Radio Interview - Kaye Green
Kaye Green will be interviewed on ABC radio National on Sunday morning between 10-11am if you’re near a radio. or if you want you can hear it here as the link is already up.
Open studios - Drouin and District Vic Australia
KW Abstract Art
www.kerriewarren.com.au
Burning Desire Creates Field of view…
2010 will see many Visual Art events emerge, some large others small… However this one event has already etched it’s place in the artists taking part.
Fields of View is an exhibition featuring 5 Visual Artists all affected by the Black Saturday fires of Feb 2009, from directly fighting fires to save their homes, to standing on the edge of the firezones watching and waiting… then in the aftermath all counted their blessings, conferred various stories and carried on.
Only now with a renewed interest in the way their now changed lives had instantly become more precious, Artworks evolved, giving them a chance to explore and communicate the issues all had experienced.
Couple this with the fact all are passionate about the environment and their role as Environmental Expressionists and you have a fantastic mix of impetus and context with which to present their works.
Over the next few weeks I will have the opportunity to share with you some aspects of the exhibition and the way the Artists express their environmental concerns and inspirations.
When artists get together the collective power to obtain media interest is tangible… They called it ‘Artists respond to tragedy’ http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2010/01/25/2800651.htm take the link to hear the artists interviewed on the black saturday fires and see some of their work!
Here are some images from the first opening of the exhibition at Maffra Vic.
Update - Bruno Quinquet
Bruno Quinquet who I interviewed 12 months ago has had a great chunk of media attention with this feature article in the London Contemporary Photography magazine HotShoe, Some great photo’s!
http://www.brunoquinquet.com/pdf/HS163_pp08-19.pdf
Start Looking - Art Videos online
I love it when I find another great Art Resource.
This one has all sorts of video interviews with artists. Enjoy!
http://www.startlooking.co.uk/
Ryan lights her own fire…
Leonie Ryan is a Victorian Artist with a passion for getting things done. Possibly her biggest project to date is the Fields of View traveling exhibition, coordinating five Visual Artists to explore a range of environmental issues and tie in with the environmental expressionism theme.
Lets chat to her and find out more..
How did this exhibition come about?
After touring an art exhibition with Warragul artist group ‘Wild Dogs from Down Under’ throughout Victoria including exhibiting in China for two weeks, I had a deep desire to tour an art exhibition through Regional Victoria.
I approached the ‘Wild Dogs from Down Under’ artist group first, though most of the artists focus was back on their solo careers. I commenced the Fields of View project in August 2008 with artists Kerrie Warren and Eileen Harrison both from ‘Wild Dogs from Down Under’. Our artwork was uniquely different from each other, though connected through our passion for nature and energy within life. I felt the small trio group required an extra artist and thought it would be interesting to continue with the feminie energy flow. I invited Ursula Theinert who was very pleased to be involved.
Like all projects Fields of View also has had its ups and downs. Unfortunately Eileen Harrison had enduring commitments and realised she could not totally commit to the Fields of View project at the time, therefore withdrawing from the project.
After some months of considering possible artists to invite into the project, the decision was made to invite artists Peter Biram and Werner Theinert on board. Both Werner and Peter’s works explore similar themes as Ursula, Kerrie and I.
All five artists involved in the Fields of View exhibition vary in medium, style and visual language, creating a diverse exhibition together with environmental unison and aspiration. This is the basis of how Fields of View touring exhibition was born.
Why a travelling show?
The purpose of a travelling exhibition to regional galleries is to reveal individual stories through the visual language creating a connection between place, time and people, throughout far reaching regions of Victoria and possibly beyond.
Tell us about organising the show, the challenges, the inspiration, getting galleries on board etc?
To organise an exhibition to tour Regional Art Galleries throughout Victoria is an interesting ambition. What compels me is my ambition and enthusiasm for my art practice, also my awareness and privilege of being a woman in the Western World in the twenty first century.
My inspiration is my love of life, living without regret, and the idea of when I’m 90 years old sitting in a rocking chair; I can say to myself “Yes! I really have lived a fulfilled life”.
My role in Fields of View is both as an Artist and Co-ordinator. Co-ordinating involves making many decisions, writing and re writing of exhibition proposals, gallery formalities, schedules, various associations, negotiations, budgets, emails, telephone calls and ensuring the artists are content.
In all honesty, a juggling act but also very satisfying. My philosophy is make a good plan, follow it through by then placing one foot in front of the other and then seeing what happens next.
Tell us about the works you have created for exhibition.
I am an installation artist which means I utilise whatever medium most appropriate for the design of my concept. My concepts mainly relate to the natural environment with themes exploring metaphysical, philosophical and universal connection.
For my Fields of View installation Organic Mechanism 102 I have made large cubistic blocks from recycled polyurethane and covered them with contoured and patterned wall paper. The surface is finished with terracotta coloured paint.
The large cubes represent geometric shape and form much like a cityscape with reference of man’s influence of construction within the environment. Juxtaposing the large cubes is the surface texture of contours and earthly colour.
Five abstract stainless steel mirror finished sculptures represent the natural environment in the form of symbols; Man in a key- earths guardian; Frog- the waterways; Triple energy spiral- universal connection; Mother Nature- spirit and energy of the natural environment; and Tree- the lungs of our planet.
Housed inside the centre of the cubistic installation is a video reviewing the 2009 bush fires which generates a foreboding and eerie sensation.
Mother Nature Leonie Ryan 2009
Stainless steel
Exhibition - Fields of View - opening dinner
Phone: 03 5623 1960 or Email: gary.blackwood@parliament.vic.gov.au
mail@kerriewarren.com.au
New year, new starts…
2010, the start to a new year brings lots of thoughts, trepidation, niggling doubts, annoyances and some what if moments meander though my head.
The galleries are soon to open again, will the year herald a few big hurrahs and some desperate wimpers this time round? Who knows, as often the wimpers can turn into roars and vice versa.
Of note, the Midsumma festival starts soon in Melbourne (go google your own links…) and Ricky Sweallow is on show and the Ian Potter gallery, although judging by the look on viewers faces yesterday it was all a bit blah, this coupled the $10ish entry made me say… hmmm nup.
It looks like a hot start to the year (temperature wise) and hopefully what’s on offer in the galleries will inspire and delight, we can only hope!
Have a great year, and let me know if you have a show on, an art event coming up etc…. 
VIP Art Event 2010…
This is set to be a big event for the Artists involved, but also a great event for those with an interest in Art and the incredible chance to dine at Parliament house in Victoria. Book early so you don’t miss out… Note most of the artists have been interviewed right here, take a search and see their works and what’s driving them…
To find out more about the Environmental Expressionists art movement take the link and see more. The evening will also serve as a fundraiser to create scholarships for prospective Visual Art Students at TAFE level.
The event will also showcase works from each of the Artists in the Fields of View traveling exhibition.
Evolution series, the first images - Steve Gray
3/12/09
Here are a few images of the first stencil paintings I have done… results are okay so far. this comes from an earlier post about the idea check it out here.
I’m liking the texture and the colours are so far just three off whites.
Evolution of an art series - Steve Gray
Hi All this should be a short log of a new series I am about to launch into, drop by and see what happens as I work to produce a bunch of pieces. Cheers Steve Gray….
2/12/09
I’ve had an Art idea in my head for some time now, even while creating the last “Harm” series, which was a big part of the Regionalis group show I was part of earlier in 2009. It will use similar colours, I still have a few containers of those colours from that series and will aim to use similar paint application. I will be doing it with acrylics on heavy cotton rag water colour paper about 5 x 7 size, so they should be quick and flow readily (I can only hope!)
The first of two cutout "stencils"
From the Harm series (see the direct log I wrote on it.) you can see the colours and read about my approach to that bunch of images and the concepts etc. Mainly though check out the images around July in the log I wrote, which uses the word harm white on white on canvas, with heavy textures. The way the words went on (paint wise) and the subtlety grabed my attention, so this new series is an attempt to explore this.
It will almost be a study, but I err to see it purely as such and am thinking of it as an essence approach to the whole colour and texture devices used earlier. Some will be thinking I probably should have done this lot first before starting the harm series as a study into the colours and textures.
Both stencils ready to go.
So with two stencil I am aiming to leave the edges as raw paper for ease of framing and the top one will create different textural arrangements on the page.
Concept… Probably looks to the average viewer as a simple exercise in colour but those who have checked out the harm series would be a little skeptical of such a simplistic view. So lets see what develops…
Me - Studio sort time….
I had the chance to do some sorting in the studio, major work has come to a halt post Regionalis exhibition, but some drawings and other media on paper are wanting to emerge. Those familiar with my Harm series will note the cutout effect I used for the text I want to use with symbols etc in future works, should lead to some interesting outcomes… But I digress.
Sorting the studio, ok it’s a garage, but the time had come and so I spent a chunk of time sorting the bits and pieces out… my other work and its various equipment is now vying for some serious space takeover options. Not good but hey it pays the bills!
I wonder how many other artists have to juggle their space with about four other sets of items jammed in their? Things of mine, my works, my equipment and my wife’s bits and pieces, the list is growing!
Sorting should give me the impetus to do the works on paper… draw paint, make it all happen, and save some storage space too!
Steve Gray
Golden Plains Art Trail
Today, Sunday the 25th Oct 09 I went to check out the Golden Plains Shire art trail, its in the western district of Victoria. Many farms and very small communities yet with a heap of Visual Artists and Craftspeople. It was a great weekend (I only got to the Sunday Part) and met a bunch of Artists from realistic to abstract, crafty to conceptual… All up I think I did about 270 klms! It would be fantastic to see other regions do this sort of thing as the turnout of viewers and artists was solid! Well done to the organisers, now to hassle my regional arts and culture people to do a similar thing!
For more info check out the website of the golden plains shire.
Black Saturday radio stories
ABC radio in Gippsland has been interviewing people about their experiences in the Black Saturday fires which devastated communities in the region, here three Contemporary Visual Artists chat about their work in the aftermath of the fires and their experiences on the day… HUGE!
Art in action
While an exhibition Steve Gray is part of (Regionalis), is set for mid August 09 at red gallery, it doesn’t stop him from working! Here you can see some of what Steve has been up to, as he logs a journal with pics of where he’s at now. Take a look. You may recall he was interviewed here earlier…
Warren gets New York Magazine kudos
News flash, well not quite ,as it was from last month, but great news none the less! New York Magazine Gallery and Studio published this article on Kerrie Warren’s Exhibition and works… Well Kerry you must be very pleased to get these great comments, especially in the lead up to more exhibitions like Regionalis. Well done!
New York magazine Gallery and Studio and Kerrie Warren's NY Exhibition in June 09
Meet the Red Bubble Guy!
You are invited to the next hive melbourne event with Peter Styles from RedBubble.com on July 14th. go to the site and see the details, it’s free and usually a great event! bookings ESSENTIAL!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95134963722 (that’s for details and to RSVP on facebook)
http://www.thehive.org.au/
Scroll down when you get to the site, to the melb event with Peter… 
Reko Rennie Gets Grant.
Reko Rennie, Paris Residency, well done!
Black Saturday - A Tale of Two Artists
Art provides us with many journeys, opportunities and challenges, however few would have been expecting the tragic situation which occurred in Victoria on Black Saturday and would be thinking of it as a driver or motivator for art works. Two Contemporary Australian Artists Ursula and Werner Theinert were caught in the fire and lived, and are now able to share their harrowing experience with us.
I am pleased to say they have seemingly come out with only a few “scars”, (For regular readers you will know Ursula as one of our interviewees and also her contribution of a story on her first solo exhibition.) Both Artists will be part of at least two exhibitions later in 2009 - 10, Regionalis and Fields of View, you can track those shows via each website over the coming months.
Now, their incredible the story…
BLACK SATURDAY - 7TH OF FEBRUARY 2009 - CALLIGNEE VICTORIA
My name is Ursula Theinert and my husband Werner and I are artists who live in Callignee. Callignee was one of the areas which suffered terribly in the Black Saturday Fires of 7th of February, 2009.
We stood and fought this dreadful fire and managed to save our home, though badly damaged, but lost our studio, workshop and garages and all that was stored within. This meant of course all the tools and stored treasures, but most upsetting of all were the many paintings, etchings, sketches, photographs and sculptures and five years of art materials.
We love our little mud brick home way up in the hills south of Traralgon Victoria. Our farmlet is surrounded by farms, quarries and plantations. The area inspires our art and as Environmental Expressionists, we feel passionately about the environment and believe art is an important vehicle to encourage insights and discussions into the many complex issues which are confronting us all. I mostly paint and Werner photographs.
As you can imagine we were deeply shocked by this frightening experience, but have managed to begin rebuilding our lives with the great help and support of many kind and generous people who have helped us emotionally, financially and psychologically deal with this trauma.
The sharing of this story is to help others understand the events of that day and even though we feel, and are incredibly lucky and fortunate to have survived it will also assist us in coming to terms with our experiences and loss.
Our day unfolded….. Everyone knows what a terribly hot day that Saturday was, and we were expecting Werner’s brother’s family from Tasmania and had the house in readiness for a fun weekend. The temperature climbed and we asked them to stay in Melbourne because the heat was causing rail problems and there were dangerous fires in the Bunyip area (to the west). Indeed, we were intently listening to the A.M. radio station 774, and watching the weather satellite and CFA websites because we were concerned for our friends near this ever growing fire.
Our hearts sank when we heard there was a new fire coming from Churchill and heading towards Mt. Tassie, which is only a few kilometres away from us. When we heard there was a wind change coming, we knew we were in serious trouble. We had always planned to stay and fight a fire, but we felt very tense and frightened when we realized all our fears were becoming a reality. We silently went into setting our ‘Fire Plan’ into the final stages of readiness, preparing ourselves we started the pumps and began watering.
The smoke turned the day into night and then we heard IT!!! The sound of the fire approaching was like a 747 airliner coming into land. The wind was gusting and we found it very hard to breathe. We had torches in our pockets and had to use them because even though it was only about 5 o’clock, it became pitch black. Well until we could see the glow off in the distance. The power went off but we still had the petrol fire pump and kept on watering.
Then we saw the glow grow brighter and started back towards the house. The embers came for only a few minutes and then we had to make a desperate run for the house as the fire ball struck. The flames were like a giant blow torch blowing past our house. Embers came through the door gaps. Smoke and flames crept into our study roof and we began the fight with wet towels and buckets. We lost the fight at first with the smoke driving us out of the study. We stood in the kitchen and witnessed the fire exploding all the surrounding trees. Our workshop and studio and our neighbours house were all being devoured. Night turned into a horrific searing daylight!
We were becoming quite frightened now, because the smoke was filling the house and it was too dangerous to go outside. It was a dilemma, but we were choking and had to leave. Luckily, we had a small alcove outside in our entrance area and it was that little space, which saved us during the continuing firestorm.
When the fire eased a little Werner ran to the fire pump, but it had been destroyed, as were all our fire hoses. Our outside buckets had melted down to the water line, the bungalow was now on fire and the water inside the house and the bungalow could not be reached because of the acrid smoke.
We had felt again in terrible straits but then realized that our swim spa’s 6,00 litres of water was our only hope. We gathered together some buckets and began the long and difficult task of putting out several fires with only the water from the spa. We had many moments of fear that our efforts would fail because the fire was so stubborn and resisted our efforts. We continued to bucket water and do continual checks around the house and bungalow until 3 a.m. we were physically and mentally exhausted!
We will never forget watching the fires all around in the early hours of Sunday, holding each other’s hands and realizing how lucky we were to have survived this harrowing ‘Black Saturday’.
In the smoky dawn we saw the aftermath of that night and we fell into a kind of shock as our minds came to terms with this experience and the losses of most of our artwork, art materials and tools.
It takes quite some time to actually realize what has been lost and feel rather overwhelmed to think about beginning from scratch. Of course, many things can be rebuilt and bought anew, but many other things cannot!
Werner was terribly upset because he was just about to retire and had been working extremely hard to prepare his workshop and finish all of the house projects. He had lost his extensive collection of tools, and nearly all of his photographs.
In the following weeks he had some good fortune and managed to retrieve his saved photographic files on his computer hard drive. He was particularly fortunate because the fire had seriously damaged the study and destroyed all of his back-up drives. It was a happy day when on newly bought computers he could save some of these files and have his photographs reprinted.
In the days following the fire good people overwhelmed us with their generosity and gave us the support and encouragement to start again.
We have rebuilt our garage and have begun gathering together tools to help us begin again. Werner has reprinted most of his photographs, and we both have begun on a new series of work inspired by the devastation and regeneration of both nature and humankind.
Our artistic journey continues and has in some ways been strengthened by the Black Saturday Fires. We were determined to carry on and exhibited in Art Melbourne in April. I have completed my first painting after the fires called ‘Ashes to Ashes’, and I have just begun another painting.
Werner and I are only a small part of the whole of Victoria affected by the Black Saturday Fires. We all felt under siege and suffered stresses and hardships, each to their own circumstances. What was also shared was the bonding of that terrible summer and the soul searching caused by the events of that day. Out of the darkness of the fires came the great spirit of the community and our country to help and heal each other.
The Black Saturday Fires were life changing events and Werner and I feel incredibly lucky and will never forget all the support and kindnesses, and will carry all of these incredible and touching experiences into our future.
Ursula Theinert 2009
Here is one of Ursula’s works, post Black Saturday called “Ashes to Ashes”.
Thanks Ursula, for the graphic account of a day many of us will struggle to forget, Steve Gray.
empty shop - space - gallery!
This is an interesting Visual Arts initiative… well worth a look
Great for places wanting to cut through the recession relics (empty shops!) and add cultural depth to the community.
The A5 show - “Right Here, Right Now…”
“Right Here, Right Now…” A show of contemporary art works created by you, and you! It’s easy, put your thinking caps on… consider the theme, “Right Here, Right Now…” It could mean so many things to so many people.
Here’s the page to view the works.
Then…
- Create a contemporary artwork (any medium) in an A5 size 148.5mm x 210 (half an A4).
- Scan it, digital photo etc. Make sure it’s a great quality jpg file please.
- Clearly label it, write a few lines to give us an idea of how you interpreted the theme, then Email it with the details, (Artist’s name, where from and medium, to info@stevegray.biz )
- I will add it to a page of works people can view on line and you can link to.
Closing date: 23/5/09 Be quick!
Conditions of entry:
- Be family friendly with the imagery, no nasties please!
- I will edit at my discretion…
- Work MUST be that of the artist etc…
- I will use the images for publicity if I want (or not…)
- Tell the world about your work via a link from your website in your emails etc… Copy the banner and link that way if you want.
Kerrie and Angela were first up. Thanks!
Hey I like the idea of online exhibitions, you can write it up on your CV when you have contributed… Why not? So help me out here, and give me some ideas for a theme or three we can use. Jot it in a comment and I will put the ideas together and see what happens next.
Now it’s Dooney TV…
Self promotion? Yep, Hazels got something going on…
Dooney in five or so questions…
Hazel Dooney is popping up all over the place lately, amazing what some social media, a few good interviews and some other bits can do (like media savvy).
http://spiralmag.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/spiral-exclusive-qa-with-hazel-dooney/
Chances are though that you read about her here first!
Exhibition
6pm - 11pm, Friday 29th MAY. One Night ONLY
38 Hutchinson St, East Brunswick, Melbourne
Pigeon Hole Artist collective announces its next Group event Featuring the art, performances and music of over 14 collaborators.
Providing a context outside of the gallery circuit, the pigeon hole hosts art events where paintings share the space with performers, sculptures and people looking for a stimulating alternative to more conventional art experiences.
Floating exhibition walls, flying performers, walk around sculptures - experience the visual, audio, artistic theme-park in between 6pm and 11pm, Friday 29th MAY.
AT THIS EVENT: BEN HOWE, MICHELLE MORCOS, ERIN BRYSON, CHRISTY FLAWS, JODY LLOYD, DAVID RELLIM, DEVIKA BILIMORIA, ROBERT JORDAN, CORIN ADAMS, JAMES LANGER, RUTH SCHALDACH, LUKE O’CONNER, TEA CUP TUMBLE, AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED…
News from Carol
Carol Es who was interviewed here earlier has some exhibitions on the boil and some new work… check out where and what she’s up to next… Carol’s news. Oh and an amazing review! Hey remember you found out about here here first!
Fields of View
Artist’s Leonie Ryan, Peter Biram, and Kerrie Warren together with Ursula and Werner Theinert will share their individual visions, questions and raw emotion through their focus of the aftermath of their own experiences of the Black Saturday fires in Victoria.
Fields of View will be a thought provoking exhibition, which presents a variety of perspectives and perceptions about the environment we live in as seen through the eyes, hearts and minds of five passionate Australian artists.
The disastrous firestorms in the summer of 2009 were a reminder that environmental issues are in the forefront of the collective psyche of the entire country. This was made even more poignant with Ursula Theinert, whose work has for the last few years revolved around forest management issues and who along with Werner, lost years of work and research marterial whilst defending their home at Callignee from the fires.
The entire foundation group were involved within these fire-ravaged regions making them stronger and more determined to use the arts as a vehicle to promote environmental issues.
Each artist will explore and push boundaries through their own unique style and mediums.
The exhibition will be staged at various venues in Victoria and should be an amazing insight into an incredibly debilitating event from a Visual Arts perspective.
For more details check out the web site.
Regionalis - an Artistic insight
News just to hand, about an exhibition to be seen later in 2009 will showcase the works of six Artists and their response to “Artists on the Environment”.
The group show will feature emerging and mature Contemporary Artists from Victoria. Details of the exhibition to be shown at Docklands Gallery Dukes, are still being thrashed out. Details to follow…
have you been watching… reading?
Sometimes I just get a bit behind with lots of things happening, but we should check out that which jumps up and grabs us… for me it’s the odd blog or three, Hazel Dooney’s blog caught my eye today… What about you?
http://hazeldooney.blogspot.com/
You know you want to…