This image is the template of the frieze element of the show at Austral Avenue. Last day is tomorrow and take down on Sun 29th. It seems to have gone well, a good opening plus a good review which has meant more visitors over the fortnight, great. Though rather close to departure for China for comfort, it's good to be leaving on a positive note artistically.
The show is up and the opening was yesterday and went pretty well – a relief. Now to concentrate on preparations for China – leaving in about two and a half weeks.
Starting to gear up for a small show – installation – here in Melbourne at Austral Avenue, an artist run initiative, during the month before I leave for Beijing [July]. A timely show in many ways, but stressful too – it comes down four days before I fly out. Good to get the exposure for the work just before the residency however. Jane O'Neill who runs the space is a multi-skilled arts practitioner/curator/arts worker. The space is an unassuming one in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, run from one of the front rooms in her house, but Jane has built up an impressive reputation over the 18 months or so of the space. Hooray for artist run initiatives that truly support innovative practice and give artists an opportunity to show their work with no strings attached. Jane also writes a good article about each artists' work that she exhibits.
I continue to feel ambivalent towards China – which is one of the reasons I am going there. There are a lot of reports in the Western media, but how much of the information is true, and how much information is left out or not known, ‘lost in translation’ [no reference to that rather feeble film].
Currently here in Melbourne all is a flutter with the impending visit of the Dalai Lama. If there is one person in the world that upsets people in power it is this gentle Tibetan man. Just today, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, John So, a popular man of Chinese heritage, has been forced by other members of the council to invite the Dalai Lama to visit the Melbourne Town Hall. Councillor So is aligned with Melbourne’s Chinese, business community and had tried to ensure no councillors would meet the spiritual leader. The prime minister of Australia, John Howard, and the opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, have both been giving out mixed messages about whether they will, whether they won’t, meet the Dalai Lama. Everyone is terrified of a Chinese economic backlash if they officially acknowledge him.
I have been in touch with a lot of new acquaintances through eLists with which I am registered [such as Sonic Arts Network, Phonography.org, Rhizome, Fibreculture etc]. I mentioned this project and I have had a lot of interesting responses – from artists doing similar projects or who just have an interest in the ideas. I have also found out a fair amount about what is going on in Beijing in this area – mostly sound oriented. I have a subscription to Art Asia Pacific mag which is also proving very interesting.
Starting to think about the reality of negotiating the project. I have a partner and a 12 year old son who will both be coming to Beijing during September – it will be the longest time I will have been apart from my son, 5 weeks. These things cannot be underestimated, of course. My partner Cameron will come for 3 weeks, while Jake will stay on for 7 and return with me – the staggered approach. Cameron is a sculptor, and between us I am sometimes amazed that we can both maintain our practices and bring up Jake and pay off a mortgage. Mind you, living in Melbourne enables this without doubt. We could not live like this in London – which I miss a lot pretty frequently, even after all this time. Cameron is from Melbourne and we met when I first came here on a residency through Gertrude Contemporary Artist Spaces in the early 90s.
To add to everything I have a small show just before I leave, which is good timing in many ways, but challenging in others. The image here is based on a cicada common to Melbourne and Sydney suburbs, the greengrocer [cyclochila australasiae], and the image will form a frieze in the gallery following the mathematical form of traditional friezes as internal decorative architectural elements.
Born and bred in London, UK, I trained at Wimbledon School of Art/North East London Polytechnic. After several years in the now-defunct Angel Studios, EC1, I pursued a residency with Gertrude Street Artists Spaces, Melbourne, Australia and have been based there since 1993. My current practice concentrates on sound and digital imaging. Interests in found objects including found sound, have led to a focus on contemporary landscape and our relationship with wilderness, technology and art.
