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Monthly Archives: June 2021

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT -Volunteer callout

EVENT: Row, Row, Row Your Boat

WHEN: SUNDAY AFTERNOON 19 SEPTEMBER
WHERE: FINNS RESERVE -cnr. Union Street Templestowe Lower
WHO: Denise Keele-bedford
WHAT: It is all about water, boats, pirates and stories. A Public Trail of activities including, Pirate Names, Pirate Hats, Origami Boats, Poems, Shanties and Watery Stories.
WHY: In conjunction with ’talk like a pirate day’ that raises funds to support familes affected by Childhood Cancer.
BRIEF: I am putting a callout for volunteers interested in joining me on 19 September on a Public Interactive Project at Finns Reserve Templestowe. In conjunction with the culmination of my Manningham Arts Fellowship I am supporting Talk Like a Pirate Day https://www.talklikeapirateday.com.au/
If you are into poetry, like to sing, like to make art, enjoy stuff about ships, waterways and pirates OR like to support worthy causes, contact me: https://stonycreekstudio.art/contact-us/

Covid Creations

Thursday July 1 is the launch for the Melbourne Society of Painters and Sculptors special exhibition Covid Creations.

As the website administrator for the society I have been busy putting the show together for the twenty-nine participating members.

The exhibition features an intriguing diverse range of artworks expressing talents of these fine artists.

See the online exhibition here: https://mswps.com.au/covid-creations/

I am showing three works made during 2020.

Here is a glimpse of the accompanying artwork statements:

Walking Tour/No Restrictions

In 2020 for eight months plus, my life had been a whirlwind of emotions and stress, yet a hollow vacuum of lethargy and questioning purpose, of laziness, yet undertaking major sorting programs.

For one hour per day a walk in my 5km neighbourhood, instigated looking at my environment, seeing the changes of the seasons, plants sprouting new shoots, flowers, and colours. Nature has no restrictions.

Encouraged to create prints, I watched copious videos from, across the globe, on a form of printmaking new to me.

I blossomed into a creative functional being who looked forward through a black tunnel to the small light at the end and I have seen it grow larger as I get closer, and the blackness dissipates.

I am moving along with a series of artworks reminiscent of the healing power of nature.

Artwork is currently Framed under Glass

 And Our Friends Are All Aboard

Statements such as: ‘We are all in this together’ and ‘We are all in the same boat’ were in abundance throughout the media as Australia endeavoured to come to terms with a pandemic that was speeding across the globe. Six weeks earlier, in late January, I left Beijing in a flurry as the city around me was shut down within two days. My solo exhibition at the beginning of March was shut down, after one week and by mid-March Melbourne was in virtual lockdown.

This artwork reflects on the media statements and my questioning that our boats during the pandemic are not all the same. I have borrowed and acknowledge my use of a line from the Beatles song: yellow submarine

Artwork is currently framed.

 

Around the studio July and August

Around Stony Creek Studio

As we move beyond Winter Solstice and into the second half of 2021, life around the studio continues to ride the waves in and out of Covid restrictions.

A pleasant time was had when Anne Hastie and I met at Tacit Gallery to chat with Celia Bridle and view her latest exhibition of exquisitely detailed prints. She described and process of layer upon layer in between printing until she is happy with the completed work. The works demand to be investigated intimately.

When the Rising Festival had to cancel or postpone all events during our fourth lockdown Walter and I were disappointed to miss all the events we had planned. However, Anne and I did get to visit the Old Ballroom above Flinders Street Station and be awe inspired by Patricia Piccinini’s A Miracle Constantly Repeated. The exhibition continues until 31 August.

Arc One Gallery, have been showcasing an exhibition of works by Guan Wei. Not sure if it will be extended beyond 3 July, as unfortunately it opened on 26 May only to be closed the next day for the lockdown duration. Anne Hastie and I had a wonderful visit to Guan Wei’s Beijing studio in the days when we could travel internationally. Talking on international travel, my crate of artworks has been held up. Due to be delivered to my door on 18 June, the ship has been delayed and at this stage no news of its arrival. https://arcone.com.au/

On the upside, my artwork from the re$pect exhibition is currently online with mavacollective:https://www.mavacollective.com/product-page/siev-series-expression

JULY

Mava Collective will also showcase my monoprint in the upcoming online exhibition MONOCHROME to be launched 1 July at this site: https://www.mavacollective.com

I have been a smidge busy putting together the MSWPS Covid Creations online exhibition to also be launched 1 July. https://mswps.com.au/covid-creations OR under the website address and WHAT’S ON.

24 July I will be in Melbourne CBD engaging with the Scavenger Print Hunt. The event will see artists placing ‘free gifts’ in a range of locations throughout the city streets. The scattered artworks are to bring some joy to anyone who finds and collects them. It is a gentle way to also acknowledge the significance of art in our world. From 12 Noon in a radius from Flinders Street Station.

AUGUST and beyond

Mid August, fingers crossed, I will be on a plane. Yes, those wonderful flying machines, we remember them, don’t we?  Learning Gel Printing, I have been guided by a series of video classes put together by Kim Herringe in QLD. I am combining a visit to friends with a weekend workshop at Kim’s Maleny Studio https://kimherringe.com.au/

A week in and around Brisbane is just what the travel bug in me has ordered.

Looking forward to experiencing the James Turrell Light Installation at GOMA: https://blog.qagoma.qld.gov.au/james-turrells-light-installation-in-brisbane/

I recently sent a brief and images for promotion of Deep Blue Crossing and workshops to be held during Multicultural Month at Federation Square, in November. Paper folding continues.

I am putting a callout for volunteers interested in joining me on 19 September on a Public Interactive Project at Finns Reserve Templestowe. In conjunction with the culmination of my Manningham Arts Fellowship I am supporting Talk Like a Pirate Day https://www.talklikeapirateday.com.au/

If you are into poetry, like to sing, play an instrument, like to make art, know stuff about ships, waterways and pirates OR like to support worthy causes, contact me: https://stonycreekstudio.art/contact-us/

In March 2020 my exhibition Marks in Time at Art at St Francis had to be cancelled due to a little bug called Covid 19. Mid June it was lovely to receive the offer of a gallery exhibition for mid November.  The exhibition will overlap with Deep Blue Crossing at Fed Square for two weeks.

Lastly, for funky art materials: Reverse Art Truckhttps://www.reversearttruck.com/

Re-use, Recycle, Revive, Re-invent, Revamp, Renew and Reduce!

To view the full image: Select and click on first image – click on the i in a circle RHB of opened page then select View Full Size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONOCHROME Online Exhibition

M O N O C H R O M E​

An artwork that is….

“black and white or in varying tones of only one colour.”

The month of July will see MAVA Inc. host its first-ever ONLINE-ONLY exhibition. We’re super excited about.

And I am super excited to be one of the selected feature artists showing a monoprint in the exhibition.

Denise’s artwork: No Restrictions for Nature IV is a Unique State Monoprint Framed under Glass.

See the online MONOCHROME exhibition at: https://www.mavacollective.com

Travel Lightly

Today I saw a Facebook post by my dear friend Zheng Xuewu. His post is reflective on a 2006 exhibition and an introduction to a 2009 exhibition.  Below is the text from his post.

I was invited to participate in the 2006 ‘Qingzhou International Art Exhibition’, my first real international art exchange exhibition. In a Museum, how exciting. Although many international artist were represented only three attended the event, Kim Nam-Oh, Nathaniel McMahon and myself. I felt like I was representing female artists across the globe and was extremely proud to be an ambassador for my country on this momentous occasion.

We traveled by train for eleven hours. There is much to be said for the fast train today as it now takes four hours from Beijing to Qingzhou. Many of the Chinese artist went by car. Nathaniel and I were offered to go by car, however Wang Lifeng was so nervous about taking us, due to his little experience of foreigners, that he backed out of the offer.

I learnt much about luggage; all the things that I do not need to travel with. I felt burdened by my load of too many changes of clothes, laptop computer, backpack etc. My room mate, the other female Wang Jing, carried so little that I look like I was going for a month, not a week.

The exhibition was a buzz of activity, my rice and bean installation well received and made on site with local produce. I remember Shen Jingdong watching me working in the exhibition hall, whilst a row of artists sat opposite also watching me. They had carried their artworks with them which already were on the walls, while I spent several hours installing my design. Shen Jingdong announced to all and sundry, “Here, you are watching a real artist at work.” Another artist who was also busy creating in the gallery hall nearby was Liu Bolin. Today Liu Bolin is an internationally celebrated artist, who in 2019, was honoured with a solo show at Ballarat Art Gallery.

To view the full image: Select and click on first image – click on the i in a circle RHB of opened page then select View Full Size.

Qing Zhou International Art Exhibition

Qing Zhou Museum of Art, Shan Dong, China

Curator: Xuewu Zheng, Baijun Sun

2006

“Flag –Flying”

Xuewu Zheng

In the summer of 2006, Beijing’s art atmosphere is as hot as the weather.

Three big jeeps carried over ten Chinese-foreign artists, starting from Beijing, running six hours to the ancient city Qingzhou that is located in the middle part of Shandong province. On the way passing Dezhou, we were attracted by famous food braised chicken; we stopped for a while and bought a fat one and felt quite good.

Ancient city Qingzhou has a long history and strong culture atmosphere. Colour stone carvings collected in museums are particularly exquisite. Artist Sun Baijun and I together with Qingzhou museum jointly planed “2006 Qingzhou International Modelling Art Exhibition”. Plus, Qingzhou local artists, more than 40 artists attended the exhibition.

The exhibition mode is completely different from exhibitions at art districts in Beijing. It uses the method of local governments organizing large-scale cultural activity. The huge banners and ad billboards, colourful banners, Qingzhou leaders and cultural bureau leaders attend the opening ceremony. Zheng Zuoliang, director of Collection Dep. National Art Museum of China, famous engraving artist cut the ribbon for the exhibition.

In fact, in just short days, people who came to see the exhibition were so many. Besides the local poets and scholars, more were ordinary visitors. This is probably due to the report by Qingzhou radio on the exhibition. People cheerfully communicated with artists. We were also very happy, although the terrible Dezhou braised chicken made me and Shen Jingdong go to hospital for intravenous infusion before the exhibition ended.

This year is just good time of Chinese contemporary art. Beijing is China’s most important art battlefield, with various exhibition activities concentrated here, seeming to fight for land. Many artists are busy with little time to go away from Beijing. In such a background, we planned this modern art exhibition in little Qiangzhou which is far away from the noisy city, really out of serious artists’ art historical responsibility. Modern art in Beijing is already very active, which gets world’s attention. But small and medium cities completely do not know what modern things look like! Like Qingzhou this ancient cultural city, people’s cognition on tradition has reached a high degree. Compared to other places where traditional culture is not deep, choosing such places as pilot locations of publicity and popularity of modern art will have better effect.

We’re really a bunch of idealists.

In the summer of 2009, the weather of Beijing is still hot, but art scene is “cool” a lot.

Artist Bi Hongliang and I together with Zibo Museum jointly planed “2009 Zibo International Modelling Art Exhibition”. To conduct this activity, we drank for many times and had meals for times! Hongliang did a lot of detailed concrete and trivial things for the exhibition, such as implementation of exhibition hall, leaders and insider’s invitation, artists’ accommodations in Zibo, manual mill visit, and pictorial design and printing etc.

Compared with 2006, today’s art environment has changed significantly. Global economic crisis cooled China’s popular art market. Many artists are like hundred hearts scratching, with no interest to conduct any exhibition activities without any benefit. In fact, the exhibition activity is far better than last time. The organizers print brochures for us, arrange accommodation, visit coloured glaze factory and ceramics factory, also arrange special travelling place. This is really quite good cultural and artistic activities.

This exhibition is full of famous Chinese artist elites: oil painting master, professor o

Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts Sun Jianping; engraving master, famous art educator, professor of China Central Academy of Fine Arts Wang Huaxiang; Pioneer modern artist Shen Jingdong; true power heavyweight artists, professor of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts Wang Jiazeng; Representative of the new realism Bi Hongliang and Jin Guangri; active international modern artist, the Chinese character biennale planner Pan Xinglei; Academic painting master Zhang Chun; dean of Nanjing engraving yard, famous engravings artist, “practice power” contemporary engraving literature exhibition curators Liu Chunjie; The Chinese modern experimental ink important artists Sun Baijun; Installation artist, curator Zheng Xuewu; Wang Chuanhe Qingdao drawing artist, well-known for sea drawing. International artists attending this exhibition are Tokyo Kabata Yuuri and Kabata Chihiro sister’s combination; American Chicago site artist Alsion Rhoades, North Carolina young artist Lauren Goding, New York’s installation artist Heejung Cho; Slovakia copperplate painter, Professor Peter Kocak; Australian famous painter Jayne Dyer; South Korea installation artist Kim Namo and Yoon Ilkweon; Dutch photography installation artist Rienke de Vries; American material artist Kathryn Gohmert.

Every artist is like flying flags in the wind. Wherever these colours dance to, there will be bright beautiful scenery. We take on our art sincere, eternal love to art, we will go to more places and enjoy pleasant sensations that come from a collision of different cultures, different space-time, many differences with more people!

We believe, in the future, the climate will remain cold in winter, hot in summer. What will art be like? It is unknown.

But we always expect, if China has more places such as Qingzhou and Zibo to accept and host modern art activities, and through various media with various means, let our ordinary people have access to modern art and foreign culture with various forms and fresh vitality. We ordinary Chinese people’s drab aesthetic orientation formed in hundreds of thousand years will become multivariate.

Thanks to the Chinese and foreign artists; Thanks to all the people that participated in activities.

Songzhuang studio, night of June 7, 2009

 

Out and In the studio May and June

Here we are in a ‘7 Day’ lockdown which has given me time to stop and reflect on the month of May that went so quickly I almost missed it.

It was such a shame that Walter and I could not attend the much-awaited RISING festival activities as our tickets for all performances were cancelled. On the eve of Reconciliation Week, we were to enjoy Bungul in Hamer Hall and experience the magnificent projection on the Art Centre. I hope that the projection is extended, as it looks great in the video clips.

We did, however, have an at-home dinner celebration and extensive clear view of that giant red-blood moon. Joy for Walter that his oncologist does not want to see him for a year.

May came in a flurry as the Flora exhibition closed, the Nillumbik Prize opened at Montsalvat, and Walter featured on the front page of the Warrandyte Diary that reported on the Anzac Day March.

In between Walter’s medical appointments we managed a few days, with the dog, in Lakes Entrance. What a vibrant arts community, full of energy, collaboration, and some broad thinkers. We spent time with Jan Martin, Cynthia Boyle, Ngaere Donald, enjoying their creative studios, afternoon tea in the converted dairy and great conversations with spouses.

Another lovely dinner at Jan’s place with Josephine Jakobi, Andrea Lane, more spouses, and an introduction to the Lake Tyers Float residency.

At Red Gallery in Fitzroy, with Janet Boddy and many others I listened to Anne Hastie’s presentation, set amongst her artworks in the Peridot exhibition, in gallery one.  In gallery three Beatrice Magalotti exhibited her Migration Series of drawings, installation, bronze, and photography.

I was wowed when I walked into an exhibition by Sue Jarvis. Art That Makes You Think was held at the Cardinia Cultural Centre, a superb gallery space where Sue’s paintings were literally awesome. The exhibition was a survey of some 15 years of studio production. An absolute credit to her.

It was a privilege to attend the wake and exhibition of works for Valda Cuming OAM. Valda, at 91, passed away in April 2020. Valda’s legacy continues with the profit from exhibition sales being divided between her three favourite arts organisations. I am pleased to say I now own two small Valda Cuming artworks.

Not knowing whether June will be spent at home in our 5klm zone, Walter and I are in preparation for future activities but keep low key immediately. This time is good for, well, writing, studio work, touching base with friends and family and updating social media.

With a major installation planned for November, I am required by end of June to submit images and text for promotion of the artwork and workshops, whilst continually folding paper for the installation.

As the webmaster for the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors (MSWPS) June will see me setting up an online Covid Creations exhibition due to be launched 1 July.

Also, as editor for The Bulletin, a bi-monthly MSWPS Newsletter, my job is to have the publication out before 1 July.

For more than a year I have been planning for a crate of my artworks to be sent from China.

11 June sees the crate landing in Melbourne and delivery to my studio 18 June. I look forward to having a few of my babies in Melbourne.

In February I participated in the Year of Wonder presentation in Warrandyte. The exhibition concludes on 30 June and a celebration with a book launch will take place on Saturday 3 July. I was fortunate to be able to by a copy and full of excitement to see my images included in the publication. Our Year of Wonders Warrandyte 2020 is available for purchase at $40.

To view the full image: Select and click on first image – click on the i in a circle RHB of opened page then select View Full Size.