GUAPAMACATARO ART RESIDENCY, MEXICO
It was very interesting drawing totally stream of consciously onto the walls that were built in the 1600’s!! Crazy! I was responding to the wild intake of inspiration and information I had taken in during my travels in Mexico so far, and found myself considering the different layers of belief and worship happening in a place over many centuries of time. I learned from my new friends at the residency (other artists visiting from Europe) that one can do ritual ceremonies with shamans here where you have to bring an offering for the gods, and when I asked what that might be they said a pineapple or something and if you’re hungry then the gods don’t mind if you eat it. This made me laugh. Also there are places in Mexico where water is so polluted people drink Coca-Cola like water and the local church has adopted the drink as part of their ceremony so you go to a service and drink coke and then burp up evil spirits.. also I’d eaten a lot of spicy tacos at this point and was googling the translation for “TRANSCENDENCE” but I believe I got it wrong. I also learnt that women aren’t allowed to wear masks in rituals which made me kinda mad but that’s life so I drew this lady in a badass wolfs coat.
BUNDIAN WAY ARTS EXCHANGE PROGRAM
BWAE field trip organised by Australian National University Environment Studio. This 8 week program was scheduled to include 2 field trips to Giggamy Creek, Eden to engage with First Nations and experts for the “Bundian Way” songline that travels from Eden on the South Coast up through the Deua into the Snowy Mountains. This program was moved online due to COVID-19 lockdowns and we were encouraged to make art in response to the environment within a 5km radius of our lockdown location. My work responds to Mount Gillamatong, Braidwood, and was deeply inspired by an Indigenous speaker during the program who reflected on the Snowy Hydro Tunnel in the Snowy Mountains.
My series features original photographs and poetry in a 8 part series.
This program was run by the Environment Studio of the Australian National University, ACT.
ANTI SOCIAL SKATEBOARD SHOP ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Created on a solo trip through the United States of America, “Broken Spells of Golden Vision” is a travelogue of 35mm film photographs, watercolour and ink drawings, and poetry. The exhibition also featured digital prints for sale and a mural installation titled “May the Path Lead You Astray”
Anti Social Skateboard Shop is located in Vancouver, Canada.
LITTLE BLACK BIKE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Inspired by a recent trip to Europe, “Double Vision” features museum artifacts and travel souveneirs surrounding a mythical animal fighting itself (or dancing?). The title “Double Vision” refers to the pendulum movement of the skateboarders using the skate ramp in front, swinging from the snake side to the wolf side symbolising my own mental wellbeing at the time - swinging from optimism and clarity to depression and brain fog.
Travel can often leave one feeling like this. So much perspective and then back to an old familiar life.
The arrows in the mythical animals’s body represents self sabotage, or even self punishment which is an interesting factor of skatepark progression. It requires a constant diligence to overcome fear and rational consequence to pursue progress.
Little Black Bike skate ramp is located in Adelaide, South Australia.
