Gold Coast Creative (Issue 2)

563005 771838 9

ISSN: 1838-563X

celebrating the cultural & creative growth of the gold coast.

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issue two. 2011

issue two. 2011

ISSUE 2 2011

$19.95 (inc gst)

celebrating the cultural & creative growth of the gold coast.

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This marvellous publication presents the outstanding work of graduates from the Queensland College of Art (QCA), Bachelor of Digital Media and Bachelor of Digital Media with Honours degrees. This unique program is only offered at the Gold Coast campus and is the degree course within the QCA exclusively dedicated to interdisciplinary practice, combining as it does key pathways of study from Design, Photography and Fine Arts.

The QCA is one of Australia’s great academies of creative practice.

Founded in 1881 it is now more than 10 years into its third century, a distinguished, continuous tradition of commitment to Art and Design education. A key part of the success of the college over time has been its focus on the importance of industry presence and practice within its educational structure and to this end students are offered the opportunity to work on real world industry projects through our in-house incubators such as ‘Liveworm Studio’, which develops design projects for external clients, and the ‘Argus’ our on-line visual journalism magazine.

Collaboration is one of those elusive values like creativity itself that nearly everyone will claim as their right, yet sadly find difficult to initiate. The students demonstrate in these pages their innovative capacities in these areas through their creative productions across a range of media and real world projects. As a next generation they are ready to take their place in their chosen industries and make their special contribution to the creative culture of Australia.

We must, as a people, find our own path to creative innovation. It has been the unfortunate history of Australia that we have relied too heavily on the natural attributes of our landscape and environment, but as the recent financial situation has come to remind us, we must move away from our over reliance on such finite resources and move to a place where we are researching and producing the next world of products, applications and designs. With the commitment and the fortitude of these young emerging creative graduates we will achieve our goals and move away from a structure of mere consumers of information to a society of producers of knowledge.

foreword

The key values of the Digital Media degree are breadth and collaboration.

This unique degree program affords students the opportunity to combine disciplines and to construct their own pathway of creative study. This degree equips students with a critical understanding of the role and function of media and its complex contemporary deployment.

As a result, our graduates are highly regarded by employers looking for resourceful people with the capacity to think independently and to combine and deploy the necessary media skills within a given creative project. The graduates’ work published here demonstrates their acquisition of the two key critical attributes of creative work, the ability to pursue an idea with single minded determination and the ability to work as a part of a creative team.

Associate Professor Donal Fitzpatrick Deputy Director (Gold Coast) Queensland College of Art Griffith University

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staff

Liveworm team

Queensland College of Art Gold Coast

Creative Director Dominique Falla Studio Co-ordinator Sharon Searle

Professional Staff

Graphic Designers Megan Harrison & Ashleigh Brennan

Anne-Maree Garcia

Student Designer Per Olav Halvorsen

Lyn Hockey

Liveworm Gold Coast Studio G14_2.30 Queensland College of Art Gold Coast campus Griffith University QLD 4222

Trudy Jensen Natasha Kershaw Vince McKillop Brad Nunn Sharon Searle

T: +61 7 5552 7262 E: goldcoast@liveworm.com.au W: www.livewormgoldcoast.com

Casey Stewart Jason Urech

Sanctuary Cove Publishing team

Academic Staff

Publisher Clare E. Urwin

Richard Blundell

Editor Rhonda Oxnam

Earle Bridger Daniel Della-Bosca

Art Direction Sandra Teissl

Dominique Falla

Graphic Designer Saida Anderson

Heather Faulkner

Sales & Marketing Manager Jacqui Forrester

Donal Fitzpatrick

Business Manager Yvonne Gramstad

Jon Harris

Contributors Susan Lang-Lemckert Richard Featherstone Shannon Ponting

Donna Marcus

Sanctuary Cove Publishing T : +61 7 5577 9499 W: www.thecovemagazine.com.au P.O. Box 252 Sanctuary Cove, Qld, Aust 4212

Jack Picone

Dale Patterson Robyn Peacock-Smith Ashley Whamond

No responsibility is accepted by SCP for the accuracy of any statement contained in the text or advertisements. All material appearing in Gold Coast Creative is copyright Š. Views expressed by journalists

Printed by Printcraft.

Distributed by Fairfax Media Publication Solutions.

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Cover art design: Teneille Grace | bluebird_171@hotmail.com

are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Mariam Arcilla is an independent curator, arts writer

and arts industry developer working in the areas of arts marketing, professional development, creative urban animation and cultural advocacy. She is also a Co-founding Director at rabbit+cocoon, and has been published in RealTime Australia, Gold Coast Creative and Art Monthly Australia. Mariam holds an Honours and Creative Arts degree from Griffith University. Her previous roles included working as a Cultural Developer at Gold Coast City Council, a Co-founding Director at 19KAREN Contemporary Artspace, and a Co-founding Director at tinygold artist-run initiative. Mariam is a recipient of the Arts Queensland Regional Arts and Cultural Award for her outstanding voluntary contributions to the Gold Coast arts community, and has featured on the Gold Coast White Pages phone book as a ‘Creative Australian inspiring our community’.

Earle Bridger

began his photojournalism/teaching career with The Courier Mail in 1972. He has sinced freelanced for dozens of Australian and international newspapers and magazines and was contracted to complete two books, Brisbane 82 and The Twelfth Commonwealth Games, The Official Pictorial History.

Earle has held Griffith University appointments as Convenor of Photography Programs, QCA Deputy Director Gold Coast and most recently as QCA Deputy Director Development.

Dominique Falla

is a designer/artist, author and teacher. She convenes the Graphic Design program at Griffith University on the Gold Coast and is currently studying for her Doctorate in Visual Arts (DVA) on the subject of Tactile Typography.

She creates typographic works using a variety of tactile mediums and combines digital creation with analogue output for exhibition.

Dominique is passionate about the ‘designer as auteur’ and has mentored over 100 students through the third year ‘creative entrepreneurs’ program, where graphic design students are encouraged to design their own products and take them to market.

Dominique also writes on the topic of design for Desktop magazine online and the Design Federation and is a founding member of the ‘We Heart’ collective.

contributors home country of New Zealand. Trudy has had the opportunity to work collaboratively with the design team in the QCA Gold Coast Liveworm Incubator writing pieces for numerous publications which have been designed and produced by the professional Liveworm staff and students, as well as contributing towards editing and proofreading articles within the studio.

Susan Lang-Lemckert

has been a long-term contributor at Sanctuary Cove Publishing, submitting articles for many of its publications including the Cove magazine and Gold Coast Creative. Currently employed by Gold Coast City Council as Research Officer to the Mayor, Susan recently added a formal qualification to her practical experience when she collected a Diploma of Arts from Adelaide College of the Arts. With a passion for music and culture, Susan writes on a diverse range of topics.

Rhonda Oxnam

is a highly qualified journalist, having completed her Bachelor of Journalism at Griffith University as a mature age student. The recipient of the Griffith University Journalism Medal, Rhonda has gone on to forge a successful career in the media.

As Sanctuary Cove Publishing’s group editor she is responsible for the company’s flagship publication, the Cove magazine, as well as contributing to and editing many additional projects including Gold Coast Creative. With a strong interest in people and places, Rhonda continues to support the Griffith community through the university’s mentoring program.

Shannon Ponting

graduated from a Bachelor of Journalism, specialising in Creative Writing and Politics at Griffith University in 2010. With a main study emphasis on print journalism, Shannon found her niche in feature writing. Throughout her degree, she had articles published in The Courier-Mail ‘Arts’ section and a variety of other Queensland newspapers. Shannon also interned at Events Queensland, Gold Coast during the Pan Pacific Masters Games. She has since written content for various organisations, including Sanctuary Cove Publishing.

Virginia Rigney is Curator at Gold Coast City Gallery Richard Featherstone is an English gentleman of where she works on a variety of exhibition, collection and event

humble roots who has risen to the dizzy heights of running his own Gold Coast legal practice, Felix Law. When not soliciting, Richard fulfills his passion for the arts by masquerading as the Chairman of the Gold Coast Film Festival, writing features for local magazines and improving his photography and Photoshop skills. He has travelled the world, met people and has an eight year old son, Felix, who named Richard’s firm, not the other way around!

Jon Harris

has a wealth of industry experience in product design, film special effects and theme park design. His areas of special interest include environmentally aware design, innovative material and manufacturing techniques, value analysis and fabrication. He currently teaches into the 3Dimensional Design program at the Queensland College of Art on the Gold Coast.

Trudy Jensen

is a full-time administrative officer at Queensland College of Art (QCA) Gold Coast campus and is also a part-time student at Griffith University, where she is preparing to complete her Journalism degree. Trudy has a keen interest in the field of Visual Media, already having completed a Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma in Arts and a BA with First Class Honours, all majoring in the areas of English, Drama and Screen Media in her

projects—many of which seek to draw out the cultural history of the Gold Coast. She studied at the ANU and Sydney University and over the past 25 years has worked in a variety of curatorial roles at the Powerhouse Museum, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Victoria and Albert Museum London and Glasgow Museums in Scotland.

Virginia also chairs the Curatorial Panel of art+place, the Queensland Government Fund for Public Art administered by Arts Queensland.

Carol Whittaker is a graphic designer with over 25

years experience specialising in logo design, corporate identity and signage. She works at her studio, Creative Whit, and teaches graphic design students at Queensland College of Art (QCA) while studying for her Master of Visual Arts as a Research Higher Degree candidate. Her research topic is signage and wayfinding of the Griffith University Gold Coast campus. Carol has worked for award-winning multi-disciplinary design firms collaborating with architects and interior designers on retail, commercial and government projects. Her experience has included working nationally as well as internationally in London, Chicago and New Zealand. Originally from Sydney, Carol now calls the Gold Coast home.

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QCA This year Griffith University celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Queensland Parliament’s passage of the Griffith University Act to establish South East Queensland’s second university.

Griffith was to be a different type of university, deeply engaged with and responsive to its region—locally, nationally and internationally. Forty years on, significant progress has been made in building one of the great, research-intensive, comprehensive universities of the Asia Pacific.

During this period, the University has committed itself to growing and expanding to meet the needs of the communities it serves. From a single campus at Nathan with a total of 451 enrolments in 1975, Griffith has developed rapidly into a large, multi-campus, research-intensive university with around 43,000 enrolled students in 2011.

Griffith’s Gold Coast campus was first established in 1988 with an initial cohort of 1,712 students, including 60 international students and a limited range of program offerings. It has since developed into a large, comprehensive campus that addresses the majority of higher education needs and aspirations of the region.

gold coast campus

The ‘Argus’ (www.theargus.net.au) allows students to work in an on-line visual journalism magazine produced and designed by students.

In the Liveworm Studio students are able to work with real clients from industry in Australia’s longest running student-managed graphic design studio.

The Whitebox Gallery allows students to curate and exhibit creative visual work and through the close industry relationship with Gold Coast City Gallery gain a greater understanding of the growth and importance of the Gold Coast’s Cultural Precinct.

QCA is an integral part of Griffith’s creative offerings and its alumni have contributed significantly to the University’s national and international reputation in the creative and visual arts.

My congratulations go to this year’s graduates and the staff of the QCA at the Gold Coast for the vibrant and engaging art works featured in this publication.

Griffith University is the sum of its very distinctive parts. One of these valuable parts is the Queensland College of Art (QCA).

This year QCA celebrates its 130th anniversary, Queensland’s oldest and premiere visual arts training institution. The College, which joined Griffith University in 1992, traces its heritage back to April 1, 1881, when Joseph Augustus Clarke offered the first drawing class to 22 students in the School of Arts building in Ann Street, Brisbane.

QCA’s Gold Coast program offers a unique degree in the Bachelor of Digital Media. The interdisciplinary degree combines the strengths of both Art and Design with a particular focus on industry preparedness and a commitment to innovation and enterprise. Students have the opportunity to work on real world projects using vibrant and interactive facilities.

Top left: Glycomics Institute, RIGHT: Griffith Health Centre.

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Professor Ned Pankhurst Provost Gold Coast campus

a dynamic cultural perception of the Gold Coast and help launch fresh links with the community.

Proving that the Gold Coast has much to offer in terms of unique design strengths and creative diversity, the publication features emerging artists, groundbreaking architecture, innovative community projects and supporters of The Arts from the region.

The Yearbook also showcases the work of the 2011 graduating students of the Queensland College of Art (QCA) Gold Coast Griffith University, establishing a new audience for student work and generating strong employment opportunities for the graduates.

mission statement

The 2011 Gold Coast Creative Yearbook aims to initiate

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inside an artistic 10 community 12 gold coast—famous for fun 16 collective culture 18 creative entrepreneurs 21 being creative—how does it feel?

22 an island discovered 24 rabbit + cocoon 26 naked city guide 28 potato press 30 polish art academies

32 creative careers 34 mixr—luke brown 36 unit—paul everest 38 dominique falla 40 abbey mcculloch 42 victoria reichelt 44 peter sexty

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innovation 46 & experience 48 community group 50 the new sanctuary cove 52 in retrospect 54 room81 56 ground swell 58 yellow goat design 60 liveworm studio 62 fashion duo 63 griffith university arts, education & law 64 griffith enterprise 65 stay connected

66 past students 68 katie chen 70 kylie gartside 72 hannah groff 74 andrew grieg 76 dave lydiard 78 cathrine nordhus 80 krystie sargent 82 matthew simms 84 jerad williams

QCA graduate 86 showcase 88 bachelor of digital media 89 3 dimensional design 97 digital design 102 ephotojournalism 107 fine art 114 graphic design 131 supporters and sponsors

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an artistic community The cultural and creative development of the Gold Coast has resulted in a growing sense of community.

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gold coast

famous for body copy

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gold coast tourism

article Susan Lang-Lemckert photography courtesy of Gold Coast Tourism

If the Gold Coast were a fashion item, it would be a little black dress— an indispensable staple with the versatility to take you anywhere, and to which you can add as few or as many accessories as you like.

From its humble beginnings as a sleepy seaside resort to today’s booming tourism capital, the Gold Coast has held perennial appeal to visitors of all ages and interests … making the holiday experience as unique and diverse as the traveller.

Over the years, the city’s key natural attributes of about 70 kilometres of beaches and an average of 300 days of sunshine every year have been complemented by an almost limitless range of built attractions—accommodation to suit all requirements and budgets; adrenaline-raising theme parks; award-winning restaurants; and world-class entertainment venues and retail outlets.

Famous for Fun—a contemporary tagline for a contemporary brand, but with a timeless message.

While much-loved earlier campaigns like Queensland—­beautiful one day … perfect the next; VeryGC, Australia’s Gold Coast—­ everything under the sun; and Where else but Queensland? famously captured the Queensland holiday spirit, the latest promotion recognises today’s traveller is not only fun-loving but discerning, well informed, and likely to spend time researching what they want.

And although these traits are common to the two largest sub-groups —the Social Fun-seekers, who enjoy active, sociable holidays with friends and other holidaymakers; and the Connectors, who seek the shared holiday experience with those closest to them—their requirements are also quite different.

And with the later growth of both the city itself and our tourist market, visitors have also come to know ‘the green behind the gold’— the beautiful hinterland, where breathtaking scenery, prestige wineries and World Heritage-listed national parks can all be found within a short drive from central Surfers Paradise.

With accommodation, for example, Social Fun-seekers appreciate the luxury of high-end resorts, but are also happy to save on this expense to increase their activities budget, while Connectors place more importance on the availability of cooking facilities and childfriendly accommodation.

But what’s at the heart of a Gold Coast holiday? In a word, fun—as encapsulated by Gold Coast Tourism’s current campaign Gold Coast,

Both groups enjoy dining out—­and again, the Gold Coast offers a wealth of cuisine to suit all palates, schedules and budgets. »

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» Getting around is another point of difference—while Connectors consider the journey part of the holiday experience, Social Funseekers welcome a break from driving where possible—something made so much easier by the city’s vast network of pedestrian and cycle paths, and the extensive Oceanway that provides the country’s most picturesque promenade.

body copy

As well as beckoning successive generations of visitors, the Gold Coast’s unique lifestyle and dynamic economy has attracted a constant stream of émigrés from other parts of the country—and indeed, the world—adding to the city’s rich and vibrant mix, and creating the sense of unity characteristic of places where most residents come from somewhere else.

This has seen another evolution—of the business kind—take place on the Gold Coast. Though the traditional mainstays of the city’s economy —construction and retail—retain a formidable share of the economic market, newer streams like film and television production, information and communication technology, education, medical, sport, and the marine industry are flexing, and building, their commercial muscle.

This in turn has generated sport, event and conference tourism—a natural progression in light of the city’s wealth of state-of-the-art venues, training facilities and lively events calendar—not to mention the year-round good weather and almost endless recreational options that make pre- or post-event activity programmes so enjoyable.

As the Gold Coast continues to evolve, so too do the opportunities for tourism operators to build on the region’s extensive resources and expansive amenities; to embrace its innovative businesses and informative enterprises; and to showcase the city’s contemporary lifestyle and cultural diversity …

And to ensure this tourist Mecca remains true to the mantra: Gold Coast, Famous for Fun! www.visitgoldcoast.com

... visitors have also come to know ‘the green behind the gold’ – the beautiful hinterland, where breathtaking scenery, prestige wineries and World Heritage-listed national parks can all be found within a short drive from central Surfers Paradise.

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collective culture

Designers and artists, in and around the Gold Coast, appear to be taking the old adage ‘many hands make light work’ quite seriously and forming creative collectives, rather than going it alone. Where the solo exhibition, in an established gallery, is the domain of the established artist, the domain of the emerging Gold Coast artist appears to be the pop-up exhibition in an unusual venue with a group of like-minded creatives.

“… working in a collective helps me feel like I’m part of a group who understands me and what I do.”

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One such collective is Flat White Spaces (FWS), who specialise in converting unused white spaces into temporary galleries and pairing emerging artists together for eclectic ‘blink-and-you-miss-them’ group shows. FWS 1 took place in an unused office space in Varsity Lakes. FWS 2 was part of the Rabbit + Cocoon launch show, FWS 3 was a poster show in a garage forecourt as part of the Surfers Paradise Festival and FWS 4 will be part of the 11/11/11 group show in Miami.

Founder Dave Lydiard feels that the FWS project has been an amazing way for himself and other artists to network within, and promote, the Gold Coast creatively. “The general community has really embraced the promotion of local, emerging artists.”

For some of the participating artists, FWS provides their first real opportunity to be shown to the wider public—a chance they may not have been able to be given by any of the established ‘bricks and mortar’ galleries on the Gold Coast.

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taking a collective approach to creativity article Dominique Falla

Another creative collective currently active on the Gold Coast is the ‘We Heart’ Collective. This collective grew out of a group exhibition called ‘We Heart Paper’, which showcased the work of ten female designers who were all staff, students or alumni of the Queensland College of Art (QCA) on the Gold Coast and who came together to express their love of paper. Sponsored by KW Doggetts, the exhibition was so well received that the collective has continued to grow and ‘heart’ things ever since.

An invitation for the group to participate in the Brisbane Home Festival gave rise to the ‘We Heart Home’ exhibition and then ‘We Heart Winter’ soon followed. The group, which has since grown to 13 members, is now firmly established as a creative collective to be reckoned with.

Denica Layton explains the appeal of being in the collective: “working in a collective helps me feel like I’m part of a group who understands me and what I do. Being a designer—especially a freelance designer— can be such an isolating experience that it’s great to be a part of a larger group working to a common goal, brief or purpose. If we were sheep (which we kinda all are), the collective would be my flock.”

A third Gold Coast collective has sprung up recently, this time as an online collective of emerging designer brands. The founders of Retrospect, Typosaur and Obelisk decided to pool resources and formed the Quay Collective in the hope that by “uniting talented

artists, they can create an engaging portal for exciting and inspirational designers.”

Two of the founding members of the Quay Collective are Scandinavian students, studying graphic design on the Gold Coast, so an online collective was the obvious choice to allow them the freedom to travel and still belong to the collective.

The ability to have an online presence also appeals to Art Harvest founder Kiel Tillman. Art Harvest is an online platform where handpicked emerging and established Australian artists and designers can showcase their work, mainly through the ability to buy prints in their online store, but also through exhibitions. Art Harvest has two main tenets that they adhere to. One is to nurture and develop a community where Australian artists and designers gain exposure, promote their artistic efforts and interact with like-minded people, and the second is to give people the opportunity to own these unique and limited artistic products at affordable rates.

There is something about the nature of the Gold Coast that encourages people to just ‘give it a try’. Maybe it’s the transient nature of the population or the lack of established traditions in such a relatively new city that explains the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ ethic, but whatever it is, the Gold Coast is clearly a fertile environment for the creative collective and is an exciting place to be an emerging artist right now.

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Above: Pencil Bear.

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creative entrepreneurs creative students, innovative brands, enterprise marketing …

article QCA Gold Coast

The third year graphic design students at the Queensland College of Art (QCA) on the Gold Coast have been responsible for some highly creative commercial projects recently. As part of a creative entrepreneurs program, the students are required to design, produce, brand and market a range of their own ‘designer’ products.

The only restriction placed on them is that their brand must reflect them as a designer, and as a result, the students produce a wide variety of eclectic brands and products, and several have gone on to make their brand an ongoing concern, past university.

negatively to the mass-production, mass-consumption fall-out of the excessive 80s, home made, hand made and recycled are now the watchwords of new business enterprises.

Along with the ubiquitous ranges of skateboards and T-shirts, the students produce jewellery, home wares, stationery, accessories and other unique gifts. The good news is, many of these products are now for sale to the general public using online merchant services such as Etsy, Boardpusher and Zazzle. New technologies available on the Internet have allowed cottage industries to be a viable option for self-employed designers and in a world that is responding

The second stage of the project involves students developing a stand alone brand for their product range and developing an online presence, as well as the traditional branding elements, such as a logo, packaging, and associated business stationery. They are also required to utilise cause-related marketing and pair with a charity or global partner, in order to develop partnerships and relationships with like-minded organisations. »

The project begins with students researching production methods, and designing products based on their own personal interests. Once the range of products is designed, students are then encouraged to manufacture their products in a limited run, either making them by hand, or utilising online services, even sourcing commercial manufacturers to produce limited runs of the product.

Above: Typosaur High Five T-shirt.

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»

The final stage of the project involves bringing all of these elements together and launching the brand online, so the students learn to utilise additional marketing techniques such as posters, fashion shows, brochures, Facebook pages, and so on, to develop an audience for the brand.

The results of this intensive project speak for themselves. Brands such as Typosaur, Pencil Bear and Black July are now ongoing concerns for the design students behind them. Even if the brands are only created as a student project and go no further, the process helps the design students to understand that entrepreneurship is a viable career option and they develop the abilities to further enhance their skill set.

From the perspective of the consumer, these unique products make quirky and creative gifts, whether they are hand made with love and care by the students themselves, or produced using print-ondemand (POD) technology. Either way, you can be sure you’re buying something special.

QCA Gold Coast lecturer Dominique Falla, has built a website that links to some of the ongoing project sites and the students are very excited about selling their products to the general public. The program is repeated every year and is bound to grow in size and diversity. In the meantime, check out this year’s fantastic products and support a very talented young group of creative entrepreneurs. www.qcagoldcoast.com/creative

“… in a world that is responding negatively to the mass-production, mass-consumption fall-out of the excessive 80s, home made, hand made and recycled are now the watchwords of new business enterprises.”

top left: Nanu brooch Above: Rosemary & Thyme vintage hair accessories.

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being creative

how does it feel?

Well, how does it feel? Talented third year and Honours students undertaking the Bachelor of Digital Media Program at the Gold Coast campus Queensland College of Art (QCA), can tell you exactly what it is like to be studying in their chosen creative media fields at Griffith University.

For further information on the Bachelor of Digital Media and the brand new Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Digital Media (2010), or to book a visit to your school, please contact Road Show Coordinator Trudy Jensen t.jensen@griffith.edu.au or phone 07 5552 8190.

As part of the Secondary Schools Road Show, student Ambassadors from QCA have taken to the road since 2009, visiting secondary schools from far and wide, sharing their experiences with over a thousand keen Year 9 to 12 school pupils and teachers.

The interest in the Bachelor of Digital Media has been increasing steadily since the inception of the three year degree in 2006. One of the key attractions to the degree is that it not only offers one or two major areas of study but students receive the benefits of a holistic foundation base in all areas of digital and creative media.

The majors and second/elective majors currently offered are: • 3 Dimensional Design • Art Theory • Digital Design • Drawing • ePhotojournalism • Fine Art • Graphic Design.

The specialisations or minors currently on offer are: • Games Design • Furniture & Fabrication • Printmaking • Publication & Editorship.

Students can also choose second/elective majors or specialisations in other areas of study at Griffith University such as business, marketing, languages, journalism, and much more!

Many schools over the past few years have learnt and now know firsthand what the transition is like from secondary to tertiary levels of study for undergraduates with an interest in the creative arts and media. The QCA Gold Coast Road Show has travelled to Northern New South Wales, and throughout the Gold Coast, Logan and Brisbane regions and is often booked in for regular yearly school visits.

Here is where the crew have been recently: • Banora Point High School, Tweed Valley • Cavendish Road State High School, Holland Park • Citipointe Christian College, Carindale • Mount Gravatt State High School, Mount Gravatt • Palm Beach-Currumbin High School, Currumbin • Rochedale State School, Rochedale.

One of the key attractions to the degree is that it not only offers one or two major areas of study but students receive the benefits of a holistic foundation base in all areas of digital and creative media.

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an island discovered

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TOP: Marian Drew working with camera in an underwater housing, BOTTOM: Marian Drew and Alana Hampton working on night time a shoot.

Photography Alex Chomicz.

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marian drew + alana hampton – the lorikeet island project article Virginia Rigney

Many of us living on the Gold Coast are aware that one of the most loved aspects of life here is the relatively close proximity to some of the most diverse and unique natural eco systems. We have the expanses of beach coastline and the richness of the rainforest in the Hinterland.

The third—and perhaps least frequented—are the mangrove islands and riverbanks of the extensive estuarine and river waterways.

The Broadwater has become the Gold Coast’s greatest maritime playground—and with the highest concentration of private boat ownership anywhere in the country—every weekend and on holidays, this section of waterway sees a bevy of boats and jet skis navigating their way around the shallows and channels. Virtually all of them at some stage pass one little island located just off Runaway Bay, however, with no beach and surrounded by sandbanks, few venture ashore here.

Artists Marian Drew and Alana Hampton have been visiting this island for over 18 months, developing and now working on a video and photographic installation project that will be exhibited at Gold Coast City Gallery. They call it Lorikeet Island, for the profusion of these birds that nest in the hollows of the mangrove tree trunks that densely cover the whole island. The birds create a cacophony of sound when the artists enter their territory; their trill calls reverberate loudly in stark contrast to the gentle lapping of the water.

They used a range of photographic and film cameras, lights and sound recording equipment and working to a rigorous schedule of dawn, day and night time shooting, have generated a large volume of images and sounds that will now be edited and developed into the final installation.

Underwater housings for their cameras have allowed the creation of images shot both above and below the waterline, and with these views they intend to emulate the sensation of being in and on the water.

The installation will take visitors into a multi-sensory environment and will draw on other narratives and data from historical, scientific, environmental and spatial readings of the site to build layers of meaning. Collaborations with scientists from the Griffith School of Coastal Management will feature in the catalogue and public program.

Marian Drew + Alana Hampton The Lorikeet Island Project will show at Gold Coast City Gallery from 25 March – 6 May 2012 where it will be a feature exhibition of the 2012 Queensland Festival of Photography.

A catalogue and Education kit will be developed for the project.

Enquiries gallery@theartscentregc.com.au Alana Hampton is currently studying for her MA at Queensland College of Art Gold Coast Campus and is Head of Art at St Hilda’s School Southport.

Marian Drew is Associate Professor Queensland College of Art based at South Bank. Virginia Rigney is Curator at Gold Coast City Gallery.

Come high tide, the terrestrial form of the island disappears and it becomes washed through by the sea. The clear seawater covers the extended exposed roots and it is this relationship between water, land and the mangrove trees, which are so superbly adapted to this environment, that the artists have chosen to explore.

The artists were successful in obtaining a Regional Art Development Fund Grant supported by Gold Coast City Council and Arts Queensland to develop the exhibition and this enabled them to hire a houseboat in June for four days to start to make the work. Carefully mooring just off the island they were able to use the boat as a base for visiting by canoe or dingy, and importantly the extended time on the water allowed them the opportunity to immerse their thinking in the rhythm of the tides, the changing light throughout the day and the moods of the birds.

ABOVE: Marian Drew Alana Hampton ‘Lorikeet Island as it appeared’ photograph 2011.

The installation will take visitors into a multisensory environment …

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rabbit +cocoon

“You can have an exhibition anywhere if you make the space ‘art worthy.’ You just need to have the resilience to make it work.”

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artist-run initiatives article Dominique Falla photography Claudio Kirac

Mariam Arcilla has the kind of enthusiasm for creative arts projects that infects everyone around her. Describing herself as an “arts industry grower”, she has the positive outlook needed to inspire and motivate artists to create their best works and the background knowledge of grants and funding systems, required to get things done. The Gold Coast art scene as it stands at the moment would be a very different place without her. She founded the Tinygold collective and from there partnered with Terri Lew to convert her property into a gallery, not a car park, and so 19KAREN was born. Her latest project, Rabbit + Cocoon, is shaping up to be a major Gold Coast arts precinct, with a launch planned for 11 November, 2011.

Mariam studied at Queensland College of Art (QCA) and completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts, which gave her the necessary background into all of the creative arts she advocates for. She currently works full time at Gold Coast City Council, managing projects that provide professional development for artists and industry support for cultural organisations. It’s hard to believe, but Tinygold, 19KAREN and Rabbit + Cocoon all exist outside her day job—the energy required to volunteer on these projects is astounding.

She looks back on her time at university and remembers when her faculty gallery closed down and they were forced to find alternative spaces for their graduate exhibition. It was then she realised that “you can have an exhibition anywhere if you make the space ‘art worthy’.

You just need to have the resilience to make it work.”

Mariam says that one of the best things about the Gold Coast is that it is very inclusive because it is so small. “We can’t afford to compete.

We have to work together and this means there is a very healthy culture on the Gold Coast. The arts community is very supportive of each other and there is so much love put into all independent and artist-run projects.” Unfortunately, she also acknowledges that without support from Government funding, these initiatives can quickly run out of energy.

The launch planned for 11/11/11 is shaping up to be a coming of age for arts on the Gold Coast. Comb Arts, Flat White Spaces, Trunk Junk Quarterly and Arts Harvest are all banding together with Rabbit + Cocoon to make the night a huge showcase of the arts’ collectives on the Gold Coast, and Mariam will no doubt be at the centre of it all. A tiny dynamo of energy, I think in years to come she will feature strongly as the arts industry grower who made a lot of this happen.

“It’s not the place, or buildings that make a culture,” she says, “it’s the people. And the people make the scene. Thanks to our artists, and their national media exposure of late, the Gold Coast can now outgrow its touristic stigma, to become known as a place where creativity can really grow, and stay.” rabbitandcocoon.blogspot.com | facebook: rabbitandcocoon

Mariam sees her father as the catalyst for her career path. He is a successful visual and installation artist and she has seen his career unfold first hand. He instilled in Mariam the belief that anything is possible and she likes to quote Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

Mariam goes on to say that “you can’t be restricted by failure.” She had to be convinced 19KAREN and Rabbit + Cocoon were going to work from the outset, and then had to convince others of this as well, which is obviously the key to the success of these projects. In most cases, these artist-run spaces are a collaborative effort and Mariam strongly believes that “if the passion behind your projects is evident, the community will support you.”

And support them it does. 19KAREN is a successful, ongoing concern as a gallery and workshop space in Mermaid Beach, which is now run entirely

by Terri Lew, who owned the premises and was convinced by Mariam— and a business plan—not to bulldoze the building. Instead, they “went for it”, renovating the space and holding successful monthly exhibitions that are as well attended as any in a Brisbane or Melbourne gallery.

Now one of the driving forces behind the Rabbit +Cocoon precinct in Miami, Mariam is working together with another group of women to develop the artist-run space. Emma Milikins approached Mariam with the space, and together they convinced the property manager to let them turn the workshop sheds into an arts precinct. Jolie Hertzberg, fresh from the Surfers Paradise Festival, also came on board and now the not-for-profit site is used as a gallery, workshop space, outdoor market and cinema, as well as a fashion incubator and musical performance space.

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naked city guide

... creative people are attracted to the city’s ability to maintain a certain ease of lifestyle, and freedom of expression ...

Images: Naked City Guide 1-2.

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uncovering the gold coast article Mariam Arcilla photography Bec Worth

It all started with a list drummed up by youth worker and writer Cory Maxwell-Coghlan called “Things to do when bored”. Visit an art gallery. Try a new dish. Check out a cafe. Hear live music. Go on detours. Basically, it was a checklist of culturally engaging things to do on the Gold Coast. Next, Cory asked friends of diverse tastes to add their ideas to this inventory, and soon photographs of their To-Dos were taken. Once the project turned extensive, the team decided to transform their findings into a ‘local knowledge’ guide they could share with the public.

What started out as a hobby snowballed into Naked City Guide, a portable, encyclopaedic pocketbook that profiled the places, faces and initiatives that drive our city’s creative bustle. Released in 2009, Naked went on to sell over 5,000 copies (and growing), fast becoming a cultural bucket-list for locals yearning for an alternative to the beach and sports scenario. Aptly named for its immaculate design, eco-friendly printing and ad-free pages, Naked collated the best eating houses, lounge bars, galleries, vintage shops, outdoor markets, cafés, live venues and quirky hang-outs located on the Gold Coast. Also included was a handy Maps section, which categorised the city into easy, colour-coded pockets, and an Events calendar, which promoted the city’s major events and websites. The Dare and Random pages, which formed the bones of Cory’s original list, proved a treat for the hunters of the unique, or thrilling, social encounters.

This city-guide could not have come at a better time. The Gold Coast was entering a new creative energy, and it was clear these golden moments needed to be celebrated and documented. Naked managed to push our culture to the forefront of city lifestyle, and as Cory says, fill “an unmet demand for a tasteful and discerning insider’s perspective of the Gold Coast.”

The book was a self-funded venture that took eight months to complete. Cory says that even though it was a milk-run to chase hundreds of businesses for information, it was resilience, and belief in the product, that enabled him to keep going. He points out that “a lot of people have a lot of dreams and ideas, but the only difference between successful people and the rest of the population is that the successful people went beyond thinking and dreaming, and did some ‘doing’.”

It’s quite remarkable that this city-guide was created not by an organisation, a business, nor a fancy tourism campaign, but by a small posse of young people who believed in our city, and who wanted us to believe in it too. By exposing the many deserving businesses and individuals that contribute towards our civic culture, and by cutting out the waffle and gimmick you often see in tourist magazines, Naked enabled its readers to absorb the cityscape through fresh, re-enchanted eyes. Predictably, my copy of Naked bears a patina of highlighter-pen marks and doggy-ears from constant perusals and lending to friends and visitors.

So who are the people behind Naked? Well, there are three head honchos. Cory, who holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from University of Queensland, naturally donned the director’s hat. Lucy Melville, fresh from a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Writing at

Griffith University, joined him to provide the wittily-written, locallydistinctive content. Bec Worth, a Queensland College of Art (QCA) Bachelor of Design graduate, was enlisted to design the book’s now infamous bespoke brand identity. Cory proudly states that “Lucy penned the words that have solidified our reputation, while Bec built the strong brand that we currently have.” A few friends also helped by contributing additional reviews and images, spreading the word to friends, and stocking the books at their stores, cafés and pop-up stalls.

Bec says the overwhelming response the book has since received from the public proves “that the Gold Coast does host some exceptionally brilliant people.” She also believes that creative people are attracted to our city’s ability to maintain a certain ease of lifestyle, and freedom of expression—and she feels the book reflects this. Lucy says she comes across many businesses that experience new traffic due to the book, and knows of people who devote days to checking out places from the Naked list. Lucy points out that the compact size of the book means people tend to keep a copy in their car’s glove box, or on the coffee table—a welcome relief, she figures, “to the eye-bashing of digital life.”

This noted, with the Gold Coast being a chameleonic and transient city, a city-guide like Naked can quickly become out of date. And as the world enters a techno-savvy era businesses now find themselves catering to a mainstream populace that craves—sometimes demands—access to information that is free, locative and fast-paced. So while people still hold a soft spot for the physicality of books, the voracious data delivered through digital devices and social networking means that the best way for initiatives to remain current is to ‘graduate’ into a digital platform. “By putting Naked online,” Lucy observes, “various places would become exposed to a wider audience, and ultimately this means more to us than putting another book on the shelf.”

With the assistance of a RADF grant, the group are now able to build a comprehensive website that bears the punchy writing and clinical design that has won the book’s huge following. To further expand the Naked list, Cory called on the local community to send their own where-to-go and who-to-profile list. A selection will be featured on the website, which launches later this year. On top of this, the team are looking into developing an iPhone Application, which would no doubt further the momentum to their print success, and elevate the profile of our city’s variety of cultural endeavours. As echoed in Naked’s Media Kit, “it’s time we rolled up our sleeves, and got serious about working together to showcase what makes this city tick.”

So, as the Gold Coast’s cultural identity unravels, are there any bestkept secrets left to expose? Bec reveals she likes to jaunt to her friend’s secret art studio in Springbrook mountain, while Lucy likes heading to The Spit jetty to catch glimpses of sea turtles, and a nearby lighthouse. This spot, she claims, boasts the best views of the city, and of Stradbroke Islands, especially during a storm. Cory’s best-kept secret? His answer is simple: “Our artists.”

Based on the public praise received for Naked—which we can safely call this city’s unofficial cultural bible—I have a feeling that his secret has well and truly been unclothed. www.nakedcityguide.com.au 27

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potato press

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creatively unusual article Dominique Falla photography Hz Chin

Potato Press combines a rare mix of technical expertise and creative experimentation. Founder Rod Wooldridge and artist Kiel Tillman both enthuse that they are happy to take on projects that push the creative envelope. Rod started out at Fastproof Press, learning his trade with one of the largest printers on the Gold Coast before going it alone and starting Potato Press from his garage in Broadbeach.

It wasn’t long before the word got out among designers, artists and agencies that Potato Press specialises in the crazy, different, weird or unusual. As Rod says “forget about ink on paper”. Potato Press is interested in the tactile, and 18 months ago, moved into a premises in Southport with plenty of room for the laser cutter, large format printers, hot foil machine, book binder and everything else they need to create amazing works of art for their clientele.

Having met Rod at Fastproof Press, artist Kiel Tillman came on board after an eight-year stint at Billabong as a garment designer.

By combining his illustration and typography skills with all of the possibilities Potato Press has to offer, Kiel was able to push his artwork in an exciting new direction by etching his intricate designs into skate decks, wooden panels, removable wall stickers, glass bottles and so on. Not only does this push Kiel’s artwork in new directions, it allows others to see what is possible with these tactile outputs and inspire them to try something of their own.

The offices of Potato Press are littered with the artwork of Kiel and other artists represented by Art Harvest, such as Kid9 and Claudio Kirac. A visit to the workshop feels like a trip to a gallery, rather than a factory, and this art practice is reflected in the clients and types of projects Potato Press likes to take on. Unique, one-off trophies for Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Surf Trials, promo materials for Unit, Billabong, and Element, custom installs for the McCarthy Consulting Group office interior and foiled wine labels for The Measure, are just a sample of the types of projects that get them excited. With a creative talent

like Kiel on board, it’s no wonder they like to manage a project from creative to installation. “We love to work with large corporations who want an interior fit out or large-scale installation that is left-of-field and they give us free rein to design something unique for them.”

Alongside the custom work they do for clients, Potato Press has also started an artist collective called Art Harvest, who soft launched in the middle of 2011, with plans for a big launch in November (11/11/11).

So far they represent 12, mainly Gold Coast artists, with plans to expand as more artists come on board. The Art Harvest website is intended as a portal for people to buy the unique works of art they see produced at Potato Press. As Kiel points out, “lots of people want this stuff hanging on their walls, but don’t have the skills to produce it themselves, so we make it easy for them.”

The combination of emerging technologies and creative partnerships marks a very exciting opportunity on the Gold Coast for artists and designers to create projects that are challenging and often deemed too hard, or out of their comfort zone, by most printers and signwriters.

Potato Press is unique in its willingness to take on the unusual and the results of the team’s work speaks for themselves. www.potatopress.com.au

“A visit to the workshop feels like a trip to a gallery, rather than a factory.”

TOP RIGHT: Kiel Tillman and Rod Wooldridge.

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ABOVE: Artwork by Ashley Whamond, MIDDLE: Design by Dominique Falla, BOTTOM LEFT: Artwork by Dale Patterson, BOTTOM RIGHT: Artwork by Daniel Della-Bosca.

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polish art academies

shared vision ... wspólna wizja ... article Earle Bridger

Staff from the Queensland College of Art (QCA) are participating in a series of exciting group exhibitions to be held in Poland from November 2011 till March 2012. Two and three-dimensional works, and film and animation, will be sent on a journey halfway round the globe to be exhibited at Polish Art Academies in the spirit of sharing.

The seed for this project was planted in 2009 when the first QCA, staff, student and Alumni exhibition to Poland “Sharing … Wespół …” was opened at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art by the Australian Ambassador to Poland, Ms Ruth Pearce. Her praise for the quality of the works, and her impassioned discourse on the significance of the culture they represented, provided sufficient justification to embark on a second and significantly larger exhibition of works representing the artistic endeavours of 58 academic and support staff of Griffith University’s visual arts faculty, QCA.

In March 2012 the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódz will present the combined QCA exhibitions of over 200 artworks, alongside an additional QCA event organised by The Griffith Film School (GFS). In cooperation with The Polish National School of Film, TV and Theatre in Łódz, GFS will run a film festival highlighting the works of its most successful animation and film graduates.

Reciprocal staff exhibitions are already being planned (and supported by the Polish Embassy in Australia) that will enable the artists of the participating Polish academies to have their work shown in the Brisbane and Gold Coast QCA galleries. www.poland.qcagriffith.com

Over the past 130 years, QCA has brought together some of Australia’s finest practitioners and academics in visual art and design. It has produced thousands of professional artists, designers, photographers and filmmakers who have helped shape art and design culture in Queensland, Australia and, now, internationally.

These exhibitions, entitled “Shared Vision ... Wspólna Wizja ...” have been organised and curated by QCA staff member Earle Bridger and QCA alumnus Tadeusz Jacek Rybinski from UNDER the HOUSE of ART, who will take the art works to two of Poland’s largest cities: Wrocław and Łódz.

The Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław will host two exhibitions.

The first, mainly works on paper, includes screen prints, photographs, drawings, etchings and some paintings, and multimedia productions while the second, an exhibition of jewellery and small objects, will be shown in the prestigious Stanko Gallery in Wrocław. Both will be opened on consecutive evenings, 18 and 19 November, again by the Australian ambassador to Poland, Ms Ruth Pearce.

Over the past 130 years, the QCA has brought together some of Australia’s finest practitioners and academics in visual art and design.

RIGHT: Photography by Heather Faulkner.

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creative careers Forging a succesful career in the creative arts industry.

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mixr

“Our specialty is to take an offline brand and get them online.”

Above: Calypso Bay Website, DBL website.

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luke brown article Dominique Falla

After managing the Webhaus arm of Brandhaus for several years, Queensland College of Art (QCA) graduate Luke Brown realised bigger isn’t always better. When Brandhaus decided they would no longer offer web services and chose to specialise in branding, Luke knew it was time to scale down and specialise only in web. So Mixr was born.

Luke and fellow Webhaus employee Chris Davis set up as equal partners in the new venture two years ago and since then business has been booming. However, instead of taking on more employees, they have learnt from lessons of the past. Luke and Chris intend to remain small and focused on what it is they do best, utilising a team of freelancers on large projects, but keeping their focus firmly on offering the best digital solutions and not expanding to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ simply because their clients ask for other services.

“Our specialty is to take an offline brand and get them online. Our typical client has a well-established brand already. We understand branding from our history with Brandhaus, and we know how best to take that brand further through all of the digital channels currently available.” Some of these channels include websites, online videos, Facebook, Twitter and now iPhone apps.

Mixr have serviced a wide range of clients, both locally and overseas, and they boast, “there is nothing we haven’t done” which is why staying on top of new technologies is so important to them. Their work ranges from simple HTML websites to large business-to-business corporate sites, and everything in between.

As technology changes so rapidly in their industry, both Luke and Chris devote large amounts of time to staying on top of current trends, technologies, and new ways to deliver digital content, by reading magazines, blogs, news feeds and awards showcases. They also find it helps to see what others are doing from an innovation point-of-view, to help raise the bar in their own work. Luke enthuses, “we are inspired by visual aesthetic and how that ties in with the functionality. Design is most exciting when it is interactive.”

One of their favourite projects to work on is Skateboarding Australia because they are closely involved with the client and all aspects of their online business. Mixr have revamped their website twice, developed animations, marketing materials, blogs, managed their social media and ongoing social marketing and they are excited by the results that their work has delivered for the client. As Chris explains, “we love it when we are brought in to leverage the online presence of a brand.”

When asked about the future of the web, both Luke and Chris get excited about the possibilities of HTML5. “At the moment we are limited by browser incompatibilities, and the fact Flash doesn’t play on iPhones so the interactivity is limited, but once HTML5 becomes industry standard, it all becomes native and that is very exciting.”

Both Luke and Chris are also excited about the future of Mixr. They have plans to systemise their process and expand into other cities in the future, but for the moment, they are happy to live and work on the Gold Coast. Luke lived in Japan for a year while a student, and loved returning to the Gold Coast because it has “all the vibrancy of a big city but I can still get to work in under 20 minutes.”

Mixr have developed a very clear workflow, which outlines the whole development process from the start. This makes sure that there are no nasty surprises along the way and clients are very clear on what they can expect from the project. As Luke explains “you need to define the project very clearly. This makes it better for everyone if there is accountability for both parties.”

The idea of systemising their process and keeping a clear, structured workflow is obviously the key to Mixr’s success, and this is something they have learned from their time at Webhaus and Mixr. Both Luke and Chris talk about how important it is to build good working partnerships with their clients and Luke cites Canadian business consultant Blair Enns as an inspiring force when it comes to his business philosophy.

They do have plans to expand but for now, “it’s important to make the system perfect before growing. We want to refine what we do and how we do it” and if their current client work is any indication, they are well on their way. www.mixr.com.au

Above right: Luke Brown.

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unit

Above LEFT & bottom: Unit campaign artwork. TOP RIGHT: Paul Everest and the ‘design pod’.

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paul everest article Dominique Falla

The story of how Paul Everest and his brother Ian started the multimillion dollar motocross brand Unit with just a few hundred dollars and a screen-printing table is fast becoming the stuff of legend amongst designers on the Gold Coast. It doesn’t matter whether you like what Unit has to say, it’s hard to ignore them. The fact that Paul won Gold Coast Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010, and the Northern Region Award this year, indicates that the business community is starting to take notice as well. If Paul wins the national title in November, he is poised to represent Australia in the world entrepreneur titles at Monte Carlo in 2012.

Unit started life as a niche motocross brand in 2002, but has since spread to become an international brand worn by just about everybody, in much the same way as Billabong started life as a surf brand. It’s safe to say the majority of Unit customers no longer ride motocross, though the brand is still strongly supported by motocross riders.

One thing Unit customers do have in common, however, is attitude.

As Paul says, “Unit is one of the few brands who use the platform we have earned to say something. The other brands we compete against just plonk logos on products and supply a profit and loss statement to their shareholders.”

It is obvious that the average Unit customer agrees with what the brand has to say. “I watch TV and read the papers and I have a kind of ‘read between the lines’ approach to life. There is so much bullshit out there and it really provides great material for art. Unit is all about ‘raging against the machine’. Right now the machine is winning.”

Paul may be kicking goals as a business entrepreneur, but he started life as a graphic designer with a passion and still takes a hands-on approach to the company. He has even built his own ‘design pod’ that enables him to immerse himself in the creative process. The design pod is a converted dentist chair complete with Mac tower, Bose surround sound system, an oxygen tank, floating keyboard and 30-inch monitor.

In just nine years Unit has grown from the Everest family garage producing small runs of T-shirts, to a factory outlet in Helensvale, a concept store in Maroochydore, and an International office in California, producing hundreds of designs a year.

Remaining creatively inspired enough to maintain this kind of output takes a lot of energy. Paul takes a cosmic approach to it. “Inspiration is just something that pops up at unexpected times. You can’t really control it. You just have to find a frequency for your spirit and stuff just happens when the universe lines up. Open-mindedness is the key.

Humans are meant to be creative; it’s why we are here … we were single-celled green algae billions of years ago. Today we have evolved

into large brained, warm-blooded organisms that walk upright, have language, music and art. Imagine what we are capable of next!”

Paul cites his mother as a huge influence and from her has established the importance of a good mentor. “Mentors are important because they show you techniques and pass on their experience in multiple ways.

My mum was possibly my biggest mentor; she always encouraged me from a young age. If I drew something on a piece of paper she would always make a big deal about it and encourage me to keep drawing and learning. All those parents who see the universe in their kid’s eyes hold the key to the future.”

As a result of this upbringing, Unit has become a fantastic training ground for emerging creatives, and many graphic design graduates from the Queensland College of Art have benefited from work experience as part of the design department, with a handful going on to further employment with the company.

Paul has a philosophy: “The human brain is a reality generator. You can do anything.” And if the runaway success of Unit is any indication, you have to agree with him. www.unitriders.com

“Open-mindedness is the key. Humans are meant to be creative; it’s why we are here ...”

Above right: Capitalism design by Unit.

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dominique falla tactile typography article Carol Whittaker photography Alejandra Ramirez Vidal

What’s your connection with the Queensland College of Art (QCA)? I’m the Convenor of the Graphic Design program at the Gold Coast campus of QCA. I’m also the Creative Director of Liveworm (a work integrated studio for students at QCA), and I’m studying for my Doctorate of Visual Arts (DVA).

What’s your connection with the Gold Coast? I used to live in Melbourne, but moved to northern NSW after spending weekends in Byron Bay with my husband. We met while I was on holiday on the Gold Coast about ten years ago. He and his family are from the Gold Coast, so we didn’t move very far.

What’s your creative process? At present I’m doing a series of typography pieces for my DVA. I like to see where the computer and the tactile intersect. Because I studied graphic design in the precomputer era—traditional typesetting, paste-up and photography—I like what the digital revolution has allowed us to do, but I want to go back and somehow combine the two. Digital technology has made people lose track of any physical method of creating typography, so I’m interested in seeing where the two can intersect. I like it when you look at the finished work and see it was conceived as a digital piece but created by hand.

My pieces are conceived digitally, usually in Adobe Illustrator, and from there I create one-off pieces using tactile methods. So far I’ve experimented with sewing, embossing, vinyl cutting, screen-printing, laser-etching and paper piercing. Generally I use paper (for piercing and sewing), or use cut pieces of vinyl on glass, and then I photograph them to see how they cast a shadow. Other designs have been screenprinted onto metal or wood. I like playing with the materials and seeing what effects I get.

“Digital technology has made people lose track of any physical method of creating typography …”

I started out as a traditional illustrator using paint media and then became a digital illustrator about eight years ago. Scanning in my drawings and rendering them digitally in a ‘Steampunk’ style was how I created the artworks for my Masters. I always like to see how digital and traditional image making methods can combine.

Where do you see the future of the Gold Coast artistically? I think there are a lot of collectives starting up at the moment. The Gold Coast is more community-minded from an artistic point of view than in a big city. I’m part of the ‘We Heart’ Collective, which is a small but growing group of current staff, students and alumni of the Gold

Above: “We are all a part of the same thing” nail and string poster, “Spaces” cut vinyl poster for Flat White Spaces 1.

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Coast QCA. The group initiate or get invited to showcase their work at different venues. I’m also part of the ‘Flat White Spaces’ collective that exhibits in a variety of locations.

The current development of these unique art communities on the Gold Coast is definitely a good thing, together with the new cultural art precinct [to be completed in a few years by the Gold Coast City Council on the Arts Centre Gold Coast site].

So what do you see lacking? Large scale galleries showing the work of graphic designers. They mostly show fine art exhibitions, which is why graphic designers have to invent their own exhibitions—it’s creating a fringe art culture.

What’s your uniqueness? I combine digital technology with hand made art. Most graphic designers are used to print or screen output, and very little is hand made. Most fine artists work with their hands.

I combine the two, which is unique. No one else is doing tactile typography (that I know of).

What are your proudest achievements? LAP Publishing recently published my Masters thesis internationally. It’s called Visualising Steampunk and is the production design for a hypothetical Steampunk film.

What collaborations do you have on the Gold Coast or other locations? I collaborate with the ‘We Heart’ Collective, which has members in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and the members of ‘Flat White Spaces’ are also diversified geographically.

We’ve talked about working in different medias. How do you find that? Sewing is fun, easy, and I get great results. I really like the variety of different media. I get bored easily, so experimenting with new mediums is a great way to keep myself interested in a project.

I’ve also recently bought a KNK digital cutter for using with paper, vellum and fabric, but I suppose the computer is my main media—I’ve been using a computer since 1988—I’m not quite a digital native, but almost.

What are your favourite works? Two pieces I just completed yesterday. I cut one out of six different coloured vinyls and applied it to paper and the other I cross-stitched onto paper. Both are for the We Heart Winter exhibition.

I’m also working on a couple of laser-etched designs and I’m looking forward to seeing the final results.

Who has inspired you? Anyone who identifies with being a graphic designer and who uses tactile elements: Marian Bantjes is a Canadian graphic designer who’s worked with designer Stephan Sagmeister, and does some incredible work in vector and also tactile media. Mericor/Maricar are a Sydney-based graphic design team who sew and animate things, and Evelin Kasikov, is a designer who uses cross-stitching in her CMYK embroidery [a reference to the cyan, magenta, yellow, key (black) printing process commonly used by designers].

How did you get your start as a graphic designer? In 1985, I found a student graduate catalogue from Swinburne Institute (as it was known back then) in a Melbourne bookstore. I remember it had $4 written on the inside cover in pencil. It inspired me to do everything within my power to attend Swinburne when I finished high school in 1987. It was the best $4 I’ve ever spent!

Did you have a mentor? I spent four years studying graphic design at Swinburne and in my final year I studied under an inspiring teacher and illustrator, Keith McEwan, who converted a group of us students into illustrators. After graduating, I became a freelance illustrator for 13 years with clients in the US, Europe and Australia. I did lots and lots of children’s books. The best known, Woodlore, had three-dimensional illustrations made out of wood, which were photographed for the book. It won runner-up in the 1994 Children’s Book Council Awards and happily this meant it was purchased for every school library in the country. I guess my love of dimensional design started there.

Hopes for the future? I plan to complete my DVA in the next three years and I’m really enjoying creating tactile typography for exhibitions and creative projects as part of that. I also really enjoy teaching and being surrounded by my amazing students every day—they keep me inspired and motivated. I’m also excited about where the Gold Coast is going creatively. I have seen a lot of positive changes in the past ten years and I’m excited to be a part of the creative community here. It has been very supportive of my work and I hope I can give back to that in the future. I would also love to speak at conferences. I really enjoy attending them but I am saddened by the lack of inspiring female designers invited to speak at AgIdeas, Semi-Permanent and the Digital/Analogue conferences for example, so I have set that as a goal when I complete my DVA. www.dominiquefalla.com

Above: Dominique Falla.

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abbey mcculloch

“Drawing happens so quickly, there isn’t much room for error. It either works, or it doesn’t …”

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Above LEFT: Of Things To Come (Part One) 2011, oil on canvas, 150cm x 120cm. TOP RIGHT: Abbey McCulloch, BOTTOM RIGHT: Bell Pepper 2011, oil on canvas, 150cm x 120cm. Courtesy of the Artist.

creativecareers

little women

article Mariam Arcilla photography Scott Foster

I am at Abbey McCulloch’s studio in Burleigh—a converted garage nestled under the house she shares with her husband. A volcanic spurt of paint litters her otherwise white-bricked walls. Glossy magazines and art books cluster on the floor like fallen Jenga pieces. Parked in the corner is a two-shelved trolley she calls her ‘art cart’, filled with tubes of oil paint and charcoal pencils, and chubby paintbrushes poking out from old tomato tins. And here, in the eye of the visual storm, is Abbey, bent over the canvas, absorbingly painting one of her signature ‘girls.’

In her latest series, The Thunderheads, Abbey drenches her females in a painterly burst of lemony yellows, periwinkle blues, and salmon fuchsias. She gives them vivid titles: Neon. Lucid. Bombe Alaska.

The particular girl she is creating today, Bell Pepper, is striking a delicious and enigmatic pose. Her hair is a floss of cloudy blue, her teeth straight like a fence. She is not all-the-way smiling, though she evokes a subtle contentment, and glowing confidence.

“These are still the same ‘girls’,” Abbey states, “but they are now grown up, in the same ways that I’ve matured in my practice.”

The artist is often drawn to women’s personalities and complexities, and the colour moods associated with femininity. They form part of the appeal to continue painting women.

Abbey says that as a child she was encouraged by her parents to explore her creativity. She also credits her husband Scotty, who she met at the start of her career, and married aged 21, for further nurturing her talent. “His belief in me is the reason I keep painting,” she smiles.

In 1995, Abbey graduated from a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Fine Art at Queensland College of Art (QCA). She returned in 2008, thirteen years later, to complete a Research Masters in Fine Art at the same institution. Being at university helped her to articulate her arts process.

“It encouraged me to delve deeper into my subject matter, to sharpen my pencils, so to speak.”

Now 36, Abbey has enjoyed a majestic career rise to undoubtedly become one of our city’s most successful and collectable artists. In a span of six years she has held 15 solo exhibitions, and numerous group shows around Australia. She has received praise for her portraits of Australian actresses Toni Colette and Nell Schofield, both for the prestigious Archibald Prize.

Her ‘girls’ have become regular darlings in Harpers Bazaar, Australian Vogue and RUSSH magazine. To top it off, Abbey was approached last year by Yves Saint Laurent to become the company’s cosmetics ambassador.

And what of The Thunderheads? The show went on to sell-out prior to opening night at her represented gallery, Helen Gory, in Melbourne.

The gallery director, Helen Gory, says clients responded to her new works instantly, putting their hands up to buy without needing to first physically view the pieces.

“They fell in love with the paintings just by seeing the images on the

website,” she tells me, “it takes a special artist like Abbey to command that trust in quality.” No surprise then, to hear that this year marks Abbey’s third-time inclusion into the prestigious Australian Art Collector’s 50 Most Collectable Artists List.

Abbey admits that having a blossoming career, and seeing her hard work peppered in red dots, does make her feel relieved, though she confides, “as an artist you will always be on that constant search for overwhelming approval.” The show’s success became a feature story on ABC TV’s Art Nation, in which Abbey was interviewed about being a professional artist living on the Gold Coast.

While Abbey admits her client base hails mostly from interstate she assures me that the Gold Coast will always be home. “I live here simply because I prefer the lifestyle. Cities are great for quick visits, but my misanthropy starts to kick in after a while, and I can’t wait to get home and breathe. I appreciate what other cities offer, but I prefer to be on the Gold Coast.” She also points out that the Internet has given people the flexibility to be able to work from anywhere now. “And this means a lot of creative people can remain in this city.”

To enter her creative headspace Abbey isolates herself in her studio for days, if not weeks at a time, and arms herself with ‘inspirational necessities’: fashion magazines, soundtrack music, scrapbooks.

“Champagne helps too,” she quips.

So what’s next for the artist? “I’m experimenting with charcoal drawings and pared down monochromatic paintings.” Abbey finds this process to be liberating and honest. “Drawing happens so quickly, there isn’t much room for error. It either works, or it doesn’t, although I sometimes like to leave mistakes and clumsy traces. These failed areas are what can keep the image alive and less static.” Abbey aims to further curtail her love for colour and vibrancy in Of things to Come, a large-scale painting she will soon attempt to create for an upcoming Sydney group show. Apart from hints of crystal-blue, orange-lined eyes, the work will be covered entirely in slicks of blacks, greys and whites. She muses, “Being restrained to an oil paint of monochromatic scheme allows me to re-connect with my love for drawing and charcoal. It is free of the distraction of colour. It’s like a slight renewal for me.” The artist also sees working with limited colour as her response towards the “sometimes grey areas that form the choices we must make in our lives. I am feeling this now especially, as a woman artist in her mid-thirties.”

This said, are there any tips she’d like to pass on to young, aspiring artists wishing to follow the same path? Abbey ponders this for a while before replying, “I would prescribe an almost scary dedication to their practice in order to progress. Artists need to develop an obsession that drives their ideas.”

If success is anything to go by, it seems that Abbey’s obsession has rewarded her well. www.abbeymcculloch.com.au 41

creativecareers

victoria reichelt

Above: Uprising.

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a “thing” for books article Dominique Falla photography Damien O’Mara

To say Victoria Reichelt has a “thing for books” is putting it mildly. For the past seven years now, the Queensland College of Art (QCA) Fine Art graduate has painted virtually nothing but books and magazines in painstaking detail, focusing occasionally on individual tomes of wisdom, but more often than not, she documents entire bookshelves, piles and piles of magazines and people’s unique collections.

As is the case with most artists, Victoria is mainly excited by her latest works for an upcoming exhibition in Korea, but with prizes in the Stan and Maureen Duke Art Prize, the Melbourne Airport Innovators Award, and work in the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, the Gold Coast City Art Gallery and Artbank, this successful young artist is obviously exciting people with her previous work as well.

Victoria cites Australian sculptor Donna Marcus as a mentor, whom she met whilst still a student. “I met Donna Marcus when she was my lecturer and then my supervisor at QCA and she remains a big influence and inspiration for me—in tricky times in my practice I often find myself thinking ‘what would Donna say?’”

Victoria is interested in objects in a state of flux and thinks the days of “seeing piles of magazines on people’s kitchen tables are probably numbered, as they continue to exist and thrive, but slowly transition into a digital format.”

“The potential shift in the nature of how books and magazines are presented to us, from the physical to the digital, is exciting …”

Since finishing her Doctorate of Visual Art in 2005, Victoria has managed to forge a successful career as a painter and is definitely one to watch on the Australian art scene. Her next exhibition is for the Dianne Tanzer Gallery and will be shown at the Korea International Art Fair (KIAF) in September. The show is called Shift and is a series of paintings of magazines.

When asked why she has chosen to focus on magazines for this exhibition, Victoria says “Shift is a loving portrait of magazines that hints at the future unrest that these objects may face. The potential shift in the nature of how books and magazines are presented to us, from the physical to the digital, is exciting, but also concerning for those of us with a fondness for these items as objects, messily stacked in precarious piles around our homes.”

As a collector of magazines, Victoria muses on why magazines might function differently from books, as far as people’s affections for them.

“People tend to share a fondness (and a protectiveness) for books, that they don’t for their more disposable cousins ... but magazines are still incredibly popular, and have a special place in lots of people’s hearts and homes. Those of us who collect magazines do so as they offer a space to imagine, dream and think in, and we collect them to return to images and stories of things we aspire to be, have, and create.”

When asked about her creative process, and how she stays inspired, working alone in her Tugun studio, she admits to seeing a lot of exhibitions and reading a lot of books and magazines, and getting her ideas that way. Then she spends time gathering the objects she wants to paint (in the case of the upcoming Korean show – thousands of magazines), and photographs a whole series over the course of a few weeks. “Then all that’s left is to spend the next year playing with the photographs and painting the works!”

Victoria’s works are detailed studies of books and magazines, and through the intricate rendering of the typography on the spines, the shadows each page casts on the one below, and the delicate grouping of colours, Victoria forces us to reassess these publications as a part of knowledge, history or popular culture, and instead strips them of any literary significance so that we see only colour and form. They are strangely mesmerising and while she feels she is documenting the form in a state of flux, her work has longevity beyond the new technology that replaces them, even if they are destined to become mere historical documents in themselves. www.victoriareichelt.com

Above right: Victoria Reichelt at work in the studio.

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peter sexty

Above: Palazzo Versace stationery by Sexty Design.

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detailed to perfection article Carol Whittaker photography Andrea Horvatt

As the graphic designer behind some of Australia’s iconic property developments—most notably Q1 and Palazzo Versace—Peter Sexty has established an enviable reputation, especially from property developers and the design industry, for his timeless corporate identities, innovative photography and stylish architectural renderings.

Having first met Peter a decade ago, I always found his charm and forthright honesty endearing. “You’ve got to be driven. Passionate about what you do,” he says. An adage reflected in the high quality of work he’s produced from his Gold Coast-based studio, Peter Sexty Design, since 1988.

After graduating from the Seven Hills College of Art, Brisbane in 1978 (which later became the Queensland College of Art), Peter worked for a local advertising agency before starting his own business working from his parents Gold Coast home in 1980. His first client was Resort Condominiums International (now RCI), working on a range of promotional material. By the time they parted ways 12 years later the client had grown from a staff of four to over 200.

Peter’s proud to say he has a solid track record of retaining clients and sees them as collaborators throughout the design process. “We have clients that are design driven,” he says. “We sell the dream. We sell the emotion,” he adds.

The Sunland Group are one such client with a relationship spanning over two decades. During this time Peter Sexty Design has created brand identities for its national and international developments including the aforementioned icons Q1 and Palazzo Versace, Balencea in Melbourne and the rebranding of residences at Sanctuary Cove and residences at Royal Pines Resort, both on the Gold Coast.

Although property developers are predominantly Peter’s main client-base, he does, however, maintain a mix of clients that receive his ethos of high quality design and production, including Calleija Jewellers, Adam Scott (golf professional), Somerset College and the Queensland Rugby Club.

These days Peter enjoys using his talents as a photographer and many of his images, particularly architectural, are used in his clients work. His strong interest in fine art and fashion has given inspiration to some theatrical photographic outcomes where he has art directed photographers such as Georges Antoni and John Gollings.

Having known Peter over the years, I’ve noticed he has a reputation for being a perfectionist—with his meticulous eye-for-detail and demand for high quality outcomes from his staff and suppliers—I ask if this is still the case. “Oh no, I’ve mellowed,” he replies with a boyish laugh. His staff assure me he has. At 53 years of age I think he might just be doing that. Just, mind you. www.sextydesign.com.au

“We’re creating a dream.”

Above right & MIDDLE: Stationery design by Peter Sexty, BOTTOM RIGHT: Peter Sexty.

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innovation & experience A passion for creativity is a driving factor behind many Gold Coast industries.

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community group Above: Bruce Lynton & Alan Jones. Bruce Lynton Southport.

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the Bruce Lynton Group – ‘driving the Gold Coast’ article Rhonda Oxnam photography Bruce Lynton Group

When it comes to sleek designs, they don’t come any better than the prestigious BMW range; and when it comes to parochial Gold Coasters, they don’t come any more passionate than local dealer Bruce Lynton … little wonder, then, that the Bruce Lynton BMW dealership in Nerang Street, Southport has become an integral part of the Gold Coast landscape.

Bruce grew up with a father and two brothers in car sales. He was in corporate business until 1969 when, having a 15 year history of visiting the Gold Coast, he decided to investigate the possibilities of establishing himself and his wife Margaret there.

“I initially set up a used car business at the La Serena Caltex Garage, which is now beside Pacific Fair,” Bruce explains. “Then, in 1971, I established my own position at the corner of Nerang and Garden Streets, Southport.”

and more. Thirty seven years on, the group is at the pinnacle of the prestige automotive industry and is proud to be Australia’s longest serving BMW dealer.

But it’s not just cars that fuel the Lynton fire … the family has also established strong ties with the Gold Coast community.

“Our children, Beric and Chelsea, attended local schools, and to this day, we support those schools, as well as many other sporting, cultural and charity events,” Bruce says.

Some of the entities that have benefited from the Lynton generosity over the years include Gold Coast Tennis, ‘the Rosebowl’, Gold Coast Rugby, golf, and The Southport School Rowing Club.

Having been a sales person for the Canadian importer of BMW in 1962, Bruce had developed a love for the brand and a belief in its future so he applied for the Gold Coast franchise.

The group also stage the annual Bruce Lynton Charity Golf Day and Charity Ball, which have raised in excess of $1.2 million over the past twelve years. Charities such as Make-A-Wish, Guide Dogs Queensland, Cancer Council Queensland, Surf Life Saving Queensland and Youngcare have all been beneficiaries.

“The franchise was granted in October of 1973,” Bruce recalls, “so the hunt for suitable premises began. I found a hairdressing salon under an old Queenslander at 84 Nerang Street that was on the market, and there was a condemned dwelling next door at No. 82 that was available for rental.”

“Beric came up with the idea of the Bruce Lynton Charity Ball,” Bruce explains of the annual event that is one of the Gold Coast’s most anticipated social occasions. “As a family—and a business—we feel it is very important to give something back and to support the local community that has given us so much.”

Having secured these premises, Bruce Lynton BMW opened its doors on 1 April 1974.

The region’s expansion and prosperity has been a major factor in the company’s success, enabling Bruce to occupy many adjoining properties as growth demanded.

Since those humble beginnings, the Bruce Lynton Group is now a second-generation family business and has evolved to encompass Bruce Lynton Mini Garage, Land Rover, Fiat, Alfa

Although the Gold Coast population has grown from 80,000 to 500,000 in the past four decades, Bruce feels the underlying culture of the city has not changed measurably.

“A laid-back leisurely outdoor lifestyle is implanted in Gold Coasters and our strengths and weaknesses are closely associated,” he says. “Our weakness is volatility, and our strength is versatility, being able to bounce back from adversity time and again, growing stronger each time.”

“Thirty seven years ago we were a country town relying on Brisbane for anything more than the basics. Today we are a self-reliant city, providing every need required of our multicultural residents.” www.brucelynton.com

“Today we are a self-reliant city, providing every need required of our multi-cultural residents.”

Above: Bruce Lynton.

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the new sanctuary cove

the changing face of a community article Media Hunt

Pablo Picasso once said, “I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.”

a community which is now attainable to a broader community, which we feel is very important.”

Picasso could have been referring to the rich, evolving landscape of Australia’s leading masterplanned community Sanctuary Cove, which has undergone a metamorphosis throughout its rich 24 year history that founding father Mike Gore could never have dreamed of.

“The ability to adapt to changing markets by producing living environments to meet contemporary trends and modern needs has been one of our biggest challenges, but we believe we have done that very well.”

“The idea was fantastic but Sanctuary Cove has certainly become something else because it is more reachable and touchable than it was originally intended,” says Alison Quinn, the Executive General Manager of the premier Gold Coast resort community.”

Large, half-acre block, mega-mansions are still the enduring symbols of Sanctuary Cove—one only has to head up the Coomera River to the resort to see the evidence.

“Mike Gore established Sanctuary Cove with visions of grandeur, creating a lifestyle community without peer reserved for a very small, exclusive group who could afford to live here.”

“But we have consciously—we would like to say artistically—created 50

In 2007, owners Mulpha Sanctuary Cove (Developments) Pty Limited released a spectacular 4,000 square metre homesite which offered an unprecedented 110 metres of river frontage.

The colossal ‘super block’, as it became affectionately known, was priced at $8 million. The home that was to eventually reside on the infamous

innovation&experience

block was estimated to be worth $20 million which made it the most expensive non-beachfront real estate in Queensland.

In the midst of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008, Sanctuary Cove set another record when an undisclosed interstate businessman paid $7.22 million for a three level waterfront home.

Now smaller, more functional luxury homes that epitomise the new ‘post modern’ era—an era defined as the period since the start of the global financial crisis in 2008—are looking to become the enduring new legacy of the ever-changing Sanctuary Cove landscape.

The community’s renaissance is made possible by the current Masterplan, which was introduced under the stewardship of Mulpha in 2002 when the company purchased the resort.

The masterplan has enabled Mulpha to alter the footprint— to artistically re-sculpture the landscape—to retain its contemporary feel and vibrant liveability.

“You don’t often hear of a property development being referred to as a piece of art, but in some ways Sanctuary Cove epitomises this because the canvas—our masterplan if you like—is constantly changing and evolving with the times,” says Alison.

“And the challenge has been that we have not had a blank canvas to work with, instead we have had to transform the community based on an existing framework, to create a better art piece.”

“What we have implemented is cognisant and consistent with the history of Sanctuary Cove but delves into the future needs of the current and next generation of residents.”

Commanding a prime position at the entrance of Sanctuary Cove, Sunland’s joint venture project with Mulpha, The Estate and The Address, has pushed the envelope in terms of design and captures the changing face of a community. Smaller land footprints, more functional home designs, and a variety of product offerings are the hallmarks of the ‘new’ Sanctuary Cove.

Defined by stylish pure white facades and modernist designs, The Estate and The Address have redefined the boundaries of design.

The homes take the open-plan ideal to its ultimate expression, incorporating the courtyard as a central focal point for the residence. Generous spaces flow from one area to another to provide a seamless transition and create a practical life space.

Boasting all of the luxury fixtures and finishes that have become synonymous with the Sunland Group, the homes include natural stone floors, timber features, custom-made joinery, European appliances and fully ducted air-conditioning.

Sunland Group Managing Director Sahba Abedian said the built form at Sanctuary Cove is a reflection of Sunland’s endeavour to

create new living alternatives that surpass expectation.

“Our focus on creating communities that are distinctive and enduring in their commitment to design and excellence remains well-received in the market of value-conscious and discerning buyers.”

The brilliance and quality of the project have been recognised by the industry, with The Address taking out the HIA—CSR Gold Coast Northern Rivers House Award for Bathroom Project of the Year and the Display Home Category Award at the 2010 Master Builders Association Housing and Construction Awards.

The Address duplexes also recently took out the 2011 Master Builders Gold Coast Housing & Construction Awards for Low Rise Multi-Residential Housing (Duplexes).

From its beginnings as an ambitious residential estate in the middle of nowhere, Sanctuary Cove has certainly come a long way to fulfil its current mantle as one of Australia’s premier resort communities.

Branded in the early days as a ‘retirement haven’ Sanctuary Cove has overcome this stereotype to be recognised as a vibrant community that offers a broad demographic of residents.

“The variety of homes and variety of land offerings from waterfront to golf course fronting to hillside land means that people have a range of options to meet their lifestyle experience,” says Alison.

“Variety is the spice of life and we don’t believe any other community on the eastern seaboard offers such diversity.”

“Ongoing strategic investment by owners Mulpha at Sanctuary Cove is certainly paying dividends,” said Alison, “with the community continuing to yield new sales whilst attracting a broader buyer demographic than ever before”.

“In some ways we have gone full circle—in others we have headed into new frontiers,” said Alison.

“The smaller functional living that is now contemporary at Sanctuary Cove was somewhat evident on the marina-front in 1987 when Sanctuary Cove first became a reality.

“The residential environment then evolved into the large, multi-room mansions which now are a fantastic symbol of the creativity of home design that has been present at Sanctuary Cove—trophies if you like.”

“But the more enduring legacy we hope will be the rich tapestry that is reflected in the lifestyle experiences at Sanctuary Cove which are being delivered by the masterplan.”

“We have spent millions of dollars to ensure the fulfilment of this legacy.” www.sanctuarycove.com

“… we have not had a blank canvas to work with, instead we have had to transform the community based on an existing framework …”

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in

retrospect

retrospect galleries qld – attainable art article Richard Featherstone photography Retrospect Galleries

The Gold Coast is often criticised, and many would say unfairly, for exhibiting a lack of culture, but directors Bree Delian and Lorraine Pilgrim of the Coast’s newest art gallery, who between them have over 40 years of experience in galleries and artist development, have set about changing that. Retrospect is the gallery but its aesthetic, vision and ethos are far from the idea of revisiting the past that the name suggests.

Situated in the heart of the new Oracle precinct in Broadbeach, Retrospect, the sister to the long established Byron Bay gallery of the same name, is not your traditional art experience. It is not designed to be a place where you merely go to stare and possibly buy, but where you go to absorb the exhibited works by being able to regard and discuss them with the gallery staff and then if you wish, to enjoy lunch or a cup of coffee immersed amongst them and the books and magazines that are also on sale. You almost feel as if you are taking in above: Retrospect Galleries QLD. 52

the vibrancy, colours and textures by osmosis.

“We are trying to move away from the pretentiousness, intimidation and inaccessibility that galleries have become associated with,” says Bree. “Instead we have created a cutting-edge space not just for our artists but for the community, no matter what age, in which to come and have an artistic experience by exposure to the new talent we continue to nurture and promote.

“We hold exhibitions every two and a half weeks so there is always something new for people to look at, thereby maintaining continued interest. Where possible we always try to have a bent towards local young artists and for this reason we keep a very close eye on what is coming out of Griffith University.”

Artists selected to show at Retrospect are varied in age and experience and are hand picked by Bree and Lorraine from the ten or so applications

innovation&experience

“ … we have created a cutting-edge space not just for our artists but for the community, no matter what age, in which to come and have an artistic experience …” duelling: the work of alberto sánchez

Spanish born Alberto Sánchez Peinador, 39, is not your conventional artist. He does not limit himself to one medium, he has no formal training in painting and he is certainly not a traditionalist. Instead he has evolved from the media to which he has opened himself.

Since leaving Spain when he was 18 years of age to live in Ireland, and then having travelled the world extensively, Alberto has proved himself to be extremely talented in various aspects of the arts. He holds numerous awards for his photography, the original medium in which he received training, he is an accomplished flutist and is now proving to be a sought after fine artist with his unique style of combining his photography with his own painting.

It would therefore be quite easy to assume that the name of his newly completed series of nine paintings, El Duelo (‘Duelling’) refers to his photography battling it out on canvas with his fine art skills. However, it is abundantly clear that this is not the case.

Instead, the two are very much in harmony with one another, whereby any duelling is more akin to a dance than muskets at dawn. Like finely layered and blended images merged in Photoshop, Alberto has cleverly brought together his sharply observed photographic images of performing acrobats with their perfect physiques and placed them over, and in some cases partially in, a riotous backdrop of beautiful hand painted watercolours and images of birds and flowers.

The duelling would therefore seem to be the idea that nature can achieve its beauty naturally whereas man has to work and struggle to achieve what it considers physical perfection and beauty. they receive every day; the key factor for selection being that the artist’s work has a voice that will resonate with the community.

Looking at the works that Retrospect has shown, as beautifully illustrated in its self-published magazine In Retrospect, and which it continues to show at the gallery, there is certainly nothing that would alienate its audience. Quite the contrary, the works entice their viewer and on another level reach out and embrace them.

Artists such as Anthony Lister, Mike Chavez, Michelle Dawson, Courtney Brims, Perran Costi, Mari Hirata and Alberto Sánchez have certainly achieved this at the gallery being amongst the current favourites with its clients.

“We want our artists, no matter what discipline they are from, to speak to our patrons” continues Bree. “They have to give the public something that they will want to take home, be surrounded by and enjoy every day whilst knowing that they have played a part in helping the career of a new talent. More often than not galleries fail to achieve this as they aim to a particular market, a philosophy we do not subscribe to. Art is for everyone and we are making it attainable. Everybody loves art, they just might not know it yet ...” www.retrospectgalleries.com

“To me, El Duelo is about the fragility of nature set against the hardship of living, but yes I suppose the works can be seen in that way too,” Alberto explains. “Whilst being based in realism, after all that’s what photographs are, my works have a surrealistic element to them, and as such there are no boundaries as to what I can portray or achieve, and working with photography and paint only enhances this.”

Given the individuality of his work, it is hard to put a label on the kind of art that Alberto is currently creating, if indeed one should impose labels on an artist’s style, but, albeit over simplifying the style he has created. “I like to call it hand coloured photography” says the artist himself.

Whatever one calls his work, without doubt it is fresh, thoughtprovoking and beautiful. So what is he up to next? “I shall be taking a short break to work with indigenous youth with the Music Outback Foundation teaching photography in a remote commuity three hours north of Alice Springs. In between holding shows, more photography workshops with indigenous youth and planning ideas for my next project, I hope to start a Masters Degree in Fine Art”.

As with his art, Alberto’s life is certainly a continual duel against the norm.

above: Alberto Sánchez – “El Duelo”.

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room81

Left: Chef Michael Crosbie, Right top: Artful amuse-bouche, middle: Snow Scallop entree, bottom: Dark chocolate parfait dessert.

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art de recevoir –taking dining to a new level article Rhonda Oxnam photography Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach

Jamie, Gordon, Heston, Michael … Michael?

Admittedly Chef Michael Crosbie is not a household name— yet—but the dishes he creates at Room81 would be right at home on the menu of any internationally renowned restaurant.

Located in the prestigious Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach, Room81 has redefined the dining scene, both within Broadbeach and the greater Gold Coast region, since it opened in 2005.

Offering innovative ‘Contemporary European’ cuisine, the lounge/bar/dining venue features edgy black and red themed décor, specially designed European video art and New Yorksourced ambience visuals.

Since its inception, Room81 has represented a bold and eclectic departure from the typical hotel style restaurants often seen on the Gold Coast. Now, six years on, Room81 is still every bit the revolutionary dining concept it set out to be, and with Michael Crosbie at the helm, the innovation is set to continue.

Having joined Room81 direct from the award-winning Pavilion Restaurant at Qualia Resort, Hamilton Island, Michael’s impressive C.V. includes stints at many coveted restaurants both locally and abroad.

Starting his career at Park Lane Hotel’s Citrus Restaurant in London, Michael returned home to Australian shores in 2006 to work for a string of impressive establishments such as Palazzo Versace’s Vanitas Restaurant, Astral Restaurant at the summit of Sydney’s Star City and Quay Restaurant under the illustrious Head Chef Peter Gilmore (the creator of the ‘Snow Egg’ dessert featured on the Australian series of MasterChef).

“I see my cooking style as a dynamic concept. I’m constantly finding new products and inspiration that I hope will both excite and challenge guests,” says Michael.

Obviously Michael’s philosophy is working with Room81 named the Gold Coast’s Best Contemporary Restaurant – Formal at the 2011 Restaurant and Catering Awards. Just one more accolade to add to the many already held by this innovative establishment.

It seems that, from the décor to the plate, there are no creative limits for this design conscious restaurant. www.room81.com.au

From the décor to the plate, there are no creative limits for this design conscious restaurant.

Michael’s current role at Room81 has allowed him to build on the skills he has acquired over his extensive career and create his own culinary masterpieces such as the increasingly popular ‘Snow Scallop’ entree. This delicious dish features shaved scallop ceviche, served with a delicate citrus, white radish and cauliflower cream complete with horseradish snow and edible flowers.

So how does one take something as simple as a sea scallop and present it in such an artistic way?

“I start with the tastes I want to work with, then I refine the flavours, and finally I play with the design,” Michael explains.

“The inspiration behind this particular dish was the approach of spring and the concept of new growth sprouting through the winter snow.”

The result is an almost sculptural dish that tastes as good as it looks. And for Michael that is the secret to creating a memorable dining experience.

“For me, food is all about sensory perception,” he says. “The sound of a knife cutting through a crusty loaf of bread, the smell of fresh ingredients, the taste of a new combination of flavours ... And, of course, the presentation, the first impression, is paramount.”

So much so, that Michael spends hours researching and refining the dishes on Room81’s tasting and a la carte menus.

Top: Slow braised pork belly, Bottom: Raspberry soufflé.

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ground

swell

Top: Mariana Martin ‘Journey Music’, Photography: Rowly Emmett, BOTTOM LEFT: Pat Hoffie & Stefan Purcell ‘WarEars’, Photography: Terence Kearns.

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swell sculpture festival – ‘getting art out there’ article Rhonda Oxnam

For the past nine years leading artists from Australia and around the world have moved out of the gallery and onto the sand for the annual Swell Sculpture Festival.

Set on the picturesque shoreline between Currumbin’s two headlands, Swell provides artists with the opportunity to display their works in a highly regarded exhibition within a visually stimulating, expansive coastal landscape.

Now Queensland’s largest outdoor visual arts exhibition, in scale and attendance, Swell features up to 55 major sculptural pieces installed along the beach and attracts crowds in excess of 175,000 annually.

“Swell is an iconic event that is sure to impress and inspire people of all ages … ”

“Swell is well established and recognised as a major cultural arts event in Queensland. The picturesque Currumbin Beach and warm weather makes for an ideal setting and backdrop for the extraordinary diverse range of sculptures on display,” explains Natasha Edwards, Swell Sculpture Festival Director and Curator.

The free ten-day exhibition is open all hours with a selection of sculptures revealing a new aspect as they are lit up under the southern sky. During the exhibition, visitors can experience the sculptures, enjoy twilight walks, attend informative artist talks, discover new perspectives at the Public Art Forum, wander through the Swell Smalls Gallery—an exhibition of smaller works, and participate in artist master classes and childrens’ workshops.

“People attend the exhibition to soak up the atmosphere, photograph the moment and engage with the artwork in its natural setting. The artist talks offer an opportunity meet with artists, exchange stories and learn more about the artist behind the sculpture,” Natasha said. “Swell is an iconic event that is sure to impress and inspire people of all ages.”

Attracting artists from as far afield as Germany and India, Swell Sculpture Festival supports full freedom of expression and encourages submissions in a diverse selection of mediums. Each year exhibiting artists vie for a number of Awards and Acquisitions with the Gold Coast City Council acquiring a sculpture to be permanently installed in Division 14.

Other awards include the highly popular People’s and Kids’ Choice Awards, Emerging Artist Award, Environmental Awareness Award, Media Award and Artist Peer Award.

“Swell is all about taking art out of the gallery and into a space that can be enjoyed by as many people as possible,” says Swell Sculpture Festival Director, Ruth Della. “The beach forms part of the essence of Queensland’s culture and the juxtaposition with large scale sculpture creates a wonderful spectacle.” www.swellsculpture.com.au

ABOVE: Vanessa Stanley ‘Your Altered Gaze Returned’, Photography: Rowly Emmett.

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yellow goat

design

Above: Cirrus Kinetic Timber.

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illuminating the globe article Shannon Ponting photography Yellow Goat Design

Over the past eight months, Yellow Goat Design has created the lighting for the Virgin Atlantic Lounge at JFK Airport, the Lacoste store on Madison Avenue and music producer Timbaland’s home.

And that’s just in the United States.

Starting from humble beginnings on the Gold Coast in 1997, Yellow Goat Design specialise in creating architectural light displays which are now coveted by interior designers around the world. The wide-range of non-conventional, never seen before and made-to-order lighting products are becoming more and more popular on the foreign design market—from Australia to New Zealand, Dubai, the USA, Kuwait and China.

Yellow Goat Design collaborate with designers and architects to help them realise their vision, welcoming the opportunity to be involved in the design process and contribute unique features, whether they are light fixtures, decorative room dividers, or installation art, that perfectly complement the overall interior design and architecture of a space.

With a flair for creativity and the ability to think outside the square, it should come as no surprise that Yellow Goat Design embraces the talents of Queensland College of Art (QCA) design graduates. Illuminating the way for two current QCA students, the company provides hands on experience for up-and-comers in the worlds of art and architecture.

Recently ditching their plans to open a United States factory, Yellow Goat Design instead decided to employ a representative to market their brand in the US, keeping the company more unique, exotic, and above all—Australian. With plans to do the same in India, they are also aiming to move into their own concept lighting stores in China, providing good quality, affordable, yet distinctive architectural lighting.

“This has been a very big year for us,” says Managing Director Nicholas Lesko. “We’re not conservative; we’re not using the same materials. Our designs are way out there. It’s exciting to know that our product stands the test of going to different countries, without changing.”

The future looks bright for Yellow Goat Designs. Staying on the cutting edge of the latest developments in materials, electronics, controls and green globing is big for Yellow Goat Design, and speaks to their increasing global success.

“We are growing. We are shipping more offshore and we have more staff,” says Nick. “We want to go global from the Gold Coast.” www.yellowgoat.com.au

“We want to go global from the Gold Coast.”

TOP RIGHT: Shakes, MIDDLE: As It Is In Heaven, BOTTOM: Cheese Grater.

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liveworm studio

Above: Liveworm Gold Coast Students, BOTTOM: Kaleidoscope Designs branding by Megan Harrison.

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a real world extension of the academic program article Dominique Falla

The QCA has been nurturing creative thinkers for over 125 years and has a reputation for producing some of Australia’s leading visual artists and designers.

Liveworm is a unique model for a design studio. It is run as a professional studio, but also serves as a work integrated learning environment and creative incubator for design students of the Queensland College of Art (QCA), Griffith University. The studios are staffed by the QCA’s leading design students under the guidance of highly qualified and experienced staff, and provides third-year students with a unique, creative environment that nurtures their creativity, whilst providing real world experience.

Liveworm provides clients with creative approach and a fresh perspective in all areas of design, and the studio provides a bridge between the QCA and the Queensland design industry—a real world extension of the academic program.

Our core difference is the students who undertake our program.

The QCA has been nurturing creative thinkers for over 125 years and has a reputation for producing some of Australia’s leading visual artists and designers. In Liveworm you will find a dynamic, enthusiastic and fresh thinking studio.

Students are supervised and directed by a highly qualified and

experienced management staff—ensuring fresh perspectives and high quality outcomes. These students also benefit from valuable hands-on experience as they prepare to graduate and move into the design industry.

As a result, Liveworm can handle a large range of projects, from simple flyers to publication design to branding with multiple applications.

Our fully qualified staff bring into the studio with them years of experience from the design, web, education and print production industries. All project work and communication is supervised to maintain a professional standard.

Our studios are located within the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University on both the Gold Coast and South Bank campuses. To find out how we can best service your design needs, contact Liveworm Studio today.

Sharon Searle (Gold Coast) +61 7 5552 7262 Jacqui Hancox (South Bank) +61 7 3735 6191 www.livewormgoldcoast.com | liveworm.com.au

Above: Whitebox Gallery branding by Ashleigh Brennan.

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fashion

duo

the creative spirit of east of grey + JANIN.

Showcasing Aneta Rycombel’s JANIN label.

JANIN is young, fresh and constantly evolving. Designer Aneta Rycombel’s love for beautiful, high quality fabrics and her keen eye for detail provide the inspiration behind each collection.

A wandering soul, she takes pleasure in her treasures found of old, to dress herself in trinkets that hold only scars of tales never known.

A creative mix of structure and sensuality; sophistication and playfulness; comfort and rigorous tailoring; the JANIN label offers freedom and a feeling of softness to the wearer.

She draws you in with a look of her eye, which keep secrets of a travelling life, for she lives to do what has never been done.

Featuring European designs that bring class and sophistication to the Australian landscape, JANIN is for women who want something different, for women who love to be outstanding, for women who are unique. www.janin.com.au | mail@janin.com.au Stockists: 31A The Marine Village, Sanctuary Cove | Aloha Lucy, Chirn Park, Southport | Houseof.rock, Caloundra 62

Introducing Kim Bailey’s east of grey ‘Gypsy’

She changes her mind, she desires to write, she sleeps beneath stars and dreams through the night.

Love her or loathe her, it’s easy to see, of all her charms, we each hold a piece. So love her for the joy she brings, to laugh and sing, to love and live. www.eastofgrey.com.au | info@eastofgrey.com.au Stockist: Shop 31A The Marine Village Sanctuary Cove.

innovation&experience

arts education&law valuing creative freedom ... article Andrew Jarousek

From the creative arts, film and music to education, law, the humanities and criminology—the Arts, Education and Law (AEL) Group is the largest and most diverse academic group at Griffith University.

The Griffith Institute for Educational Research (GIER) leads research into major issues related to learning in a rapidly changing world, and how individuals and communities can be assisted to learn and engage effectively with social change.

Offering 166 degrees and hosting more than 10,000 students from 80 countries, AEL is the social, legal, educational and cultural driver of the university.

Researchers at the Socio Legal Research Centre investigate the origins, operations, and effects of legal regimes, policies and practices. It is the only research centre of its kind in Australia.

It comprises the Griffith Law School, Queensland College of Art (which includes Griffith Film School), Queensland Conservatorium, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, School of Education and Professional Studies, School of Humanities and the School of Languages and Linguistics.

The Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre (QCRC) is embedded within the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (QCGU) and explores issues central to musical practice today.

The centre engages in performance-based research, learning and teaching, music technology, cultural policy, and cultural diversity, with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific region.

AEL academics are committed to finding solutions to the problems of today, while inspiring the great minds of tomorrow, and over the past 40 years have produced excellent scholarship in research and teaching. Griffith University is now one of the nation’s leading social sciences institutions, ranking in the world’s top 200 QS World University Rankings and the SCImago Institutional Rankings.

From adult and vocational education to criminology to music technology—AEL researchers are expanding the boundaries of knowledge with a range of global partnerships. The group enjoys strong collaborations with universities and organisations all over the world.

Its research centres and institutes build on areas of established expertise and provide resources to make discoveries that support social change and development—locally, nationally and internationally.

The AEL group has a number of affiliated centres.

The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security (CEPS) was established in 2007 to boost policing and security research capacity in Australia. CEPS is undertaking new, strategic partnerships with key policing and security agencies including an international research collaboration with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australian Government) and the US Department of Homeland Security.

The AEL group’s commitment to teaching and research excellence has been consistently recognised over the years through awards, grants and fellowships. The group’s alumni, academics and researchers can be found in every field of endeavour, from policy advisors, opinion leaders, awarded educators, gifted musicians and famous artists to pioneering social change advocates. www.griffith.edu.au/arts-education-law

The group’s alumni, academics and researchers can be found in every field of endeavour ...

The Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance (KCELJAG) is one of Australia’s premier research centres examining issues concerning crime, criminal justice systems, and governance.

It is closely affiliated with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, one of the leading criminology schools in the world. The centre is also the headquarters for the Institute of Ethics, Governance and Law (IEGL), Australia’s only United Nations University affiliated centre.

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enterprise

enterprising the arts article Griffith Enterprise

Bringing an Art project to fruition is more than a labour of love. In today’s world, it’s increasingly about connecting with the right community networks, negotiating agreements and managing projects efficiently.

Griffith Enterprise appreciates and understands the hours involved in bringing a project to life and supports Artists to focus on the quality of their work and have their work widely recognised.

To achieve this, Griffith Enterprise provides a full administration and business development support service for Arts projects.

This service includes sourcing and scoping projects and assisting to prepare proposals and promote the Artists’ capabilities in a professional manner. Griffith Enterprise also coordinates contract negotiations and manages the protection of the Artists’ intellectual property rights.

“Griffith Enterprise supports the fine and creative arts by assisting the Artists to raise their profiles and promote their capabilities. In this way, we aim at growing connections and creating opportunities for Artists with interested organisations and industry representatives,” said Griffith Enterprise Business Development Associate, Anthony Pages.

“Griffith is fortunate to house internationally acclaimed Artists in fine arts such as painting and sculpture but also in creative arts such as film and graphic design who are ready to engage with industry to create and collaborate on commercial projects,” he said.

“We help our Artists to provide the best work possible, while we coordinate the business arrangements. This means our Artists can focus on the quality of their projects and the clients always receive a world-class project.”

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“… creating opportunities for Artists with interested organisations.”

Griffith Enterprise encourages Griffith Artists to become involved and register for the weekly Griffith Enterprise Tender Alerts email. This is a free weekly email alert publicising consulting and commercial research opportunities available within the local, national and even international Community. Contact us today to register.

To work with our Artists, for more information about Griffith Enterprise or to register for Tender Alerts, contact Anthony Pages on 07 3735 6632, a.pages@griffith.edu.au or scan the QR code with your Smartphone.

innovation&experience

Our alumni stay connected to Griffith and each other in order to participate in professional development activities, network, promote employment opportunities, share research and expertise, and—of course—engage in social events.

Our alumni also actively contribute to Griffith’s growth by mentoring new and current students and assisting with recruitment.

To stay connected with Griffith University and the many professional and personal development opportunities we provide for our Alumni, please complete our Alumni Registration Form at:

07 5552 7218 alumni@griffith.edu.au griffith.edu.au/development-alumni Caption 65 65

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past students Opportunities and careers in the creative arts are as many and varied as the students themselves.

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katie chen

paststudents

Above: Impact Home, Mediarology online marketing.

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“I’m always looking for the interaction between humans, business and design within a brand.�

paststudents

the strategy of social media article Dominique Falla

‘Social media’ is a buzzword that everyone using the Internet will come across at some point, but very few really understand. As a digital strategist, business analyst and social media expert, Katie Chen is on intimate terms with the concept. She cites that her passion for problem-solving, computers and systems design led her down the path to this very unique career.

Katie completed a double major in marketing and graphic design, with a minor in advertising at Queensland College of Art (QCA) before moving to Sydney to take up a position with Media Contacts, as a digital strategist. In three short years, she can list Virgin Mobile, Woolworths and Tourism NT among her clients. Working as part of a strategy team at Media Contacts, Visual Jazz and One Green Bean, focusing on social media analysis, Katie has learnt to strategise with creative directors and art directors to implement the visual rollout of her analysis. Her background in both graphic design and marketing has proved an invaluable combination, as she says “my marketing degree plays into my day job. I plan research and do analysis” even though she is a graphic designer and she is now freelancing in the industry as 8aPixel, using all these skills in combination.

When asked what drives her Katie says “I have an interest in how brands work. I’m always looking for the interaction between humans, business and design within a brand”, which is why her dream job would be working somewhere like Ideo. They take a “human-centered, design-based approach to facilitate business innovation” and it is this holistic approach to branding that really interests Katie.

A conversation with Katie often leaves your head spinning and she’s clearly passionate about the semantic web and the potential future of integrated business design. As yet, there is no university degree that can really cover the material needed to do the kind of work Katie does. Indeed, by the time you finished the degree, material taught at the start would be out of date, but she feels the “grounding in design, business, marketing and advertising” has given her a foundation to build on with real world experience and her own passion and research.

When asked about her proudest achievements, Katie cites “running a business unit by herself within two months, and being able to work with so many amazing brands in her day job.” Her approach to analytics is there should be strategy in all design. “How you approach the structure is just as important as making things pretty.” All this takes a lot of energy, and she gets inspiration from “watching a lot of TED videos, reading branding books and finding out how top brands made it, and also going to the gym, or going for a run.”

Katie doesn’t really know when her interest in social media began but she remembers a conversation with lecturer Steve Matthews who she studied advertising with, and he first pointed out the path of being a strategist and analyst. “It had never occurred to me before then, that I could take a different approach to my design and advertising career.”

And Katie has been forging her own path ever since. www.8apixel.com Above right: Katie Chen. Web design Mediarology.

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kylie gartside

Above: Jewellery design, at the bench, Kylie Gartside.

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the marks of the maker article Dominique Falla photography Kylie Gartside

Contemporary jeweller Kylie Gartside completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at Queensland College of Art (QCA), with a major in Gold and Silversmithing. She took eight years to complete her degree, taking a few years off mid way to have a baby, and cites just finishing the degree as one of her proudest achievements.

Kylie’s jewellery practice has predominately three aspects: exhibitions, commissions and design and manufacture of retail ranges, but all of her work is hand made and “usually carries the marks of the maker.” Even her retail ranges are made in micro-production runs and each piece is slightly different from the other. Recently, however, she has been doing some CAD work “which changes that aesthetic.”

Kylie’s work often reflects aspects of nature so it is no surprise to learn that her environment provides much of her inspiration. “I react strongly and subconsciously to my surroundings—when I’m living in a rural setting my work seems to reflect it very swiftly and when I move back into an urban inner city environment then that too becomes a focus—things tend to get more architectural and sharper.”

staff has been useful for some corporate commissions.”

Kylie describes Elizabeth Shaw, Convenor of Jewellery and Small Objects, Fine Art at Griffith as her primary mentor.

“Her practice is enlightening and she has worked tirelessly to promote and expand the department at the South Bank campus. The Gold Coast campus staff are amazing and their talents varied, so experimentation is always welcome.” Kylie also completed an Australia Council mentorship with Barbara Heath and thinks that “fellow students all have a role to play mentoring each other through the creative process. The main value of a tertiary environment like Griffith is the contact—planned and unexpected you have with other creative people.”

She has recently returned to QCA to do a “demonstration class here and there” and describes the experience as very rewarding “seeing the enthusiasm of the students is very encouraging.”

Kylie enjoys working collaboratively and is “keen to develop more interactions with specialists in other media and explore some of the technology that only seems accessible when you are connected with a university.”

A very rich part of the culture of the QCA is its mature-aged students returning to study, and indeed for Kylie, her jewellery making started as a hobby and she only went on to tertiary study in her 30s. It didn’t take Kylie long to realise she wanted to make jewellery full time and after winning the Griffith University Tertiary Art Prize for Sculpture and Installation, and becoming a finalist in the Thiess Art Prize, it quickly became clear that she had made the right decision.

She also acknowledges that the “crossovers with design students and

www.kyliegartside.com

“I react strongly and subconsciously to my surroundings ...”

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hannah groff

paststudents

Above: Skull, wjb, Vivid, We Heart Winter.

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“There is always that awkward moment at parties when someone asks me what I do for a living.�

paststudents

drawing on her versatility article Dominique Falla photography Hannah Groff

the idea of being a designer or artist, but don’t waste the time they prefer to spend at gallery openings and vintage shops to actually create or design. I like that the Gold Coast is very straightforward in its creative scene, and that there are a lot of people in the area desperate to be creative, and are willing to put the work in and produce, produce, produce.”

“The result is many amazing artists, designers, photographers and writers with an amazing work ethic, because you need to put in that little bit extra if you’re not based in a capital city. That said, there is always room for growth, and the Gold Coast is definitely heading in the right direction with new projects and established ones, such as the Swell Sculpture Festival and the Arts Centre.”

When Hannah Groff was 18, she “decided that the world had plenty of doctors and teachers but what it REALLY needed was one more artist.” So she spent three years studying digital design at Queensland College of Art (QCA), dividing her time between the Gold Coast and South Bank campuses.

Now working in Sydney as a freelancer, she got her wish, but as Hannah laments, this can mean that her “creative process is all over the place”, because her work is split between animation studios and architect offices, working on anything from illustrations to lighting design to sculpture and whatever the freelancing world wants to throw at her.

Hannah describes herself as a “3D generalist, animator, modeler, texture artist, lighter and renderer, draught-person, sculptor, cartoonist, designer, illustrator and starving artist.” That is quite a list to fit on a business card, and this wide range of skills was no doubt fostered by the multi-disciplinary degree she undertook.

Versatility can have its benefits as a freelancer because there is almost no project she can’t do, but obviously the identity crisis can be hard to handle. “There is always that awkward moment at parties when someone asks me what I do for a living, and my response goes on and on and on. Admittedly, I haven’t met many people who work in 3D and 2D at the same time, so ‘go me’ I guess?”

One thing Hannah maintains as a constant through her creative practice however is drawing. “No matter if it is illustration or 3D, there is always sketching. Sketching and tea.”

The life of a freelancer can be a lonely one and Hannah cherishes the “wonderful connection” she has maintained with the QCA through the ‘We Heart Collective’ where “myself and a classy bunch of ex-QCA creative dames throw exhibitions at the White Box Gallery and make each other laugh far too much.”

When asked the inevitable question about the difference between Gold Coast and the major cities, Hannah replies “In Sydney and Melbourne it seems that most people in the creative scene are more interested in

This amazing work ethic appears to be something Hannah has taken with her from the Gold Coast. “Sometimes you just have to sit at your desk and work on projects that you feel totally unmotivated by, but that’s the price you pay for being lucky enough to be able to draw things and call it your job. Being a designer or artist is not so different from being a doctor, teacher or labourer. If a surgeon were wandering around the hospital saying they ‘weren’t inspired to do that liver transplant in Theatre 3’, they would be given the boot. Creatives need to have the same attitude.”

Hannah graduated from the QCA in 2009 and this attitude has already earned her two large-scale public art installations. During Youth Week in 2010, one of her illustrations was projected up onto the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane, and more recently Hannah was selected to be one of the light installation artists for the 2011 Vivid festival in Sydney.

She recalls, “Over 500,000 people saw my sculpture, which blows my mind a little. I got a real kick from hanging around it and seeing people’s reactions to it, they were overwhelmingly positive which was nice.”

When asked about her favourite works, Hannah replies “I never like anything I do, and that’s not modesty that’s just ... well Ira Glass pretty much summed it up thus: “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase; they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have.”

From her first job as a draughts-person at Urban Art Projects, to exhibiting in Hamburg, Germany, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, many people would disagree with Hannah and argue that her work is very special indeed. www.hannahsketchedit.blogspot.com

Above: Hannah Groff.

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paststudents

andrew grieg

Above: Website design Holden Spark, Website design Jetstar Tasmania.

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inspiration and interaction article Dominique Falla photography Andrew Grieg

Andrew Grieg studied at the Queensland College of Art (QCA) Gold Coast from 2005-2008, where he completed a Bachelor of Visual Media, majoring in Digital Design. Growing up on the Gold Coast, studying here seemed like a logical thing to do, but after graduating, Andrew has since moved down to Melbourne to work at digital creative agency Visual Jazz.

“I originally started primarily as a graphic designer, but with time and changing job roles I have ended up in a job that focuses more on website and interface design and development.”

Andrew felt it was necessary to move to a major city to fully capitalise on the opportunities offered in his chosen career path.

The Gold Coast might be growing, but as he says, “the sad reality is that without jobs and a creative industry to support students, many talented individuals end up leaving the Gold Coast for better opportunities elsewhere.”

The move proved rewarding, as Andrew has already had the opportunity to work on a major website launch for Jetstar earlier this year. He recalls “this was closure on the past six last months of my life that had been consumed by such a massive project. As one of the lead interactive designers/developers this was a huge task to undertake and I can easily say that it is the biggest project I have ever been involved in.”

Andrew is unique in his ability to see the whole picture, and this is essential for working on major projects, planning and visualising the final product in it’s finished form. When asked about his creative process, he describes, “I usually start by brainstorming and wire-framing possible solutions for a design. This usually goes on for quite a few rounds until I reach a point where I see I have laid the groundwork for the project.

I can never jump straight in and get going. There always has to be planning and process in order to come up with a viable outcome. From that point on I design and review. Then design again and review again.

This often continues over and over until I get to a point where I believe I am happy with the final outcome.”

With such a large amount of elements to design, it is not surprising that Andrew takes his inspiration from everywhere.

“Inspiration for me exists in every little thing I see and do. Every interaction, every conversation, is a potential idea and can set off a spark of creativity. To be less philosophical, however, I would highly recommend some of the amazing resources that can be found on the Internet. Coming primarily from a web based environment I have a huge trove of websites, images, and concepts that I constantly review to keep the creativity and ideas coming.”

When asked what advice Andrew has for current students to help them succeed after graduation, he suggests they “start working now. From the moment you walk into the university, you need to start designing, collaborating and actively engage with real-world projects. Get an internship, a part-time design job. I can never emphasise this enough.”

What does he think are the benefits of this attitude? “Well, other than gaining a huge amount of experience and the opportunity to learn from industry experts, you could potentially walk out of university with three to four years worth of work experience and straight into an awesome job!” Which is of course what Andrew was lucky enough to do.

As Andrew says “the hard work and effort, all the headaches and hardships that led me to this point made it all worth it.” www.visualjazz.com.au

“From the moment you walk into the university, you need to start designing, collaborating and actively engage with real-world projects.”

Above right: Andrew Grieg.

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dave lydiard

paststudents

Above: Happy Monday, Dave Lydiard, Delightful Goodness.

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“… making pretty pictures would be way more fun than rubbing old men for a living.”

paststudents

creative goodness article Dominique Falla photography Dave Lydiard

Dave Lydiard had always drawn, but never considered a career in design until he had to take a graphics and technical drawing class at high school due to a clash of subjects in the school’s timetable. Up until then, he had wanted to be a physiotherapist, but quickly decided, “making pretty pictures would be way more fun than rubbing old men for a living!” Judging by the contribution Dave has already made to the Gold Coast creative community, it’s a good thing he changed career paths when he did.

already proving to be an important part of the support network for

Gold Coast born and bred, Dave feels it has all the ingredients needed to become a real cultural and creative destination. “We have amazing emerging and established artists, award-winning designers and photographers, as well as world-class design agencies based here. We also have all the physical space needed to cater to all types of creative pursuits, as well as a growing demand from the wider community.”

Flat White Spaces has had three successful group exhibitions and there

A recent graduate of the Queensland College of Art (QCA), Dave is

www.delightfulgoodness.com

those emerging and established artists, both as the founder of the Flat White Spaces project, and through his blog, Delightful Goodness.

Flat White Spaces was started as a way to help showcase emerging artists in unused spaces, outside of the traditional gallery structure.

They have already collaborated with a number of other Gold Coast collectives including Rabbit + Cocoon and Limited Space. are plans to continue to develop the project and see how far it can be taken. “The dream would be to eventually open up a small gallery space, exhibiting the works of local creatives. Until then I’d like to continue promoting local talent any way and anywhere I can.”

Above: Flat White Spaces at Rabbit + Cocoon.

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paststudents

cathrine nordhus

Above: Hotel interior design - Ambassadeur Hotel Norway, Milennium Hotel Oslo, Lindesnes Resort.

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sias contract

article Jon Harris photography Cathrine Nordhus

“I love seeing the ideas in my head converted to reality, and I love seeing people interact with it.”

Norwegian exchange student Cathrine Nordhus graduated from Griffith University with a BA in Design Studies in 2007 and is currently working at Sias Contract Interiors in Oslo Norway. Her 3D lecturer Jon Harris sat down for a Q&A session when she visited the college recently.

Can you tell us a little bit about your profession? I’ve been working with hotel interior design since graduating from university four years ago. Hotel interior design is a profession that involves artistically decorating and furnishing the space inside a hotel (such as bars, restaurants, lobbies, business centres and guest rooms).

What type of work do you do? Chain hotels all over Europe (mostly Scandinavia). I’ve also done a few boutique hotels and ski resorts. At the moment I’m working on a holiday resort in Spain and a mountain lodge resort in Norway.

Please describe your creative process: Hotel interior design is a competitive profession with many professionals competing on a ‘no cure no pay’ basis. My job is to win the contract.

I’m usually briefed by the clients at the hotel site (you get to travel quite a bit for this job). I study the logistics of the hotel, trying to come up with better systems on how to use rooms and space more efficiently. I look at how I can improve or renew the visual aspects and create the best interior design for that particular space.

New builds are the most interesting projects to work on as I get to be involved from the very beginning working closely with the architect. I take great pride in my work so it is obviously very important for me to get in at an early stage and have as much say as possible.

How do you get your inspiration? In order to be the very best that I can ever be as a designer, I have to learn from the best. That’s my company’s philosophy. We travel all over the world studying design hotels as well as attending the most important fabric and furniture fairs such as Salone Del Mobile Milan.

What does your work involve? Planning spaces, drawings of floor and lighting plans, coming up with an underlying theme, selecting and designing furniture, rugs, fabrics, decorative lighting, signage and special fittings. Pretty much anything that goes into a hotel. I don’t know of any creative job where you can work on so many different aspects at the same time.

I guess I can say that I’ve been very fortunate to get such a fine job and that my hard work at university paid off in the end.

The opportunities are endless! For presentations I use 3D visualisations and mood boards to show off my work in the best possible way.

The freedom of exploration combined with supportive and very inspiring teachers/lecturers helped me to get the job I have today.

What is the best part of your job? I love seeing the ideas in my head converted to reality, and I love seeing people interact with it. At university we were given freedom to decide how to solve challenges based on the creative ideas we developed.

Above right: Cathrine Nordhus.

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krystie sargent

paststudents

Above: Artworks by Krystie Sargent.

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pushing the boundaries article Dominique Falla photography Krystie Sargent

“I can relate to the ‘Fox customer’ as my work tends to be a little grimy and unpolished.”

Graphic Design graduate Krystie Sargent originally studied 3D Design at Queensland College of Art (QCA), but when she started focusing more on the visual presentation of the product, than the actual product itself, she knew it was time to get into Graphic Design and switched majors within the same degree.

Since graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Media in 2008, Krystie worked for Unit and Burton Snowboards, before taking her chances in the U.S. “I had always wanted to come over here; California is the Mecca for all action sports companies.”

Whilst she was studying, Krystie developed a passion for board sports, “so it was natural for me to dream of working in the action sports industry.” As fate would have it, Krystie got her wish and within two months landed a job as a graphic artist at Fox—another motocross company, similar to Unit, where she had worked previously in Australia.

Her job as a graphic artist for a large American brand is varied and interesting. “I create art that is printed on women’s garments. Although I’m not into Moto myself, I can relate to the ‘Fox customer’ as my work tends to be a little grimy and unpolished. So I’ve been here for two years now and love it. The possibilities seem endless in this country.”

Krystie takes a non-digital approach to creating her work, as she describes in her process. “When it comes to working on a piece of art for clothing, the process usually begins by finding a few pieces of inspiration, cool printing techniques, and starting out with a small rough sketch. Then depending on what treatment we want to give the graphic, it will either be scanned to work on in the computer, or done by hand with different materials. I try to work with lots of different materials—paint, ink, stencils, 3D objects, charcoal, dirt, tea and textured paper … I always try to push the boundaries when it comes to making a graphic unique.”

Outside of her work, Krystie also maintains her own graphic art practice and sells hand made products on Etsy. “I paint a lot of character-based art, so I sketch them small and refine them, before taking them to a bigger scale. I love to use layers upon layers of color and texture.

Sometimes I will spend three-quarters of my time just doing the actual background, which can include wheat pasting, stenciling, spraypainting, subtle colour wash etc. Giving a character its detail is the most rewarding for me, seeing it come to life is pretty cool. I paint flat shapes and then use a Japanese ink brush pen to add shading and detail.”

Krystie also recently started a blog to document all of her ideas and creative inspiration. Since living and working in California, Krystie has fit right in to the local art community and participated in four exhibitions already, including the upcoming Sk8ology Group Show in Huntington Beach September 2011.

When asked if she has any plans to return to the Gold Coast, Krystie acknowledges, “the Gold Coast will always be home to me. I have my roots there, my family, friends, and familiar surroundings. It’s home. I try to come back and visit at least once a year, and every time I do I leave feeling more gratitude towards the place. Even driving back from Brisbane Airport a few weeks ago while I was visiting, it sounds cheesy but I couldn’t get over how clean the air was (this is a big thing, living so close to LA!). It doesn’t have the constant ‘buzz’ my ears are now accustomed to. And it felt good.”

“Long term, I dream of living back on the Goldie, starting my own company/studio and working for myself.” www.artfulaussie.com

Above right: Krystie Sargent.

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matthew simms

Above: Fairfax Amazing Homes, Man Vs Wild promotion.

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paststudents

design in motion article Dominique Falla photography Matthew Simms

“The hardest part of the process I think is coming up with an idea.”

Matthew Simms is one of those lucky students who managed to score the dream job before he even finished university. Whilst in his final year of studying digital design at Queensland College of Arts (QCA), Matthew sent a showreel to Sydney digital creative agency Sixty40 and the rest, as they say, is history. After some begging and pleading with his lecturers to allow him to complete his final subjects remotely, Matthew packed up his life and moved to Sydney.

If that wasn’t enough, he also sent off a showreel to the AgIdeas Newstar competition and was shortlisted as a finalist. His work can now be seen in the AgIdeas annual publication, alongside the work of Ken Miki, Christopher Doyle, Sascha Lobe and other such design luminaries.

When asked who inspires him, Matthew cites the seminal main titles of the movie Seven by Kyle Cooper, as do most motion graphics/ film title designers. He also lists Danny Yount of Prologue studios and indie animator David O’Reilly’s ‘The External World’, as inspiring. “It’s everything animation should be.” And of course, the master film title designer, Saul Bass.

Like most designers, Matthew uses reference images at the beginning of a project to build a mood or visual setting. “These images may be colours, architectural structures, photographs, art, designs from magazines and blogs, anything that I am interested in really,” and he tends to work in a non-linear way, “always jumping between steps but

thinking of the final product. The hardest part of the process I think is coming up with an idea”, but he admits the digital age makes finding inspiration easier.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Matthew hopes to attend the prestigious AWARD school next year, if he can get accepted, as he has been studying advertising in his spare time, and he always aims to have at least one personal project on the go, as he uses them to learn new skills. “At the moment I am interested in mixing motion graphics with live video and main titles design.”

Motion graphics is not the kind of profession the average child grows up thinking about. Matthew discusses what led him to his chosen career path. “I learnt (Adobe) Photoshop when I was 15 in my spare time, and cutting stencils for friends’ and my own surfboards. I was more into science than design, but I think both relate to each other in the processes and what not. Watching MTV made me get into motion graphics at the start of my uni course.”

Matthew is obviously the type of creative who likes to try new things and keep learning all the time from people he works with and he stresses the importance of working in a creative environment. His work is already starting to make an impression and he is an exciting new star to watch. www.matthew-simms.com

Above right: Matthew Simms.

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jerad williams

paststudents

Above: Rugby League Evans Head, Dipper.

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shooting news

article Dominique Falla photography Jerad Williams

As a news photographer, one of the most challenging aspects of the role is remaining flexible enough creatively, to adapt to each shoot. Jerad describes his process. “First I’ll access the story, look at the location (how can I make this location work for me and the story), setup and shoot a couple of styles (long/wide lens, different lighting setup and so on). The hardest thing to do is try and come up with something different for every job. For example one day I had two jobs, both were about hair salons, and both jobs were back-to-back. So looking at different angles and lighting setups was going to be the only way I could differentiate the jobs.”

Jerad has had to develop a flexible working style. He travelled overseas four times whilst at university, shooting stories for the online student newspaper—The Argus—in China, Prague, Vietnam and Cambodia, and now works freelance for several media organisations in Australia, including the Gold Coast Bulletin.

It is important to discover fresh approaches to shooting pictures and Jerad is constantly researching, looking at blogs, Flickr and social media websites for inspiration. He also keeps a list of photographers that he follows online: “most are in the same field of work that I am in—news and sports—but there are a few which are completely left field from my shooting practices. Looking, studying, and deconstructing a cross section of work has allowed me to grow as a photographer and grow my knowledge base.”

Jerad Williams initially got interested in photography whilst touring, and working, around Australia in 2005. At the start of 2006, he enrolled into a Business degree, but as he explains, “I thought this (business) would be my field of work. Within four weeks I deferred, and at the start of 2007, my hobby (photography) was to become my new career.” Jerad enrolled in the Bachelor of Visual Media, majoring in ePhotojournalism— which combines visual storytelling with photography and moving image—and graduated with a degree in 2009.

He suggests that not coming from a creative background and having no interest in photography in school meant he has had to learn quickly and looking at other photographers and their approaches is the key to his success. He is also not afraid to ask for help and he acknowledges several tutors and mentors along the way, including Heather Faulkner, Steve Holland, Jacklyn Wagner and John Rodsted. “Through my degree my peers have also become my mentors, being able to bounce ideas off them and learn from them has helped my photography and my personal growth.”

In closing, Jerad has this advice to offer budding photographers: “One thing I have learnt is to never be afraid to ask for help. Whether it is selecting photos, editing or even critiques. If you never ask, you and your photography will never grow.” www.jeradwilliams.com.au

“At the completion of my degree, I didn’t really know where to go, so as most students do, I enrolled in my Honours. By the end of semester One, 2010 a position had become available at the Northern Star in Lismore.”

As fate would have it, Jerad got the job at the newspaper and never finished his honours year, instead he moved to Lismore and shot news stories for them for a year.

“Looking back at 2010 and now at the start of 2011 I actually have to laugh. Throughout my degree I wasn’t really into shooting news, I loved sports, but news didn’t really interest me, and neither did taking portraits. Now I love shooting news stories and taking portraits (85 to 95 per cent of my jobs now involve a portrait). News is an interesting beast, every day is different and every job can be different. I think I enjoy the fast pace. I don’t enjoy shooting documentary work, spending weeks with a subject and getting a series. I prefer getting in and getting out, and moving onto the next job.”

Above: Jerad Williams, Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

“One thing I have learnt is to never be afraid to ask for help.”

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QCA graduate showcase In 2011 students have excelled in a range of creative streams.

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BDigitalMe

graduateshowcase

Are you passionate about visual creative arts and design media? the bachelor of digital media is for you!

Are you interested in combining studies in: fine art | photography art theory | graphic design fashion | 3 dimensional design digital design | video production life drawing | ePhotojournalism?

the bachelor of digital media is a unique degree allowing you to build your own pathway of creative study that links the best of all worlds!

For an information pack or further enquiries, please contact the Program Advisor: Trudy Jensen E t.jensen@griffith.edu.au | T 07 5552 8190 Queensland College of Art Gold Coast campus Griffith University

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Chris Croll Sarah Huston Anita Kuiper Alejandra Ramirez Vidal Jenny Stjernstrรถm Alexandra Testud

Graduates are highly valued in the design, production and manufacturing sectors, especially for products, furniture, lighting fixtures, packaging, exhibitions and trade shows, film and television modelling and set design, signage and environmental graphics.

3 dimensional design

Mellissa Labrum

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CHRISCROLL

graduateshowcase

For me, it’s all about the process. The satisfaction gained from developing that initial sketch into a finished product is why I design.

info@pointtwofive.com.au www.pointtwofive.com.au 0409 216 348 Parametric Modelling Tutor 2011

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After many years of exploring countless areas within design, my skill set is still expanding by the second. Not a day goes by without learning something new; I can only hope this trend continues long into my professional career.

graduateshowcase

SARAHHUSTON

I love the constant challenge of creating something unique, and thrive on the satisfaction that comes with taking a project from an initial concept to completion.

My work is strongly influenced by skateboarding, street culture and fashion, with a focus on sustainability.

Equipped with a double major in 3D Design and Graphic Design I have perfected my skills across a range of disciplines. I particularly love working in the areas of product design, furniture and lighting design, branding and packaging.

info@sarahhuston.com.au www.sarahhuston.com.au 0407 606 551 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2009 & 2010

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ANITAKUIPER

graduateshowcase

For me, design is a mixture of optimism, determination and miscalculated risks.

ajkuiper89@hotmail.com www.kuipedesigns.com.au Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010 & 2011

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My designs are often the result of experimentation, the solution of unavoidable boundaries and a pinch of delirium.

My overall aim is to simplify complex ideas to become user-friendly and environmentally friendly.

The best design is when you’ve enjoyed creating it and made someone smile in the process.

graduateshowcase

MELLISSALABRUM

Throughout my life, I have always had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

This constant thirst has provided me with wonderful inspiration. As a three-dimensional designer, this inspiration has allowed me to combine my vast imagination and creativity to create unique pieces.

My focus lies in (but is not limited to) furniture, lighting and product design. I thrive on a challenge and look forward to the many possibilities and innovations that will come my way.

mellissalabrum@gmail.com www.mellissalabrum.com 0406 503 504 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2008 Industry Placement Liveworm Gold Coast 2011

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ALEJANDRARAMIREZVIDAL

graduateshowcase

I am a 3D Design and Graphic Design graduate from QCA Griffith University.

aleunikko@gmail.com www.unikko.com.au 0415 359 737 Golden Key International Honour Society Member QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2011

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I have spent most of my life travelling around the world. Learning about new cultures and their history has opened my mind, and inspired me to develop a more creative way of thinking and a greater understanding of who I really am—a person with ambition to grow and learn more.

I am extremely passionate about Art, Graphic Design, Furniture Design and Photography. I like to think I was born to be happy, and that life in general is all about loving what you do so that dreams can be accomplished.

graduateshowcase

JENNYSTJERNSTRĂ–M

Design, for me, should be functional as well as aesthetic. It is important that design is developed in an eco-friendly manner.

As an individual, it is important to make responsible choices for the future, regarding materials, sustainability and ergonomics, to create lasting designs.

Design inspires me as it is constantly evolving. With neverending new techniques and materials to learn, design pushes me to constantly learn more and move forward.

jennystjernstrom@yahoo.com www.stjernstromstudio.com 0410 790 683 QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2010 & 2011 Work experience in Anatomical Modelling

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ALEXANDRATESTUD

graduateshowcase

THINK • DESIGN • BUILD: three words that come to mind every time I envisage a project.

Artistic creations and being adventurous are always a part of me and I love it!

email@alextestud.com.au www.alextestud.com.au Personal Art Exhibition 2005 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2009 Golden Key International Honour Society Member Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010

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Using my expertise and experience in 3D design and graphic communication, my abilities span across many medias. With ambition to create ideas that have the potential to transform the world for the better, I push unique and different concepts using new materials and technologies.

My inspiration, creativeness and innovation come from the waves I surf and the rocks I climb.

graduateshowcase

Sean Dalton YANG GAO (HENRY) Benny Kazama

Graduates have a unique combination of creative design and software specialisations which enables them to take advantage of opportunities in post-production animation and video production, web and games production, as well as printing for industry.

digital design

ZOLTAN SZEKELY

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SEANDALTON

graduateshowcase

seantd@hotmail.com www.seandalton.com.au 0439 748 293 Diploma in Building Design and Technology Certificate 4 in Residential Drafting Certificate 3 in Multimedia Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010 Golden Key International Honour Society Member

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The creative process is something I involve myself in everyday, regardless if it is for clients, paid work or myself.

I have a number of creative projects I’m involved with including my band ‘Stellar Green’ and clothing label ‘One Chance’, however I strive to keep pushing my creativity, skills and myself as a designer in different directions.

My main focus areas include web design, graphic design and video.

graduateshowcase

YANGGAO (HENRY)

I am a digital designer with a passion for 3D animation and special effects for movies. I hope one day to get a job doing these things to showcase the skills that I have developed from my studies in China and Australia. I have enjoyed my time at QCA and have had a very good time here. I have been very lucky to be able to have this cross-cultural experience in Australia.

kf9199@hotmail.com 0433 178 007 0011 8613505388 007

Do not be sad, it’s not finished yet. Nothing is impossible.

Bachelor of TV and Media (Shandong College of Art) Bachelor of Digital Media (Digital Design) Adobe Certified Designer 2007

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BENNYKAZAMA

graduateshowcase

Videography is my passion!

As a freelancer, I create videos for clients all over the Gold Coast.

The videos range from a wide variety; promotional videos; events; showreels; samplers; birthdays and more. www.kazamaproductions.com kazamaproductions@hotmail.com 0431 766 477 100+ hours work experience with Quiksilver Pro Tournament Filming Team 2010 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010 QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2009, 2010 & 2011 Peer Assisted Support Services Mentor 2010 & 2011

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My overall feedback has been 100% positive, and clients are impressed with my videography skills, time management and flexible price. One of my greatest achievements was making a promotional video for a percussion band of 20 students. The video was sent to the Gold Coast Titans Football club, and now they play at the Titans games.

In my spare time, I enjoy practicing the art of movement known as Parkour, which I combine with my love of videography. Please check out my website.

graduateshowcase

ZOLTANSZEKELY

My interests lie across the fields of digital design, graphic design and I have a passion for sports photography. I have specifically had experience in video filming and editing, web design, graphic design, photography and art direction. My dream job would be as a sports photographer for Formula One.

contact@zphotography.com.au www.zphotography.com.au 0421 871 187 Graphic Designer for six years @ Abalone Aquasuits Owner/Director @ Cooler Shop Pty Ltd since 2006 Internship @ Thor Elias Photography

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Sophie Baker Chérie Bröer Kristine Kearney

ePhotojournalism

Wesley Monts

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Graduates with a keen appreciation of the politics and philosophies underpinning the photographic discipline and a demonstrated eagerness to work innovatively in their chosen photographic specialisation—whether press or new media—will be capable of securing a rewarding career at a professional level anywhere in the world.

graduateshowcase

SOPHIEBAKER

Sophie works in two very different fields of photography: creative photography­— capturing beautiful memories for the enjoyment of others, and informative journalistic photography— images that drive action and awareness.

Actively participating in both aspects of the genre, Sophie finds her greatest love in a somewhat meld of the two—travel photography. Inspired by love and all things good, and a desire to change that which is not, to Sophie photography is not just a hobby, not simply a passion; it’s a lifestyle.

sophiebakerphotography@live.com.au www.sophiebakerphotography.com 0407 162 935 2010 Winner of the GPT Group’s FIGuration Competition with a photograph titled “Night Enchantment” Received a place in the Px3 Official Selection for 2011

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CHÉRIEBRÖER

graduateshowcase

By honest expressions, influenced with a diverse way of seeing things, I seek to draw out creativity with a twist of simplicity.

cherie_4444@hotmail.com 0404 445 520

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This is lead by my raw infatuation for photography, to freeze those ‘decisive moments’ that may not be seen again.

Subsequently, I find myself capturing the rarities that are sometimes overlooked through the rush of time.

graduateshowcase

KRISTINEKEARNEY

Ivy lived a unique and extraordinary life, however in her twilight years she found herself like many others her age, attempting to survive on the pension and facing the challenges of an ever changing world.

This work is about life after the journey and the question, is it worth it?

krissie89@hotmail.com 0431 287 920

Suffering pain and poverty that often accompanies living until 90, these photographs depict Ivy’s struggle and resilience as she continued to work and enjoy life during her final days, while slowly fading into her surroundings.

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WESLEYMONTS

graduateshowcase

My photography communicates raw truth, emotion, empathy and compassion.

wesleymonts@gmail.com wesleymonts.com 0412 009 135 Cover Image of the Mountain Workshop—Danville, KY. publication 2007 (Danville, Kentucky, USA) Silver Pinhole Award, Pingyao International Photography Festival 2010 (Pingyao, Shanxi, China) The Phnom Penh Post Intern 2011 (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2010 & 2011

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This communication can best be told through multimedia where those featured in the story tell their story for themselves.

I am pursuing a career in international journalism, working for a publication or freelancing. Originally from the United States, I moved away in 2008 and haven’t looked back since. Australia has provided the advancement of my skills to help me excel in the market.

graduateshowcase

Caitlyn Maree Coupe Yolanda Grace Larisa Lategan Ashlyn McEldowney Amber Jade Papenfus

Graduates are entering a sector that is expanding exponentially with career opportunities in professional practice, arts management, public art, curatorship and art education. Fine Art graduates from the Queensland College of Art have an enviable record of career success as professional artists. Many have works in private and public collections and have won scholarships and national and international awards.

Fine Art graduates also hold significant posts in the arts, education and administration.

fine art

Jodie Wallace

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CAITLYNMAREECOUPE

graduateshowcase

My works consist of found object assemblages that explore and address societal norms.

caitlyncoupe@gmail.com www.caitlyncoupe.com 0423 542 946 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010 QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2010 & 2011 Secondment Yellow Goat Design 2011 Internship IMA@Surfers 2011 Works exhibited: Flat White Spaces ‘Exhibition no.1’ 2011 Whitebox ‘Almost There’ 2011 Whitebox ‘Perceptions of Light and Dark’ 2011

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In an attempt to understand humanity, my autobiographical investigations become a link between my values and ethics to those of the rest of the world.

graduateshowcase

YOLANDAGRACE

I love working with sculpture, painting, drawing and photography.

My work is inspired by my spirituality, mythology, emotions, and the various workings of the mind, to name a few.

Art is one of the many ways we share our thoughts and ideas and will always be an unpredictable source of imagination. I believe art can stimulate emotions, which can generate some powerful changes, both within the individual and within society.

yolandagrace15@gmail.com www.yolandagrace.com 0434 394 222 QCA PASS Tutor (Art Theory) 2010 QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2010 & 2011 Student Services Partner 2011 Smudge Cultural Creative Collective Treasurer 2011 Golden Key International Honour Society Member

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LARISALATEGAN

graduateshowcase

larisalategan@gmail.com www.larisalategan.com 0414 591 198 Internship IMA@Surfers 2011 Works Exhibited: Whitebox ‘Perceptions of Light and Dark’ 2011 Whitebox ‘Almost There’ 2011

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My labor-intensive works on paper deal with my sensitive and obsessive approach to mark making. In these works, pencil and thread are used to create marks, which result in highly detailed images and patterns.

Within these works I am concerned with mark making to a level of extremity where, in the process, each work requires painstaking patience and persistence.

Feelings of fragility or sensitivity that, although not necessarily intentional, come out intrinsically as I make marks onto paper.

graduateshowcase

ASHLYNMcELDOWNEY

Ashlyn McEldowney is a New Zealand-born Australian, and has lived on the Gold Coast for 14 years.

She primarily works in 2D with acrylic paint, charcoal and watercolour pencil.

Her work often speaks about societal norms and convention which frustrate her, commenting in a playful way in order to guide the audience to rethink the norm.

Using technical skill as bait, she aims to tear the audience’s reaction between repulsion and sympathy.

ashlynmceldowney@hotmail.com www.ashlynmceldowney.com 0404 227 454 The Creative Generation Excellence in Art and Design Award 2008 QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2010 & 2011 Participated in several group exhibitions 2009–2011

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AMBERJADEPAPENFUS

graduateshowcase

My works stand as tangible reconstructions of myself, shaped through a personal re-evaluation of the past from a present perspective.

amber.p@live.com.au www.amberpapenfus.com 0404 489 282 Exhibited work in multiple exhibitions 2008–2011 1st in Business Organisation and Management 2008 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010 Golden Key International Honour Society Member 2011 Internship at Gold Coast City Council

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As a South African-born Australian, the essence of my work relays an overwhelming response to the intensity of the events that occurred in my childhood, and the impact of past memories in relationship to time, place and displacement.

Through the act of cocooning, the lines tell a story, calling at every new point for new decisions. Metaphors of a ‘normal childhood’ are woven into the structure, as a home, a history and a transformation.

graduateshowcase

JODIEWALLACE

I would describe myself as a fine artist with designer sensibilities. My real passion is for all things big; installation; sculpture; public art and performance art.

I work with domestic interior objects e.g. walls, doors, and windows, exploring the boundaries that these objects provide and pushing the limits as to how they are used.

Having just concluded a domestic abuse series inspired by my childhood, I am now heading into a new phase which all came about with the initial study of ‘Tensegrity’, a structural principle based on the use of isolated components in compression inside a net of continuous tension.

jodestar1980@hotmail.com www.insubordinart.blogspot.com 0414 653 061 QCA Student Leadership Mentor 2010 & 2011 Internship IMA@Surfers 2011

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Vlad Adam Monika Dionysius Mitchell Donovan Brodie Edwards Thomas Frawley Ashley Gleeson Per Olav Halvorsen Andrea Horvatt Charlie Lee Holly Powell

graphic design

Kelly Somers

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Stephanie Stephens Alexia Stewart Rosemary Wannan Carlin Watego Bone Yard

Graduates find rewarding careers in the visual design industries including print, corporate design, publishing, packaging, branding, advertising, marketing, television and digital media.

graduateshowcase

VLADADAM

Hi I’m Vlad … … an up-and-coming professional designer.

In previous years, I have been commissioned by major organisations such as the Leukemia Foundation, Vodafone Select and International Body Building Federation (INBA) to design their marketing collateral as well as apparel sold at major events.

I have also rebranded businesses, engaged in 3D modeling and have done a full corporate identity package including web design for TSX Auto Styling.

info@vainnovations.com.au www.vainnovations.com.au 0405 665 788 Top 10 “Design ‘n’ Win” Autosalon Competition 2010 Griffith University Award for Academic Excellence 2010 Leukemia Foundation Quest Certificate of Appreciation 2011

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MONIKADIONYSIUS

graduateshowcase

mdionysius@yahoo.com.au www.monikadionysius.com.au 0423 264 267 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010 Certificate I & II in Information Technology Golden Key International Honour Society Member

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Growing up, I was always intrigued with letter forms and how words could transform a page. Through the course of my degree, I have combined my love of the printed word with a slightly obsessive desire for the perfect design solution.

My passions lie in branding, publication layouts and printed material, and I always enjoy coming up with a fun, unique solution for every challenge I face.

graduateshowcase

MITCHELLDONOVAN

When designing, I like to keep things simple, utilising white space and clean lines. I like to design branding that projects a consistent look, with the idea that less can be more.

In my latest designs, using the Adobe Creative Suite, I’ve created artwork for skateboards that embrace major cities around the world, using iconic transportation and stylised mapping. For branding, I’ve used limited colours and typefaces to created a modern appearance while allowing the artwork to stand out.

donovan_mitchell@live.com www.mitchelldonovan.com 0407 536 907 Diploma of Graphic Design

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BRODIEEDWARDS

graduateshowcase

I love imagemaking and creation, whether it is through design, illustration or photography.

brodieedwards90@hotmail.com www.brodieedwards.com 0422 408 344 Golden Key International Honour Society Member Industry Freelance Work: Billabong That Festival 2010 Bleeding Heart Gallery

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Graduating with a graphic design major, my interests are in design, branding and digital media.

I am also graduating with skill specialisations outside digital media, in visual perception and drawing.

I hope to now build on my university training with industry experience.

graduateshowcase

THOMASFRAWLEY

Hello, my name is Thomas Frawley and I like to create things. I am a graphic designer by trade. I draw, design and take photos of all things great and small for your viewing pleasure.

I’ve just graduated as a Graphic Designer and I would love to work in the Branding or Advertising industry. Just find me via my website or email.

thom.frawley@gmail.com www.thomasfrawley.com 0433 609 200

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ASHLEYGLEESON

graduateshowcase

I was born to create.

Once an idea strikes me and I get that picture in my head, there is no turning back. I am never satisfied until my creative journey is complete.

ashleygleeson@live.com.au www.ashleygleeson.com.au 0417 707 554 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010

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My inspiration comes from many places; from life, colour, texture and type. My passions lie in advertising and all aspects of building a brand, from the corporate identity, right down to designing the products themselves.

I strive for innovating and eye-catching designs, and I’m never satisfied until I reach this goal.

graduateshowcase

PEROLAVHALVORSEN

After completing a Bachelor of Digital Media at Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, majoring in graphic design, along with a minor in creative communication, I feel that I am now ready and focused to take on the world of design, along with all of its challenges.

Having already completed a Foundation Program in Market Economy from BI Norwegian School of Management, coupled with a Bachelor of Digital Media, this gives me an excellent opportunity to pursue a career within the graphic design and advertising industries.

hello@perolavhalvorsen.com www.perolavhalvorsen.com 0414 534 105 Foundation Program in Market Economy 2008 (BI Norwegian School of Management) Golden Key Honour Society Member

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ANDREAHORVATT

graduateshowcase

Majoring in Graphic Design and specialising in Photography, Branding and Corporate Identity, I am super-passionate about all aspects of design. andreahorvatt@gmail.com www.andreahorvatt.com 0412 671 650

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My works reflect my life, and explore the aesthetic relationships between typography, travel, fashion, art, photography, food, music and print. I am forever inspired, and express who I am through my designs.

graduateshowcase

CHARLIELEE

CHAR LIE (CH ärle)

1. A tall, humanoid mammal adept in the practice of Graphic Design.

I’m a graphic designer by day, with a thing for digital art and illustration by night.

A perfectionist at heart, I’m unparalleled in my drive, dedication and conviction in producing work of a high calibre. Pencilbear is my t-shirt label, chronicling the adventures of my original character.

hello@pencilbear.com.au www.pencilbear.com.au 0414 309 716 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010

For more of my work, visit www.studiohybrid.com

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HOLLYPOWELL

graduateshowcase

hollypowelldesign@gmail.com www.hollypowell.com.au 0416 428 905 Minister’s Award Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2009 Capture Photography Category Winner Participant in Southern Cross Package Design awards Robina State High School Year 12 Art Award

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My passion lies in graphic design and photography, and I love nothing more than combining the two. I adore clean white spaces and bright colours. I find great delight in designing beautiful logos, and expanding them to beautiful branding.

The piece displayed above was a challenge for myself to not use any colour, which proved to be difficult but rewarding. My skills and knowledge expand every day; I can’t wait to see what I am doing in the future.

graduateshowcase

KELLYSOMERS

Kelly Somers is an aspiring fashion stylist and photographer who combines a number of skills to help achieve the best possible outcome for all of her creative projects.

With her passion lying in fashion styling, she has complemented her talent with skills in photography, graphic design and hair and makeup styling.

Her ambition is to share with the world her passion for the elegance of the past and bringing it into the present.

kelly@kellysomersdesigns.com www.kellysomersdesigns.com 0414 633 103 Worked at L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Worked at Rosemount Sydney Fashion Week Stylist for Jes McGarry’s film clip “Let Me Know”

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STEPHANIESTEPHENS

graduateshowcase

stephanieleestephens@hotmail.com www.leecreations.com.au 0424 851 219

I am a progressing graphic designer with additional interests in photography and art. Enrolled under the Bachelor of Digital Media program at Griffith University since March 2008, I will complete my studies in late November 2011. Upon my graduation I will obtain a major in Graphic Design.

I love creating various forms of art within a young, pop style, and express it either on canvas, behind a camera lens or as a digital outcome. I hope to next year host my own exhibition.

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ALEXIASTEWART

In my little corner of the world, I need not speak.

The creative monster living inside speaks for me. Through my work, you will observe a synthesis of conflicting forces.

Sweet and evil. Charming and wicked. Dark and light.

I am Jekyll and Hyde. I am Beauty and the Beast.

I am the reason for your sleepless nights.

violentmaiden@gmail.com www.alexiastewart.com 0423 865 677 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2010

My inspiration stems from Japanese pop culture, typography and gaming. I am an absolute perfectionist who feeds on maximum productivity and imagination.

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ROSEMARYWANNAN

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As a designer I am passionate about everything to do with graphics, typography and photography.

rose@owlery.com.au www.owlery.com.au 0431 900 958 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2009 & 2010 Golden Key Honour Society Member

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But I also have a not-so-secret love for all things handmade, cute and crafty. A number of the projects I have undertaken reflect this desire to create intricate design and objects, notably the ‘Rosemary & Thyme’ range.

When I am not busy designing, you will likely find me rummaging around antique and second-hand shops, or checking out the latest range at Typo or kikki.K.

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CARLINWATEGO

Why hello there! Ever since I was a little child I have always used my imagination to create my ideal world.

Although I’m still using my imagination now, I am able to bring it to life through my designs, with a passion to create. My interest lies with typography, photography, and fashion.

Now after completing a Bachelor of Digital Media at Queensland College of Art with a major in graphic design and minor in marketing, I hope to pursue a career in graphic design and advertising.

carlin_watego@hotmail.com www.carlinwatego.com 0421 149 423

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BONEYARD

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Boneyard Apparel is a vintage clothing label created by Dannielle (Nell) Routledge and Katherine (Kaz) Mihaka.

info@boneyardapparel.com.au www.boneyardapparel.com.au 0421 081 998­—Kaz 0431 559 552—Nell

These two young designers are dedicated to providing their customers with unique, customised items of clothing and take pride in reviving those ‘once loved items’ and turning them into ‘must haves’!

Each item of clothing is altered, studded and personalised by the Boneyard crew to make YOU stand out in the crowd.

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supporters&sponsors

GOLD COAST CITY GALLERY

pat Corrigan

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celebrating the cultural & creative growth of the gold coast.

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issue two. 2011

issue two. 2011

ISSUE 2 2011

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celebrating the cultural & creative growth of the gold coast.