A visit to Melbourne Athenaeum Library

Yesterday’s day trip to Melbourne included a visit to Melbourne Athenaeum Library to stock up on books. Seeing Leaves of Absence, my unbound artist book, on display brought back a slew of happy memories of my stint there in 2018 as artist-in-residence for Melbourne Rare Book Week. 

The library was the first institution to acquire Leaves of Absence for its permanent collection, of which I’m still extremely proud, and they hosted the launch of the book in 2017. 

Melbourne Athenaeum Library is a refuge in the chaotic centre of a city I hardly recognise anymore. I’ve kept up my membership, but having moved to a regional city, I seldom have time to call in. This is something I’ve vowed to rectify. Until yesterday, I hadn’t realised just how much I’ve missed it.

Apologies for the reflections and distortions from the bevelled glass.

World of the Book 2023

Four pages from Leaves of Absence, our unbound artist book, have been included in the extraordinary new World of the Book exhibition in the Dome Galleries, Level 4, State Library of Victoria. 

World of the Book 2023 opened on 1 April 2023 and is current to 12 May 2024.

Pictured top: Memory 1, 16, 14 and 9 from Leaves of Absence, 2017, unbound artist book. Collection: State Library of Victoria. Click on images to enlarge. 

Ghost Gums

Currently on the work table: Ghost Gums, a Moth Woman Press mini-zine in the process of creation for the 2020 STICKY INSTITUTE FESTIVAL OF THE PHOTOCOPIER ZINE FAIR, Meat Market, 3 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, 3051. You’ll find me and my zines there on Sunday 9 February from 12 – 5 pm. 

As mentioned in our recent posts, all proceeds from Moth Woman Press sales at FOTP 2020 will be donated to Wildlife Victoria’s Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

Melbourne Athenaeum Library reopens

Melbourne Athenaeum Library has been closed for a couple of months after a section of its ceiling collapsed, requiring substantial repair and conservation work. Against all odds, the damage to books was relatively minimal.

My worktable was set up in the same area for the majority of my term as artist-in-residence in 2018:

Last week, to the delight of its devoted members, Melbourne Athenaeum Library celebrated its reopening with an informal gathering, held directly after the AGM.

It was good to see my artist book, Leaves of Absence, on display. Launched at the library in late 2017, it was acquired for the permanent collection in 2018.

Looking back on 2018

As a former St. Kilda girl who grew up in the shadow of Luna Park, I've come to liken the passing years to roller coaster rides, in other words, a series of highs and lows. I'm happy to report that in 2018, the highs by far outweighed the lows.   

High on the list of personal highlights was my residency in June/July at Melbourne Athenaeum Library for Melbourne Rare Book Week (pictured top). The linocuts I made during the residency will be the basis for Frankenstein's Women, a forthcoming artist book.

During the residency I also made a unique artist book, Progeny, which later in the year was Highly Commended in the Biblio Art Prize at Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy.  Biblio subsequently traveled to Tacit Galleries in Melbourne.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE, the artist book that was launched at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library in late 2017, was acquired by the library in 2018. The book was part of the group show PATTERNS OF COLLECTING/From the Bower at the Johnston Collection (see below) and was a finalist in the 2018 Libris Awards.

Early last year LEAVES OF ABSENCE was acquired for the permanent collection of the State Library of Victoria and towards the end of 2018, it was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia. The year couldn't have been more perfectly book-ended.

2018 was exceedingly busy, even for me. Every year I vow that this will never happen again, and every year it does - and then some. The constant travelling between Melbourne and Ballarat doesn't exactly help. With the aim to make more time for my own projects and myself in general, from now on, I'm saying "no" more often - and sticking to it. For example, for the first time in several years, Moth Woman Press has reluctantly decided not to participate in the annual Sticky Institute Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair, an event we very much enjoy. We're feeling sad about this - Moth Woman Press usually does particularly well there - but believe it's ultimately for the Greater Good. I do hope we can return next year. Meanwhile, a selection of MWP publications are currently available at the delightful Playing in the Attic.

The halfway mark for January has already passed. Currently, my primary aim is to further develop Back Stories, a series of paintings that is already well under way. These are thematically linked to the linocuts in Frankenstein's Women, for which I have to design a title page and finalise the text before printing begins in the second half of 2019.

A second artist book is also planned. I'll post updates on this and other projects as they unfold.

Wishing you all a fabulous 2019.

The National Gallery of Australia acquires LEAVES OF ABSENCE

With the gradual winding down of 2018 comes some happy news. Our artist book LEAVES OF ABSENCE has been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE poses a question that may be unanswerable: what became of the women who remained in China when their menfolk came to seek their fortunes during the Australian gold rushes? 

Pictured above and below: cover and selected pages from LEAVES OF ABSENCE, 2017, unbound artist book, 32.5 (H) x 25.5 (W) x 4 cm (D). Edition: 10 plus 1 artist proof. Printed by Luke Ingram at Arten.

Walking-and-Talking at a snail's pace: a leisurely stroll through PATTERNS OF COLLECTING: FROM THE BOWER AT THE JOHNSTON COLLECTION

The rain is bucketing down as I write, and in its wake come the snails. If not firmly dissuaded, they will devour the lovingly nurtured plants on our Abbotsford balcony down to the stalks.

Thankfully it’s warm and dry inside the Natural History Room at the Johnston Collection Museum and the snail atop my artist book Leaves of Absence, on loan from the museum, is ceramic. An ingenious example of trompe l’oeil, it will leave no slimy trails across the front cover, nor will it chomp on the eucalyptus leaves from Newstead Forest, gathered especially for this project.

Rain or shine, this morning’s Walk-and-Talk at the Johnston Collection with fellow Bower artist Carole Wilson will take place from 10 am – 11.30 am. The event is fully booked, so for those who missed out, a final walk-and-talk is scheduled:

Thursday 13 September 2018 | 10.00 am – 11.30 am with Deborah Klein & Louise Saxton

For further information about the above, or to book a house tour before PATTERNS OF COLLECTING/ From the Bower at the Johnston Collection concludes on 18 September, go HERE: 

LEAVES OF ABSENCE: 2018 Libris Awards Finalist

With the onset of the Easter break comes some terrific news: my artist book Leaves of Absence is a finalist in the 2018 Libris Awards: Australian Artists’ Book Prize at Artspace Mackay. It’s the first time I’ve entered a work in this esteemed artist books award, and I’m absolutely chuffed.

The exhibition runs from Saturday 26 May - Sunday 29 August. To learn more about the award and for a full list of this year's finalists, visit Artspace Mackay's website HERE.

RAW at Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018

A personal highlight of yesterday, Day 1 of Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018 at NGV International, was taking part in the panel discussion, Regional Arts Words (RAW), hosted by Regional Arts Australia. I’m on the far right, pictured with (L - R) Mary Jane Warfield, Manager, Regional Arts Fund/Regional Arts Australia, and fellow panelists, photographer Angela Rivas and writer Lindy Schneider. Our books are available from the Regional Arts Australia stand throughout the weekend. Photo credit for images 1 and 2: Shane Jones.

Moth Woman Press on the move

A copy of Leaves of Absence (2017), our unbound artist book, has just been reserved by the State Library of Victoria. The book is pictured below in our Abbotsford study. Shortly thereafter it was packaged up in readiness for delivery to the library, where it was placed in the capable hands of Des Cowley, History of the Book Manager/Collection Development and Discovery.

Meanwhile, as previously announced, next Friday, 16 March, between 2.30 - 3.15 pm, I'm participating in Regional Arts Words (RAW), a panel discussion hosted by Regional Arts Australia at Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018. My contribution will include a show and tell of Leaves of Absence, a project that sprung unexpectedly to life during a walk in Newstead Forest in the Victorian goldfields. 

As I write, the presses are rolling for Fallen Women, the little book we've made especially for the book fair. Early this week we okayed the final proofs and mockup (pictured below). Fallen Women contains a selection of works that were made subsequent to Leaves of Absence, preceded by a short fairy tale. Although it's a stand alone publication, Fallen Women is the key that unlocks the secret of the mysterious Shadow Women in Leaves of Absence. The book will be available from the Regional Arts Australia stand and I'll have some extra copies with me at the RAW talk.

RAW will be the sole voice of Australian regional arts at the book fair, so do come along if you can.

For full details of RAW and Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018, scroll down to our last post.

In further news, the State Library of Victoria/Sticky Institute show Self-made: Zines and Artist Books continues its run, opening today, 9 March, at Bunjil Place. Included in the exhibition are Moth Woman Press zines Tattooed Faces and Moth Woman Vigilantes. Self-made runs until 29 April. For full details, go HERE.

An installation view is directly below. Photo credit: Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison.

MELBOURNE ART BOOK FAIR 2018

Leaves of Absence, artist book, 2017
 31 archival pigment prints in Solander box 32.5 (H) x 25.5 (W) x 4 cm (D)
Edition: 10 & one artist proof

The annual Melbourne Art Book Fair at the National Gallery of Victoria is nearly upon us. 

As part of their participation in Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018, Regional Arts Australia are hosting a panel discussion with three artists who work in regional Australia. It will take place on Friday 16 March from 2.30 - 3.15 pm. 

I’m delighted to have been invited to sit on the panel, which will discuss artistic practice, publications and the benefits and challenges of working regionally.

The panel will be facilitated by Mary Jane Warfield, Regional Arts Fund Manager/Regional Arts Australia. My fellow speakers are Lindy Schneider and Angela Rivas. 

Among the publications on display will be Leaves of Absence, (2017), the first of my artist books to draw its subject matter entirely from my regional base in the Victorian Goldfields.

For complete details, go HERE.

The Facebook event page is HERE. 

To view the full program, go HERE.

Melbourne Art Book Fair 2018 runs from Friday 16 March - Sunday 18 March.