Arts zine may 2015 by Robyn Werkhoven

studio la primitive

arts zine issue 10 May 2015

slp

studio la primitive EDITOR

Robyn Stanton Werkhoven CONTRIBUTORS

Roger McFarlane

Max Howe

Peter Gardiner

Carlin McLellan

Margaret McBride

Bastion Fox Phelan

Jane Calthorpe

Brad Evans

Lorraine Fildes

Eric Werkhoven

Nigel Nerd

David Graham

Timeless Textiles

Robyn Werkhoven

INDEX Index…………………………………………………… 3 Editorial………………………..Robyn Werkhoven

Studio La Primitive Antics……E&R Werkhoven

Poem…………………………..Eric Werkhoven

6-7

Featured Artist……………… Roger McFarlane

8 - 21

Poem ………………………….David Graham

22 - 23

Featured Artist ……………… Peter Gardiner

26 - 45

Short Story……………………Max Howe

46 - 47

Featured Artist……………… Margaret McBride

48 - 61

Poems……………………….. Carlin McLellan

62 - 63

Poem………………………….Carlin McLellan Constable Country………...

Bastion Fox Phelan

64 - 65

Lorraine Fildes

66 - 79

Poem………………………….Brad Evans

80 - 81

Not News……………………..Nigel Nerd

82 - 83

Timeless Textiles……………..Anne Kempton

84 - 88

Art News………………………… ………………

89 - 99

EDITORIAL Greetings to all our ARTS ZINE readers . The May / June issue 10 of ARTS ZINE features interviews with nationally and internationally recognised sculptor Roger McFarlane , painter Peter Gardiner and ceramic / sculptor Doctor Margaret McBride.

Lorraine Fildes travel writer and photographer visits Constable Country, allowing us to see the original painted landscapes and juxtaposing them to the present day rural scenes. A new satirical column starts this month, introducing Nigel Nerd , International Artistic Journalist joins our team.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss reading our new essays, poetry and art news.

The ARTS ZINE features professional Hunter Valley, national and international visual artists poets and writers, glimpses into their world of art and their creative processes.

Submissions welcomed, we would love to have your words and art works in future editions in 2015. Email: werkhovenr@bigpond.com

Regards - your editor Robyn Werkhoven

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www.studiolaprimitive.net Issue 10 - May 2015

LOVE SONG - Eric Werkhoven Love is an inexhaustible force. Love is the struggle that ties us together. An ever widening view, sweeping everything in its wake. Love will endure all the superficial changes. We have been there, we have also done that. Grown up to remember many of the memorable. The mind must process love to be the most essential ingredient. These instances are a part of the Universe.

These instances are a part of our family and our friends. But above all, we must continue to adorn our partner with nice gifts, from where ever we find these petite packages, wrapped up and given a satin bow. Issue 10 - May 2015

Words of adornment to give the spirit wings to fly with. Words to help us cross over these difficult passages. Stepping stones in the garden, leading up to the house. Long sounding chimes, which create an enormous distance.

From each moment love will have a prime position: For the birds to flutter towards For the grasses to whisper among themselves For the light to fracture in so many beautiful colours. And you are there to high light my otherwise lonely existence. Love is indeed an inexhaustible force. - Eric Werkhoven ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

ROGER McFARLANE

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ROGER MCFARLANE - SCULPTOR “I was born in Newcastle NSW Australia in 1948, I attended a small public primary school at Teralba on Lake

Macquarie. I was fortunate that reading came naturally to me. We were a family of readers, and read across a wide range of subjects and genres. After exhausting the small and meagre library at school I started reading books from the mobile Library, the ‘Book Mobile’. After working through the children’s section I would borrow my mother’s library card so as to get access to the adult section. It was there I discovered books on Archaeology, the photos and descriptions of long lost sculptures in Stone and Bronze totally fascinated me.

That the work of sculptors would still be around many thousands of years later was an awesome concept. It was a type of immortality that one’s work would live on long after the civilisation that had given rise to the sculpture being created had all but vanished. My mother painted, although not particularly well, she did however paint with great enthusiasm. Art was regularly discussed in the family home but it was never seen as career option. I remember as a child around 11 years old during the late 1950’s visiting with my parents an exhibition of Charcoal Drawings illustrating the direct aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima. The exhibition was at the War Memorial Cultural Centre Newcastle, I still remember clearly the drawing and the powerful effect they had. It was an early introduction to the impact that art can have.”

Opposite: ‘Rosapearl’ - Rosa Portugal marble, Imperial red granite base, height 170cm. Issue 10 - May 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x153;At high school boys studied woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing, so as to get a trade. While the girls studied home economics, sewing, cooking and art. Becoming an artist was never a serious option, you had to have a trade. As it turned out I was no scholar so I did not qualify to get an apprenticeship, so at the age of sixteen I went to sea as a deck boy on a merchant ship carrying coal and iron ore between various ports around Australia, I also shipped out in New Zealand for a while also . The time at sea was formative,

as I had to stand on my own two feet, a ship at sea is an island; so you had to learn to coexist with a variety of personalities. The ships also had good libraries on board with an incredibly eclectic range of titles and authors. I consider this sea time as adding to my education. At the age of 19 I headed off to London to avoid the call up for national service, and potentially the Vietnam War. I married my then girlfriend Sandra in London, we had arranged to meet up in London as her parents were not too keen on her marrying this seaman who only turned up infrequently while his ship was in port. My daughter Meg loves to tell her friends that I was a draft dodger who eloped to London so as to get married. The three years spent working in England, Scotland and Switzerland were exciting. As I believe that you

see the world differently when you wake up each day in a foreign country. Each day is an adventure, and you learn to enjoy the difference, not needing everything to be the same and as comfortable as it is at home.â&#x20AC;?

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Sitting Pretty Bronze with patina H32 x W22 x D12cm Roger McFarlane ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

“The Australian working holiday in Europe gave me access to the grand cathedrals of Europe with the great sculpted tombs by the masters. Visits to the great museums of Western Europe and Russia all served to fire my imagination. I was inspired by the dedication it took to achieve a quality result, you could tell that the great artists had the fire in the belly to rise above the mundane. The artists had mastery of their materials and dedication to their particular art. Although the historical styles are considered dated, and out of fashion

they have a feeling of gravitas and a presence about them which ensures that they would endure the trendy changes and fads that flourish in the art world. Upon returning to Australia after almost three years abroad, my draft dodging caught up to me. I was given the choice of, going to Jail, Joining the army, or joining the Civilian Military Force (CMF). I elected to join the CMF and was with the 113th Light Anti-Aircraft Gunners stationed at Fort Scratchley at Newcastle. Being a weekend warrior was not too onerous, and I made some good friends and had some interesting experiences. However the officials decided after almost 12 months that they did not want me, so I was off the hook. After some nondescript jobs I was unemployed in 1975 and I knew that I needed an education. I started a

Technical College course in ‘Commerce (Accountancy Procedures)’ so became a Cost accountant/ Office Manager working for several large corporations. The major change came when I joined forces with my brother Jim in 1979, Jim had a sheet metal business. He had the trade’s background and I had the financial background. We built the company up to being a high tech manufacturer of mining machinery and industrial dust and fume extraction systems.” Issue 10 - May 2015

Precious Pear Belgium black marble H60 x W30 x D30cm Roger McFarlane ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

“In 1989 I enrolled in a hobby type course with the WEA doing sculpture in Soapstone. I would do courses every year with the sculptor Derek Morgan at various locations in NSW and Queensland. The courses were a live in one week course where students totally immersed themselves in carving and discussing art. When I wanted to carve harder stone such as marble, there wasn’t any tuition available. So in 1994 I went to Italy to learn how to carve marble at the Palla Atelier at the town of Pietrasanta, Northern Tuscany. I followed this

up with visits in 1997 and 1999. Through the contacts I made in Italy I was invited to apply to exhibit at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. I subsequently exhibited in Paris in 1998, 1999 and 2003. I joined The Sculptors Society (NSW) in 1997 and held many positions including Secretary, Vice President and President. I exhibited in many of The Sculptors Society exhibitions, and had several solo exhibitions.

In 2000 I enrolled at the University of Newcastle NSW in a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. I juggled work and study to graduate in 2007.”

“My work is mostly in stone and bronze, but lately I have been experimenting with fused and slumped glass. What I look for in sculpture is a mixture of skill and concepts. Whether working with noble materials or recycled castoffs, the artist should demonstrate a commitment to quality. It is insulting to the consumer to put up glib thrown together items with a catchy name, then call it art. No one looks at my work and says ‘my five year old child could do that’. I like a finely finished piece that looks professional.”

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QuYang Lady in White China. Roger McFarlane ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

“While at University I applied to create sculptures in various parts of the world.in 2000 I was selected to create a sculpture sponsored by the UN to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War. This involved going to South Korea and working on site carving a large granite sculpture. This work led to further projects in South Korea, China, Brazil, and Switzerland.

In 2010 I was asked to design a War Memorial for Penshurst RSL-Sub Branch. This was a green field project where I was given a stretch of land and the brief to design create and supervise construction of the Memorial which opened 11th of November 2011. I said to the committee ‘a lot has happened since WW2 let’s move on and honour those who served in later wars’ the committee agreed. In this sculpture I jumped the WW1~WW2

mindset, and had an old Digger from Vietnam, and a young Digger from Afghanistan represented. The old Digger was facing west and fading back into the stone, the young Digger was facing east and stepping out of the stone. I am working on another sculpture at present, for the foyer of the club to commemorate the Centenary of ANZAC 1915~2015. It is a strange turn of events from being a draft dodger to creating War Memorials.

However I feel that even though I am antiwar, and suspicious of governments who use jingoism to generate fear in our society as a means to justify waging war; I have a respect for the Diggers who do their duty, as the government of the day directs.”

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“I have been fortunate to be invited to China on several occasions to speak at the International Sculpture Conference at Chang Chung. The subject that I have spoken on has been about the influence of public art on city design, and the effect of sculpture on the citizens of the city. Also the History of sculpture and its effects on culture and society. I have also written articles for a sculpture magazine in Northern China, which keeps me in touch with what is happening in the Chinese sculpture world.

My experience with sculpture has been very fulfilling and opened doors to travel and meet interesting people. The key to this has been to keep an open and enquiring mind, and to seize the opportunities as occur.”

- Roger McFarlane © March 2015

Mystique Portorro marble with granite base H170 x W60 x D33cm Roger McFarlane ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Penshurst RSL-Sub Branch war memorial. Roger McFarlane ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

www.roger-mcfarlane-sculptor.com

Splash - White fused and slumped glass on a granite base H10 x W31 x D30cm

Roger McFarlane ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

York

- David Graham

there are bricks and then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ivy, but that says nothing about feeling them both with you at a place where a drunk eye can be happy with a blue streak sky with riling clouds as we drive, the trees perform a merry-go-round of chance encounters curtained by boroughs we have drunk of the river Ouse and fed on the millerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaves washing our tongues with stones it is an old way to be related to the growing of mushrooms - David Graham (C)2015

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Minster from York Wall. Photo: Lorraine Fildes ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

RE - ALIGNMENT collaborative drawing E&R Werkhoven ÂŠ 2015

www.studiolaprimitive.net Issue 10 - May 2015

RE - ALIGNMENT - Eric Werkhoven ÂŠ 2015 Over these long distances, we commence our dreaming To draw lines in the sand and in the dark surrounds of the night Connecting to the colour or to the sound of the morning Becoming a part of that great human rush. Accost accrue, in serving an age old ritual Where the lines mirror imaginary faces on real faces As instances lapse into either forgetting or remembering On that long stretch of time, only snippets remain The arts converge on that dialogue with a sense of great Abandonment, to force upon its simplified objective A metaphysical quest to order not just our life! Hence this urgency doubling up. The diaspora between the dreaming and reality is prevailing over this spiritual vacuum in an act of denial, and superfluous acceptance for the self to remain on one side of the fence. Issue 10 - May 2015

PETER GARDINER

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PETER GARDINER BACKGROUND: “I was born, raised and educated in Geelong an age ago and moved to Newcastle to study at the ASRT School in the mid eighties. I stayed there for a long time, changing from full time study to part time as I felt 3 years was no where near long enough. By the time they kicked me out I was no wiser to the nature of my creative compulsion than when I left Geelong. For the next decade or so in various warehouses and sheds throughout Newcastle I worked at this thing called Art in a singular and selfish way. Every day almost without exception I painted drew burnt scratched and fooled around, working through idea after idea, searching constantly searching.”

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When did your artistic passion begin? I borrowed a book from my school’s library on El Greco. Never returned it, so it goes.

Describe your work?

IDIOSYNCHRATIC.

What inspires you ? FEAR. Name your greatest achievement, exhibitions? I can’t say, only that arts taken me around the world , something I never imagined possible back at art school. What are you working on at present? Large aerial views of cities. Your future aspirations with your art? TO KEEP PRODUCING - Peter Gardiner © 2015

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In Splendour ( The Flood) Oil on canvas 1600 x 1400 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015

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After Flood Oil on canvas 1600 x 1400 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Oceanic II Oil on canvas 1500 x 1200 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Ruin (Blue) Oil on canvas 1500 x 1200 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Wreck Oil on hard board 1200 D Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Ceres I Oil & acrylic on Arches 1500 x 1200 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015

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Connewarre Oil & acrylic on paper 1700 x 1200 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015

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Midden XI Oil & acrylic on Arches 1100 x 1000 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015

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Head Series Oil on card H12 x W 7 cm Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Studies Series Oil on card H10 x W 6 cm Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Peter Gardiner latest works are: “A further meditation on the landscape. The works respond to the vast vistas and the presence we have within them. These for me are as much about within as they are without.”

Great Western Mixed media on canvas 2000 x 1800 Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Hexham Morass Mixed media on 300 GSSM Arches 1600 x 2200mm Peter Gardiner ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Further information about Peter’s work contact: E: snowdome@yahoo.com.au Issue 10 - May 2015

Strange suburban things that happen. - Max Howe A woman comes to pick her daughter up and finds the teenager has a scratch across her face. Although still bleeding slightly the girl is unconcerned and wipes some blood from her cheek spreading it across the back of her hand. She then turns her face up toward her mother and brushes a European style kiss across each

side of her mother's face. Her mother stiffens, looks around the entry foyer of the house then acknowledges her daughter's friend's father. As she wipes away her daughter's wet blood she can see he has been crying. She leaves a dry

red smear across her daughter's cheek. He begins to cry again and wipes tears onto his thick woolen jumper. The mother shudders involuntarily then shakes her head as if clearing her mind from an unnecessary dream. Issue 10 - May 2015

No one spoke. The air is incisive and still. Not calm. Sharp. The girl hugs the mother’s stomach and buries her head into the space between her breasts. The mother cups her hands around the back of daughter’s head, holding her safely. The other girl’s father twists his forehead into a complicated frown and rests both arms onto the shoulders of his daughter who stands calmly in front of him. Behind them his wife enters the room and after examining the situation turns away in disdain. Gliding gracefully from the room of the room. As the mother turns to leave she notices through one of the small glass door panels, a priest slide slowly past the tin letter box poking out of dead yellow grass, languid flowers and weeds dribbling along the fence line. He slips by in his robes, looking down, trembling. She takes her daughter’s hand and leaves, walking away briskly with her head up. - Max Howe© 2015

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MARGARET McBRIDE Issue 10 - May 2015

Dr MARGARET McBRIDE: A Life’s Work in Progress Skilled potter, visual artist, teacher, academic, writer and exhibition curator.

Margaret McBride comes from a family that made art. Her father excelled at drawing and also made

handicrafts such as macramé, knitting and woodwork and her mother sewed, crocheted and knitted. Along with her three siblings she was given art and craft materials. Her elder sister had work selected by the Education Department to display in their headquarters in Sydney. Another sister later studied art and majored in painting at Newcastle TAFE. Margaret entered annual children’s art shows and won certificates. A passion for collecting began at an early age. She collected bits and pieces and always made things, including her own clothes from the age of twelve. Despite her love of art, and the opportunity to join the advertising section in a Newcastle Department Store as a trainee it was discouraged. At the age of twenty six after a ‘safe vocation’ Margaret decided to study pottery, firstly at a craft centre, followed by a three year course in ceramics at Newcastle School of Art and Design (later TAFE). In 1978/9 she established a studio and worked as a full time potter. This continued to be a source of income while at art school where she completed a Diploma in Art at Newcastle College of Advanced Education (now University of Newcastle) from 1979 - 81. Opposite: Birds and Bees - Margaret McBride Material: hand turned wood and ceramic on perspex Dimensions: 15 x 15 x 15cms Date: 2012 Photo: Brian Cox Issue 10 - May 2015

Jug - Margaret McBride Material: Stoneware clay, ash glaze Date: c1979 Dimensions: 190ml x 155ml Photo: David McBride Issue 10 - May 2015

There was a lot of interest in handmade pottery in the 1970s and the ceramic department at the C.A.E. with Ken Levenson and Robert Ruthvan (from England) was one of the best in the country. Inspiration for Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s majolica work came from the prominent ceramic artist and teacher Madeleine Scott Jones.

After majoring in ceramics, and then undertaking a year of Graduate Studies in Education, Margaret became a High School Art Teacher which allowed her to continue her own work without the need for making commercial pottery. In 1983 she completed a Post Graduate year majoring in ceramic sculpture. A conversion course in 1984 to upgrade her Diploma in Art to a degree completed her studies.

In 1989 Margaret was appointed Head of Visual Arts at Newcastle Grammar School. Here she was given free rein to build up the art department, establish the Visual Art Scholarships, after school art and photography classes, and established the now iconic Annual Nexus Exhibition. Margaret was given time off for study trips and encouraged to use the facilities of the art department to make her artworks for exhibition during the holidays. At art school she also studied sculpture for two years. As she was now

working in a conceptual way ceramics wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always appropriate and so she began to explore different forms of representation in both two and three dimensional forms. Margaret began to construct installations of made and found objects. With these she often produced two dimensional works of mixed media to further communicate her concepts.

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4 Dishes Material: Majolica (Oxides on tin glaze) on Cassnock red earthenware clay Dimensions: 110ml x 110ml each Date: c 1978 Photo: Jane Calthorpe Issue 10 - May 2015

Margaret’s greatest achievement, exhibitions: Talking for this interview Margaret said that perhaps her greatest achievements were in her solo exhibitions and being awarded a Doctorate. Her first truly solo exhibition was of functional and sculptural ceramics at Possum Brush Gallery, Taree in 1980. Another memorable solo exhibition was “Structures” 1994, Suan Dusit Art Gallery, Rajbhat Institute, (University) Suan Dusit, Bangkok, Thailand. It was also an honour to be selected for a solo exhibition called ‘Sight Plans’ at Newcastle Region Art Gallery in 1995. In both of these exhibitions she used architecture as a metaphor for personal philosophies and experiences. The man-made built environment has always fascinated her both in form and materials. Margaret has had nine other solo exhibitions in Newcastle and Sydney.

With her husband Brian Cox, a well-known Newcastle silversmith and sculptor, Margaret has traveled extensively worldwide over the past twenty years to study art and architecture. She said she has always been interested in writing and art theory, both contemporary and historical. In 2003 she embarked on a PhD in Fine Art Theory and was awarded her doctorate in 2010 for her thesis, Changing the Art Culture of Newcastle: the contribution of the Low Show Group of artists. In 2006 Margaret began lecturing in Fine Arts at the University of Newcastle. She taught Foundations in Creative Art, Soft Sculpture and 3D Fibre until she retired from teaching in December 2013.

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Water Bowl Material: Majolica (oxides on tin glaze) on Cessnock red earthenware clay Dimensions: 235 x 96ml Date: c 1978 Photo: Jane Calthorpe Issue 10 - May 2015

What Margaret is working on at present: Since retiring from teaching in 2013 Margaret devotes her time completely to curating, making artworks and writing. At present she is working on ceramic and fibre pieces for an upcoming exhibition

Searching for

Shibui at Back to Back Gallery in May. Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future aspirations with her art: Skills are continually being developed as needed and have included learning how to use a lathe to turn wood, how to felt, how to work with casting pewter and other casting metals, making jewellery, making paper

and art books and many other techniques. In art, Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion is not confined to one art form or one theme. Whether a concept is presented, as in group exhibitions, or derived from her personal view of the world, both physical and psychological, the subject changes, as does the vehicle to communicate that concept. Future work will reflect this philosophy. Margaret would also like to publish her research on women artists of the Hunter to produce a much needed history of women artists from the Colonial Period until 1970.

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Library Material : box and wooden books, various timbers Dimensions: 40 x 50 x 15cms Date: 2006 Photo: Margaret Mc Bride Issue 10 - May 2015

Alternate Views Material: pewter and sandstone 700 x 400ml (without stand) Date: 2009 Photo: Brian Cox Issue 10 - May 2015

Forthcoming Exhibitions: Margaret has just completed curating Book Keepers, an exhibition in conjunction with the 2015 Newcastle Writers Festival where a group of Newcastle artists selected the latest publication of a presenter at the festival, to interpret and transpose into visual images and objects. In 2014 a similar exhibition, Subtext, successfully brought together the literary and fine art community of Newcastle. A similar exhibition is planned for the 2016 Newcastle Writers Festival. Margaret, along with two others, is currently curating the next ‘small’ exhibition at Back to Back Galleries in April and will participate with a group of fibre and clay artist/makers in the exhibition Searching for Shibui which opens on Friday 8 May at Back to Back Galleries, 57 Bull Street, Cooks Hill.

Other Interests: These include reading and writing, both fiction, and non-fiction, antiques, gardens and family. Margaret’s early love of collecting has continued, amongst other things she has an extensive collection of wooden boxes. During the course of her career Margaret has curated over thirty exhibitions, given public lectures, written for journals, been a judge of art competitions, had commissions and has been reviewed in newspapers and featured in journals. Her work is in collections both in Australia and overseas. She has exhibited in over eighty selected group exhibitions in Sydney, Newcastle and Regional NSW. Starting out by learning to be a potter and acquiring ceramic skills opened the door for Margaret to a lifelong arts practice that is a ‘work in

progress’.

Comfort Reading - Margaret McBride Materials: felt, wood, metal 30 x 21cms Date: 2006 Photo: Brian Cox Issue 10 - May 2015

Cross Reference - Margaret McBride Material: metal, bamboo, twine 24 x 18cms Date: 2006 Photo: Brian Cox Issue 10 - May 2015

MARGARET McBRIDE

Piercing the Void Material: hand turned New Guinea rosewood bowls, bamboo, black granite, wooden stool 50 x 18 x 38cms , stool H 68cms Date: 2014 Photo: Brian Cox Issue 10 - May 2015

Forest Green The painting was forest green with black splotches and thin intersecting lines which resembled a skewed tic-tac-toe grid I ripped the canvas from the wall of McDonalds in Ville SaintPierre, Montreal I ran back to my friends' apartment through the frozen streets, thinking what am I trying to prove to myself? I wrote an illegible haiku on the torn canvas and hung it above the kitchen door while my friends slept fitfully, I could hear them coughing and tossing It was then that I escaped to New York

I still think about New York, but what can one say? I got the tee shirt (I didn't) I spat off of the Empire State Building (I did) One day I might be reborn there as an urban fox Central Park would be too vast for me so I'd scour the back alleys for cream cheese bagels Amongst the debris I might find the thing That everyone that is there

- Carlin McLellan ÂŠ 2015

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Home, sick I haven't been watching the news I don't what to know what is happening I want everyone to miss me all of a sudden I want to know what is happening I am learning to be appreciative of flowers folding in on themselves Self pollinating, self sufficient Quiet moments often feel like Waterfalls waiting for an opportunity

to be endless Restless to rush towards the ocean - Carlin McLellan ÂŠ 2015

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Forever Freedom Carlin McLellan & Bastion Fox Phelan

When travelling to different dimensions We bury our shared

Sometimes love gets in the way of love

precious elements deep in the earth

My brother used to say

Inaccessible except by

She's choking me like a baby bird

excavation

Now I bring back fat worms

That's why a crystal talisman

to the expecting nest

means so much

I'm lightly grasped

Tell me,

by your steady hands

How do you think love

Sometimes the hurting feels good

renews itself, for each person

So we make an arrangement

Each day?

To meet here every few years

From where does love draw itself?

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Love renews itself In an exchange of atoms

Each time we choose it

between fingertips & collarbones

Not fear; love

In crystalline eyes burning like the sun

Not hate; love

In impartial clouds

Not control, punishment, greed; love

Love saturates everything

Love is the only thing that multiplies

Spilling from the sky

each time you give it away

Running down through estuaries Before settling in the cracks

Collaborative poem by -

Between our bodies

Carlin McLellan & Bastian Fox Phelan ÂŠ 2015

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CONSTABLE COUNTRY

LORRAINE FILDES Issue 10 - May 2015

Constable Country Images of the English Countryside - Lorraine Fildes “Landscape is my mistress….” ‘-tis to her I look for fame – and all that the warmth of the imagination renders dear to Man.’ John Constable, 1812. What a wonderful day I had exploring what is called “Constable Country”. The National Trust of England is to be congratulated on their preservation of the countryside where John Constable painted many of his very famous landscapes. Much of the scenery is largely unchanged from when the painter knew it. We were

supplied with an excellent map that allowed us to easily find our way around the numerous buildings and scenes that had been painted by Constable. John Constable was born in East Bergholt, Suffolk, England in 1776; died 1837. 'Constable Country' is the popular term for the area where Constable was reared. The south Suffolk countryside is very beautiful and inspired paintings such as ‘The Hay Wain’, ‘Flatford Mill’ and ‘Dedham Vale’. Flatford Mill was owned by Constable's father who was a wealthy corn merchant who later also bought Dedham Mill. Constable worked in the corn business after leaving school, but his younger brother Abram eventually took over the running of the mills. In 1799, Constable persuaded his father to let him pursue art, and his father even granted him a small allowance.

The map we were supplied with to help us find our way around “Constable Country”. Issue 10 - May 2015

The allowance given to Constable by his father was very small indeed and to make ends meet he took up portraiture. He executed many fine portraits, but he found the work dull and got no pleasure out of doing portraits. His main love was landscape painting. Constable adopted a routine of spending the winter in London and painting at East Bergholt in the summer. His landscapes were not appreciated by the art buyers as Constable rejected the accepted way of painting the landscape - In the early 19th century, landscape paintings were usually generalised and idealised depictions of nature, based on the study of other pictures rather than actual scenes. They followed certain accepted conventions on how foliage should be painted, how the composition should be organised, and what colours should be used. Constable rejected all this, using nature directly as his inspiration. He painted the scenes he saw and that is why when you visit Constable Country you can photograph many of the scenes that he actually painted.

It was not until 1819 that Constable sold his first important canvas, ‘The White Horse’. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy that year, and in 1821 he showed ‘The Hay Wain’ at the Academy's exhibition. Theodore Gericault saw it on a visit to London and was soon praising Constable in Paris, where a

dealer, John Arrowsmith, bought four paintings, including ‘The Hay Wain’, which was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1824, winning a gold medal. In his lifetime Constable was to sell only twenty paintings in England, but in France he sold more than twenty in just a few years. Despite this, he refused all invitations to travel internationally to promote his work. Constable refused to paint landscapes by the accepted

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conventions and in consequence his ability was not fully recognised for a long time and he was not elected a full Royal Academician until 1823 at the grand age of 53. Just as Constable had a difficult time trying to establish himself as a landscape artist he also had problems with his personal life. From 1809 onwards, his childhood friendship with Maria Bicknell developed into a deep, mutual love. But their engagement was opposed by Maria's family. Constable’s parents approved the match, but held out no prospect of supporting the marriage until Constable was financially secure; but Constable’s parents died in quick succession, and Constable inherited a fifth share in the family business. John and Maria married in 1816. It was followed by a honeymoon tour of the south coast, where the sea at Weymouth and Brighton stimulated Constable to develop new techniques of brilliant colour and vivacious brushwork. After the birth of her seventh child in 1828, Maria fell ill and died of tuberculosis later that year at the age of forty-one. Thereafter, Constable always dressed in black. He cared for his seven children alone for the rest of his life. He died in 1837. Although his paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art, he was never financially successful whilst alive and always struggled to make ends meet.

Issue 10 - May 2015

Willy Lottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house as Constable saw it over 200 years ago. Issue 10 - May 2015

Two of Constableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings of Willy Lottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house and mill pond. Sorry about the reflected windows in the sky in the painting above, but in some museums it is impossible to get into a position where the reflections can be avoided. Issue 10 - May 2015

Willy Lott's House, and black and white dog . Issue 10 - May 2015

Willy Lott's House, almost unchanged from 200 years ago - sorry no black and white dog - only a tourist nearby. Photograph â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Lorraine Fildes ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Bridge over the River Stour and Bridge Cottage. Photograph Lorraine Fildes ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Constableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s painting showing the bridge over the River Stour. Issue 10 - May 2015

Flatford Mill, near the lock on the Stour.

Photograph - Lorraine Fildes ÂŠ 2015 Issue 10 - May 2015

Constableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s painting of Flatford Mill, seen from the lock on the Stour. Issue 10 - May 2015

a certain something for Harold Hopkins

came to you for the same reason But your cause of death looked different.

I can still see you on those flickering frames: A featured billing in those gutteral 70s pictures Almost a superstar back then You reminded your fellow actors of Errol Flynn.

One might forgive a past if amended But the radio mentioned another just last week, Harold: A teacher in a school.

The bosses are holding off any compo Long enough for her to die

Steve McQueen should not have died in 1980 As a child, I was told it was his smoking habit

I can see they don't have to wait long Her brave colleagues pointed out that she had

But they kept the real thing out (like they always do).

been working

He'd been told to clear A certain something

In one of the more dilapidated classrooms

From the naval ships on which he'd worked

They keep their pensions that way

And was gone at 50.

And remind me that your killer is still out there.

Issue 10 - May 2015

Some who come to chase it out

Muscle pain finally took you to the quack's

Don't even advertise what they do on their vans

And you were gone within a matter of

Admissions of guilt avoided, greater liability discour-

months.

aged

You got it when you were an apprentice

Millions of others don't even know they've got it

carpenter in the 60s

And let's not even begin to talk about the diy craze.

And were told to clear A certain something.

- Brad Evans ÂŠ 2015 Once 'discovered' you were always seen To be the healthiest among your colleagues: Eating all those fruits & nuts

And it was that, Harold, that made me wonder Did your hidden self already know A certain something?

Issue 10 - May 2015

N O T

N E W S

N E W S Issue 10 - May 2015

NOT NEWS

“The pure white colour also reflects my country, especially the winter, and is one of the colours in the Russian flag. Thus my self-portrait has several deeper

By Nigel Nerd

meanings, because I love the flag, I love my country. No one could be more patriotic. I believe the saying goes in the West, patriotism is the first refuge of the

ARTZINE is proud to announce the discovery of a new star

pure (or something like that)”.

in the arts scene worldwide - the Russian painter Vladimir Putin.

Nigel asked Vlad about the astonishing marketing

ARTZINES investigative travelling art journalist-in-chief,

success of his new work. Vlad replied “Yes, a factory

Nigel Nerd, was fortunate enough to secure an exclusive

in Moscow was working three shifts to complete the

interview in Moscow with shy, nervous Vladimir.

order from the KGB of one million copies at 100 roubles

Nigel asked Vladimir about his newest work, which has already sold over one million print copies since it was released only yesterday. Vladimir (or Vlad as he prefers to be known) described his creation as an exciting new concept in self-portraiture, being plain white in colour. Vlad described his new work in white as an expression of his inner purity, high ideals and scrupulous moral standards.

each. Of course, owing to the recent decline in the roubles’ value I arranged for payment into my Swiss bank account in U.S. dollars at a favourable exchange

rate.

One cannot be too careful in these troubled

Body and Soul Exhibition - Pam Hovel Issue 10 - May 2015

Victorian artist Pam Hovel has highlighted the connection

envi-

between body and soul with the tactile felt creations featured

both

in a new exhibition opening at Newcastle’s Timeless Textiles

work terials

Gallery in May. The Body and Soul exhibition features Hovel’s soft and cuddly homewares and clothing that promise to not only embrace the body but also to uplift the soul. Using felt as a creative medium, Body and Soul explores sustainable fashion and homewares and includes contemporary lightweight felted dresses, all botanically-dyed, as well using natural coloured fleece to bring a hint of the wild into the home. Creating has been an integral part of Pam’s life, initially through necessity when she sewed clothes for herself and then for her children. Larger projects have also featured in her creative life including the mud-brick home she built with her husband, many years before sustainability and recycling were fashionable.Pam’s Body and Soul exhibition will be opened from 6th until 17 May 2015.

“My nature natural taken direcyears, love felt years (felt) within of susing.”

P A M

H O V E L

ronment that in-

spires

her

and

provides ma-

for

her textiles.

conand mame tions cul-

nection to the beauty of terials has in different over the minating in a affair with about eleven ago,” Pam reveals. “The magical properties of wool + water + friction and plant-based dyes enable me to express myself while staying the boundaries tainable liv-

Pam is an innovative textile artist living near Bendigo, Victoria. Her light filled, mud-brick studio on her family property is surrounded by bushland and wildlife and it is this natural

Issue 10 - May 2015

The home was built largely from reclaimed materials and is surrounded by a large garden, Pamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion prior to textiles. A lifelong interest in textiles led Pam to discover felting in 2004 and she has been passionate about it ever since. Although she has attended numerous workshops with well-known felt artists, she is largely self-taught and has won awards for her work. Following her creative instincts, Pam has sought sustainable art practices. After exploring different techniques and fibres, she developed a beautiful, soft felt fabric using super-fine Australian Merino wool. More recently she has focused on more feminine and highly artistic garments, marrying wool and silk in the felt process, as well as using raw and wild fibres with dramatic results.. Pamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Body and Soul exhibition will be opened from 6th until 17 May 2015. Pam is an innovative textile artist living near Bendigo, Victoria. Her light filled, mud-brick studio on her family property is surrounded by bushland and wildlife and it is this natural environment that

Issue 10 - May 2015

Eco-printed and textured nuno-felted top or tunic workshop with Pam Hovel During this workshop we will look at design aspects and work on samples using different fabric manipulation techniques.

You will make a top or tunic

following a method which eliminates the need of a template or calculating shrinkage rates and how to put it all together to form a garment which fits. We will explore of world of the eco-print when we will fire up the caldrons and indulge ourselves in a little magic. While we are waiting for this magic to happen we will look at alternative methods of fabric manipulation in nuno-felt. Using fabric scraps from your stash, we will make a scarf or obi which you can then eco-dye at home. This workshop is not designed for beginners. Some felting experience and some very basic sewing is necessary and, a word of warning, there is quite a bit of rolling involved.

Dates: 11-13 May 2015 (9.30 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4.30 pm) BOOK IN NOW E: anne@timelesstextiles.com.au W: www.timelesstextiles.com.au

Issue 10 - May 2015

CAROLE DOUGLAS Artist reveals her spiritual journey in

Return Exhibition 21 May-14 June Timeless Textiles 90 Hunter St Newcastle East. Issue 10 - May 2015

The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) “Is an exhibition compiled of artists’ responses to the lyrics of Tom Waits’ legendary song of the same tile at the request of Joseph Eisenberg OAM, Cultural Director of Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG), in celebration of achievements during his ten years of leadership. A broad cross-section of local and nationally-renowned artists were approached to participate with interpretive

works on paper, in response to these song lyrics holding personal significance to Joe. An overwhelming number of artists responded, resulting in a uniquely creative and diverse collection of new works which will be exhibited at MRAG for the first time.”

Exhibition 25 April - 21 June Issue 10 - May 2015

FANCY – Donna Cavanough, John O’Brien and Lenny Burgess Perform at PLANET DUNGOG Issue 10 - May 2015

Planet Dungog Music Festival 29-31st May 2015: Features street concert, film, comedy bush poetry and of course lots of fabulous music, 5 venues running a broad range of Australian performing artists, folk, funk, classical, blues and more.

info and bookings www.planetdungog.com

Issue 10 - May 2015

Searching for Shibui 8 May â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24 May, Opening @ 6.00pm Fri 8 May 2015

Back to Back Galleries 57 Bull Street Cooks Hill NSW 2300 T: 49 293 677 www.newcastlepotters.org.au

Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11am-5pm Issue 10 - May 2015

Media Release: BACK TO BACK GALLERIES 24 May,

New Exhibition: Searching for Shibui

Dates: 8 May –

Opening @ 6.00pm Fri 8 May 2015 Contact: Jane Calthorpe, publicity officer M: 0409 601155 Back to Back

Galleries presents a group of fibre and clay artists/makers that have come together to explore the ideas and aesthetics of the notion of ‘shibui’. A mixed media exhibition to be opened by special guest, from Ian Potter Museum of

Art, Ron Ramsey. Curator Kathy Heinrich writes: What is shibui? According to W.G. von Krenner: The Japanese have a special word to describe the bitter taste one experiences after biting into an unripe persimmon. This taste called shibui, has a meaning far beyond taste. Shibui is sometimes translated as rustic simplicity or austere elegance. It is an aesthetic concept that rejects kitsch and tasteless elaboration. Elizabeth Gordon, wrote that shibui “describes a profound, unassuming, quiet feeling. It is unobtrusive and unostentatious. It may have hidden attainments but they are not paraded or displayed. The form is simple and must have been arrived at with an economy of means. Shibui is never complicated or contrived.” A group of artists and makers, some working in clay, some fibre and some both, have come together for this exhibition to interpret shibui in a contemporary way that references this time and place and the simple beauty of handmade objects. The exhibition will be curated by Kathy Heinrich and Helen Stronach. Newcastle Studio Potters is a not for profit incorporated association supporting ceramic artists. Its gallery Back to Back Gallery while presenting exhibitions in various media, focuses on traditional and contemporary ceramics.

Back to Back Galleries 57 Bull Street Cooks Hill

NSW 2300 T: 49 293 677

W:www.newcastlepotters.org.au Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11am-5pm Issue 10 - May 2015

Andrew Shillam Rindi Salomon ANDREW SHILLAM

25th March - 10th May at the Grafton Regional Art Gallery. Art Systems Wickham Gallery, Newcastle 22 May to 31st May. 40 Annie Street Wickham NSW. Web site: http://shillamsalomonart.com.au/

RINDI SALOMON Issue 10 - May 2015

A R T N E W S

A R T N E W S Issue 10 - May 2015

JOHN WATERS ON REFLECTION

5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24 MAY Frances Keevil Gallery Bay Village 28 - 34 Cross Street Double Bay NSW 2028 Australia

t: 02 9327 2475 e: info@franceskeevilgallery.com.au w: franceskeevilgallery.com.au

Issue 10 - May 2015

studio la primitive NEW WEBSITE

www.studiolaprimitive.net

Issue 10 - May 2015

Hunter Arts Network’s (HAN) fourth annual Lake Macquarie Art Bazaar will return to the grounds of Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery (LMCAG) on Sunday 3 May 2015 from 10am – 3pm, located on the shores of beautiful Lake Macquarie. With Art Bazaar now being held on the weekend before Mother’s Day, visit the stalls to search for unique Mother’s Day gifts while having an enjoyable day out.

Art Bazaar is free entry. There’s also demonstrations, entertainment, food & drinks, and a quick stroll to LMCAG for children’s art activities and exhibitions including Bodywork: Australian Jewellery 1970-2012 touring from the National Gallery of Australia and a (in)visible: the First Peoples and War showing until 10 May and 24 May respectively.

Issue 10 - May 2015