Arrival
My daughter took a liking to the film Arrival, so I took that opportunity to give her this book with the story it was based on as a present
It was funny that she didn't notice it was a collection of short stories and began to ponder how the Tower of Babel setting in the first chapter related to the film!
She finished the book while I was away and acknowledged that she wouldn't normally read sci-fi but found many of the ideas interesting.
Railway Hotel
Just got home from a residency at the Railway Hotel in Stuart Town
While I was there I heard this birdsong that I couldn't place, so I made a song to remind myself and to show some of my creative practice.
There's also The Zine from Iron Bark that I made showing photos and poems from my stay.
Cocoparra Corroboree
Orphanhood
(Sorry, I know I shouldn't make jokes about other's misfortune but COVID policies are an even bigger and crueler joke.)
Griffith Post Office reunion
Retired staff recently returned to the counter of the Griffith Post Office and remembered old times
Ern Myott and Jack Carroll were engaged on morse telegraph duties and they could not leave the circuit unattended to appear in the photo.
We encourage all former staff of the Griffith Post Office to reacquaint themselves with the former facilities and hope they will share their memories for our exhibitions.
Artist talk
The closing of the Ngurambang exhibition was a chance to hear from the artists involved
Peita Vincent took this photo as I discussed how my work in natural resource management inspired a prize-winning photograph.
Comments about the exhibition
Buckaroo Banzai
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension was released in August 1984
It blew my mind!
The inter-dimensional battles came five years or so before I read Lovecraft.
Chris Orchard profile
Chris Orchard is a multimedia artist who features in the exhibition Ngurambang (Our Riverina) at Griffith Regional Art Gallery from 1 July to 20 August 2023.
This video was supported by Western Riverina Arts and Create NSW through funding from the NSW Government.
From Dreamtime to Dinnertime
Have you seen the animation in the Museum's exhibition about Murray Cod?
In recent years Murray Cod have become a popular export from our region as a premium aquaculture product, and the exhibition also details how these remarkable fish have gone from critically endangered to being stocked on supermarket shelves.
Marita Macklin profile
Marita is a textile artist who features in the Exhibition | Ngurambang: Our Riverina at Griffith Regional Art Gallery from 1 July to 20 August 2023.
Follow Marita Macklin Bespoke Embroidery to see her work.
This video was supported by Western Riverina Arts and Create NSW through funding from the NSW Government.
Mental metal
Dr Greg Pritchard
Greg is a multi-disciplinary artist who features in the exhibition Ngurambang (Our Riverina) at Griffith Regional Art Gallery from 1 July to 20 August 2023.
This video was supported by Western Riverina Arts and Create NSW through funding from the NSW Government.
Kerri Weymouth profile
Kerri Weymouth discusses her contribution to the Ngurambang (Our Riverina) exhibition at Griffith Regional Art Gallery from 1 July to 20 August 2023.
This video was supported by Western Riverina Arts and Create NSW through funding from the NSW Government.
The crater in my soul
One of the questions the film Oppenheimer avoids is whether it was a war crime for the US to drop atomic bombs on domestic targets
I've been reflecting on that question during the anniversary of that watershed moment.
One of the most profound spiritual experiences during my visits to the Quaker Meeting House in Canberra was when an American woman felt moved to speak about the bombings.
She was in tears as she announced her feeling of guilt for being from that country.
It would've been about 30 years ago now and in my memory it is when I recognised how the spirit moves one to testify in that setting.
That day was tempered with an observation by the late Hector Kinloch, who stood in meeting to ask if anyone had seen the beautiful rainbow that appeared during the week.
Increasingly I find a spiritual gap in my life and wonder whether I should return to prayer with the Quakers.
Right of initiation
This detail from Christopher Orchard’s ‘Mirrul’ artworks has been on my mind, specifically the removal of front teeth
This led me to wonder whether intiation for Wiradjuri men was accompanied with a lesson about not being greedy and to think of others when you hunt.
I recognise that knowledge is not my culture to know or share, but I feel like that lesson would be a good one in a world with limited resources.
Orchard's artwork is currently exhibiting as part of the Ngurambang (Our Riverina) show at Griffith Regional Art Gallery until Sunday 20 August, when there'll be artist talks after 11am.
Christopher Haworth profile
Christopher Haworth is a plein-air painter from Talimba who features in the exhibition Ngurambang (Our Riverina) at Griffith Regional Art Gallery.
This video was supported by Western Riverina Arts and Create NSW through funding from the NSW Government.
Acts of Cod
However, the anniversary is an interesting coincidence as recently I've been reflecting on the Fragments exhibtion that Hape curated as I've been focused on researching Murray Cod.
It's a long story, so let me try and make sense of it.
The fragments that formed the exhibition were offcuts from a River Red Gum that Hape Kiddle sculpted into a Murray Cod for the National Museum of Australia.
He offered big chunks of timber to local artists and asked them to use these for the exhibition, while he worked on the sculpture.
Last weekend I ended up at the Museum and went looking for Hape's Cod.
My current interest in Murray Cod flows from an even bigger sculpture which resides in the museum where I work.
"Gugabul" was offered by Pete Ingram to be part of the Ngurambang exhibition that I curated for Griffith Regional Art Gallery, until we realised it wouldn't fit through the door.
Pete had built the massive Murray Cod sculpture for the Hands On Weavers and it was exhibited in Wagga's art gallery last year.
In recent years this vulnerable fish has become a premium aquaculture product and, depending on my route, I can pass a couple of hatcheries on the drive between home and work.
So I've been researching Murray Cod and they are fascinating.
Like Emu, they're another Australian icon where the father protects and raises their offspring.
These fish are an apex predator in rivers throughout the Murray-Darling Basin.
The Murray Cod plays a role in the creation of those rivers for many First Nations and the best documented example describes the Murray River, in a story that is told along much of its length.
With help from family Ngurunderi finally caught Ponde in Lake Alexandria, where the fish was cut up and the pieces thrown into the water.
These fragments of cod became the other species of native fish, until the head remained and it was thrown back to continue being Ponde.
So after five years I have a greater appreciation for Hape's exhibition and the way he interpreted the Dreamtime story of the Murray Cod, by sharing fragments of his arts practice to inspire other artists.
There's always a variety of meanings to take from Dreamtime narratives and it's significant that Ngurunderi needs assistance from his family to capture Ponde, as well as his recognition that you can't eat all the fish.
Colour of my passion
My brother has a pair of Sansui speakers in his living room
They once belonged to my father, so I’m sure to leave everything as I found it in case it gets me into trouble for using it.
I also know how the speaker cover detaches from the cabinet holding the paper cones and it doesn’t take much imagination for me to feel the texture of their cloth on my mouth.
That fabric is rough against my lips and gums with a bitter taste like dust.
The speakers are over half a century old and I suspect they had a formative role in my life.
There are photos somewhere of my baby-self in another living room at that point when one does a swimming movement to cross carpet while developing the coordination to properly crawl.
I can remember the sunlight streaming through the windows onto the bookshelves, pot plants and a pair of blue couches that formerly belonged to my grandparents.
When I did become mobile I am sure that I moved toward the bright red shape and the sound it produced.
When I look around my own living room I can see multiple sets of speakers, as well as musical instruments and the paraphernalia that goes with recording them.
I ponder whether the red Sansui speakers created my obsession with recorded sound.
Light at the Museum
I walked into a training session yesterday and overheard someone say "he looks like a curator"
One of the best things about returning to work at the Museum has been the feeling that this is where I should be working.
Different councils do things differently, but the fact that I've done multiple training sessions and only just got past my employee probation is one sign of an organisation that invests in their staff.
One sneaky thing they did was to give me gifts when I completed that three-month probation.
I can recognise that unsolicited gifts generate goodwill, which is something council normally remind staff about for the risk of corruption.
The fact they are trying to use this technique in a way that produces a psychologically-demonstrated effect in employee behaviour is something that I can admire and revile in equal measure.
That's equal opportunity for you!
Return to portals
This is one of those Saturn Returns stories and begins with a dream in 2016
I had begun work as a curator and fell into a swine flu fever.
There was one sleep where I was walking among River Red Gums and saw human-shaped scars on the trunks, then realised people had gone through these doorways.
We spoke about the theme of relationships to the Riverina and she sent a letter of support.
When I told her about my dream, she laughed and said "You've been visiting my world."
It was thrilling to see her painting hanging in the Ngurambang exhibition and I hope it's the first thing you'll see when you enter the Gallery, from Wednesdays to Sundays until 20 August.
Something fishy
My museum has landed a whopping great big new exhibition!
Murray Cod are one of the largest freshwater fish in the world and an apex predator in the waterways where they live.
Their sculpture is accompanied with a colourful animation produced by Aunty Lorraine Tye that shows a Dreamtime legend from along the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers.
This exhibition shares a variety of perspectives on Murray Cod, as well as discussing First Nations and European fishing practices.
You can also read observations from John Oxley, Charles Sturt and Mary Gilmore, as well as learning why these fish make great fathers.
In recent years Murray Cod have become a premium aquaculture product that’s grown in our region and one that has developed from the research of John Lake, who the Narrandera Fisheries Centre is named after.
Come and meet Gugabul in the Irrigation Museum building at Griffith Pioneer Park Museum.
Jo will share insights at Griffith Gallery
Griffith Regional Art Gallery will host artist Jo Roberts during the Ngurambang exhibition, who will offer a school holiday activity during the opening weeks
Her enthusiasm for the opportunity is clearly evident in the time and preparations she is planning as part of the Ngurambang exhibition.
"I've been working on a series of activities for all ages and it will be good to bring these to Griffith's gallery," said Ms Roberts.
On Wednesday mornings during the school holidays Jo will be sharing the Beak Technique activity developed by Red Earth Ecology.
This activity promotes an understanding of the relationships between habitat and bird diets by discussing different species and their beak shapes.
"We'll be looking at the local species to learn what plants will bring your favourite birds into your backyard."
The worksheets are accessible to all ages and were developed through consultation with the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists and support from Western Riverina Arts.
"Kids are naturally curious about birds and our conversations will expand their knowledge about local species."
Ms Roberts will also be working in the Gallery on Wednesdays throughout the exhibition to provide insight into how her artwork facilitates an innovative investigation of history.
"I'm using the Cut-up Technique, which was developed by Dadaists in the early 20th Century as a way of revealing themes and illustrating thought processes," said Ms Roberts.
"I am encouraging visitors at the exhibition to select text isolated from documents about the Riverina, then placing these snippets onto a map of the region to develop a new understanding of established narratives."
Ms Roberts is one of a diverse cohort of exhibiting artists working in various media to reflect relationships with the landscape.
The group have been sharing insights between emerging and established artists as part of an informal development project that included a workshop supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW and Western Riverina Arts.
The Ngurambang exhibition runs from Saturday 1 July until Sunday 20 August with Jo Roberts attending the Gallery on Wednesdays to share her art practice and knowledge of local ecology.
- Explore Beak Technique from 11am to noon on Wednesday 5 and 12 July
- Learn how the Cut-up Technique investigates history on Wednesdays from 5 July to 16 August
Waste2Art
Can I waste your time?
I have a couple of contributions to share.
See the light in the land
The Ngurambang: Our Riverina exhibition aims to give viewers new perspectives on the landscape and to demonstrate some of the diversity of talent from creative practitioners working across the region
Griffith Regional Art Gallery worked with curator Jason Richardson to gather a group of artists from across the region for the current display.
"Viewers will find familiar scenes and they will also be challenged to recognise others.
"One of the greatest benefits in experiencing art is looking through another's eyes and this exhibition asked the artists to share their observations about an environment we all share.
The result offers insights into the diversity of creative practice across the Riverina while reflecting on individual interests in the landscape.
"The idea that art can help audiences build connections with the environment has been developing since I worked with Landcare and it's something I've explored through previous exhibitions, our not-for-profit Red Earth Ecology and also recorded interviews with artists and places," said Mr Richardson.
"We were supported by Western Riverina Arts to hold a workshop in Griffith late last year, where we compared perspectives and inspirations.
"The group comprises a dozen emerging, mid-career and experienced artists with various qualifications and we were able to share knowledge and build a vision for the exhibition."
For viewers the experience is rich with comparisons and contrasts from a variety of media that includes text, textiles, sound, painting, photography, found and manipulated objects.
"It was always going to be really exciting to see so many of my favourite artists in one place, so the workshop gave everyone a chance to meet and establish some rapport before they began jostling for space."
One of the first outcomes was that the working title of the exhibition was adjusted to reflect the traditional custodians of the land and waters.
"Pete Ingram's welded art practice is informed by Wiradjuri culture and it was his suggestion for Ngurambang to be part of the title, and we all agreed on the beauty of Wiradjuri Country and reflected on the impact of their management over many millennia.
"I recently learned the word "Ngura" means campfire and the addition of "bang" in Ngurambang intensifies that meaning to convey the notion of Country," explained Jason Richardson.
"Another of the artists is Associate Professor Christopher Orchard, who's investigations of the landscape have been a subject of postgraduate studies; and he shared that the intense campfire evoked in Ngurambang is not superficially a home/house or campfire, but home with all of its relationships.
"It's that idea of exploring the relationship to their landscape that's been driving me to seek collaborations with these artists.
"In sharing their Riverina-based practices they are bringing light from their studios that reveals new details in the landscape."
One of the first artists recruited was Christopher Haworth from Talimba, whose en plein air paintings soak up the dust as he records remnant bushland.
Leeton-based artist Jo Roberts brings a new perspective to local history with her use of a Dadaist technique that cuts and reassembles text.
Dr Greg Pritchard has been a prominent advocate for the arts in the region and he shares a project to record the length of the Murrumbidgee River, which has been developing and was part of an exhibition in Canberra last year.
"Marita Macklin's embroidery skills are blossoming and there will be much more to see from local names as well.
"I feel it is important to help connect people with the environment for the demonstrated benefits to mental health and to educate about the distinct beauty of our region," said Jason Richardson.
"We are all part of the Country and our livelihoods depend on recognising our role to preserve it for future generations."
Ngurambang: Our Riverina is supported by Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Red Earth Ecology, Western Riverina Arts and Create NSW through funding from the NSW Government.
Selfie season
The other week I had a feeling that I should take a photo of myself
It seemed a weird urge at the time, then I noticed a couple of selfies in my Facebook Memories.
When I mentioned this to my partner, she observed that this must be the time of the year that I feel unseen.
That interpretation didn't sit easily with me, but then I noticed increasing numbers of self-portraits in my Memories.
And then I began pondering the stuff my friends are posting.
What if this is the season for selfies?
As we spend more time indoors and have less time to be active in the sunshine, maybe it's a quick boost to mood and then an ongoing stream of likes from friends.
In other news, I have returned to Facebook to undertake social media duties for work.
It's still a battle with weird experiences like losing access to a page and finding all of the directions to restore it are out of date.
Yet there's still a massive audience to reach and increasingly I enjoy the opportunity to make seasonal observations about myself, as well as seeing the cute things my kids did in previous years.
Leeton Memories concludes
The final instalment in Red Earth Ecology's Leeton Memories project brings together two prominent local women
"My interests now include designing for theatre so I'm treating the display as a small set," said Mrs Arel.
"A lot of what I've included are scenes from nature and the social aspects that unite people.
"I made notes and focused on her early childhood, particularly the red dirt and when she talked about Parkview, like climbing trees in the scrubby setting prior to the School being built."
Viewers will be able to listen to Julie's memories via audio-streaming linked in the QR code shown in the window of the Leeton Community Op Shop.
"I thought I'd be working on it earlier this year, but I'm glad this exhibition came after a history unit that I recently completed.
"Memory is not exactly how it happened, so I'm layering old and new. I find it interesting to think how memory works, the way things that mightn't have been a great experience become lessons of resilience over time.
"Originally my intention was to use chronological layers, but that's not how memory works. Every time you revisit that memory, it changes a bit."
The interview with Julie was conducted by Kathy Tenison of Storymaster Audio and collected details from throughout her life, including the Carlton Cafe that was next door to the current display and significant as the location where she met Paul Maytom.
The Leeton Memories project was developed by Red Earth Ecology as a way of bringing colour to windows on the main street and to prompt discussion of change.
"We're stoked that Cynthia joined in and are very grateful to the team at the Op Shop for the chance to use their location and its visibility within town," said Jason Richardson.
"This project has been a wonderful way to get to know people, as well as share some history of the region.
There's been a lot of support but I am particularly grateful for our host, the Leeton Community Op Shop, and great response from the community too."
One surprise was learning that the artist and subject already have a connection.
"Julie and I are actually related," revealed Mrs Arel. "Her dad and my grandmother were cousins and she went to school with my aunty, so the places she talks about are those I've heard about or visited.
The reframing of the familiar in new ways has always been central to the appeal of looking at art, which can also build empathy by letting viewers see through the eyes of another.
"It's an opportunity to think about things from a different angle and to view things from a perspective other than my own, " agreed Mrs Arel.
The project is also a platform to demonstrate a spectrum of creative activity in the Shire.
"It's important to present the variety of art as a way of showing what can be done, especially for younger people. People will say what they like or not, but it's helpful to broaden their view."
Leeton Memories is supported by Western Riverina Arts and Create NSW through funding from the NSW Government.
Lend a hand
One of the fun things about working in a museum is exploring storage areas
Encounters
Last year I joined a project writing about regional museums
Orana Arts ran this project and the mentorship was stimulating, then they asked if I'd design a cover.
I thought the image of a telephone switchboard worked as a metaphor for the connections being formed.
The Talking Cure
Even more excited to discover one of my Junto videos was part of an exhibition in France!
Voice referendum
One theme has been sovreignty and seems to me this will be one of the first topics the Voice will discuss and it's clear the referendum does not diminish that issue in promoting a treaty being established with Australia's First Nations:
"All members of the Expert Group agreed that the draft provision would not affect the sovereignty of any group or body."
Come as you art
Today I had an "open" studio for the Art Trail around Leeton Shire
I'd installed my Organ Donor sound sculptures in the front yard and could overhear a few comments from people passing on the street.
It was a last minute decision to set up a studio, since I wasn't sure I'd have any visitors.
A couple of people came to have a look and I amused myself by recording this cover of Nirvana.
Historic cars
Unleaded
I like the drop-shadow on the older text.
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