artifacts
MAGAZINE OF THE FRIENDS OF THE ART GALLERY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
May/June 2007
PRINT POST APPROVED PP665002/00118
ARTIFACTS is published
bi-monthly by the Friends of the
Art Gallery of Western Australia (Inc.)
Kitchen capers with a twist
Telephone: (08) 9492 6750
Facsimile: (08) 9492 6755
Email: [email protected]
Post: PO Box 48, Northbridge 6865
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Rebecca Bird (Editor), Craig Ingrey
Contributors: David Dolan, Renae Tapley,
Natalie Hill, Rosita Valladares
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Johanna Standish-Hansen
PRINTING
Barry Green
Account Manager, Lamb Print
Telephone (08) 9427 3500
PAPER
Chris Ager - Regional Manager, Spicers Paper
Telephone (08) 9376 9150
ARTIFACTS ADVERTISING
Paddy Bedford
Mendoowoorrji-Medicine Pocket 2005
ochres and pigment with acrylic binder
on Belgian linen 150 x 180 cm
Laverty Collection, Sydney (c) the artist
Photograph: Paul Green
Advertisers are welcome – contact the Friends office for
further details. Publication of an advertisement does
not necessarily imply endorsement by the Friends of the Art
Gallery of Western Australia (Inc)
President’s Comment
I am pleased to inform you of an
important initiative taken by the
Council at our March meeting.
artifacts will be published quarterly
from July. This decision was made
for many practical reasons as well as
some sound economical ones.
For instance, the change brings us
into line with the Gallery’s
programming policies, which means
we will have timely access to
exhibition information and be able to
dovetail with its publicity activities.
Our Program Director Rosita
Valladares and artifacts Editor and
Vice President Rebecca Bird believe
quarterly planning is the way of the
future because we will be able to
provide greater notice of Friends
activities and events. As to the
economic benefits, our Treasurer John
Kerr is delighted that we will save
several thousand dollars each year.
We will supplement the information
provided in artifacts with regular
email updates. If you would like to
receive these make sure we have
your current email address, using the
events booking form.
It was great to see so many friends at
the Glass Manifesto studio visit,
where we watched Peter Bowles give
birth to a beautiful glass piece before
our eyes, while Anne Clifton artfully
described the process. It was
exhilarating and a little exhausting
just watching this truly creative
experience.
Don’t forget our exciting Calendar of
Events for May and June, which you
will find on the back cover of
artifacts and now also posted on the
Gallery website.
I look forward to spending time with
you soon.
The Animated Life of an Artist
(Sardines, Varnish & Paint brushes)
2006 Photograph by Michael O'Brien
SATURDAY 16 JUNE
Bridget Waters is one of Australia’s
most deliciously innovative food
artists. In the lead up to ‘Egyptian
antiquities from the Louvre: Journey
to the afterlife’ Bridget will cook up
an Egyptian-inspired visual feast,
which will challenge and provoke all
five senses and leave you with a new
appreciation for the Art of Food.
What is a food artist?
A food artist uses food as their
creative medium, just as a painter
uses paint or sculptor uses clay.
What do you love most about what
you do?
The use of unconventional materials
and my desire to continually break
new ground means that I never get
bored and am constantly growing.
How did you become a food artist?
In 1997, illness caused me to retreat
from a very successful, yet hectic
career in the hospitality industry. I
wasn’t prepared to do nothing while
on the long road to recovery so I
decided to go back to university and
pursue my first love, art.
Salt & Pepper To Taste (Egg Shell & Proceon Dye)
Detail 2005 Photograph by Adrian Lambert
Right: Bridget Waters
Before becoming ill my life revolved
around food. So when I was placed
on a very limited diet to help me
recover, I looked for other ways to
enjoy my love of food. I found a
happy marriage between food and
art, which has manifest itself as Ripe
Art, my food artistry and catering
business.
What are your creative influences?
I find beauty in the simple
relationships between colours,
shapes, textures and scents. These
are the things that surround us on a
daily basis and yet to which we are
often oblivious.
On a personal note, my father is very
creative and has always believed in
and supported my artistic pursuits.
How do you describe your work?
It’s cutting edge, visually engaging
and unique.
What are three words that
describe you?
Passionate, inspiring and dedicated.
What has been the most memorable
moment in your career as a food
artist?
Being introduced to several highly
recognised and distinguished
personalities in the arts sector, who I
had always looked up to, only to find
they not only knew who I was, but
thought very highly of my work. At
that moment I realised I had gained
the respect of my peers and
experienced the thrill of knowing that
I could make a living from my art.
What can the Friends expect
from their afternoon in the kitchen
with you?
I will create an Egyptian-themed
mystery artwork out of the food you
can find in most pantries. Like the
pyramids I will conjure it up piece by
piece, until it unexpectedly takes
shape and becomes a stunning
treasure. The Friends will enjoy
Egyptian-style treats while I work and
they try to guess what the final form
will be. It will be a truly inspiring and
magical experience, regardless of
your preferred medium.
See the Calendar of Events to find out how
you can catch Bridget in the kitchen.
Paddy Bedford
Paddy Bedford is a Gija elder from
Warmun in the north east Kimberley.
As a senior law man he has been
involved in painting as part of
ceremony all his life.
He didn’t start painting on canvas and
board until 1998, but since then he
has been both prolific and innovative.
His paintings relate the narratives of
his mother’s and father’s country,
combining the Dreaming stories of the
cockatoo, bush turkey and emu with
the topography of the land he
regularly traversed as a stockman.
Most of his landscapes are painted
from memory.
His work also captures the often
brutal interaction between Aboriginal
people and white settlers in the early
20th century. For instance, Bedford
Downs Massacre is the story of the
murder of two Aboriginal men on the
Bedford Downs cattle property in
1920 by station master, Paddy Quilty.
After being told to cut down trees to
make a fire, the men were poisoned
with strychnine and their bodies
burnt. Born on Bedford Downs two
years later, Paddy Bedford received
his English name at the request of
the station master.
Paddy Bedford
Boonoonggoowirrin-Middle Brand
2006 ochres and pigment with
acrylic binder on Belgian linen
150 x 180 cm Private collection
© the artist
Image courtesy Shannon Pawsey
Why do the art and artefacts of
pharaonic Egypt exert a fascination
unequalled by any other survivals
from ancient times? Classical Greek
and Roman culture had a far greater
influence on our western civilisation,
but do not have the same magnetic,
almost hypnotic, appeal.
“My mother, my father, my
uncles, they are all gone.
That’s why I come to
painting, for their stories.”
Paddy Bedford
As a young stockman he survived on
payments of tobacco, flour and tea.
In less than a decade after he first
painted on canvas, the 84-year-old
now commands as much as
$80,000 per painting and his work is
represented in major Australian and
international collections.
Paddy is one of a small group of
Indigenous Australian artists selected
to create site-specific work for the
Quai Branly Museum in Paris.
Artist in focus Paddy Bedford runs from
12 May to 22 July. Entry is free.
Exhibition organised and toured
by the Museum of Contemporary
Art, Sydney, Australia.
Amun embracing the king
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramesses II, 1279–1213
BCE sandstone, 84.0 x 79.0 x 7.0 cm
Provenance: Luxor, Karnak temple
Acquired 1837, Mimaut collection, B 24 - LP 1668 - N 134C
Department of Egyptian Antiquities,
Musée du Louvre, Paris
Photograph © Georges Poncet, Musée du Louvre
PARTY LIKE A PHARAOH! SWING LIKE A SPHINX!
The most exhilarating exhibition of the year will be launched with fitting flair at
the Friends official opening night gala of
‘Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre: Journey to the afterlife’
Mouth-watering food and wine will flow like the Nile as you submerge yourself
into the breathtaking world of Ancient Egypt and its quest for divine immortality.
FRIDAY 20 JULY, $80 MEMBERS / $95 GUESTS BOOKINGS 9492 6750
Don’t miss this stunning event. Book early to avoid disappointment!
WHY, LIKE AN EGYPTIAN? By David Dolan
“Bedford’s body of work is
arguably one of the most
concentrated and
compelling in contemporary
Australian painting. He
experiments freely with
colour, form and pictorial
space in his paintings,
ranging from his early,
densely patterned panels of
red, yellow and black
ochres, to his recent,
expansive canvases in black
and white, interspersed by
vivid gouaches on paper.”
Russell Storer, Museum of Contemporary Art
Perhaps it is something to do with
the exciting historical contexts in
which Egypt has kept coming to the
world’s attention. The 18th century
closed with Nelson destroying the
French fleet in the Battle of the Nile
(1798), and in the 19th century
nothing changed the colonial world
map as much as the Suez Canal
which opened in 1867.
In 1922, the discovery of
Tutankhamen’s tomb became the
most famous drama in the history of
archaeology. All of these events
inspired revivals of Egyptian style in
art and design. The earliest and
finest example in an Australian
collection is Thomas Hope’s ornate
furniture suite of 1802, now in
Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.
But it is popular culture which most
obviously reflects our ongoing special
interest in Egypt. As kids we laughed
at TV re-runs of the Three Stooges
searching for King Rootin-tootin’s
tomb. A couple of decades later we
posed and sang along to The
Bangles’ Walk Like An Egyptian. And
what would schlock-horror movies
have done without the return of the
mummy and the pharaoh’s curse?
Egyptology provides the setting for
many museum jokes, such as a
Weekend Australian (10-11 February
2007) cartoon by Jon Kudelka,
apparently inspired by international
demands for the return of artefacts
ranging from the Elgin marbles to
Tasmanian Aboriginal remains. The
cartoon shows a mummy standing in
the entrance to an Egyptian
exhibition. A dumbfounded staff
member explains to his colleague:
“He says he wants his stuff back.”
I have been asking people why they
think that Egyptian relics have such a
hold on the collective popular
imagination. It has been suggested
that it is the combination of human
bodies and animal heads in their
gods, but that is not unique to Egypt.
My colleague Christine Lewis thinks it
may be because items which survived
in airtight tombs are more colourful
than classical statuary which has all
lost its pigment from being buried in
soil or exposed to weather.
Another theory is that Egyptian
funerary and dynastic material lends
itself to sensation and melodrama by
scoring well on the old blockbuster
exhibition success formula of gold,
death and sex (incestuous, at that).
Any other ideas will be received with
interest. What do you think?
Left: Funerary plaque with wedjat eye
Late Period, 27th-31st Dynasties,
525–332 BCE
faience, 12.3 x 14.0 x 1.7 cm
Acquired 1852, Clot Bey collection,
E 1612 - N 4338
Department of Egyptian Antiquities,
Musée du Louvre, Paris
Photograph © Georges Poncet,
Musée du Louvre
‘Egyptian antiquities from the Louvre: Journey to the afterlife’ is
organised by the Musée du Louvre, Paris and Art Exhibitions Australia,
in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Western Australia, National
Gallery of Australia and Art Gallery of South Australia.
Principal Sponsor
Meet a Friend Heidi Kellner-Marshall
and stimulating part of Western
Australia’s cultural life starting at a
very young age.
I love a challenge and love the
Australian ‘have a go’ attitude. I
believe that once we stop challenging
ourselves, we stop living.’
I also enjoy working with the
company’s young singers to help
improve their German.
It’s evident at every Friends event
that we have lots of fascinating
members who have some cracking
stories, but with limited time it’s
difficult to meet everybody.
We’re pleased to introduce a new
column, which puts the focus
squarely on our friends.
In this issue Editor Rebecca Bird
meets Heidi Kellner-Marshall, who
joined the Friends in 2000 looking for
some cultural stimulation after
spending 15 years on a farm in
Pingelly. Heidi is currently working
with the WA Opera as the Education
Manager, as well as teaching French
to primary school children.
‘My role at WA Opera involves taking
the Smarter than Smoking Opera in
Education program into schools. Our
Education team consists of two very
talented young singers and an
accompanist. Together we are trying
to make opera a highly accessible
Favourite artwork
I love the tranquillity of the Australian
masters. It must be a reflection on my
farm life.
I was born in Mannheim, Germany
and lived and studied in Stuttgart.
With a passion for the arts I trained as
an arts teacher and was spoilt for
choice, drawing inspiration from
Stuttgart’s many galleries, theatres
and the local ballet.
Favourite Friends moment
There have been many, but one that
sticks in my mind was the concert at
the gallery with Teddy Tahu Rhodes.
To listen to such beautiful voices
surrounded by all that magnificent
art was just stunning.
Another great love, one for travel,
brought me to Australia after meeting
Karen, a Perth girl, in Israel. What
was scheduled as a six week working
holiday evolved into a lifetime after I
fell for Ray, an ‘Australian shepherd’,
as my family affectionately call him.
Favourite past time
Reading. I’ve just started Dan
Brown’s Da Vinci Code again, but
this time in German.
My first stop en route to the sheep
farm was the Pingelly Pub in the
depths of winter, where I was utterly
shocked to see a sea of stubbies and
thongs. Not long after that I had my
first experience with an Aussie
thunderbox.
Favourite possession
My Grandma’s old jewellery.
Café du jour
The Mille Café at the end of
my street.
Arriving from Germany’s sixth largest
city I found myself deafened by the
silence of Australia’s outback and
overwhelmed by its darkness. Yet my
senses had never been so alive, which
fuelled my photography practice.
Glass Manifesto Raffle winners
1 Elaine Gimson and David Parkinson
42
3
Members’ Morning Tea
2 Mariah Bennington and Jacky Manera
3 Carine Collins, Angela McNally and
Clifton Taggart
The Great Hat Soiree
4 Pierre Lafond
5 Sarah Atkinston and Colleen Wallace
6 Mary Napier and Margaret O’Halleron
4
5
EXHIBITION PROGRAM
Thanks to everyone who attended
the Friends AGM on Tuesday 13
February, where the 2007 Council
was formed, welcoming three new
Councillors, Renae Tapley, Natalie
Hill and Rebecca Bird.
MAY/JUNE
Artist in focus Paddy Bedford
12 May – 22 July
‘Raised by Wolves’
Finishes 17 June
Congratulations also go Susanne
Finn and Phillida Preston, who were
returned to Council for another term.
1
The Friends extends a heartfelt thank
you and farewell to our retiring
Councillors, Jason Townes, Susan
Leaver and Mark Aronson.
Tuesdays at 11am & 1pm
Identity and Change: Nyoongar
perspectives
1 RENAE TAPLEY
Wednesdays at 11am & 1pm
‘Raised by Wolves’
Renae is an interior architect who
completed her degree with honours
at Curtin University, travelling to
Tokyo for one month to form the
basis of her thesis studies. She has
worked with Central Office of Design
and Architecture in Perth and lived
in Tokyo for a further year. Renae
has been involved in coordinating a
number of events at The Bakery,
including the ‘Blue’ exhibition and
‘Bang the Gong’ New Year’s event.
6
Natalie is a registered architect who
completed her degree with honours
at RMIT in Melbourne. She has
worked for BKK Architects and Chris
Connell Design in Melbourne, and
taught design and history at RMIT for
several years. Natalie has also been a
contributing writer for Monument
magazine and been involved in
coordinating various events including
the Melbourne Fait de la Lumiere
(Celebration of Light) and the
Passegiatta (gastronomic architectural
walking tour) for the London
Architecture Biennale.
Both Natalie and Renae currently
work with Bernard Seeber Architects.
As the new enthusiastic co-presidents
of aRTERY they are brimming with
fresh ideas and already beginning to
implement them.
GUIDED TOURS
Generously guided by Art Gallery
Volunteer Guides
MAY
2
Thursdays at 11am & 1pm
Contemporary – Understanding
the challenge
Friday Focus at 12.30pm
A story of a double painting
by Ernst Kirchner
Friday at 2pm
1820 to 1860 WA
Saturday at 1pm
General tour of the Gallery
2 NATALIE HILL
If you know a friend with an interesting story
or if you have one that you would like to share
please email your details to
[email protected]
Snapshots
1
Gallery Guide
Council 2007
3
3 REBECCA BIRD
Rebecca fell in love with the Art Gallery
of Western Australia, while working as
its Marketing Manager in the late
nineties. Lured to Sydney by a public
company, she spent several years in
the ‘East’ honing her marketing skills.
On returning to Perth in 2005 she
bolted back to the Gallery to renew her
Friends membership. It was quite
fortuitous that at the time the Friends
was looking for somebody to edit
artifacts. The rest, as they say, is
history. This year, Rebecca joins the
Friends Council as a Vice President
and is looking forward to focusing on
artifacts, sponsorship and
membership.
Sunday at 11am & 1pm
‘Raised by Wolves’
JUNE
Tuesdays at 11am & 1pm
Footsteps into Western Australia
Wednesdays at 11am & 1pm
Artist in focus Paddy Bedford
Thursdays at 11am & 1pm
Landscapes: Traditional to Contemporary
Friday Focus at 12.30pm
Cityscape: City by Michael Shannon
Fridays at 2pm
Centenary Galleries: Beginnings
of a tradition
Saturdays at 1pm
General tour of the Gallery
Sundays at 11 am & 1pm
Artist in focus Paddy Bedford
* Advertised tours may be subject to change.
We apologise for any inconvenience.
Calendar of Events
MEET A MONK: A BUS TRIP TO NEW NORCIA
DISCOUNTED PACKAGE FOR THE AFTERLIFE
Be part of a special day trip to New Norcia, where you will
visit places rarely seen by the general public. If you have
been down this well-trodden path, come again to renew
your vows. Meet Dom Chris, resident Monk, in the
Monastery Parlour and hear about life there. Visit the Holy
Trinity Abbey Church, the monks’ private Chapel and
frescoed College Chapels. Then feast your eyes on the
Museum’s wonderful art collection, featuring works by
Spanish and Italian Masters.
Book for all three events and save! Three films + Food
Art: Egyptian-style: $59.40 members / $72.00 guests
ADFAS LECTURE: EDWIN LANSEER LUTYENS
(1869-1944) AND AN IMPERIAL
WRENAISSANCE
Sir Edwin Lutyens was a leading 20th century English
architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional
architectural styles to the requirements of his era. His
work can be found in Europe, America and India. Clyde
Binfield’s lecture explores the rise, fall and rise again of
Lutyens’ reputation, and the evidence for his genius.
Monday 25 June
Alexander Library Auditorium
6.15pm Refreshments / 6.45pm Lecture commences
$30 members / $40 guests
GET TO KNOW YOUR COUNCILLORS
Members’ Morning Tea
This is an informal opportunity for new members to meet
some of the Councillors and familiarise themselves with
the Friends Room and the Gallery. The morning includes a
tour of the Gallery.
Sunday 8 July, 10.30am
Friends Room, Art Gallery of Western Australia
Free to new members / $5 existing members and guests
RSVP to 9492 6750
Thanks to Napoleon who invaded Egypt in 1798, one of
the most fascinating discoveries – the Rosetta Stone unravelled many of the mysteries of ancient Egypt.
Deciphering the three different texts depicted on the stone
became a race between the English and the French. It
would take two geniuses to work out the complexities of
the hieroglyphs (or sacred text), initially thought to be just
symbols, but which turned out to be a combination of
sounds and symbols used to write their story on papyri,
and on the walls of temples and tombs. It was the
obsession of Frenchman Jean-Francois Champollion who,
despite being undermined by the Church, broke the code
and opened up stories not known before.
The Friends is pleased to present a three-part series to
help you prepare for ‘Egyptian antiquities from the Louvre:
Journey to the afterlife’ which opens on 20 July.
Film Morning (Event 1)
Episode 1:
Episode 2:
The Story of the Race to Decipher Ancient
Egyptian Hieroglyphs (one hour)
The Secrets of the Hieroglyphs (one hour)
Wednesday 16 May, 10.00am Morning tea,
10.30am Film screening, $18 members / $20 guests
Film Morning (Event 2)
Episode 3:
The Secrets of Ancient Egypt Uncovered
Wednesday 13 June
10.00am Morning tea, 10.30am Film screening
11.40am A walk-through with Dr Moya Smith, Head of the
Dept of Anthropology to view a replica of the Rosetta Stone
at the WA Museum.
$18 members / $20 guests
Food Art Egyptian-style (Event 3)
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FRIENDS MEMBERSHIP
YOUR MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES LOTS OF DISCOUNTS
INCLUDING:
☛
☛
☛
☛
10% OFF MERCHANDISE AT THE GALLERY SHOP
10% OFF DINING AT CAFFISSIMO @ THE GALLERY
10% OFF AT JACKSONS DRAWING SUPPLIES
CONCESSIONAL RATES AT LUNA, PARADISO AND
ASTOR CINEMAS
☛ RECIPROCAL BENEFITS AT OTHER STATE GALLERIES
AROUND AUSTRALIA.
Visit www.artgallery.wa.gov.au/events_programs/friends.asp
for the most up-to-date events information.
Bridget Waters
Nightcap
(Dyed Rice, Food
Colouring, Proceon
Dye & Egg Shell)
2005 Photograph by
Adrian Lambert
An afternoon with Bridget Waters to see food artistry at its
very best with a distinctive Egyptian flavour! While
enjoying some delectable treats, we will have the pleasure
of seeing this inspiring young artist create a work of art
from food. Truly a hidden treasure, this is one of our
‘must attend’ events for the year. See Bridget’s profile on
page 3 of artifacts.
Saturday 16 June
2.00pm to 4.00pm (address on ticket)
$30 members / $40 guests (includes wine and canapés)
FOR BOOKINGS PHONE 9492 6750
Saturday 26 May, 9am to 5.30pm
$65 members / $70 guests (includes refreshments and lunch)
FILM MORNINGS
EGYPT: The Mystery of the Rosetta Stone