V o l.2 N o.3 2010
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Cover image: Amy Melchoir Underworld (detail) 2010 Encausticbeeswax, damar, pigment, ink 2200 diameter
Editorial included in this publication re�ects the opinions of the contributing authors and does not necessarily represent the views of Gallery36. Copyright for submissions belong to the contributors unless otherwise speci�ed. Gallery36 | Auckland, New Zealand ISSN 1179-8319 www.gallery36.co.nz editor@gallery36.co.nz Editor: Selene Simcox Ph: 021 169 9084 E: editor@gallery36.co.nz
Research & Zinefest Do you know that Gallery36 is free? Free to be pro�led in it - and free to receive it. Gallery36 knows emerging artists do not have money - I am an emerging artist myself, so I can really relate to the �nancial restrictions how hard it can be to continue your practice whilst having to pay bills and extend yourself to get recognised. Keep doing it! We are loving your art!! The fact that I am an emerging artist myself is how this little brain child started. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and I wanted to help. This is our seventh issue and we are growing in all dimensions, so I hope Gallery36 is helping you get out there. Zinefest is de�nitely the highlight of the week! If I wasn’t overexcited about all the amazing zines (pronounced zeens) that is out there and made for the love and fun of it and selling at amazingly cheap prices, it was the orsome people I met who made these zines. Gallery36 had the opportunity to meet lots of orsome people and have more people join our database! Congratulations to the Zinefest team for having us there (we were stretching the boundaries of zines as they are usually printed) and for organising such an orsome event! Check out Wellington’s Zinefest if you live down that way.
Gallery36 is a not-for-pro�t organisation dedicated to showcasing emerging artists and photographers from around New Zealand and now also Kiwi emerging artists and photographers working internationally. The quarterly e-zine offers an opportunity for exposure for those still �nding their feet in their career who are passionate about art and photography and the role it plays in our society and culture. Gallery36 is dedicated to providing like-minded people with pro�les of emerging artists and photographers they will love to read about, packaged up in an easily accessible format that supports our planet by saving trees. Here at Gallery36 we want YOU to be pro�led. Say what your work is about, what your passion is, and/or what in�uence you want to leave behind. This is your opportunity to be showcased and put yourself out there! If you are an artist or photographer who wants to be pro�led, please submit (Approx 300 words and up to 4 photos of your works (plus a photo of yourself, if you wish to), and email all this to editor@gallery36.co.nz. Please remember to label your photos with the name, year of creation, medium and size. Join our email database so you don’t miss out on each publication. Just email me at editor@gallery36.co.nz with join mailing list in the subject line. So enjoy reading, and don’t forget to share it with your friends! Regards Selene Simcox Editor Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Amy Melchior
Artist
M: 027 404 1230 E: amymelchior@gmail.com W: southcoastgallery.co.nz
“I am not going to look for the reason why certain beings have a pressing need to paint. Art exists alone for its own sake and it does not need a reason” - Michel Tapies I was born in Wellington in 1974 and grew up in Hawke’s Bay. I moved to Sydney when I �nished high school and lived there for 3 years. I came home, met my partner and together we traveled around Asia, living in Laos for a while. We returned to NZ to have our �rst boy. We then went back overseas travelling to Asia, Europe, Morocco and India. I am now living in Auckland with my two boys Zephyr, Luka and partner Jeff. I am a self-taught artist and have experience in painting, photography and all forms of printmaking especially etching and lithography. I paint in encaustic, the ancient process of infusing pure pigments in beeswax. I have been working in this medium for the past 5 years. I �nd the practice very intriguing. Wax is a fascinating medium. The �nished surface of Encaustic has a transparency and depth that draws the viewer in with a unique luminosity and richness of colour and a sensuous smell that evokes the natural origins of the beeswax. Primarily forms and structures in nature, both on land and in the ocean, inspire me as a starting point for my compositions.
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Amy Melchoir Underworld (detail) 2010 Encausticbeeswax, damar, pigment, ink 2200 diameter
The Process I begin by �ltering raw beeswax through muslin before adding damar resin, (a pine resin used for hardening the wax) and then straining it again into small tins. Next, I add powdered pigments to create any colour or saturation I desire. I begin application with a brush then fuse each successive layer with a heat gun. In the moment when the surface is made liquid again I can bring images through from layers beneath, making them �oat towards me. Sometimes I scrape back partial layers of the wax. Other times I like to etch and scribe �ne detail into the surface to draw out aspects of the image. There are many new and constantly evolving possibilities of form that appear as I manipulate the wax. Current Work As an artist who needs and admires bees, I am currently creating a body of work that investigates the global plight of the humble bee and the effects that colony collapse syndrome is having on the ecosystem through lack of pollination. In reaction to this I have engineered a “Garden of Eden” - a lush world where gardens are �ourishing. Seedpods spill from the sky, wild hives drip with waxy honey, pollen pods hang and �owers �ow with nectar. They inhabit a kind of utopian realm that pays homage to this precious creature, the honeybee.
Amy Melchoir Ethereal Beauty (detail) 2010 Encaustic-beeswax, damar, pigment, ink 450mm x 600mm
Amy Melchoir Garden For The Honey Bees 2010 Encaustic-beeswax, damar, pigment, ink 450mm x 600mm
Amy Melchoir Hive Flowers 2010 Encaustic-beeswax, damar, pigment, ink 600mm x 700mm
Emily Hlavac-Green
Creative Photographer & Artist M: 027 327 7293 E: miss.hlavac@gmail.com W: emilyhlavac.blogspot.com
As a photographer I feel it is my duty to understand the medium, to use the camera knowingly and appreciate the photograph’s power over the depiction of reality. Henri Cartier-Bresson once described the photograph as the ‘decisive moment’ but is this still relevant in today’s media-saturated world? Our manipulation or even careful selection of what is or isn’t in a photograph can change the way it is interpreted by its viewers. Even by taking a photo we are creating a single frame in time, abstracting from reality and removing from its original three-dimensional context. Devoid of any actual moving image, my most recent artwork ‘StillMoving’ rests in the space between cinema and photography. The movement stems from action, rather than relying on a motion picture; and becomes a still image where movement is propelled by the viewer. The large scale photographic installation appears as a backlit screen, though on closer viewing is evidently multiple layers of transparent images which tell a story. Focus is taken away from the cinematic and given back to the photographic.
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Many of my other two dimensional photographic works are in�uenced in style by Emily Hlavac-Green Still Moving 2008 Digital C-type print
Gregory Crewdson. I am drawn to working in a way which draws on the deliberate arti�ce of cinema to give a narrative tone to constructed scenes on dystopia. Essentially I will consider that I am making a photo, rather than simply taking a photo and it is this understanding and control over the believability of an image which can give it an edge. Time is static, but alluded to through, like cinema, the foreboding sense that something or someone is just around the corner. But what is it about? Perhaps we will never truly know. After all, an image can only ever be a representation; it is never the actual thing it is depicting, never the actual event that took place. The only actuality to which the image can be assigned is its indexical factor;
that it is no more ‘real’ than the silver emulsion on paper, or the pixel on a screen. We can choose to challenge this, or embrace this. I believe that there is a place for the creative photograph, even in a commercial realm, as long as we tread with caution. A camera is a tool for making an image, and, when taken too seriously, can get into a lot of trouble.
Emily Hlavac-Green The Plot Thickens 2008 Digital C-type print
Emily Hlavac-Green The Plot Thickens ii 2008 Digital C-type print
Emily Hlavac-Green Vogel 2008 Digital C-type print
Emily Hlavac-Green Lajetee 2008 Digital C-type print
Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Ian Peter Weston
Artist
Since moving to Auckland, and in particular over the last two years, I have been concentrating on the task of turning my studio practise into a daily activity. I do not earn my living as an artist but at least emotionally art belongs deep within the centre of my being. Inherent to my work, and also as part of a critical and theoretical background, I am interested in trying to specify just what it is about in a particular ‘event’ that holds it beyond words. Just what is it that is experienced? How is it experienced? This has been a consistent line of investigation over the years and has been carried out within an extended
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M: 021 136 9593 E: ianpeterweston@yahoo.co.nz W: flickr.com/photos/ianpeterweston
practise across a range of media - particularly painting, photography, and construction works - and all of which I tend to think of as ‘drawing’. Recently, I have been investigating the question of parallax effects within the processes of making and viewing paintings. Ian Peter Weston Head #72 Gayaneh (detail) Paint and And which offer the possibility of defeating other stuff on gypsum 117x117cm the apparent ‘gestalt’ instantaneousness which resist action of a ‘�at’ painting’s an easy summation of content. instantaneousness. I aim to adopt And so demand an engagement painterly strategies centred on of questioning and vigilance from thickness in order to emphasise both maker and viewer as to the the paint’s ‘faktura’ and deploy workings of the painting. this within a pictorial �eld. A I do not intend the development �eld which is not �at but is of yet another ideology. But in in fact folded and which may fact work towards constructing usefully be termed a ‘tableaux’. a strategy of avoidance in This application of such parallax order to resist the hegemony effects results in the painting of that ideology of ‘imagery’ possessing a multitude of the
and ‘spectacle’ which is so prevalent within contemporary culture. I do think, however, that painting is able to maintain a kind of critical distance which seems problematic through ’new’ media and therefore has the possibility to inhabit a radical and critical position of questioning. Oh, and I do love that smell of oil paint!
Ian Peter Weston Head #71 Writing The Letter, Too (detail) Paint and other stuff on gypsum 117x117cm
Ian Peter Weston Painting #5 (detail) 191x54x6cm
Ian Peter Weston Painting #4 (detail) 191x53x5cm Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Paul Brunton
Artist
M: 021 078 8712 E: paul.renaissance.man@gmail.com W: royal-indulgences.co.nz Growing up with an extended family that included several architects, a professional sculptor and a couple of amateurs as well as a few painters certainly meant I had an early exposure to the arts and this provided me with a wealth of childhood impressions. As a result I was always sketching, drawing and doodling, basically expressing the creativity I had contained and constrained within me in a variety of ways. Having grown up with a love of the sea and sailing I gravitated into a career in the marine industries and eventually into Super Yachting where I rose to the position of Captain. This was an exciting and adventurous lifestyle at times and being con�ned to the small spaces onboard pushed me to start work again on a variety of smaller works (sketches, water colours, marlinspike, etc). A bonus of the travel was exposure to a range of excellent venues, styles and in�uences. One particularly memorable place was the Guggenheim! However it was not just the works as much as the venues, and the people in their surroundings that inspired me. Whilst on leave at home in Auckland I visited the 2005 Wood Sculpture Live Exhibition - unfortunately I had missed the actual carving but I met Paci�ca-inspired carber Tui Hobson who was still working on a piece and was able to discuss it with her. Tui inspired me to obtain one of the leftover logs from the event and have a go at Monumental Wood Carving. That piece Timata – (New Beginning) was a success. It was installed in the newly made corner of my garden.
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Paul Brunton Two Become One Rimu, stainless steel, steel, bearings, varnish
In Christmas 2007 my partner and I retired from yachting and since our homecoming I have been working on a variety of pieces. Also importantly I had the fortune to participate in the Wood Sculpture Live 2009 event at the Lake House. This was a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure to the talents of some of New Zealand’s foremost practicing sculptors.
Paul Brunton Maui Macrocarpa, oil, stainless steel
Paul Brunton Pohouk Pohutukawa, wax, oil
Paul Brunton Smoke Macrocarpa, stainless steel, steel, bearings, varnish
In�uencing my works is a strong affinity to water that doesn’t stop at the involvement with yachts. I have been a keen yacht racer since an early age and I also enjoy sur�ng, diving, windsur�ng and kite-sur�ng. My sensitivity to the �ow of the water and weather has become highly re�ned in playing Tai Chi, with its emphasis on �uid movements, �owing technique, the use of skill and applied force rather than brute strength. This has resulted in a range of works that re�ect a strong connection to nature and the �uidity of life.
Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Erin Currie M: 021 689 817 W: ecphotography.co.nz I have been taking photos since I was a child, when I was given a camera as a present. The new digital age has meant that the cost of �lm is no longer stopping me from doing something I love and I am �nally following my dream of being a professional photographer. I see the world through my camera, even if I’m not looking through the lens. Everywhere we go there is beauty and textures, shapes, colours, and stories to capture. I am really interested in capturing the quirks of people and nature. I prefer to capture someone as they are going about their normal lives, getting that “spur of the moment” shot, the one that shows someone
Photographer
Erin Currie Curls 2009 2592x3888pixels
laughing or crying or thinking. Children are especially wonderful for this. Their emotions are always showing. I think that the human body is an amazing form and we should be proud of how we look. The photos I take show the real person, without any make over or airbrushing. It is a self-grati�cation of mine to when someone looks at their own photos and tells me that they never knew they could look like that, or that I have made them feel really good about
themselves. I also love the more sensual and the darker side of human behaviour - the eroticism and fetishes that people have. Capturing moments of people completely abandon all self-consciousness, allowing themselves the experience of
pleasures in whatever it is they enjoy. I have discovered that people love to see themselves like this, so I have made it an integral part of my art practice. My aim is to capture the magic of life and share that with anyone who wishes to see it. Erin Currie Whakatane Heads 2009 3888 x 2592 pixels
Erin Currie Tigger 2008 2592 x 3888 pixels
Erin Currie A glimpse of purple 2009 3412 x2592 pixels
Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
David Hilliam
Artist/Sculptor
M: 021 241 4133 W: vicki.hilliam@vitaco.co.nz
Born in 1959, I grew up in east Auckland; I now live as part of the hill tribe of Titirangi, West Auckland. I have had a strong interest in art since my school days and enjoy drawing & photography, construction and building. My career is in landscape construction and design. In the last 5 years all these interests have blended into my interest in nail and wood sculptures. I am completely self-taught and think of myself as a weekend warrior artist! And I’m happy to keep it that way so there is no pressure then to keep producing. A lot of my ideas and the work I am doing come from my observations, involvement with, and inspirations from nature, plants, and gardens - all of which explores my interest in natural forms and patterns. ‘Pod 2’ represents growth and abundance, although generally I don’t really think about any intrinsic meaning in each piece, the motivation is just to make it. I enjoy the physicality of constructing something, the feel of the materials and the sculpture as it develops. Meaning may come later and people may also develop their own thoughts and feelings about my work. One concept that particularly rings true for me is the
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David Hilliam with his winning artwork: Pod No. II TCAC Emerging Artists Awards 2010
K Road Artwalk
Japanese concept of ‘wabi-sabi’. Pared down to its lowest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of �nding beauty in the imperfection and profundity of nature – of accepting the natural cycle of growth, death, and decay. It is a simple, slow and uncluttered way of looking at things, and reveres authenticity above perfection. It celebrates cracks, crevices, and all other marks and imperfections on items that time, weathering and loving use leave behind. In using salvaged and recycled materials I revere these imperfections in each piece.
Tiger Translate 2010 is moving to a new home – with stages and gallery spaces spread over three �oors. Pitch us your artistic vision for one of those spaces and give the and winning David Hilliam Pod No. II 2010we’ll Macrocarpa nailsentry $500.00 for materials, and $2000.00 as a thank you! We’ll also be showcasing artworks from loads of other people too, as well as music from DJKENTARO (Japan), Muscles (Live) (Melbourne), The Naked & Famous, The Turnaround vs. The Hit It & Quit It, and more. The theme for this year’s event is „Balance’ - striking a balance between the various elements that occupy our lives has always been at the heart of Asian value systems. We would like the artwork concepts to capture the theme “Balance” in the context of East meets West. If you are interested in entering the art competition, please contact entries@peadpr.co.nz to receive details of the brief and how to submit your artwork concept for the competition. Entries close Sunday 28 February 2010. For more info, please visit www.tigerbeer.co.nz Tiger Translate 2010 takes place March 20, at the Masonic Lodge & The Winchester, St Benedicts St, Newton.
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Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Introducing
SCAN Collective SCAN Collective consists of four like minded emerging artists who met while studying at Elam School of Fine Arts. Each artist is from a different geographical background, originating from four corners of the globe. Although the artists’ diversity of experiences, conceptual lines of enquiry and processes vary, their emphasis when exhibiting together is to explore the universal links and intersection of ideas built around a common theme.
, Suzan, Anna & Nina SCAN Collective: Catherine
Even when exhibiting collaboratively, each artist’s work still retains a unique sense of place within New Zealand’s contemporary art scene.
The team: Suzan Lee e: suzan.lee@xtra.co.nz My art practice currently lies with an intrigue in the idea of ‘nomadic transience’ and questions the themes of ‘freedom and restriction’ associated within social realities of today. Using well worn clichés such as ‘As Free as a Bird’, I seek to challenge the general perception and query its validity. In recent work I have drawn on the notion of birds as a symbol of freedom, autonomy and beauty. The installation brings into play of birds made with wire mesh which are represented in full �ight to evoke a sense of freedom. En masse, they trigger a hint of untamed aggression for survival, but each however, is constrained in �ight by its own materiality and making.
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Suzan Lee As Free As a Bird Installation 2010
Catherine Hendricks Estuary II 2010 Oil on board 150 x 75cm
Catherine Hendricks e: cath.hendricks@ clear.net.nz A fascination with the complexity of lines and structures produced in mapping is expressed in my art practice. Utilising several of the more traditional marks, alongside my own, establishes a foundation for my personal maps. The complexity of these largely organic marks encompassing the lines, traces, and patterns of this map-making process. These maps are the wisps of memories of displacement, trails through the past, merging with the present. These process-driven works in oil paint on canvas, board or paper generate the initial foundation for the image. This procedure is controlled within speci�c parameters, but the results produced are random and mostly unpredictable. I respond to these unforeseen marks, expanding, revising and reworking, taking back control of the work. Layers and details are added, line, repetition, pattern and space, stressing the many layers of memory, emphasising the relationship between the past and present.
Anna T. McLeod Flex 2009 Wood and lycra 160 x 100cm Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Anna T McLeod e: anna.t.mcleod@gmail.com My art practice investigates oppositions of existence, speci�cally the relationships between the organic/inorganic, micro/macro, inside/outside. In my current work, this concept has been extended to explore the skin as the liminal boundary between the self and the environment, and the codependence between the underlying support structure and corresponding outer membrane. Abstracted bodily forms extend into architectural space. The negative spaces surrounding the skeletal supports are enveloped, creating tension and potentiality between materiality and form. Working across the disciplines of painting, sculpture and site speci�c installation allows me to employ varying methodologies in exploring these concepts. My sculptural works echo Constructivism, and are assembled using a DIY aesthetic. The work is informed by research into biomorphic design, and the inherent architecture within biological systems.
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Nina Levesque e: nina.levesque@xtra.co.nz My penchant for re-inventing mundane ‘everyday’ objects is articulated by the in�nite new possibilities, resultant effects and illusions created, as a transformed object supersedes its original form. Systematically working with juxtaposing elements, my work is interwoven with metaphor and ambiguity, shifting between representation and abstraction. Through a culmination of processes, I endeavour to reveal the complexities and
Nina Levesque Cadence 2010 Ink and silver leaf on paper 54 x 54cm
new dimensions to which the original is experienced. Using predominantly monochromatic tones, the processes, although often governed by strict methodical restraints, habitually produce unpredictable and intriguing results. I believe we have a subconscious urge to make sense of what we see, and by retaining a sense of the familiar within unfamiliar constructs. I attempt to challenge and explore perceptions and ideas about what we think we see.
Digital Artist
M: +31 6 3024 7998 E: me@nigelupchurch.com W: nigelupchurch.com
Amsterdam
I left New Zealand four years ago as a furniture designer, but things shifted as I struggled to make a living for myself in Europe. I found myself making the transition from tangible products to video work and it’s been an exciting time. The new culture of video art spawned by Vimeo and YouTube continues to amaze me, providing an endless stream of engaging Nigel Upchruch Asteroids content to my inbox every day. remains for making stuff that looks nice. I’ve now been working as a digital artist in Gigantik for example creates a mythical alter Amsterdam for two years, making my buck in ego for our planet, but it is also an exercise in the advertising industry where I’m paid to make graphical style - a world described in its own beautiful images and animations. Advertising language. work is inherently for very glib causes, so in my down time I experiment and create my own. Asteroids – A Love Story, is all encapsulated A large chunk of my current personal work in the title. Everyone’s got a soft spot for the re�ects the growing interest in storytelling and vintage vector classic. I gave the arrow-shaped narrative that you would expect from my recent spaceship a human sense of movement and a shift in medium. I feel narrative only provides love interest and thus took on a life all of his half of the story though; my old love still own. 19
Emerging artists and photographers working abroad
Nigel Upchurch
Emerging artists and photographers working abroad
Rear Window was inspired by the Hitchcock �lm of the same name and the suburban view from the window of my Amsterdam apartment. To my joy it was also short-listed in the Getty Images Mishmash video competition. Check out my work at www.nigelupchurch.com. It all looks much better at 25 frames per second! Nigel Upchurch Gigantik
Nigel Upchurch Rear Window
Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Metonymy 2010 – forging new creative connections Over 112 artists, performers and writers will take part in this year’s Metonymy project. The successful artists, announced at the beginning of July, have been introduced to their creative ‘partners’ and are now developing their collaborations. The idea of a ‘creative blind date’ has sparked the imagination of artists in Auckland and beyond. Organisers Christian Jensen, Rosetta Allan, James Allan, Meng Koach and Renee Liang are excited at the quality and range of artists who are participating, among them such recognisable names as artist John Eaden, poets David Eggelton and Janet Charman, writer Siobhan Harvey, musicians Otis Mace and Karen Hunter, and comedian Philip Patston.
Metonymy aims to increase links
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The results will be exhibited at Corbans Estate Arts Centre in Henderson from September 2nd to October 17th in a curated show along with a series of performance events. A panel of respected artists and writers – Sam Sampson, John Daly-Peoples, Riemke Ensing, Christine O’Brien and Simon Ingram will select the
works for exhibition. There is no restriction on the range or form of the creative outputs – and the organisers are excited about the potential results. “We’ve asked the artists to consider a range of genres – producing for example not only a visual work, but also a book or performance from the same idea,” organiser Renee Liang says. “They might even pick up new skills from each other!” The organisers hope that some pairs will form lasting creative
Daniel Larsen and Ronald Andreassend 2009
What’s on
The pairings are diverse; actors are paired with composers, poets with object artists, sculptors with spoken word performers.
between creative disciplines by matching visual artists (the de�nition is broad) to literary artists. Over the next two months the 56 pairs will combine their talents in what is hoped will be a creative explosion. “The idea is that artists from different disciplines will spark off each other, making work that neither would otherwise have made,” organiser Christian Jensen said.
What’s on
partnerships, as some in previous years have done. They also hope that bene�ts will come from having so many creative practitioners from different disciplines interacting, forming a super-community of artists who work together. ‘Meet and greet’ evenings are held during the collaboration period so that artists can meet others outside their pairing and chat about or troubleshoot their ideas and proposed projects. Performance events (music, spoken word and devised theatre) during the six week exhibition period will also build a sense of creative community.
Anita Glucina and Genevieve Maclean 2009
The project, now in its third successful year, looks set to continue. From being hosted at Cross St Studios in 2008, it made the big leap to the Aotea Centre in 2009 and is now making its Western debut at Corbans Estate Arts Centre (CEAC), where it will be featured as part of the annual Going West literary festival. “It’s an old concept, but we believe that the more people work together, the stronger the community can be,” organiser Rosetta Allan says. The organisers volunteer their time, and have worked hard to ensure that key sponsors are in place. Metonymy has also received funding from Auckland City Council through its Creative Communities scheme. For an updated list of performance events and Meet and Greet evenings, see the website at metonymy.weebly.com, or email the organisers on metonymyproject@gmail.com.
Renee Liang and Meng Koach Making Time 2009 Installation shot
METONYMY: Opens: Thurs 2nd Sept, 6pm | Sept 3 – Oct 17 Metonymy is an annual Auckland-wide collaboration project, now in its third year. It is creative blind dating in which artists from different disciplines – visual, literary, �lm, dance, theatre – are matched and given six weeks to create a work. Work in the exhibition will be selected by a panel of senior artists and writers including Christine O’Brien, Riemke Ensing, Simon Ingram and John Daly-Peoples. Organisers: James Allan, Rosetta Allan, Ya-Wen Ho, Christian Jensen, Meng Koach, Renee Liang In association with the Going West Books and Writers festival
What’s on
Illuminating the Community A community Art Adventure www.artinthedark.co.nz When you meet Celia Harrison, Art in the Dark creative mastermind, it is hard not to fall madly in awe of her. With her achievements to date you might expect to have to navigate a creative mega-ego, yet instead she is bafflingly modest. Although perhaps this is because rather than bask in the glory of her successful former showcases at Splore and Urbis Design Day, she is constantly thinking ahead to the next major project - namely, Art in the Dark. Not much time for any ego growing. The Art in the Dark concept - exploring and exploding the ideas of community, environment and utopias - began as an ambitious idea to turn a university thesis into a bright reality and put Celia’s philosophy into practice; developing
and transforming community via an interactive event. Enigmatic art terminology aside, the plan was to create an event that would help the local area re-discover what it is to be a caring, sharing neighbourhood again. To make an interesting challenge for the artists, and to generate impressive projects, it was decided that the event would be held at night in Western Park. Any performance piece, installation or artwork would have to illuminate the dark, reclaiming a space that is otherwise wise to avoid for the evening. And the entire event would need to be environmentally friendly, using an artistic platform to deliver a message of sustainability to the wider community.
Ride-In Emily Priest and Celia Harrison
What’s on
The Art in the Dark Committee Adelle Rodda, Katherine Patrick, Julia Holmes, Celia Harrison, Kate Murphy and Hannah Cooke
Look out for Art in the Dark coming to a neighborhood near you Celia’s vision has attracted an amazing array of artists. Visitors to the event will be able to explore an incredible variety of works: they’ll see local actors Chelsie PrestonCrayford (recent star of Gaylene Preston’s acclaimed Home By Christmas) and Barnie Duncan, (hilarious in last months’ The Irrefutable Truth about Pet Food) performance outside of an antique public toilet; they’ll be able to power Celia and Emily Priests’ own creation, Ride In, a pedal powered cinema which will showcase the work of local �lmmakers; wander amongst light installations strung through trees by Jun Tsujimoto, Callum Dowie and Hamish Stirrat; witness a twelve-rider strong cycling performance led by Barbara Grace; take a ride on Katya Masanja’s man-powered carousel; and visit Shay Launder’s very special solar powered swing. There will be poetry readings, story-telling, more collaborative, interactive and inspiring works than you can shake a stick at.
And so, with 22 con�rmed artists from a variety of disciplines, Art in the Dark has evolved. For a weekend in October Western Park will be illuminated by installations, projected short �lms, and performances and the park will transform into an environmentally friendly community hub, which, Celia hopes, will inspire all involved to continue to work towards creating a utopia in their own communities.
Art in the Dark October 2010
www.artinthedark.co.nz �nd us on facebook email. celia@artinthedark.co.nz
Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
Key Information 4th - 11th September 2010 10:00am – 5:00pm 12th September 2010 10:00am – 2:00pm Tickets $5 on the door for adults, free for children and school students The Franklin Arts Festival is one of the most well known and celebrated events on the annual calendar with many artists entering their works into the various sections and hundreds of art lovers pouring through the Town Hall doors. It was with absolute horror that many read the article in the paper recently calling for urgent help, or the Festival would be snuffed. For the �rst time in it’s 20-year history the Festival looked in real danger of being suspended due to committee members standing down and a depleted volunteer base. Luckily, few were prepared to see the �ame go out and passions ignited. There are now over 20 new �red up committee members ready to see not only the continuation of this Festival, but also to spark growth in many exciting areas that had not previously had the resources
to �ourish. A new President and Secretary were elected and new faces joined the existing members to job share the different sections that keep expanding each year. The Festival will have the opening night on the 3rd of September and run from the 4th to the 12th of September. Thanks to everyone who have put their hands up - it turned into a vibrant and colourful �rst meeting where the true meaning of making it happen was at the forefront of everyone’s minds. There is nothing like a near death experience to breathe new life and get the �ghting spirit �aring again.
Franklin: The Centre, 12 Massey Ave, Pukekohe Phone: 09 238 8899 | E-mail: info.fact@xtra.co.nz www.franklinarts.org.nz | www.franklinartsfestival.com
Pukekohe Town Hall Cnr Massey Ave and Edinburgh Street, Pukekohe
Opening Night & Awards Ceremony 3rd September 2010 7.00pm
Tickets $25 per person, available from Franklin: The Centre (12 Massey Avenue, Pukekohe)
2009 Supreme Award Winner: Melody Brook’s Waiting His Turn
Major Art Fashion Art Event to Celebrate the 21st Birthday of the Franklin Arts Festival The Franklin Arts Festival turns 21 this year! It has been decided to celebrate this milestone and to further enhance the annual art festival week with a large scale Steven Ball unpacks some glamorous event one of the garments for the of high octane show. Photo: Reiko Hata fabulousness. Nothing is more fantastic and mesmerising than a clever hybrid of high fashion and art. Therefore we are hosting an Art Couture Competition where �nalists get selected for a fashion event at Franklin: The Centre.
new series of avant-garde garments by well known local Wearable arts artist Yanny Split. Yanny Split is a contributor for this show and also the judge. The host of this evening will be the ultra outrageous and super fabulous Drag Artiste Miss Elibra Fleur from Auckland! Expect some fantastic twists and turns. Tickets for this event will be for sale on behalf of the Franklin Arts Festival at Artefact, Franklin: The Centre and will be $20 per person, because the event is in the foyer space – there will be limited tickets. Tickets on sale from 16th of August 2010.
The theme will not be ‘wearable art’ like we know it, where costumes and other paraphernalia are worn. The emphasis will be on avant-garde garments of a couture nature made from non traditional materials. i.e. not necessarily (but also not excluding) cloth and fabric. Then on the 27th of August we will have a big fashion show with the works of some high pro�le New Zealand Artists, Steven Ball and a
Garments made by New Zealand Artist Rueben Paterson for Art Couture. Photo: Reiko Hata
Other Interesting Points: The New Zealand Steel Gallery (http:/ /www.franklinarts.org.nz/Exhibitions/ NewZealandSteelGallery.aspx) will be hosting an exhibit for the duration of the festival, celebrating the past 21 years. On loan for this exhibit are some of the top prize-winning works of art from over the years, as well as a collection of past festival artifacts (such as old photos, festival posters, and newspaper clippings) The Supreme Award winning artwork (the piece that wins above all categories) will this year be auctioned on Trade Me. The winner will be announced on opening night (3rd September) and all details of the auction will be available on our website (www.franklinartsfestival.co m) on the �rst morning of the festival (4th September). We envision this will be a fantastic way for the winning piece to be available to own not only for those who visit the festival and fall in love with the piece, but the whole of New Zealand. We will be having several artists practising their craft throughout the duration of the festival. These range from woodturners, bead artists, weavers, a foot & mouth painter, a mosaic artist and a sculptor. Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010
First Thursdays is back and teaming up with some great local collectives to be bigger and better than ever! Now a larger quarterly event, First Thursdays will relaunch on Thursday 2 December 2010, with subsequent shows on the months of March, June and September 2011. K Road will come alive on a Thursday night with a craft market hosted by Foxes (www.foxes.co.nz), poetry readings, live musical and dance performances, and DJs from George FM. And the highlight of course will be some of NZ’s most exciting emerging artists who will be exhibiting in a ten-day gallery show at Te Karanga Gallery. Plus, with all of St. Kevin’s and neighbouring shops opening late hours w/ special treats and discounts on the night, this is an event not to be missed! ARTISTS Artists selected for First Thursdays will be featured in a 10-day exhibition at Te Karanga Gallery, a feature on our website, and promotion on our social networks. What’s more you get to join in on the fun and connect with other creative minds! We welcome and encourage any strong emerging artist of any medium and discipline to apply! HOW TO APPLY Contact Meghan Geliza at �rstthursdaysnz@gmail.com with the subject line
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“Submission: Your Name” and include a 100-word bio along with 2-3 images of your work. Application deadline is Friday 1 October 2010. Your work will be judged along with the other submissions. Deborah White from White Space Gallery will be making the �nal artist selections which will be announced mid October. We’re always looking at submissions for future shows though but if you want to be included on the December show, don’t miss the deadline! OTHER CREATIVES Seeking passionate, creative individuals with fresh and intriguing perspectives. We welcome dancers, musicians, DJs and poets! First Thursdays offers a unique opportunity to emerge into the Auckland art scene. We’re all about fostering a tight-knit arts community, connecting people and spreading new ideas. What you’ll get: a Thursday night exposing your awesome talents to 1000+ event goers! HOW TO APPLY Contact Cleo Barnett at cleombarnett@gmail.com Check us out on the web at www.�rstthursdays.co.nz and @�rstthursdays on Twitter!
What’s Call for on Artists
First Thursdays Artists Wanted!
Art competition September 1st - exhibition opens 9th October September is Pain Awareness Month. A unique event comes to Auckland and participating regions for the �rst time. Pain Awareness Month began in the United States �ves years ago and will be promoted throughout September with an exciting live and online event organised by someone who lives in chronic pain. In honour of those who deal with pain every day of their lives, Pain
Awareness Month is holding an art competition created to raise awareness of the lives of those in pain, sharing knowledge about how best to deal with pain conditions, and raising awareness and money for the charities that support those in pain.
musicians, acrobats and actors and a silent auction of the winning pieces from the competition. At the conclusion of Pain Awareness Month a panel of judges will pick the successful entries for the exhibition with the proceeds going to the charity of the artist’s choice.
Successful entries will be exhibited on the 9th October at Tabac in Auckland CBD. The evening will include performances by amazing
The competition is open to everyone; those with chronic pain and those without, professional artists and passionate amateurs. The theme is to show Art Inspired By Pain. It’s broad so as to include more of the aspects of chronic pain – the good things it can bring as well as the bad. Participants are invited to submit art from any medium, though entries need to be displayable online. Submissions should include 3 photographs of the work and a completed entry form available from www.painmonth.co.nz. Entry forms should be emailed to art@painmonth.co.nz. Mailing details are
What’s Call for on Artists
Pain Awareness Month
Gallery36 – becoming part of New Zealand’s heritage The National Library is working on growing the nation’s documentary heritage collections by depositing copies of published work with the National Library. The National Library collects publications, published in New Zealand, to ensure that this material is preserved, protected and made accessible (as appropriate) for all the people of New Zealand. By using a system called Legal deposit, the provision in law that has enabled the National Library to collect and preserve New Zealand’s documentary heritage since 1903, requiring print publishers to provide copies of their publications to the National Librarian. The Legal Deposit Office, located in the National Library, administers the system. The extension of legal deposit to electronic documents means that the National Library began collecting this publishing form www.natlib.govt.nz
from 12 August 2006 for inclusion in the nation’s documentary heritage collections. Material published on the Internet: • a copy is permanently preserved in the National Library’s digital archives • if the material is published without restriction, the National Library will make it accessible to the public • if the material is published with restrictions, the National Library will make it accessible to up to three people at a time Publications are also listed in the New Zealand National Bibliography (NZNB) which is used by libraries and booksellers in New Zealand and major libraries overseas to identify items they wish to purchase. The NZNB can be accessed from our website.
Thank you National Library of New Zealand.
available on the website. Once received, they will be posted on the website forum and on the Pain Awareness Month facebook page, for public comments and to be voted on for the peoples choice awards presented throughout the competition. At the end of the month, votes will be tallied and the entry with the most votes in total will be made part of the silent auction on the 9th October along with the entries chosen by our panel of judges. The organiser, Hannah Gross saw a need to bring Pain Awareness Month to New Zealand. She is a 28yr old who has had Fibromyalgia now for 12 years. Fibromyalgia is a disorder of the central nervous system which causes widespread pain and health issues. In that time she has been fully functioning and working full-time and bedridden, unable to even support herself upright. When she sought treatment both in New Zealand and the USA, and noted the public reaction to her condition; that the majority of people don’t know what it is, and the �rst reaction to hearing the words ‘chronic pain’ tends to be disbelief or fear. People wishing to participate in the competition, volunteer assistance with Pain Awareness Month or for general enquiries please contact Hannah at nix@painmonth.co.nz or 021 909839. Gallery36 | Vol 2. No. 3 2010