2020 The Art Vault Residency Mildura, Victoria 3-24March
My 2019 fire rimmed moon sky memories driving to Mildura
Driving past country wrought by drought near Darlington Point NSW
Night stop at Balranald walking on banks of the Murrumbridge
Arriving at Mildura surrounded by desert its life-source the vast Murray River
Walking on bush trail near the Murray River
Morning sketching on Lock 11 Island bushland
Tree remains
Morning sketching the ancient Red Gums onLock 11 Island
The Ancestors, the ancient red gums remnants of past history of the land they stand on
Working in my comfortable The Art Vault Residency Studio
'Loss' & 'Redemption' 2020 mixed media on canvas each 40 X 30 cm_ sold
View 2 of working in Residency Studio
Ancient Red Gums on the Murray River Lock 5 Renmark
'The Ancestors' 2021 acrylic, pigmented gesso on Belgian linen 66 X 61 cm
'Then & Now' 2020 acrylic, metallic washes on canvas boards 183 X 198 cms
In 2019 I was invited by the Board of The Art Vault Gallery in Mildura to come for a three week Art Residency at the Gallery in March 2000 which I happily accepted.
Like spending a month alone at Fowlers Gap, desert stone country in 2006 the height of the millennium in desert stone country, I was unprepared for my emotional response to the experience of my The Art Vault Residency, in March the country then still racked by drought and summer’s hellish fires.
The phrase ‘Water is life’ became a reality for me leaving Sydney driving across the great divide with it’s great tracks of burnt blackened trees. The especially across the arid zones red dust filling the skies with few signs of wildlife to reaching Mildura and sighting the Murray Rivers treed riverbanks, a living oasis in the desert.
Daily I walked across the Murray River to Lock 11’s lock island to draw its ancient red gums survivors of flooding, fire, lightening to return to the comfortable recluse of my studio to make art, engage with other artists in the studio complex and supportive gallery staff. Near the end it rained and I was able to witness its redemptive power on the river system, renewing life to desert and bush.
At The Art Vault Gallery living, working viewing the art exhibitions, stock rooms, I felt privileged to be among the list of previous high caliber residency artists. I was so impressed by the active participation, dedication and generosity of the Directors and the staff in creating such a creative hub in a regional City that has links throughout Australia and beyond.
Gabrielle was invited to include a work in the 2020 Glover Prize. see the work and statement below.
Tasmanie et La Mer
My practice explores the connection between all living things and man’s subliminal relationship to the environment in a world increasingly impacted by climate change. In 2013 using Tasmanian symbolic and historical themes, newspaper clippings and imagined imagery I created L’Homme et la Mer, a 2D Wunderkammer or ‘cabinet of curiosities’
In 2019 distressed by the lack of action over climate change and the inevitable fate of a future of rising seas and loss to marine life, mainland species and forests due to rising temperatures I returned to the L’Homme et la Mer. Casting it’s symbolic imagery into a sea where past and present are re-imagined, re-naming it Tasmanie et La Mer. This work is re-examination 250 years on of our Colonial settlers mindset shaped by 18th century ideas of power, nature to be tamed and the doctrine of 'Terra Nullis' historical dispostion of the indigenous people to our's now. The ongoing power inbalnce for our indigenous population and the growing potential for marine loss for Tasmanian waters in a time of competing interests for its finite resources.
2020 Blacktown City Art Award
I am so happy to have my sculpture The Guardian accepted as one of the 135 finalists in the 2020 Blacktown Art Prize from 660 artists & 893 artworks. A personal milestone as I spent first two years art teaching at Blacktown Boys High in the late 1980s returning to attend openings at Blacktown City Arts Centre when my friend and ex-Artbank colleague Ingrid Hoffman was Gallery Director. I remember then being so impressed then in the cities transformation from semi-rural to a vibrant multi-cultural hub.
