Art Gallery of Ballarat: QUEER VIEWS: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE COLLECTION

 

It’s a privilege to have my linocut Eyes Everywhere (1997) selected for inclusion in Queer Views: New perspectives on the collection, currently on view at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in celebration of Ballarat Pride Month. 

The written responses to the works in this terrific little exhibition of paintings and works on paper, all of them drawn from the gallery’s permanent collection, are provided by writer Vanessa Bowen, performer Em Chandler and drag queen Gabriella Labucci. 

Two of my all time favourite relief prints, both pictured above, are also included in the exhibition: Thea Proctor’s The Rose (1927, hand-coloured woodcut) and Napier Waller’s The Man in Black (1923, coloured linocut). 

Queer views: New perspectives on the Collection has been developed by LGBTIQA+ Community Inclusion Officer Sez Lothian in conjunction with Art Gallery of Ballarat Curator Julie McLaren.

 

The exhibition runs throughout the City of Ballarat’s Pride Month: 1 - 30 June, 2024.

White Night Ballarat - Decorated Women, Part 2: Tattooed Faces and Masked Women

Part two of a belated follow-up on the projections of my works in the recent White Night Ballarat, this time focusing on the Tattooed Faces and Masked Women.

Selected footage from the projection can be viewed on my Instagram page by clicking HERE. 

The following stills (all but the fifth image from the top, which was snapped by me) are by Tim Gresham. 

 

Our exploration of White Night was punctuated by a memorable meal at Oscar’s, a favourite eatery of Shane’s and mine, with friends Gaye Britt, her friend Clare and the aforementioned Tim Gresham. Later in the evening we caught up with two other friends, Paul Compton and his partner, Evan, for (in my case) a warming hot white chocolate at the Pancake Parlour. Paul and Evan had travelled from Melbourne especially for the event. They loved every minute of it and caught several attractions that somehow we’d missed. Their enthusiasm was palpable. Hearing about their own White Night adventures was as if to experience it all over again, but with a wonderfully fresh perspective - a perfect note on which to end the evening. Pictured below, L-R: myself, Paul, Evan and Shane. Thank you to Paul Compton for the photo (and my hot chocolate).  

The images in this projection are from my current series of paintings, scheduled to be exhibited at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne, in early December. Many thanks to Tim Gresham for the photography, both in this and in my last post.

Special thanks to Andrew Walsh, Artistic Director of White Night Ballarat, for asking if the works could be made available as the basis for a second projection, to Sue Beal, Producer of White Night, for putting my name forward to the White Night team and for being such a pleasure to work with, to animator Justin Weyers for the incredible skill and vision he brought to the Moth and Insect Women component of Decorated Women (see previous post) and to everyone else on their amazing team. 

White Night 2024 took place on June 1, between the hours of 6-12 pm. For an overview of this extraordinary event, including the complete program, visit White Night Ballarat’s website HERE.

White Night Ballarat - Decorated Women, Part 1: Moth and Insect Women

Part one of a somewhat belated two-part post.

On the first day of winter, Saturday June 1, a record-breaking number of over 65,000 people came from far and near to experience the magic of White Night Ballarat. That’s me directly above, far left, soaking it all in. (Photo credit: Shane Jones). 

It was a joy to see the city pulsating with renewed life and energy, despite Ballarat’s infamous bone-chilling weather and the occasional sprinkle of rain - another of Ballarat’s specialties - none of which, thankfully, degenerated into a serious downpour.

The two projections of my works, collectively titled Decorated Women, were side by side on opposite corners of Sturt and Lydiard Streets. 

Pictured above:  

Moth Women on parade, filmed later in the evening, after the crowds had thinned out. (Click on the bottom right hand corner to enlarge).

The Moth and Insect Women were projected onto the former National Mutual Building, one of my favourite local buildings.

The following views are by Tim Gresham:

Stay tuned for Decorated Women, Part 2 - Tattooed Faces and Masked Women.

CAM ART BOOK FAIR

On Sunday 2 June, I participated in the panel discussion Self-Publishing Artists Reaching Across and Beyond the Region at Castlemaine Art Museum’s annual CAM Art Book Fair. It was a great pleasure conversing with Castlemaine Art Museum Director Naomi Cass and fellow panelists Clayton Tremlett and Lorena Carrington about a subject that’s close to my heart. I learned a lot myself from the conversation with Clayton and Lorena, whose works I very much admire. Warmest thanks to everyone who attended. We couldn’t have wished for a more engaged and attentive audience. 

CAM Art Book Fair ran from 1-2 June and was held in conjunction with NGV Art Book Fair.

For additional photos, visit our sister blog, Moth Woman Press HERE. 

White Night Ballarat: the countdown

The eagerly anticipated White Night Ballarat will be launched at 6 pm this evening. As the countdown continues, here are some personal high points from the last couple of weeks.

Pictured below: Ballarat Times, Friday 31 May 2024. Many thanks to Edwina Williams for the story and photos.

Directly below: a sneak peek of the projection Decorated Women, featuring the mysterious Moth Women, one of two animated projections of my work in White Night Ballarat, captured during a test run on Tuesday night. 

It was quite a thrill when the first images flickered into view. Now I’m doubly excited to see the entire Ballarat CBD illuminated with the works of all participating artists, 95% of whom are locals.

Another couple of location views follow, one with Edwina Williams, journalist/Editor, Times News Group, the other with Andrew Walsh, Artistic Director, White Night Ballarat. 

White Night Ballarat will be an amazing showcase for local artists and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of it. Thanks, as always, to the incredible team at White Night Ballarat for making it possible. 

Pictured last: excerpt from a short film by @videobyandyc [IG] who also took the two stills below. To see the full clip and for further information, visit White Night Ballarat’s Instagram page.

UNSOLVED HISTORIES: Last days

A guided tour of UNSOLVED HISTORIES, now approaching its final days. 

Click on individual images to enlarge.

UNSOLVED HISTORIES

The Old Butchers Shop Gallery 

112 Seymour Street

Soldiers Hill

Ballarat VIC 3350

Last days: Sat-Sun, 25-26 May, 12-4 pm.