Sakiko Yamaoka - New Work

New work by Sakiko Yamaoka.
As you might know Sakiko was a contributing artist to the recent Gosford project …the Space Between…
This new work “We are elegant” was part of Perfurbance #3 in Indonesia, the performance festival directed by Iwan Wijono.

"The photo is my performance-work in the cemetery with village people and some artists participated in the festival."

“Perfurbance art Festival is a performance art festival on public spaces referring to growths of urbanized society and its complication as an effort to understand a dialectical of its cause and effect. Hopefully, the festival will allow society to understand and anticipate the negativity of urbanization growth, which certainly has impacts on our growing society and environment.
When earthquake took place on Jogjakarta and Central Java last May 27, 2006, artists have joined volunteers in gathering help for victims.”
- mahatma anto

Iwan Wijono performs internationally as well as in Indonesia. He contributed to the Eco Poetics Symposium, organized by Synapse Art Initiatives, held at Somersby in 1998, as did Sakiko.

On that occasion, at a time of political turmoil in Indonesia his work was performed, to his script, by Australian artists.



Performer carrying pole (with bells), Scott Foster.

Gosford dérive

Image by Banksy, London street stencil artist (from artofthestate blog) More of Banksy at his site.





Further to the renewed interest in the Situationists and their contribution to methods pertinent to the circumstances facing artists now, is a post by Shawn Micallef, on Spacing Wire, a Toronto urban issues site, about his experiences wandering the city of Dublin. Although not writing specifically about art, he makes a link between Joyce's litterary work and the idea of the dérive.


"I was told to look out for the feet and arrows above, as they are there to evoke Leopold Bloom wandering around the city in Ulysses."

Spacing Wire also has a sample of Toronto urban intervention art.

More "walking" projects can be found on the Walking in Place site including
A PERIPATETIC INVESTIGATION OF PLACE

It seems at this time that there is a great deal of interest by artists, particularly in New York, with the art of lived-space and of reclaiming the "commons" through live interventions. Creative Time has a long history of projects of this kind. Example are two projects scheduled for the near future, Situational Drive: Complexities of Public Sphere Engagement (Conference), and Six Actions for New York City, including work by Spartacus Chetwynd who is currently showing at Artspace in Sydney.

A meeting to talk over aspects of the June 16th wander in Gosford, will be held soon.

Gosford Bloomsday dérive

Caution: Cows loose in Gosford 16th June, 2007.

Brown’s cows Art Projects will be coordinating a dérive in Gosford for Bloomsday 2007.

Just time to brush up on the Situationists and a quick read of Ulysses.

For some background information about Guy Debord and the dérive check backpagefree.blogspot.com/search/label/Space

Anyone interested in a bit of psych-geographical mapping of Gosford, is welcome. Email your interest to be a part, and watch this space for news.

In the Vineyards '07

Received from Tara Morelos:

EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITY IN THE HUNTER VALLEY
SCULPTURE IN THE VINEYARDS

"I would like to invite you to have a look at last years exhibition by visiting the blog address above (SCULPTURE IN THE VINEYARDS), and consider submitting a proposal for the 2007 exhibition.
Please read the attached artist info. (if you have trouble downloading the file, let me know)"
[Ed. this is available on the Sculpture in the Vineyards blog. Click on image first to enlarge before moving to desktop, or print from blog]

Detail of '06 work by Holly Williams

"The Exhibition will be held across the three wineries:

Undercliff winery
Stonehurst Cedar Creek
Millbrook Estate

Continuing on from the success of last year, we will be having another great opening at the Wollombi Cultural Centre with 'Sculpture in the Expanded Field' (cheers Rosalind Krauss)... Sculpture/performance and installation... A small sculpture show will be launched along side the larger Vineyards exhibition. Projection artist Cindi Drennan will be presenting an expanded version of her work 'Voice of Light' with an extra performative component. We are also looking for proposals from performers to produce site specific performance work to complement 'Voice of Light' creating a full evening program.

As part of an ongoing thank you to the creative efforts of vineyards artists, we are negotiating a midweek/weekend for two for participating artists to take at their leisure, plus extend an invitation to attend a special artist dinner/lunch - date yet to be confirmed.

I do hope you can be part of this years exhibition and look forward to hearing from you. Please pass this information on to others you think may also be interested."

Regards
Tara Morelos - curator
0403 469 753

Spaces and Places

As some of you will know, Gosford Council is in the process of preparing a report for a “Cultural Spaces and Places Framework”.

Gordon Matta-Clark

Here at the Back Page we continue to push for resources to support Contemporary Art, an obvious need to all familiar with the local situation.
We consider that Council must take up the challenge of providing material encouragement for this sometimes problematic area of cultural practice, not only for what it means to be part of an historic enterprise of cultural enrichment, but also in terms of developing a vision for regional identity.
We have an opportunity to create a unique contemporary art milieu here, but it cannot be done well except in partnership with those who have the resources to match what is available in other cities and regions; this is not only in terms of “spaces and places”, but also in personnel and policy.


If you have any issues in regard to “Spaces and Places”; any opinions, suggestions, views, lists of priorities, etc., you are welcome to email them to the Back Page and I will make sure they are included in the process that will produce the report to Council.

Please email to reach me by the end of the 23rd of April.

"Changling" closed, Mayor's response.

eO has received a response from the Mayor of Gosford, Laurie Maher, to questions arising from the cancellation of an exhibition at the Regional Gallery. For those of you concerned about how the decision was made, check it out.
The statement is the usual public relations spin, and does not address the questions of policy and procedure that need to be made transparent.
Mayor Maher says the closure was "an attempt by Gosford City Council to ensure the works would not be trivialised as a consequence of the articles that appeared in the papers and the public comments which referred to the works being child pornography". So it would appear that exhibitions can be closed if opinions in the press might "trivialise" presented works. Methinks it is time to hang up the old beret.

Alexander McAllister Award

In an increasingly individualised world structured on competitive and adversarial ideologies, it seems the art-world is becoming complicit, rather than resisting and maintaining independence from the industry/consumer/entertainment model.
What we are seeing is more art prizes and competitions, fewer paths to practice that do not pass the art managerial gate-keepers, greater focus on star status in international (or local) art circuses, art valued chiefly as a community development tool and as a catalyst for economic growth in the so called “creative” industries.
While this is what we are SEEING, there are many artists, groups and networks, with practices outside the prevailing orthodoxy, whose premises for work exclude them from both public largess and public discussion.
It continues to be vital for this work to have a “presence” as we negotiate our current understandings and consider options for the future. Not just a seat at the table, but a role in creating it.

As we enter the competitive grant application season, and experience the pressure to tailor our practice to "guidelines”, we might think of Alexander McAllister.

Following is an extract from Circa Art Magazine.

"The 1986 Alexander McAllister Memorial Award for Greatness

Call for Submissions
The Committee of the Alexander McAllister Memorial Award seeks submissions from suitably disqualified Artists for The 1986 Alexander McAllister Award For Greatness. The McAllister Award for Greatness is awarded on an annual basis to an Artist who, in the previous year, displayed the utmost fortitude, resilience, and audacity of vision in their desire to resist the forces of mediocrity, banality, and officialdom. The successful applicant will have showcased the highest level of passion and ferocity in respect of a creatively defiant submission, which they must have deliberately failed, in the previous year, to obtain. No material reward or financial gain attaches to the McAllister Award; it consists solely of affection and admiration bestowed in the spirit of its founder, the late Alexander McAllister.
Successful candidates will have resisted bravely the urge to succeed, borne their ensuing failure stoically, seeing in the failure to gain disingenuous offers of financial nourishment an opportunity to subvert the cultural hierarchy and elevate premeditated failure to the art form it is capable of being.

Submission Guidelines:
* The Award is made retrospectively and on an annual basis. It is open to all artists who, in the previous year, have failed in an attempt to obtain a major grant or award. Submitters are asked to familiarise themselves with previous Award holders and acquaint themselves with the high standards of failure expected in terms of originality, contempt for bureaucracy, and contribution to the field of artistic autonomy.
* Submissions can be in any style or format but must be combative in nature, degenerate in character, and sincerely made.
* All failures must be in respect of officially recognised grants or awards; unsuccessful submissions to unrecognised bodies will not be considered. Proof of application should be included with submissions. Shortlistings are accepted and encouraged as this further subverts official power structures.
* The Award holder's laurel wreath must be returned after a period of one year. Limited edition, plastic replicas are available to all submitters; a modest contribution to cover overheads is encouraged but not compulsory.
* Submitters may freely contact committee members to discuss proposals, receive tips and generally converse in a friendly and civilised manner.
* Deadline for submissions is 31st December 1985. Send to: McAllister Memorial Award, Greatness House, 31 West Great George's Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.

Previous McAllister Award Winners
1982 - Amanda Pentuply for her loss of a 1981 grant of £750. The convoluted and at times dazzling array of interconnected references and recommendations in Bias impressed the Adjudicating Panel immensely. Defiantly titled, meticulously documented, this was a virtuoso display of partiality. Pentuply's in-depth exposition of pedagogy, her detailed elucidation of hierarchal fidelity in the polluted marriage of career advancement and capital capture laid down a marker for future failures.
1983 - The Award went to submissions stalwart Constance Slacklustre. Never short-listed for an official grant or award, probably never even considered, the Panel gave her the Award in recognition of the quality and longevity of her despair. In a decade and a half of failure, amounting to losses in the region of £10,000, she missed yet again, in 1982, an award of £1,000 and was cited by the committee "for her loyalty to loss...her commitment to all things redundant." Her many years toiling in the wilderness of bureaucracy were "a baroque music of repetition, an inspiring and unique voice in a deafening jungle of achievement...a poignant and unanswered counterpoint." Something she never failed to deliver, year after year, was her devotional mantra Routine bereavement.”

More winners, full text and details about Alexander can be found on the CIRCA site.

Good luck with your submissions!

Taking the Cake

Performance with Sponge Cake

Rosita Holmes "takes the cake" at the Emerging exhibition at the Gosford Regional Gallery.

The other artists who are exhibiting, Victoria Baker, Sarah Cockroft, Amelia Disspain, Janis, Kasane Low, Izabela Pluta, Juke Shelly and Emma White, will join Rosita to talk about their work at the Gallery at 6pm on the 18th of April. (Exhibition runs until the 20th of May)

Re-VIEW

There was a good crowd at the Newview Gallery in Newtown last Thursday for the opening of the eO group exhibition Re-VIEW. The concept of “boxed” art was developed by Sharyn Walker, Betty Saez, Fiona Doyle and the participating artists from the Central Coast.

The balloon goes up

How to display a flying dragon, from Johann Kestler, Physiologia Kircheriana Experimentalis, p. 247

The “art box” as a form has an established pedigree, with precursors in the Cabinet of Curiosities of the 17th Century. Examples being those made by Ole Worm and Athanasius Kircher, whose collections of strangely juxtaposed artefacts were studies of the prescientific material and philosophical understanding of their day.
Interestingly, Kircher is the inspiration for a quirky blog, which recently posted items about anthropodermic bibliopegy (or the practice of binding books in human skin), albino koalas and Esperanto horror films.

In the 20th Century, the “art box” was most often concerned with the psyche and identity, reflecting the powerful role psychology has had in our understanding of experience since Freud.

Duchamp’s concept of the “Ready Made” haunts many artists’ boxes. His Green Box (1934), a compilation of papers, images, and handwritten notes on the Large Glass, while referencing art practice, as do all choices of form, also embodies contradiction and multiple meaning; dilemmas which are at the heart of individual psychology.
For Joseph Cornell (who assisted Duchamp in the manufacture of some of his boîtes), the box became the central form and process of his entire oeuvre. Cornell’s work often incorporated surreal dream-like juxtapositions.
Robert Rauschenberg is another artist who found the box a useful form and his approach, as with the use of materials by Duchamp and Cornell, is also echoed in some of the works in Re-VIEW. Rauchenberg used the box to give personal significance to a jumble of common objects and materials. He described them as an “unpacking” of materials in contrast with Cornell’s delicate “packing” of objects in his box constructions.
The works in Re-VIEW could be said to be “unpackings” of inner worlds; worlds of memory, nostalgia, desire and existential emotion. Congratulations to all who contributed.

Elsewhere:



"Processual Minimalism” - a colony of forest ants constructing a hill. By Klaus Mosettig. via Tom Moody

Ant angst in a box.

Hildegard Art Prize

Received from Meredith Brice.

Dr Pam Johnston has been announced as the recipient of The Inaugural Hildegard Art Prize for Women at the CHRIST CHURCH contemporary art space Gosford. She will take up the award of a two week long Artist-in-Residence at the Christ Church site, 3 Mann Street Gosford, followed by a two week exhibition at the conclusion of the residency. (Dates to be announced.)




Pam Johnston has been active in the women's movement as well as in Aboriginal and prison issues for many years. She is a visual artist, activist, community artist, lecturer and author, and has won the International Women's Day Women's Electoral Lobby Edna Ryan Award for services to her local community, and the Women in Art Fellowship from the New South Wales Ministry for the Arts. Dr. Johnston obtained her Ph.D at the University of Wollongong,the first Aboriginal person to do so. Creatively Johnston seeks to explore the inner sense of how humanity gives life meaning, particularly after devastation, trauma and death.
She has exhibited extensively; the Gandangarra mosaic in Macquarie Street, Liverpool in the Sydney area, is perhaps her most well known work.

We have had to edit down the substantial CV supplied, but further information is available from Meredith Brice at: merrybrice@hotmail.com

Election and Beyond

Congratulations to the successful candidates in the state election.
We in the arts community look forward to working with you to advance circumstances for a vitalised contemporary art milieu on the Central Coast.

Particular thanks to grant McBride for articulating his vision for this agenda prior to the 24th and to Marie Andrews for her committed response to needs in this area in the past. As the member for Gosford I am sure she will be central to achieving the communities objectives as the “City” plan is negotiated.

Integration of art (and the opportunities for new perspectives that it offers) into the spaces places and processes of the town, needs to be understood as fundamental. Art will not achieve its potential if it is considered a peripheral life-style accoutrement or part of the entertainment industry.

Finding a place for art in the city.
Some traditional approaches:

Stranded villa to be demolished
A Chinese court has ordered that a villa left isolated in the middle of a man-made 30ft pit be bulldozed within three days.
Re-blogged from ANANOVA

»Under Heaven« (9m Tree with treehouse on 45 m high Stedelijk museum) by Leonard van Munster.
Re-blogged from VVORK

Claimate Change Coalition

Message received from a few artists who were at Gosford for the Dawn Light Symposium (Alison Clouston & Boyd, and Margaret Roberts).
While it is not about Arts Policy, I will post it on their behalf as received.

Dear all,
we (Alison and Boyd) are making a postal vote so have the upper house ballot papers.
Have found that Group F is the Climate Change Coalition, not listed
on the form as such because they are not a political Party.
If elected they intend to be proactive on Climate Change.
On other policies they will take a conscience vote.
They have no preference deal with other parties.

Arts Policy - Labor and Liberal

Arts Policy wrap.



It is disappointing that the Liberal and Labor candidates for the electorate of Gosford have not offered us an opportunity to consider their art and culture policies before the March 24th election.

This is not only a discourtesy to the many constituents that are involved in the arts at a professional and community level, but indicates a low ranking in these candidate’s priorities for the cultural sector.

It also indicates that the art community has much to do to educate those who would represent us.

Perhaps it is not surprising that the major parties, whose campaigns are so tightly managed and “presidential” were the ones whose candidates adhered so strongly to the script. A check of the Labor and Liberal websites could find no arts policy on either.

Which makes the “Policy” contribution by Grant McBride all the more appreciated, both as a demonstration of responsiveness to constituent initiatives and as a commitment to the development of dialogue about the future of art and culture on the Central Coast. Considerable time and effort was put into preparing and tailoring his policy statement for the region. We hope his "policy" will be read by many in his electorate.

Grant however is not a candidate in the Gosford electorate, which was our focus.

Debra Wales, Independent, stated honestly her limited acquaintance with art and culture matters, but indicated a willingness to respond to issues raised by any constituents. Her courtesy in responding to our invitation is also much appreciated.

Hillary Morris, Greens, produced a thoroughly researched policy in terms of local priorities, as identified in the Vision 2025 Council document, and clear support for freedom of artistic expression. We respect and appreciate the efficiency with which she responded to the invitation to present her policy.
It is also significant to note that the Greens alone have a detailed Arts Policy on their website.
Of the candidates in the Gosford electorate, Hillary has given us the most comprehensive policy to consider, and a clear indication of her commitment to the future development of art and culture for the community.

A personal note on the recalcitrant candidates: Without a statement we can only rely on personal observations. Chris Holstein has been a visible presence at many gallery openings and other cultural occasions. On the Labor website it states: “As Chairman of the Building Committee (Gosford Council), Chris has initiated the building of Peninsula Leisure Centre, Central Coast Stadium, Gosford Regional Gallery and Niagara Park Sports Stadium.”
Marie Andrews, in the old electorate of Peats, has a reputation as being responsive to the electorate and a hard and dedicated worker. She made effective representation to Bob Carr (then Premier and Minister for the Arts) when attempts were being made to establish a contemporary art centre at Mt. Penang.
Their silence on this occasion is cause for disappointment.

We will be running this invitation to candidates to present Art and Culture policies in all future elections, so the task now is to work with them to raise the profile of art and culture in the region, and to ensure that we have policies that include new genres of emerging practice.

Ed.

Arts Policy progress report

Candidates Policies progress report.

A final reminder has been sent to Liberal and Labor candidates for the seat of Gosford. We hope to have a complete spectrum of responses to our invitation on the Back Page by Wednesday the 21st.

We apologise if our omission, by not inviting the Christian Democrats, Save Our Suburbs and Australians Against Further Immigration candidates, has disappointed any readers.


A brief explanation for the omission.

Image from Fred Nile's website


It is difficult to get useful information about single-issue parties with names like slogans.

A Google check of AAFI found no website, several mentions of de-registration and suggestions of racism. Xenophobia is not an immigration policy; Population policy is far more complex than simplistic practices of exclusion; Cultural chauvinism is not helpful in any arts and culture policy developed for an increasingly globally-aware contemporary art community.

SOS (Save Our Suburbs) is another group with no discernible concern for art practice. “Save Us From the Suburbs” might be getting closer to an Arts Policy.
Caps on population and resistance to rapacious development might be notions worthy of discussion, but that is not our purpose here.

Fred Nile’s Christian Democrats likewise seem to have no Arts agenda, other than trying to close down exhibitions they object to, as was evidenced recently at the Gosford Regional Gallery. For other attitudinal pronouncements (e.g. on Muslims), see AAFI thumbnail above. Bigotry is not an Arts Policy.

[editorial disclosure] I do not believe belief in belief necessarily results in good. Holding a belief is a personal issue which will inevitably influence the way an individual acts as a politician, but I regard the separation of Church and State as being important in a democratic system that depends on the principle of debate, scrutiny and rational argument.
Unchallengeable supernatural premises are fine in their place and might even produce outcomes beyond the limitations of the rational (martyrdom for example or a will to survive). If people believe in angels and/or aliens (and apparently the majority of Americans do) that is fine. But does it provide a desirable foundation for making decisions on, for example, the privatisation of public assets.
Speaking of Alien political policies, A Finnish Member of Parliament is aiming for re-election by campaigning with a translation of his website into Klingon, according to a Reuter’s report. He said his politics posed some translation difficulties, since Klingon does not have words for matters such as tolerance, or for many colours, including green - the party under whose banner he is running in the national elections on March 18.
For those familiar with the language, he writes:

yIrqI' yIy yIy qaSvI' 'oH pongwIj'e' 'ej vInlan yejquvDaq jIjeS. pa' DIvI' SuDqu' vI'oS.

pe'vIl parmaq vIvoq. qo' vIDub vIneH; motlhwI' vIqaD vIneH; ngoch ngachlu'taHvIS qechmey chu' vIchel vIneH. jIHvaD Daj qechmeyvam: De' nugh, vummeH mIw patlh, DuSaQ'a' ngoch, 'oghmeH toDuj je; nIb Hoch ghotpu' DuHmey 'ej pImwI' cherghlu' 'e' vIqel je.

qaS Dochmeyvam vIneH:

• 'ebmey jonlaH Hoch
• tlhablu'DI' ngoy'nISlu' je
• roghvaH qum
• rewbe'pu' jIj nugh
• wa' Dol nIvDaq matay'DI' maQap
• pImwI' cherghlu'

As you can see, not much about the arts there!

Arts Policy - Debra Wales

Received from Debra Wales - Independant.

"My apology for not getting back to you. I looked at your questions and I will be honest with you – I can’t answer your questions because I’m only involved in the Arts in a very small way.

What I will say is that I believe a true representative of the community does not tell others what they should have, but listens to what the community wants and represents them fairly and with integrity.

I give my commitment that if elected I will represent you strongly in the goals you have for the Regional Performing Arts and the new Arts Precinct.

Kind Regards
Debra Wales."

Arts Policy - Grant McBride

Received from the office of Grant McBride:
"I have attached some words from Grant about our arts policies for the Central Coast. Thank you for your patience, I hope this information is useful."

Although not in the Gosford Electorate, Grant McBride was invited to contribute as Minister for the Central Coast.




NSW Central Coast, priorities for the arts in Gosford and Wyong region.

1. What are the priorities in planning the future for the arts in the Gosford region?

The draft Central Coast Regional Strategy, Gosford City Council Cultural Plan and Wyong Shire Council Cultural Plan identify several common priorities for the region in particular:

* The need to “work as a region” on cultural development. Wyong's Goal Area 9 in its framework for cultural development recommends a regional cultural strategy;
* The need to develop regional cultural infrastructure particularly in the performing arts.

The approach for cultural development on the Central Coast must reflect what the community wants, the demographics of this region (eg youth, aged) and also the 'spirit of place'. The recent opening of the Youth Arts Warehouse in Gosford is an example of the Iemma Government responding positively to the need for arts resources for particular groups within the community.


2. What do you consider to be the greatest needs?

The region's cultural development should be seen as being not only about building infrastructure but also programs. Gosford Council's cultural plan sensibly identifies the need for new entertainment precincts and outdoor sites such as the highly successful Live Sites model in Newcastle. Arts NSW is keen to pursue this, possibly as part of the role for a cultural broker.

I also see the need for whatever is being pursued in Gosford for cultural development to have the benefit of the State Government's thinking and actions on the development of the creative industries. Arts NSW will work with the council(s) on how this can be achieved.

The demographic features of the region also identify key needs, in particular the high concentration of young people. Regional arts development should build capacity in the community support networks which work with the cultural organisations and facilities to engage young people, particularly in relation to music. Initiatives such as the Youth Arts Warehouse are being encouraged to progress these networks and provide potential employment in the arts in the region.



3. Is the Central Coast well resourced now?

Yes. There are five cultural organisations which receive regular support from Arts NSW:

* The Laycock St Theatre,
* The Gosford Regional Gallery
* The Central Coast Conservatorium
* The Youth Arts Warehouse
* Regional Youth Support Services
* NAISDA, the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association, re-located to Mt Penang in 2006 with assistance from Arts NSW.

The Youth Arts Warehouse is an example of a recent Iemma Government commitment to the arts on the Central Coast. I lobbied particularly hard for support for this project, which will be of great benefit to our creative young people. I will continue to lobby for greater arts resources on the Central Coast.


4. What are the strongest and weakest aspects of art culture locally?

The strengths and weaknesses of local art culture go, in some ways, hand-in-hand. The arts community on the Central Coast is vibrant and close-knit – which means the challenge still exists to promote involvement in the arts to more people. Through NSW Government programs, we are working hard to see more and more people take part in cultural events. An example of this is a recent grant of $2500 from Arts NSW to Regional Youth Support Services in Gosford, through the Indent Program. This program provides funds for youth music events, organised and patronised by young people. The funding offered to RYSS will allow three live music events to be held in Gosford. Hundreds of young people are expected to attend these events and many young local bands will take part. The events will give young musicians a rare opportunity to show-off their talents and younger music enthusiasts can enjoy a local cultural event.
We have also had a welcome addition to the Coast’s festival scene which I believe can offer more local exposure to the arts - and also promote the arts scene on the Central Coast to a broader audience. The Central Coast International Guitar Festival was very successful in its inaugural year in 2006 and I was proud to support the event. It attracted a very diverse range of musicians all with the common love of the guitar and many enthusiasts both from the Central Coast and other regions attended the event. As Minister for the Central Coast, I look forward to helping this event develop further and become a feature event for the region.

5. What are the benefits to the community of art? How would you rank them?

The arts give communities the opportunity to tell their stories, to build creative skills, and to be active participants in the development of their culture, to create a sense of identity and belonging. The Creative Industries is a growing sector at both local and global levels.
I am especially pleased that opportunities for young people on the Central Coast to express themselves through art have been expanded, via the recent opening of the Youth Arts Warehouse. I see this project as a great chance to nurture our artistic talent and provide a positive outlet for the creative energies of our young people. By providing our young people with worthwhile projects to engage with, we are able to mitigate problems with anti-social behaviour.


6. How would you rank art in relation to other sectors of community and civic life?

Under the NSW State Plan, Environment for Living is identified as one of the five major themes. The arts are ranked as one of the key priorities for Environment and Living.
On the Central Coast, there are numerous examples of the importance of the arts to our community and civic life. For some years now, I have been involved with the Central Coast Festival of the Arts, the region’s longest-running and most prestigious art event. Last year the event was opened by Premier Morris Iemma, and the year before that by NSW Governor Professor Marie Bashir – an example of the NSW Government’s regard for the arts. I believe the festival is one of the best events of its type in NSW. It is always well patronised, and is instrumental in establishing a strong sense of culture and community pride – as well as promoting healthy debate.

7. What are the key priorities for the arts in the Gosford City Plan (what and where)?

The need to develop cultural infrastructure on the Central Coast has been identified in the Gosford City Council’s cultural plan:

* concert hall and performing arts facilities
* rehearsal and studio workshop spaces
* outdoor arts facilities such as an amphitheatre
* arts house cinema
* museum

8. What is your attitude to the presentation of controversial and perhaps disturbing contemporary art works?

The organisations which Arts NSW funds are independent, often with boards that have responsibility to their communities for how contemporary standards are applied and interpreted. While Arts NSW' funding is directed to such organisations to program at the highest professional level, programming decisions are for them to make.

Community and cultural organisations can consult the Arts Law Centre of Australia which is supported by the State and Commonwealth Governments to provide specialised legal and business advice and referral services, professional development resources and advocacy for artists and arts organisations.


9. What funding and infrastructure resources would you seek to secure for sustainable development of the arts in the region?

I want Arts NSW to begin discussions with the councils using their cultural plans as a starting point for a possible regional arts development strategy.

A cultural plan must be backed up by strategic and business plans and a partnership approach with other levels of government. Arts NSW brings substantial experience, skills and knowledge on how regional arts development will be best pursued, and has forged very effective links with the Dept of Planning that will enable the cultural development of the Central Coast to be linked with broader planning issues.

Arts Policy - Greens

Greens Arts and Culture Policy
NSW March 24 Election. Arts Policies.

All candidates for the Gosford electorate were invited to share their vision for the region by presenting their election policy and responses to some broad questions.


The first to respond was Hillary Morris of the Greens.











Questions.

What are the priorities in planning the future for the arts in the Gosford region?

To facilitate community access to the greatest variety of artforms within the region, with emphasis on Indigenous culture, community arts as well as ‘high’ arts such as classical concerts, art exhibitions – both sourced locally and travelling exhibitions – drama and dance. To emphasise a unique regional culture and encourage different perspectives including celebration of our natural heritage.

What do you consider to be the greatest needs?

The greatest needs are for music performance, dance and drama – there is no concert hall in Gosford and a multi-purpose centre could include not only a concert hall suitable for visiting performers as well as local performers such as the Central Coast Symphony Orchestra, but also smaller rooms for performances such as poetry readings, small ensembles and dance, and rooms for community arts and crafts.

Is the Central Coast well resourced now?

Gosford Council has taken its arts role seriously; it has a Cultural Plan and it oversees a number of initiatives including festivals that engage the community. However, there is need for greater investment in the arts. Gosford Art Gallery is very attractive but it is small and it could be expanded to house larger exhibitions and perhaps develop a permanent collection. The venues for music performance are inadequate and a concert hall is needed. Drama is served by Laycock Street and the Little Theatre but these venues are not easily accessible by public transport, and with an expanding population, they may prove to be inadequate in size.

What are the strongest and weakest aspects of art culture locally?

Community arts are strong but there are limited opportunities for maintaining professional ensembles due to lack of funding.

What are the benefits to the community of art? How would you rank them in terms of what you would work towards if elected?

If elected, I would regard the arts as having a high priority, with an important role in reinforcing community identity and nurturing community well-being. While there are pressing issues such as climate change, the environment, public health and public transport occupying centre stage, I see the arts playing a vital role not only in expressing individuality but also as an important way of conveying messages of change as we face unprecedented challenges such as rises in temperature, loss of species, water shortages and Peak Oil.

How would you rank art in relation to other sectors of community and civic life?

I would rank the arts highly along with cultural activities as a means of engaging with the community and providing educative and entertainment value, and as a potential source of employment for young people. The arts contribute to community well-being and are valuable for the retired and older people in the community as well as nurturing the creative talents of the young.

What would be your key priorities for the arts in the Gosford City Plan (what and where)?

Key priority is a multi-purpose cultural facility including a concert hall, smaller rooms for drama, dance and other performance, arthouse cinema, theatre, cafes and restaurants in a purpose-built complex in the Gosford CBD, somewhere on the waterfront. It should include the new Gosford City Library and the Central Coast Conservatorium and it would be linked to Gosford by public transport. It would not only attract visiting performers to Gosford, and establish Gosford as a centre of music excellence, it would also provide a meeting place and a range of activities for the increasing population of the Gosford CBD.

What is your attitude to the presentation of controversial and perhaps disturbing contemporary art works?

Freedom of expression is fundamental to the arts and the ability of all artists to comment on the nature of our society must be preserved as part of the structure of a just and democratic society.

What funding and infrastructure resources would you seek to secure for sustainable development of the arts in the region?

If elected I would establish a lobbying team making representations to the Minister and Arts NSW to seek project funding for developments such as the concert hall complex, and on-going funding to support community arts and other developing initiatives.

Back Page wishes to thank Hillary for being first ‘cab off the rank” and for the time and consideration she has given to the questions. She would also like to draw your attention to the NSW Greens’ Arts Policy on their website.

Jenny Brown

...Space Between... Artists

Jenny Brown's statement about her work.

“A tree in Gosford Mall provided support for a stall
display board as well as leaves to pin to it, which
were sold to passersby. Conversations focused on ideas
related to limits of commodification processes, who
controls monetary regimes and determines monetary
values, and the broader ethical concerns of deceit and
powerlessness for many within this system.

This work aimed at providing a context to link to
other works in the wider event such as those relating
to the Gulf War (oil) and local environmental issues
(water), as well as text I provided for the screen
displays taken from Senator Ron Paul in his speech to
the US House of Representatives (2006) called the End
of [American] Dollar Hegemony.

No leaves were sold.”

Image is of documentation of public art work displayed in Art First exhibition at Mt Penang Institute of Contemporary Art, 2004.

…the Space Between… Artists.

Liz Wright, Fiona Doyle, Sharyn Walker, Betty Saez, Kiera O'Toole and Josephina Laina.

R.I.P.

Q. What do all these artists have in common? (Apart from the fact that were all part of …the Space between…)

A. They are all members of eO inc., the Central Coast contemporary art initiative. As the only incorporated non-profit organization in the region dedicated to contemporary art, it is pleasing to see eO growing so well as an organization and to have their individual members enthusiastically joining in other projects, such as this.

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