What’s on in Queensland?: Australia: Defending the Oceans, at the Heart of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art

'Australia: Defending the Oceans, at the Heart of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art'
March 23rd – September 30th 2016 – Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

Welcome to the first entry of 2016 for my guest section 'What's on in Queensland?'. A major event happening in relation to Queensland is currently taking shape and will actually be held in Monaco!

Curated by Brisbane based gallery director Suzanne O'Connell (whose gallery Arts & Artists Blog has covered before), in partnership with Stéphane Jacob of Arts d'Australie in Paris, Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre in Far North Queensland (famous for its production of miniature and massive Bagu sculptures), Erub Arts (AKA Darnley Island Art Centre), Pormpuraaw Art & Cultural Centre, Ken Thaiday Snr and Alick Tipoti, the exhibition will showcase numerous works by several important Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander artists to the European art market in Monaco next month (March 23rd). The exhbition will feature large installations and will feature numerous sought after ghost net sculptures. The exhibition's overall concept is through art, to showcase the love and connection, as well as the protectiveness, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples have for and over their oceans and sea territories.

Made possible by the Federal Government's new funding scheme Catalyst (as well as with support from other government bodies, not to mention generous sponsorship from the private sector), the project is expected to be one of the largest in Indigenous fine art promotions abroadInitiatives of the kind which benefit the domestic and hence local art industry immensely (and no doubt pose a huge boon for events such as the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair) due to the exposure of Australian artists and interest generated in Aboriginal culture and fine art. For more information on the Catalyst fund and for information on eligibility and the application process, please follow this link.

While the Monaco project is still taking shape, with new works being completed and/or commissioned every day- Ms O'Connell was kind of enough to share a little sneak peak at what will be expected on display at the renowned Oceanographic Museum in Monaco as part of a larger programme of performances & artists talks as well as a special concert event. Ms O'Connell also dropped a few of the main names whose work will be exhibited to an audience of about 500,000 art lovers! Such names include Aboriginal art superstars Alick Tipoti, Ken Thaiday Snr in collaboration with Jason Christopher and Brian Robinson.

We at Art & Artists Blog hope you enjoy this preview and hope we've left you enough time to save up and book your tickets to Monaco! While you may not make it in time for the opening (to be opened privately by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco) you will have ample time to go and see the exhibition as it runs until the 30th of September. Following the opening, on the 24th of March Alick Tipoti and his team of dancers will be performing at the museum throughout the day. The event is followed on the 26th by a free public concert in Lyons at the Musée des Confluences with a performance by the Zugubal Dancers.
 
Defending the Oceans follows the Museum's tradition of exhibiting high standard contemporary works by the likes of Damien Hirst, Huang Yong Ping, Mark Dion and Marc Quinn (to name a few), and is part of the larger exhibition at the Museum titled "Taba Naba – Australia, Oceania, Arts of the Sea People". "Taba Naba" will feature two other exhibitions, Living Waters and Oceania Islanders: Past Masters in Navigation and Artistic Expression.
Jack Wilkie-Jans 
 
Aboriginal Affairs Advocate
Artist & Artsworker

W: http://jackandrewwilkiejans.weebly.com/

Alick Tipoti 'Kisay Dhangal'courtesy and copywright Alick Tipoti and Australian Art Network, photo Roger D'Souza
 Alick Tipoti Kisay Dhangal courtesy and copyright Alick Tipoti and Australian Art Network photo Roger DSouza
Bagu scultpures Museum facade, simulation, courtesy of Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre, photo by Michel Dagnino
Bagu scultpures Museum facade, simulation, courtesy of Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre, photo by Michel Dagnino 
Brian Robinson, Githalai II, simulation, copyright design Brian Robinson et Creative Move, copyright photo Tilt Industrial Design et The Artificial
Brian Robinson, Githalai II, simulation, copyright design Brian Robinson et Creative Move, copyright photo Tilt Industrial Design et The ArtificialEmeret Nar, 550 b 540Emeret Nar, 550 b 540,Jimmy Kenny Thaiday, Jimmy John Thaiday, Lorenzo Ketchell, Ellarose Savage, Emma Gela, Ethel Charlie, Alma Sailor, Louisa Kiwat, Racy Oui-Pitt, in collaboration wit photo by Lynnette Griffiths
Crocodile ghost net sculpture, image courtesy and copyright artist Michael Norman and Pormpuraaw Arts and Cultural Centre
Crocodile ghost net sculpture, image courtesy and copyright artist Michael Norman and Pormpuraaw Arts and Cultural Centre 
Erub Arts, Merad Turtle, ghost net sculpture, photo by Lynnette Griffiths
Erub Arts, Merad Turtle, ghost net sculpture, photo by Lynnette Griffiths
Erub Island artists fish ghost net sculptures, photo Lynnette Griffiths
Erub Island artists fish ghost net sculptures, photo Lynnette Griffiths
Oceanographic Museum of Monaco courtesy of Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
Oceanographic Museum of Monaco courtesy of Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

Doomsday Song by Guy Mathews

Presented by Backwoods until the 22nd of November 2015 at Gallery 5 (5 Easey St, Collingwood VIC 3066).

Installation Photo courtesy of Backwoods Gallery.

Guy Mathews  art combines dying art of signwriting and abstract expressionism with a good dose of the industrial design.  The result is an engaging painterly body of work that straddles different stylistic traditions called bricolage. Guy experiences as an antique dealer had granted him a keen eye for interesting and quirky artifacts. This has allowed Guy to gather antique signs that would be rejected traditional as a transient object and transform them into lovingly crafted tablets with industrial inspired finish.
 

 

7

Make the Docks. 120x 90 x 5 cm

8

Another Network.120x 90 x 5 cm

9

Nursing Mother 120x 90 x 5 cm

Copy of 6

Dark Key 120x 90 x 5 cm

Untitled.2

A Despots Flag 120x 90 x 5 cm

Untitled

Days Gone By 120x 90 x 5 cm

Untitled3

Volley of the Fox 120x 90 x 5 cm

Untitled4

Common Box 120x 90 x 5 cm

Untitled5

Persona Non Grata 120x 90 x 5 cm

Craft Pop Up Shop 2015

I recently visited the Craft pop up shop in the Melbourne Town Hall (90-120 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000), 'featuring the works of Australia's leading craftspeople and emerging talent'. Craft Victoria is the hub for contemporary craft and design. I really liked the creativity and quirkiness the craftspeople put into their work and it is always wonderful to suport other local creatives.

The pop up shop includes over 70 local makers; ceramics, jewellery, textiles, timber, paper, glass, mixed media, installations and demonstrations. Here are just some of the makers featured in the space; Melbourne ceramicists Andrei Davidoff, Sophie Moran, Alterfact and Vanessa Lucas, Melbourne jeweller Abby Seymour, leather worker Emma Greenwood, textile illustrators Sandra Eterovic and Georgina Cue, installations by makers Kim Jaeger (Pot Heads) and John Brooks, furniture designers Dale Hardiman, Coco FlipRedfox and Wilcox and Tide Design.

Dates: 21 October – 21 November, 2015.
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 11am-6pm, open until 7pm on Fridays.

Vanessa Lucas ceramics Craft 2015

Vanessa Lucas ceramics, 2015

Alterfact one of a kind 3D printed vase 2015

Alterfact, One of a Kind 3D printed vase, 2015, Southern Ice Porcelain

Georgina Cue Mania Craft 2014

Georgina Cue, Manina, 2014, 52cm x 48cm, Acyrylic yarn on fly-screen, framed

Sofie Moran Quarry Collection Cup Craft 2015

Sofie Moran, Quarry Collection Cups, high fired stoneware with flecked, matte glaze

John Brooks Blobjects Craft 2015

John Brooks, Blobjects, 2015, Fuax fur, jersey, synthetic metallics, wood and paper plup

Kim Jaeger Basnarica II Stoneware clay Craft 2015

Kim Jaeger (Pot Heads) , Basnarica II, 2015, Stoneware clay and glaze, ceramic paint