Hello Possums,
Today is my birthday.
Birthdays are funny things, they roll round and then they roll round and around again so fast if you blink you might miss them. I never feel older and wiser, just the same. Just me.
Here is a great picture the Print Council of Australia shared on facebook yesterday.
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| Monstermonster |
I just spent the last weekend at a three day Print Symposium at the National Gallery of Australia. For those of you who wonder what happens at a Print Symposium, it's a whole bunch of Printmakers, Gallery Curators and Print Nerds getting together to talk about......PRINTS.
It was FANTASTIC. I feel like the light bulb has come back on in my head. When you live a very secluded existence making art it's easy to forget how important networks of artists are and being part of a community of peers. I spent three days catching up with old friends from Uni (some I haven't seen for 10 years!) and some of my favourite lecturers. The Print world is a very small one and it's amazing to see who knows who and who knows you!
Here are some highlights of the conference.
I was bursting with excitement for this particular part of the Symposium.
I have been a John Wolseley fan for quite some time so to see the fabulous man in person was slightly overwhelming! He was everything I thought he'd be. Have a look at this great radio interview with Michael Cathcart on RN to see a fairly similar discussion of his work.
There's also THIS, an older radio bite with John's philosophy on artists and being creative. Keep an ear out for the Pluto quote about birds.
I have discovered another favourite! Hertha is......i started describing Hertha and then found a SMH article that is far more articulate. Apologies for the laziness! Here is is....
Chris De Rosa is an artist based in Adelaide. I was a bit excited about her work as she's obsessed with seaweeds and sponges as much as me! Here's a little story she spoke about concerning Burano, an island of the coast of Italy famous for it's lace making.
‘In the museum on the island there is a story about a sailor who is going on a long voyage. He wants to give his loved one a memento before he leaves, so he jumps into the canal and pulls out a sponge or seaweed and gives it to her. She preserves this token of his love by turning it into lace. So my idea is that instead of constructing this memento using stitching, I’m using paper and kind of deconstructing it to make a memento of what this sponge may have been like.'
See more here.
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| Chris De Rosa |
One of my favourite lecturers, Patsy Payne also gave a talk about her work. It made me feel so nostalgic for uni days. She makes beautiful steel cut silhouettes of the human body and more excitingly, RUST PRINTS from the steel pieces. I was very jealous to hear about all the amazing Anatomy Museums she's had the opportunity to visit over the last few years.
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| Patsy Payne, Steel Silhouette casting shadows on left, rust print on mulberry paper on the right. |
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| Patsy Payne |
There were many more things - far too many to mention!
My head is still abuzz trying to unpack all the info.
Here's a quick list with links of some of the other speakers.
Kate Gorringe-Smith - Flyway Print Exchange
Museum of Economic Botany in Adelaide - Postcards from the Edge of the City
Kate Sweetapple's cartographies
Vanessa Berry Mirror Sydney Project
One more comment about the Symposium - Birds, Birds, Birds! Everyone seems to be bird-brained these days, especially printmakers. I think I want to explore this idea more. Maybe write a paper and submit it to Imprint Magazine. What do you think?
The next couple of months are VERY busy.
We're moving house in two weeks time. Ugh. UGH! I forgot how ANNOYING moving is. And i've realised I have far too many things. The books. THE BOOKS! They are the killer. And I can't part with any of them. Not my beautiful art books. (I did manage to smuggle 2 new ones into the collection from the Symposium trip....shhhhhh.....don't tell Matt!) One of these blog posts i'll get around to sharing some of my favourites with you.
Oh! The River of Art Festival in Moruya town is on from the 15-24 May.
Pop into Moruya Books to have a look at some of my new Book Project prints.
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| The Daylight Gate, Drypoint Etching with Monoprint, 2015. |
I have a famous friend! Judy Horacek. Judy's doing a talk in Durras! You should go and see it.
It's part of the River of Art Festival, May 16 @ 3pm. Bookings Essential.
SYDNEY! Come and see my new exhibition 'Flotsam & Jetsam' at Sweets Workshop in Summer Hill. We'll be opening it on June 6. SAVE THE DATE!
More details coming soon.
AND because it's apparently the Dirty Thirties.....31 today.....here is a Dirty Three song for you. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Warren Ellis is still doing his amazing leg kicks and table top shenanigans, here's another if you are like me and can't get enough!
Phew! That's it....
Toodle Pip
J
xoxo
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