On the bike path at the end of our street are these furry friends, immortalized and oh so cute!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Local Friends
On the bike path at the end of our street are these furry friends, immortalized and oh so cute!
paper folding 101
Boats... learning the fine art of paper folding for an installation. Quite therapeutic!!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Portfolio - Interior Design
ANZ Centre
Posted on 25.08.10
HASSELL creates a flexible, open plan office space with permeable public space at its heart for the new ANZ headquarters.
Architect: Architects in collaboration, HASSELL and Lend Lease Design
Project location:
833 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Team Architects in collaboration: HASSELL and Lend Lease design; Interior Design: HASSELL
Posted on 25.08.10
HASSELL creates a flexible, open plan office space with permeable public space at its heart for the new ANZ headquarters.
http://www.australiandesignreview.com/design_wall/18257-ANZ-Centre-Architects-in-collaboration-HASSELL-and-Lend-Lease-Design
Architect: Architects in collaboration, HASSELL and Lend Lease Design
Project location:
833 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Team Architects in collaboration: HASSELL and Lend Lease design; Interior Design: HASSELL
Portfolio - Interior Design
http://www.australiandesignreview.com/design_wall/17505-Interior-Design-PPB-HASSELL
Interior Design: PPB
Posted on 30.06.10
HASSELL's design for PPB acts as a public statement of the client's professionalism, with sleek, polished finishes and a social, open working environment.
Team Scott Walker, Meredith Nettleton, Rob Ryan, Erin Davidson
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Menagerie - Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture Exhibition 2010
For Adelaide, the 2010 spring exhibitions at both Artspace and Tandanya are displaying significant examples of contemporary Indigenous Art. More commonly satisfying audiences today is the plethora of exhibitions revealing contemporary painted works, as evident in Artspace’s exhibition, Our Mob and Tandanya’s Our Metro Mob.
Both apart of this year’s SALA Festival, Our Mob is a long-running annual collection of strong and socially critical works, predominately painted pieces, from a variety of emerging and established artists within the South Australian state. In it’s 5th year now, it continues to invite a variety of audiences to embrace local and regional Indigenous culture.[1] With no defined theme, the diversity of work is encouraging. Contrastingly Tandanya’s, Our Metro Mob is a small collection of works by emerging urban Indigenous artists.[2] Aside from the painted medium aesthetic again dominating the exhibition, more original contemporary pieces including jewellery, sculpture and photography triumph. However, juxtaposing this familiar medium choice of countless Indigenous art exhibitions, is the innovative exhibition Menagerie, also in Tandanya.
Menagerie is a travelling exhibition and was a bought to Adelaide by the collaborative efforts of Sydney’s Object Gallery and the Australian Museum. Featuring 33 established and emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists with a sole focus on sculpture. Works depict a menagerie of strange animals and reveal objects of beauty that can be related to on a variety of levels. The exhibition begun in Sydney in late 2009 and is slated for a total of 9 exhibitions in both Urban and Regional Centres, concluding in Dubbo by May 2012. [3]
Indigenous music enhances the ambience immediately within the entrance into the gallery space. Even from the initial greeting by the beautiful Yawkyawk sculpture by Kuninjku artist Owen Yalanja, Menagerie instils warmth that celebrates contemporary Indigenous culture. Yalanja’s Yawkyawk represents a young female water spirit from his dreaming.[4] The stark white wooden organic form suspended in motion on the contrasting charcoal background entices an exuberant sense of strength and intrigue. For an audience to connect with a sculptural element is often incredibly difficult, yet the Yawkyawk’s morphing form, raises ideas of where do animals and humans start[5] and encourages us further within.
The morphing form continues with the beautiful Stingrays by Torres Straight Islander artist, Denis Nona. Composed from contemporary aluminium and classic bronze materials both with the delicate pearl inlay allow the success of these leaping stingrays to be attributed to the materials chosen. The carved sculpture almost appears abstract, but from every angle these majestic animals are captivating, and a sense of pleasure is drawn from viewing the movement depicted by Nona.
Interestingly however, Menagerie reveals an absence of a pattern as far as layout goes. Liz Nowell, Visual Arts Manager at Tandanya clarified that,
“They are grouped together to create nuances and relationships between the animals. They are not grouped together by animal type, language group or medium.”[6]
Curators Nicole Foreshew and Brian Parkes choice in the placement of these wild animals is evident through the strength of the exhibition’s diversity in the survey of the art and artists chosen. The importance lies in the connections through the voices of these artists’ animals.[7]
The two hanging Murray Cods are the epitome of defining the progression of traditional and contemporary Indigenous sculpture. The woven Pondi (Murray Cod) created by established South Australian artist, Yvonne Koolmatrie, successfully distinguishes how traditional woven elements have their place within a contemporary sculptural exhibition. Koolmatrie speaks through her Pondi to raise the awareness of our depleting resources such as the Murray.[8] Similarly, Hamm too is Looking Forward, Looking Back, and the use of non-perishable contemporary materials including wire; plastic bags and golf balls reinforce and support Koolmatrie’s concerns on the decline of our ecological society. The Pondi’s, as with many of the other works, cast incredible shadows within the gallery and reiterate the importance of our lands natural beauty and resources. Together they communicate the need for change and progression, encouraging movement toward a more positive future.
Menagerie certainly has laid the foundations for the future of contemporary Indigenous sculptural exhibitions. Through combining the elements of the exhibition, informative visual installation and the extensive catalogue available, curators ensure when engaging with these sculptures, an appreciation and understanding manifests. It is imperative these sculptures are not perceived as mere objects or judged solely on their artistic merit, as Indigenous art constantly reveals narratives and connections to our land, and is what these artists desire to share, moulded deep within these animals.
Although still in its infancy, the future for sculpture in contemporary Indigenous exhibitions is an exciting one. For innovative curators to continue to push the boundaries for the future public to consume and connect further with sculptural elements while gaining a broader knowledge of Indigenous culture will be an advantageous one.
Bibliography
Foreshew, N and Parkes, B. Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture. Object; Australia Centre for Craft and Design and the Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia 2009
Koolmatrie, J. The Ngarrindjeri Weaver and Perkins, H. The International Artist in Kattja Now Indigenous Arts Australia, Wakefield Press and Tandanya, Adelaide, 2001, pg98-103 and pg 104-105
Menagerie comes to town, Aboriginal Art Review, 18/12/2009. pg 16. Accessed from http://www.aboriginalartnews.com.au/2009/09/menagerie-comes-to-town.php on the 15/08/2010
http://www.artlink.com.au/articles/3380/menagerie/
[1] Aboriginal Art Directory, Our Mob Article, 2009, http://www.aboriginalartdirectory.com/shop/festivals-prizes/our-mob.php accessed on the 08/08/2010
[2] Liz Nowell Our Metro Mob. Media Release, Tandanya, Australia 2010. Visited 10/08/2010
[3] Liz Nowell Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture. Media Release, Tandanya, Australia 2010. Visited 10/08/2010
[4] Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture. Wall text. Tandanya
[5] Foreshew, N ‘Making Known’, Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture. Edited by Nicole Foreshew and Brian Parkes. Object; Australia Centre for Craft and Design and the Australian Museum, Sydney, Australia 2009, pgs 25 & 26
[6] Email correspondence - Liz Nowell, Visual Arts Manager, Tandanya 12/08/2010
[7] Foreshew, N ‘Making Known’ pgs 25 - 45
[8] Foreshew, N ‘Making Known’ pgs 37 & 45
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