Commissions

One of nine artists commissioned by Cardinia, Baw Baw & Latrobe shires, we recently completed the 2019-20 Bushfire Recovery program - Creative Recovery Project and worked alongside the affected bushfire communities to develop and connect people post the 2019-20 Bunyip State Forest area fires through creativity.

Jon Volta, an engineer from Gembrook has just finished making and assembling the panels designed by me with input from the locals affected by the 2019 fire in the Bunyip State forest area. Each panel is approximately 1x1 metre in size, is of Corten steel on Corten Steel posts, and is visually enhanced by perforated zinc at the rear.

Images depict the surrounding landscape, flora and fauna and Mt. Cannibal.

This was part of my role as a Creative Recovery Facilitator for the Cardinia Shire and the Arts Council of Australia.

The works and other panels designed by fellow Facilitator Janine Good at the Cannibal Creek Reserve, Garfield North will be officially launched on Sunday 28th August 2022.

Contemplation In The Hall That Survived The Fires

In early March 2019, a lightning fire destroyed a large swathe of rural area and bushland in the Bunyip State Forest area of West Gippsland. Flora, fauna, homes and property were destroyed.

2 years on, I with two others worked as Creative Recovery Facilitators with the locals.

A song emerged from memories and experiences at a workshop guided by songwriter and composer Stephen Taberner and Facilitator Gulsen Ozer. It is fitting that the 1930 era Tonimbuk Hall which survived the Fire and was the centre for Recovery was used for the workshop. Its wooden panelling give this study a timeless quality.

This artwork is a study of some present at the workshop including those who lost property, helpers from Blaze Aid and local volunteers. A genre work, it is of a group relaxed in contemplation of common experiences.

My interest in past black and white photography and film is evident here. There did not

seem to be a need for more than monochrome.

The panoramic format was largely dictated by the Covid spacing between the guests present.

Enter the Athletes – Olympic Games Opening Ceremony 2021

We, globally, were spectators of theatre devoid of live audience.

The Japanese hosts provided a riveting parade of actors, musicians, clowns and athletes.

Pastel shades were broken by strong shadows and harlequin patterns.

These positive/negative images and contrasts brought to mind patterned fabric.

There was no regimented march of athletes, but spontaneity, enjoyment and selfies.

White masks were barely visible in the blur of white clad athletes gliding past.

I was drawn to Creativity from this unique contemporary event.

And The Green Came Back – Gulsen Ozer in Creative Recovery

This is a visual image of the relationship between Gulsen Ozer, Creative Facilitator and those of “the Forgotten Fires”, the Bunyip State Forest area (Vic.), 2019, where a sharing of storytelling  and unique experiences  brought the community closer together.

The Tonimbuk Hall which survived was central to support, restoration and the regeneration of spirit and property.

Gulsen is an interdisciplinary Artist, specialising in performance, choreography and sound. So, soon, Stephen Taberner, song writer and composer became involved. After deep listening and a series of singing workshops, the unique anthem,” Hands” was born.

Phrases such as “hands will find you”, “ black on black” and….”and the green came back” came out of the project in which I, too, shared. A visual artist, I held Design Workshops to resource ides for Corten steel panels at the Hall.

My art practice similarly concerns contemporary life, social and environmental issues.

This artwork is a record of time, place, and moments of contemplation in monochrome. Strong shadows, silhouettes and detail within dark areas fascinate me. Here Gulsen is silhouetted by the strong light of the new porch.

Layered Landscape, Yarra Glen

During lockdown, this landscape was created from memory and a stock of my photographic images. It concerns the theory of painting practice more than an actual place.

I am familiar with a layered landscape and high horizon line living in the hills.

Using the triadic colour scheme of green, purple and orange, I played with the suggestion of depth using softened distant verses strong foreground colours, and a layering of fields, forests and roads.

A contrast of organic and man-made shapes is typical of most of my work.

Simplicity was the aim, but the execution was not that simple. Layers of neutrals softened the strong tube colours, creating texture. The neutrals were made only from the 3 colours plus white.

For the first time, I concurrently painted 3 studies of this subject on 3 canvases. Each are of different size and shape, so are unique in their format. They took ages, but each helped resolve problems in the other. This work is the largest of the three.

For those interested, the subject is based on the view from a commercial tourist precinct near Yarra Glen which inspired me only to retreat from the crowds inside and study the distant landscape. It is symbolic of the views of much of the area.