Jocelyn Gregson is a prominent WA artist. As an exhibiting artist, painting and drawing tutor, and purveyor of prints at FOUND, Jocelyn shares a long history with FAC. We recently caught up with her to chat about the classes she teaches, advice for novice artists and the inspiration behind her Desire series, which is available to purchase at FOUND.
Hi Jocelyn, you’ve had a long involvement with Fremantle Arts Centre. How long have you been teaching art classes at FAC?
It was so long ago that I took my first class at FAC that I’m not sure exactly! I was invited to teach a night painting class for a term in the 90s and it went on from there. I was offered more classes and I eventually gave up any other teaching.
I’ve taught drawing and painting in many guises. Some years ago I was asked if I had any ideas for a new course and I said, “yes, Drawing for a Travel Diary.” I’d just spent a few days teaching a friend to draw so that she could make one during her trip to Europe. The class is kind of simulated travel, as we visit and record the highlights of Fremantle and surrounds.
What have been the highlights of your career at FAC?
I love taking the class Acrylic Painting for Beginners From Realism to Abstraction where people may initially struggle to make a small painting of a capsicum, but through learning about colour and form eventually get there. There is delight in giving information, instruction, and seeing people evolve from often being afraid to begin with, to the thrill of making a painting. What a privilege to be involved.
Probably the most fun was had was in a class called Painting The Moment. Inspired by ideas from meditation and bringing attention to a variety of unexpected subject matter from air and freshly gathered seaweed laid on black plastic, through to Dacron (poly fibre) tossed up for the ceiling fans to fling about.
What would your advice be to someone that is nervous about taking an art class for the first time?
Just do it, you may be surprised.
FOUND sells a range of your art work. Can you tell us about your print series of desserts? How did you make them and what was the inspiration?
Jocelyn Gregson, Desire II, Hahnemuhle Smooth Photo Rag 308gr using Epsom Archival Inks. 30 x 30cm. Edition of 200
Jocelyn Gregson, Desire III, 30 x 30cm, Hahnemuhle Smooth Photo Rag 308gr using Epsom Archival Inks. Edition of 200
The prints are from paintings made following a concentrated period of studying the history and theory of still life painting. These cakes are not displayed elaborately on a table, they exist in the space of the canvas and refer to the store bought moment of the time they were made. There’s an element of desire as well, which is reflected in the name for the series (Desire). The first paintings were the éclair and cream bun, which sold during an Old Customs House Artists exhibition held at the Moores Building. I’m told they now hang in a dining room in Melbourne where they generate some very interesting conversations, how wonderful!
Check out courses Jocelyn is currently teaching and view her print works for sale.
In case you missed it, Sunday Music is back! This free weekly music program is set on the rolling hills of FAC’s South Lawn, making Sunday Music the perfect place to wrap up the weekend. This weekend local rockers Verge Collection and country-inspired Albert Loss take to the stage.
Fronting bands since the age of 12, Albert Loss is a prodigious country songwriter and respected member of the Perth music community. We recently caught up with him to chat about his introduction to music and what we can expect from this weekend’s gig.
Hi Albert, can you tell us your introduction to music?
I was introduced to music as a young kid by my father. Besides having a rock-solid record collection (Cooder, Dylan, The Band, Young, Cohen) he also played in bands – a Chicago blues act called Tin Dog as well as an alt-country line up and a zydeco band. That said when I discovered Down From The Mountain, a documentary about the soundtrack to the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, it was a slippery slope to all things Nashville.
You’re playing Sunday Music this weekend. Who’s in your band and who plays what?
The band is made up of Edo Ekic (Grievous Bodily Calm) on guitar, Joshua Biondillo (San Cisco) on guitar, Tyler Michie (Old Blood) on drums, and Nick Gardner (all-round bloody legend) on bass.
What’s your best gig or tour memory?
Wow, that’s a tough one. I always seem to remember the shockers for some reason… but let’s not go there. I’m pretty easy to please really, so long as I can get up with my band and belt out a couple of numbers I’m happy. Where and to whom doesn’t bother me too much.
Albert Loss performing at Hidden Treasures 2020. Photography by Tashi Hall
What’s up next? Do you have any new music in the works?
There certainly is. At the moment we’re working on an EP with the whole band and a few cameos from some very talented friends. I’m hoping for an early 2021 release.
Everyone has a FAC story. What’s your favourite Fremantle Arts Centre memory?
When I was I kid we lived in rental up the road from the Arts Centre so I spent what feels like a huge chunk of my childhood there. My fondest FAC memories were on the hot summer afternoons when the sea breeze would blow the touring bands’ soundcheck right through my front door. I’m not sure if we just didn’t have enough money to go to many bigger shows or they just wouldn’t let me in because I was too young, but either way, when the bands kicked off in the evening dad would take my brother and me down to the wastelands next to south lawn and we’d watch through the fence. It showed me that art is for everyone and you shouldn’t let anything get in the way of making it or soaking it up.
What can we expect from your Sunday Music gig?
We’re going to serve up a bunch of original country tunes that sound like they were written by a working Australian who pretty much only listens to music recorded in Nashville pre-1976. Josh and Edo usually throws in some Allman Brothers meet Wilco guitarmonies, while Nick and Tyler hold down the rhythm section in the tasteful, restrained way they always do. And you never know there might be a couple of cheeky cameos but I’m not making any promises. I’m looking forward to it!
Want to find out more about Albert Loss?
You can check out his Instagram and Facebook page.
Albert Loss
Sunday Music runs 2–4pm each Sunday from Oct – Mar
Sunday Music is free and showcases the finest local musicians. Be sure to get down early as capacity is strictly limited. Sunday Music is possible thanks to the ongoing support of Bendigo Bank – Fremantle Community Bank Branch. 2020–21 is the twelfth year of the longstanding partnership.
Top image: Photography by Tashi Hall
Opening 6:30pm Fri 25 Sep, Bodywork boldly reclaims the female body with works from three rising stars of Australia’s art world – Kaylene Whiskey (SA), Amber Boardman (NSW), and Tarryn Gill (WA). Featuring contorted soft sculptures, a video collage of female celebrity icons, and fleshy paintings, Bodywork explores ideas connected to body modification, self-expression and female empowerment.
We recently caught up with Perth artist Tarryn Gill to find out more about her practice and the large-scale sculptures she’s been busy creating for the exhibition.
Hi Tarryn, are you able to tell us about your art practice?
I’ve been working as an artist since I graduated from Curtin Art School in 2001. For the first ten years, I worked predominantly in collaborations making photographs, films and performances. Since then I have focused on a solo studio-based practice and have been making mostly sculptural works. I also work occasionally in theatre as a designer.
Can you tell us about your works in Bodywork?
I’ve made two new series of works for Bodywork. Limber is a group of three soft sculptures originally inspired by trees in Java that left me in awe. The trees felt powerful in a matriarchal way and I related their limbs to my own. With the Bodywork show in mind, I began the Limber designs using shapes I used to make with my own body in calisthenics. I imagined them growing, becoming enormous, strong, and powerful. I wanted them to resist sexualisation with their uncanny scale and have them meet the eye of the viewer. I used the title Limber thinking about personal growth, having a supple and resilient quality of both the mind and body.
Show Girl is a smaller series of works which I’m calling ‘soft reliefs’ because they are wall-mounted sculptures made from foam and fabric in which the three-dimensional elements are raised from a flat base. They are a small collection of depictions of moments in cinema that shaped who I am today. They are all fondly rendered scenes from musicals & feature the performance of femininity – iconic figures that served as role models early in my life. They informed my aesthetic interests and fuelled my desire to become a performer.
Tarryn Gill, Limber (1), 2020, mixed media, including hand-stitched Lycra, EPE foam and fibre fill, artificial eyes, steel, dimensions: 1.1m x 3.7m x 1.25m. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert. Photograph by Pixel Poetry
These are your largest works to date. What inspired the move into such large-scale sculpture?
I’ve wanted to make large scale works for some time because I’m interested in making experiential spaces for the audience – if you as a human can feel small it’s a way to experience awe. To make work of this scale you really need support. I am grateful to have been supported financially by DLGSC (Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries) to cover the materials and labour, Erin Coates and Fremantle Arts Centre have given me the platform and a large space to exhibit work at this scale! Also, I am currently lucky enough to have a studio space big enough.
You hand-stitch and carve all your works. How long did each sculpture take you to make?
I’ve been working on these part-time since the beginning of 2020 – but I’d estimate the Limber sculptures took me around six weeks each in total. The hand-sewing process is slow and because of the scale it takes a lot of physical energy to get around them – at times I was sewing up a step ladder or sewing laying on my back underneath them. It felt like I was definitely pushing the limits of what my body can do!
You use sparkly materials commonly used in dance and theatre costumes – what draws you to those?
I have loved musicals and musical theatre since I was very young and I performed in calisthenics for 20 years – from when I was 5-25. The costumes we wore were a huge part of the excitement for me and when I began making soft sculptures, I cut up some of my old costumes to make them. I have found these materials which are usually dismissed as ‘girly’ or ‘infantile’ can be taken out of context to create works that are darkly powerful.
Tell us about your interest in the uncanny female body.
I’m interested in the way the uncanny is a short-cut to the unconscious and I’ve been thinking about the female uncanny body as a way to evoke narratives around personal change and transformation.
How many limbs and eyeballs feature in your Limber sculptures in Bodywork?
Five eyeballs and 17 limbs (I think!)
Tarryn Gill, Limber (1) (detail), 2020, mixed media, including hand-stitched Lycra, EPE foam and fibre fill, artificial eyes, steel, dimensions: 1.1m x 3.7m x 1.25m. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert. Photograph by Pixel Poetry
What to see more of Tarryn’s work? Visit her Instagram and website.
Bodywork opens 6:30pm Fri 25 Sep
RSVP to attend the opening and find out more about the exhibition.
Sunday Music returns to Fremantle Arts Centre with a stellar line-up of WA’s best musicians. Running 2–4pm every Sunday from October through to March, visitors can enjoy a handpicked selection of local music acts in the beautiful surrounds of FAC’s South Lawn. Best of all, Sunday Music is free to attend.
October’s line-up features some of WA’s finest talent including touching singer-songwriters Noah Dillon + Nika Mo (4 Oct), country music troubadour Albert Loss + relatable rockers Verge Collection (11 Oct), guitar-slinging Abbe May (18 Oct) and alt-country performer Siobhan Cotchin alongside the folky sounds of Kat Wilson (25 Oct).
Fremantle Arts Centre Acting Director Marcus Dickson said, “Sunday Music really represents the Arts Centre at its best. After the huge hit to the live music industry this year, we are especially thrilled Sunday Music is back for the people of WA to enjoy, and we can support local musicians.”
Due to COVID19 event restrictions, Sunday Music will run a little differently to keep FAC’s visitors, musicians and staff safe. The concerts will take place under the trees on the larger South Lawn to allow the audience to spread out. There will be a strict crowd capacity, so visitors should head along early and settle in for the afternoon.
Bring a rug, pack a picnic and prepare to spend many lazy afternoons at this free, family-friendly event. With a bar and food available, it’s the perfect summer Sunday.
Sunday Music is possible thanks to the ongoing support of Bendigo Bank – Fremantle Community Bank Branch. 2020–21 is the twelfth year of the longstanding partnership.
Sherry Paddon is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Perth. Her practice focuses on sculpture, collage, installation and photography to explore themes such as memory, the landscape, cultural heritage and overconsumption. Currently an Artist in Residence, we recently caught up with Sherry to find out what she’s been creating over the last couple of months.
Hi Sherry. Can you tell us about yourself and your practice?
I’m a Perth-based multidisciplinary artist who enjoys making sculptures and taking photos. I am of Filipino / Australian heritage and I grew up in country WA in the South Hedland area (Ngarda Ngarli Yarndu) and Mid-west (Yamaji Country). In 2003 I completed a Bachelor of Art at Curtin University then did a year of museum studies. After that, I went over to Melbourne for a three-week internship and didn’t come back for nine years with the exception of the odd Christmas!
In Melbourne, I worked in the arts and participated in exhibitions in artist-run spaces, commercial spaces, and public galleries locally, interstate, and overseas. I also completed a Graduate Diploma in teaching so I could teach art in schools. I undertook a residency in the Philippines in 2013 and after living in Manila for almost a year I decided it was time to relocate back to Perth.
Although I trained as a sculptor and most of my earlier work is sculpture and installation-based, I decided to move towards a more photo media-based practice at the start of last year. I have been finding that my photos are quite sculptural, I do focus on composition and the process in which I compose is like an assemblage, or a collage, of sorts.
Sherry Paddon, More than words can say. Image courtesy the artist
Tell us about the photoshoots you’ve done during your FAC residency.
I started a few still life photoshoots during my first residency here last year. These were influenced by 80s aesthetics, photos and advertisements in home decor magazines from the 70s and 80s. The arrangements represent fragments of memories of family DIY home-decorating from that era. I’ve included branded, packaged foods as I feel like that was so prominent in my childhood. When I was in Manila, I was bombarded with brands and advertisements. Having branded foreign foods at home is almost like a status symbol, chocolate, for example, is ridiculously expensive to buy locally. According to my family – it may give the impression to others that you have wealth in the form of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) living overseas. So I’ve been continuing those since I’ve been here, as well as organising portrait shoots here and at other locations around Perth with local actors. I started off referencing narrative-based photography and old product advertisements, looking at aspiration and our emotional connection to objects and brands.
Sherry Paddon, The Weight of All Things. Image courtesy the artist
What the best part of being an Artist In Residence at Fremantle Arts Centre?
I have really enjoyed being an artist in residence at FAC. I actually moved out in January then asked to come back as I couldn’t keep away! I have enjoyed the freedom it has given me, being able to work at my own pace and not be tied to any outcomes. The ‘no pressure’ I feel has helped me to create some of my best work and develop a motivated work ethic. Plus – everyone is friendly and accommodating. I like bringing my six-year-old daughter into the studio, and I like having coffee outside in the dappled shade.
What’s up next for you?
I’m currently working on a piece for the Joondalup Invitation Art Prize in October. After that, I’ll be starting a new project about a girl’s coming-of-age tradition from the Philippines which is actually also practiced here. I hope to work directly with the local Filipino community, starting off as a mix of photography and recordings which will then lead to some new work.
Want to find out more about Sherry? Check out her Instagram and website.
Three rising stars of Australian art boldly reclaim the representation of women’s bodies through a series of defiant and at times humorous artworks which simultaneously acknowledge and critique the influences of popular culture and mainstream beauty standards, in Bodywork – Fremantle Art Centre’s new exhibition.
Opening 6:30pm Friday 25 September, Bodywork brings together for the first time Kaylene Whiskey (SA), Amber Boardman (NSW) and Tarryn Gill (WA).
Featuring contorted soft sculptures, a video collage of female celebrity icons and fleshy paintings, Bodywork explores ideas connected to body modification, self-expression and female empowerment.
Kaylene Whiskey
Kaylene Whiskey is a Yankunytjatjara artist who lives in the remote Aboriginal community of Indulkana in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in north-west South Australia. Whiskey is rapidly gaining national acclaim for her joyous, detailed paintings of strong kungkas (women). Heavily influenced by her surroundings, her paintings depict a mix of bush tucker and community life alongside music and screen idols. In Bodywork her works are playful, drenched with colour and feature celebrities like Dolly Parton, Tina Turner and Cher within her world on the APY Lands.
Kaylene Whiskey, Wonder Woman in the Night Time, 2017, acrylic on linen, 67 x 91cm. Courtesy the artist, Iwantja Arts and Ernst Family Collection
“I like to listen to rock music and Tina Turner, and I paint with really strong colours, I put in lots of the special details, and everyone likes it. I paint strong stories too, paintings about heaven and Jesus, and sometimes Mintabie (local mining town,) and paintings about my country Indulkana. Sometimes my paintings tell hard stories, but my paintings are always colourful and painting them makes me happy.” – Kaylene Whiskey
Amber Boardman
American-born, Sydney-based artist Amber Boardman has created a suite of large-scale oil paintings that blend humour, empathy and a critical eye. Drawing on her previous career as an animator, Boardman’s paintings in Bodywork depict morphing, leaking and changing bodies going through acts of extreme ‘self-care’, taking aim at the internet-based beauty ideals and the pressures of conformity women face in today’s social media age.
Amber Boardman, Be Your Own Plastic Surgeon, 2018, oil on polyester, 91 x 71cm. Image courtesy & copyright the artist
“I try to look at the normal things people do, but with a curious mind, and then I imagine ways I can characterise them. An example is my long-standing fascination with women’s beauty rituals and the industry around them. I think of the women I paint as artists who use makeup, spray tan, hair dye, plastic surgery, etc. as their art mediums.” – Amber Boardman
Tarryn Gill
Perth artist Tarryn Gill has created her largest works to date for Bodywork, a series of large, voluptuous soft sculptures covered in glitzy dance fabrics. Drawing on a recent trip to Java, where she experienced the winding forms of the colossal Trembesi trees, and her background in competitive calisthenics, Gill’s contorted, multi-limbed feminine forms blend nature with the art of performance and continue her exploration of the uncanny body.
Tarryn Gill, Limber (1) (detail), 2020, mixed media, including hand-stitched Lycra, EPE foam and fibre fill, artificial eyes, steel, dimensions 1.1m x 3.7m x 1.25m. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Sally-Dan Cuthbert. Photograph by Pixel Poetry
“The sculptures I make are hand-carved and hand-stitched and are made from sparkling, dance materials and trims, which are influenced by my experience doing calisthenics – I performed from when I was 5 to 25 years old. I’m assembling these materials now in a way that asserts their femininity and makes them darkly powerful in an uncanny way.” – Tarryn Gill
In presenting these rich series of works together Curator Erin Coates tells a powerful story in Bodywork. The exhibition is funny, at times perverse and ultimately empowering because it rejects the notion of one ideal female body.
“Bodywork offers audiences a rich and complex array of approaches to the ways we view our bodies. Kaylene, Amber and Tarryn come from strikingly different backgrounds yet their artworks each act to reclaim women’s bodies; as a site for celebration, self-expression and contestation,” Coates said.
“The exhibition imbues the body with uncanny power, the allure of celebrity and the absurdist humour of failed beauty regimes.”
Bodywork is curated by Erin Coates, FAC Acting Curator.
For media enquiries please contact Liz Walker, Communications Officer and download the full media release.
Top image: Tarryn Gill, Limber (1), 2020, mixed media, including hand-stitched Lycra, EPE foam and fibre fill, artificial eyes, steel, dimensions: 1.1m x 3.7m x 1.25m. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Sally-Dan Cuthbert. Photograph by Pixel Poetry
Bridget Baldock is an emerging artist from Geraldton, WA. Studying Visual Art online at Curtin University, she is currently an Artist in Residence at the Moores Building. We recently caught up with Bridget to find out about her artwork, art workshops, and what she has planned for her time in Fremantle.
Hi Bridget, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your practice?
I live in Geraldton with my parents and two sisters on a 20-acre property. I have always been fitness-driven, winning school sports carnivals every year, going on early morning runs and bike rides. I was so sure of having a career as a dietitian or personal trainer, however, in 2018 my aspirations changed completely and that’s when my art journey started.
Going to school wasn’t working for me so I left at the start of year 11 to complete a Diploma of Visual Art at Geraldton TAFE. This led me to Curtin University, where I am studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts online. I am currently working towards a future in art therapy and educating young minds on how to handle mental health issues. I have been doing a lot of regional youth art workshops on how to make and use your own natural brushes.
My artworks are abstract and non-representational, recent pieces have been mark-making created by handmade natural brushes. The nature that surrounds me inspires me the most. I find that when making my own brushes I really connect to my artworks more than I would if I used an ordinary paintbrush. The aspect of the unknown and unpredictability of what way the ink will flow motivates me to explore and push each brush further and further.
Works by Bridget Baldock. Image courtesy the artist
What will you be working on during your stay in Fremantle?
My stay in Fremantle is all about professional development. Recently I won the Next Level Regional Grant, which will go towards mentoring sessions in Perth with Art Psychotherapist Janeen Cameron. I will also be working towards expanding my professional networks as the Youth Ambassador of the North Midlands Project and hope to explore local art shops, buying materials that are not available to me in Geraldton.
Does this work feed into an exhibition or longer-term project you’re working on?
The work I’ll be doing with Janeen includes twelve sessions that will go over eight months. We will develop two frameworks for art activities and workshops. One for general art workshops where people can walk away with a new skill and a more mental health-oriented framework that I would co-facilitate with schools, Headspace and disability support organisations. The mental health workshops will be for children, youth, and people with disabilities. I will also hold at least one workshop in collaboration with the North Midlands Project through their 2020/2021 program.
Want to find out more about Bridget? Check out her Instagram and Facebook.
Fremantle Arts Centre’s long-serving Director Jim Cathcart today announced his resignation.
Director since October 2005, Jim has led the growth and expansion of every aspect of Fremantle Arts Centre’s operations.
The City of Fremantle, Manager of Arts and Culture Kathryn Taylor commented “The local, state-wide and national credibility and success Fremantle Arts Centre enjoys today is largely due to Jim’s leadership.”
“Driven by Jim’s ambition for the organisation Fremantle Arts Centre has evolved into a vibrant and relevant arts organisation simultaneously committed to artists and audience.”
City of Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said “Fremantle Arts Centre has boomed under Jim’s leadership and I believe is a leading model for Arts Centres across Australia. We are so proud of having Fremantle Arts Centre as part of our City. Jim’s passion for supporting and profiling artists and ensuring FAC remains a welcoming hub for the community is why it’s so cherished locally and beyond.”
Jim said “My fifteenth-year anniversary and the widely felt disruptions caused by COVID-19 seems like a time for renewal. I was delighted at how successful we were in moving the 2020 Revealed Exhibition online, and how FAC has been re-embraced by the public, and artists, since we re-opened. What we do at FAC continues to be valued by those communities we aim to serve. I have no fears for FAC’s future – the future is bright and full of possibilities.”
“This has not been an easy decision. Running FAC has been the greatest and most rewarding chapter of my career. It has been an honour to lead the FAC team and contribute to FAC’s substantial development, however the time is right for me, and it’s time I let go and moved on.”
Mr Cathcart’s last day will be Friday 4 September.
Long-standing FAC General Manager Marcus Dickson will be FAC’s Acting Director while a recruitment process takes place.
The Minyma Kutjara Arts Project was initiated by the people and artists of Irrunytu. Irrunytju (Wingellina) is a small, very remote community located 10kms from the tri-state border of WA, NT and SA. Established in 1975, Irrunytju is part of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and is home to over 150 Anangu (people) who primarily speak Pitjantjatjara language.
The centre is known for dynamic and culturally important artwork, bringing together contemporary painting techniques and media with ancient visual language and Tjukurpa (Dreaming). For this year’s Revealed Exhibition four Minyma Kutjara artists created sculptures inspired by cars.
Meet the Revealed Artists
Lynette Brown was born at Malara, west of Kanpi Community in the APY Lands of South Australia. Her parents were travelling by donkey and camel from Amata towards Mount Davis when Lynette was born. She now lives in Irrunytju and belongs to the Pitjantjatjara language and cultural group. She is the daughter of well-known artist Anmanari Brown, and is a senior artist with the Minyma Kutjara Arts Project. Brown’s sculptural works and paintings are narrative-based, telling the stories of life on Country and in community.
Old Model was inspired by the early days when white people travelled to the area in their old model cars. “There was a big bomb coming and they were taking the people to Warburton Mission so they could be safe,” she said.
Lynette Brown, Old Model, 2020, metal, plastic, acrylic paint, 23 x 34 x 57cm. Photography by Pixel Poetry. Image courtesy of Minyma Kutjara Arts Project
Sally Ann Wipana Foster was born in in 1972. Her mother and father are highly respected elders from the Ngaanyatjarra Lands of Western Australia. Foster lives in Irrunytju and belongs to the Pitjantjatjara language and cultural group. She is a mid-career artist who works across a number of mediums. The narratives in her works include stories of community life and the Country around Irrunytju Community. She also makes tjanpi (grass) sculptures and carves punu (wood) artefacts.
Inspired by the early 90s, Sally Ann created a Mamu (monster) truck that would travel all over the Ngaanyatjara Lands taking families to Blackstone, Jameson, Warburton and Warakurna. It also traveled to Cundeelee taking people to the Mission. “One day we all traveled in the back of the truck to Alice Springs, where we left the truck and traveled onto Mataranka for Inma (dancing). That truck now rests in Wingellina car yard,” said Sally Ann.
Sally Ann Wipana Foster, Mamu Truck, 2020, metal, plastic, acrylic paint, 24 x 27 x 72cm. Photography by Pixel Poetry. Image courtesy of Minyma Kutjara Arts Project
Yangyangkari (Roma Peterman) Nyutjangka Butler was born in 1959 at Wilu rockhole on the kanyala (euro kangaroo) tjukurpa track. She spent her early years at Ernabella Mission in South Australia before travelling by camel to Warburton in WA, where she went to school and learnt to read and write. Yangyangkari now lives in Irrunytju, her grandfather’s brother’s Country where she is a senior artist for Minyma Kutjara Arts Project. She also works with Ngaanyatjarra Media presenting a radio program of local music and news. Yangyangkai was taught to paint and tell tjukurpa (stories) by the minyma pampa (old women), especially Kuntjil Cooper. She also practices traditional cultural activities including hunting and gathering bush foods, singing and dancing inma (ceremony), and works with tjanpi (grass).
Roma’s car sculpture depicts the story of Minyma Kutjara (two sisters) that had travelled to Ngayan. The young sister had many young kids and said, “I’ve got too many children, I’m going to leave them here at Ngayan.” The two sisters continued travelling and they heard a whistling sound, it was a man following them. They were frightened, so they dug a hole in the sandhill and hid from the man. In the morning, the older sister said, “I’m taking you to my Country.” They then danced and told stories.
Yangyangkari (Roma Peterman) Nyutjangka Butler, Minyma Kutjara truck, 2020 metal, plastic, acrylic paint 24 x 27 x 72 cm. Photography by Pixel Poetry. Image courtesy of Minyma Kutjara Arts Project
Maureen Tjalumi Nelson was born in Amata in 1973 and now lives in Irrunytju. An emerging artist, Nelson works in both sculpture and painting, telling stories of her local community and Country. She belongs to the Pitantjara language and cultural group and is the eldest daughter of Rene Nelson, a senior artist with exceptional bush skills.
Maureen called her car Joyrider. “It takes me everywhere, swimming, out bush, funerals, Pipalyatjara and Kalka, to all my favourite places,” she said.
Maureen Tjalumi Nelson, Joyrider, 2020, metal, plastic, acrylic paint, 26 x 32 x 74cm. Photography by Pixel Poetry. Image courtesy of Minyma Kutjara Arts Project
View all of The Minyma Kutjara Arts Project works and the full Revealed Exhibition at FAC until Sunday 26 July. Free entry
The City of Fremantle Art Collection presents Panacea, a major exhibition of works at Fremantle Arts Centre. Opening 6:30pm Friday 31 July, Panacea brings together significant historical and contemporary artworks offering a personal experience of solace as we experience the worldwide shock and disruption of COVID19.
Through thoughtful curation Panacea, from the Greek word meaning ‘a universal remedy’, is FAC’s invitation to the community to reflect and find restorative and optimistic human moments at this time of uncertainty.
FAC curators André Lipscombe and Ric Spencer present Panacea as a journey; from the old normal homelife to lockdown and isolation, and re-emerging with an appreciation of our deep need for empathy and shared personal experience which helps create an understanding of our own place in the world.
The exhibition includes 148 works by 70 artists drawn from the City of Fremantle Art Collection and includes paintings, drawings, photography, ceramics, prints, and video.
Through Panacea it’s also evident how valuable an art collection is to its community, telling interconnecting stories and creating empowering perspectives upon the time in which we live.
“Panacea demonstrates that preservation of the art of the contemporary past can be harnessed to reflect the extraordinary circumstances all of us face in an active and emerging crisis,” said City of Fremantle Art Collection Curator André Lipscombe.
Panacea includes artworks by WA artists including Marcus Beilby, Penny Bovell, Sharyn Egan, Jeremy Kirwan-Ward, Eveline Kotai, Jane Martin, Brian McKay, Kathleen O’Connor and Ken Wadrop.
There’s also important works by WA photographers Christine Gosfield and Graham Miller, and a series of artist portraits by Brad Rimmer and Tom Gibbons. Several winning works from the prestigious Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award by national artists such as Mike Parr and Keith Cowlam are showcased, along with works by WA ceramicists Sandra Black, Maria Phillips and Gary Zeck.
Jim Cathcart, Fremantle Arts Centre Director says, “During this weird, unsettling time we wanted to provide a quiet moment of reflection and refuge for our audience, and reveal the depth and quality of the City of Fremantle Art Collection.”
The City of Fremantle Art Collection is grounded in the story of Fremantle, where artists have always chosen to work and live. It is the largest municipal collection in the state. Over five decades the collection has grown to over 1,500 pieces including paintings, sculpture, prints, photographs and WA ceramics.
The majority of the artworks both reflect and reveal Fremantle life – its people, relationships, work, culture, politics, social rituals, conflict, and leisure time.
