LACED

 

Pictured top: A hand-held view (to indicate scale) of the recently completed Laced, destined for my solo show, Rückenfigur, at Queenscliff Gallery in 2022. 

Laced, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 12.5 x 12.5 cm

Vale Stephen Sondheim

Look at what you’ve done,

Then at what you want,

Not at where you are,

What you’ll be

Look at all the things

You gave to me.

- Move On, from Sunday in the Park with George, 1984, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/theater/stephen-sondheim-dead.html

Sometimes people leave you

halfway through the wood.

Do not let it grieve you.

No one leaves for good.

- No one is Alone, from Into the Woods, 1986, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

In memory of Stephen Sondheim, March 22, 1930 - November 26, 2021. 

Thank you for the words and music and for enriching our lives beyond measure.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Sondheim. 

Pictured top: Stephen Sondheim in rehearsal for Merrily We Roll Along in 1980. (Photo credit: Martha Swope/New York Public Library).

MOTH revisited

With a new drawing in mind, I’ve been searching through my reference books for an image of a Luna moth and have just rediscovered the excellent Moth, by Matthew Gandy. Published by Reaktion Books, London in 2016, it includes a reproduction of my painting, Argina astrea Moth Mask, 2007.  

Coincidentally, soon after I dusted off my copy of Moth (see below) the first two photos shown here appeared in my iPhone memories. Dating from July 2016, they were snapped by Shane Jones in Dymocks bookshop, Melbourne, where we were thrilled to find copies of the newly published Moth. 

Attuned

 

I’m delighted to have been curated by Stephen McLaughlan into the forthcoming group exhibition, Attuned. The show runs from January 19 - February 5, which, although it’s not until next year, is not so very far away. 

Pictured above: Songstress, pigmented drawing ink and gouache on Khadi paper, 15.5 x 11 cm, one of my works that will be part of Attuned at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery in 2022.

Fine-tuning

 

We’re constantly trying to make our place more liveable and workable. While this is something that tends to happen in fits and starts, it does add up. This week Shane Jones lugged a tall plan cabinet that was formerly cluttering up our very tiny ground floor office upstairs to the first floor cinema room. It now resides outside my studio, where it will effectively double my storage space for small works on paper. The cabinet replaces a white plinth on which the small set of drawers also shown here was formerly displayed. 

All this fine-tuning, however necessary, can be somewhat daunting and disruptive. Sometimes it feels as if we’re tackling a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Fortunately, we have help. Without exaggeration, there’s not a single change we’ve made around here without the endlessly enthusiastic, paws-on participation of Alice B. Cat. 

SUNFLOWER

 

Following directly from my previous post is an early progress view of Sunflower, the second in a suite of small linocuts I’ve just begun. At this stage, I’m planning to make six of them and will print a small edition of each one. Collectively titled Illustrated Women, they will possibly form the basis for an artist book too - in which case, I’ll also design a title page. Each block measures 15 x 11.5 cm, which means I will be able to print them on my small craft press, or alternatively, burnish them by hand. 

A new linocut

Pictured above: the completed design for the first of a planned series of linocuts, the first I’ve made in a long time. A key reference for the image was the centre panel of a three-fold screen designed by the prolific May Morris for Morris & Co, c. 1888 (see below).

As Alice attests, starting a new body of work can be exhausting. 

A fine send off for BACKSTORIES

Following are some treasured memories of the last day of Backstories at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery on Sunday, October 31.

Upon arrival, I paused to photograph the welcoming vase of flowers outside Stephen’s gallery, a touch I’ve always loved. Just as I pressed the shutter, the man himself appeared in the doorway. 

Catching up with friends (views 2 - 5) was the highlight of the afternoon. In the group shot below, L-R, are Shane Jones, John Waller, Vanessa Taylor, Stephen McLaughlan, Damon Kowarsky, Priscilla Ambrosini and James Harrison. It was also terrific to chat to some of the folk (not pictured) who dropped by to collect the works they had acquired. 

Before heading home, Shane and I had an impromptu meal upstairs at Chloe’s Bar in the historic pub Young and Jackson (final view below). We practically had the place to ourselves - there were more staff than patrons - but we did get to hang out with the infamous Chloé, painted by Jules Joseph Lefebvre in 1875. Many thanks to the waiter who took the following shot.

Other photo credits for this post: myself, Shane Jones and James Harrison. 

All in all, it was a memorable day. 

THE SUN SETS ON BACKSTORIES

After several extensions, all of them thwarted by lockdowns, Backstories, my solo show at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, officially closes today.

Sunday, pictured above, takes its title from the song in the Pulitzer Prize winning musical drama, Sunday in the Park with George (1984, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine). The musical was inspired by the George Seurat painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884-86). The song, Sunday, closes both its first and second acts. As some of you know, my partner Shane Jones and I are devotees of Sondheim’s work, as is Stephen McLaughlan. Accordingly, it seems doubly fitting to post the painting here, as a swansong to my own show. 

Stephen, Shane and I are all supporters of Watch This, a visionary Melbourne-based theatre company that specialises in Sondheim’s works. The company’s 2019 production of Sunday in the Park with George was unforgettable. I saw it twice and on both occasions, the song brought tears to my eyes.  

Coincidentally, Watch This held two preview events, including their 2019 season launch of Sunday in the Park with George at Stephen Mclaughlan Gallery. Pictured below is the company’s founder and first Artistic Director, Sonya Suares, who also co-directed the production. That’s Shane and I on the left in the following view. (Photos courtesy Sonya Suares via Stephen McLaughlan, reproduced with his kind permission).

We were delighted that Sonya Suares was able to join us at the gallery for the memorable Backstories Artist Celebration on Saturday afternoon, July 31, 2021. Sonya and I are pictured with Sunday in the last photo below. (Photo credit: Julie Keating). 

After several postponements, the next Watch This production, Into the Woods, will be performed early next year at Melbourne Meat Market, running from Saturday January 15 - Sunday January 23. While Sondheim’s extraordinary revisionist take on fairy tales didn’t directly inspire my own fairy tale-related works (including the anthology of feminist fairy tales, There was once…)  it certainly added fuel to the fire. For further information about Into the Woods, including performance dates and times, visit Watch This HERE.

Before heading for Melbourne to farewell Backstories (see previous post) I’d like to extend one last thank you to Stephen McLaughlan, Shane Jones, the many people who visited the exhibition and those who have acquired works. Against all the odds, “on an ordinary Sunday”,* Backstories is finally having its fairy tale ending.

Backstories concludes today at 5pm.

*From Stephen Sondheim’s lyric for Sunday. To see the song performed in the original production of Sunday in the Park with George, go HERE.

Pictured top: Deborah Klein, Sunday, 2020, acrylic on linen, 40.5 x 30.5 cm. Photo credit: Tim Gresham.

Journey’s end

From this evening, our little corner of the world is opening up again. Travel restrictions between Melbourne and Victorian regional areas are being lifted, so I will be able to bid Backstories, my exhibition at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, a final, fond farewell. I’ll be there on the last day of the show, Sunday October 31, from 3 pm, if you’d like to drop by and say hello.

Viewing times for the show’s final two days are below. 

Pictured: Lookout, 2018, acrylic on linen, 40.5 x 30.5 cm. 

BACKSTORIES 

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery

Level 8 Room 16 Nicholas Building 37 Swanston Street Melbourne 3000

(On the corner of Flinders Lane)

T: 0407 317 323     E: st73599@bigpond.net.au 

www.stephenmclaughlangallery.com.au

Gallery Hours: 

Saturday October 30: 11 am - 5 pm

Sunday October 31: 1 - 5 pm

Happy Hallowe’en

Pictured top: a special Hallowe’en offering: Redback Spider Tattooed Woman*, part of my solo show, Backstories, at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, followed by a couple of progress views, including sleeping research assistant/familiar Alice B. Cat and assorted reference materials, notably a plastic Redback spider acquired from Bernard’s Magic Shop in Melbourne.🕷 

After a long spell in lockdown, Backstories will re-emerge for a final viewing opportunity this Hallowe’en weekend, October 30 - 31. Note the special viewing times below.🕷

BACKSTORIES 

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery

Level 8 Room 16 Nicholas Building 37 Swanston Street Melbourne 3000

(On the corner of Flinders Lane)

T: 0407 317 323     E: st73599@bigpond.net.au 

www.stephenmclaughlangallery.com.au

Gallery Hours: 

Saturday October 30: 11 am - 5 pm

Sunday October 31: 1 - 5 pm

Photo credit for top image: Tim Gresham; remaining photos: the artist. 

*Redback Spider Tattooed Woman, 2020, pigmented drawing ink and gouache on Khadi paper, 21 x 15 cm.

A time for farewells

One Way (pictured above) is one of several drawings that had their genesis during a particularly productive residency at The Art Vault in Mildura in 2017. Little did I know, it would be my last ever residency there, as this unique, irreplaceable gallery is currently in the process of closing down. The Art Vault has been a big part of my life; I’ll miss it very much, as will countless others, especially the many other artists they nurtured and encouraged. 

Navigator, pictured left in the following view, is a more recent work and Chainmail on its right, was also completed during the 2017 Art Vault residency. 

It seems this is a time for farewells. All three works are part of my solo show, Backstories at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery which is coming out of lockdown to see out its final two days this coming weekend, 30 - 31 October. 

Photo credit for the above installation views at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery: Kathryn Ryan and Julie Keating. All works are ink and gouache on Khadi paper, 15.5 x 11 cm.

BACKSTORIES

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery

Level 8, Room 16, 37 Swanston Street

MELBOURNE 3000

Special viewing times:

Saturday October 30: 11 am - 5 pm

Sunday October 31: 1 - 5 pm

Last days of BACKSTORIES

 

Pictured above: Mimic (Snake Tattoo), 2019, pigmented drawing ink and gouache on Khadi paper, 21 x 15 cm, followed below by an installation view of the work as part of my current solo show, Backstories, at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery.

The symbolism of the snake is multi-faceted. Historically, snakes and serpents are representative of the creative life force. The snake is a signifier of transformation, healing, fertility, rebirth and immortality, based primarily upon its ability to shed its skin.

Backstories has been in lockdown since early August, but as of next weekend, October 30 - 31, it will reopen for a final viewing opportunity. Huge thanks to Stephen McLaughlan for making this happen, and for his elegant invitation design for the special viewing. (See previous post).

Photo credit for Mimic: the artist

Photo credit for installation view: Kathryn Ryan/Julie Keating

Click on images for a clearer view.

BACKSTORIES 

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery

Level 8 Room 16 Nicholas Building 37 Swanston Street Melbourne 3000

(On the corner of Flinders Lane)

T: 0407 317 323     E: st73599@bigpond.net.au 

www.stephenmclaughlangallery.com.au

Gallery Hours: 

Saturday October 30: 11 am - 5 pm

Sunday October 31: 1 - 5 pm

BACKSTORIES Final Viewing

 

Backstories, my solo show at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, was in its final days when the present lockdown was announced. Sadly, it has remained in limbo ever since.

This morning I received the happy news that Backstories can finally end its run. The exhibition will reopen for one last weekend on Saturday October 30 - Sunday October 31. 

For those who missed out on seeing Backstories, or would like to visit one last time, this is your opportunity.

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery
Level 8 Room 16 Nicholas Building 37 Swanston Street Melbourne 3000
(On the corner of Flinders Lane)
T: 0407 317 323  E: st73599@bigpond.net.au 

Gallery hours: 
Saturday October 30: 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday October 31: 1 - 5 pm

Pictured top: Three Women, 2021, triptych, acrylic on linen (detail).

Rückenfigur rescheduled

In recent news, I have postponed Rückenfigur, my solo show at Queenscliff Gallery. It wasn’t a decision that was made lightly, but uncertainty about the transition out of lockdown coupled with some health-related issues led to the realisation that I had little choice. Fortunately Queenscliff Gallery’s Soula and Theo Montalvanos have been able to slot me in for May/June 2022 and I thank them for their continued support, understanding and flexibility.

The upside of this is that I will now have considerably more time to create works for the show, which will be all the stronger for it. I’ll be sharing a selection of these over the coming months, beginning with the work featured here.

Pictured top: Recollection, 2021, diptych, acrylic on canvas, top panel: 20 x 15 cm; bottom panel: 17.5 x 12.5 cm.

On the table easel

 

Pictured above: my present work in progress, followed by earlier developmental views. The lace collar was initially sketched in with a white watercolour pencil, enabling marks to be easily erased and altered during the drawing process. As yet untitled, the diptych is acrylic on canvas and measures 35 x 12.5 cm.  

WAMA Art Prize Finalist

This afternoon I had an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. My drawing, Swan Song 2, is a finalist in the inaugural WAMA Art Prize Works on Paper Award: Where Art Meets Nature. I had assumed my entry was unsuccessful, because aside from initial acknowledgment of the entry form, I received no further correspondence from WAMA*. Only 40 finalists were selected from over 500 entries, so I’m still in a state of numb but happy disbelief. Felicitations to the prize winners, including overall winner Melissa Smith and all the other finalists. 

Many thanks to Arts & Culture Ballarat for tagging me in their Facebook post about the WAMA Art Prize today, otherwise I might never have known that my work had been shortlisted.*

The finalists’ works are on the WAMA website, where you can also vote for the People's Choice Award.

*(I’ve since had a phone call from WAMA. It seems an email informing me of my selection was sent last week. This isn’t the first time I’ve had problems with emails; very possibly it landed in my junk mail). 

Pictured top: Swan Song 2, 2021, pigmented drawing ink, watercolour and acrylic on paper, 76h x 56w cm. Photo credit: Tim Gresham.