22 September – 10 October 2010

Exhibitions to be opened on Thursday 23 September at 7 pm by Simone Sheridan, 2010 Director This Is Not Art Festival and Dr Kym Rae, Co-ordinator Gomeroi Gaaynggai.

A Fascination With Process
Artists in Residence at Watt Space
HANNAH BRIEN, MICHELLE GEARIN, DAVID HAMPTON, AMY HILL AND REBECCA HOLMES

For three weeks five artists will be turning Watt Space into their own personal studio space. Hannah Brien, Michelle Gearin, David Hampton, Amy Hill and Rebecca Holmes are inviting you to watch them indulge in what they love and share in the enjoyment, and occasional frustration, of the creative process. For those who are overwhelmed with inspiration from seeing these artists at work, Watt Space is also providing a cosy creative space for the artist within all of us, to be used however you see fit; whether that be colouring-in, knitting or just sitting and reading.

 

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Gomeroi Gaaynggai
CURATED BY ANDREA BRUNO

This exhibition Gomeroi gaaynggal is a tangible outcome of the Gomeroi gaaynggal ArtsHealth program based in Tamworth, auspiced by the Mothers and Babies research centre - University of Newcastle. As Curator of this exhibition and as art co-ordinator of the program my challenge has been to find what I have to give and what I can offer the mothers in order to make a positive impact and to promote a creative environment focusing on positive experiences. The paintings examine the importance of motherhood, family relationships and cultural practices. The success of this program would not have been possible without the forces behind it- Dr. Kym Rae and Loretta Weatherall.    Andrea Bruno

 

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Conversations With…
MAREE HENDRY

My aim is to record continuous time that has taken place in conversations. I draw from memory, abstracting conversations from the past that I have had with people. This allows me to immerse myself in the drawings and the memory of the conversations.  I document every word, tone, pitch, pause and interruption through marks and lines that are continuous circular energetic marks overlapping in on itself and straight sharp lines. I archive the nuance of the conversation itself that is created by the countless words and emotions that evolve from them. I draw these conversations because they are taken for granted.  Everyday mundane conversations are vital and without them silence would leave no outlets, no connections to other people. It would leave the isolated individual alone in the world. I then translate these conversations into silk-screen. Silk-screen printing maintains the integrity, graphic mark making and gesture of my drawings.   Maree Hendry

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Special Shoes
CURATED BY RHONDA PARTRIDGE
The Special Shoe Project
(Part of the Global Community Art Project on war affected children)

The Newcastle part of the Special Shoe Project was by African children who had come to live in Newcastle. Gwenda Sanderson (Lecturer at Newcastle University) received twelve special shoes sent by artist Stella Meades from Vancouver Island, Canada. Gwenda invited artists and teachers to assist with the project. Sudanese children were invited from St Columban’s School, Mayfield and Waratah West Public School to help create the artwork and wrappings to go with the special shoes.
Stella created 1,001 shoes which were altered to suggest some of the ways in which children have been affected by war. Based on 1995 UNICEF statistics, each shoe represented 6000 children affected by war in the previous ten years. In 2010 chronic conflict continues which impacts on tens of thousands of children’s lives.
In 2008 the shoes and art works were exhibited at the John Hunter Hospital by Arts for Health Coordinator Pippa Robinson.  Rhonda Partridge (Bachelor Fine Arts, Honours) was one of the fortunate artists to assist with this special shoes project.     Rhonda Partridge

 

Feather Fraught and Flittermaus
TALLULAH CUNNINGHAM

Birds and Bats: While both are creatures of flight the bird is held up as a symbol of beauty and freedom while in Western society, the bat is still seen by many as a source of fear, danger and misfortune.
By focusing on both bats and birds in ornamental and educational settings I invite viewers to reassess their preconceived images of bats and understand that these lovely, unfairly maligned creatures are just as important and interesting as the feathered denizens of the air.     Tallulah Cunningham