Guest Speaker - Rachel Jessie-Rae O'Connor

This week’s guest speaker at CIT Perth WA was Rachel Jessie-Rae O’Connor who works with stickers and form amazing collages filled with colourful dots and spirals. These creations from adhesive sticker are felt on walls and floor with a continuous layering of patterns. She looks at pattern and sell formations and is very interested in Japanese art. Her work is reminiscent to artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami. Her works are colourful display that pleases the eye and are aesthetically acceptable.

http://www.racheljessierae.com/

http://www.martinich.com.au/portfolio-item/fluoresce-national-gallery-of-victoria/

Matthew Barney

In the past two weeks I saw the movies Cremaster 1 to 5 by Matthew Barney, and I was left speechless. It was an experience like no other and a shock for my system. I had no idea how I felt about the art form and what to say. At first I thought that he needed some sleep or better needed to be locked up! But then I experienced the same feeling when people do channel hopping on the television. Frames of information feed visually to the viewer with no beginning or end an endless consumption by the eye and an overload of the mind. I’m still puzzled by these movies but the more I’m exposed to it the more question arise and the less I understand. Definitely not for everybody and definitely not for me!!!


http://www.google.com.au/search?q=matthew+barney+cremaster&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=GZGgUcWAJoSgiQfb9IGADg&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1395&bih=709

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx8jhc2Frh4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cremaster_Cycle

Not quite art - Marcus Westbury

“Not quite art” is an Australian TV series that documents the many media of present day art and culture in Australia.  The series is created and hosted by Marcus Westbury. Two series have been produced and aired both with 3 episodes each. The documentary gives us a view into art in Australia, and how multi culture, influenced the Australian art seen. In my view this is definitely not just isolated to Australia but evident all over the world. Marcus Westbury saw an opportunity and went for it. I'm not sure if we need to look at the influence of multi culture in Australia, but it is nice to know that its there to watch on YouTube if needed. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5x6erw8BLw

Exhibition 8

Turner Gallery, Perth

Stuart Elliott

'Facility 2 - BEACON

The Stuart Elliott exhibition, Facility 2 - Beacon at Turner Gallery was amazing and I strongly encourage people to go and have a look. The space is filled with artwork that looks familiar but also strange, as if you want to relate, but then a closer investigation arose the questions of where is this place and where is the artist taking me? My mind was taken to a place where things went wrong in time, may be it already happened or a premonition of what is to come. What ever this was it was dreamlike and surreal but very possible. The artworks, colour scheme and hybrid life forms gave the impression of an industrial site, the environmental disturbance and a kind of pollution. I felt as if I wanted to choke up as if there weren’t enough clean air in the space. There are not many figures in the exhibition but the ones I’ve spotted looked sick may be because of the toxins in the air. Everything looks as if mutation is taking place. What ever it is suppose to be these amazing works were creator by a skillful and knowledgeable artist whose works are stunning to look at, with a definite journey to experience. 

http://www.turnergalleries.com.au/exhibitions/13_elliott.ph

Exhibition 7

 ok Gallery, Perth 

Advance Diploma Students of CIT Perth

EMMA MCPIKE

A small gallery space filled with Emma McPike’s fun filled prints. The artist approach of traditional printmaking techniques mixed with drawing is truly amazing and I could easily relate to the stories she wanted to tell. These prints bring back memories of fishing trips with my dad but also the joy of collecting writing paper as a girl and the interaction with my peers at school. Memory to me plays a big part in this exhibition and the intention of the artist is very clear.

http://www.oktachoron.com/exhibitions_current/

http://www.oktachoron.com/artists/emma_mcpike/

Exhibition 6

Venn Gallery, Perth

Tom Freeman, Formative

Tom Freeman’s exhibition Formative at Venn galley in Perth, WA concentrates on the Kettering library in the UK, where his grandfather was librarian in 1953.

These small-scale sculpture pieces were drawn from memories and feelings of his family history and a systematic order are present when you walk into the gallery space. Like our memories so are the fragile pieces carefully place and categorized. As I’ve walk pass these shelves a sense of calm and interest overcame me as if I am placed in another atmospheric state. The light in the space and the colour of the artwork work are so different from an actual library space but worked perfectly as if something happened and the mood was lifted. 

This show was done with careful consideration to his history and memories and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it.  

http://www.venn.net/gallery.php

http://www.venn.net/exhibition/tom_freeman

http://venn.net/exhibition/kate_mcmillan

Guest speaker - Maia Marinelli

Guest speaker Maia Marinelli’s presentation was inspirational with a feel of achievement. She works in different mediums and uses her body and the interaction of it in the space and look at people and their behavior.  She talked about endurance and pushing yourself to do your best. Believe in what you do and success will speak for itself. The artist stayed true to her art and her thought and delivers her artwork no matter what. 

http://www.maiamarinelli.com/

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maiamarinelli/wind-playground/posts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toCRc47OIXg
  

Exhibition 5

The PICA exhibition with Ross Manning and Michele Theunissen really challenged my thinking of why these two very different art installations were shown at the same time and at the same gallery. To me it was about their similarities in rhythm, movement and colour, but also in their different approaches in the figurative and non-figurative. Whatever their intention in my view the exhibition is a playful performance.

http://www.pica.org.au/view/Ross+Manning/1620/

http://www.pica.org.au/view/Michele+Theunissen/1623/

Guest speaker - Dr. Barbara Bolt

Guest speaker Dr. Barbara Bolt is well and truly an inspirational artist with extensive knowledge in her field. Her passion for art is contagious and makes me feel more positive and enthusiastic about my own art studies and future practice.

Dr. Barbara Bolt is one of so many people that intrigue me with their knowledge and passion and sense of presentation that it feels to me as if I’m watching a movie with quick intake and slow pauses between presentation slides, like poetry to the sole.

 http://www.barbbolt.com/about.htm

Exhibition 4

Fantastic! The exhibitions space opens the mind and wake the eye to actually look and experience what you seen. Not just a mind numbing wonder at the same level, but an exploration of the space.

http://www.moana-ari.com/ 

Exhibition 3

I agree with the comments that were made about the space and the layout. The atmosphere and lighting didn’t match the atmosphere in the photographs and the limited spaces between the photographs were a distraction.