Posts Tagged Queensland
Fibro Coast – University of Sunshine Coast
Posted by creativehistories in Fibro Coast on June 20, 2014
Fibro Coast opened at University of Sunshine Coast Art Gallery on Thursday June 12th and runs until August 16th. There’s an interesting mix of objects, photos, memorabilia, and historical and traditional artworks, which sounds like a very eclectic exhibition, and it is. However co-curator John Waldron and Dawn Oelrich from University of Sunshine Coast Art Gallery have done a wonderful job putting together this large and complex exhibition and it looks good.
On opening night exhibiting artists Judy Barrass and Corrie Wright welcomed visitors to the gallery with a projection performance on the copper walls of the gallery that included imagery and drawings of fibro houses and furniture from the 50’s and 60’s.
There is an extensive public programme to augment the exhibition. It includes:
Film screening – The Place at the Coast Sunday 22 June 2014, 2pm to 4 pm
Discussion Forum – Fibro Coast Thursday 31 July 2014, 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Walking tour – Moffat Beach Sunday 3 August 2014, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
The full programme with descriptions and list of speakers can be found on at http://www.usc.edu.au/community/art-gallery/exhibitions/2014/june/fibro-coast
Creative History ‘Collective Insites’ now available as an e-book
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on July 5, 2011
An extended version of the catalogue essay with an introduction to the project and a section on the work of each of the artists is now available in e-book format at all major e-book retailers including the Kindle store on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo and Diesel. The book can be easily accessed in all e-reader formats as well as PDF and HTML by visiting the Smashwords publishing site at this link http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/60135 or through any of the e-book retailers above.
Collective Inistes- The Catalogue
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on July 5, 2011
The funding available through the RADF grant was augmented by a generous donation from Downer EDI that allowed the production of a printed package that included a small fold out colour catalogue and an artist card for each of the artists. The whole was enclosed in a vellum envelope and was a much sought after memento of the exhibition. The full text of the catalogue essay by curator Judy Barrass is available in the pages on this site (above or right).
Hanging ‘Collective Insites’ exhibition, Gatakers Artspace, Maryborough
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on May 5, 2011
It seemed like it was never going to happen. The gallery looked like a construction site. It’s hard to image what comes before a beautifully presented exhibition in a white cube gallery space. Chaos and stress.
Niels Ellmoos was hard at work putting together the frame-work for his massive charcoal drawing. His portable museums were a mass of bits and pieces, tools, glues, and unkowns.
Susan Hutton seemed like she was on a dream run, putting together four of her five pieces in record time. But it seemed like a cat was going to be her undoing. Many tries later the cat finally conformed to Susan’s idea of where and how it should sit on its pedestal. 
It was then up to Christine Turner to create havoc and challenge everyone to remember how the mangle went back together. Trevor Spohr from Gatakers was his usual unflappable self coming up with solutions to every problem, and finding a way to get everything done.
Of course Fiona Mohr also had a hand in trying to put that mangle back together. In the end we had to call in the experts in the guise of Patrick from Mavis Bank. Fiona was heard emitting huge sigh of relief that her expertise would no longer be called into question.
Over in a corner was what we affectionately called ‘the Tardis’, but which was, in reality David Hodges’ installation. Sometime after lunch workmen in flurescent vests arrived and started doing all sorts of things to it. We don’t know what. Perhaps they were attempting time travel. We’re looking forward to how this thing is going to operate, if it does. 
Peta Duggan was nowhere to be found. We think she was at home putting the finishing touches to a fantastic and amazing sculpture that will definitely not be able to be transported and will never fit into the lift to the first floor. But we hope she’s having fun. John Meyers from the military Museum came in to go over her work with a fine tooth comb and we are pleased to say he actually liked some pieces. Thanks John!
Make sure you’re there for the opening of this amazing exhibition. Gatakers Gallery, Maryborough, Friday May 6th, 6 pm. The catering is going to be great! All are welcome to attend.
Collective Insites Exhibition Opens May 6th
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on April 28, 2011
The opening of
of two new exhibitions at Gatakers Artspace: Collective Insites curated by Judy Barrass and
featuring works by five artists and In the Half Light by Noel Brown.
DATE 6 May 2011
LOCATION Gatakers Artspace, 311 Kent Street, Maryborough
TIME 6.00pm for 6.30pm
Collective Insites to be opened by Jenny Galligan,
Executive Director (Arts Development), Arts Queensland
In the Half Light to be opened by Trevor Spohr
TELEPHONE Trevor Spohr (07) 4190 5723
RSVP 2 May 2011
gatakersartspace@frasercoast.qld.gov.au
David Hodges – Collective Insites Project Adds a New Dimension to Interpretation of Historic Store
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on April 15, 2011
New media artist David Hodges has used the Collective Insites project to develop a new interpretive resource for the National Trust property, Brennan and Geraghty’s Store, donating many hours, his artistic talents and his technical expertise at a minute fraction of the real cost. The final result, an interactive DVD of short video clips telling the story of significant items from the collection will be unveiled at the opening of the exhibition and donated by David to the National Trust.
David talks about his work with Brennan and Geraghty’s Store below.
“The project has been a collaborative process between Ken Brooks and myself. Ken’s involvement has been providing input into every stage of the project, passing ideas on the items being displayed, the interface design, acting in the production video and providing feedback at the stage meetings.
My involvement has been vast across a number of areas in the screen and media field. The interface concepts were drawn before the digital version was created to save time. A test video was shot and modified for proof of concept. These processes allow you to get a feel for the production inspiring ideas, identifying pitfalls and highlighting areas of improvement.
Working with digital media has it draw backs as well as its benefits. Systems are software driven and to complete this project, improvements had to be made to the workstation I currently use. Software crashes and files can become corrupt; this is a standard in the digital media field so professionals save versions of work over and over along with automated system backups on a daily and weekly basis. All of these processes add to the space taken on the hard drives in the system.
The work represents around 300 hours of work that has been completed over two and a half months. That, combined with my main job meant a seven day week for the entirety of the project (I am looking forward to a day off). The process mentioned has created over 200 gigabytes of information contained in 19,282 files.
Bringing Maryborough’s Industrial Past to Life
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on February 27, 2011
Visitors to Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough have been surprised and delighted to find the upstairs space in the gallery converted to an artist’s workplace. Amongst the current exhibition of industrial moulds and images from Maryborough’s past, artist Niels Ellmoos is working on his contribution to ‘Collective Insites’, a project that brings together local artists and historical collections.
‘Industrial archeology’ is the central theme of Niel’s art practice. He describes his contemporary artworks as a sort of ‘reimagining’ of history through objects.
On the West Coast of Tasmania he interviewed some of the old miners, and made video tapes, drawings and sculptures that were inspired by Tasmania’s strong mining history
Niels current focus is on the industrial history of Maryborough. It’s a rich and very interesting part of the town’s past that has given him a lot of material to work with, including the city’s large collection of industrial moulds and other industrial objects that are rarely on show to the public. Although they may originally have had mundane uses, some of these objects are beautiful sculptural pieces themselves.
Niels will be working as artist in residence in the Gatakers Artspace. He’s happy to have visitors drop in and talk with him about what he’s doing and how his work is progressing. He’s already made contact with some of the colourful characters from Maryborough’s industrial past.
Moving the moulds from storage to the gallery
There are five local artists working on the Collective Insites project, which will open at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough in May.
At the Intersection of Old and New – David Hodges and Brennan Gerhaghty’s Store
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on February 23, 2011
David Hodges and Ken Brooks discuss David's ideas for Collective Insites
As his part of the Collective Insites project multimedia artist David Hodges will be focusing his attention on the historic Brennan and Gerhaghty’s store in Maryborough, Queensland. It’s a surprising combination, an artist working with the cutting edge of new technologies and a store that time forgot.
Brennan and Gerhaghty’s was a family operated store from 1871-1972. Today the store is a National Trust property and a significant remnant of our past. 
The Trust acquired the shop with all of the contents which are now displayed on the shelves. The interior is very intact and is typical of many all purpose stores that were once located throughout Queensland. Contents range from unsold stock from the 1890’s to 1920’s advertising material.
Visiting Brennan and Gerhaghty’s is like taking a step back in time. The patina and colours, the pace of the experience , and the advertising material all add to the experience of being in a place that time forgot.
David Hodges started in the commercial art industry air brushing motor bike tanks in the early eighties. He changed mediums frequently and discovered computer drawing and air brushing techniques in the late nineties. He went on to study multimedia at QANTM and now teaches at Wide Bay TAFE and has undertaken a number of major projects and commissions.
David has developed techniques and processes that secure specialized work in the industry, so it is exciting to have him as part of the Collective Insites project which matches artists with museums in Maryborough.
Collective Insites will be on show at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough from May 6th.
Maryborough “Collective Insites” project gets underway
Posted by creativehistories in Collective Insites on February 7, 2011
Niels Ellmoos at Maryborough Historical Society
The Collective Insites project approaches the museum as a place of relevance to contemporary culture and local community. The intention is to stimulate audience engagement and interest in museums through innovative approaches to interpreting and examining their collections.
Five artists will focus their attention on the historic collections in the regional town of Maryborough in Queensland, Australia. They will interact with the objects in the collections in creative ways, and to explore and invigorate the interface between the collection and the audience. They will be encouraged to question the assumptions and expectations interwoven into museum practice and the acquisition, ordering and display of objects in the museum context.
David Hodges and Peta Duggan at the Workshop
The artists were selected to be part of ‘Collective Insites’ are David Hodges, Peta Duggan, Christine Turner, Niels Ellmoos, and Susan Hutton.
The project began in earnest on the last weekend in January with a two day workshop that brought together Curator, Judy Barrass, Fiona Mohr, regional Museum Development Officer and the five artists.
In the workshop Fiona Mohr introduced the artists to traditional museum practices and approaches and gave a brief overview of the historical collections that will be part of the project. Curator Judy Barrass gave a presentation on the many ways artists have interacted with, worked with, or commented on museums, collections and collecting, and museum practice. A visit to the local Historical Society collection was used as the starting point for discussion on approaches to dealing with objects versus stories or entire collections, and the difficulties artists might face in being ‘guided’ towards certain interpretations or stories.
Each of the artists was allocated a museum to work with for the duration of the project.
Peta Duggan talks about her reaction to visiting the Historical Society
The collections included in the project are Brennan and Geraghty’s store, The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum, MavisBank, Maryborough Historical Society and industrial objects in various collections, including Walkers and Croydon Foundry moulds.
The artists will now go on to spend several months working with individual museums before the group exhibition in May at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough.
Flickr Photos
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