Love as an Act of Rebellion

 from Wikipedia:

Greek language has at least six different words to describe love where modern English language only has one. They include agápē, érōs, philía, philautía, storgē, and xenía; some of which are based in Ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Aristotle and Plato.

Some days even hope is an act of rebellion or perhaps extreme stupidity... I'm not sure which.... such an emotion comes from doom scrolling in the night rather than the weekends and public holidays exhibition we just wrapped up on Herring Island.

The exhibition and the Island attract wonderful visitors - families, couples, singles - all relaxed and inspired by the short trip across the water and ready to view art in the spirit in which it was produced. 

And in troubled times I'm hoping to give peace and courage - it's hard to find in the face of a self centred onslaught.... don't people realise that we are interdependent?... that everyone contributes to everyone else's lived experience?.... so in this exhibition I showed "Turn" and "Stick Figures". Because I treasure that fragile, ordinary life that is denied to so many because of apartheid, colonialism and war-mongering.

In even more prestigeous company

The Association of Sculptors of Victoria was given the opportunity to run a selling exhibition in the Sarah and Baillieu Myer Pavilion at McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery. It was an amazing experience - the Pavilion is used as an education space, or for events such as weddings or conferences. And so we were able to lay it out for small to medium sculptures for two weeks. That was probably not long enough but we got to see some lovely visitors. 

The view through the exhibition to the grounds of McClelland Sculpture Park

I showed two works Lockdown 6 - with a little help from my friends and ...cry out: Olivia

..cry out: Olivia is a new work - carved salvaged wood from a tree in my daughter's garden... the wood with its warped form and grain full of character decided not to be a fruit bowl and told a story instead - of having two faces and a hidden yearning in the willow cabin.

Thanks to Rob Anderson Photography for the use of these images.

The inner surface
showing the text

transition one face
to another

the willow cabin

Three faces to Cry Out: Olivia inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night:

Make me a willow cabin at your gate,
And call upon my soul within the house;
Write loyal cantons of contemned love,
And sing them loud even in the dead of night;
Halloo your name to the reverberate hills,
And make the babbling gossip of the air
Cry out ‘Olivia!’ O, you should not rest
Between the elements of air and earth,
But you should pity me…

 

The Lockdown 6 - with a little help from my friends looked well in the easterly light and against the timber walls of the pavilion. 

Lockdown 6 - with a little help from my friends
image courtesy Rob Anderson Photography

Stardust to Stardust

 A branch fell off a street tree near my place narrowly missing my neighbours' car... when it came to having it cut up and taken away they gave me two pieces. It took a long time to find the inspiration that suited the wood... but now the work is being entered in the Herring Island Summer Arts Festival Sculpture exhibition - "Connection"

"We are all stardust formed in the creation nova - so a life flows between the stars in twists and turns and pools and rapids from stardust to stardust."

the start was seeing the bridge

 

and cutting out some of the less sound wood

then the wood started to tell its own story

and there comes a time to see what the oil brings out in the grain

and the grain is captivating -
details recording the incidents of the tree's growth

more grain... more interplay between
the inner and outer surface of the branch

The work is in the Association of Sculptors of Victoria exhibition on Herring Island as well as the online exhibition and will be on show until 5 February 2023.

Dreaming in Uncertain Times

 

"Once Upon a Time"
cast glass, upcycled red gum garden sleeper

A small one to supplement the big one at the upcoming Sculptors Victoria Annual Exhibition. I'm giving the Lockdown 6 companions another run - this time set up on a burnt oregon board. It's exciting to be back exhibiting in real life... but people are still catching it and dying. 

I'm collecting from @flb_58  tomorrow - last chance to see "Sun and Moon" - I'm quite fond of it... if it doesn't sell this time I think I'll keep it.

"Once Upon a Time" - a story about storytelling or a story about parenting? Well parenting never got an image out of me while I was parenting myself... too all consuming not to mention heartbreaking and demoralising. It's only afterwards I got romantic about it - and the children have grown up to be amazing people!

As they say - write your own story! 

first try with the
glass casting

carving from both sides

ready for the glass...

Once more in iso

 Lockdown mark 4! We got cocky didn't we - thinking that we were on the gradual path to opening up. We thought we could run the Annual and Awards Exhibition with an opening and prizes and everything... and oh dear... well we can count our blessings - I think only one Victorian ended up in ICU and they are recovering now. 

So to pick up the pieces of the exhibition - it's online - only the People's Choice Award is on offer - and we can run it again next October because our lovely hosts have found us a time slot.

I gave Contemplating the Finite another run... why not? It would have looked great at the Victorian Artists Society. That link won't work after the online show closes.... but if anyone wants to boost my People's Choice Vote... knock yourself out...  In the meantime - stay safe - we aren't out of the woods yet.