Rob Scott-Mitchell: Beach Dogs of Byron Bay

ROBERT SCOTT-MITCHELL BEACH DOGS OF BYRON BAY

ROBERT SCOTT-MITCHELL BEACH DOGS OF BYRON BAY

15 January – 26 February 2022

Beach Dogs of Byron Bay

7

LINDY LEE (WITH KATE VEITCH)

List of Works 11 Artworks 13 Biography 37 Acknowledgements 41

Eyes bright and ears alert, their long skirts swept the sand and dirt, 2021. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

This is work that’s about one thing: capturing a moment. It’s the capacity to put intellect aside and allow intimacy to be your guide.

BEACH DOGS

moment he selected becomes a portal which opens us to rich and layered interpretations. They invite us to participate in the vitality, the joy inherent in each canine interaction.

OF BYRON BAY

For Rob, who had always found it excruciatingly difficult to accept praise or appreciation for his work or himself, and who in the last few years of his life suffered terrible health, there was both intimacy and authenticity there on the beach.

It was the one place where he was liberated from all the physical pain he suffered and the mental anguish that came with it. When he joined the dogs in their field of play, he could forget all that.

Following his recent untimely passing, artist Lindy Lee reflects on the intimate practice of Rob Scott-Mitchell, her partner in life and love.

Lindy Lee (with Kate Veitch) The great Zen practitioner Aitken Roshi used to say, “Enlightenment is an accident. But you have to put yourself in the path of that accident, diligently, every day. And that is called practice.”

As for the student of Zen, so too for the creative artist. When my partner and fellow artist Rob Scott-Mitchell moved to Byron Bay and began to walk his dogs on those long beautiful sandy beaches, he put himself in the path of the accident. What began as occasional enjoyment became his practice. And then, he started taking his camera along.

When we engage with Rob’s photographs of the beach dogs of Byron, like him we too are caught in the slipstream of seminal French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose work was not descriptive or illustrative, nor was it about the construction of a fiction or simple documentation.

This is work that’s about one thing: capturing a moment. It’s the capacity to put intellect aside and allow intimacy to be your guide.

Rob never objectified the dogs he captured; he wanted to get down and be among them, “at their point of view” as he often said. In their playfulness, his photos share the speciesspecific and authentically canine joy of New Zealand writer Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary and Friends series of books for children – and their adults.

Rob’s favourite shooting ground was­Belongil Beach, Byron Bay. He liked to go to the off-leash area there in the late afternoon, the magic hour so beloved of filmmakers and photographers. He photographed not only our own dogs – four Scottish terriers­­­­­, our Rastafarian ragamuffin ratbags­ – but all of those dogs on the beach, the regulars and the visitors. He loved all of them and they, being dogs, accepted and loved him back.

Roshi also liked to remind students of Zen that the Chinese words for intimacy and enlightenment are interchangeable.

Enlightenment, particularly in the Zen tradition, is not some frozen moment of perfection. You can’t will enlightenment to happen. But by engaging with complete attention to intimacy – the intimacy, say, of drinking a glass of water, or of a wave lapping against your foot – you allow yourself to open authentically to the palpability and truth of experience.

Rob’s photographs offer this. Devoid of any staging; they don’t try to define the dogs or any other element. Yet each

All animals, but especially dogs, are absolutely present in the moment; they’re not trying to second guess or analyse, they are not apologetic.

Animals can teach us things because they are true, to themselves and to life.

All animals, but especially dogs, are absolutely present in the moment; they’re not trying to second guess or analyse, they are not apologetic. Animals can teach us things because they are true, to themselves and to life.

In the last days of his life, Rob’s greatest, deepest wish was to be able to walk just one more time with the dogs on Belongil Beach. That didn’t happen. But with this show, we’ve brought him home, to the place of his heart. He’s sharing it with us.

Through the oceanic gate he sped, with no hint of fear or dread 2021

Point your toes and lean into the turn, like we’ve practised a hundred times 2020

Tis true the rainbow has no end… 2020

My existential self is at one with the clouds and sand…until some lumbering oaf disturbs the balance 2020

If you must know I’m wearing K9

by Calvin Klein 2018

Chums along the track, looking for a tasty snack 2020

Double trouble! 2020

Put your nose in the air… as if you just don’t care 2021

Her Majesty would be proud of my stoic resolve to appear happy, whilst sandwiched between two hairy Scots! 2020

Note to self - I must remember to keep my mouth closed in the surf 2020

A bum steer 2020

Afternoon trots with Bottomley Potts 2021

They came to town with only one thing on their minds… trouble!

2020

Yes.. I have legs and I can run…

2021

Yippee poobag! 2020

Raised a paw in a sandy wave 2020

Wolverine - Return of the Dog 2020

What? 2020

This sand is a far cry from the runways of Paris and Milan that I’m used to! 2021

Would it be Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s dairy??

2020

Klaus Keller, a rather fine fella 2020

A slow and sad refrain, spoke of love and loss and pain… 2020

LIST OF WORKS Title

Year

Medium

Image size

Through the oceanic gate he sped, with no hint of fear or dread

2021

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

Point your toes and lean into the turn, like we’ve practised a hundred times

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

Tis true the rainbow has no end…

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

My existential self is at one with the clouds and sand… until some lumbering oaf disturbs the balance

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 80 cm

If you must know I’m wearing K9 by Calvin Klein

2018

giclée print on paper

80 x 80 cm

Chums along the track, looking for a tasty snack

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

Double trouble!

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

Put your nose in the air… as if you just don’t care

2021

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

Her Majesty would be proud of my stoic resolve to appear happy, whilst sandwiched between two hairy Scots!

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

Note to self - I must remember to keep my mouth closed in the surf

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

A bum steer

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

Afternoon trots with Bottomley Potts

2021

giclée print on paper

80 x 120 cm

They came to town with only one thing on their minds… trouble!

2020

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

Yes.. I have legs and I can run…

2021

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

Yippee poobag!

2020

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

Raised a paw in a sandy wave

2020

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

Wolverine - Return of the Dog

2020

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

What?

2020

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

This sand is a far cry from the runways of Paris and Milan that I’m used to!

2021

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

Would it be Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s dairy??

2020

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

Klaus Keller, a rather fine fella

2020

giclée print on paper

20.2 x 30 cm

A slow and sad refrain, spoke of love and loss and pain…

2020

giclée print on paper

80 x 80 cm

ROBERT SCOTT-MITCHELL

ARTWORKS

Through the oceanic gate he sped, with no hint of fear or dread, 2021. Giclée print on paper.

Point your toes and lean into the turn, like we’ve practised a hundred times, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Tis true the rainbow has no end…, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

My existential self is at one with the clouds and sand… until some lumbering oaf disturbs the balance, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

If you must know I’m wearing K9 by Calvin Klein, 2018. Giclée print on paper.

Chums along the track, looking for a tasty snack, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Double trouble!, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Put your nose in the air… as if you just don’t care, 2021. Giclée print on paper.

Her Majesty would be proud of my stoic resolve to appear happy, whilst sandwiched between two hairy Scots!, 2020.

Giclée print on paper.

Note to self - I must remember to keep my mouth closed in the surf, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

A bum steer, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Afternoon trots with Bottomley Potts, 2021. Giclée print on paper.

They came to town with only one thing on their minds… trouble!, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Yes.. I have legs and I can run…, 2021. Giclée print on paper.

Yippee poobag!, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Raised a paw in a sandy wave, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Wolverine - Return of the Dog, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

What?, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

This sand is a far cry from the runways of Paris and Milan that I’m used to!, 2021. Giclée print on paper.

Would it be Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s dairy??, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

Klaus Keller, a rather fine fella, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

A slow and sad refrain, spoke of love and loss and pain…, 2020. Giclée print on paper.

….the idiot in the background has to project himself through the air like a canine cannonball for a little bit of attention, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

BIOGRAPHY Born in 1954 in London, England, Robert Scott-Mitchell moved with his family to Australia in 1955. He studied at the Tasmanian School of Art from 1975-78, completing a Bachelor’s in Visual Arts majoring in Filmmaking. He was awarded a Post-Graduate scholarship by the Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board to study Puppet Animation in Poland and Czechoslovakia 1979-80.

In 1997 he completed a Master’s Degree in Digital Media Design at the University of Western Sydney, before teaching Interactive Media and Digital Animation at the University of Technology Sydney, as well as at the University of Western Sydney and the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney. Since 2003, in addition to his own art practice, he worked extensively with his wife, the artist Lindy Lee, contributing portrait photography, digital and Giclée printing to her work. He has collaborated with many renowned artists including Tatzu Nishi on the Kaldor Project for the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2010. He launched a fine-art printing and digital imaging service, Blackstone Images, at the Sydney Opera House in 2005. Scott-Mitchell has over 30 years experience in the visual arts, ranging from documentary filmmaking and TV, 3D animation, web-design and stills photography to collaborations with some of Australia’s leading artists and designers. He won the National Photographic Portrait Prize in 2007 with a study of Lee, capturing her contemplation of life and death during one of her exhibitions.

Scott-Mitchell and Lee moved to the Northern Rivers in New South Wales in 2014, where they both continued to produce work. Sadly Rob passed away in June 2021 after a brief but intense illness.

Education 1995 – 1997

Master of Design: Digital Media University of Western Sydney, Nepean, Sydney

1979 – 1980

Post Graduate Scholarship Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board Studying puppet animation in Poland and Czechoslovakia

1975 – 1978

Bachelor of Arts Tasmanian School of Art, Hobart, Tasmania

Academic Employment 2006

Photoshop Tutor Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney

1996-2001

Lecturer: Core Design Practice, Digital Animation, Interactive Technologies, Supervisor Major Projects School of Visual Communication, University of Technology

1995

Lecturer Digital Media, School of Graphic Design University of Western Sydney, Nepean

1994 – 1998

Lecturer Multimedia/2D & 3D Animation.

KVB College of Visual Communication, Sydney

Solo Exhibitions 2011

A Quiet Night on the River Styx Stills Gallery, Sydney

2009

The Rat’s Tale and Other Stories Danks St Depot Gallery, Sydney

2008

The Rat’s Tale Chalkhorse Gallery, Sydney

Exhibitions 2012

Josephine Ulrich and Win Schubert Photographic Award Gold Coast Arts Centre, Gold Coast

2011

Syndicate Summer Show - with Peter Solness & Catherine Cloran Dank Street Syndicate Gallery, Sydney

2010

Redlands Westpac Art Prize—Selected artist Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney

2009

Ikea Home Project—in collaboration with Lindy Lee Carriiageworks, Sydney

2007

National Photographic Portrait Prize—Winner National Portrait Gallery, Canberra

2006

Olive Cotton Portrait Prize—Finalist Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah

2005

Olive Cotton Portrait Prize—Finalist Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah

Grants 1994

‘Rats’ Received Australian Film Commission Project Development grant.

1989

‘Blind Gods’ Received Queensland Film and Television Office Development grant.

1986

‘Ork’ Received Australian Film Commission Project Development grant.

Applied Practice 2006

Dark Star—Lindy Lee Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney Photographs, digital imaging and printing Website Design – www.blackstoneimages.com.au

2005

Website Design – www.rossmaio.com

2004

Established Blackstone Images - a digital imaging and giclée printing business.

True World and the Pilgrim—Lindy Lee Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney Photographs, digital imaging and printing by Rob Scott-Mitchell True World—Lindy Lee Sutton Gallery, Melbourne Photographs, digital imaging and printing by Rob Scott-Mitchell

2000

CD-ROM Authoring NT Government CD-ROM to promote convention and investment opportunities at the 2000 Olympic Games.

Design/authoring SportsTab online NRL Challenge game (Flash, Director) Design/authoring Website for NSW Government Architect’s Office.

URL: www.govarch.dpws.nsw.gov.au

1999

Design/authoring NSW Government Architect’s Office: Interactive Director presentation for international conference on E-Design Design/3D animation JC Media Pty Ltd: Animated on-line logo for documentary distribution company.

Graphic Design TVU Productions: Westpac Corporate Video.

Design/Animation/Authoring Federal Airports Corporation: Interactive Flash presentation for Sydney Airport’s Olympic Company detailing the preparations and strategy for the 2000 Olympics.

1998

Design/Animation/Authoring Federal Airports Corporation: Interactive Flash presentation for Sydney Airport detailing the upgrade for the 2000 Olympics.

Design/3D Modeling/Animation Australian Defence Industries: Missile launch from frigate.

Design, 3D Modeling and Animation Federal Airports Corporation: 3D logo for Sydney Airport (based on Ken Cato’s 2D design).

1996

3D Modeling and Animation CD-ROM “Shadow Realm”: The life and times of Aleister Crowley. Producers - Michael Ney and Barton Staggs. Director - Barton Staggs.

Producer/Designer J.C. Media Pty Ltd: Website for documentary film distribution company.

Producer/Designer/Animator Glaxo-Wellcome: Interactive presentation for new migraine drug delivery system.

1995

Designer/2D & 3D Animation The University of Sydney: ‘SYDNEY-ROM’, interactive prospectus for both local and overseas prospective students.

Designer/Animator Optus Vision Multimedia: Corporate presentation for annual conference.

Designer/Animator PIP Publications demo CD-ROM: Interactive guide to Pacific Island holidays to accompany a quarterly magazine.

1994 – 1995

Designer ‘Guitar Centre’ CD-ROM: Prototype for an interactive that showcases Australian-made guitars, guitar makers and guitarists.

1994

Writer, Co-producer, Co-director ‘Rats’: Documentary developed with assistance from the Australian Film Commission. Coproduction with ABC Australia and Canal Plus France.

1993

Writer Oracle Pictures ‘Divine Wind’ (50 min): Documentary about the “Kamikaze” experience at the end of World War II. Director Joel Peterson

Writer ‘Shaman’s Gate’: Feature film script for a black comedy about dogs, vivisection and spontaneous combustion.

1992

1990 - 1991

Writer, Associate Producer and Sound Recordist ‘Kula - Ring of Power’ (55 min): Documentary about an ancient mystical trade cycle in the Trobriand Islands.

Producer - Gary Steer. Director - Michael Balson. Co-production with National Geographic ZDF and Finnish Television.

1990

Dubbing Editor ‘Koalas - The Bare Factsí (55 min): Director Paul Scott, Film Australia.

1989

Writer ‘Blind Gods’: Feature film script about a clairvoyant Irish woman migrating to Australia in the 1870’s. Co-writer - Richard Dennison. Producers - Sue Milliken and Richard Dennison.

Developed with assistance from Queensland Film and Television Development Office.

1986

Writer ‘Ork’ - An eight part animated introduction to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Developed with assistance from the Australian Film Commission.

1981

Dubbing Editor ‘Great Camel Raceí (120 min) - produced and directed by Richard Dennison. ABC, National Geographic, ZDF Germany and Channel 4.

He can sniff my tail, but my head is where the glamour is all happening, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

So, what am I s’pose to do about it?, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Canine breaks the fourth wall, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Expressionist dog, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

I’ve always marvelled at the conception of stretchy buses, and just had to try it for myself, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Yes I can touch my nose, 2019. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

A day of good fun with dear Schnitzel von Krumm, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Social distancing, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

He stood just one foot high, his wee short legs could surely fly…, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Meet my friend, Hercules Morse as big as a horse, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Dougal J. MacDougal, with his trusty old tin bugle, 2021. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Same rules as usual, when the whistle blows, you can move, 2021. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

You put your right foot in, you take your right foot out, you put your right foot in, and you shake it all about…, 2020.

Artwork not included in the exhibition.

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig, 2020. Artwork not included in the exhibition.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincerest gratitude to Team Dark Star: Zoe Wesolowski-Fisher, Demian Burman, Angelika Stepanova & Elly Tucker for giving such unflinching loyalty to Rob in the last year of his life and during the difficult and intense period that followed. A truly huge shout out goes to you Kate Veitch for helping me wrangle the catalogue essay (you know how much I hate writing).

You’re not known as Bliss Bloss Boss for nothing! But most especially I am eternally indebted to Susie Nelson, who poured her entire heart and soul into curating/managing and designing the exhibition and catalogue. Susie your fierce compassion makes you the brightest, most beautiful star that ever was. Thank you all so much – I love you heaps and heaps.

PS Jen Cornish, Lizzie Turnbull, Guy Turnbull and Helen Morkham – you’re not forgotten. You gave Rob so much love and friendship. Your friendship meant the world to him.

Lindy Lee January 2022

the openness of the sky, an ever present horizon line – that’s where Rob is.

Rob Scott-Mitchell is best known for his National Photographic Portrait Prize winning study of his wife, the artist Lindy Lee, as she contemplated life, death and family in the midst of her exhibition.

Most of his art, however, while also concerned with the metaphysical, has a rather more whimsical quality.

Scott-Mitchell is the master of the manipulated 3D-rendered image, transforming every day banalities into magical luminous worlds. In the process he also inserts troubling questions on the nature of life and death...

Joanna Mendelssohn

AUSTRALIAN ART COLLECTOR APRIL 2009