Reflections

Light Show

2010-09-07T17:03:00.003+10:00

My bedroom is really small and painted an ugly mustard yellow that was meant to be trendy and ‘Mediterranean’ in the 90’s but in reality makes the room feel like a cave. However, the yellow has one benefit: every afternoon as the sun sets a light display slides its way up the wall opposite my bed. Once it hits the mirrors there it then bounces back onto the opposite wall and the show continues.

A room of my own

2010-09-02T23:55:00.000+10:00

I’m in Brisbane. Yesterday I moved back into my room after being ‘roomless’ but not homeless for three weeks. I love having my own space. It didn’t take long to set my room up and make it ‘mine’ again. I quickly filled it with my favourite books, art supplies, photographic prints for the walls and a few memory holding objects that had been stored in the garage.
For a while I rebelled against keeping any kind of non-useful object (a difficult head space to be in considering as an artist I make objects that could be considered non-useful) but I’m realizing that for me these items are containers for memories, reminders of ideals or carriers of something intangible to be held onto. I only have a few on display - a small plastic coated photograph depicting a typical scene in Berlin given to me by my Berlin sister, a key chain with the virgin Mary on it, two small Ganesh statues (one purchased in India, the other purchased in Germany), a handmade box filled with stones and shells and a few other personal items to remind me of what’s important. What each object carries within it is only for me to know.

Exhibition Afterword

2010-07-30T01:13:00.009+10:00

The exhibition of my Devices project last Saturday night went much better than I could have imagined.

The show opened at 6pm with the official screening of the slideshow just after 7pm. The first screening was set to music and afterwards the images looped silently. There were a total of 69 images in the show, 17 of which were displayed on the Ida Nowhere walls. Fellow Australian and talented singer/ songwriter Waywardbreed performed in the Ida Nowhere basement which added to the fantastic atmosphere of the evening.

It was very well attended, much more so than I had anticipated. I enjoyed speaking with many, many people about their ideas, getting feedback and hearing anecdotes about things they had observed. For me, it was really important that I get feedback from people. I not only wanted to present the work, I wanted to hear from people what they thought about the ideas surrounding it. I wanted to know what other people thought about how owning these devices and being constantly 'on' affects us. Afterwards I made notes from what people shared with me and I also had a book where people could write down their ideas and comments.

I enjoyed myself so much that I didn't leave Ida Nowhere until around 11pm and that was only because the hunger pangs forced me too (I was too busy to enjoy the Vokü though I heard it was indeed tasty). Overall, I was very happy with the evening and the feedback I received and I'm already thinking about ways I can take the ideas behind it further.

Here are a few images taken during the preparations and during the evening:

Image by Edgar Maximillian Khandzratyan

Image by Steven Conway

I have more that I want to share about this project but for now this will have to do as this evening I head to Poland (a short 1.5 hour train ride away) to dance my feet off at the Woodstock festival. I only have one week left before I head back to Brisbane and I intend to make the most of it.

Final Preparations

2010-07-23T10:08:00.013+10:00

Mette with phone, from Devices 2010.

It's raining outside, but it makes a nice reprieve from the heat of the last few days. Berlin is hot, hotter than usual, and the Berliner's aren't used to it like Brisbanite's. Most haven't considered the possibility of purchasing a pedestal fan let alone install air-conditioning. It makes things sticky, it makes my mind slower, but I balance that out with copious amounts of hot black tea. I am sensitive to caffiene so it works wonders and I have a silly theory that drinking the hot liquid makes me feel cooler on the outside.

I am in the final stages of preparing my exhibition that opens this Saturday. It is a one night only show, to be honest, I hadn't actually considered having a longer show. I consider the exhibition to be more like an event where I can share my ideas and encourage debate.

Ida Nowhere is an artist run project space. Most Saturday's they have musicians or experimental projects taking place there. They serve a Vokü - a home-cooked meal, usually vegan, available for a small donation - and have a casually run bar with very cheap beverages. The furniture is charming old and worn but very comfortable vintage couches, tables and chairs. The space is free, the artists that run it very relaxed and helpful, and I have full control over how I present my show. This is really exciting. It's the first solo show I've presented outside of a gallery and completely on my own and I'm really enjoying the autonomy and challenge of it.

I am also excited that during the evening Australian musician Waywardbreed will be performing in the basement of Ida Nowhere. So it's going to be quite an evening.

Today I finalized the slideshow that I will be projecting on the night. It took me a lot longer than I expected and I did a lot of experimenting with slide length, transitions and image order, treating the show as a creative piece in itself. I didn't want it to end up looking like a high school slideshow you find on YouTube. Music choice was also critical and I'm still not 100% sure I've made the right decision. Conceptually I think it would be better to leave the show 'silent' as the project deals in part with how we use music to escape from the world but aesthetically music can enhance the overall feeling I am trying to evoke with the images.

Initially I'd planned only to project images but with so much wall space available I ended up printing 17 images to hang. I am glad I did. I was so excited to pick up the prints from the lab yesterday. I had a friend come along with me to help carry them home and it was a fantastic feeling to see the images for the first time as large prints and have someone to share that moment with. I can't wait to see the images on the wall. I am generally highly critical of my prints, inspecting every part to make sure there is the right amount of detail present. In this series I deliberately wanted to destroy some of the detail in the blacks and highlights and while the traditional purist in me scowled a little for not doing things 'the right way' the conceptual artist was jumping up and down in excitement.

I'm also finishing my artist 'statement', clarifying and refining what I want to communicate about the work. I have pages and pages of notes, image references and quotations and cutting it down to a simple, coherent statement is taking time. It's also difficult as the effect our devices have on our lives is such a debatable topic- there are so many obvious benefits that to be standing up and being the voice that says there may be a darker side to these things is a little bit scary. I am finding that the more I think about the relationship we have with our devices the more it seems to tie into a lot of fundamental themes such as alienation, freedom and, ultimately, the search for meaning.

For now, I've still got thirty-nine hours left to prepare, and plenty more tea.

2010-07-21T00:29:00.008+10:00

"Art may be practiced in one way or another, so that it reinforces the ego in its likes and dislikes, or so that it opens that mind to the world outside, and outside inside."

-John Cage

Busily preparing for my show and about to run out the door to go check the test prints for it and do a personal shoot. Will be updating with more information soon. For now, here is one of my favourite images from the upcoming show:

I hope you also enjoyed the quote, I have been researching musician John Cage's ideas as I find them relevant to part of what I'm trying to achieve in this project.

You are invited

2010-07-19T00:47:00.009+10:00

Finally! As some of you know, late last year I photographed a new body of work. Previously somewhat elusive about it I am excited to finally announce the exhibition of this work at Ida Nowhere here in Berlin.

The Devices project aims to encourage debate about the effect our personal devices - phones, cameras, laptops, mp3’s - have on our relationships with other people and our external environment. No one can deny that we live in an age of access and are more closely connected to each other then ever before but this project aims to look at how these devices also cause disconnection and a shallower experience of our external world.

The show will be a combination of printed images and a digital projection.

The exhibition runs for one night only at Ida Nowhere, Donaustrasse 79, Berlin from 6pm-10pm. Official opening and screening is at 7pm.Hope to see you there!

Sunday Pause: A Short Walk

2010-06-13T23:45:00.005+10:00

Just a thought

2010-06-11T08:34:00.003+10:00

Well Hung

2010-04-16T20:55:00.004+10:00

This week is National Youth Week and I'm lucky enough to still be considered in that category. Some of my new work will be on display in the Well Hung exhibition organised by Vegas Spray. The exhibition is in King George Square and runs from 2pm - 7pm.

The complete artist list:

Angus Whelan, Nicola Morton, Felix Melchner, James Lyall, Yuki Nakano, Emma Bertoldi, Ella Peile, Lionel Jackman, Lucinda Wolber, Adelaide Short, Haylee Lee, Daniel Ford, Bettina Walsh, Rachel Marsden (me!), Alicia Williams, Emily Parker,Travis Dewan, Holly Leonardson, Alithea Josaphine, Ellen Stapleton, Tammy Law, Visual Monkeys.

Viewfinder Exhibition tonight

2010-04-16T14:54:00.006+10:00

The Second annual Viewfinder exhibition opens tonight at Nine Lives Gallery in Fortitude Valley. I love the community feel of this show, the fact that works don't have artists names on them, how everything is smaller than a 6x4, that it is open for all to submit and that all works have to be film based. What results is a gallery filled with hundreds of tiny images all mixed in together almost like a real live Flickr site where viewers can pick and choose what they like. Works are very affordable at just $10 each which, you might realize, barely covers the cost of the prints. However, I just love to be a part of it so I've submitted five of my Polaroid images.

These images were taken in 2008 and are part of a larger series of Polaroid's that explore chance and synchronicity in the everyday. I guess at the time I was questioning what it means to exist and wondered about fate vs. chaos and the possibility that magic (or that feeling of it) could exist. I never showed the series because I never found the answers but when I recently came across it again while going through my archives I was quite surprised by the darkness and sombre mood in a lot of images. They are certainly a reflection of the soul-searching I was doing at the time and while I didn't see it at the time I think the process of creating the images answered a lot of questions I had. I think this is a series that I will be returning to and expanding on.

The works are 5x4inches in size (including the white Polaroid edge) and will only be at the above price at the Nine Lives Gallery. However, I am making another five signed copies of each available for only $20 per print and only until the end of April. Contact me for further information.

140Hours Auction Updates

2010-02-12T11:08:00.008+10:00

I am very excited to announce that through the combined efforts of the artists and the fantastic work of 140Hours CEO Gary Brant, we were able to raise over $3500 to go to International Medical Corps and Doctors Without Borders through the Haitian Relief Auction initiative. My donated image 'Joy' is currently on its way to it's new owner in the USA. Thanks so much for your support!!

For the latest auction going live this Valentine's day weekend I have submitted two works:

'Lovers' from The Outsiders series. 16"x16" on stretched canvas (ready to hang).

Dalmatian in Paradise 2009. 18"x13" archival photographic print. Limited edition of 20.

On a personal note, life is pretty grand here in Brisbane, Australia. This weekend I am in Stanthorpe shooting a wedding which should be just amazing. I always enjoy the challenge of weddings as they force me to be creative on the spot and become totally involved in the moment. Lots of new things happening here so stay tuned!

Broken Windows

2010-02-10T20:21:00.003+10:00

A world stopped turning

2010-01-30T16:57:00.012+10:00

On the horizon of a world stopped turning the real world meets the dream world. Two sisters awake from a dream (or asleep from reality?) to find the sun frozen one point above setting. Time shifts or does not shift. It's hard to tell in silence. The older girl holds a book in her hand, remembers reading poems aloud in a car, words matching the winding country roads, driving towards nothing in particular. Recollections of the afternoon's tv shows, the smell of cabbage burning and the buzz of cicadas that matched the buzz of her computer screen hot from so many games. But how long ago was that? Her little sister watches in silence as she opens the book.

Perhaps the answers are inside. But she doesn't know the questions.

"The eyes are not here

There are no eyes here

In this valley of dying stars

In this hollow valley

This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms"

~TS Eliot

140Hours Haitian Relief Auction

2010-01-27T18:00:00.018+10:00

140Hours, the online art auction, is raising funds to help Haiti through a major auction taking place this Friday. Artists are donating works and 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the International Medical Corps. Here is some information from the website on how International Medical Corps uses the money donated:

"International Medical Corps' Emergency Response Team is on the ground in Haiti, focusing on providing lifesaving medical care and relief to survivors of this devastating earthquake. We need your help to work as quickly as possible while lives can still be saved.

$200 ships $2,500 worth of life saving medicines and medical supplies to help our Emergency Response Team provide critically needed care.

$100 buys water filtration systems that would provide clean, safe drinking water to at least 3 families.

$25 helps fully immunize one child under the age of 5 and protect him or her from illness.

$10 provides hygiene kits to 2 people to help protect them from sanitation-related illnesses, and provide a basic level of comfort and dignity.

The response draws on 25 years of experience in emergency settings, including last September's earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, and the massive 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

Already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti struggles with widespread poverty with 70 percent of its population living on less than two dollars a day."

This cause speaks for itself and I have donated my image 'Joy' from The Outsiders series.

It is printed on Canvas at 16x16inches and is stretched and ready to hang.

Bidding opens Friday 29th January at 9pm US EST (New York time) and goes for 48 hours. More information can be found on the 140 hours home page: www.140hours.com

If art isn't your thing (!!!) you can also donate directly by going straight to the International Medical Corps website.

This is a great way to help an extremely important cause.

On the Walls

2010-01-13T16:41:00.010+10:00

I love street art and it is one of the reasons I am drawn to Berlin as there is a different street art character, statement or design on every corner. Works by international and local artists such as Alias, Prost, El Bocho, Kripoe & Bimer can be found all over the city, particularly in Kreuzberg*.

Photography displayed on the streets, however, is harder to come by. Perhaps this is because it is too easy to identify people from a photograph or perhaps because it is just too 'real'.

The closest things I've seen (apart from one small row of photographs on a Neukölln side street) are stencils made from photographs. So, on my last day in Berlin I was delighted when I came across this very open air exhibition of photojournalism on the wall of the Rauchhaus in Kreuzberg.

The images themselves are depictions of violence, brutality, despair and political passion. Not your usual public art display. There are no descriptions of exactly what the images depict so the viewer is forced to make up their own mind about the images. Painted below one of the images is a website address for the artists. There I discovered that the work was by a group of French photojournalists called Bon Pied Bon Oiel (Good Foot Good Eye) and they had exhibited this series of images in several other cities as well. The work was displayed in Berlin as part of 'The Knot Festival' in May 2009 so it is lasting quite well. Despite (or maybe because of) the graphic content of the images there is very little evidence of vandalism.

I am very interested in alternative ways of showing work and what I like about this exhibition is that it is uncensored and engages with the real world, rather than only being available to people with time to visit a white-walled gallery. Being on the street it is ready for a conversation- people can manipulate, vandalize, write on, add to or destroy it. It isn't precious.

* Berlin Street Art Safari by Kriebel (blog post) is an excellent starting point for learning more about the Berlin street art scene.

Reflections on Reflections

2010-01-08T05:21:00.012+10:00

I am delighted to announce that one of my favourite images is going up for auction in a few hours. My image, simply titled, 'Reflections I' was photographed in 2007 and in 2008 was part of the series that won me '2008 Queensland Photographic Artist of the Year'. The series is the first one where I really felt I was starting to get somewhere with my art in terms of exploring ideas and themes.

Again, like many of my other works, I was heavily influenced by my dreams. Most of my dreams are set in the twilight hours, often overcast, heavy, brooding. I wanted to create this feeling of dramatic tension, a feeling that the apocalypse is either nigh or has just passed, a sense that time is standing still and the future and the past are captured in one moment. Reflections was an exploration of impermanence, of decay and the transient nature of time.

The work was shot in a car yard belonging to a friend's father (their back yard really) and I was intrigued by the histories embedded in each car. The friend told me stories about who the cars had belonged too - there were stories of death and violence as well as youthful exuberance - the kind of stories that can only be told of lives in small country towns.

I began shooting the work spontaneously. I remember being completely transfixed by how many reflections and layers were perceivable on the many surfaces- windows, mirrors, glass. I could see what was in front of me, behind me, beyond the car on the other side and various angles of reflections. I used the camera to flatten and capture what I saw. What greatly interested me was the trees that overshadowed the abandoned cars. They seemed to signify that 'this too shall pass' and I was reminded of the battle between nature and the man-made. Here it seemed nature was winning as the cars were rusting over and filled with spiders (I'm sure some also had snakes living in them). As I photographed I remember feeling my brain switch from one state to another- my pulse quickened, my senses were heightened and everything outside me, the camera in my hands and what I was looking at ceased to exist. I was completely in the moment.

Through critiques of this work I was introduced to the work of Bill Henson (recently famed for having his work censored in Melbourne 2008). I fell in love with the way he used light, particularly twilight with its sense of impending darkness. His works, to me, also have that sense of a captured dream. Future works were influenced by what I found in his images.

One image in the series is the reflection of a young male in an abandoned television set. I was interested in the confusion that the double shadow caused adding to the dream-like quality of the images. The male is Joseph Campbell's Fool, the mythological archetype present in so many narratives, the hero that represents humanity.

I have been asked whether the works were created in Photoshop - some people assumed that I had layered images of trees onto the cars - but no, the images are as shot with only basic adjustments to colour and contrast in Photoshop as is usual.

Reflections I (top image) goes up for auction at 9pm EST 8th January and ends 9pm January 10th (48hours). The opening bid is $150US - only in the auction will it be available at this price (Normal price $260US). It is numbered 1 of 20 and is printed on Archival Photo Rag paper at a size of 45x30cm (approx 18"x12").

To bid click here (clear your cache if the wrong image appears)

To view the rest of the series click here

The Year that was 2009

2010-01-01T00:28:00.017+10:00

It seems an impossible task to describe how amazing this year has been, even harder as my concentration is constantly broken by exploding fireworks as Neukölln residents get warmed up for tonights celebrations. It is still daylight and the snow is thick on the ground.

I guess I will start at the beginning...

Sunrise New Year's Day. I sat on a hill along with hundreds of hippies, free spirits and music lovers at the Woodford Folk Festival. Cheers went up as the sun broke over the horizon and metres from me a male my age, stood up sky-clad and blew on a traditional horn. Laughter followed at the unexpected act. This was the start of my year.

A week later I was on a plane to India, somewhat nervous as it was so soon after the Mumbai attacks. My sister and I were there to participate in a program called 'Discover Your Potential' run by the Girl Guides & Girl Scouts Association. There we worked with an orphanage. 36 children aged between 3 and 16 lived in one small room watched over by one very caring lady. We brightened up their room with a wall mural which I helped to design and invited them to the Guide centre where they were able to play games and go swimming- something very unusual for them. We also built a garden at Ishwari, a women's centre in Rural India and there I met Sister Rosaria whom I wrote about earlier.

Above: Outside the Orphanage after sanding off the existing paint to make way for the mural

Above: Helping at a Creche. It was here I learnt the shocking differences between education of the rich and poor and especially how poorly educated girls are. School is free in India yet uneducated parents still don't think it important to send their girls to school. The girls will only get the very basic education that the creche provides.

For the following months I was very active in Girl Guides and this was very fulfilling and also challenging. Highlights were taking our Unit camping, Leadership training, canoeing training and giving talks along with my sister about our experiences in India at major Guiding events.

A long held goal was to have an exhibition at the Queensland Centre for Photography and this was achieved with the exhibition of my series Archimedes Field in July.

Two days after the opening it was off to Europe with my partner for a six week journey around almost all the major European cities. The highlight by far was the nine days spent in the Greek Islands. I have never laughed so hard in my life or had so much silly fun. I met many wonderful and intelligent people and it seemed like there was never going to be a tomorrow, that the fun would never end.

Above: Paros, Greece

I had planned to settle in Frankfurt Main with my partner but I was restless there and things weren't going well between us. Another thing that bothered me was that in the six weeks we had travelled we had met mostly only Australians. I knew the remedy to this and headed off on my own to Poland and Couchsurfed with locals who were kind, generous and gave me a truly honest experience of Poland (the good and the bad). I even hitchhiked from Lublin to Warsaw with one of these hosts which was something I never thought I would do.

After that I headed to Berlin and if you have read my blog you know the rest. Berlin feels like home to me for a million reasons.

I had my first white Christmas in a small town in Germany and I could easily describe it as a story book Christmas: Snowmen, snowball fights, piano playing while the dog warmed itself by the fire, games of charades, cookie baking, singing songs around a real Christmas tree. As an Australian who has no memory of seeing real snow (apparently I saw some at 6months old) it is very exciting for me. I am very grateful to my friend and her family for allowing me to share in their Christmas celebrations.

Above: A few Christmas moments, Armenian Cognac, peace and our snow woman

Some of my favourite moments where I knew I was truly alive:

Rickshaw riding in Pune, India. Enough said.
Canoeing on a lake on a moonlit night along with many other strong and independant women. The lake was so calm that the stars were reflected in the water.
Cliff-jumping at the Isle of Paros (Greece). I am petrified of heights but I did it anyway and I did it WRONG despite being told that it was impossible to get it wrong. I smacked into the water on my thigh and it was the worst pain and probably the most hideous injury I have ever done to myself but I got up and did it again the right way.

Above: My spectacular Cliff Jump and the accompanying bruise just as it was starting to come up. Later it went black.

In the Greek Islands, at 4am in the morning running home from Ios party central to the camp and falling backwards down a hill because of the stupidest thing I ever did (but I'm keeping that a secret). I landed safely in some thorny bushes but still laugh when I think of it. Life must have it's comedy!
At the summit of a mountain in Zakopane, Poland- drinking Wodka with two Polish Policemen.
In Warsaw, Poland. At 7:30 in the morning I sat on a park bench, a little bit lost but feeling truly free, more free than I have ever felt before. I had just two small backpacks and no plans at all. At that moment I didn't have any agenda for the future, I didn't know where I would sleep that night or even what city I would sleep in. I was completely alone and completely happy. I realized that I never wanted to have as many 'things' as I used to. It is true that what you own owns you. I think that was also the moment I decided to move to Berlin and pursue my creative ambitions.
Walking around Berlin alone at 3am in the morning, getting lost in the Red Light District, drinking Prosseco with random Germans who tried to give me directions all the while feeling 100% sure of myself that I could find my way home.

The year has not been without it's pain. I find myself single for the first time in eight years after a five and a half year relationship had a slow, pro-longed and painful death. But it is for the best and we still remain friends.

In November I challenged myself with a new project exploring alienation and technology. For the first time I photographed people for a conceptual work. I was previously too shy to do so despite the fact that I am also a wedding and portrait photographer. But more about this project in the new year.

2009 has been a year of intense personal growth for me and I have become much more independant than I ever have been, much more self-assured, much more honest and much more determined to live my life my own way and not by anyone else's standards.

Above: Happy, ferry from Ancona to Greece

Yes, I think 2009 has been the best year of my life.

Here's to saying yes to dreams and a wonderful 2010!

Happy New Year!!

Sunday Pause: Our Greatest Fear

2009-12-21T00:09:00.008+10:00

Image: Grow little plants, grow. The view from where I am currently sitting.

Our Greatest Fear

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,

but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,

gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.

It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give

other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.

~Marianne Williamson from her book 'A Return to Love'

Image: The view from the window here is of an apartment building/ creativity centre vibrantly painted with a lighthouse. Taken November, before all the leaves had fallen.

Goodbye Kaulsdorf

2009-12-18T01:07:00.005+10:00

The Journey Continues

My bags are packed. It seems only yesterday I was unpacking, full of excitement, creativity and determination. The choice to move is sudden but I like that. I am going to be house sitting for a generous friend in another, much more central, part of Berlin.

I will miss this place. I have learnt a lot about simplicity here. I had one room which served as kitchen, office, bedroom, living room. The tiny bathroom sink I shared with another girl also served as the place I did my dishes. Due to very limited equipment and no fast food nearby I cooked only simple meals and my health has improved because of it. Cereal for breakfast, salad for lunch, chicken & mixed vegetables for dinner. Fruit, nuts and yoghurt for snacks. Tea, lots of tea.

In the mornings I would wake up and stoke the fire in order to have warmth for the day. There is no TV, though I haven't watched much television since I was a child anyway. At night I could hear the squirrels rustling in the ceiling and watch the stars through the skylight above my bed.

I have accumulated very little since I have been here- art supplies, a few books and some winter clothes. Home in Australia I was known for hoarding things. I could easily fill any inch of space with 'things' that I 'might' use again one day. It is wonderfully freeing to have so little.

Today I went for one final walk to the lakes. I mentioned earlier that I had never seen real snow before. Well, today I was gifted with snow, lots of it, enough to cover the ground and the cars and to tickle my nose when I walked through it. A pretty good goodbye present I think.

I may be leaving Kaulsdorf sooner than expected but I definitely got what I came for.

Jetstream

2009-12-15T06:09:00.003+10:00

Just a quiet moment in Berlin.

This image reminds me how wonderful it is to have creative friends. I have been a photographer since I was twenty-one and taking photographs comes second-nature to me. I have my own way of seeing things and it shows in my pictures. On the afternoon this image was taken I was with three other creative types whom I now consider to be very good friends. We spontaneously decided to go for a wander and take photographs together. Seeing the images the others were taking inspired me to rethink how I compose my images, perhaps by incorporating more angles. In this image I feel I have combined my own sense of capturing a gentle moment in time with a more angle driven composition that is not my usual style.

I am very appreciative of the opportunities I have to learn from my friends.

This image also reminds me that one of these talented friends is leaving Berlin in two days to go home. Bon Voyage Steven! I'm sure we'll meet again soon.

Sunday Pause: Promise Yourself

2009-12-14T03:19:00.012+10:00

Promise Yourself

"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel like there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living person you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

~The Optimist Creed

I was in Grade 8 or 9 when my Art teacher gave us each an A3 sized printout of The Optimist Creed. It was on plain paper, in black and white with a decorative border. Thirteen years later, I still have it, although it is a little worse for wear. I can almost quote it by heart. In such a simple gesture that teacher has greatly influenced my life. Thinking back on who she was I am greatly inspired by how she lived her life and how she influenced her students. She taught us to be strong, independant, to appreciate beauty and to give 100% in everything we did for our own sake and no one else's. She taught by example.

On the outskirts of my home town on old sheep-grazing property she created the most beautiful rose garden with hundreds of varieties of roses, meandering paths and creeks. Visiting there one could feel (and still can) the love that went into creating it. By the time I was in grade 11 she had remarried and moved somewhere far away and I never had the chance to thank her. Nor could I realize then the impact such small gestures would have on my life.

Image: Butterfly in Bruges, Belgium, July 2009.

Berlin Foto Labor

2009-12-10T01:33:00.003+10:00

I must admit I am a bit of a geek and more than a little precious when it comes to having my images printed. So I was very apprehensive about picking up 'Dew' from the lab today. There is quite a financial outlay required to print large prints on the papers I like. If there is anything even the slightest bit wrong- a fleck, a scratch or the wrong colour balance then I have to get it reprinted. This preciousness can leave me out of pocket quite a bit. But I couldn't handle having a work of mine out there that was less than the best I could do. I lose sleep over these kind of things.

The lab I chose, however, has more than exceeded my expectations so I am not only relieved but also ecstatic at how well it has worked out. The print looks better than ever! There is an excellent gradation in tones from lights to darks, the blacks are not compressed (which is a problem with some papers) and there is just the right amount of contrast. Okay, so maybe this is more to do with the paper I chose but the labs set up and ICC profiles has obviously helped.

The lab staff were very helpful and treated my image with as much care as I would. My German is only basic so far but they could speak English well enough that we got by. I love the set-up. Eizo monitors, clean workspaces, proper viewing stations and white gloves for handling are very reassuring. It is also very convenient that I can upload and order images via their website though you can also drop images in personally. They print at 360DPI and provide ICC profiles for the highest quality image reproduction.

If you are looking for a lab in Berlin I can highly recommend Viertal vor 8. I think it is also a cute coincidence that they have an Australian kangaroo as their logo.
I hope to get more images printed there soon!

Jacaranda Love Goes Under the Hammer

2009-12-09T00:24:00.015+10:00

"...the balloons play out human emotions and human agendas. I allow them to be spontaneous, to fight or be still as their mood dictates. Like humans they get tangled up in each other, they feel lonely, they reflect on lifes mysteries and they dance for joy in the sunlight..." ~extract from artist statement.

Jacaranda Love is the second image going up for auction at 140 Hours of Fame. This image is from my 2008 series The Outsiders

The image to be auctioned is numbered no. 9 of 10 and is 20x20 inches. It is printed on Baryta archival photographic paper which is similar to traditional fibre based papers and has a superb dynamic range.

When I photographed this image I imagined the two balloons as a couple, in love and becoming ever more intertwined with each other. The Jacaranda blooms in late Spring and for many Australians on the east coast (particularly Brisbane & Grafton) is a joyful reminder of the coming of Christmas.

If you would like to know more about this image or series please contact me.

A few thoughts on becoming an Artist

2009-11-26T22:25:00.008+10:00

Click to view larger

Less than 48 hours after my exhibition opened at the QCP I was on a plane headed for Europe, ready for new adventures. It probably seems a strange way to do it but I'd already planned the trip before I was offered the QCP space.
The exhibition went well. I was thrilled with how many people came to show their support. I received the above press about the exhibition. The image 'Fog' was also featured in the arts page of the Brisbane News. I'd sold two prints before the exhibition even opened (thank you!). For a first solo exhibition I was very happy with how it went.

Now that I am finally (!!) working on a new body of work I have been reflecting on my career as an artist so far. It has not quite been a year since I graduated from university. A graduation that only just happened despite being in the top percentile for every subject I did bar the last one (it's a very long story). Two days before Christmas one teacher warned me 'You have no resilience Rachel. You will never make it as an artist unless you can develop some resilience'.

Well it has been almost a year and I feel like I am gathering strength as an artist. I feel like I have struggled with myself all year, at one stage I wanted to throw it all in, I felt like all the creativity had been sucked out of me and I hated the art world and all the incest within it.

The last two months have seen an exciting turn around. By working across multiple fields- writing, painting, photographing I have opened up new doors to ideas and new ways of working and existing. I have also, thankfully, moved beyond wanting to be someone else and stopped trying to imitate them although they still influence me and motivate me to work harder. It's taken a year to become independant. The hardest thing for me was to create work outside of University where I don't have a deadline or a teacher to give me a grade and give my work value. I am now my own judge.

I've still got a long way to go, I'm still in the starving (and slightly insane) artist category. For that I am keeping one word in my head at all times: Resilience.

I've currently got hundreds of images to sort through for my next series. For the first time I've photographed people - a major step outside the comfort zone of a born and bred introvert. I'm exploring ideas that I am not passionate about but rather completely intrigued by, which is far more interesting. I feel like I am poking my fingers into something intangible and it is wonderfully fun and satisfying. I am interested in the artist as a scientist, as a researcher exploring ideas that can't yet be expressed verbally. It's a nice feeling to be consumed by my work again.

Under the Hammer, Virtually!

2009-11-25T04:14:00.015+10:00

Exciting news! My image 'Dew' from the Archimedes' Field series is going up for auction with 140 Hours of Fame. 140 Hours is the first online art auction to use Twitter and is described as "re-inventing the art auction business and making it ready for the 21st century". It is held by the New York based Galerie Saint George. Their first auction held in early November was a great success and I'm excited to be a part of the second.

"140 Hours:24" goes live this Friday 27th November from 12noon EST until 12noon Saturday 28th November. So 24 hours only! The starting bid for Dew is $300US, so this is a great opportunity to get your hands on one of the Archimedes' Field images.

The image for auction is numbered no. 7 of 10 and is 70cm x70cm (27.55x27.55inches). There are only seven remaining of this image. Last year 'Dew' was a finalist in the Clayton Utz Launch Scholarship and was recently exhibited at the Queensland Centre for Photography.

As part of a larger series examining impermanence and the cyclical nature of life Dew is the image that represents hope for the future.

The auction listing for Dew can be found here.

To find out about the bidding process click here or visit the auction home page here.

UPDATE: 'Dew' no. 7 of 10 sold for $300US to a collector in the US.

The Kaulsdorf Lakes

2009-11-07T22:26:00.006+10:00

Click images to view larger

Woke at 3:30am today. The moon was shining on my face. I never considered that the moon could wake me up. But after weeks of cloud and rain I was happy to see it. I left the house before sunrise. The streets were peaceful. The ground was frost covered. The air was a combination of mist and chimney smoke. I knew where I was going.

Three years left

2009-11-02T11:20:00.005+10:00

Last night I dreamed that everyone had numbers on their wrists that indicated how many years they had left to live. My wrist said three. Naturally I was concerned. Someone said to me that if I change right now I could change that number. Before my eyes appeared a table of organic fruits, vegetables and juices as if to say 'this is what will save you.'

Sometimes my dreams have no subtlety at all.

Progress Report #1

2009-10-29T07:29:00.012+10:00

It's been a week since my honesty blog post so I thought I would update with how everything is going so far.

Photography
I've been working on concepts for a new body of photographic work but this week I didn't make any progress on it. I'm at the point where I need to approach people but I'm so shy when it comes to this. I just need to do it.

After much consideration I have reopened my online shop and added new images to it. I'll continue to do so over the coming weeks.

Other than that everyday I have been going for regular walks in search of that 'magic moment'.

Oh yes! And I picked up a polaroid camera at the flea markets here in berlin and @roidrage gave me a fantastic tour of the city showing me where to get all my photography supplies from.

I'm also full to the brim on inspiration having devoured the Frankie photo album and then devouring blogs such as The Drifter and the Gypsy, Hei Astrid, Thumbelina and The Feather Circus (great poetry as well).

Writing
Going very well. I've almost finished another short story for the course I am doing. Just need to tweak the ending a little bit but should be done by the weekend.

I've been reading a lot of short stories to learn how the masters do it. For my birthday earlier this month my landlords gave me a book 'Best Australian Short Stories' full of the classics. It's as if they knew me. I also picked up a small book of Katherine Mansfield short stories ( 'The Garden Party' is one of her most well known pieces) which I just loved.

Received the comments back from my tutor for my first story and they were all positive with only a few punctuation errors to be fixed. Found a great magazine to submit it to but want to let the story sit for a few weeks in case I decide to make some changes.

Oh and I'm getting involved with the Forward Motion writing community again (after a six year hiatus). I've thrown myself in the deep end and tomorrow I will be joining a 48hr writing marathon where the goal is to write 5000 words in that time. I think it will be a great way to kill that dratted inner critic and have some real fun with my writing.

Art
This one is requiring a lot of work as I am out of practise. I've been doing painting exercises almost everyday and drawing regularly and I have already noticed a lot of improvement. I need to get materials though. I've been using the cheapest acrylics and brushes. I have plans for a series of paintings but I want to save up for the materials for these. I hope to create some small original drawings/ watercolours to help raise money for the materials I need for the larger pieces. Will continue working on these in the coming weeks.

Digging Deeper and giving more in all my work
Coming along slowly. I wish I could be just 'there' already but will just have to be content with taking baby steps and pushing myself further and further. (I guess they aren't baby steps then - no one pushes a baby that hard!)

Despite the fact that I seem so serious all the time I actually am enjoying all this hard work. It's very satisfying.

How is your week going?

Under The Table

2009-10-28T20:09:00.002+10:00

Keeping my head straight about everything I do and want to do is proving very difficult. A lot of time at the moment is taken up with planning and working out how I am going to manage it all. To be honest I think I spend too much time planning. I think it is an anxiety thing. I have been planning and re-planning and over-planning with lists typed into the computer, lists and writing in my journals, mind maps on large sheets of paper, planning everywhere! It's been a little excessive but I think I'm done now and ready to get stuck into everything. Time management is going to be essential. I am both the employer and the employee. I set myself daily schedules to work on each aspect of my work and the only hindrance to my schedule is feeling like 'it's not going to work' or 'this is too hard!' Shutting up that inner critic is so hard. Sometimes I just want to crawl under my desk and wait for the world to end. Today, for a laugh, and to get it out of my system I actually did. But I took some things with me, setting up a little sanctuary of objects that make me happy. It was quite fun and hilarious reminding me of when I was a kid and used to snuggle up with my toys and a book (usually 'Snugglepot and Cuddlepie' or 'The Muddle Headed Wombat') in whatever small space I could find.

Dusk Fog

2009-10-26T12:07:00.008+10:00

At dusk yesterday, I felt a stronger than usual urge to go for a walk with my camera. Perhaps it was a smell in the air, a feeling in the atmosphere, intuition or just restlessness but something was saying to me 'you have to be out there'.

With a vague idea of heading towards Biesdorf, a neighboring village I pass on the way to central Berlin, I began walking. Mostly I let my legs lead the way trusting my intuition.

The light was beautiful. It had been raining earlier in the day, there were puddles everywhere and a light fog. I began shooting intuitively not really looking for shots but feeling them instead. I intended to take the images home to study what it was I saw/ felt when I was in that moment.

I'd been chasing a tiny patch of illusive fog in some grass when I spied this field from a distance. It was one of those moments where my breath just left me.

I think I even gasped out loud.

Frankie, I Love You

2009-10-23T00:16:00.011+10:00

Today I heard my landlord place something against my door. He'd already delivered the days firewood and coal so I knew exactly what it must be. I flew to the door and immediately began ungracefully tearing open my package. My Frankie Photo Album had arrived!!!

Yes, Lara and Louise I do love, love, LOVE the Frankie Photo Album!!!

The experience of a book such as this can only be improved with a cup of tea such as Peppermint or in this case Chamomile.

Aha! Here I am on pages 70-71. My image looks pretty good I think!

The book is simply darling. Words I would use to describe it are: uplifting, inspiring, melancholic, funny, sad, quirky, sweet, odd, endearing, nostalgic and lovely.

With images from artists all over the globe it evoked a sense of connectedness that I haven't experienced in a photo book in quite a while. I was impressed by the careful curation by the editors with the images on each page working together wonderfully and a range of emotions experienced in peaks and falls throughout the reading of it. It is the kind of book I can come back to over and over and still find enjoyment, peace and inspiration.

I settled in with a cup of tea and went through each page slowly, taking in the artists comments on each image. The book feels nice to touch too which is always important for me. It adds to its overall deliciousness. When I finished reading it I let out a deep sigh of contentment, got up, picked up my camera and went outside and started photographing.

Now that is a good book!

I believe there are still copies of the limited edition book available here though I hear they are selling very quickly.

Here is the image that made it into the book:

Honestly, Really, Truly

2009-10-22T09:27:00.011+10:00

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too"
-Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I've been painting, writing and organizing a new body of photographic work.

Yesterday, I wanted to throw in the towel. I'd had enough of cold weather, of bad tasting water, isolation and the long travel distance to the city. But in reality the real problem was that I'd had enough of feeling like there was no point in doing what I was doing and that I may as well give up.

My inner critic dogs my every step. 'Oh that's terrible', 'God, it's going to take you forever to get good at this, if you even get good'. 'You'll probably always be mediocre' 'Why bother trying. Just give up, go home and get a normal job' 'You are hurting everyone you know.' 'Everyone will see you as a failure because you don't work a real job and you're not earning any money' 'You're not working hard enough' and so on and so on ad nauseum. I don't know where this inner critic comes from but it drives me nuts.

At that crucial point where I was ready to give up Hazel Dooney published her blog post A Point Just Passed. It turned me back up the right way again with a realization that I need to commit to my dreams even more than I already have. Until now, there has always been an escape plan, the opportunity to save losing face but I know from experience that until one fully commits it is true that there is hesitancy. An unwillingness to give 100% to the work just in case it goes wrong and someone (being me in this case) looks like a fool. I want to pass that point of no return now.

Over the last few years I've gradually committed more and more to this dream. I've worked hard. I've had many successes. But one thing is missing. Honesty. The honesty that comes with confidence I don't yet have.

Art requires honesty and that scares me. If I'm to be truly honest I might stick out like a sore thumb. People might realize I don't conform to what is normal. I might make mistakes publicly, I might change my mind and then look inconsistent. People might criticize my actions. So many 'if's'. But if I am to commit to this (and I am) I have to be honest even if I'm not confident.

I want to be an artist. I want to work with new ideas and concepts. I want to be a writer. I want to say what I think. I want to make a difference. I want to do what I want to do. And I want to be good at it. Most of all, I just want to be me. I'm only here on earth for a short time and I want to make what I do count.

Conversations I've had with various people - actually everyone, especially myself - have left me feeling awkward and uncomfortable because I wasn't being completely honest. I'd tell people that I'm looking for a job here in Berlin or I'd dodge the truth and joke that I got lost on my way home. I'm not here to get a job. I am here to give my dreams a go. Kaulsdorf is the distraction free work space. Berlin is the dream city, swirling with creative energy that I go to for inspiration and ideas.

Honestly, I am in Berlin to be the only thing I can be. An artist.

Images: Autumn in Kaulsdorf-Berlin isn't bad really.

Dr. Sketchy's Berlin

2009-10-20T03:23:00.005+10:00

As many of you know, two weekends ago I went to the Dr. Sketchy's Berlin life drawing class. Today, the photographs from Dr. Sketchy's have just been uploaded. Nina Zimmermann from SweetsnFreaks did a fantastic job of photographing the event.

Check out the images from the session here:

Dr. Sketchy's Berlin Gallery 10th October 2009

There is even a picture of me in there looking rather chequered (complete with serious expression and double-chin). I don't look quite as glamorous as the babe wearing the pasties.

The next Berlin Dr. Sketchy's is November 14th and I'm definitely going. Hopefully will get some much better drawings next time round!

Come with me if you are in Berlin, if not, check out if there is a Dr. Sketchy's in your city :-)

Home is Where the Heart is (Heart's in Kaulsdorf)

2009-10-05T17:33:00.004+10:00

I think I dreamed my room into existence. While travelling through Poland, I imagined a room with lots of light, space and a large desk. This was the first room I looked at when I arrived in Berlin and it was perfect. There is a little fireplace (that I'm already using) and a wonderful skylight where I can see the stars and passing clouds from my bed if I lie in just the right spot. It is large enough that I can do yoga of a morning. I'm realizing how badly I need to get back into my practice (my poor hamstrings!).

In the afternoon I might bundle up and go for a walk to one of the nearby lakes and take some photographs. My first explorations yesterday led me through fields past many people, old and young, taking advantage of the wind to fly multi-coloured kites.

My home is about twenty-five minutes by train from the centre of Berlin, in a 'village' called Kaulsdorf, which for some people will seem a long way but it's perfect for me. I love catching the train home from the city. Colourful grafitti on high rise apartments gives way suddenly to autumnal trees and I feel like I am in the country again. I grew up in a small town so it feels nice to be surrounded by trees and peace. The bird-watcher in me has re-awakened with new to me species all around this area. Here I have the best of both worlds: peace, tranquility and nature as well as the creative energy of Berlin within reach.

Accustomed to the mild to hot climate of Brisbane, I am ill-prepared for the Berlin weather and have already made several trips to the well known second-hand clothing store Humana, but it will be an experience for sure. Apparently Kaulsdorf often gets snow in the Winter so I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing real snow for the first time.

This room will be my creative hub for the next few months and creative things are already happening with my first short story in a long time almost complete, two more to start, multiple drawings made and photos from my travels already being edited. And this is just the beginning.

Published!

2009-09-29T03:45:00.026+10:00

Exciting News! One of my Field Polaroid images is featured in the just released Frankie Photo Album.

"Designed to inspire anyone who's ever picked up a camera and delight those who just like looking at pretty pictures."

It is the first photo book Frankie magazine has published. It has been a long time goal of mine to get some photography between the Frankie magazine pages so to be in their book is simply wonderful.

The limited edition frankie photo album features the work (and thoughts) of over 100 photographers from around the world. If you like, you can buy it online at

http://www.frankie.com.au/subscribe for $29.95AUS

Dusting off the Cobwebs

2009-09-27T09:15:00.004+10:00

Image: 'Looking Up', view from the balcony of my temporary home in Berlin

For the last two months, up until last week, I have been travelling around Europe. It has been quite an amazing adventure particularly the last two weeks where I got the taste for travelling on my own.

Initially, I'd intended to settle in Frankfurt but after a week quickly discovered it was not for me. I headed off to Poland for more adventure. Last week I arrived in Berlin (my excuse being that it is easier to get to Berlin from Warsaw than to Frankfurt) and I fell in love. The street art, the (alternative) lifestyle/s, the galleries, the fact I can not speak the language and the friendly people have led to a love affair and I'm not leaving... for a while anyway.

My plan is to stay here for four months and begin some new creative experiments both with photography and also with mixed media and paint. Berlin is the perfect place to find inspiration. I am also finishing a small writing course that I began too long ago.

I have a hunger for adventure now and sitting still no longer feels right for me so I'm sure it is going to be a very exciting and productive four months!

Field Polaroid #7: The Party is Over

2009-07-19T10:28:00.009+10:00

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper.

-TS Eliot

Time to go, with the help of my little sister we released the remaining air out of the balloons so they could be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

It's ironic that I write this last Field Polaroid instalmant surrounded by storage boxes, my backback and ticket and accomodation details. It's the end of a chapter. Archimedes' Field was about deaths: deaths of relationships, of dreams and aspirations. But thanks to nature it became more about the cycles that occur. Today a chapter of my life comes to an end but tomorrow I'm leaving on a jet plane (sing with me now!) for Europe, and a new beginning.

The exhibition opened last night and was quite a success. I had so many of my friends and family there to support me which was just wonderful. I said a lot of my goodbye's there and saw a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time. Thanks for coming guys!!!

If you didn't get to the opening it will be showing until the 16th August and I'm in the window space so you can go at any time that suits you!

Anyway, I'd better get back to packing up my life now.

2009-07-14T21:19:00.009+10:00

AN INVITATION

You are invited to attend

Rachel Marsden's exhibition

ARCHIMEDES’ FIELD

Opening 5-8pm Saturday 18^th July 2009

Queensland Centre for Photography

Cnr Russell and Cordelia Streets

South Brisbane

www.qcp.org.au

Exhibition continues until 16th August

www.rachelmarsden.com.au

Field Polaroid #6: Fallen Fruits

2009-07-12T10:26:00.002+10:00

On the second morning they did not rise again.

Field Polaroid #5: They Rose Again

2009-07-05T10:20:00.000+10:00

As the sun warmed the balloons, the dew evaporated and the balloons rose one by one until soon they danced in unison. They became the antidote to a melancholy view of impermanence and a testament to the cyclical nature of the universe.

Field Polaroid #4: Art and Science

2009-06-28T09:33:00.013+10:00

Sunlight reaches out to touch the dormant dew-laden balloons. Longer blades of grass begin to sway in a light breeze.

Archimedes’ was the Greek scientist who discovered the principle of buoyancy. There is an infamous story of him leaping from his bath and running naked down the streets crying ‘Eureka’ when he noticed that water rose when he sat in his bath. The buoyancy principle applies equally to gases such as helium which are lighter than air. In this case the external pressure of oxygen forces the helium balloons upwards.

I think there are a lot of similarities between Scientists and Artists. Both require a creative, open and inquiring mind. Both have a natural curiosity. Importantly, both work with the future in mind. The products of both scientific discovery and art also give us a stronger sense of who we are and how we fit into the universe. Questions are not always answered, but sometimes raised instead.

If I wasn’t an artist, Science would be high up on my list of alternate careers. What I am currently loving is seeing a merge between art and science in the works of artists such as Walter De Maria, Nancy Holt, Renata Buziak, Stelarc and Patricia Piccinini. There are many, many more that I could add to this list. In fact, if you have a favourite artist that merges science and art or even a scientist using art, please let me know in the comments section.

Walter De Maria’s seminal work The Lightning Field is an interesting piece in itself. It is made up of 400 stainless steel poles spread grid-like across a field in the remote Western New Mexico. The work is apparently best experienced during a lightning storm as the poles become grounding points for the electricity. However, because of the remoteness and the strict conditions attached to viewing the work, very few people can actually experience the work. Photography is also restricted so it is not an artwork for the masses. While I like the idea behind this work which utilizes scientific knowledge I do have a many questions about its perceived value.

One work I found particularly fascinating, that blurred the boundaries between art and practical science, was a garden project set up on radioactively contaminated land. The ‘art’ project involved earth remediation through the use of selected plants that can absorb heavy chemicals such as mercury and lead. A small area was fenced off and divided into four squares with different plants in each to study the effectiveness of each plant. This garden art work was questioned as to whether it actually constituted as ‘art’ or if it was just a practical science project. The artist argued that it was the concept behind the work in renewing the contaminated land that made it art. I am very annoyed that I cannot remember the name of the artist who made this work! I came across it in a book last year while exploring the work of Nancy Holt. Always write these things down! *edit: thank you to the anonymous commenter for giving me the name. Mel Chin is the artist and the work is called 'Revival Field'. More about this work can be found here.* It is works like this one where the line is blurred that I find particularly interesting.

Speaking of Nancy Holt, this artist belongs to the Land art tradition, and I found her Sun Tunnels while researching for my Archimedes’ Field project. Her Sun Tunnels are four large concrete tunnels placed in the shape of an X. Each one has holes drilled into the top in the shape of various constellations. The tunnels draw attention to light and our relationship to the sun, the stars and the passing of time as the view changes constantly with both the time of day and the time of year. What I like about her many works are that they are useful, accessible and socially necessary as well as beautiful.

Renata Buziak’s Biochromes are stunning and unusual documentations of the decompositions of plants using photographic paper. She has developed a unique way for the photographic medium to interact with vegetation. Her work allows for nature to take over the process of creating the final artwork in a very intimate way.

I guess the similarities between these works and my own is that they all allow for nature to take care of the results of the work, they all have a basis in scientific knowledge and they all openly welcome chance.

Throughout the shooting of Archimedes’ Field I was constantly at the whim of the wind. I had initially imagined the balloons standing tall like sentinals but the slightest breeze would set them off in every direction. They often would dance around in seemingly illogical directions. Also, like the land artists, my work was firstly designed to be experienced in person and interacted with. It was a mini-installation for my family and myself to enjoy.

One of the most beautiful moments of the whole installation was when I sat amongst the balloons alone on the first night. The moon was shining and reflecting off the ivory balloons, millions of stars shone above, and all was quiet except for the occasional dog bark and night bird. Oh, and there was the sound of the balloons. It was incredible, I still remember the soft sounds they made as they bounced randomly into each other creating a surreal orchestra that was visual as well as aural. They were alive and communicating with each other and their song was sublime.

Field Polaroid #3: A Memory Plantation

2009-06-21T20:52:00.010+10:00

On the Saturday morning the balloons lie expended in the morning sunlight. My project is complete. At least that's what I thought.

I would like to share someone elses words with this weeks Polaroid release. When Archimedes' Field was first exhibited at the Circle Gallery last year the arts writer Nick Walsh kindly wrote the words for our catalogue. Here is his piece on Archimedes Field:

"Exploring the theme of impermanence, Rachel Marsden's work Archimedes' Field delves into the latent memories that pervade and structure a site. Marsden chose what was once her father's vegetable patch as a location for her installation. Residual physical reminders of what once occupied the patch of earth were present in the form of old garden taps, providing a link back to the original function of the area. In the installation Marsden inflated white balloons, placing them in rows in the vegetable patch. Taking on a ghost-like form the balloons appear to echo the veiled memories that lie beneath.

After initially installing the balloons in the pasture, Marsden returned to find the crop, as expected, deflated on the ground. However, when the sun rose and the day heated up, the balloons re-inflated, blooming like flower buds. Accompanying the photographs of Marsden's memory plantation is a video piece documenting this blooming, highlighting almost a physical manifestation of the impermanence she finds so enlivening as a focus for her practice. The balloons represent this tenuous presence through the very obvious hollow nature of their forms, reignited perhaps by the memories that fertilise the pastoral space."

Small Details

2009-06-18T08:18:00.014+10:00

I just finished adding the final touches to the first Field Polaroid prints going as gifts to collectors of my work. It is a delightful feeling to be packaging up something I created to give to people who love my work. People say that giving is always more enjoyable than receiving and it's true.

As with all my prints, each image is signed, numbered and dated with the print date. Usually this is on the print's verso as I can't use pencil on the front of a lot of the paper stocks I use. Pen is sometimes too visible and I feel this takes away from the image. The images are printed with a white border so they can be framed more easily and this also serves to protect the actual print edges from damage.

I check over every image multiple times in different lights before I send it out. The papers I use, though beautiful, often damage far too easily and I will have an image reprinted if it has even the tiniest scratch or fingerprint on it.

I keep a register with details of size, paper stock, edition number and contact details of the person each print goes to. This enables me to keep a thorough record of how many images from each edition are out in the world.

More than just a formal book keeping tool, though, my register is a collection of names of kindred spirits from around the globe and a reminder that I have been able to connect with people through my art.

Images: A lady hangs out her washing in Pune, India.

Floral wreaths, India. January 2009

Field Polaroid #2: Influences

2009-06-14T18:22:00.015+10:00

This is the second Polaroid out of seven to be released in the lead up to the Archimedes' Field exhibition in July. It was taken on the first afternoon just after the sun set. The balloons were full and bouyant and moved in unison with the slightest breeze. It was beautiful to watch.

Leading up to the shoot and even after it I did a lot of research into other artists who were exploring similar ideas to my own or who's work interested me. Eva Hesse and Andy Goldsworthy were key influencers in the development of my ideas.

Eva Hesse is of particular interest to me because of her minimalist creations and use of non-mechanical repetition. This is one of my favourite works:

Repetition Nineteen III, 1968 (click to view)

Apparently, she was not particularly happy with this work because she found it too beautiful and against her search for a “non” aesthetic. Despite this, I love the simplicity and repetition of the circular cylinders and the hand-made aspect of the work. I love the imperfect nature of it.

Most of her work was not made to last- she often used materials such as latex which she knew would deteriorate. She said her work was about ‘the process’, ‘a moment in time, not made to last’. I like that she see’s the impermanence of her work as an attribute rather than a flaw.

"She seems, in fact, to have been incorporating an anticipation of aging and, especially, the unknown into the creation of her art.” Elisabeth Sussman (curator of Hesse’s only solo show before she died).

Her anticipation of the unknown is an element I can relate to in my own work.

Andy Goldsworthy: I love the impermanent nature of the majority of his works and how they (often quickly) succumb to nature. This particular piece by Andy Goldsworthy captured my attention in the way the beauty of nature is documented and played with:

Extract from Rivers and Tides (click to view)

This scene in his documentary ‘Rivers and Tides’ is similar to what I hoped I have achieved in the Archimedes' Field installation. Goldsworthy spends many hours creating a beautiful dome of sticks, just next to the tide line. The documentary then shows an aerial view of the dome as the tide comes in and lifts and breaks apart the dome he has just created. In his documentary he talks about how his work is about the transience of life. He fights it by not trying to make permanent things but rather to accept and enjoy this transience.

Field Polaroid #1: How it came to be...

2009-06-08T19:15:00.016+10:00

Let us start at the beginning:

Several years ago I had a vivid dream about a red inflatable mattress floating in the air outside my parent’s home – the place where I spent my childhood. A pink sunset lit up the sky and I remember just watching this mattress hover, weightless for a long time. The dream perplexed me and I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

Last year, while studying, the opportunity to create an installation work presented itself. I wanted to recreate the surreal feeling I experienced in the dream so I decided to create a floating bed.

I spent a lot of time trying to make a pretty pink child’s bed that could be held up by helium balloons. Calculating the weight of the bed compared to how much the balloons would lift, then working out how many balloons I could actually afford and then how I would attach them and then photograph the bed without the balloons or strings visible was a very time consuming process that kept me awake long hours at night.

By then I knew I wanted to capture the rise and fall of the bed to illustrate the temporal nature of childhood dreams. However, something wasn’t right with my concept, it was too cynical and simple, trite and a little patronizing.

I wanted to express something about the impermancy of human life and dreams but combine it with a celebration of the constancy of nature.

I kept working away at this silly bed, then one day it just clicked, as these things often do, that a field of balloons would be a marvellous way to recreate that magical feeling I’d experienced in my dream. I had found a way to express my ideas in a more refined and subtle way.

However, when it came to the installation day, nature and science turned my concept into something more complex and much more beautiful. I had allowed for the unknown, even welcomed it but the results were totally unexpected…

To be continued...

Seven Weeks. Seven Images.

2009-06-07T18:00:00.013+10:00

To celebrate the upcoming exhibition of my Archimedes' Field work I am pleased to be releasing seven never before seen images taken over the course of that weekend. One image will be released online - on my blog and webpage - every week during the lead up to the exhibition with the final one released the day after the opening.

It was little known by anyone that in addition to the medium format film and digital images, I also shot Polaroid's. In contrast to the high quality of the original images these Polaroids, reproduced as prints, are soft, grainy and otherwise technically flawed. This lo-fi approach enhances the dream-like feel of the field- almost as though my original vision was scooped directly out of my unconscious brain and placed onto paper in all it's unrefined and messy glory. I love this and especially like the way they compliment and add to the original images and video work.

With the release of each image I will also be providing additional insight into how Archimedes' Field came to be and the thought processes behind it.

The first of the Polaroid prints are going as gifts to collectors and some very special people in my life (often these people are one and the same). The rest will be made available for collecting as they are released. If you would like to acquire one of these Polaroids (or any image from the series) please e-mail me. The Polaroid's are available in two small limited edition sizes:

| 8x8inch - 30 only | 5x5inch - 30 only (+2 artist prints of each size)

But, of course, you will want to see them first so please do return soon.

Archimedes' Field opens at the QCP on the 18th July 5-8pm. I shall be very pleased if you would attend.

Image: Dreams of Sapa

2009-06-06T23:30:00.011+10:00

A H'mong girl walks home through the fog after a morning of selling friendship bracelets and bangles to western tourists. Vietnam, 2007

The Red Balloon

2009-06-04T21:37:00.017+10:00

I recently released a series of images called The Outsiders - Soul-animals. These images explore balloons as metaphors for human emotions. A lovely collector who was the first to obtain one of these images said they reminded her of 'The Red Balloon'. I had never heard of it before but soon discovered that it was a 1954 French short film about a boy who finds a sentient red balloon.

The film is poetic and metaphorical.

If you have the time to watch (it's 34mins) you can view it here:

Click to view full screen, sit back with a hot cocoa and enjoy. If you do take the time to watch it I'd love for you to comment on it below.

Sacred Space

2009-06-03T17:54:00.008+10:00

It may seem odd but the place where I feel most connected to the world is a cemetery near my home. It is a large cemetery and quite beautiful, with rolling hills, well kept grass and tall, leafy trees. It's certainly not the gloomy, frightening cliché you might expect.

I recently went through a very emotional period. At one point, all I wanted was to be left alone so I could have a good cry. I got in the car and just drove - and I ended up at the cemetery. It was a late afternoon, and the setting sun's rays were touching the headstones with gold. I sat and gathered my thoughts, watching the shadows from the stone monuments lengthen. In the east, I could see a just-risen full moon. I didn't feel like crying any more. Instead, the stillness of the place seemed to soak right into my bones; I felt calm.

I got up and had a liesurely ramble, stopping to read dates, names and loving messages on the graves. I wondered about the lives these people had led and the relationships they'd had. Noticing the tragically short lives on some of the stones gave me a much-needed fresh perspective, and a sense of 'the bigger picture'.

I still visit the cemetery often. It never fails to soothe my mind and soul, and to remind me to be grateful for my life and for the people who care for me, and to cherish them while I have them. I always leave feeling grounded, peaceful and full of hope.

*this piece was first published in Nature and Health magazine, April-May 2008

I'd love to know: what makes you feel most connected to the world?

Churchie National Emerging Art Exhibition

2009-05-24T21:40:00.002+10:00

Another image from my Archimedes' Field series is in the limelight. Archimedes' Field - The First Night (above) was fortunate enough to be selected as one of the finalists in the Churchie National Emerging Art Prize.

The Churchie National Emerging art prize is a well known art award in Australia and garners a lot of attention from the public so I am excited to have an image in it. I'm not in it to win it but rather to have my work seen and just to be involved. I also love these type of exhibitions as a viewer because there is a broad variety of art to look at and it is always interesting to see what other emerging artists are doing.

Last year Dew, also from the Archimedes' Field series, was a finalist in the Clayton Utz Travelling Scholarship. You can view the whole series here.

The exhibition is open from Thursday 28th May until Sunday 31st May at Morris Hall, Churchie, Oaklands Pde, East Brisbane.

To find out more about the Churchie National Emerging Art Exhibition and the exhibition opening hours click here

'The First Night' can be purchased unframed here

Reminding Myself

2009-05-22T14:10:00.013+10:00

SUCCESS IS

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Images: These Polaroids were taken only one moment apart on a day where I remembered to enjoy such simple things as fresh morning air, a roof over my head and the sublime beauty of nature. Too often I'm rushing around trying to complete my 'to-do' list. It's nice to pause and breathe.

Portrait: Chloe, Ross, Jaiden and the horse

2009-05-18T14:12:00.001+10:00

In line with my desire to do 'special commissioned portraits' I was thrilled when Chloe and Ross asked me to photograph their 8 month old son Jaiden in their family home. Capturing memories of their son at this age was very important to them. They really wanted me to capture every expression Jaiden had as well as the relationships they have with each other. He was so much fun to photograph - really active, with gorgeous pouty lips and some hilarious expressions!

They also had a pet horse - okay maybe it was a dog. The horse was hilarious to photograph too - he was so sulky and the looks of resignation in his eyes as I took pictures of him made me laugh.

What made it extra special for me was knowing how much they value their family ties. The home was once Chloe's parents home, and before that, her grandparents, so the location was perfect for capturing yet another generation growing up there.

Two hours after delivering the images I got this message from Chloe:

"Hi Rachel, we both just want to tell you how much we love the photos! They are all absolutely gorgeous. We have watched the slideshow five times already and you even bought a tear to Ross's eye! Thank you so much again we really appreciate it."

For me that is the most valued reward for photographing a very special family. Thanks Chloe, Ross, Jaiden and Toby (the horse!)

Exhibition Afterword

2009-05-10T10:15:00.009+10:00

Image from 'Aposelene' by Rebecca Smith

What can I say? I just love Rebecca's work. I love how it was presented. I love small, intimate works and her work is a very intimate portrait of her teenaged sister. The title 'Aposelene' means the point at which a satellite orbiting the moon is furthest away from the object it orbits.

Darryl Hewson opened the event which also featured five other artists in various stages of their careers. Darryl Hewson summed up her work beautifully expressing that the work for him was about how you can think you know someone so well but in reality you can never totally know them and perhaps in a way you don't know them at all. (He phrased it much better than I could).

If you get the chance to see the work at the Queensland Centre for Photography pay attention to the order of the images, the pairings etc. Everything is deliberate and poetic.

Peter Wilson's work Chasing Storms was in the small yet welcoming gallery space at the back. I loved the way it was displayed. The images were printed on Silver rag paper in varying sizes and displayed in informal layers. Being in such a small room it was easy to become totally immersed in his vision. He is another artist whose works are visual poems.

Also showing were artists Ben Ali Ong, Deborah Paauwe, Mark Kimber and Terry Young.

Websites:

Rebecca Smith

Peter Wilson

Deborah Paauwe

Aposelene - Rebecca Smith

2009-05-08T22:59:00.002+10:00

I was serious when I said in my last post that you really need to be at the QCP tomorrow night from 5-8pm. Rebecca Smith's work will take your breath away. Anyone who has seen her work 'in the real' will let you know how moving her images are. There is a strange haunted look in the eye of one who has beheld any of her work. Again I need a better vocabulary to describe it. Here is the QCP blurb about her work:

"Rebecca Smith is a recent graduate from the Queensland College of Art. Smith’s series Aposelene concerns the life of her younger sister who is fifteen years old. Aposelene is an intimate, poetic series that documents the crucial stage of adolescence through portraiture and landscape photography. The viewer begins to see the young girl’s transformation and early development of her identity."

Rebecca is also a close personal friend of mine who has always been very encouraging of my own work and for that I am very grateful.

If you are a collector looking for something truly special Aposolene is available as a limited edition handmade book. Sooo yummy. Another piece I wish I owned.

So, yes, I must re-iterate - QCP opening tomorrow night from 5-8pm Corner of Cordelia and Russell Streets

South Brisbane.

The House That Neville Built and other stories from Peter J Wilson

2009-05-08T22:39:00.004+10:00

I absolutely love the work of Peter Wilson. A big shout out as Peter will be showing his work at the Queensland Centre for Photography and the opening is tomorrow night. Be there! What I love most about his images is the filmic quality (he is totally old school!) and the 'images as meditations'. Honestly, I wish I could better describe what I love about these images but in the end they speak for themselves. He has an amazing ability to pair each image with a great title (he is also a great writer - a wonderful way with words!) .

You really need to check out his online gallery at http://peterjwilson.com.au/gallery.php

Above are just some of my favourites.

I'm so lucky to own one of his images - a small but beautifully printed self-portrait in black and white. You can find it in his gallery but I'm not telling you which one it is. Can you guess? I wish I had more *sigh* one day :-)

So yes, if you are in Brisbane - get yourself to the QCP tomorrow night (from 5-8pm). If not, be sure to check out his website!

Sunday: Pause

2009-04-19T09:59:00.006+10:00

Deep peace of the Running Wave to you.

Deep peace of the Flowing Air to you.

Deep peace of the Quiet Earth to you.

Deep peace of the Shining Stars to you.

Deep peace, Deep peace.

~an ancient Gaelic blessing

18.04.2009 Snapshot

2009-04-18T19:20:00.003+10:00

While out second-shooting a wedding Nitai introduced me to this great location. Needless to say we got some great images. Thanks Nitai!

The Doing Girl

2009-04-05T09:38:00.009+10:00

It was 3:00pm. I had an hour and a half to inflate as many helium balloons as I could. I had to tie weights to each string, attach the string to the balloon and then lay them out in neat lines. A lot of money was behind this project and the timing had to be just right. I was told each balloon would only float for twelve hours so the timeframe to inflate and shoot was precise. It had to be this weekend. Then, at the last minute the person who originally agreed to help me couldn't make it. My palms and forehead began to sweat even though it wasn't hot. Things were going wrong. If it wasn't for my family stepping in to help this project would have gone quite differently. I had the help of my two youngest sisters (seven and ten), my darling brother Dion (19 years old with Down's Syndrome) and my Dad who just so happened to be on holidays from work.

Pictured above is Ginevra, who was seven at the time, affectionately known as 'the doing girl' because she likes doing things. She helped tie the weights to the strings, organized them and positioned the balloons on the field as Dad and I inflated and tied balloons.

PORTRAIT: Pernell in Boots

2009-04-02T19:49:00.010+10:00

While doing the "oh so exciting" job of archiving my files I came across this portrait shoot and thought I would share it. It was a play session with my sister Pernell at a house she was living in until recently. The house was affectionately known as Woodstock for many reasons.

Ishwari

2009-03-18T10:12:00.010+10:00

It has been almost two months since I returned from India. It is now that memories begin to sort themselves into important and not-so-important. My experience at Ishwari Women's Centre was one of the 'important' ones. It was there that I saw first hand the power one person has to influence people and create positive change.

Ishwari is a place of peaceful industry. Women from disadvantaged backgrounds are given the opportunity to learn domestic skills such as embroidery, sewing, card-making, cooking and home remedies. They can then use these skills to earn an income. But there is more to it than that- these women are cared for, respected and recover a sense of purpose and self-empowerment- more than money can buy. Ishwari also has two buildings that serve as homes for orphaned children.

Arriving at Ishwari, after travelling over long bumpy and dusty rural roads, I felt as though I was entering a sanctuary. The houses are surrounded by humble but meandering gardens, filled with all sorts of fruit, vegetables and herbs. They had a cow, rabbits and ducks. It was almost completely self-sustaining. And it was quiet.

All this is presided over by the quiet yet strong Sister Rosaria (pictured). We were there as Girl Guides to make a difference to the lives of the girls but in the end I think we came out the most changed.

It was the experience of her generosity and quiet determination to help improve the lives of others that made the deepest impression on me.

In Love With Birds

2009-03-05T07:27:00.009+10:00

I have fallen deeply in love with Marian Drew's new body of work 'Birds'. I almost wept when I saw them at the Queensland Centre for Photography's latest exhibition opening. For me there is a sublimely spiritual feel to these works. One which I cannot express in words.

In the works Drew "hopes to draw attention to the value and beauty of these animals". Her interests are in the environment and in this work she brings the issues to the domestic front as beautiful and feminine tableau's.

I was impressed by the attention to detail in the choice of cloth and the inclusion of feminine and domestic objects such as a needle, a thimble or a jug. In some she combines drawing with photography. Fallen Bird is a stunning example of this.

Her work is showing at the QCP until 29th March and they are well worth seeing 'in the real'.

Just beautiful.

Above Image: Kingfisher with Chinese Cloth and Strawberries by Marian Drew

Image courtesy of the artist

Launch arrives at Clayton Utz

2009-03-02T07:28:00.003+10:00

Our ears popped as my partner and I took the quick lift to level 28 of Riparian Plaza. The view was stunning. Just on sunset, cumulo-nimbus clouds piled high in shades of blue and pink- looking like ice-cream just waiting to have a spoon dipped into it.

There were celebratory drinks this evening to mark the arrival of the LAUNCH finalists works into the Clayton Utz office.

Champagne in hand we played the game of 'Find the artworks', poking our heads into the many conference and meeting rooms that make up the maze of Clayton Utz. As a fledgling artist it was a thrill to see my image (above), from the Archimedes' Field series, gracing the wall of one of the larger meeting rooms. The image seemed to leap out of the mustard yellow wall and I was glad I chose to print the image so large. On the opposite wall was a gorgeous work by the talented Adriane Hayward also perfectly matched to its location. It was wonderful to see so much consideration taken in the placement of works.

The works are on loan to Clayton Utz for six months and are a mix of photographic art, painting and sculpture from 25 artists.

View Finder

2009-02-20T13:22:00.005+10:00

I have submitted four polaroids and one print from a polaroid to tonight's exhibition: ViewFinder. It is quite an unusual exhibition as anyone can submit provided their images are film based and no larger than 6x4inches. Each image sells for $10 and the artists name is only displayed on the back of the print.

With almost 500 images in the exhibition I'm sure it is going to be a visual feast and something I'm excited to be a part of. I'm looking forwarding to collecting a few images as well.

The exhibition is at Nine Lives Gallery, 330 Brunswick st, Fortitude Valley.

It runs until 4pm Sunday.