Jieon Lee

...the Space Between... Artist Profile.

Jieon Lee is no stranger to the Central Coast, having performed at the Dawn Light Symposium in 2005. She now makes her home at Mangrove Mountain.
The work performed at the Body Fuel café, The Space Between Words, is the first step in a series of works which will constitute her current project, at the Still Point, which is partly funded by the Korean Culture Foundation. The title is a quote from T.S.Eliot “at the still point, there the dance is”. Further performances in the series will take place at a number of locations in Australia and overseas.

The Space Between Words, on the 18th of February, was the first articulation in a conversation; a dialogue between silence and the word, between breathing and speech, between mind and embodiment, social process and immanence.

Park, Byoung-Uk

...the Space Between... Artist Profile.

Park, Byoung-Uk has a long and passionate commitment to a form of socially engaged art practice which is performative, interventionist and premised on positive change. As the director of the annual Nine Dragon Heads Symposium in Korea, his organisation of the event is an extension of his art practice.
The social form and dynamic of NDH has its own aesthetic attributes and also acts as a catalyst for further artist generated projects.
Nine artists associated with the Gosford area have participated in Korea, and Park, Byoung-Uk joined us here for the Dawn Light Symposium in 2005.


Space Between text:
Encumbered Bush Walk.

Ye Shufang

...The Space between... Artist profile.

"Ye Shufang is interested in issues of the ephemeral, the ‘ready-made’ and aspects of collaboration and interaction. Her site-specific installation works have been exhibited in solo exhibitions in Belgrade, Yogyakarta and Singapore; and in group exhibitions in Venice, Stockholm, Beijing, Oslo, Korea and Singapore. Most recently, she created an on-site installation for the Singapore Pavilion at the World Expo 2005 in Nagoya, Japan."
There is always a feeling of generosity, celebration and affection in her projects that draw attention to the rituals and meaning of preparing food for others. An example being PROJECT - RECIPE BOX (mothers disguised as recipes disguised as art) A Collaborative Project for Women/Beyond Borders, Singapore 2001.

Black Forest Cake Project

About the work for …The Space Between…:
Title : Love, Romance and other Recipes for Happily-Ever-After. Part 2, 2007
This recipe, Happily-Ever-After Wedding Cake, together with 6 other wedding cake recipes and a 9-tier wedding cake-topper installation is currently on exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum.

the Space Between text: Happily-Ever-After Wedding Cake

Ingredients :
- 2 pcs. 12x1 inch round baking pans
- 2 pcs. 10x2 inch round baking pans
- 2 pcs. 8x2 inch round baking pans
- 2 pcs. 6x2 inch round baking pans
- 10 white cake mixes (Each mix would fill a 13-x-9-inch pan)
- Champagne
- 2,1/2 recipes Royal Icing
- 13,1/2 inch round wooden board
- 10 inch round pieces of 1/4 inch thick clear plexiglas
- 8 inch round pieces of 1/4 inch thick clear plexiglas
- 6 inch round pieces of 1/4 inch thick clear plexiglas
- 1 recipe Hazelnut Buttercream
- 6 recipes Creamy White Frosting
- 6 pcs. 24 ounce packages fondant
- Large decorating bag fitted with Coupler, #18 and #21 Star tips, and #2 Writing tip
- Edible Pearl dragees
- 12 pcs. white plastic dowels
- Swan cake topper

Instructions :
1. Prepare cake mixes one or two at a time, according to package directions, substituting champagne for the water.
2. For bottom tier, divide 4 mixes between two 12 inch baking pans.
3. For next tier, divide 2_ mixes between two 10 inch baking pans (use remaining batter for cupcakes).
4. For next tier, divide 2 mixes between two 8 inch pans.
5. For top tier, divide 1 mix between two 6 inch pans.
6. Bake 12 inch and 10 inch cakes in a 325∞F oven for 55 to 65 minutes.
7. Bake 8 inch cakes in a 325∞F oven for 50 to 60 minutes.
8. Bake 6 inch cakes in a 325∞F oven for 45 to 55 minutes.
9. Cool, wrap, and freeze each layer.
10.At least two days before decorating the cake, prepare the letters H, E, and A.
11. Make a computer printout in letters 1,1/4 inches tall.
12. Place waxed paper over the prints and pipe the letters onto the waxed paper using Royal Icing and a #2 Writing tip.
13. Let dry.
14.To assemble tiers, stack 12 inch cakes on the wooden board, lightly spreading Hazelnut Buttercream between cakes.
15. Repeat with remaining tiers, stacking on plexiglass pieces.
16. Frost sides and tops of all tiers with Creamy White Frosting.
17. Apply fondant to top and sides of each tier.
18. To decorate, divide the 12 inch tier into eight sections and the 6 inch tier into four sections.
19. Pipe a C scroll in each section using a #18 star tip.
20. While the icing is still soft, add Pearl dragees.
21. Decorate other layers with a shell border and Pearl dragees.
22. Insert plastic dowels into the bottom three tiers to support the stacks.
23. Stack tiers on-site.
24. Apply "Happily Ever After" to the top three tiers with Royal Icing using premade H, E, and A letters.
25. Pipe the remaining letters with the writing tip.
26. Pipe a border at the base of each tier using Royal Icing and a #21 star tip; add Pearl dragees as desired.
27. Place the swan on top of the cake.

Ali Bramwell

...the Space between... Artist Profile.


Ali Bramwell and her work speak for themselves. Sometimes quirky or humourous in its use of the ordinary materials of life, her work always has a strong conceptual foundation and edginess.

Ali is Director of the Blue Oyster Gallery in Dunedin and was a participant in the Dawn Light Symposium. In fact the concepts behind the symposium emerged in conversations with Ali and other artists during exhibitions in Bosnia and Korea.
Like all of the artists in…the Space Between…, Ali approaches her work with engagement and a sense of responsibility for the development of practice. Apart from being an artist and working in arts admin., she lectures and organizes projects, such as Terminus in 2005.



the Space Between text:
Twilight -das dunkel werden- finisternis kommt langsam in den suden.
twilight comes slowly in the south.

Gradweise wird das tages- licht flacher und undeutlich.
Gradually the light flattens and dims.

Wie die schatten sie werden weicher und verlangern sich
Shadows soften and gently extend,

- wie das licht dass ihnen scharfe gibt und langsam verschwindet.
as the light that holds them sharply in begins to dissipate.

Zu dieser zeit horche ich mit meinem ganzen korper
At this time I listen with my whole body

und mein haut zitterert mit der absicht zu sehen.
and my skin prickles with the attempt to see.

Warum verankert ein schatten einen gegenstand im boden?
Why does a shadow anchor a thing to the ground?

Am abend, wenn das letzte licht sich rom schatten befrieght und sich frei bewegt beleuchtet aber nicht langer beschreibend.
In the evening; as the last light comes loose from surfaces and hangs briefly unattached, illuminating still but no longer describing,

Ich be finde mich selber auf der suche nach gewissheit das was ich neulich sorglos gefunden habe.
I find myself searching for the knowledge that I have so recently navigated carelessly.

Meine fusse erzahlen mir dass der boden immer noch da ist,
My feet tell me that the ground at least is where I saw it last,

wo ich ihn zulezt gesehen habe - aber dinge die ich glaubte verstanden zu haben, haben auf seltsame weise ihre fulle und ausdehnung verloren.
but things I thought I undestood have somehow lost their mass and gravity along with their shadow.

Distingtionen wenn klar beleuchtet, haben ihre bedeutung verloren.
Distinctions so clearly seen when brightly lit are unravelling.

Ich bin mir nicht langer sicher, vielleicht liege ich falsch.
I am no longer sure, perhaps I am wrong.

Ichi Ikeda

...the Space Between...Artist Profile

To appreciate Ichi Ikeda’s long commitment to water issues and the scale of his work, please have a look at his website.
We enjoyed his work at the Dawn Light Symposium; his company and conversation.
His enthusiasm for networking and mutuality, which we share, is evidenced by his joining us for …the Space Between… and the text he wrote for Gosford.

the Space Between text:

The Chapter of the United Waters
---------------------
We the Peoples are to recall our memories of places
through water which has been circulating all over the earth,
and at the same time, to draw our attention to the fact
that our body has also been letting in and out water
for so many generations.
---------------------
We the Peoples are to realize why Water,
that is so full of life to us, is our medium
for moving the borders, in everyday customs,
histories, various cultures and so forth,
simplifying to a profound exchange between
human being and human being.
---------------------
We the Peoples are to be born on the earth,
caressed in a cradle of water
and growing as it grows.
All lives live in harmony.
The rivers flow to fertility
and the soil rises to evergreen.

Liz Coats

...the Space Between... Artist profile

Liz Coats, now living in New Zealand, has been an important figure in abstract painting, both in Australia and across the Tasman. Besides having an almost obsessive (in the best sense) dedication to her craft, her playful curiosity and generosity have led her into many escapades beyond the canvass.
She was an active member of the Synapse Art Initiates crew in their various ventures, including Ecopoetics at Somersby. She was recently at Gosford for the Dawn Light Symposium (2005)

Untitled. 2007

the Space between text:

plants grow

birds nest

we can exist

without interference

Susan Hillman a.k.a Ruby Red

...the Space Between... Artist profile.

Susan Hillman a.k.a. Ruby Red was a co-founder of the The Texicanos in 2000. Their new CD “Southern Exposure” promotes a genuine heartfelt American/Border sound through both original and traditional songs chosen for this album. Reviewed in ‘Le Cri Du Coyote’, France, March 2006.
“So ........ on the off-chance you come across anyone interested in Alternate Country/Western Swing music please put them in touch with our CD, or me personally.”
Susan Hillman. rubyred05@gmail.com

Her ongoing installation, CamoSweaters, at The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 150, is dedicated to Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan 2002-2007.


...the Space Between text:

"...... CAMOUFLAGE / EGALFUOMAC ...... EYE SEA EWE / ?EM DAER UOY OD ...
... YOU CAN RUN / EDIH T'NAC UOY TUB ...... SMOKE & SRORRIM ....
.. ART / RAW / ART / RAW / ART ......"

The Space Between Words

The Space Between Words
The empty streets last Sunday night in Gosford CBD.

If you were passing, you might have noticed LED light signs in the Body Fuel Cafe illuminating a performance by internationally known Korean dancer Jieon Lee. Later, a customer, the Comma Man, made a brief visit. Outside, Sharyn Walker read in silence while a gun-fight was filmed, Betty Saez, gagged, sat writing outside a bridal shop and Jenny Brown peddled nature to the natives. Passersby (with their dog) were persuaded by Judy Harris to participate in an impromptu bus stop moment, while further up the deserted street, a dragon danced outside the Chinese restaurant with drums and symbols for the start of the Year of the Pig.

Here are a few more pictures.

Jieon Lee

Comma man

Eric and the Kid

Jenny Brown and Client

Betty Saez

Jieon Lee and Sharyn Walker

Thank You Vicky and the Body Fuel Cafe.

Thanks also to SALIENT SIGNS

…the Space between…
Artists whose texts have been displayed in Mann Street February 12-16
Texts were written or selected by the participants.
International: Susan Hillman, Canada. Sakiko Yamaoka, Japan. Ali Bramwell, New Zealand. Park, Byoung-Uk, Korea. Ichi Ikeda, Japan. Ye Shufang, Singapore. Liz Coats, New Zealand.
Local: (Reading Room group) Liz Wright, Judy Harris, Fiona Doyle, Sharyn Walker, Betty Saez, Neil Berecry-Brown and Juliet Fowler-Smith; with contributions from Jenny Brown, Kiera O'Toole, Kimberley Connor, Josephina Laina and W.R. Boyd.

Participating Gosford Businesses:
Signs.

Raine and Horne Real Estate, Bridgecoast Finance, Advance Travel, Leading Labels Outlet, Imperial Centre, Sheridan Factory Outlet, Danamade Bridal and Formals.






Dance/tableau/ The space between words.
Body Fuel café. (Scheduled for the 18th)

Appreciated help from:
David Humphries: CBD coordinator. Gosford District Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
SALIENT SIGNS

The Uncanny - Please Explain

The following letter has been sent by eO, to the Mayor of Gosford, seeking explanations about the recent exhibition closing.

Dear Mr Maher,
The recent closure of the photographic exhibition Changeling: Childhood and the Uncanny shown at the Gosford Regional Gallery has caused considerable unease among contemporary artists of the Central Coast.
The following are some of the questions posed by Central Coast Contemporary Artists to which your prompt response would be appreciated.

. What events led to the decision to close the exhibition?

. Who made the decision to close down the exhibition and on what basis?

. Why was the exhibition shut down just one week from the proposed closing date?

. Who made judgement on the nature of the work and what was that judgement?

. Does Gosford City Council trust the personnel they have employed to judge the suitability of exhibitions for this Central Coast Gallery?

. How many complaints were made and from what sector of the community?

. To whom were these complaints made?

. What is your view on Contemporary Art and its place in Gosford?

. What would you term “controversial” when it comes to Contemporary Art?

. How can Central Coast artists be assured that our work won’t be censored and exhibitions shut down?

We look forward to posting the Mayor's reply.

River Wunderground

Hi Backpagers,
My name is Jessica Coughlan, Studying at Uni Newcastle, I am currently brainstorming a new area of Peats Ridge Festival that i am calling River Wunderground. I would like to invite local artists to create work in response to themes of river as a sustainable ecosystem, or simply, river, as well as the "wunderground", as an extension of the wunderkammer or curiosity cabinet, but a land focused on the curiosities of the world of the underwater. I know that it is short notice, but I am looking for expressions of interest for grant applications. The festival is not until the coming New Year, but the major funding bodies require documents now. if you

have any questions, please call me anytime on 0431 684741. The River Wunderground will also feature Performance artists from the Pork Productions collective in Sydney as well as Members of the Lovelorn Living Party in Newcastle. If you are not aware of the festival, please visit our site at www.peatsridgefestival.com.au this is an opportunity that i am making exclusively to your group as local installation artists making contemporary and temporary works with an interest in space, place and ecology. Please consider my offer and respond by phone if possible before Thursday 15th February.
Thank you for your consideration of my request.
Jessica Coughlan

Water Future

William Pye
Charybdis, Seaham Hall, Sunderland. 2000

In reading the call for an iconic art work to celebrate the role of water sharing in Gosford, I was reminded of this work by William Pye.

A quick response to Jillian’s comment on “Elections” post.
Rather than adding to the comments, I am sending this to the Back Page as a “post”, as it addresses questions beyond those in the original, and the issues seem relevant to a few conversations at the moment.
Recently I was asked why ...the Space Between… was to take place in Mann Street and not at Erina shopping mall “where the people are”. The question raised issues that will be examined in the course of the project, but what I forgot to say upfront was that Erina is private space, Mann Street is public and civic space that includes private uses.
One of the problems with the closing of “Changeling” was that there was a perception that The Gosford Regional Gallery was being treated more as a private space, controlled by individuals unknown (certainly not “us”). I suspect that if Qantas was still owned by the Government (“us”) it would not be so easily banning passengers wearing T-shirts with anti-establishment motifs.
Allen Jasson & T shirt.
The more we sell off the commons – privatise those institutions previously held as public (our “commonwealth”), the greater would seem to be the need for public venues where there can be free and fearless expression of all views. In such circumstances artists can examine through their work our common human condition; our motives, politics, emotions etc.; what it means to be who we think we are, and what is demanded of us if we want to act with responsibility and compassion.
Oppression grows from ignorance, and ignorance is promoted by oppressive regimes – censorship ensures ignorance. We even have a government in Canberra that maintains power by manipulating its own ignorance (babies overboard, weapons of mass destruction, AWB & food for oil).
I do not want to coach politician’s responses to the “Election” post questions, but art culture always has been inextricably part of Enlightenment humanitarian discourse, and, for me, strengthening its role as an arena, an intellectual commons, free from the shackles of ignorance and censorship is vital in an increasingly privatised world.
Jillian, you call for explanations about the Gallery closing. I believe that eO will be writing to Gosford Council with some pertinent questions. I hope we will be able to have their responses on the Back Page.
Neil.

To dot or not.

The following was emailed to the Back Page. We are posting it in the hope that readers might be interested to discuss the issues with our contributer.
Ed.

Hello
I would like to raise a topic something I have come across a lot and I find it a very interesting issue especially in these times of change. Its about non indigenous artists being inspired by dot paintings and using dots in their own paintings.
With the ever increasing expansion of aboriginal art and indigenous culture, Many artists have found themselves doing dot paintings as a form of self expression. I would like to know is this a problem and why? In a Post Modern Context isn’t it a part of the deconstruction part of the appropriation stuff we all do now. I find the artists themselves feeling really shy about coming out. Could someone comment or please tell me, beyond modernism isn’t it time this started happening and wouldn’t it add to the canon of contemporary art in a positive way if not please explain.
Thanks Anon