ARTS ZINE MARCH 2019

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arts zine issue 30 march 2019

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www.gittoes.com

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ROSLYN ELKIN

http://www.roselkin.com.au/

gordon@theelliotteyescollection.com

THE ELLIOTT EYES COLLECTION

EDMOND THOMMEN

www.thommenart.com.au

MYTHICAL BEASTS 12- 28 JULY 2019 ASW GALLERY www.art-systems-wickham.com/

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V E Barking Up the Right Tree, Acrylic on Fabriano paper, 90 x 120cm. - E&R Werkhoven © 2019

www.studiolaprimitive.net

S T R E E T

MELBOURNE

A R T

slp

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studio la primitive

T H

Matthew Couper

Robyn Werkhoven

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Rodger Skinner

Art Systems Wickham

Roslyn Elkin

Cliff Grigg

Lorraine Fildes

Peter Ronne

Gordon Elliott

Andrew Sutherland.

Maggie Hall

Back to Back Gallery

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Bernadette Meyers Edmond Thommen

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Donald Keys

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Brad Evans

E R

Dungog by Design Dungog Contemporary Timelesstextiles Sculpture on the Farm

Eric Werkhoven

Left: Water Sacrifice, oil-acrylic, Matthew Couper Š 2016.

INDEX

M A

G G I

E H

A L

Editorial …………

Robyn Werkhoven

10

SLP Antics………... …

E & R Werkhoven

11

Elliott & Eyes Collection Winners Announced

12 - 13

Feature Artist …………

Matthew Couper

14 - 29

Poetry …………………

Eric Werkhoven

30 - 33

Graffiti Art, Melbourne ….

Lorraine Fildes

34 - 55

Poetry ………………….

Brad Evans

56 - 59

Feature Artist …………

Roger Skinner

60 - 81

Poem SILK …………

Maggie Hall

82 - 85

Feature Artist …………….. Roslyn Elkin

86 - 97

Feature, BLOEM ….

Bernadette Meyers

Poem Banyan Tree …..

Maggie Hall

ART NEWS…………….

L Front Cover:

Societe (with Bettie and Foucault),

on canvas, H24 x W30 ins. Matthew Couper © 2016.

98 - 113 114 - 117 118 - 157

EDITORIAL Greetings to all our ARTS ZINE readers, this is our first issue for the year 2019.

Don’t miss out reading our new poetry, art news and information on forthcoming art exhibitions.

The March ARTS ZINE 2019 includes features on -

International artist Matthew Couper - ‘An artist with a Kafkaesque view of the world’.

Interviews with Hunter Valley photographer Roger Skinner and artist Roslyn Elkin.

Lorraine Fildes, our resident travel photographer and writer explores the Graffiti Art in Melbourne, Australia.

Sydney Artist and Photographer Bernadette Meyers presents BLOEM, an ongoing collaborative art project dealing with mental health.

The ARTS ZINE features articles and interviews with national and international visual artists, poets and writers, exploring their world of art and creative processes.

Submissions welcomed, we would love to have your words and art works in future editions in 2019.

Deadline for articles 15th April for May issue 30, 2019.

Email: werkhovenr@bigpond.com Regards - your editor Robyn Werkhoven

Maggie Hall, Newcastle artist, writer and photographer includes two poetic works and images.

The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. Copyright © 2018 Studio La Primitive.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced , in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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S T U D I O Life’s Parade, Acrylic on canvas, 90 x 120cm. - E&R Werkhoven © 2019

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THE ELLIOTT EYES COLLECTION

gordon@theelliotteyescollection.com 12 Issue 30 - March 2019

THE ELLIOTT EYES

COLLECTION WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Minh-Trang Duong Sarah Vanderpeer

You can read the article on the ELLIOTT EYES COLLECTION using the following link : https://issuu.com/robynwerkhoven/docs/arts_zine_september_2017

Above: AND THEN HE FLEW, acrylic, chalk and charcoal on paper, H57 x W76cm. Todd Fuller © 2017.

Page 12: COMPRESSION MATTER II, acrylic high load pigment on canvas, H 76.2 x W 63.5cm. Mark Whalen © 2017.

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MATTHEW COUPER

Limbo of the Journeyman, oil on unstretched canvas, W140 x H 63.3 ins. Private collection USA. Matthew Couper © 2013.

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Matthew Couper Matthew Couper is from New Zealand, since 2010 he has lived and worked in Las Vegas, USA. “His artistic practice is rooted in his admiration for the anonymous devotional paintings that flourished in Spanish Colonial societies. By emulating the sincerity and devotional nature of these images, Couper has been able to create personal and idiosyncratic narratives that explore

myth, religion, politics and personal experience. An artist who sees himself as a kind of ‘journeyman', Matthew

Couper works in an egoless tradition that existed and flourished before culture and religion became increasingly orthodox. An artist with a Kafkaesque view of the world, Couper uses his art to narrate personal uncertainties, and frustrations. He has found more than enough strangeness in the USA to challenge and stimulate his secular piety.

Couper is both an intuitive, a moralist and a visionary.”

- John Seed, Art writer.

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Coupe Chief Mourner and the Last Drops.

Oil ,collage on canvas H 58 x W 46 cm.

Matthew Couper © 2017.

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MATTHEW COUPER INTERVIEW. What attracted you to the world of Art? There were framed prints of artworks around the house when I was growing up. I think by Uccello, Botticelli

and Canaletto. Dad did drawings. My mum had a large tome of the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I used to look at that Bastien-Lepage painting of Joan of Arc in the book.

When did your artistic passion begin?

Probably last year of art school when I discovered the symbolist painters like Von Stuck and Bocklin. It was the first time I really wanted to read about the paintings I was looking at. I found Thrall-Soby’s The Early

Chirico, which was fantastic. They were such a weird bunch of artists. That seems to have all gone now.

Artists are so slick and well dressed. I feel like you could make a ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ film, but about artists.

Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I can’t remember what else I would’ve wanted to do now. It’s such a weird designation. I kind of feel like it should be one of those titles bestowed upon you, not self – proclaimed. Beuys said ‘that everyone is an

artis’ – Martin Kippenberger said ‘that every artist is a human being’. I like the frailty in that latter statement.

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Describe your work?

Portrayals of things that interest me, usually spurred on by context. Figurative. Secular, but heavy leanings on Spanish Colonial painting from the Baroque era and ecclesiastical painting. At present, they’re all about

water and survival issues. I change often to keep it interesting for myself. Some small painting and some big paintings. Other aspects are performances of my paintings that act as appendices to the painting.

Do you have a set method / routine of working?

Not really. I try to clock in and clock out just to get some work done. At present, I just moved house and having to refurbish a studio from scratch, so that’s preoccupying me at present.

Why do you choose this material / medium to work with?

I’ve always like the malleability of oil paint – that alchemy of manipulating slimy, coloured dirt into an image is so primordial. It’s so exciting and probably the basis of why I keep painting. Oil paint is even more important to me now that I live in the desert, because I can keep working the wet painting for longer that any other medium. On smaller scale I paint on aluminum because I like the slickness of the surface.

Page 18: Zanjero & Decisions, Diptych oil on metal, W16.5 x H11 inches, Matthew Couper © 2016.

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Filtration Oil on metal H 14 x W11 ins.

Matthew Couper Š 2016.

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How important is drawing as an element to your artwork?

It’s important in the construction of ideas for me, that is, sketching in a sketch book to record ideas, but not really important in regards to finished drawings. I haven’t drawn in a long time. The way the paint is very

similar to the way I used to draw, so I feel like I’m ticking that box when I’m painting.

What inspires your work / creations?

It used to be other art or artworks or artists. The kind of necessity of talking the language of art, but now it’s water statistics and the natural forms that water carves out, such as the Grand Canyon that I live close to….

Also the history of peoples in relation to water. Locations of historic pictographs and petroglyphs denoting areas for food and water.

What have been the major influences on your work?

There’s a lot. Artists such as Fra Angelico, Philip Guston, Felicien Rops, Hilma Af Klint and all the unidentified artists making lamina santos paintings in Mexico in the mid 19 th century. Friends – people who interest me, who share things with me – that’s a big influence on ideas in my art. Music is probably a bigger influence now than ever – like books – translating one medium into another form, so, The Fall (with Mark E Smith) is a major influence, Nick Cave, Halo Benders, The 3D’s and on and on and on… all bands that are on heavy rotation in the studio.

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Search and Destroy Oil on metal H14 x W11 ins. image H19.25 x W 16.5 ins. frame Matthew Couper Š 2017.

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What are the challenges in becoming an exhibiting artist?

I’m not sure now. Just getting the work completed seems to be the biggest issue right now. My main challenge used to be making work that looks like it could be shown together and was done by the same artist, lol. There’s so many invisible restraints regarding exhibition etiquette, it’s easier just to throw it all out

and try whatever you feel is right for you.

Name your greatest achievement, exhibitions?

It’s always usually my most recent exhibition. At an art fair in New Zealand in 2013, David Saunders from The 3D’s came and serenaded on guitar me while I painted paintings in a monkey suit. That was a big highlight.

What are you working on at present?

Painted constructions with bones and objects for a show in New Zealand at PAULNACHE and a series of paintings for a show in LA at La Luz De Jesus Gallery. Both about water and survival.

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Chief Mourner Oil on metal Matthew Couper Š 2018.

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What do you hope viewers of your art works will feel and take with them?

I’m not sure anymore. I work fast and show a lot so usually when I do get feedback, it’s about work several years old and I’ve probably lost interest. It’s kind of over-egotistical to expect that your intentions are to be

met while there’s all this other stuff going on in the world. It’s too hard to gauge that kind of thing now because we’re all at sea in an art malaise and I’m not very good at Instagram.

Your future aspirations with your art?

a) To keep making it b)

Hopefully its interesting.

Where do you see your art practice in five years time?

That’s too depressing to think about.

Other interests, music?

Reading, writing letters, collecting quality examples of Mexican ecclesiastical art, visiting first nations rock

art. I don’t get much time to do any of that stuff. I think I went back to listening to records because it was the only thing that would make me stop and sit down and listen to the LP while having to turn it over for the

second side. I’m trying to get into gardening.

- Matthew Couper © 2019.

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Mothers Milk Aquifer, oil on unstretched canvas, W365 x H163 cm. Matthew Couper Š 2016.

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In Memory of Water, oil on unstretched canvas, H64 x W144 inches, Matthew Couper Š 2017.

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Hydrocephlus Oil on panel W16 x H20

Matthew Couper © 2018

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Forthcoming Exhibitions.

PAULNACHE, New Zealand, February 2019.

La Luz De Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles, USA in May. Assorted group exhibitions in museums in New Zealand and USA and hopefully a couple of art fairs.

Best to view my website where I list current and upcoming exhibitions.

www.mattcouper.com

All Rights Reserved on article and photographs - Matthew Couper © 2019 Dualistic Self-Portrait, oil on H14 x W11 Matthew Couper © 2015.

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THE DREAMER It was a house, we were purchasing and some folk or friends nearby,

these unexpected challenges staring us in the face.

There was quite a surf lashing at the shore, digging into the earth, sand and rocks churning them up.

Did it not worry me, being so close to the turbulent sea?

Did I feel elated to be back, that other worries clamoured in their wake,

as to the conditions imposed, and the location?

To be aware of the topography is important to function in the dreaming.

A young man who wasn’t quite bright, in need of my personal attention.

I unplugged some of the gadgets on the wall, the dream was more complex,

and I wasn’t about to exit it in a hurry, as if fleeing has become a natural reaction without observation of its inherent possibilities, that served to connect rather than leave a track of broken bits scattered everywhere.

- Eric Werkhoven © 2019.

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ARTISTIC ENDEAVOUR. Full of artistic endeavours to keep abreast, make a quick dash here or a splash or a dab there, full of fervour.

To commit ourselves to seek and find these inter-reactions.

All in the name, of being ultra- sensitive in executing, to the best of our abilities, this connectedness to the subject, the view, the object or the model.

As in the style prescribed that suits us the most.

To move on along these rapid interludes, to a love of tactile metamorphosis.

This subjective understanding, beguiles the onlooker who wants to get an insider’s view of each

panorama.

- Eric Werkhoven Š 2019.

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MELBOURNE’S GRAFFITIED LANES

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MELBOURNE’S GRAFFITIED LANES

STREET ART -

Lorraine Fildes

This year I have been travelling in Australia and New Zealand and hope to show you a little about the art scene and architecture that I uncovered. One of my first stops was in Melbourne.

Melbourne is famous for its National art gallery and the exhibitions it hosts. But today I am going to show you some stunning pieces of work created by street artists in the laneways of Melbourne. The nature of street art “graffiti” is that it's forever changing, so what I have photographed may be seen today but may well be different tomorrow. Also, unfortunately some of the works you really like may also be graffitied over.

The word "graffiti" is from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). "Graffiti" is applied in art history to works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. The first drawings on walls appeared in caves thousands of years ago. Later the Ancient Romans and Greeks wrote their names and protest poems on buildings.

But in this article we are going to look at Contemporary graffiti. This art form originated in the late 1960’s in Philadelphia it started off as tagging, in which the graffer simply wrote their signature and address. Railway carriages were often used as it

spread their name to a wider audience. Tagging exploded as a subculture in New York in the 1970s and spread worldwide.

In many cities it was often used by gangs to establish territory and to become “known” tagging could not be called art. By the late 1970s it became much harder to write on trains without being caught, and instead many of the graffiti writers began using buildings, especially the walls in laneways as the graffiti “artist” was less likely to be caught by the police.

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Hosier Lane My first stop was at Hosier Lane.

Every piece of wall was covered with graffiti even graffiti over graffiti and posters over graffiti and graffiti over council signs.

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In the past forty years the nature and styles of graffiti have changed. Graffiti has grown into “street art�. Some taggers started to use calligraphic writing, add images and slogans to their tag and it is because of the calligraphy and images that graffiti is now being considered a style of art. Two things that have enriched the graffiti are: 1.

In the late 1970s paint became available in aerosol cans. This enabled the street graffiti writers' signatures and murals to became more elaborate and a unique style developed as a factor of and the speed required for illicit work. Aerosol paint cans are lightweight, portable, cheap, and easy to store and hence aerosol paint became the graffiti medium. Aerosol paint

is produced in high pressure cans and this enables graffers to cover an area thick and fast and avoid the law enforcers.

Lower pressure cans are also available and they allow for more control and flexibility in the graffiti artwork. There is an array of caps from standard "skinny" caps to wider "fat" caps, as well as caps that control the softness or crispness of the spray.

There is a wide variety of rich colours. Hence the modern day graffiti artist mainly relies upon paint in aerosol cans.

2.

Stencil graffiti, originated in the early 1980s it is created by cutting out images, shapes and designs at home away from the law. The stencil can then be placed on the "canvas" and with quick, easy strokes of the aerosol can, the image is quickly rendered on the intended surface. This method of graffiti is popular amongst artists because it is a swift technique that requires very little time at the illegal location. Sometimes graffiti

is politically motivated and takes the form of a slogan and or image to protest or raise awareness about an issue. The stencil is best used for this as it can be carried from place to place and the image swiftly applied. Time is always a factor with graffiti artists due to the constant threat of being caught.

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The debate over whether graffiti is art or vandalism is still going on. Graffiti done with permission can be art, but if it is on

someone else’s property without their permission it becomes a crime.

Well it may be a crime but it can still be art! Felix, a member of the Berlin based group “Reclaim Your City”, says that “artists

are reclaiming cities for the public from advertisers, and that graffiti represents freedom and makes cities more vibrant”.

Graffiti often has a reputation as part of a subculture that rebels against authority, although there is a wide range of attitudes. Another challenge to graffiti art is that it is forced upon the public because people have no say in its production.

Graffitists counter with the argument that buildings, billboards, campaign ads, and flyers are also forced on the public in a similar manner. The reasons and values for why one might engage in graffiti art are as

varied as the artists who produce it. One reason is fame and recognition of one's artistic talent. Graffiti is also a form of self expression. What it communicates is the artist's identity, expression, and ideas. Some artists see themselves as revolutionaries reacting against the established art market. Some artists also view their creations on public and private spaces as a statement against Western ideas of capitalism and private property.

In the 1980's, galleries in New York and Europe brought graffiti to the attention of the art world. They invited graffiti artists to exhibit work on canvas. Many street artists have now become known and exhibit and sell their work in galleries. Can you

really experience street art when displayed by a gallery? Banksy from the United Kingdom has been recognized worldwide for his street art and has produced work in many countries, including Australia. The location of the street art helps to determine the cultural message it is offering. For example Banksy painted on the West Bank wall in Palestine in 2005 the satirical paintings echoed freedom and peace much more forcefully then if displayed in a gallery. Is work exhibited in a legal gallery graffiti?

PAGE 41: In Hosier Lane even the large dust bins are covered by graffiti. It is playground site for graffiti artists.

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Now back to Melbourne. The proliferation of street art in Melbourne has attracted supporters and detractors from the

community.

The Victorian State Government has vacillated in its views on graffiti. In 2006, the State Government "proudly sponsored" The Melbourne Design Guide, a book which celebrates Melbourne graffiti from a design perspective. That same year, some of Melbourne's graffiti covered laneways were featured in Tourism Victoria's Lose Yourself in Melbourne campaign. One year later, the State Government introduced tough anti graffiti laws, with a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Possession of spray cans "without a lawful excuse", either on or around public transport, became illegal, and police search powers were also strengthened. Can this be called justice?

Some local councils have accepted street art and have even made efforts to preserve it. In early 2008, the Melbourne City Council installed a Perspex screen to prevent a 2003 Banksy stencil art piece named Little Diver from being destroyed. In December 2008, silver paint was poured behind the protective screen and tagged with the words: "Banksy wozere". In April 2010, another stencil by Banksy, also painted in 2003, was destroyed this time by council workers. The work depicted a

parachuting rat and it was believed to be the last surviving Banksy stencil in Melbourne's laneways. The Melbourne City Council acknowledged the difficulties that hinder the preservation of street art, with their graffiti management plan for 2014 18 stating: "Protection of street art is not practical. The only exception may be especially commissioned works".

Are especially commissioned works graffiti?

Following are photos from the graffitied lanes I visited in Melbourne.

- Lorraine Fildes Š 2019.

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S T R E E T

Union Lane Union Lane, as you can see is a

A R T

very, very narrow laneway.

It was heavily graffitied with the most beautifully coloured

graffiti writing.

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CULTURE KINGS

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S T R E E T A R T All Rights Reserved on article and photographs - Lorraine Fildes Š 2019 Issue 30 - March 2019

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B R A D E V A N S

3 strangers talking in the snow and as I struck him with this On an afternoon in Shepreth

his pausing eyes filled with water -

‘midst a February all filled-chilly,

of reason I couldn’t tell

my wife and I and a hired gardener met,

whether cold or sharp recollection made him thus

3 strangers talking in the snow. and said that mine reminded him And that hired gardener,

of a time while invigilating

who found me of a different land,

how the sounds of such an instrument

anointed me with his rub of curiosity

played out to a playgroup of the young

and asked me of Aboriginal culture. and as through the tape-play I told him I very knew little

he watched children turn into a menagerie

but shared my experience where,

of wild beasts and silent masters.

seated before a Koori,

And our conversation, from

whose masterful playing on the didgeridoo 3 strangers talking in the snow

slowed my heart and eyes down

was neither simple nor extraordinary

preparatory to a journey on aural landscape

yet comes to me clearer now

bearing the fruits & bread of ancient wildlife -

than wild stars in a cold, night country.

another world - abridged both mesmeric and meditative.

- Brad Evans Š 2019.

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reprieve

Boxing her in cannot apply

to one who blows down a rule She’s not all there

with breath less than a sneeze

she’s not all there

or a dry cough, yes please

so why do I care

and can you keep your mind on task

when she comes in

when all it wants to do is wriggle

cloven-hoofed

around like a worm in the past.

legs of sprouts and a face aloof.

I waive her fines and the laws that proscribe

She gives me her card

reasons for responsibility

and smiles with her fines

but not all or I

through the roof.

where to free her right

Rules can be shrugged

to lending just might

with a spinning top not yet able

dislodge a rock

to shoulder a law or frown

from a frenzied Bosch

from a judge or clown

rendering.

at the table.

- Brad Evans © 2019.

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B R A D

PLAYTHINGS The way the whale plays with the seal

Reminds me of me Reminds me of my life and of others:

More a plaything than any source of nourishment The seal is tossed up and over that glistening hump, over the witnessing whitecaps,

E V A N S

Lifeless - floating in air briefly by the whale’s powerful thrusts Upward and then checked by gravity’s wish for return And through that lifeless seal I see the lives of ourselves

I see it on the faces of so many - lifeless and tasked with responsibilities In destinations I do not know but recognise only as obligatory

And in this free society I see their choices as choices of my own As they, like the seal, are tossed up and over

More as playthings than any source of nourishment.

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THE TOURIST Looking across a broad Humber with camera and mind in hand I turn and shoot what is expected

from casual distractions.

My eye fails to resist both cliché and jocular oddity until my attention is drawn to a note made plain.

A daughter’s unsteady hand gathers as I hear her voice clearly in those words tucked within that laminated page clinging to railing and Hull weather.

Compulsion pockets my camera as I gently ease away from a space

where a man, unknown to me, made his final departure.

A pause, pregnant with poignancy, stills my next cheap shot,

- Brad Evans © 2019.

quells my viewfinder hunger,

as I turn off the camera and begin to read the lines,

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ROGER SKINNER

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Roger Skinner

Skinner has been Guest Editor of PHOTOgraphy Magazine and

Roger Skinner lives with his family on a small rural holding near

and international magazines including Australian Photography,

Muswellbrook in NSW, where he operates a photographic business

Pro Photo Australasia, and Better Photography. He has lectured

and studio on a full-time basis. Work in this field is mainly centred on

on his work and contemporary photography at various venues

stylised portraiture, landscape and the nude. However industrial and

including Photography 93 at Darling Harbour Sydney, The NSW

commercial work.

FCC Judging Course and APScon 95 in Dubbo, APScon 96 in

Introduced and encouraged into photography by his father, who he

Hobart and APScon 2016 at Tweed heads. He has been a

remembers producing contact prints on the kitchen table. Roger began

regular guest lecturer at camera clubs and judged numerous

making photographs in 1963 at the age of thirteen.

competitions including the Sydney International Exhibition Of

He served his 'apprenticeship' like so many others in the laundry, making contact prints with a slide projector. Taking photographs for more serious pleasure began in earnest, with the purchase of a Minolta SRT101 in 1969, but he did not begin exhibiting until ten years later in 1979.

In 1979 Roger also met Frank Watters, the director of the highly successful and contemporary Watters Gallery in Sydney and worked with

Watters on a four-month commission for the Australia Council

has had articles and reviews published in a number of Australian

Photography and the McGregor Prize for Photography.

He now concentrates on exhibiting in galleries and selected

competitive exhibitions, receiving awards in some of Australia’s most prestigious photographic prizes.

He has exhibited in a number of group exhibitions at the Art Gallery Of NSW, the Museum of Contemporary Art Brisbane and the Centre For Contemporary Photography, Melbourne.

photographing aspects of (and also exhibiting in) The Upper Hunter Environmental Exhibition, curated by Frank Watters.

He has also works as a tutor in photography at local high schools with a number of student’s work gaining acceptances in and exhibited in Art

Page 60: “Blue Dance”

Express the ultimate accolade for a year 12 arts student. He has also

Time exposure approximately 20 seconds as the model lies on

been a tutor for The University Of Southern Queensland.

the floor and I dragged some clear plastic over her body whilst

illuminated with Ultra Violet Light. - Roger Skinner.

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ROGER SKINNER INTERVIEW Brief outline on your background - where did you grow up and education.

I was born in Ryde NSW and grew up in Caringbah, up to all the usual things as a kid HSC from Caringbah High School.

No formal qualifications in any art institutions lots of short courses more particularly of late in specialised areas of book

making and printing.

What attracted you to the world of Art? Its endless expression.

When did your artistic passion begin?

Can’t really remember but slowly around 12 or 13 years old when my father gave me an old camera.

Have you always wanted to be an artist?

Hmm no real idea… certainly from the early 80’s I began to pursue the gallery environment as a venue for my work, as opposed to the confines of the Australian Photographic Society and the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers both of which were stifling not accepting of mixed media and formulaic.

Describe your work?

Principally two genres Landscape and the Nude, some social commentary. Also working on artists books. Mixed media, movies to a degree and collage.

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What is the philosophy behind your work?

Always aware of the environment, though I do not photograph environmental issues, as such the overreaching is to try and get the viewer to think, they may be simply looking at a simple rendition that quite possibly has another agenda underlying it‌ Do you have a set method / routine of working?

No not really other than to say development of a concept either before or after collecting information to fit to the concept that I am working on at the time. I will say that having the Muswellbrook & District Camera Club assignments listing in the

forefront of my mind, I am always seeking out the possibilities to take the most extreme interpretations of the subject, in order to try and get the club to think about the parallel universe.

Why do you choose this material / medium to work with?

Photography tends to be self-fulfilling whereas books can open up the field. As a specific for instance I made a book for the Assignment Fetish, so naturally the cover was made of rubber and it was bound with leather, another book I made was for the subject Vernacular and so the pages were made with rough cut galvanised iron because galvanised iron is the

Australian vernacular architects material of choice‌Photographs can also form a perfect basis for mixed media, the addition of metal (burnt shim brass is a favourite) flowers which of course die and in so doing open up the field around interpreting such works, so whilst a photograph can be confining it can also be liberated/ing.

How important is drawing as an element to your artwork?

Not particularly‌ though occasionally I will put pencil to paper just to embellish the work.

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What inspires your work / creations?

Self-devised concepts or camera club assignments drive a lot of what I do. As a for instance I was in hospital in February this year for a prostate cancer operation, during my stay I suffered a massive clot on my right lung, which led to X Rays and so on, so I stuck the X Rays on the windows of my room and photographed the outside world through my lungs obviously pointing up the link between vegetation and oxygen, which generated a whole series of works and eventually a book.

What have been the major influences on your work?

A pretty finely tuned sense of community and a constantly refreshing views of the world and its creative possibilities.

What are some of your favourite artworks and artists?

Picasso, Mudford, Whitley, Robert Hughes, (his writing is extraordinary).

Any particular style or period that appeals?

Certainly in terms of painted art 20th century abstract expressionism.

What are the challenges in becoming an exhibiting artist?

Surviving in the regions and trying to break out of them.

What do you hope viewers of your art works will feel and take with them?

Seeing a different spin or amore considered way of operating, a sense of planning a series of works for a particular outcome.

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Name your greatest achievement, exhibitions?

Being collected by Muswellbrook, Maitland, Taree (Manning) Stanthorpe Regional Galleries and the Queensland Art Gallery the USQ Collection and by Max Watters for the Watters Collection What are you working on at present?

Just finished putting together two books of my trip to Bhutan as personal records.

Have an exhibition in plan at Muswellbrook Regional with my younger brother.

Your future aspirations with your art?

I want particularly to try for an exhibition in Monash Gallery of Art and being collected by that organisation. Further an exhibition at Maitland Regional Galley.

Where do you see your art practice in five years time?

Continuing, on an upward trend.

Forthcoming exhibitions?

MRAC in Plan and programmed Other interests, music?

Yep.. music for sure, good food, good wine couple of trips overseas. - Roger Skinner Š 2019.

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Just Another Genre Roger Skinner

I still remember the first nude photograph I saw, it was in The Family of Man, a book by Edward Steichen in I don’t know, at a guess

1958 or so… Wynne Bullock’s shot, of a small girl lying nude in a forest setting titled “Child in Forest” The image fascinated me by its simple purity the fact that the girl

had made her way into the forest leaving barely a trace of her path into the bed of oxalis. The rich tones imparted by the forest floor which she has become part of as

she lies, asleep, whilst the background silvered light on the ferns is particularly stunning.

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It was not until 1983 that I began to photograph the nude, having carried a philosophy the landscape and buildings didn’t talk back, I had not really photographed people much. Getting to know someone well enough to allow one to pluck up the courage to ask them to work with me, as well, also posed a problem. The range of responses is quite surprising too, I have to tell you.

Another famous image made by Jon Gilli of Picasso in his studio drawing a bull with a torch in a dark studio also inspired me to think about varying techniques and light sources as well to add drama to the work.

I also attended the first Speed Dating for artists in 2012 at the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, this is a very worthwhile

process where a number of artists bring work into the gallery where various commentators can talk to the artists about their work. Michael Reid, the gallery owner, commented to me on seeing the works I had brought in for evaluation, said your works are all really good but there is just too much‌ concentrate on one or two genres and your work will grow in strength and clarify. So, after thinking about it for a couple of weeks I decided that I would concentrate on landscape and the nude. That has remained policy to this day.

This article covers off mostly on studio work, I also shoot nude in the landscape as well which raises another set of challenges for photographer and model. The thing about the studio is that so much more can be done with lighting by way of experimenting with fixed and movable light sources, projected images, the camera obscura, varying intensity and type from matches and burning torches to hand held torches and Ultra Violet light either in combination with Glo paint and/or

torchlight or just UV on its own. I remember Howard Archbold saying once that his studio has no windows which I thought was a bit weird but he replied the only light I want in there is the light I put in there. become part of as she lies, asleep, whilst the background silvered light on the ferns is particularly stunning

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“One for Pablo” (after Les Demoiselles De Avignon) was created in a studio space

where the models were posed in full light, which was then turned off and I lit the models with a torch. Having lit both the models, we then relocated them into the second series of poses and completed the

image. The entire time for the exposure was approximately five minutes, shot on Kodak Tmax 400 ISO film on my Hasselblad 503CX camera, the masks made out of cardboard, and hand painted.

The technique is risky as you don’t know what you are going to get, whilst with some self-training, using the torches becomes slightly more practised and less random,

nevertheless it is still a little like waking on a tightrope as one “draws” light in total darkness.

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“Degas Girl�

Time exposure approximately 30 seconds, studio in total darkness during exposure. During the exposure the model simply removed the top

half of her dress, which produces the soft exposure caused by the body in movement, again a studio image where the exposure was made with hand held torch at a distance of about two meters from the model as opposed to

One for Pablo where the torch almost is drawing on the figures. The distance softening the entire effect.

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“Nude Walking with Light�

Time exposure the model rotated as she walked across the studio and I lit her with a torch as the pose was

varied approx. 30 to

40 second exposure and again because you cant tell what you

are going to get more than one exposure is made

allowing for

happenstance.

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“Crossed Bones” I am fortunate enough to have seen, then purchased, a cheese box chair by Peter Wachtel from Murrurundi, during

an exhibition I was in titled The Boys Own Annual, an exhibition of male only artists at the Muswellbrook Regional Gallery.

The simple rawness of material and the rigorous straightness of every angle in the construction makes the chair a perfect foil for the nude body. A simple relaxed pose on the structure, makes a

perfect complement to the two main “protagonists” in the image.

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Untitled Nude” As with “Crossed Bones” the human form is a perfect foil for the chair, the interaction of the graceful curve of the

body with harsh hard lines of the chair form a perfection. With a lot of my studio work I am chasing after marble like skin tones contrasting the light skin with the deep dark expression-

less black backdrop which adds to the drama of the image, one is allowed to concentrate on the forms within the image without distraction.

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“Gaze�

A rare nude image from me in that the model is identifiable. At the time the image was made this woman was working in a

high-powered PA’s role in a local mining company. I said to her before I shot this, now this is all about the expression on your face, this is all about you engaging with the viewer, so that whilst nude, the viewer will

rarely leave you face. She has carried it off with great success as the look on her face is quite intriguing.

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“Untitled Nude Under UV Light” I am always up to experiment with alternative light sources and uses.

This is an example of Glo Paint painted on the body illuminated with Ultra Violet Light. The Glo Paint was on sale at the local newsagents in

the kids section and thought hmm that’s odd, but bought a couple of bottles, took them home and when I

saw what they did under UV light I went back into town and bought their entire stock and couldn’t wait to get

to work with it. I had two fluorescent tubes for a long time in the ceiling fitting and so when the opportunity

presented, I began working with the paint, this image was one of 27 odd prints exhibited in the Muswellbrook

Regional Art Centre with Owen O’Meara from Denver Colorado in The Nude Interpretations.

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“Looped Diagonal�

Less is more and so it is in this shot,

studio work again plain and simple.

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“Be My” Four photographers, two from the US and two from Australia, run a competition between us, no prizes

just challenges, which is judged by six women from around the world, with a theme, Nude female with whatever we chose as a theme. This was my entry to Nude female with a Valentine’s Day theme. The model holds some carnation flowers in her hands

which are formed into a heart shape. The second layer is a photograph of the wall of the Mt Stromlo Observatory in Canberra which was destroyed in the 2003 bushfires.

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“Rossgole Nightmoves�

Shot on Mt Rossgole, at night the model is torchlit as is the landscape.

One

lights

the

model then she walks out of scene and I paint with light the

landscape

then

finish

by

walking down the hill pointing the torch directly at the camera in order to draw up a contour line.

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“Offering�

Studio and manipulated studio lighting, partially unveiled body wearing a kimono, holds fruit dish in her hands. The marble pattern is digitally manipulated

in using a marble pattern taken in Athens.

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“Harlequin�

Simple studio lighting model coated in little red hearts and some cherry tomatoes and chillies dropped on her

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“Crying Rock”

Studio shot model with a rock I keep as a prop… so between the rock and the hard, place the model goes into despair.

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“Nude Lit in Camera Obscura” The camera obscura aperture in

the south wall of my studio quite simply lets the light of the outside world project into the studio upside

down.

This

image

produced for The Nude Covered

Exhibition. In this case I argued the that the nude was simply covered by light. Time exposure approximately

30-40

seconds

with the model lying very still and

in this case some difficulty on my Peter Wachtel cheese box chair.

All images are Copyright © 2019 Roger Skinner excepting “Girl in Forest” by Wyn Bullock used with permission.

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M

A G G I

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S I L K Issue 30 - March 2019

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depressed thread

woven night descendant kin shadow flight an offering this woman gives

loss of blood ending tears

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November Sun & daughters May

awake anew

s/he prays one last child inside my sex before ceasing

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The Velvet Moon fallopian coils sacred womb alone in night

the last egg falls beginning

Men O Pause

All Rights Reserved on article and photographs - Maggie Hall Š 2019 Issue 30 - March 2019

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R O S L

Y N

E L K I

N Issue 30 - March 2019

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Roslyn Elkin.

Roslyn Elkin who lives and works in Newcastle

NSW, has been a ceramicist for thirty years, but at Newcastle Art School she learnt to work in other mediums.

In 2018 Elkin’s large, colourful and emotive paintings

depicted

the

vast

and

mysterious

Universe.

These works were a continuing exploration from a successful,

solo

show

in

2017

Space

and

Dimension, - “my intensions are to visually connect the viewer with the magical aspects of the universe through paint.”

“I absolutely love colour,” she said. “ A lot of my work revolves around colour. In the galaxy there are

so many beautiful things and so much colour.”

Page 86: After Monet, acrylic on canvas, H150 x W180 cm.

Right: Cosmos, acrylic on canvas, H120 x W80 cm.

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River Bank, acrylic on canvas, H60 x W 80 cm.

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ROSLYN ELKIN INTERVIEW. For as long as I can remember I have always been drawn to colour and creating art. From the age of 6 years old I entered art competitions in every newspaper in Newcastle and Sydney over a period of at least ten years.

1990-1993 I attended a course, Newcastle TAFE Ceramic Foundation where I was introduced to the

technique of throwing I must admit my husband and I had many wonderful memories packing my 30 cubic square foot two door kiln into the wee hours of the night. If you have ever been a potter and felt what it is like to open a kiln door after firing and see your finished work then you will understand it can be a remarkable feeling or a daunting one. Many a great work has been lost with circumstances beyond our control.

After making thousands of pots and hand built pieces over the years I decided to broaden my scope of work.

Having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 I found it the right moment to pursue my passion for my art. That decision was one of the best I have made. From 2004-2007 I received my Diploma of Fine Arts Hunter Institute of TAFE Newcastle. It fulfilled me completely and gave me the confidence to express myself without self-doubt

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My art practise crosses over diverse areas including ceramics, sculpture, printmaking photography and painting.

With Printmaking I take immense satisfaction and control to make the best work I can. I seem to have an intuition of rhythm when cutting as I prefer lino- cutting. My work revolves around the nature of things that surround me. Whether it be mountains at Gloucester or the creek that runs through my property, the flowers in the breeze all is a virtual feast.

With my most recent paintings I will be immersing my time and energy to creating artworks that represent the universe, hence this will tie up with my exhibition that I will be exploring in 2020. ‘Universe Within�. It will be an introduction to the vastness of space exploring colours and gases that continue the perpetual uninterrupted motion through the galaxy.

At the end of the day my aim is to connect with people, and produce soothing evocative works whether it be a pot, a painting, or a linocut. It does however take a lot of dedication and discipline to develop techniques that work in harmony to achieve this.

Page 90: Fallen Leaves,

black pen on archival paper, H70 x W90cm .

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My favourite artist would have to be Monet. Several years ago I was able to visit his home in Giverny and

found it to be quite the experience. His delicate and overlapping colours create a harmony that I am in

awe of.

2019 will be another busy and exciting time as I will be having a solo exhibition at Cstudios, 738 Hunter

Street Newcastle. Next year will be the highlight of my career so far with a solo exhibition at Muswell-

brook Regional Arts Centre. I feel in my heart that this is a milestone for me. Looking further into the

future I hope that this opportunity at the Muswellbrook Regional Gallery will be a huge stepping stone to other amazing opportunities.

- Roslyn Elkin Š 2019.

Trees, coloured lino print, H70 x W60 cm.

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Forgotten Time, charcoal drawing, H30 x W40 cm.

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Flame, photograph, H80 x W 60 cm.

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R O S

L Y N

E L K

I N Red Smoke, photograph, H80 x W 60 cm.

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R O S

L Y N

E L K

I N Celestial Night Sky, acrylic on canvas, H150 x W180 cm.

Page 97: Perpetual Birth, acrylic on canvas, H180 x W150 cm.

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Forthcoming Exhibitions

Solo Exhibition September 2019

Cstudios, Newcastle, NSW.

"Universe Within" Muswellbrook Regional Gallery 17th May till 5th July 2020.

http://www.roselkin.com.au/

All Rights Reserved on article and photographs

- Roslyn Elkin Š 2019

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B E

R N

A D

E T

T E M

E Y

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BLOEM An ongoing collaborative art project dealing with mental health.

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Art is part of Mirre’s DNA, she lives and breathes it daily. I photographed her performance installation art-

work at Eramboo in 2017, which was part 2 of Zwarte Bloem, a project she first started in 2009. In the initial artwork, Mirre wore a calico toile of a wedding dress while she dipped coloured flowers into black paint. The

flowers represented the lives of people with mental health issues and the black paint, the difficulties they have experienced. In this second act, Mirre once again wore the toile and dipped the black flowers in white paint - bringing hope to broken lives.

Mirre writes “Coming from my own life story, where empathy begins, I responded to the site the abandoned mental hospital Rozelle in 2009. Dipping colourful silk flowers into black paint, representing the trauma and pain these people had in their life and bringing awareness to the childhood suffering causing ill mental health. Then the act of walking these, still dripping flowers, across the room to the waiting 350 jars filled with sand as a symbol of hope for a new beginning. This still being in a sterile

organised environment between the (ex)-hospital walls at the Rozelle wards. Summer 2017, As I’ve found a community of loving people at Eramboo in Terry Hills, this became the place to give expression for black flower part two. The black

flowers where waiting in boxes, stored for several years. The need for community, belonging, friendship, a long journey of recovery all became part of creating the second act… In a similar process each black flower handled carefully through a

process of dipping each flower in white paint, washed gently in violin music, then placed in the peaceful garden at the artist -environment of Eramboo.”

Page 100: Portrait of Mirre, Bernadette Myers .

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Grace

Contemplation Issue 30 - March 2019

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Waiting

Light Issue 30 - March 2019

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Journey

Healing Issue 30 - March 2019

1004

Love

Restoration Issue 30 - March 2019

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Hope

Beginning

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Planting

Fresh Start Issue 30 - March 2019

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Tender Care

New Day Issue 30 - March 2019

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Healing Hands

Garden of Hope Issue 30 - March 2019

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For the collaborative project, Mirre gave me some of the dipped flowers to take the artwork further and

develop it with my own interpretation. I also photographed her in the studio and exhibited one studio portrait along with a series of documentary shots from her performance installation at Eramboo as well as a mixed

media installation which I created.

I decided that since the flowers and dress were black and white, that I would work entirely in monochrome for the photography and the installation.

The performance installation went for several hours and I took many shots for Mirre to use on her website.

She wanted those in colour, but for the exhibition, I selected a series of 16 which I felt told the story of her process and captured the mood of the day. I processed them with a soft feel to emulate her gentle spirit and touch.

Since the project was dealing with the theme of mental health, I took the flowers and considered the lives of those I know who have had various issues in that area, and how it has affected their lives. The mind is a strong beast and some of my loved ones have emerged with fulfilling lives and other didn’t make it. There are no quick answers, so the artwork needed to evolve slowly.

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As I held the flowers, I pondered the journey my auntie has been on for over 2 decades recovering from alcoholism. She is grateful and proud to have a beautiful life with wonderful relationships and be free from addiction. It hasn’t all been easy and there are still struggles. So I began to create an installation with her

journey as my guide.

I used some small metal and glass vials to represent the precious lives of the people and black coated wire to string the pieces together. The overall feel of the artwork is light and white to represent hope, the black wire acknowledges the fact that despite a positive outlook, life can be really tough and every one of us goes

through difficult times. It also reminded me of the idea that my auntie never takes her sobriety for granted.

She is open about the fact that her addiction affected her life immensely and she carries that with her every

day.

Some of the vials are large, some are small, these represent the way we feel about our life at any given

moment. Some contain black petals and some white. There are vials with one or two dark, lonely petals and some packed with families, friends and a full life of joy.

Initially, I had the idea to arrange the hanging vials in an ordered design with the small ones holding lots of

black petals at one end and slowly increasing in white petals until the large vials contained only white. But I immediately realised that life is definitely not simple and neat like that! So the wires are arranged in an

uneven fashion much more realistically like the ebb and flow of life with some dark days and other bright, full seasons.

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Bloem Installation details, Bernadette Meyers Š 2019.

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There are metal and glass beads along the wire which punctuate each life. They are black, white and silver

beads, hearts and flowers. I’ve also used long strips of water colour paper with words of hope, love and healing, painted in silver. I believe that our thoughts and words have a huge impact on our life. These are

dipped in encaustic wax to create a translucent effect.

Mirre brought the remaining white dipped flowers to the exhibition for viewers to take home if they wished.

Many of these have gone to homes around Australia and the world. It was beautiful to see people responding to the artwork and relating it to their own life of that of someone they know and love.

The most rewarding experience for me was on opening night, when my auntie saw the installation. She

stood weeping in front of it with tears of joy and gratitude as she recognised her own life in the work. What I didn’t know until that point, was that Rozelle mental hospital was the very place she had spent many years,

having been admitted 49 times before she finally started rehabilitation. She treasures her Bloem flower from Mirre and her wire strand with a vial full of white petals.

- Bernadette Meyers 2019.

www.breeze.pics All Rights Reserved on article and photographs Bernadette Meyers Š 2019

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M A G G I E H A L L

THE BANYAN

TREE

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Bled into painted wax turpentine field

breaking musk whitecaps beckon tumultuous breath occupied wall

painted blue

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115

black pearls a read knight

hidden numbers wandering sight

Dark inks the polished sand

glossy skies burning hand

Time to go

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Steel shrouds patient weight shedding sleep sails away

falling dreams weave diamonds dew

There he sits a catching breath The Gardener veiling

Shadowmoon - Maggie Hall Š 2019.

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ART NEWS Issue 30 - March 2019

118

ART NEWS Issue 30 - March 2019

119

ERIC & ROBYN and the MYTHICAL BEASTS D

O C U

M E

N T A

R Y

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Nicky Elliott & Pete Delahunty - “We're thrilled to our toes to introduce you to Eric & Robyn and the Mythical Beasts. This film is a passionate

love story, shot over two years, featuring two of the most extraordinary, funny and creative artists

in Australia.�

Film by Nicky Elliott and Pete Delahunty Producer: Tom Zubrycki.

Film Coming soon in 2019.

Link to trailer Eric & Robyn and the Mythical Beasts:

https://vimeo.com/314422036 Issue 30 - March 2019

121

DONALD KEYS Pacific Recreation M2 Gallery

7 - 12 March 2019

450 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW.

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122

DONALD KEYS Born 1958, in the coastal town of Bulli, Donald is an artist who is heavily influenced by the juxtaposition of his hometown’s heavy industry and environmentally sensitive beaches. Donald’s paintings are figurative works, in a contemporary impressionist style. He

paints using vibrant colours that are quintessentially Australian, employing quite visible brush strokes to enhance texture, which give his paintings a tactile quality. His works generally feature people enjoying their leisure time surrounded by a mix of man-made structures, and the natural beauty of the Australian

landscape.

Regarding this exhibition, “Pacific Recreation”, Donald observes

that some swim for the exercise - to feel perfectly alive - others congregate for social intercourse; and then there’s those looking for solace in the sun. To be one with nature and to feel the concealed strength of the dispassionate wave.

Artists’ statement; “I find the natural escape afforded by our patrolled beaches and coastal ocean pools visually intoxicating and

inspirational.” www.donaldkeys.com.au Issue 30 - March 2019

123

E D

www.thommenart.com.au

M O N

D T

H O M

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Edmond Thommen - Photographic Artist.

Edmond Thommen describes himself first, and foremost, as a Photographic Artist.

For him the magic starts with the camera and his photographs.

His artistic expression is a testament to years of careful observation in photography, composition, lighting and design. His skill-set allows him to work with light and shades, play with compositions and absorb these into his new creations.

His work is “layered” and is visually and intellectually demanding on the viewer to find the form. In doing so, viewers delve beyond the surface. Indeed, Edmond’s photographic artworks encourage us to look; and, if we look properly, ‘to see.’

Edmond Thommen has captured an amazing array of images over the years, images he uses to find new expressions of an old theme, the female body. He applies these images, sometimes to highlight, sometimes to protect her from view, depending on his mood when developing the artwork. The viewers’ impression may also change, depending on their mood when examining the particular artwork.

Page 124: Observe my internal core, digital photograph, Edmond Thommen © 2019.

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E D

M O N

BLENDED

D 8 - 21 MAY 2019

T

H O M

M E

M2 GALLERY 4/450 Elizabeth St Surry Hills, Sydney.

www.thommenart.com.au

N Issue 30 - March 2019

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‘Immortalised in pixel form, ’ unique digital photograph, Edmond Thommen © 2019.

www.thommenart.com.au Issue 30 - March 2019

127

ARTSYSTEMSWICKHAM

40 ANNIE ST. WICKHAM, NEWCASTLE NSW.

Phone: 0431 853 600

www.art-systems-wickham.com/

Director: Colin Lawson Issue 30 - March 2019

128

ART SYSTEMS WICKHAM CALENDAR 2019 26 APRIL – MAY 5

P

THE CIRCLE

E

Maryanne Ireland,

T

29 MARCH – 7 APRIL

Jacquie Immens McCoy,

E

ANDREW SUTHERLAND

Deb Ansell, Judy Hill,

R

10 - 19 MAY

R

JOHN HEANEY

O

8 - 23 MARCH In Parallel CLIFF GRIGG

PETER RONNE

13 - 20 APRIL GROUP OF ARTISTS

N

Including: Dot Compton &

N

Clare Felton

E

www.art-systems-wickham.com/

So What, wood, © Peter Ronne 2019.

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C L F F G R I G G Issue 30 - March 2019

130

IN PARALLEL paintings by Cliff Grigg

8 - 24 MARCH 2019 ART SYSTEMS WICKHAM

www.art-systems-wickham.com/ Issue 30 - March 2019

131

IN PARALLEL paintings by Cliff Grigg Artist Statement.

The colours of the night and electricity in the landscape became on going subjects for my paintings after years of working in a Wynyard studio, in the centre of the city I became aware of the huge amount of unseen energy all around us, coexisting with microwaves, radio waves, wi fi bluetooth, eithernet, internet, and

electricity. The vibration of varied frequencies alters the physical structure our bodies as we

are made of 60% water The changing geometric patterns of cymatics are created by

vibrations. Moving sand on a flat surface or ripples in water, making different patterns from varied tones and frequencies. Just like 2 parallel lines never meet, we coexist with a virtual world of unseen energy.

- Cliff Grigg Š 2019.

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IN PARALLEL Paintings by Cliff Grigg 8 - 24 MARCH 2019 at Art Systems Wickham Gallery

Newcastle people probably know me from music rather than art. As a founding member of 3 piece rock

band Spy V Spy I’ve played many local venues.

My most memorable show would be the opening act at the earthquake benefit, back in the 80’s I created graphics for the band using lino block and screen printing. A series of black and white cartoon spies made for the Harrys Reasons album became backdrops, T -shirts, posters and merchandise.

The paintings are much more colourful. I think I’ve developed my vision of the landscape from starring at bright lights. After working as a follow spot operator for years, focusing a bright spotlight on performers from

a tower.

My most memorable show is following Woody for the Rolling Stones at the Hope estate.

In Parallel is my first solo painting show at ASW. The paintings feature electricity in the landscape and the colours of the city at night. - Cliff Grigg © 2019.

40 ANNIE ST. WICKHAM, NEWCASTLE NSW.

www.art-systems-wickham.com/ Issue 30 - March 2019

133

ANDREW SUTHERLAND 29 MARCH – 7 APRIL ART SYSTEMS WICKHAM

40 ANNIE ST. WICKHAM, NEWCASTLE NSW.

www.art-systems-wickham.com/

Left: Kiss, acrylic on board, H122 x W107cm.

Andrew Sutherland © 2019 Issue 30 - March 2019

134

ANDREW SUTHERLAND Andrew Sutherland writes about his forthcoming exhibition at Art Systems Wickham in Newcastle.

“I have been working on paintings with figurative subject matter. I am exploring the depiction of the human form and the contrasts between an academic approach and an expressive one.

My love of fantasy, cinema and still photos influences my work. I have moved away from the use of collage - a big step for me - which has forced me to grapple with (almost) 'pure'

painting again.

I still love to mix my media - acrylics, oils, enamels and car tints, and enjoy drawing into the paintings with pastels some-

times.

Thematically I am interested in the human condition.

I see my figures as characters and try to put them into environments that give them a context or story that the viewer can elaborate on in their own mind.”

- Andrew Sutherland © 2019.

Left: Gianina and the Poodle, acrylic and pastel on board, H12 x W91 cm, Andrew Sutherland © 2019.

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T H E G

PETER RONNE

U A R

29 MARCH – 7 APRIL

D I

ART SYSTEMS WICKHAM

A N S

40 ANNIE ST. WICKHAM, NEWCASTLE NSW.

www.art-systems-wickham.com/

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Peter Ronne - Sculptor T “I live on a hill in a swamp with my beautiful wife Rose and work in my shed and back

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garden with tools ranging from chain saws to delicate carving implements.

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My practice is concerned with surfaces. The depths I will leave to philosophers and x-ray technicians. Lately I have been in pursuit of smoothness so as to emphasize

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the new surface revealed by removing the old one. The grain of the wood, its knots,

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and ravaged spaces are always a surprise to be worked around and into the piece.

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The forms I reach for are the ghosts of archetypes and cartoons. Humour, presence,

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a moments attention in a world of anxious chatter, these are hopefully what the

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carvings may achieve. A hint of practicality enters through the flattish tops of some, where drinks or flower pots may be left to linger.

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For years I worked in stone which is heavy and produces an abrasive powder. Wood

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is lighter and having been alive carries an echo of that life with it. Stone needed to

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have its story pounded into it whereas wood carries so much of the story on its own.

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As always there is dust, but it is redolent and doesn’t scratch my spectacles.”.

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The Guardians are named for their apparent posture and anonymity.

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The Money Changer Is transforming New Zealand coins into North Korean coins.

So What is a comment on the cult of appearances.

I am very busy finishing off more works which like these are intended for an Art Systems Wickham show in March. Today I’ve been scratching away at one to be called Hunger Bureau. - Peter Ronne © 2019.

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Sandro Nocentini

16 FEBRUARY - 17 MARCH 2019 DUNGOG CONTEMPORARY GALLERY Issue 30 - March 2019

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Sandro Nocentini Sandro Nocentini A classically trained Italian artist, Nocentini's work has been described as Modernist futurism cubism. Sandro won the prestigious Sir John Sulman Prize for Painting in 2005, his visual storytelling evokes intimate reflective narratives. This exhibition will showcase major new works from his studio.

146 - 150 Dowling Street, Dungog, NSW.

Copyright Š 2019 Dungog Contemporary, All rights reserved.

https://dungogcontemporary.com.au/ Issue 30 - March 2019

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CATHERINE CASSIDY

16 FEBRUARY - 17 MARCH 2019 DUNGOG CONTEMPORARY GALLERY Issue 30 - March 2019

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Catherine Cassidy Catherine Cassidy's new show "PLASTIQUE" comprises large, colourful and intuitive works informed

by

her

travels

into

wild

places.

This Sydney based painter, was one of fifty artists selected worldwide by Art Platform New York City to

exhibit at Art Basel Miami in December 2016 and also the New York Art Expo in April 2017. Cassidy

has also recently exhibited at Progress Gallery, Paris, France. These expressive landscapes take

you to an other worldly place, yet echo that distinctive Australianness. With their vibrant colour palette these works are best experienced with the naked eye.

Copyright Š 2019 Dungog Contemporary, All rights reserved.

146 - 150 Dowling Street, Dungog, NSW.

https://dungogcontemporary.com.au/ Issue 30 - March 2019

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STUDIO LA PRIMITIVE ARTS ZINE Since October 2013 Robyn Werkhoven has published the Online Art and Literary magazine STUDIO LA PRIMITIVE ARTS ZINE. .

Featuring artist’s interviews, exhibitions, art news, poetry

and essays.

Arts Zine in 2017 was selected by the NSW State Library

to be preserved as a digital publication of lasting cultural value for long-term access by the Australian community.

www.studiolaprimitive.net

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Click on cover to view the issue.

Issue 30 - March 2019

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Click on cover to view the issue.

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Click on cover to view the issue.

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studio la primitive jewellery

Dungog By Design

224 Dowling St, Dungog NSW. Issue 30 - March 2019

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DUNGOG BY DESIGN handmade & Inspiring 224 Dowling St Dungog NSW

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Gallery 139 presents

LYDIA MILLER at Newcastle Art Space gallery THURS 7 MAR - SUN 24 MAR 2019 official opening: Friday 8 March, 6-8pm

91 Chinchen St. Tighes Hill 2297 Newcastle Gallery hours: Thurs - Sun 12 noon - 4pm Further information contact : Ahn at info@gallery139.com.au or 0434 886 450

Still-life with Gumnuts, oil on canvas, 76x76cm. Lydia Miller © 2018.

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info@gallery139.com.au Issue 30 - March 2019

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SCULPTURE

ON THE FARM 2019 www.sculptureonthefarm.com Issue 30 - March 2019

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SCULPTURE ON THE FARM

Expressions of Interest Open March 1 Sculpture on the Farm October Long Weekend

4 -7 October, 2019

www.sculptureonthefarm.com SCULPTURE ON THE FARM

or by contacting Philippa Graham by email on

pdgraham@graers.com Issue 30 - March 2019

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BEV DAVIES 20 - 24 MARCH at

Gallery 371 371 Enmore Rd, Marrickville.

Opening 20th March 6 - 8pm.

"Girl with Rabbit", oil on canvas .

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1,2,3 MARCH

29 MARCH - 14 APRIL

Moving Through Time

Writers Festival

Mike Moore & Jeff Lees

Sylvia Ray & Hunter Valley Artists

8 - 24 MARCH

19 APRIL - 5 MAY

Tides of March

Birds of a Feather

Janette Bickley & Helen Jackson

H. Campbell, C. Peddie

P. Watson, J. Taylor

57 Bull Street Cooks Hill NSW Hours: Fri Sat Sun 11am - 5pm www.newcastlepotters.org.au Issue 30 - March 2019

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March 1, 2 and 3 "Moving

Through Time"

A Pop Up Exhibition by Sydney artists

Mike Moore and Jeff Lees.

This exhibition will showcase handmade decals made from heritage images applied to ceramics and glass. The images are hand coloured with ceramic enamel pigment and fired a third time.This exhibition will be 80% Newcastle images.

There will be an opportunity for gallery visitors to have a decal made from a special image.

Contact 0458285201 for details.

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Rhino Images - Art and the Rhinoceros Lorraine Fildes and Robert Fildes.

Art and the Rhinoceros - There are over three hundred Rhino images in this book.

Whether in the ancient past or in the present the rhinos are always represented as huge, powerful and solitary animals. The book includes paintings, drawings, woodcuts, etchings, rock carvings and sculptures of the rhino all depicting the power of the animal.

These images of the rhino range from early civilisations such as in China, Roman Empire, Indus civilisation in Pakistan/ India area and from Southern Africa down to current day images of paintings and sculptures produced by modern day

artists.

The text indicates where you may find these wonderful images as well as the websites of the artists concerned, the caves where the rhino images have been found and the places where posters use the rhino image.

There are very few of these magnificent wild animals left in the world, so unless they are protected and managed, artistic images will soon be the only viewing option.

Rhino Images – Art and the Rhinoceros, First Edition, 2017, is available for download at The Rhino Resource Centre web site.

Direct Link :

http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=refs&CODE=ref_detail&id=1518479271

Page 156 : White rhino crash at Whipsnade Zoo, England. Image: Robert Fildes Š 2019.

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