to May 17. Opening night drinks are from 6pm on Friday April 4.