Liminal - Fine Art Undergraduate and Honours Exhibition 2013 - QCA Gold Coast

4 Fo r e w o r d

L i m i n a l

Fine Art Undergraduate and Honours Exhibition 2013 Queensland College of Art 1st November - 2nd December Published in Australia 2013 Queensland College Art Griffith University Gold Coast

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A l e x a n d r a

C o n d o n

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A l y s o n

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C l a i r e

H a s t i n g s

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J a s o n

H a g g e r t y

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M e l i s s a

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R a c h e l

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Ty l e r

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S o n i a

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Yo k o

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A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s

B a k e r

B e n t l e y S p e n c e r

J a c k s o n Yo r k - P r y c e L a n c e

Printed by Dynamic Digital Copyright 2013 Images courtesy of the artists All rights reserved Catalogue Designed by Tyler Jackson

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F O R E W O R D Embarking upon any journey is ostensibly fraught. It is simultaneously a time of endings

It is the notion of loss that also drives the practice of Alyson Baker who is no stranger to its

and beginnings; it possesses uncertain outcomes while holding great promise. Artists

effects. After a long struggle with breast cancer, Baker offers but a glimpse of her journey

at the end of formal study arguably exist in this liminal state for some time. The artists

through works that operate as bookends to a story shared by women the world over. If

in this exhibition, Liminal, examine this interval, though without focus on their status as

anything, Baker’s work offers hope and healing and provides a creative approach to

‘emerging’. Rather they explore the more complex situations that embrace us all as we

what is ultimately a life-changing experience.

enter unknown territory or zones of discomfort; losing love or loved ones, the coming of age or reaching of maturity, immersion in mediatised spaces that inscribe identities,

Taking quite a different tactic to the idea of loss through death is Honours Graduate Yoko

overcoming adversity or facing it head-on. Whether the setting for these epic journeys

Lance. Delving into the lives and occupations of people who work in the funeral industry,

takes place internally or externally, their conceptual magnitude loses no ground. The

Lance seeks to provide agency and a voice to those who no one wants to have to meet.

works exhibited provide a ready-made conceptual framework for the viewer to enter into

In doing so, not only does she dispel the myths surrounding the processes of death, but

their own state of liminality.

allays her own fears of its eventual but imminent arrival.

Provoked by the loss of a loved one, Alexandra Condon achingly throws up a mirror to

Sharing Lance’s position as an Honours Graduate is Sonia York-Pryce. Confronting long-

grief through self-portraits that bear the signs of overwhelming emotion. It is as if through

held prejudice in the dance world, York-Pryce examines the physical capabilities of the

the deliberate re-presentation of various emotive states, Condon attempts to claw back

mature performer’s body in her photographic and video work. Herself a trained dancer,

part of those lost, only to realise with every brushstroke or pool of ink that what is actually

York-Pryce challenges us to rethink ageist perceptions of bodies like hers that continue to

lost is part of her self, its absence extending farther away with every moment.

perform and evolve as dancers, bringing to the stage a lifetime of embodied experience.

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Jason Haggerty’s Digital Heads appear as quite the reverse to York-Pryce’s corporeal

that leads to, for the artist at least, a healthy memory of childhood. Tinged with sadness

referent. Produced as a provocation, Haggerty refers to the threat of a disappearing

however, Bentley’s nests must be emptied to find their own configuration as we leave

body in an increasingly technological world. Hacking into our deepest fears, Digital Heads

home to construct our own sense of place.

plays out a script where code has the very real prospect of becoming flesh. In exploring these complex relationships between technology and the fleshly body, Haggerty raises

Place and space is indeed the focus of artist Tyler Jackson. Offering only a shifting point

questions about our ability to adapt to its impending future.

of reference in the horizon, Jackson creates a self-reflective zone of interaction in this immersive installation that emphasises our relationship to the natural world. Jackson splits

The seduction and power of the media is translated into jewel-like surfaces in Rachel

the body’s interiority from its exterior environment, where one must become aware of their

Spencer’s portraits. Laboriously dissecting print journals, Spencer casts a critical lens

own presence to understand just how ‘present’ they really are.

onto the construction of femininity through fashion and beauty systems. Spencer’s work somewhat perversely reflects a generation of young women who can find it difficult to

Congratulations to all the artists in this exhibition. It has been a pleasure to work with them

see beyond this glossy exterior and into the complex structures of that lie beneath the

in the development of their practice as it has lead toward Liminal and I wish them every

notion of idealised womanhood.

success for their future. I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Gold Coast City Gallery, particularly Senior Curator Virginia Rigney, Assistant Curator Emma Collerton,

Contrarily, Claire Hastings takes the shine off an age where young women should be

Public Programs Officer Jodi Ferrari and Gallery Manager John Walsh, for supporting the

experiencing their rite of passage into adulthood. Hastings’ doll house insidiously portrays

establishment of graduate artists from the Bachelor of Digital Media, Queensland College

the perfect domestic setting while hinting at the shocking statistics of sexual abuse that

of Art, Gold Coast through exhibitions like these. I look forward to a continued relationship

occur in a not-so-perfect suburbia. Signs of disharmony are perceived differently by each

to cultivate a generation of exemplary artists from the Gold Coast and beyond.

viewer, however what is unambiguous is the reality of sexual abuse that Hastings boldly insists we face through this work.

Dr Laini Burton Convenor - Fine Art, Art Theory, Fashion Design

Quite the opposite is Melissa Bentley’s experience of home and family life. Through the

Queensland College of Art, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus

visual metaphor of the nest, Bentley recalls happy ritual and a supportive environment

November 2013

A l e x a n d r a S e l f

P o r tr a i ts

S a n s

C o n d o n S e l f

We experience loss with different levels of intensity from early on in life until the very end. Some losses are more significant than others, some which cause a great deal of stress and grief and ultimately change the way we live our lives. Within the processes of losing of a loved one we lose a part of ourselves. We mourn a small missing part of our identity just as much as we mourn the loss of a significant person. With the onset of realisation, like cold air, we physically begin to feel the empty space that was once occupied by another.

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A l y s o n

M a s te c to m y

B a k e r M e m o r i e s

The common thread is that we all struggle. Mine was losing my breast to cancer. Not knowing what to expect was like being thrown into the deep end. I still feel grief, as the thought that part of me is gone haunts me. It has come a time to inter these thoughts and lay it to rest.

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C l a i r e On e

i n

Fo ur

H a s t i n g s

Your daughter, your wife, your mother, your sister. Choose one.

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J a s o n

H a g g e r t y D i g i t a l

H e a d s

What impact does the rapid growth and evolution of cyberspace have on the nature of interaction? Intense streams of information, data, popular culture, and advertising are shifting and distorting the human condition while social networks blur the line between repetition and internal monologue, reality and simulation. From the duality of online and offline presence, and the overla p p i n g o f o n l i n e content into real life, emerges a physical metamorphosis where identity and information are one and the same.

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M e l i s s a S o m e th i n g

B e n t l e y

f r o m

N o th i n g

As a child, reading children’s story books with my family was a much loved ritual. Climbing into my parent’s warm bed and wrapping myself in their floral sheets became a place of comfort, warmth and fond memories. In this work, nest forms act a visual metaphor for childhood and ritual, with the innate act of constructing a nest, piece by piece, to create a place to protect and nurture.

As these moments fade, traces (of an absence) are left behind, acting as triggers, evoking a sense of nostalgia, a positive emotion with tones of loss.

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R a c h e l Twi g g y

a n d

S p e n c e r

S e l f

P o r tr a i t

Lesley Lawson—more commonly known as Twiggy—emerged in the fashion industry in the 1960s. Internationally regarded as the first supermodel, Twiggy marked the beginning of a legacy for proceeding models such as Kate Moss, Elle MacPherson and Miranda Kerr. Not only are these women supermodels, but they are role models for many teenage girls who idolise their power and envy their beauty. During the years a teenage girl develops her adult identity, these role models are forever present in their day to day lives.

By creating a Self Portrait in the same method, I intend to express the hopes and desires teenage girls yearn for; their very own ‘front cover’ lifestyle.

Messages written and advertised in magazines often convey unrealistic conventions of womanhood and beauty, persuading their readers to believe life if always glamorous, perfect and shiny like expensive jewels.

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Ty l e r

J a c k s o n H o r i z o n

To be afraid of space seems to be the most contradictory phobia for a human, but a good portion of the population has to endure this fear of nothingness. This work takes its concept from visitors to the outback of Australia who are met with nothing but the horizon of Earth. Some theories around the phobia stem from the modern way of life, being constantly surrounded by buildings and skyscrapers that act somewhat as hiding places, but the vast open landscape takes all that away.

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S o n i a D o e s

th e

Yo r k - P r y c e

D a n c i n g

H a ve

to

S top ?

As a dancer I am fascinated by the full gamut of movement and this brings new dimensions into my photography.

This body of work focuses on ageism in the dance world and how the mature dancer is perceived in Western culture.

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Yo k o Fo r

Gr i e f

L a n c e

Death and funerals are considered a taboo subject in most of societies. Many of us do not even realise that we do not know the detailed process of conducting funerals people often avoid talking about it. The funeral directors are sometimes stigmatised, dealing with their own grief affected by their line of work. This social documentary multimedia piece consists of video interviews and still photographs that reveal the funeral director’s work, as well as tackling the question of whether we should really avoid discussing the topic of death and funerals.

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A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s

P u b l i c

The artists in Liminal gratefully acknowledge the support of the following people:

After Dark: Fashion on the Edge of Art

Floor Talks

Dr Laini Burton

A Panel discussion by Dr Laini Burton (Academic), Erica Gray (Artist) and Alison Kubler (Author and Curator)

Hear the artists of Liminal speak about their practice.

Mr Tim Connolly Mr Daniel Della-Bosca Ms Heather Faulkner

P r o g r a m s

Ms Kelly McIlvenny Ms Sonya Peters

Participating artists: Alyson Baker; Alexandra Condon; Jason Haggerty;

Ms Kylie Hicks DATE: November 7, 2013

Ms Kim Rodda

TIME: 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Ms Donna Rostron

COST: FREE

Dr Ashley Whamond

Tyler Jackson; Yoko Lance DATE: November 9, 2013 TIME: 3.00pm - 5.00pm COST: FREE

Ms Anne-Maree Garcia Mr Jason Urech Ms Trudy Jensen Ms Natasha Kershaw Associate Professor Donal Fitzpatrick Deputy Director Gold Coast QCA

Gold Coast City Gallery

S p o n s o r s

Gallery Manager John Walsh Senior Curator Virginia Rigney Assistant Curator Emma Collerton Public Programs Coordinator Jodi Ferrari Exhibition Coordinator Stephen Baxter

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