Recently I completed a
styling project for Berlin based singer/song writer Sam Waring - aka Wasp
Summer. Originally from Melbourne via Brisbane, Sam is working on a new album -
her first solo record and the images are to be used for the album art work. We worked
together developing a concept and I made a several props which included a staff
and a head piece. We spent the day in a park just north of the Tiergarten on
the shoot with German photographer Jan Bechberger www.jan-bechberger-fotografie.de
Below are some of the final
images from the shoot, followed by a few photos of the production.
I have a sculpture in an exhibition called Prefix organised by the Textiles Exchange Project (http://www.textileexchangeproject.org) in Perth, Western Australia. The exhibition brings together 40 artists from Perth and Hyogo in Japan whose practice engages with fibre textile materials and processes. The exhibition traveled to Japan in August this and was presented at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art Japan (http://www.artm.pref.hyogo.jp/eng/home.html) and is now currently on display at the Western Australian Museum - Perth until February 2012.
Last week I spent sometime
in Venice checking out the Biennale, this year titled ILLUMInations. The Biennale is held at
two main venues – the Arsenal and the Giardini, with a series of off site
exhibitions at various locations throughout the islands. I saw just
under half the Biennale – you would have to be a real die-hard to go to
everything, and need a minimum of 5 days of art consuming from 10am to
6pm to see it all. As well as an unlimited budget – Venice is the most expensive city in
Italy. But I recommend going at least once in your life, and I’d like to think
that I would go back again for the next one, more prepared for what to expect
and the time it takes, and with a better pair of walking shoes.
Art aside the city itself is
amazing – as people say, it is like stepping into a dream, one in which it is
very easy to get lost - literally. With over 400 canals, 150 bridges, and 117
islands (thanks Lonely Planet) and often unmarked streets, it’s impossible not
to get disorientated…..so finding the off site exhibitions was fun (read time
consuming), but a good way to become immersed in the streets of Venice. The population
of Venice is only 269, 000 but it gets 20 million tourists a year! So whilst
the city retains its gothic authenticity and other worldly labyrinth of canals,
by day, the streets are a full of tourists (including me), and it can get a
little frustrating getting around. However at night the streets are almost
completely deserted, with small pockets of activity tucked away and roaming
around the eerily quiet streets was by far what I enjoyed the most, to really
see the beauty of the architecture and a built environment like I have never
experienced without having to look through crowds of people.
So below are a bunch of photos from the Biennale. Like most art experiences of this size there was some arresting work and some not so interesting, but overall it's an impressive and exciting international art experience. Highlights for me of the offsite exhibitions were Days of Yi by Yi Zhou and Scottish artist Karla Black's exhibition curated by The Fruitmarket Gallery; Arsenal and Giardini highlights include Cindy Sherman, Pipilotti Rist, Urs Fischer, Norma Jean, Haroon Mirza, Nicholas Hlobo and Nathaniel Mellors... to name just a few.
The view from our room!
When I think of Venice, the first thing I think of is - MARATHON!
In the Spanish Pavillion, there were signs saying "Do not step onto the art work!"... but feel free to set up a desk with a laptop workstation...... on the art work.
Above: Entrance to the Giardini
Above: Cindy Sherman
Above: Norma Jean - plastacine violence! This installation made me feel so uncomfortable
