trouble 124
DAVID LYNCH: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane until 7 June The first exhibition in Australia to explore the 50 year career of this acclaimed American artist and filmmaker, closes at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art on 7 June. ‘Between Two Worlds’ was the largest survey to date of works by the Los Angeles-based artist who visited Australia for the first time in conjunction with the opening weekend. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) Director Chris Saines said it was a major coup for Brisbane to host the artist during his first ever visit to Australia. “Between Two Worlds’ explores David Lynch’s entire practice as an artist and filmmaker, spanning painting, photography, printmaking, industrial design, music and the moving image. Featuring over 200 works across all media, the exhibition is sure to surprise Australian audiences not yet familiar with Lynch’s broader artist practice and is an exciting opportunity to see works never before shown in Australia,’ said Mr Saines. IMAGES IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE: David Lynch, United States b.1946 / This Man Was Shot 0.9502 Seconds Ago 2004, mixed media on giclée print, 182.8 x 304.8cm. Courtesy: David Lynch © The artist. Boy Lights Fire 2010, mixed media on cardboard, 182.8 x 274.3cm. Courtesy: The artist © David Lynch. Untitled 2007, installation after a drawing by David Lynch. Collection: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris. Photograph: Patrick Gries. Image courtesy: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris. Man On Wire 1998, archival gelatin silver print, 27.9 x 35.5cm. Courtesy: the artist © David Lynch. Face and Smoke #1 1992, chromogenic development print, 35.56 x 27.94cm. Courtesy: the artist © David Lynch. David Lynch in Los Angeles, August 2014. Photograph: Just Loomis. A full-colour 176 page exhibition catalogue accompanies the exhibition and features over 200 images illustrating Lynch’s wide-ranging oeuvre, new portraits by Los Angeles-based photographer Just Loomis, and an interview with the artist.For more information visit - qagoma.qld.gov.au
House TouR:
RICHARD NYLON meets WILLIAM JOHNSTON The annual House of Ideas tour with guest curator Richard nylon
WednesdaY 8 JuLY 2015 – TuesdaY 20 oCTobeR 2015
FAIRHALL a house-museum with
a superb collection of Georgian, Regency & Louis XV antiques regularly rearranged within a domestic setting
LECTURES & WORKSHOPS an extensive and varied series
SHOP inspired by the collection FRIENDS enjoy the benefits IndIVIduaL & GRoup bookInGs aVaILabLe on: www.johnstoncollection.org +61 3 9416 2515 info@johnstoncollection.org
The Johnston Collection is an independent not-for-profit museum
Like us on
Follow us on
Find us on
CONTENTS (02) DAVID LYNCH: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS QUAGOMA (17) COMICS FACE Ive Sorocuk (18) THE MADNESS OF ART Jim Kempner (20) GREG CREEK: THE DESKTOP DRAWINGS Social Work (26) JUNE SALON Jumpin’ Jayzus (40) STRALIAN STORIES: SNOW BUSINESS - THE THRILLS AND KILLS OF SQUIZZY TAYLOR
Neil Boyack
(46) GREETINGS FROM BEYOND THE PALE: PART 8 - WOLF CREEK
Ben Laycock
COVER: Patricia PICCININI, Felicity (detail) 1996, from the series Your time starts now…, chromogenic print, printed 1997, 120.0 x 120.0 cm. Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection, acquired 1997, MGA 1997.22. Reproduction courtesy of the artist. Highlights from the MGA Collection, Monash Gallery of Art (MGA), 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill (VIC), 9 May 2015 to 12 July 2015 - mga.org.au Issue 124 JUNE 2015 trouble is an independent monthly mag for promotion of arts and culture Published by Trouble Magazine Pty Ltd. ISSN 1449-3926 CONTRIBUTORS Ive Sorocuk, Jim Kempner, Ben Laycock, Neil Boyack, love. Find our app at the AppStore follow us on issuu , twitter, subscribe at troublemag.com READER ADVICE: Trouble magazine contains artistic content that may include nudity, adult concepts, coarse language, and the names, images or artworks of deceased Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. Treat Trouble intelligently, as you expect to be treated by others. Collect or dispose of thoughtfully. DIS IS DE DISCLAIMER! The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. To the best of our knowledge all details in this magazine were correct at the time of publication. The publisher does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions. All content in this publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without prior permission of the publisher. Trouble is distributed online from the first of every month of publication but accepts no responsibility for any inconvenience or financial loss in the event of delays. Phew!
art comedy series
Season 4, Episode 7: Don’t Discount On It Jack brings his wealthy client by to purchase some work from Jim’s gallery. He has very specific instructions on how to handle the sale. In two words: no discounts!
visit: themadnessofart.com/
........................................... GREG CREEK: THE DESKTOP DRAWINGS
......................................................
SOCIAL WORK
4
Created on modest scaled desks and yet sometimes beguiling by their incredible length, Greg Creek’s drawings focus upon the richness of a studio process that captures the interaction between the incidentals of everyday events and universal contexts. Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) will present both new and major existing works by this highly regarded Melbourne-based artist in its leading winter exhibition The Desktop Drawings from 30 May to 9 August. The catalyst for this exhibition was SAM’s acquisition of The Melbourne Desktop Drawing in 2014. The piece was originally commissioned by the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in 2003. Shepparton Art Museum Director Kirsten Paisley said: ‘Securing The Melbourne Desktop Drawing for SAM has been very exciting due to the scale and importance of this extraordinary work. Beginning as the throw away blotting sheets for Creek’s large allegorical oil paintings, the desktop works have since become a focus of his practice, significant in their own right. The exhibition will also present ChatterShapes, a 52 metre wall-based work previously shown only in Scotland, and a body of approximately forty new drawings Greg is making specifically for SAM’s show, that explore love, death and politics. Which member of your family influenced you the most? Greg Creek: My partner - because we’ve grown up talking art. How similar are your political beliefs to those of your family? GC: Pretty similar with a ‘Paul Keating was the greatest’ type of vibe. How do your values differ from those of your family? GC: I tried to make more mistakes than have a good job. Do you have a favourite family story? GC: My grandfather once ferried Lawrence of Arabia across the Dead Sea. Our dog climbs up on our roof on the ladder. What do you hope for? GC: I hope Geelong wins another GF. What do you think is your main purpose in life? GC: To make meaning creative. Do you think its ok to lie? GC: Of course - to lessen a worse lie.
PREVIOUS SPREAD: Punt Road Hill section. NEXT SPREAD: Clifton Hill Ghosts section.
4
What does freedom mean to you? GC: 10.30am - nothing I have to do … Do you think things happen for a reason? GC: Yes, when I think I’m in control and no, when I realise I’m not. What beliefs do you have that you think will never change? GC: I believe that beliefs can change. Do you believe in the supernatural? GC: No - but I think that some parts of artworks dream other parts of artworks. Is any religious text important to you? GC: Cave art. Have you ever come close to dying? GC: Yep - I was run over by a bus when I was young, and I did ask myself if I would die. Who is the best teacher you have ever had? GC: A midwife who said artists were often perfectionists but that our baby only needed us to be good enough. Have you ever been lost? GC: In dreams often - during my first week at Uni in Melbourne. What was your favourite book as a child? GC: The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham. If I asked a good friend of yours what you were good at, what would they say? GC: Asking questions. What stays the same in your life, no matter how much other things change? GC: Having bad eyesight. What is stopping you? GC: Fear and closed eyes.
Greg Creek: The Desktop Drawings brings together a selection from Creek’s extraordinary drawing practice now spanning 20 years – ranging from Melbourne via Europe to Shepparton with a highlight the growing body of new drawings commissioned specifically by SAM for The Drawing Wall #19, showing until 30 August 2015 - sheppartonartmuseum.com.au
4
1.
june salon
1. Michael PAREKOWHAI (New Zealand b.1968), Two Drifters, Off to See the World (detail) 2011, fibreglass, automotive paint. Installation view, Michael Lett, Auckland, 2011 Collection: The artist / Image courtesy the artist and Michael Lett. Photograph: Alex North. Michael Parekowhai: The Promised Land, Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Stanley Place, South Bank Brisbane (QLD) until 21 June 2015 - qagoma.qld.gov.au 2. Cody JOY, Untitled (drawn out, pulled together) 2013, ink and thread on paper, 56 x 56 cm. Cody Joy: Meeting Point, Post Office Gallery, Arts Academy, Federation University Australia, Cnr Sturt & Lydiard Sts, Ballarat (VIC), 10 – 20 Jun 2015 - federation.edu.au/pogallery NEXT SPREAD: John PHILLIPS, George HUMPHREY (publisher), New mode of military discipline 1829, hand coloured etching. Promised gift of Christine Bell in memory of Christopher Bell through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2015. Photography: George Stawicki. The Iron Duke—soldier and statesman, Geelong Gallery, Little Malop Street, Geelong (VIC), until 16 August - geelonggallery.org.au
2.
PREVIOUS SPREAD: Jasmine TARGETT, Vision Quest 2015, a large handmade screen that acts as a billboard, which will be customised to suit the scale of the garden contemplating the quest for a greater understanding of our environment, both visually and conceptually. Vision Quest: Into Nature, Incinerator Gallery, 180 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds (VIC), 5 June – 26 July - incineratorgallery.com.au THIS SPREAD: Deb MANSFIELD (L) A reliable boundary (and this is where Bel was found) (R) The island punctuated her last thoughts of the evening, both 2015, hand-woven photo tapestry (while at sea), resin frame & cleat, lighting, electrical cord. The Island Could be Heard By Night, The Lock Up, 90 Hunter Street, Newcastle (NSW) until 28 June 2015 - thelockup.org.au NEXT SPREAD: 3. SATTA, Young Michael Jackson. 4. FRAY, Day Dreaming. 5. SITA, KFC. Contents Under Pressure: Australian Stencil Art from 2004 - 2010, Burrinja Gallery, cnr Glenfern Road and Matson Drive, Upwey (VIC), until 28 June - burrinja.org.au
3.
4.
5.
VIVID SYDNEY 2015: Enchanted Sydney - Customs House (Credit: Destination NSW), until 8 June 2015 – vividsydney.com
7. 6. David FRAZER Holding on 2013, linocut, 69 x 49 cms. Makers Exhibition, The Lost Ones Gallery, 14 Camp Street, Ballarat (VIC), 6 – 8 June 2015 - thelostones.com.au 7. Savina HOPKINS: Persona Obscura, Seventh Gallery, 155 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy (VIC), opening: Wednesday 17 June, 6-8pm, exhibition: 18 June – 4 July seventhgallery.org - savinahopkins.blogspot.com.au 6.
4
4
Ben Laycock
GREETINGS FROM BEYOND THE PALE PART 8 – WOLF CREEK
4
In medieval Europe a white picket fence was all that separated the village from the heathen savages beyond ...
Having been evicted from Balgo for transgressing a Christian sacred site, l am standing with my thumb out in the blistering heat. A car going the other way pulls up in a cloud of dust and hands me an ice cold beer, then speeds away. That’s Western Desert hospitality for you. Expect the unexpected. I cadge a ride to Billaluna. The enterprising blackfellas have installed a petrol bowser for all the thirsty 4x4s that have survived the Canning Stock Route. I am keen to visit the nearby Wolf Creek Crater, one of the largest meteorite craters in the world. The locals can describe in graphic detail the moment of impact, but I tend to think the story is apocryphal, as the event took place over 400 million years ago. Now l know the blackfellas have been here a bloody long time, but come on. No luck hitching to Wolf Creek, maybe the name is off putting. Personally, I blame the film industry for completely ruining the hitchhiking culture. You present yourself as a self respecting vagabond, but all they see as they whizz past is a psycho killer. I finally reach Halls Creek, where the Tanami track meets The Greater Australian Ring road. The G.A.R. circumnavigates the continent, hugging the coastline as close as possible – think Great Ocean Road – but it veers sharply inland when it hits The Kimberley, a patch of mountainous wilderness twice the size of Belgium, uninhabited by a sparse population of thirty thousand souls, the vast majority of whom cling to the bitumen road that skirts the outskirts. In a world of over 7 billion people, all procreating like mad, this has got to be the emptiest place on earth, curated by the last of the nomads. Hall’s Creek is a rough town. It has a pub. It has beer. It has trouble. The tame townsfolk are allowed inside the hotel, safe from the wild desert dwellers who have travelled vast distances to quench their thirst, but get no closer than the paddock across the road where they dance and sing with gay abandon then sleep it off in the long grass. One old lady has procured herself a hospital bed and slumbers in comfort, guarded by her pet emu. I kid you not.
< BoreTrack by Kdliss - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Greetings From / Ben Laycock
4
Wolf Creek crater - maximum-verbosity.com
Having experienced the wonders of the wonderful Halls Creek l must continue on my lonely quest. Exactly what I am looking for l do not know, but l am sure it is out there somewhere, beyond the white picket fence. My destination is Broome, the jewel in the crown of this vast kingdom. As luck would have it l am in luck. One local fella whom l cannot name as he may since have died, has plenty of room in the back of his roomy ute and is determined to get to the very same place. But, dear reader, l must warn you, Broome is some 600ks to the west and an obstacle course of calamities could befall us along the way, and they do. Luckily they are serendipitous calamities. We are humming down the open road, the wind in my hairs, squinting into the mirage. I was born for this moment. We pass the Mary River and the car slows down. A large gathering of the tribes has assembled on the bank. “We stop here for a while, O.K.?” “No worries,” this looks interesting. The get-together turns out to be the Annual General Meeting of The Kimberley Land Council no less, and ‘a while’ turns out to be three days. Fortunately there are plenty of cows to eat around these parts, and wood to keep us warm at night, and soft sand to sleep on, so who cares how long a while is. IN THE NEXT EXCITING EPISODE your intrepid wayfarer is inadvertently included in the mysterious goings on of The Kimberley Land Council A.G.M. where mining deals and land deals and raw deals are vigorously discussed. Ben Laycock grew up in the country on the outskirts of Melbourne, surrounded by bush. He began drawing the natural world around him from a very early age. He has travelled extensively throughout Australia, seeking to capture the essence of this vast empty land. In between journeys he lives in a hand-made house in the bush at Barkers Creek in central Victoria - benlaycock.com.au BACKGROUND: Mary River - pindanpost.com