The Desert Equinox Earth Art Prize
A Prelude to the Broken Hill Biennale of Art
Broken Hill Art Exchange would like to thank this year’s Earth Art Prize sponsor, Foundation Broken Hill. The Desert Equinox is a year round event recognising and celebrating the different elements (Solar, Earth, Water & Air) and how they interact with us in our daily lives. June celebrates the element of Earth, in both the natural and built environments. Local and visiting artists during this time reflect upon the subject of ‘Earth’ to produce artworks in any form and medium. The two categories consist of the Built and Natural Environments, representing our biosphere.
The Built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging from buildings and cultivated greenery to neighbourhoods and cities. The Natural environment category is inspired by the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations. Using earthly materials and settings these themes embrace the full range of environmental conditions and their basic or inherent features, character, or qualities.
The Desert Equinox - Earth promotes and recognises opportunities to engage the elements pertaining to our world with regards to land conservation, pollution and remediation, sustaining the health of the planet as well as food security, population growth, climate change and biodiversity.
Education, knowledge and awareness of these changes are crucial for ‘civilization’. Collectively through science, technology, engineering, art & mathematics we can better explain and explore the differing impacts our societies have on the world around us.
In context to Broken Hills naming as Australia’s first heritage city and it’s unique geological & ecological surroundings. The Desert Equinox Earth Prize is set against a post-industrial landscape inside the nations landmark conservation initiative, The Regen Reserve. The Far West regions long history of climate change and reclamation provides contrasting examples and specimens for research and study.
Catalogue of artists
This exhibition is located at multiple venues and businesses throughout the city of Broken Hill from 11 – 18 June2016, 10 – 4pm daily.
There are two categories for the art prize, Natural Environment and Built Environment.
TITLE: ‘Sticks in the Mist’
ARTFORM: 2D mixed media
MEDIUM: local Broken Hill Minerals on Board
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: 3ft x 2ft 6”
CATEGORY: Natural Environment
LOCATION: Whites Mineral Art & Living Mining Museum, 1 Allendale Street Broken Hill.
The venue offers an underground experience (without going under) depicting mining equipment from the past to present, the legend of Sturt’s Desert Pea, and crushed mineral collage artworks of local historical buildings and landscapes.
“Bushy’ White has been making his art for 45 years. Through his art he recreates the history of the city, its buildings, churches and pubs. He’s been making his own designs and creative artwork for over 15 years for the general public to purchase.
“I am inspired by the landscape of Broken Hill and use pure Broken Hill minerals such as lead, zinc silver, rhodenite, quartz, calcites, Azurite, Malachite and many other minerals ‘Sticks in the Mist’ is an artwork drawn from my imagination, inspired by the bushes, trees and rocks outside on the flat opposite my place.
TITLE: “Desert Lady”
ARTFORM: Music, live performance and film
MEDIUM: Sound & Vision
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: Flexible
CATEGORY: Natural Environment
LOCATION: Musicians Club, 276 Crystal Street Broken Hill
The Club was established in 1919 by a group of four musicians and has evolved into a premier registered club.
“Desert Lady”
Aimee Volkofsky sings tales of murder, and magic, and cannibal love. Born and raised in the desert, she has lived all over Australia, making music inspired by the landscape and mythology of the places she goes. Taking on many different forms and collecting music and art making friends along the way, sometimes you'll see her with a band, and other times she'll brave the stage alone.
The Desert Lady songs explore the Broken Hill landscape and human history in relationship to it. Broken Hill’s mineral rich earth has made men and women wealthy and dead alike.
Lured by the promise of fortune, many have made it, but more have lost their lives or livelihood in pursuit of it. In the Desert Lady songs, I too personify the Broken Hill landscape as a woman; from a fierce and unyielding ruler of men, to a generous and benevolent mother, to a sensual and vulnerable lover. She has been ripped apart and has offered her riches generously, but she has taken too. She holds secrets we will never know and men and women have been driven insane with the desire to possess her.
TITLE: ‘Untitled’
ARTFORM: Multiple Digital Film/Mixed media
MEDIUM: 5 small digital screens / Photographic prints
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: Approximately 1m x 1m
CATEGORY: Natural Environment
LOCATION: STUDIO 3 Gallery, Broken Hill Art Exchange 3 /147 Duff Street Broken Hill
"Living in rural NSW I saw the flowering of the purple magnolia in my front yard every spring, the picking of raspberries every summer, and the playing of bingo at Pops nursing home all year round. It wasn’t until age five I moved to Alice Springs with my family, it was in the red centre I gained a fascination for the desert. I have driven through country Australia over the past year, drawing inspiration from portraits in the Torres Strait, King Island, Alice Springs and in the hidden waterfalls above Apollo Bay. It is in my untitled project that my performances draw deeper into our actual experiences with the landscape as I force a review of the honesty of connectedness to land.
This work looks at the newly complex relationship between humans and what is left of our natural environment. It explores ones draw to the land, in particular, the red desert, the ocean sands, the mountain grounds and the rocky seas. My degradation of connection with land is explored through the thorough shining of black boots in each landscape. As polish covers my boots so too does the eager landscape rather its salty water, red dirt or sandy ground, making my routine exhausting. I aim to bring ones’ attention to the importance of presence in our lands, the destruction that follows life times of distraction and the beauty of our home, Australia."
‘Untitled’
TITLE: ‘Red Cactus’
ARTFORM: Sculpture
MEDIUM: boxthorn, steel, barbed wire
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: 183cm x 57cm
CATEGORY: Natural Environment
LOCATION: Private
“I have been a practising artist since 1985. In the early days I was more focused on fine art but have since been more concerned with a three dimensional aspect to my work.
I have exhibited widely throughout Australia, particularly NSW and SA, my principal places of residence. With over twenty solo exhibitions and over 50 group exhibitions. Owner of two galleries, artist residencies here and overseas. I have certainly put myself ‘out there’. I have done this purely because I feel comfortable making art.”
‘Red Cactus’
‘Red Cactus’ is a steel framed Armitage with a barbed wire base making up the inner ‘bones’ of this work. Small lengths of the boxthorn bush are then ‘knitted’ into the Armitage to form a life – like texture that simulates the Thorny appearance of a cactus plant. Red paint has been added not only to give the work a theatrical lift, but also to protect it from the elements.
Boxthorn was originally brought out to this country by the early white settlers and was used mainly for hedges (much like the dreaded Privet). Of course, like a lot of these introduced flora, left unmanaged, it soon became another noxious weed.
TITLE: ‘Earth Mothers’ Equinox’
ARTFORM: Sculpture
MEDIUM: Wood
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: Height 40cm max – max 50cm width and depth
CATEGORY: Natural Environment
LOCATION: Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery
404 – 408 Argent Street
The oldest gallery in regional New South Wales which has won numerous heritage awards for restoration and refurbishment of the former Sully’s Emporium.
Armando is a novice sculptor who lives in Broken Hill. With over thirty years’ experience in all areas of the performing arts, Armando has worked with most of the country's major theatre companies, and has toured productions extensively across Australia and overseas. As a returned Broken Hill local he spends much of his spare time pursuing a growing passion with shaping old wood into new art, and when not covered in sawdust he writes.
‘Earth Mothers’ Equinox’
Armando is keen to engage with ideas and projects that promote Broken Hill as an artist's city and a place of inspiration for locals and visitors alike.
‘Earth Mothers’ Equinox’ are reclaimed wood figurines representing the stages of belief and evolution inextricably linked to the feminine: the mythological; the symbolic; and the anatomical. Bringing them together whispers hints of collaboration, knowledge and nurture.
TITLE: ‘Terra’
ARTFORM: Pottery Sculpture with video story
MEDIUM: Pottery & digital
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: 1m (h) x 1m (w) x 2m (d) and video monitor
CATEGORY: Natural Environment
LOCATION: STUDIO 3 Art Gallery, Broken Hill Art Exchange 3 / 147 Duff Street
The Broken Hill Potters Society was formed about 38 years ago. We are based in an old Scout Hall in Wyman St where we have our kilns. We have regular firings at our premises using electric, gas and raku kilns. Each year we have primitive firing at a member’s property where we have cowpat, pit, salt and sawdust firings. Craft Fairs and exhibitions provide us with outlets for the sale of our work. The work ‘Terra” consists of three hand built pottery bottles fired in cowpat kiln using all natural materials.
Clay from the earth.
Cowpats from the paddock.
Wood from dead trees on the property
Bottles coated with Terra Sigliata and burnished.
The Story of our pots will be in video form.
TITLE: ‘Gathering Bush Food’
ARTFORM: Paintings (Aboriginal Art)
MEDIUM: Acrylic on canvas
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: Various sizes
CATEGORY: Natural Environment
LOCATION: Eagle Arts Vocational College, 8/147 Duff Street, Broken Hill
*Displayed in the front windows
Eagle Arts represents a new approach to high school education in Broken Hill. Catering to students aged 14 to 20 years of age Eagle Arts offers individually paced learning programs in a relaxed social atmosphere that caters to and respects individuals.
‘Gathering Bush Food’ is a series of Aboriginal Art works depicting the gathering of Bush TUCKER. All works are on canvas with acrylic paint and have been painted by students and teachers from EAGLE ARTS and Vocational College in Broken Hill. The ages of the students are from age 13 to age 19.
Derrick Lindh is the Aboriginal Art Teacher at the college with thirty years’ experience teaching art.
TITLE: ‘Tailings’
ARTFORM: Painting
MEDIUM: Oil on stretched canvas
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: 35cm x 46cm
CATEGORY: Built Environment
LOCATION: STUDIO 3 Gallery, Broken Hill Art Exchange 3/147 Duff Street Broken Hill
Gregory Scott is a retired station hand who has been living in Broken Hill for the past six years. I’ve always painted and have been a member of the Broken Hill Regional Gallery.
TITLE: ‘An Abandoned Claim – 1915 (Diggers)’
ARTFORM: Sculpture
MEDIUM: Mixed media earth, sticks and wire with a WW1 paper artefact
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: Base 45cm x 35cm, Height 15cm
CATEGORY: Built Environment
LOCATION: Jonnie Loves Noreen Vintage Memories, 166 Patton Street (front window)
John Williams is 53 years of age and he has had a go at most artistic endeavours, except country music.
“The piece depicts a mining claim that was deserted around 1914 – 1915. It doesn’t specify whether it was an opal mine, gold mine, sapphire or silver mine. It just states that those who created it were DIGGERS. A term that became synonymous with Australia’s armed forces (AIF mainly) during and after the Great War (1914 -1918), of the hundreds of thousands that enlisted for king or country, or just for the hell of it. Over sixty thousand died in foreign lands.
Most of the dead came from rural areas, sons of the soil you could say, farmers, boundary riders, shearers, miners, timber workers. The list goes on and on at memorials and cenotaphs in virtually every town in Australia. The piece doesn’t say if these diggers survived the war. In reality a lot of the returned were scarred for life either physically or mentally.
To return and go underground after three years of trench warfare, sounds daunting at the least, poor bastards”. The page reads:
Belgium 15th September 1916
When the name I write here is dim on the page and the leaves of your book are yellow with age still think of me kindly and do not forget that wherever I am I remember you yet.
Gunner, F R Bridges 10th Battery
“Gunner Bridges didn’t come back to oz. His blood and bones may have fertilized the poppy fields of Flanders. He might have been one of the thousands that abandoned a claim to go adventuring and see the world. That was what the recruiting officer told him anyway. Rest in Peace Gunner Bridges”
TITLE: ‘My Backyard’
ARTFORM: Multi media
MEDIUM: paper, fabric, wood, plastic, paint, foam, pencils and crayons
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: 8cm x 92cm x 80cm
CATEGORY: Built Environment
LOCATION: Location: STUDIO 3 Gallery, Broken Hill Art Exchange 3/147 Duff Street Broken Hill
The Broken Hill Art Exchange not for profit volunteer based art organisation supporting the growth of art and artists.
“I am a horticulturalist animal lover, who doesn’t like waste and tries to reuse everything sometimes more than once. I would like to be more self-sufficient and not have to depend on the system. I don’t use any sprays around the house relying on a bug zapper for insects. This has attracted a frog who lives in the toilet tank. I have been into gardening and animals most of my life and would love to be a hobby farmer.”
‘My Backyard’ is a visual representation of one of the recycling systems I have set up in my backyard.
Desert Equinox
Guest Speakers & Visiting Artists Profiles
To talk about Heesco is to refer to a body of work spanning the globe and a reputation for diverse genres and themes in an already multifaceted medium, it is to describe one of the more emotive and creative muralists active in our world today. A prolific creator for the past decade with numerous gallery exhibitions, private and public commissions as well as various publications and projects under his belt. Heesco defines himself as an artist with a “unique concept driven vision” all his own.
Heesco’s career highlights include murals for the Internationally renowned Attica Restaurant, the Art Series Hotels Group, Longview Winery, St George bank, Toby’s Estate, and the Reformatory Caffeine Lab and the Grand Central Café Manhattan New York. Heesco is the winner of 2011 ‘Secret Wars’ Competition and a finalist in the 2013 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.
Art Work & Design Concept by Heesco
Coordinated by BHAE Inc.
Lilian Pearce is currently conducting doctoral research with the Fenner School of Environment and Society. Through her PhD she is combining multiple disciplinary approaches to explore how the ecological humanities and history can offer new perspectives on restoration and how the practice can strengthen relationships with places through change. In this work she is drawing on her natural and social science background and experience in both quantitative and qualitative research techniques in urban and remote settings.
Lilian Pearce is passionate about combining social and ecological science to explore relationships between people and place and particularly interested in how different ways of interacting with the natural world, traditional knowledge systems, human values and ideas of nature influence conservation initiatives, and how environmental management practices do political work. Lilian Pearce holds a Bachelor of Science and a first class honours degree in Geography from the University of Tasmania.
Prior to embarking on a PhD at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at ANU, Pearce worked for the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, Melbourne City Council’s Urban Landscapes Branch and the School of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania. Outside of ANU.
Lilian Pearce continues to be involved in a range of projects that broadly involve conservation in social and cultural settings, and in writing on place and the environment.
*Excerpt from http://fennerschool.anu.edu.au
Wind-eroded Broken Hill common, 1936. From Plant life of the West Darling compiled by Barrier Field Naturalists’ Club, 1966
A Joint Project by:
Auzpicious Arts
Broken Hill Art Exchange
The Grand Guesthouse
Sureway Employment & Training
Paul Adcock will be speaking about the ongoing Kitchen Gallery project, involving the renovation of a free standing kitchen from the 1880’s and six sample rooms from the same period.
The kitchen and sample rooms are hidden behind the site of the old Grand Hotel on Broken Hill’s main street and are adjacent the town square.
The kitchen which once provided a street front bar and upstairs restaurant food for the patrons of The Grand, is being redeveloped as the Kitchen Gallery.
The sample rooms, used until the early 1950’s as a base for travelling sales people for display, distribution and as wholesale and as retail outlets are being redeveloped as a display and workshop area.
Creativity for Dawn is a lifelong pursuit: manipulating paper, wool, cloth, string and copper and learning to dance and sing. Her Father designed and built wooden and steel furniture, tools, small parts and large machinery he innovated to fix anything in wood or metal.
She has built and renovated homes and gardens, designed jewellery, written poetry and developed personalised perfumes with natural oils and experimented with different visual mediums.
To Dawn the creation of Art connects herself with others on a deep level. To revisit another time or place evokes a desire and hope for the future, giving a gift which may calm and reinvigorate. Art is an expression of her inner journey, it is as much about learning the skills to physically manipulate and represent forms as it is an intellectual and emotional way of communicating.
Using the notion of 'recycling' is an important aspect to sustainability. The workshop participants painted textures onto recycled materials to make unique gift boxes and personalised greeting cards.
Objects such as plastic spoons, forks, paddle pop sticks together with other inventive tools helped create unusual textures surfaces. The results were colourful and original pieces that repurposed objects as tools and made old things new again, each piece gave the discarded materials a second life.
*Box Design credit, Deirdre Edwards
By Helene Power
Researcher, Design Management #designthinking #innovation
Proprietor & Manager
The Lodge Outback Motel
Helene Power is undertaking a Master’s program in Design Management with a focus on ‘How participatory design/ involvement can cultivate a framework that includes the different stakeholders in Broken Hill to promote the town as a place to visit’. Design management is an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving converging on knowledge that encompasses a wide scope of contributors. Through a process of reflecting over ‘what is’ (the actual situation) to looking at ‘what if’ (we did this or this) to looking at ‘What wows’ factors of the idea and finally finding out ‘what works’. During the EARTH event season Helene conducted a workshop with members of the community. The outcome, emerging from the workshop, was a plan to co-create a Community Development Wall. The wall would visualise the insights of the people of Broken Hill and use the skills of the people of Broken Hill to transform those insights into actionable projects. The project builds engagement platforms across public, private and social sectors using all stakeholders as individual co-creators for the transformation of Broken Hill towards a sustainable future.
* Initial wall concept in progress
Saturday 11th June 6pm
Opening Night at the Kitchen Gallery
Heritage Courtyard, The Grand Guesthouse, 313 Argent Street
Mayor Wincen Cuy, will open the Earth Art Prize Saturday evening.
Lilian Pearce: Visiting ANU academic speaking on the topic of her research into ‘Restorative Ecologies’ and their relation to Broken Hill.
Heesco: Visiting Graffiti/Muralist speaking about his art and the Urban Art Mural Project, coordinated by Broken Hill Art Exchange for First National Real-Estate. Heesco will be producing the artwork throughout the week as an Earth Art Event for the Built Environment.
Paul Adcock: Speaking on behalf of Auzpicious Arts, The Grand Guesthouse and Broken Hill Art Exchanges collaboration in the Kitchen Gallery, Partnership & Restorative Project.
Amiee Volkofsky: Performing ‘Desert Lady’, her entry into the Earth Art Prize with accompaniment.
Productions by Bruce Green with BHAE
- Desert Equinox Solar Prize winners short film.
- Annie Graham’s ‘Home Ecologies and Second Chance Creations’
- Damien Mitchell’s ‘Wolfram Lane Mural Documentary’
Production by Grant Bennett
- The Kitchen Gallery, Heritage Courtyard
Refreshments provided on the night
Monday 13th June
Urban Art Project by Heesco
Cnr. of Oxide and Blende Streets
Heesco is working on his Urban Art Project at First National Broken Hill, come down and see the artist in action as he revitalises the urban landscape with his unique talents and watch the streetscape come alive.
Tuesday 14th June 11am
Desert Equinox Earth Exhibition
Prize Winners Presentation & Morning Tea, Broken Hill Art Exchange, Southside Art Centre, Studio 3 Gallery 3/147 Duff Street
See bhaeinc.wix.com/desertequinox for updates
Tuesday will see the winner’s announcement for the two categories in this year’s Desert Equinox Earth Art Prize. Hosted by the Art Exchange
Friday 17th June 5-30pm
World Day to Combat Desertification
The Old Royal Hotel 146 Oxide St.
“Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People.”
A social gathering will be held at The Old Royal Hotel; all are encouraged to come along. This year’s World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) advocates for the importance of inclusive cooperation to restore and rehabilitate degraded land and contribute towards achieving the overall Sustainable Development Goals. WDCD addresses the importance of comprehensive participation and cooperation in working towards achieving Land Degradation Neutrality. To find out more visit: un.org/en/events/desertificationday
Saturday 18th June
Earth Art Exhibition Closes @ 4pm
Thank you to all our participating artists and contributors for this year’s EARTH Art Prize.
BHAE is a not-for-profit Art Consultancy dedicated to building the creative arts industries of Broken Hill and Far West New South Wales, Australia. Our grass roots organisation offers a whole-of-community approach to art and cultural development.
The Art Exchange offers a residency facility to assist artists, and non-artists engaging creative activities. The facility provides live studios and STUDIO 3 exhibition art space enables applicants to pursue their practices, participate in or conduct workshops, create educational opportunities and share their skills. We welcome inquiries and applications year-round for all our programmes and events.
We are a membership & volunteer based organisation supporting the progress of art and artists. We advocate trans-disciplinary practices between art & culture, health, community, industry and education sectors.
2. Aimee Volkofsky, Musicians Club (foyer), 276 Crystal Street Broken Hill
3. Gabrielle Connole, STUDIO 3 Gallery, 3 /147 Duff St. Broken Hill, Broken Hill Art Exchange Southside Art Centre
4. Peter McGlinchey, 74 Phillips Street Broken Hill (street view)
5. Armando Licul, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, 404 – 408 Argent Street
6. Potters Society, STUDIO 3 Art Gallery, 3 / 147 Duff Street, Broken Hill Art Exchange Southside Art Centre
7. Eagle Arts Vocational College, Front windows Eagle Arts Vocational College 8 / 147 Duff Street Broken Hill
8. Gregory Scott, STUDIO 3 Art Gallery, 3 / 147 Duff Street, Broken Hill Art Exchange Southside Art Centre
9. John G Williams, Jonnie Loves Noreen Vintage Memories, 166 Patton Street (front window)
10. Annie Graham (Rosemary), STUDIO 3 Art Gallery, 3 / 147 Duff Street, Broken Hill Art Exchange Southside Art Centre
11. Kitchen Gallery Heritage Courtyard, Behind Grand Guesthouse 313 Argent Street, Opening event: Music, guest and video screening 6pm 11th June 2016
12. Broken Hill Art Exchange, Southside Art Centre 3 / 147 Duff Street, 11 am Tuesday 14th June 2016, Prize winner’s presentation and morning tea
13. HEESCO Street Art Mural project - First National Real Estate, Artist in action, corner of Oxide Street and Blende Streets 13th -18th June 2016
14. Old Royal Hotel, 146 Oxide St. Broken Hill, 5.30pm Friday 17th June, social gathering for artists and the general public recognising, ‘World Day to Combat Desertification’
Thank you to Foundation Broken Hill for funding this project and to the Grand Guest House for supporting our endeavours, Robinson College & Sureway Employment for their in-kind and nominal support. Jonnie Loves Noreen Vintage Memories, The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, Whites Mineral Art & Living Mining Museum, The Broken Hill Musicians Club and the Eagle Arts & Vocational College and to all the contributors and volunteers and staff. Front Cover image ‘Positive Subtraction’ (2012) by Ed Horne & Sergio Tenaud.
Broken Hill Art Exchange
Project Management Team:
Artistic Director, Susan Thomas
Team Leader, Micheal Schoengen
Zach Bentley
Armando Licul
Jeremy Johnston
Promotions: Cheryl Holmes
Audio/Visual Team:
Team Leader, Bruce Green
Grant Bennett
Technical Support: Ricky Elston
Graphic Design Team:
Tracy Le Sage
Annabelle Brindle
BHAE Community Workshop:
Manager, Georgie Watts
Annie Graham
Sue Williams
Auzpicious Arts Project Team:
Paul Adcock
Bryan Carrack
BHAE 2015 & 2016 Committee:
Peter McGlinchey, Cindy Burke
Ghislaine Barbe, Bruce Green,
Cheryl Holmes, Zach Bentley
& Susan Thomas
Produced by:
Broken Hill Art Exchange
145-157 Duff St. Park
Southside Art Centre
Email:
info@brokenhillartexchange.org.au
Websites:
www.brokenhillartexchange.org.au and Facebook Broken Hill Art Exchange
http://www.bhaeinc.wixsite.com/desertequinox
http://www.bhaeinc.wixsite.com/deair
http://www.bhaeinc.wixsite.com/water