Strand Ephemera 2015. Education Kit.

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Education Kit The North’s Sculpture Festival Proudly Supported by Glencore

31 July - 9 August 2015


PLANNING A VISIT Free guided tours are available, and for further information, or to give feedback on education and public programs provided by the Gallery contact Perc Tucker Regional Gallery on (07) 4727 9011 or email ptrg@townsville.qld.gov.au

THE GALLERIES Townsville City Council owns and operates two premier regional galleries, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in the city’s CBD, and Pinnacles Gallery located within the Riverway Arts Centre in Thuringowa Central.

STRAND EPHEMERA 2015

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL GALLERY SERVICES PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

Strand Ephemera provides Townsville residents and visitors the opportunity to engage with contemporary art that enriches the community with its diversity and imagination. “Ephemera” means something that is temporary or short-lived. This is a creative element that artists within this exhibition have addressed.

FREE ACTIVITY BOOK AND EDUCATION KIT

PRINT PARTNER

A free Activity Book and Education Kit designed in response to this exhibition are available for all school students and members of the public.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSORS

Perc Tucker Regional Gallery Cnr. Denham and Flinders St Townsville QLD 4810 Mon - Fri: 10am - 5pm Sat - Sun: 10am - 2pm

(07) 4727 9011 ptrg@townsville.qld.gov.au www.townsville.qld.gov.au @TCC_PercTucker PercTuckerTCC

Pinnacles Gallery Riverway Arts Centre 20 Village Boulevard Thuringowa Central QLD 4817 Tues - Sun: 10am - 5pm

(07) 4773 8871 pinnacles@townsville.qld.gov.au www.townsville.qld.gov.au @TCC_Pinnacles PinnaclesTCC

COVER IMAGE: Andrew Rankin The Tree of Light 2015 300 x 400 x 150 cm Acrylic mirrors, photographs and stainless steel

IN-KIND SPONSORS

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ON THE BEACH-TOWNSVILLE


Contents

What is Strand Ephemera? 4 What is sculpture? 4 What is installation art? 5 What is site specific art? 5 What is ephemeral art? 5 Artworks Reference Map 6 - 7 Detailed Artist and Artwork Information Strand Ephemera Artists 8 - 39

Public Programs for Schools

La Luna Youth Arts': Magical Travel Box

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Sand Artists 42 3D Pavement Artists 43 LEGO Treasure Hunt 44 Key Terms 45 Teacher's Notes 46 - 47


What is Strand Ephemera? Strand Ephemera is a dynamic 10-day festival of contemporary art. Presented along the length of Townsville’s The Strand the festival features artworks created by artists from the Townsville region and across Australia. First initiated by Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in 2001, this is the eighth Strand Ephemera. Strand Ephemera offers artists the opportunity to create and develop a site-specific artwork that explores their own art practice using ephemeral materials. Many of the artists selected for this year’s Strand Ephemera have considered or reflected on issues related to the environment.

IMAGE: Andrew Rankin’s winning entry in the Strand Ephemera 2013 Photographic Competition of Rainer H. Schlüter’s award winning installation Blue Dancers (Danseuses Bleues) - Quintet Photographer: Andrew Rankin

Strand Ephemera provides Townsville residents and visitors the opportunity to engage with contemporary art that enriches the community with its diversity and imagination. “Ephemera” means something that is temporary or short-lived. This is a creative element that artists within this exhibition have addressed. Individual artists have interpreted this in different ways. For some, it may refer to the short duration of the exhibition whereas for others it may be interpreted as the short life of the artwork. Ephemera may also inspire the artists to use materials which are readily accessible or organic. Other artists have interpreted this and created an artwork that will break down over the duration of the exhibition i.e. an ephemeral artwork.

What is sculpture? A sculpture is a three-dimensional art object which has height, width and depth. Sculptures range in size and shape and may be made of any material. Artworks such as statues would be classed as a sculpture. Traditional sculpture focused heavily on depicting the human body for example, Greek marble sculptures or Michelangelo’s David 1501 - 1504. Sculpture has a rich history in art and sculptural objects have been made for thousands of years, especially for religious purposes. Think of the Venus of Willendorf, Greek marbles from the classical period or statues of Jesus on the cross. Traditionally, sculpture involved carving or modelling in materials such as stone, metal, wood and ceramics. With the emergence of Modernism art movements throughout the 20th century, artists have had more freedom to create and make sculptures from almost any material. You only have to think about one of Claes Oldenburg’s giant soft sculptures to see that sculpture is no longer bound by tradition!

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IMAGE: Venus of Willendorf


What is installation art? Installation art emerged in the midtwentieth century and often refers to three dimensional art that is designed to change a space and the interaction that a viewer has with that space. Indoor and outdoor spaces may be used and in some cases sections of land may be transformed such as Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty 1970. The viewer plays an essential role in installation art; the artist encourages an immersive experience as audiences interact with the space, walking around or through them. Installations often include sound, light, projected images, and various materials to be touched. IMAGE: Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty

What is site specific art? Art that is made specifically to exist in a particular place or space can be referred to as ‘site specific’. The artwork created might also involve the artist’s expression and response to the location.

What is ephemeral art?

IMAGE: Strand Ephemera 2013 entry Adaption by The Winged Collective

Ephemeral artworks are those created with the intention that they will not last. This idea may influence the artist’s choice of materials or way of working. The artist may work with natural materials such as ice, clay, mud, sand, salt, or any materials which may soon break down. These works may also include contemporary mediums such as sound and light or incorporate a performance element. As these kinds of artworks are impermanent they are often documented with film or photography. The recorded art work often becomes a (permanent) art object in its own right.

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Artworks Reference Map

1. ERICA GRAY Venomous Blue pg. 9

5. TANYA COVENTRY with BOWEN STATE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Colour in the Ocean pg. 13

2. PAMELA LEE BRENNER and JOHANNES MULJANA Bubble (Fountain of Zero) pg. 10

10. KAYA SULC The burden pg. 18

7. JOY HEYLEN The Silver Dragon pg. 15

13. HUGH MARTIN Mantis Rhapsody pg. 21 11. ANDREW RANKIN The Tree of Light pg. 19 14. ALISON McDONALD Shimmer pg. 22

8. EMMA ANNA IMAG_NE pg. 16

SAND 3D

3. KAREN WALTERS The Canopy of Golden Pods pg. 11

9. ELIZABETH WEST Belief pg. 17

Landsboough St.

4. CARLA GOTTGENS Oceania Botanica pg. 12

McKinley St.

Howitt St.

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? ''THE BRICKMAN' RYAN McNAUGHT pg. 43

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3D

12. MARION GAEMERS and LYNNETTE GRIFFITHS Catch 15. ANTONE BRUINSMA pg. 20 The Three Graces pg. 23

6. JAN HYNES Memorial to centennial conflict pg. 14

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3D


22. JUHÉ WIE The Ship We Are Sailing Together pg. 30

17. CAMERON RUSHTON Whale Shark pg. 25

28. LESLEY KANE, JENNI HANNA and NEIL BROOKES Wave Harp pg. 36

23. SUE TILLEY Blue Wanderer pg. 31

18. MJ RYAN BENNETT A New Face pg. 26

29. AARON ASHLEY Night as Day, Day as Night pg. 37

27. THE STRAND EPHEMERA SCHOOL PROJECT Grand Annual Winter Tour to Anywhere pg. 35

20. ELIZABETH POOLE String Things pg. 28

31. P.A.C.E. PIMLICO ART COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOUR S.O.S. pg. 39

16. ZHI QI LUO Seven Coloured Swallows pg. 24

21. DANIEL TEMPLEMAN Four Rings pg. 29

19. GABI and MICHAEL STURMAN Now You See Me... pg. 27

Fryer St.

Oxley St.

Gregory St.

Kennedy St.

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26. LANCE SEADON Boat People pg. 34 30. COMMUNITY REHAB NORTH OUEENSLAND Beach Shack pg. 38

25. MIMI DENNETT-FOUNTAIN Land Sew pg. 33 24. JULIE BENTLEY Decoys pg. 32

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Visitor Information Desk Artwork

SAND 3D

Sand Sculpture 3D Pavement Artwork Townsville Artist Market (Saturday 1 August) Weave the Reef | Love the Reef (See Programs for dates) The Pink Piano La Luna Youth Arts' Magical Travel Box LensCap Crew

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Detailed Artwork and Artist Information In 2015, Strand Ephemera will consist of 28 competitive artworks all contending for the major $10,000 Award for Artistic Excellence alongside additional artworks by invited artists. The competing artists hail from many corners of Australia, and even overseas, with their works incorporating a wide variety of materials and techniques, and exploring topics ranging from the environment, community, human rights, to celebrations of the landscape, or those who make invaluable contributions to our society. The following section details information regarding competing artists and their practice, specifics on their artwork as well as dates and times of workshops being offered by particular artists. Listed beneath each artwork are Primary and Secondary questions and activities designed to enable students to engage and reflect upon the artworks in question. For a full list of public programs offered please refer to the Strand Ephemera 2015 catalogue.

IMAGE: Emma Anna IMAG_NE 420 x 115 x 60cm Reclaimed timber, acrylic, aerated concrete

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1.

ERICA

Venomous Blue

290 x 190 x 80 cm Sculpture base, cotton, nylon, polyester, PVC materials Initially influenced by fashion and garment construction processes, Gray now utilises similar principles, bold colour, and exotic forms to produce soft sculpture. Venomous Blue takes inspiration from the Blue Ringed Octopus. Of the work, Gray states, “surprisingly it’s often the smallest and most vibrant creatures that are the most dangerous. Luckily for us, my creature is much friendlier - poke, prod or play; this one won’t harm you!” Soft sculpture is the use of cloth, foam rubber, plastic, paper, fibres and similar material to create three dimensional art that is supple and not rigid. Surrealist artists experimented with the use of fur and cloth in their work in the 1920s but artists like Yayoi Kusama and Claes Oldenberg are considered pioneers of this new way of working in the 1960s. Soft sculpture is represented in Pop Art and Installation Art, fashion and interior design. Primary: • Does this work look friendly or dangerous? • Think of another place where you this sculpture would look good as a sculpture. • Create your own soft sculpture using plastic bags, newspaper and discarded clothes. Secondary: • Consider making Venomous Blue for an outdoor public exhibition and the problems that the artist has had to address, like securing the work, durability against weather, health and safety. • Discuss the artist’s description above and the relevance of selecting the rock pool area to install her work. • Research more about soft sculpture as an art form and look at the work of Yayoi Kusama and Claes Oldenberg. Erica Gray is represented by:

Fishy Finger Puppet Workshop with Erica Gray When: Where:

Monday 3 August, 3 - 5pm Near Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving Club - The Strand

Work with exhibiting artist Erica Gray to transform fish-inspired imagery into 3D paper cut-out ‘fish finger’ finger puppets, or ‘catch of the day’ hats to wear and display.

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PAMELA LEE and JOHANNES

Bubble (Fountain of Zero)

200 x 200 x 200 cm Recycled/reused/reclaimed materials: PET plastic, bamboo, PVC pressure pipe, wood, wire, paint Based on the idea of a bubble made from the bottles that would normally contain it, quivering with promise. The zero implies low calorie; and a call for a zero carbon-nation. Over the last 10 years, Pamela Lee Brenner and Johannes Muljana have created thought-provoking installation, interactive and experimental artworks using recycled materials and technology.

A bubble is a thin sphere of liquid filled with air or another gas. The artists have captured the ephemeral nature of a bubble and have created a permanent solid work which is scaled up to over human life size. Primary: • Describe how the artists have made a sculpture that is based on the idea of a bubble. • List as many things you can which are spheres and circles. • Play a word association game starting with the word ‘bubble’. Write each word in large writing on a sheet of paper. Cut it out. Arrange all the words in the shape of a giant bubble on the wall in your classroom. Secondary: • Look at the materials used and the way the work has been constructed. How is scale integral to our experience of the work? • How does the work comment on our society and our environment?

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KAREN

The Canopy of Golden Pods

16 sculpted pods, sizes variable: Small (8): 59 x 10 x 8cm; Medium (5): 72 x 12 x 10cm; Large (3): 85 x 14 x 12cm Heart Rimu, Golden Bay Rocks, oil, steel cable with nylon braid, copper fittings Pods sold individually: Small: $1,200 each; Medium: $1,900 each; Large: $2,500 each Pods are a symbol of newness and that which is on the cusp of change. They represent life, energy and adventure. Karen Walters states, "the beginning of my sculpting career started here in Townsville when I completed my Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree in 2002. Even though I have since returned to NZ I will always be deeply connected to this place. The Canopy of Golden Pods references growth and renewal within the North Queensland landscape, and, on a deeper level, represents the beginning of a life long journey." The Native New Zealand Rimu is a protected tree and highly valued. It is a hard timber which is recognised as being extremely weather resistant and resilient. These Golden Pods have been made to be hung outdoors or indoors. Karen has maintained a full time career in art since 2006. Her work has found its way into personal and public collections throughout the world. Walters owns and runs Kereru Gallery in the beautiful seaside village of Mapua, New Zealand. Walk around and look carefully at this work and consider how it has been presented to us. Describe your immediate first impressions when experiencing this work. How does the title The Tree of Golden Pods affect our understanding of what we see? Primary: • Work together in groups to make up a story that is inspired by this work. Present each groups story in turn to each other. • Produce a list of familiar wooden objects (in buildings, at home, in our environment) and the techniques that are employed to produce them. • Explore the idea of scale in class with a drawing activity that involves students enlarging a small object to fill an A4 or A3 sheet of paper. Secondary: • Discuss the visual and emotional effects that we experience when we see something familiar recreated as something much larger – for example monuments, projected images, advertising. • Research the works of other artists who use scale and proportion in their art e.g. Ron Mueck’s human figures, Chuck Close’s portraits, Ricky Swallow’s carved still lifes.

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CARLA

Oceania Botanica

Sizes variable Digitally printed wheat pasted paper Oceania Botanica is inspired by the repetition and form of fractals found within the natural environment. Gottgens has used common sea shells, jelly fish and coral to create geometric patterns that when pasted onto the rocks will appear similar to the fossils often found embedded in rock surfaces. The artist states, “within the genre of sculpture it is often difficult to represent fragility. By responding to a specific site an artwork can blend into its surroundings and appear natural. This work reflects the fragile nature of our ocean and brings to the forefront the small delicate inhabitants of our sea beds that we take for granted because they are usually out of sight. Everything is affected by what we do on land and even though each sea creature has a natural life span our non-actions towards environmental signals will increase the slow destruction of the oceanic world.” Gottgens has exhibited nationally over the past four years within artistic collaborations and more recently as a solo artist. She has exhibited at exhibitions including Sculpture by the Sea Bondi, recently won the Stipend Award at Sculpture on the Greens, and The Toorak Village Traders Association prize at the Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition, and has produced a number of public and private commissions. As a photographer the artist is interested to expand the boundaries as to where photographic images are usually presented and where we expect to see them. By wrapping the rocks with images she is transforming a flat surface into a three dimensional form. The work is inspired by fractals and patterns in nature. A fractal is a never-ending pattern. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop. Primary: • How many different patterns can you see? • At school work in groups to create and repeat a pattern on large sheets of butcher’s paper. Display the final patterned sheets by wrapping them around objects! Or cut them up and use PVA glue to create papier mache organic shapes Secondary: • Where do we usually see photographic images presented to us? • How has the artist represented the idea of ‘fragility’? • Describe how this work is an example of site specific and ephemeral art?

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5.

TANYA with BOWEN STATE HIGH SCHOOL

Colour in the Ocean

200 x 700 x 200 cm Salvaged driftwood and ocean plastics, wire, aluminium, metal rods, nuts, star pickets, acrylic cylinder Fish sold individually, $150 each 22 fish swirl throughout the established landscape of The Strand. Constructed using salvaged driftwood and rubbish from the local beaches, each sculpture represents 100 of the 2215 endangered animals in the Pacific. An acrylic cylinder is also incorporated to inspire viewers to collect washed up beach rubbish and help clean up the ocean. The artists state, "Colour in the Ocean should come from fish not pollution. This artwork is symbolic of the 2215 species of the Pacific endangered by the actions of humanity and pollution." Working with Tanya Coventry, an artist and teacher, students from Bowen State High School passionate about keeping oceans healthy have united to create this collaboration. The technique of assemblage is the assembling of objects together to create an art work. It is like collage but with 3D objects. In art history the artist Pablo Picasso began incorporating objects into the composition of his paintings. This opened up possibilities for re-thinking what sculpture and painting could be. Primary: • Look closely at the fish and identify the materials that have been used to construct them. • What sort of man-made coloured things are in the sea that harm the oceans wild life? • Find out what plastic is made from. Make a chart that shows the process involved in producing a plastic water bottle and its life as a consumer object. What happens to it once it becomes a piece of garbage? Secondary: • Discuss how the materials chosen to create this work contribute to the message that is being communicated. • Do you think that art is an effective way of engaging people with problems in the world, like environmental issues? • Look at the works of other artists who use debris collected from the ocean to create art that comment on the environment, for example Tony Cragg, Marina Debris, Carole Purnelle & Nuno Maya.

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JAN Memorial to centennial conflict

30 x 720 x 240 cm Ethylene vinyl acetate, timber, metal fastenings, glue, acrylic paint $2000 for entire set; $40 for two figures All proceeds donated to Soldier On to support veterans experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder One hundred figures represent the one hundred years since Gallipoli. As the view of camouflaged figures changes to become targets, we are reminded that war continues today. Jan Hynes is a Townsville artist who enjoys participating in this community event having exhibited in Strand Ephemera since its origin in 2001.

Creating an artwork using many of the same shape or object is a conceptually and visually stimulating technique, often known as ‘multiples’. Describe the effect that this work creates and discuss the meaning that is being communicated. Primary: • Think of four words which describe this work. Work in groups and use all the words you have written to form four sentences. Share all the sentences created by all the groups. How has this helped in developing our responses and experience of the work? • At school, draw a picture of someone you know onto card. Cut the figure out and secure it onto a paddle pop stick. Carefully arrange and ‘plant’ all the sticks and figures into an area at your school. Secondary: • Discuss your responses to this work and to how art has been and can be a vehicle to comment on historical conflicts. • Look at the work of artist Antony Gromley’s Field of Dreams and discuss the conceptual, technical and collaborative ideas involved. Someone I Know Workshop with Jan Hynes When: Tuesday 4 August, 3 - 5pm Where: Near Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving Club - The Strand Work with artist Jan Hynes to design and make a card sculpture cut-out of someone you know. Attach your figure to a stick support and display it as part of Jan’s installation!

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JOY

The Silver Dragon 250 x 750 x 60 cm Stainless steel $20,680

The title of Joy Heylen’s artwork was inspired by the name of the longest breaking wave in the Qian Tang River. It is made up of a series of connected engineered stainless steel panels, which have been laser cut and engraved with organic elements. Each panel has been pressed and manually manipulated to create and mimic the flow of the ocean swell. Joy Heylen states of her work, "I would like to believe that my work is an interpretation of organic emotion and physical matter; exploring the relationship between the organic qualities and resistance of metal and generating a tension between the complex realism of form and the limitations and economy of the materials used." "I am intrigued by multi-positional sculpture which has been hand-crafted in the timeless method of sculpting metal with flame, combining both art and history, with a contemporary design." Drawings and sketches are often the best way to realise an idea. To achieve an idea in three dimensions artists will often make a small scale maquette (model). This is particularly helpful if the work envisaged is to be large and made from an expensive material. Primary: • Look closely at the work and describe the shape created and the material used. • What does the pattern remind you of? • Use your finger to trace in the air the continuous curve that you see. Secondary: • Consider how artists collaborate with skilled practitioners in areas like metal work and laser cutting to realise their concept and create an art work. • How are light and shadow essential part of the work? • How does the work express the sea and shore?

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EMMA

IMAG_NE 420 x 115 x 60cm Reclaimed timber, acrylic, aerated concrete

Emma Anna completed a Masters of Art (Art in Public Space) at RMIT University in Melbourne in 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communications) from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Diploma of Graphic Design from the Sydney Institute Enmore Design Centre. Her public art practice explores the various ways in which cities can be used as canvasses to inspire and affect social change. Her public work also considers possibilities for the representation of 'community' in an increasingly globalised world. The revolutionary potential of the human imagination remains her greatest inspiration. Of IMAG_NE, the artist states, "the power of imagination affords us poetic sanctuary in an often hostile world." Emma Anna works and exhibits internationally across a range of media. Her work is held in a number of international public collections and private collections in the USA, South America, Europe and Australasia. The artist has made a very large model of some tiled letters and the holder used in the game Scrabble. People can stand in the area where there is a missing letter and use themselves to represent the letter ‘I” to complete the word ‘imagine’. This gives the work its interactive popularity. Since the early 20th century artists have included words in their art to expand or change the ways images and objects can be experienced and understood. Primary: • When we read the word what does it ask us to do? • Describe the where the work has been placed in the exhibition. And how visitors to the exhibition are interacting with it. Secondary: • Discuss why this work has been used by local governments, ‘keen to set the tone for community building’. • Research the work of Australian artists who use language in their art: e.g. Gordon Bennett, Adam Cullen, Rosalie Gascoigne, Simryn Gill, Robert MacPherson and Imants Tillers.

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ELIZABETH

Belief Size variable Salvaged plastics, LEDs

Organic forms woven from colourful plastics depict a reef. Belief presents a finite environment constructed with an infinite material, illuminating contrast. West states, "Repurposed plastics are transformed into organic forms. Their scale and intricacy invite contemplation. Plastics are weaving their way into our total environment, while our choices challenge the longevity of natural wonders. Belief beckons contemplation of our relationships to resources and finite environments." Some exhibitions are curated around a particular theme or subject matter. Strand Ephemera doesn’t present artists with a specific exhibition theme, but many artists create work in response to the environment where their work will be presented. Primary: • What materials and techniques has the artist used to make this work? • Draw a detail of this work close up. Now walk a little bit away a draw it form a distance. Secondary: • Explain what the artist means when she describes her work as, “A finite environment constructed with an infinite material’. • Experiment and explore the techniques of weaving in your own work using a variety of different (and unexpected!) materials. Document details (close up) of what you produce for presentation.

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KAYA

The burden

160 x 120 x 110 cm Copper, steel Kaya Sulc was born in the Czech Republic and moved to Australia in 1951. From 1960-1963 he studied at The National Art School in Sydney. He currently lives and works in Cooroy, Queensland. His signature copper sculptures and vibrant paintings exhibit a fascination with the human form. Sulc has been the recipient of many awards and is represented in private collections in Australia, Japan, Canada, Singapore, Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland. Sulc explains, “The human figure fascinates me both as a source of complex shapes and forms and as a subject of great evocative power. In my sculpture I like to push and pull and twist and distort my figures in order to make them speak...However, my figures always remain firmly based on reality, I want them to look real in an unrealistic way; distorted, contorted, but ‘possible’, capable of life, and as such, reflecting real life in their un-realness, their ambiguity, contradiction and even absurdity. The theme of the pair, the couple, joined or separated and searching, is running through my work, the dialogue between male and the female hopefully touching on some telling points.” The term figurative art describes any form of modern art that maintains strong references to the real world and particularly to the human figure. Here the artist has exaggerated parts of the figures to express life and movement. Primary: • Mimic the poses of the figures. What might they be saying to each other? Work in pairs to act out their possible stories. • Study the human shape by working in pairs to lie on a sheet of lining paper (plain wall paper) while the other person traces around you. Use paint / textas, crayon, coloured paper to add details to the figure. Cut each of the figures them out and present them in the class room. Secondary: • Describe how the artist has used distortion as a means of expression. • Use brush and ink, 6B pencil or charcoal to explore the visual effects of exaggeration in a series of your own figure drawings.

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ANDREW The Tree of Light

300 x 500 x 250 cm Acrylic mirrors, photographs and stainless steel The Tree of Light explores our perception of light and the landscape. Mirrored disks and photographs of Cleveland Bay will rotate in the breeze. Viewers will see photographic images frozen in time along with reflected images against the backdrop of the surrounding landscape. Viewers can also interact with the images by repositioning the mirrors. How do we perceive the changing light of a landscape? How does our perception compare with that of a camera or a reflected image in a mirror?

There is a long history of how artists have attempted to capture movement in our world that never stays still. Techniques have included visual narratives where we are required to ‘read’ one scene and then another in sequence, blurring, repetition and reflection. This pursuit has involved the development of optical devises like the camera obscura, magic lantern, zoetrope and eventually photography and film. Reflections and reflective surfaces (glass, polished steel, aluminum, acrylic mirror etc.) have been employed by artists as a conceptual means to include and confront the viewer and refer to the context of artwork itself. The artist Anish Kapoor is an example of a sculptor working in outdoor and gallery spaces using reflective surfaces. Primary: • Which circles show the surroundings as being still and which ones show how it is moving? • Fix your eye on one area in the exhibition and draw six small pictures of what you see. Try and show how things you see have moved – people passing by, birds, clouds etc. Secondary: • An art work that is designed to move (manually, by wind or by a power source) is called kinetic. Write a description of this work to someone who is unable to visit the exhibitions. Emphasize what you can see and how the work both moves and captures movement.

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MARION LYNNETTE

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Catch

680 x 1830 x 270 cm Trawler net, rope, wire and other beach floatsam A funnel-like view through a large trawler net strung high between trees, a symbolic catcher of various fish and birds that are threatened by extensive fishing and floating oceanic debris. The catch consists of some marine animals that are caught and the birds that swallow plastic. The net and material the animals are made from symbolises a small percentage of the waste that is gathered from our shoreline. The sustainability of oceans supporting life is a global issue. Marion Gaemers and Lynnette Griffiths have worked together using nets and marine debris creating large scale sculptures and small works since 2010 when they worked in Indigenous communities as facilitators for Ghost Net Art Project. The artists have worked for Ghost Net Art Project and in this work they use the idea of a net as symbolising the environmental issues resulting from extensive fishing and devastating effects of plastic debris. Ghost nets are fishing nets that float in the ocean or wash up on the shore after they have been lost or abandoned. These nets can potentially harm marine life and also represent a problem for Indigenous communities in Australia. GhostNets Australia use nets collected by Indigenous ranger groups to make art and raise awareness about this issue. Primary: • Pretend you are a fish swimming in the sea and looking up at this work. What would you tell other fish about what you have seen? Secondary: • Find out more about marine debris, ghost nets and the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’. Work in pairs to produce an illustrated article in a magazine for young people to present your findings.

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HUGH Mantis Rhapsody

86 x 40 x 62 cm each Aluminium, steel, automotive paint $150 each In the wild, creatures often blend into their surroundings, but once spotted, suddenly their cover is removed...there they are, everywhere. Hugh Martin has worked variously with photography, painting, printmaking and sculpture. His most successful work, Ant Raiders (Strand Ephemera 2003), is still in production today.

How has the artist communicated the idea of camouflage in his work? Consider the site that he has selected to present his creatures. Were the insects immediately apparent to you or did you have to ‘look twice’? Primary: • Think of all the insects and animals that blend into their environment using camouflage. • At school – draw an animal that uses camouflage and cut it out. Draw several different environments/ places and position your cut out animal in the picture. Describe the differences. Secondary: • Use PVA coated gardening wire and card to create a species of animal or insect. Explore the different effects scale will create – either by working larger than life size or much smaller.

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ALISON

Shimmer

250 x 1238 x 3.5 cm: installation on three sides of the Surf Life Saving viewing platform Recycled aluminium power pole disks, marine ply, screws, plastic tube, metal brackets Glistening, sparkling, twinkling and gleaming, the water is deceptively inviting. In the same way Shimmer alludes to this whilst reflecting on the vigilance of our Surf Life Saving community. Originally from an artistic family, Alison McDonald is a Townsville-based artist who combines her passions of recycling and the environment within her art. McDonald's artwork Shimmer is a kinetic installation made of thousands of silver disks which stand out from boards attached to the SLSQ building. Each disk moves and twinkles in reflected light, whilst gently tinkling in the wind. The underside subtly reflects their iconic red and yellow off the glossy white surface. An art work that is designed to move (manually, by wind or by a power source) is called kinetic. The reflective metal disks and their movement create a shimmering that is like the surface of the sea. Primary: • What does this surface of metal disks make you think of? • What sounds does it make? Make the sounds that you can hear or the sounds you imagine the disks would make if the volume were turned up!

Secondary: • How does the work make associations with other aspects of the sea and Australian beach culture? • Experiment with the idea of creating 2D and 3D visual effect s of light reflecting on water. Use photography, collage, paint, mixed media, wire, reflective materials, etc. Alison McDonald also wishes to acknowledge the assistance of:

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ANTONE The Three Graces 45 x 300 x 350 cm Chillagoe marble

The Three Graces consists of three carved marble slabs inspired by mushroom coral. It is a symbol of hope and continuation by presenting a parent piece and two offspring. The forms appear to float, and represent the beauty and fragility of the Great Barrier Reef and humanity’s important relationship with it. A professional sculptor for more than 35 years, Bruinsma’s work is included in collections in Australia and overseas. He states, “for thirty five years now I’ve been making sculptures for landscapes and buildings in Australia and overseas. This means I work with people - developers, curators, gardeners, architects, project officers – but I also work with places. I work to intensify the value in every location. I highlight the natural qualities of the chosen site. And I clarify the social, historical and psychological factors – the desires, hopes and culture – that make each location special in the hearts of its custodians and visitors.”

The work is carved from Chillagoe marble from North Queensland and inspired by the mushroom coral found in Great Barrier Reef. The title, The Three Graces refers to the goddesses of such things as charm, beauty, and creativity in Greek mythology. These mythological goddesses have been depicted in marble by sculptors throughout Greek, Roman and Neo classical history. Primary: • What size do you think mushroom coral in the Great Barrier Reef might be? How has the artist made something so big from stone which is so strong but has expressed how frail the coral is? • In class find examples of coral in the Great Barrier Reef. Draw the coral with lots of detail and think how best to show its fragility. Secondary: • Discuss the artist statement about creating works for specific places and site. Explain how he interpreted The Strand. • Research The Three Graces in Greek mythology and how this has been a subject matter for artists throughout Western art history. What would you consider to be three contemporary ‘virtues’ and how might you represent these?

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16.

ZHI QI

Seven Coloured Swallows

300 x 800 cm Textiles, steel wire, glue, LED lighting Zhi Qi Luo has undertaken a residency in Townsville to create new work for this year's Strand Ephemera. Zhi Qi Luo is a leading artist from Townsville's Sister City, Foshan, China. Zhi Qi Luo has worked as a sculptor for more than 30 years. He is a member of the Chinese Sculpture Academy, a member of the Guangdong Provincial Artist Association, as well as Vice Director of the Sculpture Art Committee of Foshan Artist Association. As a professional artist at a national level, he now works for the Art Institute of Foshan. This project has been assisted by the following organisations and individuals: Foshan Foreign Affairs Bureau, China St Patrick’s College Simon Millcock and Adam Smith The Townsville Chinese Club Inc.

This year Strand Ephemera incudes a residency with master artist Zhi Qi Luo from Townsville's sister city Foshan, China. This is a significant milestone in the relationship between our cities, and hopefully will be the first of many more cultural exchanges in years to come. Primary: • What materials has the artist used to make this work? • What would you call the work? Secondary: • Locate Foshan on a map. What similarities are there between Foshan and Townsville? • Imagine you represent Townsville as the artist in a cultural exchange residency program. Present a proposal for an art project to take place in Foshan. Lantern Making Workshop with Zhi Qi Luo When: Sunday 9 August, 10am - 12pm Where: Parkland opposite Oxley Street - The Strand Meet visiting artist Zhi Qi Luo from Foshan in China and learn how to make a lantern.

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17.

CAMERON

Whale Shark 190 x 300 x 130 cm Mild steel

Cameron Rushton is a Townsville resident, and a tradesman plant operator. Rushton enjoys animals and worked in metals for 20 years, and in recent years has turned his hand to creating life-like steel sculptures depicting various creatures. This work is Rushton’s first entry in Strand Ephemera, and his most ambitious project to date, depicting a young whale shark in motion. Whale sharks can grow up to 14 metres and are the largest known fish species. In June 2015, a group of whale sharks were discovered on the Great Barrier Reef, north Queensland, causing much excitement amongst marine biologists. While lone whale sharks have previously been seen in the marine park, this was the first time a group had been sighted and recorded. Animals are a favourite subject for artists and audiences. The whale shark is the world's biggest fish. Despite their huge size they are docile. How has he expressed the movement of whale shark in the final sculpture? Primary: • What is your favourite animal? Think how you would make a sculpture of an animal. • Discuss the ways in which this sculpture has been made. Secondary: • Investigate the techniques required to work with metal. • Collect examples showing how animals have been portrayed through various art forms and by different cultures throughout history.

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18.

MJ

A New Face

400 x 350 x 50 cm Aluminum, steel, plastic, concrete Born in Sydney in 1970, MJ Ryan Bennett studied Applied Art majoring in Gold and Silver Smithing at Monash University, Melbourne. She continued her studies as a Design Associate within the Metal Studio at the JamFactory, Adelaide. Through this work, the artist utilises an everyday object which may be considered by some to be ugly, temporary and cheap, and creates a refined and elegant public artwork. It resonates like the story of the ‘Ugly Duckling’, waiting for change and just wanting to show its real form. This sculpture incorporates a collection of plastic chairs with a steel frame grouped together on a steel arch. The structure lends an ephemeral quality; it gives the feeling of movement and change. The artist explains that her, “artistic practice incorporates wearable art, small sculptures and larger public artworks. My work has been described as ‘sophisticated pop art’. I like to create bold yet simple forms that impart a stimulating and lasting experience. I use a diverse range of mediums including metal, shell, fabric, plastic and wood.” The term "found object" is a translation from the French objet trouvé, meaning objects or products with nonart functions that are placed into an art context and made part of an artwork. Primary: • Look closely at the materials used in this work. How many chairs can you see? • How has the artist transformed an everyday ‘ugly’ object into something new and ‘elegant’? • What does the new shape make you think of? Secondary: • Consider why the artist’s work has been described as ‘sophisticated pop art?’ • When did artists first use found objects in their work? How did the artist Marcel Duchamp use found objects to question what defined something as being ‘art’?

Cane Curving Workshop with MJ Ryan Bennett MJ Ryan Bennett also wishes to acknowledge the assistance of: Specialising in Powder Coating & Abrasive Blasting for all Domestic & Commercial Requirements

“ Over 140 Colours to Choose From”

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When: Thursday 6 August, 3 - 5pm Where: Near Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving Club - The Strand Bend and curve bamboo cane and be amazed at the organic sculptural structures that you construct. Strand Ephemera Artist MJ will guide and inspire you.


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GABI and MICHAEL Now You See Me...

300 x 350 x 120 cm Steel Thirty-four poles are vertically arranged at varying depths on a steel base. When viewed at any angle, the disjointed and seemingly random elements are puzzling. It is only when the viewer is perfectly aligned with the front of the sculpture at a predetermined focal point that an image of a cassowary and his chick come into view. The title Now you see me... omits the unstated remaining words ‘…now you don’t’. These words are left hanging in the air as we contemplate the link between this common phrase and the endangered cassowary. The cassowary is a keystone species essential for the distribution and germination of hundreds of rainforest seeds. Unfortunately, it is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, domestic dogs and motor vehicles. This sculpture aims to highlight the vulnerability of one of far North Queensland’s most iconic creatures. Gabi Sturman is a professional 3D artist specialising in multimedia sculptural works with a strong background in ceramics. Michael Sturman is an industrial chemist who enjoys fabricating metal and timber.

The fragments of shapes attached to the 34 poles can be seen as a cassowary and its chick only when the viewer is aligned in a particular place from a distance. Other optical effects that employ fragmenting are flip books and the zoetrope – devices that were precursors to the moving image (film). Primary: • There aren’t many cassowaries left in North Queensland. Why are the artists making a sculpture where we sometimes can see an image of the birds – and then we can’t? Secondary: • Investigate other optical devices that play with illusion for an image to be realised and how artist William Kentridge has employed them in his work. The Shape of Things Workshop with Gabi Sturman When: Friday 7 August, 3 - 5pm Where: Near Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving Club - The Strand When: Saturday 8 August, 10am - 12pm Where: Parkland opposite Oxley Street - The Strand Play with clay and model and make animal shapes. Explore the idea and ways of creating your animals as silhouettes with artist Gabi Sturman.

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20.

ELIZABETH

String Things

Sizes variable Cotton string, light rope, silver DVA mesh Poole creates spider web forms and other patterns to complement the existing stands of trees. The intention is to reflect the inherent ephemeral aspect and the mystery of our natural surroundings. The artist states, “the majority of my lifelong art practice has been based on observations and visual interpretations of the fragile and fragmented Australian bushland.” Based on the artist’s observations of nature, string and rope are used in this work like lines in a drawing. Consider the site specific and ephemeral qualities of the work and how the artist has responded to the location. Primary: • Draw the patterns that the artist has created with string. Include the surroundings that you can see. Secondary: • In your own work experiment with three dimensional line making and create patterns using string and/or wire. Stringing Along Workshop with Elizabeth Poole When: Thursday 6 August, 3 - 5pm Where: Parkland opposite Oxley Street - The Strand Have fun exploring and experimenting with string. Learn new techniques and discover the art of threading string though mesh to create patterns and 3D designs.

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21.

DANIEL

Four Rings

522 x 222 cm Synthetic polymer on MDF In 2013 Daniel Templeman was awarded a Doctorate in Visual Art from the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University. He has exhibited in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and has completed several major public art commissions including the Brisbane Magistrates Court, Tugun Bypass, Southbank Educational Precinct, 31 Queen Street, Melbourne and most recently the Macrossen Tower in Brisbane’s CBD. Templeman was awarded the Queensland Art Gallery’s Melville Haysom Memorial Scholarship in 1997, first prize in the object-based category of the Churchie Art Prize in 2000 and 2001. He was highly commended for his work in the 2009 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize. Templeman’s work is held in state and private collections across Australia and abroad. Four Rings, as with many of Templeman’s large-scale sculptures, expertly manipulates pattern and geometry to achieve a seemingly impossible form and suggest motion. Photo: Sam Scoufos. Image courtesy of the artist and Sullivan and Strumpf

The artist has used four circles as the subject of this work, their angle and their arrangement produces an effect of movement. Negative space is the shape created outside of the solid shape of the sculpture. The viewer is engaged with experiencing the inside and outside spaces that the four circles produce. Primary: • Walk around this work and look at how the circles are angled and joined together. • Draw the negative spaces that you see in this sculpture, from a chosen view point. Secondary: • Using only four circles, four squares or four triangles produce a series of drawings that express movement.

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22.

JUHÉ The Ship We Are Sailing Together

110 x 60 x 205 cm Ramie fabric, acrylic panel, timber $ 9,500 2015 marks Juhé Wie's first appearance at Strand Ephemera, with her work intended to make a statement on love and happiness. Juhé Wie's artwork The Ship We Are Sailing Together explores, "the concept that the world of humans is constantly moving with the power of everyone working together, depicted through the conceptual expression shaped by the function of a ship, ramie fabric and the surrounding environment." "Whether we realise it or not, people influence each other every day as this ship has completed its form with all the different colours linked together," the artist explained. Inspired by traditional Korean patchwork, transparent dyed ramie fabric invites the viewers to appreciate the beauty of ‘us’ co-existing as this ship shines with light. Juhé Wie mainly works on 3 dimensional artworks adapting various media, including bag designing at gaya wie handmade.

The fabric and acrylic panels have been constructed to produce a sculptural image based on a ship. The work is abstract in that it uses shape, form, colour and line to create a composition which is not identical to a specific object, but refers to it. The artist has also played with the idea of producing a two dimensional object based on one that is three dimensional. Its sculptural quality relies on the viewer being able to walk around it. Primary: • Think of a story that you know that involves people traveling in a ship. How do ships feature in Australian history? Secondary: • Discuss the process of abstraction that the artist has practiced to create this work.

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23.

SUE

Blue Wanderer

220 x 250 x 250 cm Recycled metal - piano harps, brass and woodwind parts, steel, LED lights, EL wire Sue Tilley is a Townsville-based artist working in welded vintage found metal. Tilley's work often features animals as a metaphor for human behaviour. Her materials are collected during sculpture trips around Queensland. Blue Wanderer is an interactive musical butterfly sculpture created from piano harps and steel and featuring parts from other musical instruments. Tilley explains, "the Blue Tiger or Blue Wanderer Butterfly migrates north for the Winter, chasing the sun from as far south as Victoria. Mass migrations can be seen moving up the coast. Not to be confused with the Grey Nomad who displays similar behaviour." The artist is known to work mostly with discarded or pre-loved metal objects. Blue Wanderer has a musical theme as it is sculpted using an assemblage of musical instruments. It is interactive as it invites the audience to make sounds on the harp section of the work. Primary: • Identify all the different parts to this sculpture. • How has colour been introduced into the work? • Imitate the movement and sound of a butterfly. Secondary: • Compare the artist's technical drawing of this work with the way it has been constructed. • Define and present examples of art that is interactive. Think about the different ways that people experience art.

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24.

JULIE

Decoys

12 forms, sizes variable Aluminium wire Nests sold individually, price on application A silversmith and sculptor, Julie Bentley is an avid beachcomber/recycler, often incorporating found objects into her work. She is also an observer and devotee of the natural world. Decoys is a hand-crafted aluminium sculpture highlighting and celebrating North Queenslanders’ delight in observing nesting sunbirds. The various nest and bird forms display the excitement of sunbirds tirelessly hovering and fluttering; their feeding and perching habits; their fast direct flight on short wings; a clutch of eggs; and captures the splendour of their completed nests, which are at times created opportunistically using available materials such as a seaglass hanging, light bulbs, crystal, ferns, or rope. The artist states, "everyone smiles when they see a sunbird. They are a tropical icon - once seen never forgotten. My sculpture represents sunbird comings and goings and phases of their nest building." The chosen material - aluminium - shines in the light and echoes the energy of the sunbirds, and emulates the lustrous dark blue colour of the throat of the male sunbird. This series of sculptures tells a story of the many phases involved in the nest-making of a sunbird. The sound element adds to the three dimensional filmic experience that is being presented to us. Primary: • Follow the story of the sun birds' nest-making by looking at all the sculptures. How many stages are we shown? • Write a list of words to describe the movements and activity of the birds. Secondary: • Describe how the work's audio element contributes to our experience of it. • Develop the idea of expressing a process that takes place in nature as a sequence of events.

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25.

MIMI

Land Sew

230 x 50 x 700 cm Stainless steel, mariners rope, tent pegs Mimi Dennett-Fountain is a visual artist based in regional Australia. She is a previous recipient of numerous Australia Council Grants and art prizes. In Land Sew, the stainless steel needle sews up the surface of The Strand with mariners rope. The artist states, "mending is a quiet activity, mostly begun when everyone has finished for the day. You clean up the mess, sew up any holes that were made and the next day it begins again. At a time when there is destruction everywhere, a giant needle and thread is a symbol for all those people who would like to repair and nurture the world." The idea of stitching the land communicates both a humorous/absurd and serious message about land conservation. The concept is understood because it is presented in a very large scale. Primary: • Describe this sculpture. What do you think the artist might be suggesting to us? Secondary: • How would you describe this work in terms of it being an example of ‘Pop Art’ or 'Surrealist' art?

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26.

LANCE

Boat People

500 x 700 x 2000 cm Bamboo, rope, wire, metal, wood An artist working predominantly in bamboo, Lance Seadon has constructed a double-ended single outrigger for this year's Strand Ephemera. Speaking of his inspiration for the work, Seadon stated, "there have been 'Boat People' throughout history all seeking a common goal. I hope my boat and its passengers will convey a sense of that journey." In 2014, Seadon exhibited two bamboo sculptures in the Bamboo Society of Australia sculpture contest, with the works awarded First Prize and taking out the People's Choice Award respectively. An outrigger is part of a sailing boat which is rigid and extends beyond the side. Boats play an essential part of an islands history, like Australia. Boats represent travel to far off lands, the unknown and familiar, survival, adventure and fun. The boat is presented to us in the context of a public sculpture exhibition which gives it a different meaning than if experienced in the water as a functioning vessel. Primary: • Where does the material bamboo grow? • Write a news article telling the story about this boat and how it came to be on The Strand. Secondary: • Discuss how a functional object like a boat changes its meaning depending on its context. For example, consider this work in the sea as a functioning boat on display in a contemporary art museum or on display in a maritime museum.

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27.

THE STRAND EPHEMERA Grand Annual Winter Tour to Anywhere

Sizes variable Reusable materials including demolition grade timber, plywood, cardboard, PVC pipe and conduit, zip ties, steel Students and teachers from St Anthony’s Catholic College, Northern Beaches State High School, and St Patrick’s College have worked with artist and facilitator Ben Trupperbäumer, a noted north Queensland sculptor, to produce this work. The sculpture looks at notions of linkage, connections, and associations between people, places and processes. Linking people and places is most noticeable along our highways during the annual winter pilgrimage when caravans dominate transport routes. Connecting the three schools are sculptural elements consisting of three arched sculptures (representing places) that are surrounded by many different, light hearted representations of caravans, highways and signage (people). Associations between project participants and ideas were strengthened through an artistic process that encouraged creativity and cooperation.

IMAGE Northern Beaches State High School student Robert Snow works with Ben Trupperbäumer

As part of the Creative Classrooms' Artist-in-Schools program, Gallery Services offer schools the opportunity for students to work with practicing artists and develop specific techniques and art practices throughout the school year. Outcomes of the collaborations are exhibited regularly at the Perc Tucker Gallery, Pinnacles Gallery or in public exhibitions like Strand Ephemera. Primary: • How do roads connect people? What messages do road signs tell drivers and pedestrians? Secondary: • Discuss the themes that are described in this work. How do you think the students and the artist worked together to develop the ideas and make the work?

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28.

LESLEY and NEIL

JENNI

Photo: Jenni Hanna

Wave Harp

260 x 260 x 35 cm Bamboo, timber, steel, tie wires, rope, tyre, plastic pipe $3,000 The work Wave Harp is constructed from individually cut and crafted stems from a bamboo forest at Finch Hatton. Of the work, Kane stated, "potent combinations of art, music, and history inspired this work alluding to breaking waves, pulsating ocean rhythms and the mystery surrounding the historical voyage of the SS Yongala from Mackay." Educated at Townsville Grammar, Lesley Kane's passion for creativity continued in Mackay as an artist and Director of the multi-award winning Gargett Gallery. Jenni Hanna and Neil Brookes joined with Lesley Kane to build Wave Harp. The collaboration of these three team members has attracted a lot of attention in the small sugar-cane growing township of Finch Hatton in Mackay’s hinterland. Jenni’s creative photography and design skills and Neil’s sculptural and practical construction expertise complemented Lesley’s business backup. Jenni and Lesley continue to work with natural materials towards an exhibition in Mackay Botanical Gardens in August and Neil continues to pursue his passion for sculpting. The huge bamboo wave was inspired by various art forms, the ocean and the story of SS Yongala. The SS Yongala was a luxury passenger ship which steamed into a cyclone and sank south of Townsville in 1911. Traces of the ship were not found until days later, when cargo and wreckage began to wash ashore at Cape Bowing Green and at Cleveland Bay. The wreck, which has become a tourist attraction and dive site, was not found until 1958. For more information visit: www.townsvillemaritimemuseum.org.au Primary: • Draw some shapes that waves make. How would you make one of your drawings into a sculpture? • Find out more about Townsville’s maritime history. Secondary: • What music would you listen to that might inspire you to make a giant wave? • Look at the wood block The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Do you think that Wave Harp was inspired by this print? Moon Jellyfish Workshop with Lesley Kane When: Sunday 2 August, 10am - 12pm Where: Near Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving Club - The Strand Create your own North Queensland stinger using disposable materials. Paint it luminous so it glows in the dark and display it or wear it during an after-dark event during Strand Ephemera.

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29.

AARON

Night as Day, Day as Night

200 x 350 x 5 cm Painted banner, speakers, projector Aaron Ashley is a Townsville-based artist working with projection, film, photography, illustration and design. His ambitious projection artwork seeks to manipulate people's perception of space, time, and image. Of the work, the artist states, "we live in a society with an intense, often imperceivable disparity between recorded information and reality. The projection, banner painting and soundscape show night as day and day as night, complete with glitches to highlight this disparity." Night as Day, Day as Night also features a soundscape by Matt Elwin. Video, film, slide, audio and digital technology, are known as a time-based media as they unfold to the viewer over a space of time. Physical dimensions of an art object are based on height, length, depth. Time-based art can be defined by the way it is measured – e.g. in minutes and seconds. Primary: • The video records real life, but how does the artist show us that what we are seeing isn’t real – that it’s just a picture? Secondary: • Research the work of renowned time-based artists like Vito Acconci, Tacita Dean, Bruce Nauman, Nam June Paik and Bill Viola. Compare video as art to mainstream video, TV and film.

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30.

COMMUNITY REHAB

Beach Shack

315 x 368.5 x 368.5 cm Timber, nails, sleeper supports, pins, watercolour on ply paintings Indigenous and non-Indigenous, new and existing artists joined a group led by artist Lynn Scott-Cumming and Occupational Therapist Christine Mintrom to develop this work. Community Rehab North Queensland participants with progressive neurological conditions like Parkinson’s or participants recovering after a stroke, head injury or spinal injury were invited to depict how their lives at home and in the community had changed. Painting allowed these participants a pleasurable medium to express emotions, thoughts, wishes, hopes, dreams, and memories. Through painting they could highlight what was now important to them and how they continue to function despite significant challenges. The hut presents a home theme as a context to present painting by the members of this group. Primary: • Make a list of colours that express ‘calm', ‘happy’, ‘angry’, ‘hungry’ and ‘tired’. • At school paint a picture about a dream you can remember or a memory of something you experienced that was a lot of fun. Secondary: • Describe how people in this group have used painting as a way to express how their lives have changed as a result of neurological conditions like sport injuries, stroke or Parkinson’s disease.

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31.

P.A.C.E.

S.O.S.

25 x 700 x 200 cm Glazed ceramic plastic cable ties, soft plastic mesh grid S.O.S. (Save Our Seas) expresses the fragility of sea life. This collaborative artwork is a collection of ceramic sea animals arranged over a submerged grid to form giant capital letters: S.O.S. across the beach. Each piece is glazed in ultramarine blue and turquoise to signify their connection to the sea. Senior creative art students of Pimlico State High School drew on their combined artistic experience along with the knowledge and guidance of experienced art teachers to complete this work. S.O.S. is the international Morse code distress signal for 'Save our Souls'. In this art work it is being used as an acronym to make an environmental plea to say ‘Save Our Seas’ in the form of writing in the sand. Primary: • Identify some of the sea creatures that have been individually made. How many have been used to form these letters? • The creatures are made from clay and then glazed with a colour. Why have the colours ultramarine and turquoise been chosen? Secondary: • Discuss the benefits of working collaboratively to create an art work.

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Public Programs for Schools This year's exhibition is supplemented by a selection of curated and non-competitive artworks, vibrant performances and programs in which students can further participate in the Strand Ephemera festivities. Schools who book in and come on the weekdays during the festival will have the opportunity to work with La Luna Youth Arts, sand sculptors and chalk artists as well as receiving guided tours and free resources such as activity books.

La Luna Youth Arts’ Magical Travel Box Step into La Luna Youth Arts’ Magical Travel Box and be instantly transported to a location of your choice. Students can choose from a selection of projected backgrounds, choose a costume and pose for the camera to record their transformation.

Sand Artists Some of the world's best sand sculptors will be heading to Townsville for Strand Ephemera, and will be running programs along The Strand. Amazin' Walter, Peter Redmond and Jino Van Bruinessen will be hosting daily sand sculpting workshops with local school students as well as drop-in programs for the broader community.

3D Pavement Artists There will also be the opportunity for school students to engage with two of Australia’s finest 3D pavement artists Jenny McCracken and Rudy Kistler, with workshops being scheduled on Friday 31 July and from Monday 3 – Friday 7 August. Members of the public will also have the opportunity to engage with the artists and try their hand at chalk art each weekend of the festival.

LEGO Treasure Hunt LEGO certified professional Ryan McNaught has created ten new works specifically for display in this year's Strand Ephemera festival. The sculptures are positioned in trees throughout The Strand, but you won't find their locations marked on any map! Instead, young (and youngat-heart) visitors are encouraged to get a copy of the free Activity Book from one of the three Visitor Information Desks. To book a school visit in, please visit Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville City Council’s website and download the school booking form from the Strand Ephemera page.

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La Luna Youth Arts' Magical Travel Box Fancy a journey to a famous city, country villa, sandy desert or snow-capped mountain? Keen to hang out in a cobble stone alley in the past or a space station in the future? Always wanted to be a baker, spy or dancer? Pop into the Magical Travel Box, choose your destination, change your identity and create photographic evidence of your secret holiday escape. The Magical Travel Box shifts the focus of creativity from actors and authors to the community by creating circumstances where the audience entertain themselves. This breaks from tradition by actively involving the audience in creating their own small ‘charades-like' shows and inspiring mass participation by people who normally don’t engage in theatre or are too shy to perform in front of crowds.

IMAGE: La Luna Youth Arts Magical Travel Box

The community participates in a performance which follows their own vision, becoming the creative forces of the project. Innovative forms of theatre, like participatory theatre, build community capacity and stimulate positive social values for the arts. Artists Shane Keen and John Bradshaw will help you create your great escape. Choose a projected background, select a costume and pose for the camera to record your transformation. Find your photo on Instagram at #lalunayoutharts and #StrandEphemera

Primary: • If you could travel to anywhere in the world or in time or space where would you go? • Why did you choose this place? • Write a short story based on your photograph. Are you on holidays at the beach? Are you a spy on a secret mission?

Secondary: Research: At home research Susan Sontag’s ‘On Photography’. Sontag discusses how photographs have historically been used as “evidence” that an event occurred, this is what gives them such authority as a truth-telling device. Think about the photo that you took at the Magical Travel Box. • Describe what is portrayed in your photograph? • Have you used photography as a “truth-telling device”? Activity: Research Cindy Sherman’s photographic series Untitled Film Stills. Sherman creates conceptual portraits using herself as the protagonist. At home create your own conceptual portrait. Use an exotic background, props and costumes to transform yourself for a photo shoot. Capture using your phone and share on Instagram. Magical Travel Box with La Luna Youth Arts When:

Saturday 1 August, 3 - 5pm Sunday 2 August, 4 - 8pm Saturday 8 August, 4 - 8pm Sunday 9 August, 4 - 8pm Where: Near Strand Park - The Strand

Participatory theatre – choose any place in the world, and any person you want to be, then create photographic proof of your transformation!

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Sand Artists The Strand beaches will rise up in 2015, taking amazing new form thanks to the talents of three of the world's leading sand sculptors. Visiting all the way from the South Padre Island in Texas, USA is Amazin' Walter, one of the world's most experienced sand sculptors. Amazin' Walter first began sculpting with sand upon moving to South Padre Island in the 1980s. Over time Walter's castles have become increasingly extravagant, and he has been invited to show his works around the world. Amazin' Walter is also experienced in holding workshops and sharing his talent with members of the community. Leading Australian sand sculptors Peter Redmond, and Jino Van Bruinessen, the 2015 Sand Sculpting Champion, are also headed to Townsville. Peter and Jino are both part of the Sand Sculpting Australia team, managed by Sandstorm Events. Sandstorm Events was established in May 2004 by Sharon Redmond and operates from Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Since its launch, Sandstorm Events has run 25 major Sand Sculpting IMAGE events ranging from 1500 tonnes through to 4000 Sandstorm Events tonnes throughout Australia with over 1. 2 million visitors enjoying these sand sculpture displays. The showpiece event – Sand Sculpting Australia – is held on the Frankston Waterfront and attracts upwards of 130,000 visitors to the region each year during the 4-month period that it is open. Townsville audiences will be treated to three large-scale sand sculptures by these three leading artists, prepared in time for Strand Ephemera's launch on Friday 31 July. Amazin' Walter, Peter Redmond and Jino Van Bruinessen will remain in Townsville for the duration of Strand Ephemera, hosting daily workshops with local school students, and drop-in programs for the broader community. At these programs, you can meet and speak with the artists and try your hand at some introductory sand sculpting techniques. Primary: • Why is playing in the sand fun? What have you made using sand? • How much sand has been used to make this work? How long did it take to make? Secondary: • Find out more about the Sandsculpting Australia team. • Discuss the popularity of this art form. Sand Art Workshops Peter Redmond and Jino Van Bruinessen are managed by Sandstorm Events Pty. Ltd.

When:

Where:

Saturday 1 August, 10am - 12pm Sunday 2 August, 10am - 12pm Saturday 8 August, 10am - 12pm Saturday 9 August, 10am - 12pm Strand Beach (central) - The Strand

Develop your sculpting skills - create, invent, build and enjoy sand art with this year’s Strand Ephemera sand sculptors.

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3D Pavement Artists In 2015, Strand Ephemera is set to feature two of Australia's finest 3D Pavement Artists; Jenny McCracken and Rudy Kistler. McCracken and Kistler will be creating two major works near Strand Park in preparation for the launch of Strand Ephemera on Friday 31 July. Members of the public will have the opportunity to engage with the artists and try their hand at chalk art each weekend of the festival, while school students will be scheduled to work alongside the artists from Monday 3 - Friday 7 August. Jenny McCracken will be developing a second major work during the festival, allowing Strand IMAGE Ephemera visitors to watch the process of Artwork by Jenny McCracken creation up-close, gaining greater insight into 3D Pavement Art. Viewers are also welcome to ask questions and engage in one-on-one dialogue with the artist. The Townsville community will help shape the outcome of this artwork, with a popular vote on The Strand set to decide what the final artwork will be! Closing Strand Ephemera in 2015 will be an outdoor screening of the film CHALK: An Australian Perpective. Having first aired on Foxtel's Studio Channel in August 2014, the documentary follows Australia’s Champion Pavement Artists Jenny McCracken and Anton Pulvirenti. The film takes viewers with the artists to the piazza of Grazie di Curtatone in Italy to compete at the Incontro Nazionale dei Madonnari. Trompe l’oeil (French, ‘to trick or deceive the eye’) is a style of painting or drawing in which objects are depicted with photographic detail so that they ‘trick’ the viewer into thinking they might be real! The illusion requires the understanding and skilled techniques of tonal perspective (gradients of light and dark) linear perspective (the further away something is the smaller it appears) and foreshortening (causing an object or distance to appear shorter than it actually is because it is angled toward the viewer, creating the impression of greater space). Primary: • Describe what the artists have drawn using chalk. • Imagine jumping into the picture. Where would it take you? Who would you meet? Secondary: • Compare the experience of seeing these works on the pavement to seeing them on paper or canvas on the walls in side an art gallery • Research the company ZEST events international and talk about what you think about their objective of, “working with artists to engage audiences and create memorable experiences through art”. • Experiment and explore the techniques of perspective that you have seen in these artists works. Chalk Art Workshops When:

Where:

Saturday 1 August, 3 - 5pm Sunday 2 August, 3 - 5pm Saturday 8 August, 3 - 5pm Saturday 9 August, 3 - 5pm Adjacent Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving Club - The Strand

Join in and create pictures on The Strand, and see and learn some amazing techniques with this year's Strand Ephemera chalk artists.

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LEGO Treasure Hunt Strand Ephemera sees the return of the southern hemisphere’s only LEGOŽ Certified Professional Ryan McNaught, aka The Brickman! McNaught was last in Townsville for the landmark Perc Tucker Regional Gallery exhibition Brick by Brick in 2013/2014. McNaught has created ten new works specifically for display in this year's Strand Ephemera festival. Each of the ten sculptures has a particularly tropical flavour, such as the seagull pictured opposite. The sculptures are positioned in trees throughout The Strand, but you won't find their locations marked on any map! Instead, young (and young-at-heart) visitors are encouraged to get a copy of the free Activity Book from one of the three Visitor Information Desks. Doug the Dugong will be your Activity Book guide, and also provide some very handy clues to help you identify and find Ryan McNaught's ten sculptures. Happy hunting!

IMAGE RIGHT: Seagull sculpture by Ryan 'The Brickman' McNaught

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Key Terms Ephemeral: is an adjective to describe materials or artworks that last for a short time Soft Sculpture: the use of cloth, foam rubber, plastic, paper, fibres and similar material to create three dimensional art that is supple and not rigid Scale: the ratio of the size (or model) to the length of the real thing Assemblage: a group of objects or things assembled together to create an art work Maquette: a small scale three dimensional model Figurative art: a term that describes any form of art that maintains strong references to the real world and particularly the human figure Kinetic: an artwork that is designed to move The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: a large collection of rubbish and debris found floating in an area of the Pacific Ocean that is moved by oceanic currents Found object: (translation from French, objet trouvé) objects or products with non-art functions that are placed into an art context and made part of an artwork Negative space: the area around the solid shape of a sculpture or the space around the main subject Abstract: an artwork that is created not to be identical to an object but refering to it by using its shape, form, colour and line to create a different composition Interactive: allows for audience participation as part of the artwork Outrigger: part of a sailing boat which is rigid and extends beyond the side of the boat Time-based: video, film, slide, audio and digital technology are known this as they unfold to the viewer over a space of time Trompe l’oeil: (French, ‘to trick or deceive the eye’) is a style of painting or drawing in which objects are depicted with photographic detail so that they ‘trick’ the viewer into thinking they might be real Tonal perspective: gradients of light and dark Linear perspective: the further away something is the smaller it appears Foreshortening: causing an object or distance to appear shorter than it actually is because it is angled toward the viewer, creating the impression of greater space

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Teacher's Notes

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