The Toyota Community Spirit Gallery is an initiative of the Toyota Community Spirit program. The Toyota Community Spirit Gallery aims to provide space for artists from the City of Port Phillip and City of Hobsons Bay to exhibit their work. Toyota is pleased to present neomillennium curated by Ken Wong. Toyota is working with the Hobsons Bay City Council and the City of Port Phillip on this project.
Christopher Beaumont Guy Browning Kris Coad Mahmoud Zein Elabdin Peter Gresham David Jephcott Maciej Karolczak Sandra Kiriacos Christopher Lants Monica Mandy Anne Middleton Ronald John Neal Geoffrey Ricardo Jennyfer Stratman Brendan Taylor Ken Wong Katarina Persic, Hobsons Bay City Council Sharyn Dawson, City of Port Phillip Cath Templeton, Toyota Community Spirit Watch Tower Studio
The word neo comes from the Greek “neos” meaning “new” and is commonly used to describe periods of history or culture such as “Neolithic” (new stone age) or Neoclassical, etc. Neomillennium then, is simply an old way of saying new millennium and at this point you may well be asking, what’s new about the new millennium? For many years (or even decades) in the lead up to the year 2000 we were bombarded by endless conjecture and a vast array of predictions, some fantastic and some cataclysmic (the Y2K bug) about what life would be like in the “Brave New World” of the 21st Century. So here we are five years down the track and while it is true that some momentous and disastrous events (September 11, the recent Asian tsunami) have occurred, for many of us life goes on and it's pretty much business as usual. These days you never hear mention of the new millennium. It is yesterday’s news. My point is that in 2005, we have only just begun to take the first step into a whole new thousand year period of human history and to forget about that fact would be to turn our back on a unique opportunity. Never before in history has any creature (on Earth or for that matter anywhere in the universe to the best of our scientific knowledge), possessed the knowledge and understanding that we do about what we are and where we fit in to the grand scheme of things. Other creatures like the dinosaurs have evolved and dominated the earth for millions of years only to eventually fall into extinction. But mankind’s knowledge and awareness is unprecedented. So here we stand, a unique creature in all of history, with a unique opportunity to plot our own path forward over the next thousand years. Through the practice of fifteen local artists, this exhibition seeks to explore the state of the world and what we think and feel about our past, present and future. Let us hope that when the next millennia rolls around, humanity does not become just another extinct species to be studied. In a society that is dominated by the immediate urgency and demands of this day, this hour, this second, let's hope we have the capacity and foresight to see the bigger picture and to give due priority to the longer term needs of our children and the countless generations to come. Welcome to Neomillennium.
Biography Ken Wong has been working in the fine arts industry since 1997 as the Director of Watch Tower Studio. Between 2001-2004 he worked in community arts in the City of Port Phillip and curated and managed a host of projects including gallery and outdoor sculpture exhibitions. He is a founding member of Southside Arts and curated the inaugural exhibition at Treasury Place and the launch of the Southside Arts Precinct Map at Linden Gallery. He now works as a private arts consultant and has been appointed curator of the 2005 Toyota Community Spirit Gallery
Artist & Title
Year
Medium
Size
Price
Christopher Beaumont Portrait of John Lawrance (after de Chirico)
1992
Oil & collage on canvas
87 x 84cm
$6000
Guy Browning Confession
2004
Pen, Ink & Charcoal
85 x 63cm
$1300
Kris Coad Inner Landscape
2004
Bone china vessels
30 x 230cm
$2500
Mahmoud Zein Elabdin Behind Me
2004
Acrylic on canvas
130 x 87cm
$4500
Peter Gresham The Man Who Knew Too Much My Favourite Martian Return from the Green Millennium Sky Dancers of Mirrgh
2004 2004 2004 2004
Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic
60 60 60 60
NFS NFS NFS NFS
David Jephcott Ascension
2004
Enamel on perspex
44 x 73.5cm
$350
Maciej Karolczak Enter the Light
2004
Digital photograph
149 x 108cm
$1350
Sandra Kiriacos Shadow of Doubt What I fear I create
2005 2004
Acrylic on canvas Acrylic on canvas
45 x 45cm 82 x 110cm
$500 $1500
Chris Lants Exit
2003
Acrylic on board
130 x 61cm
$500
Monica Mandy Planet of Four Suns
2000
Oil on board
90 x 120cm
$1800
Anne Middleton Self Portrait with Tattoo
2002
Oil on linen
60 x 60cm
$4000
Ronald John Neal Nana Plays
2004
Oil on canvas
168 x 128.5cm
$7500
Geoffrey Ricardo Solid Air
2004
Oil on canvas
92 x 71cm
$3500
Jennyfer Stratman Neptune
2004
Brass, bronze & steel
26 x 80 x 12cm
$900
Brendon Taylor Fallen Angel
1993
Mixed media
230 x 280 x 69cm
$2200
on on on on
canvas canvas canvas canvas
x x x x
40cm 40cm 40cm 40cm
Community of Port Phillip
Portrait of John Lawrance (after de Chirico) Oil and collage on canvas 1992 87cm x 84cm
Christopher Beaumont was born in Melbourne in 1961 and studied at the Victorian College of the Arts in the mid 1980's. He has exhibited widely in group and solo exhibitions since the late 80's across Melbourne and around Australia. He has received numerous awards and prizes and his works are held in corporate and private collections including the National Gallery of Victoria. His work is currently being exhibited for the Authur Guy Memorial Painting Prize at the Bendigo Art Gallery. Curator's Note This painting highlights the achievements and evolutionary state of mankind and our own awareness of this as we look ahead to the next thousand years. It also captures a sense of the power and nobility of the human mind and the extraordinary potential of our imagination. Unfortunately, while we possess the technology to put a man on the moon, we still use this same technology to build weapons to destroy each other. Artist Statement This painting is based on a self portrait by Giorgio de Chirico from 1911 which I saw in a travelling exhibition '20th Century Masters' in 1986. The subject is a “larger than life” performer in a local St Kilda rock band in the 80’s called John Lawrance. Like de Chirico’s portrait, the subject sees something beyond the picture that the viewer cannot. John was obsessed with space travel so I replaced de Chirico’s tower with NASA’s Saturn V rocket on the launch pad. I normally paint still life paintings hence the onion and globe of the planet from space. The landscape is based on the Australian film “Ghosts of the Civil Dead” in which John had a part. The paper collage forming the wall and shelf is newsprint cut from the independent and mainstream music charts. John had the picture on his own wall for a while but found it “too much” to live with…
Community of Port Phillip
Confession Pen, Ink & Charcoal 2004 85cm x 63cm
Guy Browning began painting and drawing at a young age and has developed and nurtured a unique style. He has exhibited widely across Melbourne since the early 90's in both solo and group exhibitions. In 2004 he held his most recent solo exhibition at Smymios Gallery in Prahran and was also awarded highly commended contemporary artist at the Strathcona Art Show. Guy manipulates the media of ink and charcoal, delicately sculpting forms with a mixture of collage and exquisite line. He likens his drawing technique to archaeology. Layer upon layer is built up with information, covered and built up again. He then cuts back the surfaces of his work; sanding, rubbing, polishing and scraping, unearthing subtle and insightful images and text. Curator's Note The image and title of this piece suggest a moment of serious introspection and possibly a recognition and acknowledgement of the darker side of human nature that exists within us all. Some manifestations of this like greed, aggression and self interest have been traits that have served us well over thousands of years when we struggled for survival in the prehistoric jungle. The problem seems to be that now in the modern world, these traits have become more of a liability to our survival than an asset. Artist Statement The primary focus of my work is the exploration of the ‘human condition’. I begin with a basic structure and textured surface, and manipulate and suspend figurative elements throughout this. Negative and positive images inter-mingle and fleshy forms emerge through layers of delicate mesh and swirling strokes.
Community of Port Phillip
Inner Landscape Bone china vessels 2004 30cm x 230cm
Kris Coad is a Port Phillip based artist who received her Bachelor of Art in Ceramics from La Trobe University in 1979 and completed her Masters of Fine Art by Research from the University of R.M.I.T. in 2002. Kris is known for her artistry and technical skill in producing extremely fine and delicate functional ceramics and in more recent years for her conceptual works which marry her extraordinary technical ability with other aspects of modern technology to create stunning installations and art pieces. She has exhibited widely throughout her career and last year mounted a highly successful solo show at Sherman galleries in Sydney. In 2002 she received the Poyntzpass Pioneers Ceramic Award at the Sydney Myer International Ceramic Awards and her works have been featured in numerous articles and magazines and are held in public and private collections across Australia and overseas. Curator's Note This work was selected for this exhibition because it evokes a sense of the microscopic building blocks of life, the vessels that carry forward our genetic pattern, our DNA. It also encourages an awareness of the precious, sacred, fragile and luminous miracle of life. Artist Statement translucence... The translucency of the clay is an integral part of my work. It draws the viewer into the internal, seeing the object as a whole. The diaphanous walls create a veiling, or when illuminated, a revealing of the inner surface.
Community of Hobsons Bay
Behind Me Acrylic on canvas 2004 130cm x 87cm
Mahmoud Zein Elabdin was born in Sudan and graduated with a Degree from the Polytechnic Fine Arts College in 1989. Since 1990 he has exhibited widely in Sudan, Egypt and more recently his adopted country of Australia. In 2004 he was featured on ABC TV's George Negus Tonight program. He currently resides in Williamstown and his work is held in public and private collections in London, Cairo, Singapore, Khartoum, Auckland and across Australia. Curator's Note This work was selected for this exhibition because it explores the awareness so strong in many ancient indigenous cultures that each generation has a responsibility to those that have gone before as well as those to follow. It is also a classical use of art to document and commemorate human life in the same way it was used in cave paintings from prehistoric times. Artist Statement by Sue Hewitt This multi-layered work talks about the artist's personal history and the universal theme of loss and hope. As a refugee, Mahmoud had to put his family and friends behind him to start a new life. In this piece, there are numerous figures symbolising family, including his signature shadow people or ancestors, distinguished by their spindly legs and vague body shapes. There is also his recurring bird symbol representing flight and freedom. The painting is sanguine as the central figure, the traveller, carries his memories and family in his heart, represented by figures in a sky blue box carried forward.
Community of Port Phillip
Sky Dancers of Mirrgh
My Favourite Martian
Return from the Green Millennium
The Man Who Knew too Much
Acrylic on canvas 2004 60cm x 40cm each
Peter Gresham was born in Melbourne in 1957 and has worked in the printing and graphics trade for 30 years. He has painted for his own enjoyment for much of his life but has only begun exhibiting his work in the past year. Artist Statement - The Wallace Commission I was asked to create these portraits of the Wallace family in "my style” and courageously they did not want to see any preliminary sketches but wanted to be surprised. Though generally I would rather my paintings speak for themselves and for the viewer to enjoy discovering their own meaning, the following provides an insight into the thought process behind the compositions. The Man Who Knew Too Much: Here the Father of the family has his soul laid bare for the world to see in the form of his heads on pedestals. Despite this social stigma worse than being naked in public, he manages to remain unperturbed… triumphant…menacing…proud…cheeky. New challenges lay ahead but he has laid plans to curtail chaos. “So” says the rogue male bull of the clan... "Bring it on!" My Favourite Martian: This young man has just been chosen as part of the Eastern Rangers squad in the upcoming season of AFL football. The title is a play on words using Kevin Sheedy’s “Martians” in relation to the football link. Also a detail from my own series “The Long Run” in using the shoes on wires. In all a playful mix of fact and fantasy that tells a tale of a boy's opportunities at arms length…..there for the taking. May the force be with you. Return From the Green Millennium: The youngest son in the family who takes on all that life throws at him and sucks it in like a sponge. The wonder of the universe is not so much a question of "why" or "how" but an adventure whereby all challenges are met head on without fear or favour. The future calls and we have our man. Sky Dancers of Mirrgh: The mother of the family presides over her children with the solidity of a rock. She takes on all the blessings of the ancients in her dance of life in a world that she has helped create. Yet she remains at the mercy of the elements, proud and individual, is there a plan for today or tomorrow?
Community of Hobsons Bay
Ascension Enamel on perspex 2004 44cm x 73.5cm
Born and raised in the inner eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Dave had a liberal education that led him on a path to creativity. After finishing high school he studied furniture design at Box Hill Institute (1998-2000), after which he moved to London to travel and work in museums and galleries around the world. Returning in early 2003, Dave moved west of the city for the first time. He found that the urban landscape and the area's industrial history quickly became the most prominent influence on his art. He has begun exhibiting his fine art practice over the past twelve months and was featured in the Riptide emerging artists exhibition at Toyota Community Spirit Gallery in 2004.
Curator's Note This work draws a clever parallel with the classic diagrams we have all seen in encyclopedias of the ascent of man from the Neanderthal through to modern day. The image depicts a woman rising to take her place on equal footing with man as a modern human being. It is also at the cutting edge of arts practice in that it utilizes perspex as a painting surface. Art works that experiment with transparent surfaces like glass and plastics are becoming increasingly popular and are almost creating a new genre or art form. This piece also references the growing use of stencils in modern street art and graffiti.
Community of Port Phillip
Enter the Light Digital photograph 2004 149cm x 108cm
Polish born, Australian photographer and digital artist Maciej Karolczak is a newcomer to the visual arts. Having tried his hand at a Commerce-Management degree at University, Maciej decided to open his own business and make time to pursue his love of poetry. More recently he has chosen to translate the narrative of his words into pictures and now works full time as a visual artist. The familiar genre of portrait and landscape are the starting points of much of Maciej’s work. He has lived in the inner city suburb of St Kilda for a decade and as a youth travelled extensively over four continents. Much of his imagery comes from his experience of the streets in St Kilda and incorporates the symbology of many varying traditions from his travel. By manipulating his photographic images digitally, Maciej creates marvellously evocative and moody pieces, the original forms often lost in lush and sensuous landscapes of colour. Curator's Note This work was chosen for this exhibition for a couple of reasons. On one hand it is evocative of the dawn of creation, the big bang which if we are to accept scientific theory, precipitated the existence of the known universe and therefore the evolution of all life. On the other hand it is a prime example of the impact of computers and the digital age on the process of art making and all manner of other human endeavours now and into the future. Artist Statement Human perception and its ability to reason with seemingly polar ideas simultaneously is the primary inspiration for my work; the juxtaposition of beauty and sadness, life and death, or love and hurt. This fascination with the human condition is expressed in my work through the use of extensive photo collage, diverse photographic techniques and digitized mixed-media.
Community of Port Phillip
Shadow of Doubt Acrylic on canvas 2004 45cm x 45cm
Sandra Kiriacos is a South Melbourne based painter whose works explore humanity from a personal and feminine perspective primarily through figurative forms. She held her first solo exhibition in South Melbourne in 2000 and one of her works was published as part of a 2001 emerging artists calendar. The bold use of vibrant colour is a trademark of her practice. Curator's Note This work explores the notion of image as a basis for self worth and our personal and social relationships. It seems there are still many issues around which we are unable to communicate honestly and openly and the pressures and direction of modern culture are not necessarily helpful. Given that intimate relationships create one of the most basic building blocks of human culture, it would seem that a focus on improving communication and understanding should be an extremely high priority for the long term health and survival of our species. Artist Statement In a media driven society where beauty is placed on the highest mantle, we are faced with the impossible task of striving for the ultimate air brushed perfection. To live up to and achieve this illusive ideal becomes an obsession until we lose our identity, our individualism and what is really important. Under the shadow of scrutiny, she steps back from this obsessive world and wonders where, when and why it all went so wrong. Anger? Resentment? Hopelessness? Laugh or cry? Comply or rebel? The shadow of doubt takes hold....
Community of Hobsons Bay
Exit Acrylic on board 2003 130cm x 61cm
Christoper Lants was born in Melbourne in 1971 and completed studies in Art and Design at Moorabin College in 1990. Between 1993 and 1996 he was the director of 292 Gallery in Richmond and has exhibited his works in group and solo exhibitions all across Melbourne. In 2004 his works formed part of an exhibition held in Gdynia, Poland. Chris is represented in private collections in Australia, Europe, United States and Israel. Much of his work revolves around experimentation with perspective which suggests he is forever in search of a different point of view on life. Curator's Note This work "Exit" immediately challenges its own title in that the viewer is instantly struck by the two openings into this large but finite space, suggesting that the painting is about both an entrance and an exit. This picture offers a metaphor for human life and a recognition that our lives are an empty space that we can choose to fill up in any way we wish. Whatever this may be, the fact is that our time on Earth is limited. Whatever hopes or dreams we might hold, whatever we may have to contribute, there is no time like the present.
Community of Port Phillip
Planet of Four Suns Oil on board 2000 90cm x 120cm
Monica Mandy is a Melbourne artist whose practice is multi faceted. She is a writer, painter, sculptor and performance poet. Her works have been shown in various exhibitions across Melbourne over the past few years. This painting was first shown in 2001 at the Office of the Premier of Victoria as part of the Southside Arts Project. Curator's Note When this piece first caught my eye, it immediately struck me as one of the most stunningly original and visionary works I had ever seen. The image presented is an abstracted landscape, but a landscape unlike any other you might have seen. The foreground suggests a dimensionallity that goes far beyond our normal perceptions of four (dimensions) and the concept of a planet that orbits four suns might just be too much for even our most gifted theoretical physicist. For me what this work does is float the idea that one day in the far distant future human beings might be around long enough to look upon a vista like this, a concept that is both thought provoking and inspiring. Artist Statement This painting is about the journeys of life, the challenges and obstacles each one us of must overcome in our day to day existence. Once we face our fears and accept our reality, we arrive at the Planet of Four Suns.
Community of Port Phillip
Self Portrait with Tattoo Oil on linen 2002 60cm x 60cm
Anne Middleton comes from a family of artists and received a formal arts education from the Melbourne College of Advanced Education and Melbourne University in the 1980's. In 2004 she completed a Bogliasio Foundation Fellowship in Genoa Italy and is currently the proprietor of Albert Park Gallery. She has exhibited widely and her works are held in collections in Australia and Italy. Curator's Note This portrait is painted using a style and technique that goes back hundreds of years but the subject's mouth is covered by a flower highlighting the fact that at that time, women were often regarded as delicate flowers to be seen and not heard. How times have changed and how interesting it will be going forward to see how the voices of women will affect the direction of the human race over the next thousand years. Artist Statement 'Self-Portrait with Tattoo' is one of a series of self-portraits I have been working on over the past 3 years. It explores my perceptions of self, and how I could choose to appear‌ I have always secretly hankered after a face adorned with glorious tattoos
Community of Port Phillip
Nana Plays Oil on canvas 2004 168cm x 128.5cm
Ronald John Neal is a Melbourne based artist who lived and worked in Albert Park in the late 1990's. He has exhibited widely and his extraordinary ability as a painter has seen him the recipient of numerous awards. In 2002 he completed his Masters in Fine Art at Monash University. In 2004 the prolific Neal held two highly successful solo exhibitions at Pollock Gallery in Richmond and Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery in Sydney. He currently lives on the Mornington Peninsula with his wife and two children. Curator's Note This work also plays off the classical style of portraiture from centuries ago. The subject 'Nanna' is portrayed casually in her robe and slippers playing the guitar, comfortable with herself and the role she plays. Underlying is the sense of importance of the solidarity and harmony provided by the feminine psyche as the glue which helps bind our society together. Perhaps the artist is playfully suggesting that maternal love is unconditional; like the guitar she is playing it comes with no strings attached.
Community of Hobsons Bay
Solid Air Oil on canvas 2004 92cm x 71cm
Geoffrey Ricardo was born in Frankston, Victoria in 1964 and studied Fine Art at C.I.T before going on to complete a Post Graduate and Masters of Fine Art in printmaking at Monash University. He has worked as a sessional lecturer at Monash University and the Victorian College of the Arts and has exhibited regularly in solo and group shows since 1990. His work essentially employs a figurative based narrative language in printmaking, painting and sculpture. Drawing on a heritage of Surrealism and figurative expressionism the work explores personal and broader issues. Often tinged with black humour and a feeling of the absurd the images are in one way or another a comment on the human condition. On first encounter the images are slightly satirical, comic or absurd, underlying this there is a deeper questioning of human nature Curator's Note The figure inside the kangaroo seems youthful and enthusiastic, working hard to push its host forward. In a comical and arresting way typical of Ricardo's work, this picture seems simply to point out that the future is a place we should look forward to and be prepared to work hard for. There also seems to be a question asked of us as Australians about where we are headed, a question that challenges us to mobilize our intellect, individuality and creativity to find an answer.
Community of Port Phillip
Neptune Brass, bronze & steel 2004 26cm x 80cm x 12cm
Jennyfer Stratman grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1997 she graduated from Arizona State University with a Visual Arts degree. Stratman's work has been shown in a number of group and solo exhibitions in the United States and internationally. In 2001 she migrated to Melbourne, Australia and now divides her studio practice between the two countries. Her work was recently featured as part of a collectors exhibition at Uber Gallery in St Kilda. Curator's Note This work was selected for this exhibition because it explores the idea that as a sentient being with the ability to comprehend our place in the big picture, mankind may well be alone in the universe. It challenges us to think more broadly about what unique creatures we really are and encourages us to contemplate the vast unknown expanse of space and where the human race might be in a thousand years time. Artist Statement Transforming my experience and interpretation of the world into the visual language of sculpture is what inspires me to create. I aim to construct artwork rich with emotion, content and form. While the starting point for each piece is a personal narrative, my work addresses ideas and experiences shared collectively. I find my work is now evolving as if pages of a diary. Subconsciously a sense of my identity is deeply affected by environment, which comes through in my sculpture.
Community of Hobsons Bay
Fallen Angel Mixed media 1993 230cm x 280cm x 69cm
Brendon Taylor was born in 1960 and began his education in Devonport, Tasmania. In 1987 he completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Visual Art from the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education majoring in sculpture. He has exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions since that time and in 1993 received the Local Artist Award for the Smorgon Steel Group Ltd. Contemporary Art Prize at Williamstown Festival. A common theme in his work is an investigation of the impact and interaction of industry and technology with the environment. Brendon currently lives with his family in Williamstown. Curator's Note This work features a genuine 1950's art deco refrigerator complete with an electrically powered rotating globe of the world inside. It is a light hearted but poignant comment on the modern world and mankind's use and abuse of the unique and fragile environment that nurtures and supports all life on Earth. The advent of modern technology and industrialisation has enhanced our lives and provided opportunities to us as a species undreamt of only 150 years ago, but all of this has come at a price. We are no longer in a position to afford the uncontrolled and irresponsible march of consumerism. The challenge going forward is to temper our development with what is sensible and sustainable for our planet, our quality of life and the well being of our children and the generations to come. Artist Statement During the 50’s, with the advent of television and the advertising associated with it, we were told to buy all these new products. They were going to catapult us into the new millennium and life would be a dream. Now we have reached the new millennium we have to deal with some of the consequences of our new lifestyle.