2012 winding down ... but not the studio!

Yesterday I was over at Percolator Gallery in Paddington, Brisbane, working in my studio downstairs when I had a visual communication idea to try out in the gallery windows now the year's exhibition program has just come to an end.  In Melbourne during the mid 90's I had a shop-front studio, in the creative hub of Fitzroy / Collingwood, where I constantly made the most of the lovely old shopfront windows for such purposes.

It took time and ideas to do that well back then ... so I was keen to see what could be done here having discussed the possibilities with artist Helena Lloyd, who is also the Gallery owner. I was inspired by the thought of re-using photocopied posters on seeds I'd done for a Sustainability Event in 2011, as a kind of wall-paper. 

When I return to the studio today I will see if the posters are successfully staying up in the heat... that might determine a change of plan... so we'll see. I took photos at dusk and then when it was completely dark last night.

The window easily lends itself to a little drama!

My studio is at the back down the left. The Gallery runs as a for-hire space and thus has a changing panorama of exhibitions which run for a week, or sometimes two weeks at a time. Its wonderfully located in a particularly scenic part of Brisbane on one of the ridges overlooking the city. Surrounded by cafes and small boutique-type stores it has a lovely ambience and neighbourly feel.

The wallpaper idea worked quite well as a backdrop to the paintings... two seascapes on the right which Helena painted when at Cuchiemudloo Island in Moreton Bay which fringes Brisbane, and an oval painting of Brachychiton seed pods I painted in 2010.

The quotes which run down the middle of the window communicate a clear message for anyone who strolls by and wishes to take a closer look!

Night time the window is stark and very readable from up close.

The entrance to the right shows a glimpse of a long narrow work I hung there last night.

I will be having a show here at the end of January, running for two weeks, which I am starting to focus more on now, adding to work completed already this year.

There is quite a bit of reading if anyone is curious and takes the time!

Last time I used these posters I had a far bigger wall to work with.

Claudia, a student of mine in 2010, standing before of a presentation at a Brisbane Sustainability Day  event I did in 2011... using these same A3 posters.

Black and white photo-copying was the perfect vehicle for an effective 'wallpaper' of seed messages and drawings. I've enjoyed taking my journals to the copiers and playing with the positive /negative feature on the self-serve machines. Some imagery becomes really strong or curiously more sensitive when altered in this way. It certainly makes for quite an interesting 'homage' to the seed!

Watch this space for news of the exhibition at the tail end of January!
bye for now,
S 

This week coming!

To read all about the OPEN STUDIO WEEK just scroll down to posts written on July 8 and July 1st - I may not get to the computervery often in the next 8 days... but you can email if you are able to attend any events or wish to know more. You'll find a mobile number at the other posts! You can read more by clicking sophiemunns.blogspot.com - my other blog!

thank you bloggers for planting the seed!

This is a quick thank you post to.....

first of all the talented Leanne at homemade rainbows weblog here in Brisbane. She is one of the wonderful people who has responded to the 

call out to bloggers to be part of a mail art event

I posted 5 mights ago at both my blogs... see previous post... by posting a story on her blog about the  mail-art event and the residency project as a whole. Then she went on to discuss the film "Food Inc" which took the intervention of many locals here in Brisbane to seek/demand a screening here of this timely and important film. For some this is another version of what they are fully aware of... but for many it will be a revelation and... it must be said a critical revelation of the industrialisation of food in the US -  a story that is replicated here and elsewhere to a significant extent...and therefore - globally - relevant viewing for all.

Just skip over to Leanne's blog and you will find the trailer to watch of this film. And you will find the most wonderful photos and posts written by Leanne that bring such grace and delight to the everyday life.

Sunflower image by Leanne and the chumbakka fruit jelly images below also. I discovered Leanne at Brisbane Local Food which is a great 'ning' network on growing local in subtropical Australia. Her blog is well worth a visit... her photography and beautifully written posts are a pleasure to read.

chambakka jelly.... read more here.

Also...I have had brilliant e-conversations with blogger friends and I am now thinking "wow!"... there's really a lot of brilliant energy being stirred up... wonderful people sending postcards.... And I so wish to thank everyone.... At the moment they are still in the mail...so when they start arriving I am going to be

 V E R Y  busy and elated Im sure!

A N D   N O W . . . 

From the marvellous Mlle Paradis, based over in LA, have a look here:

I so want to know what she has here...it looks absolutely splendid! Photographer, wonderful painter when time permits, and all round great tourer with camera in hand ... Mlle Paradis has posted at her blog on the postcard call out as well... ! She's one of those people with lots of great energy, shared liberally with many - and she always delights with her quick wit or insightful take on things.

Postcards from the blogosphere is bringing the best of spirit from near and far...

BIG THANK YOU ALL! 

in recent weeks...in the studio and meeting visitors at the Gardens

On June 18th I will be showing work with 9 artists at Percolater Gallery, Paddington, in Brisbane. So recent weeks have been spent working with ideas that came from the work for the recent show in April/May.To see the full post titled "today" I wrote on that click here. More on the Percolator show VERY soon!

...work in progress and the Homage to the Seed journal I'm keeping above and below - the Cooper rainforest book I mentioned is also open above. I was very keen to get on with painting but felt the need to go back through the Cooper book, freshly documenting, with very quick sketches and brief notes, some interesting forms in the the capsules and seeds of various species. I'm loving this way of becoming more familiar with the biodiversity of the rainforests and similarly rich habitats... recognising the enormous numbers of species and seeing the variations that can occur just through this simple research is so fascinating to consider. Tonight, noticing an indigenous version of nutmeg and reading that it has little scent led to wondering about the extraordinary discoveries that people made through Millennia, the risks when identifying if something was edible, what properties it had and so on.

I'm finding ethnobotany more and more fascinating and realising that its piecing together some of my own various passions for knowledge that to date didn't seem to link that well.

For this group show I have chosen the distinctive oval shape canvases which mimic the pod and seed forms somewhat. I find them compelling shapes that sit well with this subject matter. Although working with them on and off for a few years they seem to have grown on me - that lovely but strange, organic thing that happens when concept, subject and form merge a little. 
Producing small works for a group show I felt the cohesiveness of the ovals would hold the  viewer's focus. Perhaps they remind me a little of looking under the microscope in the Seed lab where the image is circular and the surrounding darkness means you can only see what is contained within the circle of light. The subject matter is intimate and contained in this shape. Egg - seed...the biological connection is so strong! 
oval |ˈōvəl|
adjective:  having a rounded and slightly elongated outline or shape, like that of an egg : her smooth oval face | the game with the oval ball.noun:       a body, object, or design with such a shape or outline : cut out two small ovals from the felt. DERIVATIVESovality |ōˈvalitē| |oʊˈvølədi| |-ˈvalɪti| nounovalness |ˈoʊvəlnəs| nounORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from French, or modern Latin ovalis, from Latin ovum ‘egg.’

Both these works feature the cross-sections of rainforest fruits from Queensland - however the one below is probably not going in the show. Its was a curious experimental work that came from the starting point of the cross-sections but with a life force all its own. It was as if it was bursting open... the seed capsule cross-sections sprouting to life and when I first did 2 works like this I was rather unsettled and decided I didn't like what was happening in them. Now I find it less odd and will see what comes through over the year - if more work like this seems to want to burst through with a mind all of its own.

This is the flyer for the upcoming group show - 10 artists - 10 days exposing the Brisbane Artists Development Co-operative. To read much more about this and the venue visit the studio blog.

AND NOW - RECENT VISITORS TO THE GARDENS FROM TOWOOMBA:


10 days ago, give or take, I had a wonderful visit at the Botanic Gardens from some wonderful members of the Darling Downs Textile Artists - Pat Sloss, Marion Curry, Jen Luck, Jenny Burgess, Margie Creek, Joan Ellard, Stephenie Broadbent and Nicki Laws. They were in town to see the exhibition of Inga Hunter's work then came out to the gardens at Mt Coot-tha to see work in progress with the residency. A viewing of paintings and visual diaries, recent and older, allowed them to see the progression from past research into ancient symbols and other influences, water and fluidity from years living on the Newcastle coastline, to working with seed motifs particularly after moving to Brisbane, research through the lab, gardens and library to finished artwork as part of the Homage to the Seed  year.
They wrote later of how they discussed the overlap in approaches despite their using different materials to myself (textiles vs paint or ink) and how they also related to the approach of layering, colour and repeated motifs.This group practice varied textile techniques, but a common theme seemes to be the environment and human impact on it. They have always recycled and reused extensively and many use natural dye sources on fabrics and thread. The members live in or near Toowoomba and most have some strong connection to farming, past or present. 

I talked of the need to understand the source of our foods, the threats that come from global business monopolies, especially in the area of seeds, and the issue of biodiversity. These women live with these things daily in front of their eyes - so all these themes are discussed at meetings frequently. A frightening reality they spoke of was the large portion of Queensland’s good farming land being currently at risk of coal mining or coal seam gas extraction. This problem they said is literally now ‘in their backyard’ with the potential massive loss of flora and fauna, damage to water reserves, as well as community fragmentation.

DDTA -Darling DownsTextile Association has been together for about 10 years and runs the biennial ‘Progressions’ juried contemporary textile exhibition. The beautiful Darling Downs starts an hour and a half west of Brisbane - and is currently where the mining expansion is taking place. Bunya Mountains are not far off...a place I have been curious to get to. I have posted on this extraordinary idigenous Bunya Pine tree and source of food before.

Fighting to keep Acland alive - click on the 7.30 report 

Questions were raised about the town of Acland, now Stage 3 expansion is being considered, which may take a year or more to go ahead. One of the group wrote to me to say

         "New Hope Coal plans to level the town, divert Lagoon Creek for 5 km etc In preparation they have bought and removed 95% of properties in town. There is some excellent plantings in town - mostly indigenous but also introduced. Lots of majestic bottle trees. Also nearby Bottle Tree Hill with dry vine scrub. Is seedbanking an option when an area is to be wiped off the map? If you want any more info I can point you in the direction of the Stage 3 EIS and list of flora species"

Proposed open-cut mine site 24th March 2010

NB: I later asked questions raised here about seed banking before a place is levelled and found that in certain cases certain Laws demands that a company take full responsibility for seed banking and replanting (after the area has been mined) to restore. I have not as yet found out if that will be the case here. Jason Halford at the Seed Lab said it was indeed the kind of situation where it is of primary importance to seed-bank.

The group at the discussion

Two of the wonderful members of the group. I was treated to viewing the works of several textile artists. Below is work from Nicki Laws - (seen above right - Joan Ellard on the left). I was delighted to see what results had come from the use of various seeds and leaves and the fabric choices and various processes employed. A trip to visit the group at some stage and really see them in action is a must I think. I had temporarily lost my camera that day so missed getting shots of work some had brought along to show. More please ladies. I am putting in an official request to have a blog post on your seed related work!

This was such a rich exchange. For someone to have such a fine audience and then receive such an excellent show of ideas and stories in return is a wonderful experience! It made me only too aware, all over again, of the brains trust of so many living on the land who are in tune with their environment.  These are the people who are seeing the ecological shifts in daily life... they recognise the losses occuring... they have had family farms or still do and work with the land, sensitised to its needs, in whatever ways they can. What a privilege to have their visit!

'where science meets art'

'Where Science Meets Art' is the motto for engaging venue Embiggen Books - Bookstore and Gallery located at Noosaville, 2 hours north of Brisbane where I will be exhibiting artwork carried out in conjunction with the residency at the Gardens over the last 2 months. Read more here at Embiggen blog and website.  The weblink will provide you with all the necessary details - starting with  location and going into the on-line bookstore and everything in between!

To give you a taste of the creativity behind this unique venture read the delightfully humorous but informative  about us  from the website:

Embiggen Books was born in Noosaville on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia. The only troubling feature of the birth was a few international financial shenanigans, other than this she has been a wonderfully well behaved baby. So on to a few vital statistics. Whilst she has wide interests including Art, Design, DVD documentaries, Fiction, History, Economics, Plays, Poetry, and Philosophy, she is science mad. She has the biggest range of popular science titles instock in the observable universe, and her technical science books are growing on a daily basis. Not bad for a little independent bookshop. What she doesn’t have on her gorgeous shelves she can usually lay her hands on very quickly so hit us with your enquiries. As well as this she is keen on kit, specifically science kit so check out the gifts and equipment section.

Her parents Mr and Mrs Embiggen have had long interests in evidence based understanding, reason and life, the universe and everything. They have sieved out pseudoscience wherever they smell it so you won’t find new age malarkey in the stock list. We’ll often discuss these things in our blog, so keep an eye out for interesting tidbits. We also produce a regular newsletter to keep you up to date with instore events which we try to video and stick online for those of you unfortunate enough not live nearby. We encourage discussion of these there and would welcome your rational well stated views.  It should be said that in a former life Mr Embiggen was a graphic designer and so we have the best art and design section outside of a major city. I mean who would ordinarily expect to find Josef Muller-Brockman or Stefan Sagemeister in rural Australia? This section is complimented by an ever changing exhibition in Embiggen Books’ gallery space. Check out more pictures of the shop on flickr.com, just type in Embiggen Books.    

We’re hoping to making this site the best in the business over time, so we welcome your feedback. And if you ever have trouble finding a title let us know and we’ll try to track it down for you and order it if we can.  

There are titles to please quite a broad audience - those not science-oriented can dip into the arts and literature section and the children's books are well represented. Why I am so pleased to have made this productive link is that the owner/director Warren Bonnet has provided a strong community forum over time for such speakers as Ian Lowe, Janet Millington and Sonya Wallace from Transition Towns, Phil Moran from Landcare and various other noted regional speakers on Environmental issues. Its worth a look at what events are coming up on the website as there are regular writer's talks and special events.

Its located very close to the weekly Sunday Noosa Growers Market and with 2 good cafes either side its a very convenient stop-off point for locals and visitors to the coast. The Noosa region with its proximity to national parks and considerable land care endeavours by active citizens means has ensured a strong conservation focus. Part of the South East Qld region botanically speaking it has commonalities with the area around Brisbane.



Outside the Embiggen Books and Gallery



Summer Group show at the gallery



Painting on right - Sophie Munns



Books and Art : paintings by Isla Griffin



NB:  For more details about this exhibition please click on this invitation below.