Residency at Geelong Grammar School

From 23 May - 3 June 2022 I was artist-in-residence at the Corio campus of Geelong Grammar School, a richly rewarding experience I’ll long remember. 

During my residency I developed designs for three linocuts that will be included in a forthcoming artist book. My protagonists’ body decorations are based on compositional elements from the works of prolific British Arts and Crafts designer May Morris.

 

The two works below will also be part of The Artist’s Garden, a Goldfield Printmakers exhibition travelling to Bristol, UK in September 2022 for IMPACT 12, a biennial international printmaking conference. The tattoos on these figures are based on motifs in The heavens declare…, a panel designed and embroidered by May Morris in the 1910s (reproduced third from top).

Click on images for a clearer view. For more about the Geelong Grammar School residency, visit my Art Blog HERE, HERE and HERE. 

ART AMONG THE BOOKSHELVES

The November edition of the Melbourne Athenaeum Library's journal Shelf Life includes several of their highlights from 2018, including one that was among my own high spots of the year.

In the second week of my term as Artist-in-Residence back in July, I first met the delightful Patricia Cornelius. She is the library's current Playwright-in-Residence. I was gratified that Patricia was particularly drawn to the Moth Woman Vigilantes zines and immediately grasped their subtext. (Incidentally, we'll be hearing a lot more from the MWV in 2019).

In article directly below I am interviewed by Lawana Coulson about my richly rewarding time at the library.

Melbourne Athenaeum Library Residency: Final Day

Pictured above: the view from my work table at The Melbourne Athenaeum Library on Saturday, 14 July, the final day of my residency.

In this post I cast a wistful eye over my former workplace, beginning with a photo of myself and the library's current Playwright-in-Residence, the delightful Patricia Cornelius (photo credit: James Baker) and a series of shelfies featuring accordion books in various stages of development.

Below right: library volunteer Aaron Cook, who kindy helped Shane and I carry the substantial baggage from my residency to our car several blocks away at the top end of the city. (All of the nearby car parks were full).

I'm going to miss going into the library every day. I'll miss the staff, volunteers and the energising conversations I had with a steady stream of visitors, several of whom made return visits. A future post will focus on Progeny, the artist book I made during my residency. In the meantime, I'll think of Melbourne Athenaeum Library every day as I continue with the projects that had their genesis in this very special place.

Melbourne Athenaeum Library Residency Hours (Week Beginning Monday 9 July)

As reported in yesterday's post, my residency at Melbourne Athenaeum Library has been extended by a week. Because of a couple of prior commitments, however, my hours will be slightly different.

Monday and Tuesday: 10.30 am - 5.00 pm 
Wednesday: 3 pm - 6 pm 
Thursday: 1 - 5 pm 
Friday: 10.30 am - 4pm 
Saturday: 10.30 am - 2 pm

If you come outside of those times, my work will still be on display, so do feel free to browse. If you have enquiries about any MWP publications, the library staff will be happy to assist.

Library hours:
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday: 10 am - 4 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 2 pm

Artist-in-Residence at Melbourne Athenaeum Library

My residency at Melbourne Athenaeum Library for Melbourne Rare Book Week is up and running. I'll be in again tomorrow, Monday, July 2 from 10 am - 5 pm and every day until my term ends, all too briefly, on Saturday, July 7. (For opening times, scroll down to my last post).

If you're in the area, do drop in. The infernal building works that have taken over half of central Melbourne, rendering much of it all but unrecognisable, will feel like a world away.

The Lady in the Tower and other Tall Tales

Pictured above L - R: vertical accordion artist books A Tall Tale, Castles in the Hair and Bats in the Belfry, each 2013, pigmented drawing ink on Khadi paper, cloth bound. All three will be exhibited at Melbourne Athenaeum Library during Melbourne Rare Book Week, in keeping with this year’s focus on gothic fiction.

The literary classification of The Lady in the Tower has a special niche in gothic storytelling. The principal point of departure for Bats in the Belfry is the peripheral but pivotal character Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic in Charlotte Bronte's gothic novel Jane Eyre (1847). The same character is the protagonist of the Jean Rhys novel, Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) in which Bertha’s original name is revealed to be Antoinette Cosway and the story told from her point of view.

As artist-in-residence at Melbourne Athenaeum Library, I’ll be developing new projects centring on female characters (and in one case, a character who never quite was) from the gothic novels Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley and Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë.

Residency dates: 30 June - 7 July

Library hours: 
Saturday: 10 am - 2 pm
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday: 10 am - 4 pm

Artist talk: Wednesday, 4 July 6 -7 pm

RESIDENCY AT MELBOURNE ATHENAEUM LIBRARY

As visitors to this blog are already well aware, from Saturday 30 June – Saturday 7 July I’ll be based at Melbourne Athenaeum Library as their artist-in-residence for Melbourne Rare Book Week. It’s one of my favourite places in Melbourne, so needless to add, I’m very much looking forward to it. 

On Wednesday 4 July from 6 – 7 pm I’m giving an informal artist’s talk at the library. It's an intimate venue with limited seating, so bookings are essential. For full details and to book for the talk, click on the following link and scroll down: 
https://mailchi.mp/2ab6a9521e30/5uekx6ghkm-2903437