Song, Steam and Stone exhibition catalogue

Song, Steam and Stone An exhibition by Tony Fitzsimmons

Tony Fitzsimmons: All the World’s a Stage You’re invited to travel half way round the world to experience somewhere

different for three months and find new inspiration to develop your art practice. In return, you hold an open studio event for members of the public to see your artistic impression of the place. That’s what the residency at Aberystwyth Arts Centre is all about; and Tony Fitzsimmons, who was with us this summer, took an unexpected theatrical approach that left me questioning our roles in society.

Tony came to Aberystwyth from Townsville, Australia, and, naturally, he did his research beforehand. If you have a go at browsing ‘Wales’ online it starts coming across as the land of dragons and wizards, King Arthur and the Holy Grail, people wearing strange conical black hats, and a bridge named after The Devil. And even if you try to find aspects of Welsh culture that don’t sound like they’ve come straight out of a folktale, you might be encouraged to watch Hinterland, where Borth is host to one crime scene after another. I can’t imagine what goes through the mind of an International Artist in Residence on arrival at the Arts Centre and being introduced to the new studio: a crinkly tin foil hut that looks like a potential prototype for the spacecraft in Alien 5.

When you arrive in any new place it doesn’t quite seem natural, and neither do you. You find yourself looking right up at the chimney pots, and at what’s written down on the manhole covers, totally engaged with the most mundane things. But perhaps there’s something about the mythology and imagination of Wales that adds another dimension to the theatricality of being in a new place for the first time. Tony turned that sensation in to a body of new work.

His feet had barely touched the ground before he was off out taking photographs of local community groups: the bell ringers, the engine drivers, opera singers, fishermen, miners, and various other ‘characters’ of the town.

But he didn’t treat them as subject matter in the way that Stanley Spencer or Ford Madox Brown had done before him. The process wasn’t about commending the daily graft of the overlooked workers. Tony really got to know these people and their passion for what they do. Of course, what we choose as our occupation forms a huge part of our identity; the clothes we wear, the language we use, the faces we pull, the way our bodies move when we adopt our roles - we become a certain version of ourselves, submitting to this role, yet remaining an individual. Our work becomes our performance.

Traditionally, subjects for a portrait were exclusively for those who could afford it; those who had the highest social ranking. But with the invention of the daguerreotype, a small, affordable photograph, those who were usually overlooked now had their chance under the spotlight. A trend of ‘occupational portraiture’ emerged in the 19th Century, and identity gradually became an issue of human rights.

But for Tony, temporarily living in an entirely new place, there was no such thing as the everyday worker. Aberystwyth was like a film set and the people he met were the characters that informed his experience. After a day of meeting and photographing them, he would take his photographs to the studio and translate them in to charcoal sketches. The use of monochrome allowed him to emphasise the tonal contrasts and recreate the drama of his experience. Like a scenographer developing their stage design, the backdrops in Tony’s portraits become just as important as the character. He often works with unusual angles or silhouettes created from intense back lighting, doffing the cap to Alfred Hitchcock or Fritz Lang or perhaps the makers of Hinterland.

Despite being relatively new to the exhibiting art scene, Tony’s approach has been inspiring. He took on the project with absolute sincerity, treating it as time for personal artistic development. He fully embraced that feeling of being in an unfamiliar place, and, showing no signs of anxiety or alienation, he gave us a celebration of various individuals and the roles they play in our community.

We spend so much time in identity crisis, constantly worrying about living up to who we really are and where we really belong. But Tony’s work playfully pronounces that it’s up to us as individuals to decide. And, as easy as putting on a new costume, we’re free to change our minds. It’s all a matter of performance.

Jen Loffman MA Aberystwyth Arts Centre August 2015

Sarah, singing with Aberopera, shown in a performance at the Old College, a wonderful sandsone structure originally built as a Railway Hotel in the late 19th century, now owned by the University of Aberystwyth.

Aberopera is a dedicated group of amateur performers who raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at their popular performances, Aberopera members have sung with professional opera companies such as Welsh National Opera and Mid Wales Opera as well as the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus. Many also have extensive solo and choral experience with a very wide range of other companies and societies.

Above: The Old College, Aberystwyth, now owned by the university, and a popular venue for Aberopera performances.

Left: Sarah Solos, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

Anna and Irene, sisters of Antonio and two thirds of the Barriga String Trio perform here in support of an Aberopera show at the Old College.

The Barriga String trio are that in a true sense, as Antonio, Anna and Irene are triplets. String Sisters is a favourite, as it was the first work completed during the residency.

Above: Gouache Study for String Sisters Right: String Sisters, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

Antonio and sister Irene perform at the Old College.

Anna, Irene and Antonio Barriga, are Penglais Secondary School pupils who regularly play at Aberopera performances, as well as other functions both in the district and further afield.

Above: Violin and Cello (detail), 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper Left: Violin and Cello, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

Rick Lloyd was a member of the British A capella group The Flying Pickets, which toured Australia and had a 1983 hit in the UK singles charts with their cover of Yazoos ‘Only You’.

Rick continues to compose and direct musical scores, and performs regularly in and around Aberystwyth. I first met Rick when I realised the music I was hearing in my studio wasn’t from my ipod, but the studio next door, where Rick composes and rehearses.

Rick is shown here with vocalist Rae, drummer, and bassist at The Castle hotel on a Sunday afternoon.

Above: Rick at The Castle (detail), 2017 Charcoal and chalk on paper Right Rick at The Castle, 2017 Charcoal and chalk on paper, 60 x 38cm

Rae, popular vocalist with Rick Lloyd’s band, listens on while the maestro performs.

The Castle is a compact corner of a pub, and has a real atmosphere, popular with locals for a pint and live music on a Sunday afternoon.

Live music has a long tradition in Wales, and is often performed in chapels, churches, and the Arts Centre in Aberystwyth.

Rae takes a break, 2017, Charcoal and chalk on paper , 41 x 43cm

Ben, a graduate from the Arts Centre and technical assistant employee, is cataloguing additions to the collection, which were acquired at the recent International Ceramics Festival, a biennial event at the centre. The hand built wood fired kiln which gave birth to the ceramic work was designed and constructed onsite by Doctor Rita Gudino, University of The Philippines College of Fine Arts.

Rita’s photographer was unable to attend at the last minute, so I was privileged to assist with some video and still photography, which left me smelling like a bushfire on firing night.

The Curator, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

Jack is driving today, has returned from the days final run to Devil’s Bridge and prepares to return the engine to the steam shed overnight.

The run to Devil’s Bridge is through the scenic Vale of Rheidol, a leisurely twelve-mile stretch which is among the most scenic in Wales, and always a popular day trip.

Above: Driving No. 8 (detail), 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper Left: Driving No. 8, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

Fireman Jack laying the fire in the Steam locomotive ‘Prince of Wales’ before the day’s operations commence. There are several intermediate stations on the route, and walkers can get on and off trains all day, to enable walkers to get the most out of the Valley.

Above: The Fireman (detail), 2017, Charcoal and chalk on paper Right: The Fireman, 2017, Charcoal and chalk on paper, 57 x 35cm

Neil Thompson, an Aberystwyth local and lifelong steam enthusiast, has owned this now 102-year old Marshall Tractor for many years, and rebuilt it from the ground up.

It has an easy time now, being shown regularly, in a previous life it could have been used for many things, including roadwork, hauling pit props, or using its power take off to drive a belt for sawing timber.

Top: The Marshall tractor at the Aberystwyth County Show 2015 Bottom: The Marshall Tractor, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 42 x 59cm

This shows a 100-year old steam locomotive boiler, in the Vale of Rheidol railway workshops being overhauled. This well equipped facility maintains not only their own engines and carriages, but also those of many other 2 foot gauge steam railways across the UK. The engine that this particular boiler is from was made for an engine designed for service in Equatorial Africa, and so the drivers cabin is much more open to allow ventilation in humid conditions.

Top: The African Engine in the workshop Bottom: Working the African boiler, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 42 x 59cm

Peter and Jack, today’s driver and fireman on the Vale of Rheidol Railway are shown here in the railway shed where the engines and carriages are housed.

Their working day starts at 0815, and all brass work on the day’s steam locomotive is shined, lube points attended to, the fireman lays the fire in the boiler and everything looking spic and span for the first departure of the day at 1030 to Devil’s Bridge, 20km distant.

The steam locomotive shown is Number 8, built in the Brecon Mountains, with Green Livery and its ‘Great Western’ signage. On the right at the mouth of the shed in front of the carriages is Number 10, a diesel locomotive.

In the winter months, when services are restricted, the train crew attend to track maintenance, often replacing many sleepers and redoing ballast on the route.

Above: Toolbox talk (detail), 2017, Charcoal and chalk on paper Left: Toolbox talk, 2017, Charcoal and chalk on paper, 50 x 44cm

Victoria, bellringer at St Padarn’s Church, on the edge of Aberystwyth University campus. Celia and Victoria were kind enough to welcome me to the bellringers at St Padarn’s and explained a lot about the history of the church and the bells there, the oldest of which date from 1749. The Rudhall bell foundry cast the oldest bells in the tower, in Gloucester.

Ringing St Padarn’s, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

Anthony, Bellringer, and shown here as clock winder at St Padarn’s. Anthony does double duty here and winds the century old clock, which has a single face on the Southern side of the Belfry at St Padarn’s.

The Timekeeper, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

Evan, at The National Slate Museum is shown giving slate splitting demonstrations, in the same manner as the stone was worked in the 19th century. The museum is in the North of Wales near Llanberis, and is located at the site of the 19th century workshops of the now disused Dinorwic slate quarry. The workers were paid piecework, and their rate took into account the percentage of breakage between the workshop and destination, often overseas.

The Slateman, 2015, Mixed media on canvas paper, 59 x 42cm

This is the only work I sourced outside of Wales, and I was very fortunate to spend time in the stonemasons yard at York Minster, where many tradesmen and women work, and apprenticeships in this ancient trade are still conducted. The Cathedral is 800 years old, and the stone is constantly eroded by acid rain and traffic, so restoration is an ongoing process.

York Minster’s award-winning masons and carvers still use the same traditional craft skills to maintain the cathedral as would have been used in medieval times. New grotesques, which follow the theme of medieval ailments, are carved from Magnesium limestone, quarried locally.

The Stonemason, 2016, Charcoal and chalk on paper, 42 x 43cm

The studio at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Continuing to draw at Umbrella Studio to complete the body of work

Acknowledgments:

Aberopera Rick Lloyd and band Barriga string trio Vale of Rheidol Railway staff and crew Neil Thompson St Padarn’s Bellringers National Slate Museum, Llanberis York Stonemasons Harriet Earis, for the music The Aberystwyth Ramblers My tutor, Dr Robert Preston Geoff Jensen and the Top Frames team Staff of Umbrella studio Ken Ditchburn The wonderful people of Wales, particularly Aberystwyth My dedicated wife, Debbie, always there for me.

About the Artist Tony is a Townsville based artist with a passion for drawing, and whose primary choice of media is charcoal and pastel.

He has exhibited in many group shows locally.

Song, Steam and Stone is his first solo exhibition, made possible by his participation in the 3 month Artist in Residence program between the Umbrella Studio and Aberystwyth Arts Center, Wales, in 2015. Tony was a selected finalist in the Percival Portrait Painting Prize, and has also won prizes in Townsville Art Society Annual awards for both drawing and oil painting.

Picture Courtesy of Townsville Bulletin / Wes Monts

Tony is a member of PressNorth, a Townsville based group of printmakers, and has exhibited with them, as well as In The Heart of The City exhibitions at St James’ Cathedral, Townsville.

Tony curated Nine Books, a 2011 group exhibition following an intaglio printmaking workshop at Umbrella Studio. He assisted in curating the exhibition commemorating the re roofing of St James’ Cathedral in 2013. www.tonyfitzsimmonsart.com | tfitzz@gmail.com

All images and text are copyright: Tony Fitzsimmons All Rights Reserved

umbrella studio contemporary arts

482 Flinders Street, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Open: Monday — Friday 9am-5pm & Saturday — Sunday 9am-1pm 07 4772 7109 | www.umbrella.org.au Umbrella Studio acknowledges the financial support of: the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.