A Fabulous Feast - of Golf balls

School holidays are such a lovely thing. Long languorous days of light and warmth that bring back memories of my light-filled childhood in the 70s. Hans and I have been having a great time weaving memories for his hazy childhood memory-bank. We spent a recent such day with the fabulous Rik and Jo. They had invited us to share a viewing of the Feast of Trimalchio by the Russian collective AES+F at the Art Gallery of SA.

Wow.

A cut and paste Baroque orgy of delight on an imaginary island in the sun. We sat enthralled as the ballet of exotic servants and privileged tourists wove themselves amidst an animated resort with an ever accumulating vortex of golf balls.

It was very inspiring to see the clean, but obviously layered and animated elements playing against each other. In my video work I find myself spending a great deal of time cleaning up keying effects and to see how other artists deal with this is always interesting and in this instance somewhat freeing. AES+F appear not to be too concerned about the veracity of the edges of the figures which have a great deal of smoothing, yet the work is dynamic and engaging and clearly others viewing the work did not worry about that level of detail, rather the integration of the whole. 

Much of my art is inspired by the work of Classical world and responding to their concepts in a contemporary context. The Feast of Trimalchio is similarly inspired so it's fascinating to see AES+F's take on this Classical tale.  

I think I'll need to go back for another visit and spend some more time thinking about the work.

A small sample of the work can be found on the Art Nation site. 
The exhibition will be at the AGSA until the 6th of March 2011.

Endings and Beginnings

After 18 months I have finished and handed over the birthday portrait of my Uncle Graeme! It's always exciting when you feel a portrait getting close to completion. He came together quite quickly in the end. And I was able to add those final elements . I had a vision fairly early on for the work and it's taken a long while to finally be able to add that sweep of stars from the Milky Way across his chest and the sky. 

I don't like to tell anyone what I have planned for a work  while it's still being created because I have this strange sense that once it leaves my lips it somehow loses power. So the stars were a little surprise for everyone, but they give him a shamanic-godlike quality that works for me.

Now that he has left the studio and travelled to Sydney and the New Year presses upon me I find myself goal-setting for the coming year. A year of consolidation, I think, and of competition entries. Compositions are already starting to crowd in now that some space has been made in my mind; pushy little pictures that need to be painted.

Drawing Inspiration

Have been struggling to paint the last few weeks while I wait to hear back from a gallery. So with Damien over to have his semi-regular drawing session I decided I'd take the opportunity to get back to basics and do some studies of some of my new lovelies. This is one of the delightfully worried bears/mouses that arrived this week. I'm not sure what it says about me but I do tend to cackle an inordinate amount whenever I see such cute little critters looking so distressed. I know it's wrong - but I'm cackling as I write this. Deary me.

I can't wait to devise some frought situations for them in full colour. Hmm, and so returns the inspiration!

The Parity Refugees

These lovely little skunks came to live with me this week - fleeing high unemployment in the US. They have sought refuge in my studio as parity paid models. They have recent company in some Enesco bears, and deer. I'm going to need a wild-life reserve soon!

Long live parity!

My little donkey painting has been selected for the Eutick

I'm still doing my little happy dance after hearing today that my still life painting 'Head On' has been selected for the Eutick Memorial Still Life Award at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery. The exhibition will run from 12th November 'til the 15th January.

They're such good little horsies!

Measure For Meaure

Amidst SALA tweaking of videos and presentations, teaching commitments and nipping off to Melbourne for the Art Fair I've managed to complete 15 works for my vanitas series.

I've decided to call the series "Measure for Measure". It satisfies me on several levels - as they are about the way we reflect on the passage of time in our lives and they also incorporate measuring devices and items that have passed from fashion.

This one, 3/4ths of an ounce is my current favourite. The title refers to the research of Dr. Duncan MacDougall, who in 1907 published his studies into the weight of the human soul. He conducted several tests in the form of weighing dying people immediately before and after their deaths. His first result from the death of a man dying of TB resulted in a weight loss of 3/4ths of an ounce as determined by the beam scales that had been placed beneath the framework of his deathbed.

Three more large works to do, and one small and then I shall release them in to the wild.

Niki's Hand

I don't really get to a lot of openings, but today was an exception. In the blustery chill afternoon Hans and I travelled to the opening of Niki Sperou's exhibition the Golden Fleece at the Prospect Gallery. Niki makes thoughtful works by hand that are imbued with the invested energy and meaning that builds up in an object which is painstakingly crafted. Making art which is driven by personal desire lends it a special quality that I personally treasure. It's like the hand-made quilt that my grandmother made me, or indeed every painting I create from stretching to varnish. These are are loving acts of creativity which give expression to the simple acts of being. Well done Niki!