Artist in Residence: Tara Gilbee

Tara Gilbee concluded her stay at the Carss Park cottage as part of the Georges River Artist in Residence program in January. During her residency, Tara explored the fluctuation of water and time and focused on the Georges River as a prime location where water and urban spaces intersect.

Describe your recent Artist in Residence experience. “I gave an artist talk at the residency where I explained some of my past artworks, current works and set up a ‘Camera Obscura’ in the artist residence to expand on how the pinhole cameras work and for the audience to have a direct experience of what it might be like to be inside a camera. I also enjoyed the historic and curated exhibitions at the Hurstville Museum & Gallery, the contemporary artworks woven within the First Nations history and the cultural relationship to Dharawal Country, and waterways was a highlight.

I attended Murrawarri artist, Dr Virginia Keft’s weaving workshop as part of the Guraban exhibition and left a small weaving for her collaborative artwork. I also saw the Christmas Market in Carss Park, which was a lovely time to see the community come together and celebrate the end of the year.”

What was your favourite piece from some of the collections at Hurstville Museum & Gallery?

“I was intrigued by the placing of the flint stones with the contemporary installation by Dennis Golding’s commissioned work “Remnants” from the exhibition Guraban: where the saltwater meets the freshwater.”

What was the inspiration for your art?

“It has been a very long time since I have been to Sydney, and I have not spent time in the Georges River region. So, I enjoyed finding such a diverse cultural mix and landscape to explore. The way in which it is close to the National Park, rivers and beaches makes it a wonderland to explore. I will always think of my time fondly and hope to return.”

Where to from here?

“I have shared some of my works where people have expressed intrigue and some interesting responses. I plan to return to some work I started at a large reservoir near my home and continue to look at the effects of bodies of water as reflective surfaces, the ways in which I can take direct prints and pinhole works and combine the various approaches I explored while researching and experimenting at Carss Park. I also have just installed a large set of artworks at Castlemaine Art Museum which I am pleased to share with my local community and others.”

To learn more about the Georges River Artist in Residence program, visit: georgesriver.nsw.gov.au/AIR