Wednesday, November 11, 2015

A Day Trip to Vancouver Island.

 


While in Canada during July/August this year I was eager to go on an excursion to Vancouver Island to visit historic Victoria, the state capital of British Columbia.

Time was running out, so my friends and I decided on a day trip to the island. The ferry took us from Tsawwassen Terminal on the mainland side through the Strait of Georgia to Swartz Bay terminal on the island side.

A short coach trip later and we were strolling the streets of downtown Victoria, admiring, among other heritage buildings, Parliament House and the Empress Hotel.



© Barbara Oehring 2015




The Empress Hotel.

© Barbara Oehring 2015
 



British Columbia Parliament Buildings.

© Barbara Oehring 2015



A second bus trip took us on to the famous Butchart Gardens.



© Barbara Oehring 2015




© Barbara Oehring 2015




© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015





© Barbara Oehring 2015

 


© Barbara Oehring 2015




© Barbara Oehring 2015




© Barbara Oehring 2015





© Barbara Oehring 2015





© Barbara Oehring 2015



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Happy 30th Birthday Koorie Heritage Trust

The Koorie Heritage Trust celebrated its 30th birthday on Saturday 19 September 2015 with a free public concert in Melbourne's Federation Square.



I arrived early while the first visitors took their seats in provided deck chairs.


© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015


The Koorie Heritage Trust is one of the oldest community owned Aboriginal arts and cultural centres in Australia. It recently relocated from King Street to vibrant Federation Square.


I entered the Yarra Building and stepped into the retail shop where authentic South East Aboriginal designed and crafted products are for sale.


In the gallery next to the Koorie Shop I photographed a 2009 bronze statue of Lionel Rose by Stephen Glassborow; a kangaroo skin art work by Mandy Nicholson: Map of Port Philip Bay, c. 2000; and a recent art work of kangaroo skins by Mitch Mahoney Boon: Yan Yan Gorrinj Bunj Koolin (Growing up), 2015.


© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015



By then it was time to stroll towards the Federation Square stage where the show was about to begin.


© Barbara Oehring 2015



The concert was hosted by Kamahi King's female alter ego Constantina Bush who entertained the crowd with her black humour and some songs.

 
© Barbara Oehring 2015



The Djirri Djirri Wurundjeri Women's dance group was represented by Mandy Nicholson and her two daughters. Nephew Damien Nicholson played the didgeridoo.


© Barbara Oehring 2015




© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015




© Barbara Oehring 2015





We were treated to performances by the Koorie Tiddas Choir and Jessie Lloyd's Mission Songs Project which featured John Wayne Parsons, Monica Weightman, Robert Champion and Tiriki Onus.




Jessie Lloyd © Barbara Oehring 2015




Tiriki Onus © Barbara Oehring 2015


The team Indigenous Hip Hop Projects wore colourful tops. The audience was encouraged to repeat the powerful words on the reverse side of the shirts.  

© Barbara Oehring 2015


After an energetic show Indigenous Hip Hop Projects invited the crowd to dance.


© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015




Saturday, July 4, 2015

Stop Time: Ferntree Gully @ Monash Gallery of Art

I am delighted to announce that my latest Stop Time: Ferntree Gully series will show at the Ramp Gallery of Monash Gallery of Art from 25 September 2015.



Saturday, June 13, 2015

Chrysalis Bindi Cole

Bindi Cole, an Australian artist with Wadawarrung heritage, shows CHRYSALIS at Maroondah Art Gallery in Ringwood from 10 April - 13 June 2015.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in May I attended an artist talk by Bindi Cole.

The Art Gallery is situated in Maroondah Federation Estate where I took this photograph.



© Barbara Oehring 2015

The title for the exhibition CHRYSALIS suggests the idea of a protective coating, a sheltered state, or a stage of being and growth.

Bindi Cole in front of Clouds Are The Dust Of His Feet #4, one of a series of large cloud photographs in Gallery One.


© Barbara Oehring 2015



Work EH4542 refers to the artist's experiences in prison. Between 1999-2000, Cole spent two years across different prisons in England including the notorious Holloway Prison. For the artist it was a period of significant self-transformation during which she embraced Christianity.

The prison cell plays upon the idea of solitude as potentially nourishing or oppressive. It was built to specifications in accordance with the average size of a prison cell in the British Isles. It features a collection of objects from the artist's time in prison including photographs, identity tags, cigarette papers, lighters, video stills and diary.

In Gallery One the imagery of the prison cell is contrasted with the series of cloud photographs.



© Barbara Oehring 2015



© Barbara Oehring 2015



The artist's installation We All Need Forgiveness in Gallery Two is an HD video installation lasting 5 minutes.

Kevin Rudd's 2008 "Sorry" speech forms a starting point for much of Cole's work on the topic of forgiveness.


Visitors to the gallery are invited to write their own message of forgiveness on a small cloud; in this way adding to the fabric of the installation.

Here Bindi Cole is photographed with some of her friends who participated in the multi-channel video work while a couple of visitors are inspecting the various messages of forgiveness on the small clouds attached to the wall.

© Barbara Oehring 2015



I returned to Maroondah Gallery for the CHRYSALIS exhibition launch on 28 May 2015. In recognition of Reconciliation Week 2015 Aunty Diane Kerr provided a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony. Natalie King, Senior Research Fellow, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne opened the exhibition. Les Chessells, General Manager Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, spoke about the community controlled Aboriginal organisation.

Performances by the Djirri Djirri Dance Group and singer song-writer Kutcha Edwards followed.


© Barbara Oehring 2015


Kutcha Edwards demonstrates the meaning of Reconciliation to the visiting school students.

© Barbara Oehring 2015

 
Kutcha and Dan.

© Barbara Oehring 2015



After the opening celebrations I witnessed a group of children showing much interest in Bindi Cole's video work We All Need Forgiveness. This black and white image is my impression of the original colour installation by the artist.


© Barbara Oehring 2015




Wednesday, May 13, 2015

A Visit to Heide Museum of Modern Art

On a blustery autumn day I visited Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen to view their current exhibitions:

21ST CENTURY HEIDE: THE COLLECTION SINCE 2000
ROSEMARY LAING: WEATHERING
ALBERT TUCKER: THE TRUTH IN MASQUERADE


Sculpture Plaza with Emily Floyd's Abstract Labour and entry to Heide.


© Barbara Oehring 2015



Rosemary Laing's Photographic Series The Paper in association with ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2015.

© Barbara Oehring 2015



Albert Tucker: The Truth in Masquerade.

This exhibition also features photographs and related archival material.


© Barbara Oehring 2015

 
 
Kathy Temin's room-sized installation Indoor Monument: Hard Dis-play is one of over 1500 acquisitions by Heide since the turn of the century.


© Barbara Oehring 2015

 


View from a window onto Anthony Caro's sculpture Sidestep.


© Barbara Oehring 2015


 
I went for a walk in the sculpture park before the rain arrived.


A magnificent gum in the gardens of Heide.


© Barbara Oehring 2015

 
 
© Barbara Oehring 2015



In the sculpture park Jeff Thompson's Cows.


© Barbara Oehring 2015

 
 
Half Moon Shine by Simryn Gill.
 
© Barbara Oehring 2015




© Barbara Oehring 2015


I ended a very pleasant afternoon with coffee at Café Vue at Heide.



Heide Museum of Modern Art
7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen VIC 3105
T (03) 9850 1500
Opening Hours
Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm
Public Holidays, 10am-5pm

28 Mar to 14 June 2015 -  21ST CENTURY HEIDE: THE COLLECTION SINCE 2000
21 Feb to 31 May 2015 -  ROSEMARY LAING: WEATHERING
21 Feb to 16 Aug 2015 - ALBERT TUCKER: THE TRUTH IN MASQUERADE