Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011 & Emma Davies Homage Opening Night Pics!

Photos from our last exhibition openings - Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011 and Emma Davies Homage.

 

Interview with Amy Cochrane

artisan interviews talented young jeweller Amy Cochrane, whose nature inspired creations can be found in Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011.

Amy Cochrane, Gum tree bud earrings 2010, cast sterling silver. Photo: Sam Lintern.

Tell us about your background – how did you come to be a creative practitioner?
I always enjoyed art classes at school however there was always a lot of painting involved and have never particularly liked working with that medium. Once I branched into sculpture in my later years at school I was much more enthusiastic and eager to explore.

After leaving school I completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University. As students we were encouraged to network, attend and partake in exhibitions. I chose to take the advice on board and as a result my practise has slowly evolved.

Amy Cochrane, Bone dry series 2010, sterling silver, scrap tin, bone and stainless steel. Photo: S. Jones

Where do you find your inspiration?
My artistic practice is prompted by the disregarded objects I find within my surroundings. The process of gleaning is central to my work, it is the starting point from which I explore and deconstruct found objects and the landscape in which they were discovered.

What other creative people do you admire?
My practise is currently directed towards the making of jewellery I am inspired by artists who’s practice has had a similar focus such as the late German artist Hermann Junger, and Australian contemporary jewellers Marian Hosking and Roseanne Bartley.

Amy Cochrane, Six axes 2010, sterling silver and carved timber. Photo: Sam Lintern.

What’s next for your practice?
I am currently engaged in postgraduate study, completing a Master of Teaching at Griffith University, as a result my practice has been put on hold. However I intend to continue to exhibit and to begin making new work very soon.

I couldn’t live without…?
I could not live without my family and friends who constantly provide me with support.

Amy Cochrane, Wattle seedpod pendants 2011, cast bronze, heat coloured. Photo: S. Jones.

Favourite café/restaurant?
I would prefer to sit down to a home cooked meal prepared by my Grandmother any day. She never ceases to amaze me with new delectable delights.

Favourite weekend pastime?
I thoroughly enjoy rummaging through goods at a flea market or car boot sale.

Amy Cochrane, Wattle seedpod series 2009, cast sterling silver and stainless steel. Photo: Z. Wolfe.

Interview with Sophie Bottomley

artisan interviews Sophie Bottomley, whose architectural sculptures are on display in Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011 until Saturday 14 May.


Sophie Bottomley's works in Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011. Photo: A. Higgins

 Tell us about your background – how did you come to be a creative practitioner?
From early on I have always loved to make things, however I never thought I would be able to make a career out of it. When I finished high school I decided to study architecture which I fell in love with and slowly found my own way of working which has come to be the most valuable experience of my creative practice to date. However, architecture in university and in practice differ greatly and the types of conceptual projects we were able to develop at uni were not the kinds of projects you are able to do in practice, unless of course you are Frank Gehry or someone of his league. After 4 years I stopped studying and took a year off, where flicking through the pages of Pol Oxygen Magazine I encountered some practitioners that seemed to get away with conceptual ideas of space in the name of art. At this point I decided I had to stop fighting it and see if I could make this art thing work. I have just completed a Bachelor of Fine Art majoring in Sculpture at QCA and am just in the beginning of my Honours year.


Sophie Bottomley, Feeling outside the box one's in (detail) 2010, pine on pine stand. Photo: A. Higgins.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Inspiration generally strikes when you least expect it but currently I find books on philosophy, qualities of architecture, and how the body perceives space to be some of the most inspiring. A discovery can strike from anything that’s why it’s important to always immerse yourself in as much as you can. I am always looking at design and art magazines and blogs, as well as going out and seeing art. Sometimes just being outside of your everyday environment can provide many unexpected encounters.


What other creative people do you admire?
I think anyone who is making a life for themselves following a creative pursuit is someone to admire. But more specifically I love the work of Mikala Dwyer, Roni Horn, Tara Donovan, Ann Hamilton, Matthew Barney, Hany Armanious and Robin Rhodes.

Sophie Bottomley, To escape from silence (detail) 2010, paper on pine stand.

What’s next for your practice?
I am currently studying Honours at QCA where I aim to push my ideas of space even further in the sculptural field. It has long been my goal to merge my love of architecture and sculpture in the creation of large scale spaces that evoke an emotional or sensory reaction in the occupant. Perhaps I’ll even try to change the face of public art and the ‘plop art’ phenomenon that so often occurs.

I couldn’t live without…?
The people I surround myself with daily and my dog - definitely the artist's best friend being a constant companion in the studio.

Favourite café/restaurant?
Currently Flute at Coorparoo.

Favourite weekend pastime?
Trips to the beach, Bangalow or Maleny.


Sophie Bottomley, Within two limits (detail) 2010, air-dry modeling clay on pine stand.

Sophie Bottomley, Feeling outside the box one's in 2010, pine on pine stand. Photo: A. Higgins.



Interview with Chris Mills-Kelly

Chris Mills-Kelly, Walk a mile in my shoes (detail) 2009,

camphor laurel wood and mixed media. Photo: A. Higgins.

Artisan interviews Chris Mills-Kelly, whose intricate wood carvings feature in Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011.

Tell us about your background- how did you come to be a creative practitioner?

I have always loved arts and craft, from an early age I would draw, paint or make things from plasticine, clay, wood or anything really. My passion for creating continued and eventually after leaving school early, working, then raising 3 children, I decided, with the encouragement and support of my family to do a certificate 3 in Visual Arts at TAFE Toowoomba, then went on to start my diploma, transferring in 2nd year to USQ to do my Bachelor of Visual Arts, due to personal and family issues this was put on hold after 18months and taken back up in 2009 as a Bachelor of Creative Arts which is what I am currently finishing my 3rd year in. So I guess it has always been there and been something I have wanted to do, it just took me a little longer to get where I am today.

   

Chris Mills-Kelly, Neither seen nor heard (detail) 2010-11,
camphor laurel wood and mixed media. Photo: A. Higgins.

Where do you find your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from many sources, at the present time much of it comes from my Aboriginal background; the past history, inequality and cultural breakdowns and children; the lost innocence, neglect, abuse, and so on. My own past experiences, and those of my family have also played a large role in my art, and will continue to do so in different ways.



Chris Mills-Kelly, Walk a mile in my shoes (detail) 2009,
camphor laurel wood and mixed media. Photo: A. Higgins.

What creative people do you admire?

I admire many creative people some are unknown to many like my mother and brother who both draw and paint, and my young nephew who loves to create 3D sculptures. Other artists I admire are Indigenous artists, like Vernon Ah kee, Fiona Foley, Judy Watson, Tracey Moffatt, and the late Lin Onus. I also admire Ricky Swallow, Christian Boltanski and so many more that I could continue to list for pages.

What is next for your practice?

I intend to complete my studies while also arranging and sourcing new avenues for exhibiting my work and continuing to create new works. I am also co-ordinating the Oakey NAIDOC week Art Exhibition in July this year and hope to improve and expand this event.

Chris Mills-Kelly, Are we equal yet? (detail) 2010, camphor laurel wood and mixed media. Photo: A. Higgins

I couldn’t live without.......?

My family, they are very important to every aspect of my life, and my art it is my means of expression, my relaxation, and my enjoyment.

Favourite cafe or restaurant?

The Coffee Club

Favourite weekend past time?

Spending time with family and friends.

Chris Mills-Kelly, Are we equal yet? (detail) 2010, camphor laurel wood and mixed media. Photo: A. Higgins.

Interview with Sophie Loxley

We chat with Sophie Loxley, whose works are on display in Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011.

Sophie Loxley, Restricted (detail) 2010, aluminium, satin ribbon and dressing pins. Performed 24 March 2011 by Kyle Walmsley, Angus Blackman, Jasmine Fischer and Rachel Peel. Photo: A. Higgins.

Tell us about your background – how did you come to be a creative practitioner?


Growing up I was always surrounded by a world full of creativity, be it arts and crafts full of glitter and glue, or speech and drama, a place of mime, silly voices and cartwheels. My love for art and theatre continued through high school, which then led me to the University of Southern Queensland, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts, majoring in Theatre Studies and Visual Arts. I have since moved to Brisbane where I am currently studying Honours within the Creative Industries Faculty majoring in Performance Studies at the Queensland University of Technology.


Sophie Loxley, Restricted (detail) 2010, aluminium, satin ribbon and dressing pins. Performed 24 March 2011 by Kyle Walmsley, Angus Blackman, Jasmine Fischer and Rachel Peel. Photo: A. Higgins.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Hmmm. That is a difficult question to answer. I find inspiration in lots of things; people, music, clothes, nature ,theatre, art, even Ikea.

What other creative people do you admire?

I admire many artists who are passionate, hardworking and think outside the box. At this point in time Pamela Howard and Robert Wilson are the top two.

Sophie Loxley, Restricted (detail) 2010, aluminium, satin ribbon and dressing pins. Performed 24 March 2011 by Kyle Walmsley, Angus Blackman, Jasmine Fischer and Rachel Peel. Photo: A. Higgins.

What’s next for your practice?

I hope to further develop my practice as a hybrid artist, creating work in which theatre and visual art can inform each other.

I couldn’t live without…?

My loving and supportive family and friends.

Favourite café/restaurant?

Max Brenner. I'm a chocolate junkie.

Favourite weekend pastime?

Picnics, tea parties and rainforest walks.


Sophie Loxley, Restricted (detail) 2010, aluminium, satin ribbon and dressing pins. Performed 24 March 2011 by Kyle Walmsley, Angus Blackman, Jasmine Fischer and Rachel Peel. Photo: A. Higgins.



Critical Craftings Courier Mail Article!

Our current exhibition "Critical Craftings" had a write up in the Courier Mail today! 
Have a read here.

Artisan interviews Michelle Knowles

Artisan recently caught up with Michelle Knowles, one of the emerging artists featured in Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011 to get the inside scoop on everything from her inspiration to favourite cafe...
 

Michelle Knowles, Dysplasian rites 2009, digital photograph.



Tell us about your background – how did you come to be a creative practitioner?

This is such a big question and I could answer it any number of ways, but I’ll try to stick to the facts and be concise! This may not be the story I want to tell, as I feel more inclined to start my own myth making. The reality isn’t so fantastic, but what it has led to certainly feels that way.
As a child of the seventies, growing up in the eighties, I was heavily influenced by the culture of the time. Sesame Street, The Muppets and Punky Brewster on the TV. The Neverending Story and ET at the movies. And of course, the music and Saturday morning Rage. Cyndi Lauper, Madonna and Michael Jackson. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that exposure to such cultural phenomenon has shaped my creative path.

My father is a school principal, so I spent my most formative years growing up in small towns across rural Queensland. In some places my friends lived on properties hours from town. I spent a lot of time alone, or with my little brother, inventing fantasy worlds and trying to bring them to life on paper or through making them with whatever was available to me. I had access to the preschool collage table throughout my whole childhood. There are entire worlds to be made from toilet rolls and dyed macaroni!


Michelle Knowles, My skull my pulpit (for those who swallow their deity) 2011,
cow skull, feathers, beads, crystals, and plastic crucifix.


I took art classes throughout my schooling, but had in mind that I’d like to be something more ‘respectable’ like a lawyer or an architect. Fortunately I didn’t receive the grades necessary to enter into such courses at university and thus many years of adventurous soul searching began. I spent my entire twenties asking “what do I want to do with my life?” I packed a lot into the decade that it took me to decide. I completed two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in both Justice and Studies of Religion. I volunteered in a human rights organisation and became an activist. I worked various administrative positions and took courses in everything from Lifeline counseling to marriage celebrant training.

Finally, as life began to seem as though it was flittering past at an unfathomable rate of knots, I decided enough was enough, and that I was just going to take the plunge and do what I loved to do the most. That being, making art. And now here I am, at the other end of a Fine Arts degree, a practicing and exhibiting artist!



Michelle Knowles, Object for ascendance 2010,
deer antler, bone, sequins, feathers, googly eyes and tulle.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Inspiration is a funny thing. It is always manifesting itself in different ways. It’s elusive and sometimes downright treacherous.

Still, I search for inspiration every single day. I wish and wish for a divine bolt from the blue, but it never happens. Seeking inspiration is most commonly known as research. You’ve got to dig, dig, dig until some little morsel grabs you by the throat and pulls you deep into its slippery vortex. You’ve got to be willing to make that leap down the rabbit hole though…you know, in order to grasp onto inspiration’s tail.

So, to answer your question, I find inspiration in unusual and unexpected places (including the mundane). There is no ‘one place’, or even a group of many places. It is everywhere and nowhere. Kind of like God, if you will.



Michelle Knowles, Object for ascendance 2010,
deer antler, bone, sequins, gems, crystals and fabric.

Michelle Knowes, Object for ascendance 2010,
digital image printed on board.

 What other creative people do you admire?

There are so many. Jim Henson. Annette Messager. Frida Kahlo. Yayoi Kusama. Anais Nin. Diane Arbus. Mirka Mora. Kiki Smith. Yoko Ono. Marina Abramovic. Jesus. Buddha. That eerily tall street performer you see around sometimes with the marionette cat that plays the fiddle. Joni Mitchell. My peers. My mentors. My amazing friends and family. I feel like I’m giving an Oscars speech.

What’s next for your practice?

I’m currently attending a residency in Banff, in the Rocky Mountains in Canada [read more about Michelle's residency experiences on her blog]. Then I’m travelling for a bit. After that, who knows? Hopefully I’ll find some way of making a meager living out of my creative practice, but according to current statistics that’s fairly unlikely. Actually, I’d prefer not to think about the future too much. I’m just going to make my work, apply to exhibit the results and hope that it’s all interesting enough to sustain people’s curiosity for a long time to come.

I guess, what I’m really saying is that at this stage, my plans are sketchy.

Michelle Knowles, Object for ascendance 2010,
deer antler, bone, sequins, feathers, googly eyes and tulle.

I couldn’t live without…?

I couldn’t live without… Oh this is hard! I guess you’re not talking about the essentials. Um, I feel the need to be really corny here, so I’ll apologise in advance. Here goes:

Love, passion, friends and family, adventure, a challenge, my super, wonder-cat Venus (though I suppose one day I’ll have to, assuming I don’t go first), my freedom, books, words, black leggings, a hot glue gun, glitter, cheesecake, dark chocolate, feta cheese. Uh oh, when the list turns to food it’s time to stop!

  

Favourite café/restaurant?

In Brisbane? That’s a tough one. Actually, I’d much prefer to hang at home or go to a friends place for dinner, a BBQ, or a glass (or bottle!) of wine than a restaurant or café. But if I had to pick one I’d say that little French place up at the Barracks. French breads, pastries and wine whilst reclining on a chaise lounge – yeah, that’s the spot right there! Or that restaurant at Iceworks in Paddington is pretty good too – they have jugs of Sangria that get you rockin’. Ooh la la, Sangria!

Favourite weekend pastime?

This will probably reveal how truly ‘un-hip’ I am. But anyway, it varies. Eating and drinking on the deck with the best people in the world! Watching DVD’s with my partner BJ and the wonder cat. Attempting to control the garden which could accurately be described as a suburban jungle (there’s even a menagerie of wildlife in there!). Taking mini breaks to the coast or the mountains. And of course, taking in a few art shows.

March exhibition openings at artisan

Well, it's that time again, as Tony Mott: Rock'n'Roll Photography is the New Trainspotting and Beautiful Beast: Simone Tops come to a close (don't miss them, they finish on Saturday!!!) the staff here at artisan are gearing up for the next round of exhibitions, Critical Craftings: Unleashed 2011 and Homage: Emma Davies.

Opening 6-8pm next Thursday 24 March both of these shows are sure to delight! 

But don't forget to RSVP if you want to come along. Give us a call (07) 3215 0800 or email us before the end of this week.

Oh, and don't forget to stay tuned for more information about our Mother's Day chocolate sculpture workshop 2-3pm Saturday 7 May. Bookings are open now and places are strictly limited so book early!