trouble 129
All images: Gilbert & George: The Art Exhibition, Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania, 28 November 2015 – 28 March 2016 - mona.net.au / gilbertandgeorge.co.uk IMAGES (in order of appearance): RED MORNING DEATH 1977, mixed media, 241 x 201 cm. Private collection. BLOOD CITY 1988, mixed media, 151 x 127 cm. Courtesy of the artists. IN THEIR ELEMENT 1988, mixed media, 254 x 528 cm. Courtesy of the artists. FORWARD 2008, mixed media, 381 x 604 cm. Courtesy of the artists and White Cube. FIGHT BACK! 2014, mixed media, 254 x 377cm. Courtesy of ARNDT and Gilbert & George. THEY SHOT THEM! 2014, mixed media, 254 x 453 cm. Courtesy of ARNDT and Gilbert & George. ALL MY LIFE I GIVE YOU NOTHING AND STILL YOU ASK FOR MORE 1970 (Gilbert), mixed media, Each 193 x 75 cm. Private collection. ALL MY LIFE I GIVE YOU NOTHING AND STILL YOU ASK FOR MORE 1970 (George), mixed media, each 193 x 75 cm. Private collection. .
S I FF
CAFS SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL BALLARAT 2015
L A V I V R N SU O I T A R I P S IN E C N A R U D N E
Another Country He Named Me Malala
Three days and four nights - sharing
stories of survival, inspiration and endurance in the context of social justice, community living, Aboriginal peoples and human strength.
The Lobster
Frank Yamma
The Nice House
SIFF HIGHLIGHTS • Afternoon and evening film sessions • KItty Green double feature
10-13 NOVEMBER 2015 REGENT CINEMAS BALLARAT
Ukraine is not a Brothel: The FEMEN Story Wild Life
Three Australian Premieres
CAFS
Survival International Film Festival
2015
www.siff.net.au • Q&A’s with Molly Reynolds, director of Another www.cafs.org.au Country, and Louise Turley, director of The www.regententertainment.com.au Nice House • Frank Yamma and David Bridie live! Tickets on sale now!
CONTENTS GILBERT & GEORGE: THE ART EXHIBITION Museum of Old and New Art ................................................................. 02 COMICS FACE
Ive Sorocuk ..........................................................................................
THE MADNESS OF ART: THE NOBODY’S PERFECT MARTINI
Jim Kempner .......................................................................................
THE NICE HOUSE: LOUISE TURLEY Social Work with Neil Boyack ..............................................................
HOW TO RUN AN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: SURVIVAL GUIDE Neil Boyack ..........................................................................................
NOVEMBER SALON
Narcissistic ..........................................................................................
MILDURA BMW AUSTRALIAN PRINT TRIENNIAL
Melissa Proposch ................................................................................
GREETINGS FROM BEYOND THE PALE: CAROL
Ben Laycock ........................................................................................
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18 20
26 30 40
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COVER: Melissa DAVIS (filmmaker), End Sexism Now (still), documentary. VU at Metro West, 138 Nicholson Street, Footscray (VIC), 21, 23, 27 & 28 November. Screening as part of Big West Festival, 20 – 28 November 2015 - bigwest.com.au Issue 129 NOVEMBER 2015 trouble is an independent monthly mag for promotion of arts and culture Published by Trouble Magazine Pty Ltd. ISSN 1449-3926 CONTRIBUTORS Ive Sorocuk, Jim Kempner, Inga Walton, Ben Laycock, love. GET from AppStore FOLLOW on issuu & twitter SUBSCRIBE at troublemag.com READER ADVICE: Trouble magazine contains artistic content that may include nudity, adult concepts, coarse language, and the names, images or artworks of deceased Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. Treat Trouble intelligently, as you expect to be treated by others. Collect or dispose of thoughtfully. DIS IS DE DISCLAIMER! The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. To the best of our knowledge all details in this magazine were correct at the time of publication. The publisher does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions. All content in this publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without prior permission of the publisher. Trouble is distributed online from the first of every month of publication but accepts no responsibility for any inconvenience or financial loss in the event of delays. Phew!
This comic first appeared in Trouble November 2011
art comedy series
THE NOBODY’S PERFECT MARTINI Estelle returns with her new husband Morty who is loaded and looking for art.
visit: themadnessofart.com/
Social Work with Neil Boyack
LOUISE TURLEY: director
The Nice House, directed by Louise Turley is a touching insight and tribute to Luke Batty and his mother Rosie. Australia was shocked to the core when Luke was murdered at the hand of his own father, and this rarely screened documentary recounts the lives of all involved. Turley’s film sheds light on the normal lives that were destroyed, the mission of Rosie Batty, and the messages we all need to act upon.
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Neil Boyack: Where and when were you born Louise? Louise Turley: Dumbleyung, WA, 1969 NB: What is your earliest memory of wanting to make films? LT: When I was six I remember becoming addicted to watching midday movies on Saturdays. I loved watching old movies, especially classic westerns with John Wayne, musicals with Elvis Presley and Ealing Studio dramas. NB: What was your first job? LT: I worked in a lollie shop in Perth. NB: How many films have you made? Please name them. LT: I have made twenty films in total. They are: Patricia Piccinini: A Dark Fairytale (30 min doc), The Nice House (22 min doc), The Art of Australia (3 x 1hr docs), Patrick White: Will They Read Me When I’m Dead? (30 min doc), Hannah Gadsby: The NGV Story (2 x 30min docs), Artists at Work: Del Kathryn Barton (30 min doc), Artists at Work: Jon Cattapan (30 min doc), Circus Oz: The Big Birthday Bash (3 x 30 min docs), Artists at Work: Lindy Lee (30 min doc), Artists at Work: Lindy Ivimey (30 min doc), Luminous (30 min doc), To Russia With Love (30 min doc), The Art of Biography (30 min doc), Stephen Poliakoff: Shooting the Present (50 min doc), The Baroque Age (30 min doc). NB: Who is the best teacher you’ve ever had? LT: My children NB: Who had the most influence on you, from within your family with regards to who you are? LT: My mother, Beth Allbeury. She was a social worker who worked in Child Protection for 37 years in WA. She is an incredible person who always advocated for the rights of children above all. NB: Who are your influences in terms of filmmaking? LT: Many. I went to film school and was influenced by everyone from Sergei Eisenstein to Martin Scorsese More recently I have been influenced by the films of the American documentary filmmaker Errol Morris and Werner Herzog. NB: Which film have you enjoyed viewing recently, and why? LT: I really enjoyed a documentary I saw at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It was called, Nowhere Line: Voices from Manus Island, by Lucas Schrank. Recorded interviews with two men detained on the Manus Island Processing Centre are vividly brought to life with incredible animation, highlighting the personal side of the human rights crisis faced by the detainees. It is a very moving portrayal. NB: Any films you haven’t enjoyed recently? LT: Not that i can think of. Louise Turley / Social Work with Neil Boyack
Louise Turley
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NB: With regard to The Nice House; you told me that you approached Rosie Batty 3 weeks after the murder of Luke – how difficult is it to separate yourself from such emotional subject matter, so close to an event that really swept the whole country up into despair? LT: Yes, absolutely. I just tried to focus on Rosie and the story I wanted to tell and the message she wanted to convey. I thought, however painful this is for me it must be nothing compared to what Rosie is going through. NB: Did you receive any criticism for suggesting this project? (“it’s too soon? How dare you? You are being insensitive…” etc). Please discuss the lead up to the “pitch” and the traffic within. LT: Yes, I had some criticism from some of the lecturers at the University of Melbourne who said that it was too difficult to tell this story in a half hour and that I couldn’t do justice to Rosie’s story. NB: How did you deal with this? LT: I just held firm to my idea for the film. NB: What were your greatest learnings from creating The Nice House? LT: I learnt a lot from Rosie about the insidious nature of domestic violence, motherhood, the cycles of grief, strength and ultimately the power of forgiveness. NB: What are you working on now in terms of film? LT: I am working for the ABC at the moment on an eight-part documentary series called Back Roads. It goes to air next month and showcases rural Australian towns. NB: What other subjects/events/ themes do you want to cover in the near future? LT: I would love to do a documentary about an artist friend of mine, Asher Bilu. He’s a forgotten hero. NB: Is there something you believe now, that you think will never change? LT: Yes. I believe that having children makes you more tolerant. This is exactly what happened to me. NB: Is there such a thing as evil? Why do you think this? LT: Yes. Because we live in a world of binaries. You can’t have good without evil. NB: Is it okay to lie? LT: No. Except for little white ones.
Louise Turley / Social Work with Neil Boyack
The Nice House screened previously at the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival. FOX TV have purchased the film, which will air in November, 2015. The film will also be screened at CAFS Survival International Film Festival, Regent Cinemas Ballarat, 49 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat (VIC), 10 – 13 November - siff.net.au
HOW TO RUN AN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:
SURVIVAL GUIDE by Neil Boyack Community Engagement Coordinator & Director, CAFS Survival International Film Festival
You might think that social welfare organisations and film festivals have little in common, but it has become apparent to me, as both a writer and organiser of film and literature festivals and a professional in the social services sector, that these two disparate entities actually share strong connections in narrative and theme. As an artist (writer/musician) who enjoys some infamy as one of Australia’s emerging “grunge” authors, I have been involved in many and various festival events since the early 90s, from appearances as a guest speaker to an organiser and Director of events such as the Newstead Short Story Tattoo and the Castlemaine International Film Festival. But in my day job I am a professional in the social services sector, currently employed as the Community Engagement Coordinator with CAFS (Child and Family Services Ballarat Inc.). CAFS is commemorating its 150th year of continuous operations this year, being known originally as The Ballarat Orphan Asylum (in 1865). CAFS launched their own “innovation fund” a few years back, which is an organisational fund that backs bright ideas and the furthering of the CAFS Vision of “wellbeing, respect and safety for all children and families …” In any case, my idea was to create a film festival that not only brought social services sector professionals together to celebrate, discuss and engage, but to fill a gap in the cinematic market in Central Victoria and create Ballarat’s only international film festival.
I penned the CAFS SIFF mission statement, which is to share stories of survival, inspiration and endurance in the context of social justice, community living, Aboriginal peoples and human strengths. This mission statement goes hand in hand with the experiences that occur in our own communities, neighborhoods, and families, every day. Through CAFS SIFF I want to highlight issues such as family relationships, violence against women, feminism, human endurance and inspiration through films that have strong narratives; films that can be beautiful, or challenge the way we think and view the world. This year CAFS SIFF boasts three Australian premieres, and can hold its own alongside any film festival in the country. It should be noted loudly and proudly that the Regent Cinemas in Ballarat have assisted CAFS greatly in facilitating this festival in 2015, and that the event is an annual fundraiser for CAFS, a 150 yearold non-government, not for profit organization. In curating and selecting films for the festival I adhere to the mission statement, but do lean towards a healthy inclusion of local filmmakers and local stories. My network is studded with widely varying influences – from artists, filmmakers, film distributors and writers, to sheep farmers, teachers, community leaders and business people – so the mix is always interesting. The Middle East has a strong tradition of powerful storytelling through film, and I always try to include stories from that region. Indigenous Australian storytelling and filmmaking in particular is always strong and meaningful, and it is mandatory for CAFS SIFF to both acknowledge and activate thinking around Indigenous cultures, politics and issues – this year we have Indigenous folk superstar Frank Yamma and David Bridie performing live in Ballarat as a part of CAFS SIFF. Engaging with the bigger established international festivals, as well as the smaller, experimental and independent festivals, and scanning for films that may not have been screened or distributed in Australia, I try to contact film makers and distributors directly and we go from there. The CAFS SIFF schedule in 2015 is diverse, powerful and colourful, and I am very proud of bringing these films together. As I have stated, the emotional landscape and subject matter in many of these films rests close to the heart of my work, as well as the practice of CAFS in the Ballarat region for the last 150 years. In viewing these films we are engaging with inspirational storytelling and the myths and symbols that punctuate our lives, our wellbeing, our “human-ness”.
Cotton (Iraq 2015) 15 mins / PG. Directed by: Lauy Fadhil.
With regards to highlights and standouts for CAFS SIFF, I am certainly conflicted. There’s simply too many to talk about, but if I had to choose, I’d certainly see Wild Life, the story of a father living rough for years with his two sons “on the run” (an Australian premiere) as a standout. This film is wonderful because it doesn’t really takes sides, it just tells a fable-like story. It is a great example of contemporary filmmaking that borrows from tradition. To be honest, I can’t really understand why no Australian distributor has picked this up. It is challenging, yet uplifting. Screening on Wednesday 11th November is The Nice House, the story of the Batty family in the lead-up to Luke Batty’s shocking murder at the hand of his own father. This is something we need to view, something to make us uncomfortable in order for our thinking, our acting, to change for the better. This film is insightful and personal, showing home video of the Batty family simply living their lives; with commentary from Rosie Batty, this film is simply unmissable and relevant to all of us. The Lobster offers relief subject matter in some ways, yet reminds us of how irrational humans can act when the end is near. Le Paradis, another Australian premiere, is a masterpiece of visual poetry, and an inspiration to all novice filmmakers, showing what is possible with a hand-held camera and some innovative narration. Readers may already know of the spunk in Kitty Green’s Ukraine is Not a Brothel: The FEMEN Story, yet may not have seen her more recent short The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul, which is a seven minute powerhouse. Timbuktu is also an amazing insight into the here and now of ISIS and the conflict that dominates our world; and one of the most spectacular films in terms of visuals you can imagine. CAFS Survival International Film Festival, Regent Cinemas Ballarat, 49 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat (VIC), 10 – 13 November - siff.net.au
Neil Boyack is a writer and social worker. He is founder and director of the Newstead Short Story Tattoo (newsteadtattoo.org) and CAFS Survival International Film Festival (siff.net.au), and co-director of the Castlemaine Local and International Film Festival (cliff.net.au). Artist site neilboyack.com
november salon
THIS SPREAD: Lisa REIHANA (New Zealand b.1964), in Pursuit of Venus [infected] (still) 2015, Four-channel HD video, 32 minutes (looped) 5:1 sound, colour, ed. 2/5. Image courtesy: The artist, Fehily Contemporary and Artprojects. in Pursuit of Venus [infected], Queensland Art Gallery, Stanley Place, South Bank (QLD), until early 2016 - qagoma.qld.gov.au NEXT SPREAD: The talk (detail) 2002, designed by David Larwill and woven by Milena Paplinska and Irja West, wool, cotton, 1.71 x 2.2m, ATW Collection. Major Works from the Australian Tapestry Workshop, Wangaratta Art Gallery, 56 Ovens Street, Wangaratta (VIC), 31 October 2015 – 24 January 2016 - wangaratta.vic.gov.au
THIS SPREAD: James GLEESON (Australian 1915–2008), We inhabit the corrosive littoral of habit 1940, oil on canvas, 40.7 x 51.3 cm. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Anonymous gift, 1941 © Courtesy of the artist’s estate. Lurid Beauty: Australian Surrealism and its Echoes, National Gallery of Victoria, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, 9 October 2015 – 31 January 2016 - ngv.vic.gov.au NEXT SPREAD: Rushdi ANWAR, Irhal (Expel); hope and sorrow of displacement 2014-15, burnt chairs, black pigment. Incinerator Art Award, Incinerator Gallery, 180 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds (VIC), until 29 November 2015 incineratorgallery.com.au
THIS SPREAD: Nicole LOYSON: The Billboard, Knox Skate and BMX Park, Knoxfield. Immerse, Knox City Council, 14 November to 14 December 2015 - knox.vic.gov.au/Immerse
the inaugural
Mildura BMW Australian Print Triennial 29 October – 1 November 2015
Spearheaded by local gallery The Art Vault, the Mildura BMW Australian Print Triennial was a major international art event, bringing together artists, academics, arts ambassadors and practising printmakers from Australia and overseas to engage in a celebration of art printmaking and its significance in the culture of modern Australia. A feature of the event was the inaugural Australian Print Triennial Prize, which attracted a large number of high quality entries from around the country and the globe. Rather than share in the generous prize of over $10,000 in value, joint winners Ray Arnold and Graeme Peebles were both awarded the works, including $5,000 in cash and a three-week residency and exhibition at The Art Vault in Mildura. More than 160 printmakers attended the event to see workshops with experts, major international exhibitions, forums, community events, panels and debates, plus a triennial dinner at Ampelon Gardens. An awesome lineup of speakers included Robyn Archer, Reg Mombassa, Judy Watson, ex de Medici, Geoffrey Ricardo, Rona Green, Mini Graff, Deborah Klein, Glenda Orr, Dianne Longley, Ron McBurnie and Arone Meeks. Trouble attended the opening at the ADFA building and two of six printmaking workshops that were running on Friday 30th October – Vicki Reynolds’ Laser engraving of plates (with Josh Searson assisting) and Silvi Glattauer’s Photogravure: an integration of digital technologies. For more info - aptmildura.com.au/ Photos by Melissa Proposch
photo by Krystal Seigerman
photo by Krystal Seigerman
Ben Laycock
GREETINGS FROM BEYOND THE PALE PART 12 – CAROL
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In medieval Europe a white picket fence was all that separated the village from the heathen savages beyond ...
After fully immersing myself in the various mud-baths on offer around Derby, it is time to move on. Always time to move on. I am approaching my final destination ... I set off many moons ago from the dirty streets of St.Kilda as a wide-eyed kid. I have crossed the continent in pursuit of one woman, my old friend Carol. So you can imagine my consternation when l turn up at the door of her humble abode to find she is not in, and, furthermore, she is incommunicado and her whereabouts are not to be divulged to the uninitiated, especially wandering vagrants. She has gone bush, but – glimmer of hope – she does return to civilisation from time to time to buy food and grog for her and her cohorts. Best sit and wait under a shady tree. I first encountered Carol on the trams in Melbourne. She was a Connie. Her bizarre and erratic behaviour was tolerated up to the point when her bag was stolen for the third time. The authorities suspected she was stealing it herself to feed a raging drug habit. Not an entirely outlandish assumption. To sum up Carol’s life in the most simplistic way, we can say that she was dogged by calamity. She was an angry person, and her anger created problems that in turn made her angrier. She left a trail of destruction wherever she went. Carol recounted endless tales of woe, a string of violations and subjugations without respite, where she was invariably the victim. A holiday overseas would become a nightmare of stolen passports and spiked drinks. She recounted in graphic detail being abducted in the souk in Fez by a group of Arabs who proceeded to have their way with her for three days. On and on it went. Carol’s candle flickered out before she got her act together, but while she was here on earth, she certainly made her presence felt. She blotted her copybook and shat in her own nest, it was time to leave town and visit her considerable chaos-creating skills on fresh, unwitting suspects in far off lands. So here l am in said far off land, following in her wake. Something l will come to regret, then later cherish as a valuable lesson in life. A speck of dust appears on the horizon then mushrooms into a billowing cloud that descends on our very doorstep. Out tumble a motley crew of dishevelled
< BoreTrack by Kdliss - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Greetings From / Ben Laycock
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individuals, indistinguishable from each other save for the one hairless face. Hugs all round then off to the shops for food and grog. The rest of the gang are still stranded in the bush, parched and hungry. With a full load we head back into the wild. I am not told the destination but it is a 12 hour drive from the nearest town so l can assume it is quite remote. I have been grudgingly allowed to tag along on this adventure, but l must ride on the roof. The view of the approaching mountains is breathtaking. From my vantage point l cannot help but notice a wheel overtaking us down the middle of the road. I soon realise it is our wheel, which can mean only one thing; that we are speeding down the highway at 80 kays an hour on three wheels, and there are no seatbelts up here on the roof. As luck would have it, the vehicle does not roll over but comes quietly to a halt on the side of the road. Phew! After retrieving the wheel some several hundred metres down the road and bolting it a little more securely to the axle, we continue on our merry way. Wow! l am having a real adventure. After fording flooded rivers too numerous to mention, weaving between giant ant hills and following the faintest of wheel ruts across grassy plains, we finally arrive at camp to loud cheers all round. But the cheers are not for me. I am greeted with furrowed brows and hushed whispers. It seems that Carol’s generous and welcoming nature is not shared by all. I am grudgingly allowed to stay as there is obviously no alternative other than banishment, but the last thing they want is a stranger wandering around unsupervised in these whereabouts. Quite the opposite, I am told in no uncertain terms to stay put and not to go anywhere without a chaperone. At this point any but a complete ingÊnue would be wondering what these people were up to out here in the middle of fucking nowhere. But being somewhat of a clod, l assume they are merely communing with nature just like myself. Alas, Carol is no longer with us in her human form. Later on she did find some solace in esoteric cults of one sort or another: Catholicism, Buddhism and such like. She may well be dwelling amongst us as an ant these days, so be careful. She was at peace with herself in the end. IN THE NEXT EXCITING EPISODE: Tensions mount as the harvest season draws near. Ben Laycock grew up in the country on the outskirts of Melbourne, surrounded by bush. He began drawing the natural world around him from a very early age. He has travelled extensively throughout Australia, seeking to capture the essence of this vast empty land. In between journeys he lives in a hand-made house in the bush at Barkers Creek in central Victoria - benlaycock.com.au