Collection+ Louise Rippert / Steve Carr: Forms for remembering

LR SC COLLECTION+

FORMS FOR REMEMBERING LOUISE RIPPERT & STEVE CARR CURATED BY AINSLEY GOWING

MORNINGTON PENINSULA REGIONAL GALLERY

Collection+ Louise Rippert / Steve Carr is the second iteration of Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s (MPRG) ambitious new Collection+ series. We bring together new and existing work by Melbourne based artist Louise Rippert alongside dynamic New Zealand contemporary artist Steve Carr.

Carr’s large ‘Smoke bubble’ photographs from the NGV collection were one of the initial inspirations to pairing these artists, which has been carefully developed by MPRG Registrar Ainsley Gowing.

This exhibition looks at some of the unifying themes in Rippert and Carr’s work – time, repetition, stillness and tension, circular references and mandalas, structure behind simplicity, memories and family. Bringing the work of Rippert and Carr together creates a visually stunning show that highlights these linkages while presenting their distinct individual practices.

FORMS FOR REMEMBERING AINSLEY GOWING

INTRODUCTION In the twilight of working from home in 2020 I was gifted the opportunity to curate an exhibition as part of MPRG’s new Collection+ series. Collection+ pairs newly commissioned work by leading artists represented in the MPRG Collection alongside select institutional loans. Like a game of curator’s snap matching an international and Australian artist offered a unique pairing based initially on visually surface level similarities.

The quiet simplicity of New Zealand artist, Steve Carr’s Smoke bubble 2016 photographs shimmered, as we all saw our world and understanding of time evolve through the pandemic. For me, Carr’s Smoke bubble series recalled works by Melbourne based artist Louise Rippert, in particular her collage Final Eclipse 2002 and sculptural work Small Return 2005. As we spent time at home reflecting on what was important, I delved deeper to find that my instinct to pair these artists was well founded.

Whilst their artworks may appear very different at first glance and the artists were unknown to each other, there are some common threads that run through their practices and it is this poignant overlap that forms the basis of the exhibition.

Left to right: Steve Carr, Smoke Bubble #02 2016, inkjet print, edition 1/3, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Purchased NGV Foundation, 2016, Photo: Courtesy of NGV, Louise Rippert, Small Return 2005, ceramic, plastic chrome, Collection of the artist

Over the years both artists have produced works in various mediums, with materiality and transformation evident as primary concerns. This is a small selection from their extensive bodies of work which intersect and explore similar ideas: repetition, the passing of time, stillness and tension, circular motifs, structure behind simplicity, family generations and memories. Collection + Louise Rippert / Steve Carr: Forms for remembering is an exhibition that initially started with an overarching exploration of their circular forms.

As the connections were uncovered during the development of the exhibition it grew to comprise of five gallery rooms with different themes.

Throughout these rooms we progressively move through and experience their sustained interest in these rounded forms and along the way reflect about the cyclical nature of life and strong relationships we make.

FORMS FOR REMEMBERING AINSLEY GOWING

Previous: Louise Rippert Fences and eyes 1997 (detail) gouache, watercolour, pencil, cotton thread and embossing on hand-made paper Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery Purchased from Spring Festival of Drawing, 1997 Left to right: Louise Rippert, D for devil, D for ‘donut’ 1994 and NO-thing 1992. Steve Carr Skyline Mk III 2022 and Burn Out 2009.

EXPLORATION OF THE CIRCLE ‘The mandala, literally ‘circle’ is one of the most potent symbols of humankind. Its circular form and concentric structure reflect the shape of the universe outside and the sense of perfection within’.

Mandala (Sacred Symbols), Thames and Hudson Ltd. London, 1995 With her finely detailed collages comprising shimmering materials, delicate stitching, inverted pencil numbers and Khadi paper, the circular structures of mandalas and Bindu’s echo within Louise Rippert’s work. The circular form of the donut and notions of ego were first explored as forms and subject matter whilst Rippert studied printmaking and ceramics at Monash University in the mid-1990s. A precursor to Rippert’s interest in the symbol of the donut was a circular piece of metal and wire from a car that was found in an alleyway. It was studied and dissected and morphed into drawings and prints, the largest one being NOthing 1992.

Like Rippert, Steve Carr’s practice includes an interest in everyday objects and the creation of work which challenges our thinking. Carr has produced several works in relation to car culture

and the circular motif of the wheel including his 2009 film Burn Out, and the highly detailed, scaled down wooden tyres Skyline Mk III 2022.

Louise Rippert is represented in the MPRG Collection with Fences and Eyes 1997, described by the artist as a meditation piece which features her personal symbols: cotton grids (Fences) the warp and weft of time and space and physical and psychological barriers; the Bindi (Eyes) the point at which the ego/thought appears and disappears and the inverted numbers indicate the moment by moment witnessing of thought as it appears upon the mirror of consciousness.

FORMS FOR REMEMBERING AINSLEY GOWING

GENTLE DIFFUSION Aside from the obvious physical appearance and mannerisms of our parents, we often carry unseeable connections through the gentle diffusion of a nurturing parent child relationship.

In this room, the deep bond between Steve Carr and his mother is felt with the powerful photographic series The First Morning. This intensely personal work was made the day after Carr’s mother died with lung cancer in 2020. Carr’s long-standing interest in and use of the apple as a motif is both an expression of and appreciation of his mother’s routines. The imprint of watching his mother offer year-round care for the birds visiting their garden by feeding lard in the cold winters of the South Island of New Zealand and apples in summer, reveals itself in his exquisite carved marble apples, Albedo, Flavedo 2020.

Louise Rippert’s mother’s career as a radiologist directly inspired and fed a continuing fascination with light, shadow, translucency and reflections.

Her special connection with her mother and daughter are revealed in the works in this room, three generations coming together with Rippert’s possible self-portrait, When I meet you 2019. One of her most reflective works, When I meet you

Left: Steve Carr Albedo, Flavedo No. 1 2020 (detail) Right: 12 of 23 works that make up The First Morning, 2020 Below: Louise Rippert, Pink Bindu/Eva’s Circle 2007, When l meet you 2019, White Bindu 2007, Pink Bindu 2015, Japiur Observatory 2006, Portrait of My Mother 2006

refers to Kabir’s statement; “The river that flows in you, also flows in me” 1. We understand notions of ourselves through our relationships with others as we are mirrored back in people’s eyes and their interactions with us. Most importantly, beyond external differences or ideologies, we are One, from the same energy source.

1. Songs of Kabir, 2011 Translated by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, New York Review Books.

FORMS FOR REMEMBERING AINSLEY GOWING

Louise Rippert Forget-me-not 2020-21 collage of holepunched, salvaged printed and inscribed paper envelopes, plastic envelope film and glassine, and silver foil and silver backing on painted drafting film Collection of the artist Steve Carr, Wish Bones 2007 from the series Goes Nowhere Like a Rainbow scientifically blown glass, 50 wishbones Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

TRADITIONS OF COLLECTING Objects that have been kept by families for generations are imbued with a special significance, through the transference of love and the care dedicated in refining and storing a collection. The short-term retention of ephemeral ordinary objects can also end up being imbued with meaning as we associate them with special people and times in our lives.

Louise Rippert’s Forget-me-not, 2020-21 is a touching work which utilises the many envelopes that her mother used over a long period of time to write lists as a practical aid to assist her memory.

The act of hanging onto memories, by her mother, was replicated by Rippert within this mandala.

The act of collecting the wishbone from a meal of roast chicken or turkey is associated with luck.

Carr’s wishbones are created in glass, a fragile replica of the original wishbone and featured in his 2006 exhibition Goes nowhere like a rainbow.

Chanelle Carrick’s essay for the exhibition was titled Middens and Marshmallows: the magical world of Steve Carr and she described Wish Bones as being,

“..like a cache of precious treasure, they tumble against each other, more like a pile of Swarovksy crystals than a make-believe midden. Importantly, perhaps, the wishbones are all intact, potential wishes not yet made.”

FORMS FOR REMEMBERING AINSLEY GOWING

Steve Carr, Skimming Stones 2005, Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Michael Lett, Auckland Louise Rippert, Under Here 2015 (detail) Next page: upper Louise Rippert Night moon 2008

TIMELESS PASSING OF KNOWLEDGE What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

-Pericles Skimming stones is a timeless tradition passed down through families around the world. A simple past time which has few components, a body of water and the right stone. Herein the search for a flat stone, the right size and shape for the thrower, and practice with someone experienced to pass on skills it becomes like a “time machine”. Ralph Jones in his 2020 book, How to Skim a Stone, goes on to explain that we often connect stone skimming with family holidays and special places as,“(it) is unusual enough to be memorable, but common enough that we all have memories of having done it in our youth.”

Steve Carr’s film Skimming Stones 2005 becomes a portal for reflection of the magic and wonderment of joyous youth. To watch an experienced stone skimmer and see their stone skip long distances across the water surface asks us to suspend our knowledge of gravity as we anticipate the inevitable submersion of the stone.

FORMS FOR REMEMBERING AINSLEY GOWING

Installation view Wall (l-r): Steve Carr, Smoke bubble series, #04, #02, #06, #01, #07 and #08 Suspension: Louise Rippert, Wanderwund 2020-21 Floor: Louise Rippert, Forms for Remembering 2008 and Recording 2011

STILL: CHANGING Often relationships are evolving so slowly that we are unaware of the change. The busyness of our daily lives distracts us. The global pause of the pandemic provided opportunities for many of us to slow down. We were able observe life around us in more detail, think about our relationships, special places and memories.

Steve Carr’s Smoke bubble series of slowly changing iridescent orbs are mesmerising, whilst his film Dead Time No. 7 2012 (approx 8 ½ minutes) may be frustrating for those not patient enough to wait for the climactic end. With good reason, multiple reviews of his exhibitions include analysis and descriptions of our understanding of time.

“The passing of time is a slippery experience, difficult to pin down and usually different in retrospect. Thinking back, there are usually milestones, key markers that help you plot a path from one fixed point to another with lesser events positioned before or after with reference to causeeffect relationships.”

Andrew Clifford, Steve Carr X, Circuit – online publication, March 2013

Through their artistic practices, Steve Carr and Louise Rippert, have slowed and suspended time and shown us it is possible to pause and contemplate.

Many of their circular forms and notions of looping providing an opportunity to find comfort and reassurance in their chosen forms for remembering.

Louise Rippert Glow 2020-21 collage of salvaged tissue paper, fluorescent threads, painted paper, artificial and pure gold gilt on foam core Collection of the artist

LIST OF WORKS Louise RIPPERT b. Melbourne Naarm, Australia 1966Lives and works in Melbourne, Naarm NO-Thing 1992 etching, artist proof 99.0 x 98.0cm (plate); 115.0 x 110.0cm (sheet) Collection of the artist D for devil, D for ‘donut’ 1994 etching, embossing and chin collé, edition 1/20 61.0 x 39.2 cm irreg. (plate); 76.0 x 53.0 cm irreg. (sheet) Collection of the artist Microscope c. 1994 collage of waxed paper with stitching, painted glassine donut shapes and decal lettering mounted on balsa wood support 40.0 x 40.0 cm Private collection Becoming c. 1994 artist’s concertina book (five panels): etching on paper, with thread and silk paper additions unique state print 13.4 x 43.2 cm (overall) Collection of the artist Deflated 1995 ceramic 10 x 50.5 cm Collection of the artist Dull 1995 ceramic with flock coating selection of donuts, various sizes, average 3 x 10 cm x 10 cm Collection of the artist Direction of a Circle c. 1996 etching, edition 5/20 64.2 x 64.2 cm (plate); 91.5 x 76.0 cm (sheet) Collection of the artist

Fences and Eyes 1997 gouache, watercolour, pencil, cotton thread and embossing on hand-made paper 46.0 x 70.0 cm (sheet, irreg.)

Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery Purchased from Spring Festival of Drawing, 1997 Glossary defining space and time (1998) collage of glassine, aluminium foil, black and white thread and pencil on book pages 57.6 x 57.6 cm (image and sheet) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased, 1988 Clock 1999 collage of glassine, sand, pearls and pencil on drafting film 103.0 x 102.0 cm Private collection Final Eclipse 2002 collage of glassine, aluminium gilt and cotton thread on drafting film laid on black paper 152.0 x 152.0 cm Private collection Direction of a Circle 2002 ceramic, ink and wax 32 x 32 x 32 cm Collection of the artist Grain #1 2004 collage of linen thread, gesso, pencil on Khadi paper 40.5 x 57.5 cm irreg.

Collection of the artist Small Return 2005 ceramic, plastic chrome variable dimensions of spheres and overall installation Collection of the artist

Stone Wall, Kolkata 2005 gouache on book page 30.0 x 21.0 cm Collection of the artist Jaipur Observatory 2006 gouache and cotton thread on book page 24.0 x 18.0 cm Collection of the artist Portrait of My Mother 2006 collage of gouache, pencil and thread on embossed and perforated book page 29.7 x 21.0 cm irreg.

Collection of the artist Pink Bindu/Eva’s Circle 2007 collage of glassine, gouache, pencil, aluminium gilt, cotton, nylon and metallic threads 77.0 x 59.0 cm Collection of the artist White Bindu 2007 collage of glassine, gouache, pencil, aluminium gilt, cotton, nylon and metallic threads 77.5 x 59.0 cm Private collection Forms for Remembering 2008 Silver form silver leaf over epoxy over styrene 55 x 120 x 35 cm (height x length x depth) Black dust form black oxide over styrene 35 x 45 x 45 cm White form calcium carbonate over styrene 60 x 80 x 80 cm variable of overall installation Collection of the artist

Night Moon 2008 collage of glassine with perforations and metallic thread, aluminium gilt and painted Khadi paper 43.0 x 61.0 cm irreg.

Private collection Observing 2008 collage of aluminium gilt and linen thread on Khadi paper 38.4 x 56.1 cm irreg.

Private collection Pericles (also known as Riddle) 2008 collage of baking paper and pencil and book pages on drafting film 84.0 x 82.0 cm Private collection Narcissus blushing c. 200821 collage of ceramic, paint pigments, aluminium and silver gilt, acetate on foiled card 86.7 x 86.4 cm Collection of the artist Mapping White Space, Present 2011 gesso, talc, pencil, thread, embossing and perforations on handmade paper 22.0 x 55.8 cm irreg.

Collection of the artist Not Dark Yet 2011 collage of glassine, gouache and gesso hole-punched Khadi paper, on aluminium gilt laid on drafting film 97.0 x 97.5 cm Collection of BG Architecture Pty Ltd Recording 2011 polymer cement, paint and engraving 23 x 60 x 60 cm Collection of the artist

Black Bindu 2014 gesso, talc and synthetic polymer, gouache and pencil with silver gilt and beads on embossed and perforated Khadi paper 54.8 x 78.7 cm irreg.

Private collection Pink Bindu 2015 gesso, talc and coloured pigment, gouache and pencil with cotton, linen and metallic threads on embossed and perforated Khadi paper 104.0 x 71.0 cm Private collection Under Here 2015 collage of inscribed and holepunched foil paper, acrylic paint on Khadi paper laid on drafting film 120.0 x 120.0 cm Private collection When I meet you 2019 collage of hole-punched acetate with decal lettering, silver and aluminium gilt on hole-punched foiled card 118.5.0 x 114.0 cm Private collection Forget-me-not 2020-21 collage of hole-punched, salvaged printed and inscribed paper envelopes, plastic envelope film and glassine, and silver foil and silver backing on painted drafting film 101.0 x 101.0 cm Collection of the artist Glow 2020-21 collage of salvaged tissue paper, fluorescent threads, painted paper, artificial and pure gold gilt on foam core 116.0 x 109.4 cm Collection of the artist Wanderwund 2020-21 salvaged tissue paper, wax, cotton on nylon thread, rubber ribbon, waxed tracing paper reinforcement materials and acrylic rod 324.0 x 344.0 cm irreg Collection of the artist

Steve CARR b. Karekou Gore, Aotearoa New Zealand, 1976 Lives and works Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand Skimming Stones 2005 From the series A Pocket Full of Horses length 2 min 55 sec, 35mm transferred to DVD film location: Little Huia Beach, Huia Auckland Courtesy of the artist and Michael Lett, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Wish Bones 2007 from the series Goes Nowhere Like a Rainbow scientifically blown glass 50 wishbones to scale; overall installation dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney Burn Out 2009 length 4 min 54 sec, format 16 mm/silent Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney Dead Time No. 7 2012 single channel digital video colour silent duration: 520 seconds Collection of the artist Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney Smoke bubble #01 (2016 inkjet print, ed. 1/3 (118.8 x 118.8 cm) (image and sheet) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased NGV Foundation, 2016 Smoke bubble #02 (2016 inkjet print, ed. 1/3 (118.8 x 118.8 cm) (image and sheet) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased NGV Foundation, 2016

Smoke bubble #04 (2016) inkjet print, ed. 1/3 (118.8 x 118.8 cm) (image and sheet) Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Albedo, Flavedo No. 7 2020 hand carved Tākaka NZ marble, coloured pigment and brass height variable, 8.0 cm each Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Smoke bubble #06 (2016 inkjet print, ed. 1/3 (118.8 x 118.8 cm) (image and sheet) Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Albedo, Flavedo No. 8 2020 hand carved Tākaka NZ marble, coloured pigment and brass height variable, 8.0 cm each Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Smoke bubble #07 (2016 inkjet print, ed. 1/3 (118.8 x 118.8 cm) (image and sheet) Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Albedo, Flavedo No. 9 2020 hand carved Tākaka NZ marble, coloured pigment and brass height variable, 8.0 cm each Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Smoke bubble #08 (2016 inkjet print, ed. 1/3 (118.8 x 118.8 cm) (image and sheet) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased NGV Foundation, 2016 Albedo, Flavedo No. 1 2020 hand carved Tākaka NZ marble, coloured pigment and brass height variable, 8.0 cm each Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney Albedo, Flavedo No. 2 2020 hand carved Tākaka NZ marble, coloured pigment and brass height variable, 8.0 cm each Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney Albedo, Flavedo No. 6 2020 hand carved Tākaka NZ marble, coloured pigment and brass height variable, 8.0 cm each Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Albedo, Flavedo No. 10 2020 hand carved Tākaka NZ marble, coloured pigment and brass height variable, 8.0 cm each Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney The First Morning 2020 inkjet print, edition 1/1 42.0 x 29.7 cm, each (set of 23) Courtesy of the artist and STATION, Melbourne and Sydney Skyline Mk III 2022 charred ancient Celery Top Pine (Phyllocladus aspleniifolius) and Victorian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) 3 tyres, each approx. 56.0 x 56.0 x 20 cm Courtesy of the artist, STATION, Melbourne and Sydney

Artist biography Louise Rippert was born in Melbourne Naarm, Australia in 1966, and completed her Masters of Fine Arts by Research at Monash University in 2002. She was an acting member of the Deakin University Acquisition Advisory Group (200810) and a sessional tutor in the Printmaking Department, Monash University, Caulfield (1996, 2000).

Louise Rippert lives and works in Melbourne Naarm. In 2012 Rippert travelled to Varanasi, India on an Arts Victoria grant in 2012. She has won numerous awards, including: Darebin Art Prize, People’s Choice 2015; Rio Tinto Alcan, Queensland Alumina Ltd Award for Works on Paper 2009; 54th Blake Prize for Religious Art 2005 and Australian Print Workshop Collie Trust Award 1996. Rippert is represented in the following Victorian public collections: Deakin University; Monash University; MPRG; National Gallery of Victoria and RMIT University. Her work has also been acquired by the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania.

Artist biography Steve Carr was born in Karekou Gore, Aotearoa New Zealand in 1976, and graduated with an MFA from the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts in 2003. He was the co-founder of the Blue Oyster Gallery in Dunedin, a board member of Auckland’s Artspace (2002-04) and a board member of Christchurch’s The Physics Room (2016-19).

Steve Carr lives and works in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand and is represented in New Zealand by MICHAEL LETT (Auckland) and in Australia by STATION (Melbourne/Sydney). He has been a Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury’s Ilam School of Art since 2016. Carr has had artist residencies in Japan, New Zealand and USA. In 2017 Carr won The Australian Photobook of the Year Award, Momento Pro with Variations for Troubled Hands.

Collection+ Louise Rippert / Steve Carr Forms for remembering

Artists: Steve Carr & Louise Rippert

An MPRG Exhibition Curated by Ainsley Gowing

Catalogue published by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery

26 March – 31 July 2022

Design by Alter.

Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery

Photography by Mark Ashkanasy unless otherwise stated.

Civic Reserve, Dunns Rd Mornington Victoria 3931

©2022 Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, the artists and author. mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au Mornington Peninsula Shire acknowledges and pays respect to the Bunurong / BoonWurrung people, the traditional custodians of these lands and waters.

Authorised by Manager Community Activation, Mornington Peninsula Shire, Marine Parade, Hastings

Steve Carr Dead Time No. 7 2012 single channel digital video colour silent duration: 520 seconds Courtesy of STATION, Melbourne and Sydney