Isolation: A Marley Street Project Photographic Exhbition

"Emotional Drain" by Wayne Frost

Please join us for the opening of Isolation a photographic exhibition at the Bond Street Event Centre.
Commencing at 12:30pm on Wednesday 22nd of November 2017. "Emotional Drain" by Wayne Frost

Over the last 2 months, I've working with the residences of Marley Street Flats showing them capture to process to print a photographic exhibition. The result has been the absolutely moving body of work exploring isolation and homelessness.
Proof that a value of an image isn't in how it was made but in why was made.

BIG Love to Leanne Blake from Quantum Support Services for birthing this project and BIG BIG LOVE to Regional Arts Victoria for again supporting emerging and diverse artist from Gippslandia

Gippslandia Issue 4: Release the beast.

Illustrated BY Si Ballam

Do you make, move, do, dream, create, paint, sculpt, write, rub, press, watch, listen, design, illustrate, photograph or sing? Do you express creativity inwards or outwards? Is your brain constantly in a battle between the world you see and the world that could be? If you answered, “yes” to any of the above – you may be a ‘Creative Beast’.
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I threw the rulebook out the door when I started TOPshelf in 2016. I became a mentor with a goal to hunt out other creatives with artistic “soul goals” and equip them with the tools to realise their goal. A ‘soul goal’ is the thing you’d do if you were faced with dying tomorrow.

When hunting, I found and encouraged my creative beasts to be in a constant state of flux. They’re completely free to be their most authentic expression of themselves. Liberated to change themselves and their beliefs at any time. Society’s stereotypical outlook on gender, roles, responsibilities and labels don’t exist in our TOPshelf world. This way we encourage the creative beasts that roam Gippsland to roar for our right to create the best possible world.

Creative Beast: Ash Neill
Species: Graphic Designer
Description: Rigorous, organised, fluid, calm, big heart, condenser, autonomous
Soul Goal: Altering The Design
BIG win: Co-Director of TOPshelf

Ash is a graphic designer with a massive interest in visual branding and its psychological influence. He fell in love with design in high school after completing a project on creating a faux brand. Ever since, it’s become Ash’s passion to create well-executed brand identity designs for a large range of clients.

His soul goal was to rebuild his portfolio after feeling a bit chewed-up by the TAFE system. Ash developed the TOPself program branding and various other projects, and is now extrapolating that into creating intelligent designs for a small community group. He is further demonstrating that altering the design of a business can shift the cultural landscape of that community into a place of visually pleasing aesthetics.

Creative Beast: Jeremy Kasper
Species: Fine Art / Street Artist
Description: Dynamic, intentional, thorough, observant, builder, perpetual motion
Soul Goal: Reclaim Our Lanes
BIG Win: Regional Art Victoria $15k Community Art Grant 2017

Trained in classical French cuisine in Canada and qualified as a Red Seal Chef, Jeremy has had an extensive, 20-year, cheffing career, with his menus and dishes showcasing fresh, seasonal and colourful ingredients to create art on a plate. In 2015, Jeremy decided to change career to pursue his passion for the arts at RMIT, graduating with a Diploma Of Visual Arts and continuing into an Advanced Diploma.

Recently, Jeremy has been working on his solo exhibition, Inertia, which is an exploration of landscape in motion.

Since 2014, Jeremy has been producing commissioned street art murals on walls and private residences. The murals are illustrative and colourful – providing blank walls a new lease on life.

Through TOPshelf Jeremy introduces his Reclaim Our Lanes Project, which aims to connect the community and youth through art. The project creates murals in Wellington Shire inspired by local people, their stories and cultural history. The project aims to improve the vibrancy of the street, remove unwanted graffiti and tags, and replace it with works of art. TOPshelf has helped Jeremy in his bid to gain funding through grants and donations to assist in material and paint costs to realise this project.

Creative Beast: Abbey Tucker + Emma Hellings
Species: Performers
Description: Synchronicity, intuitive, fire and air, movement, curious, daring, wonder
Soul Goal: Silent Soulful Sounds
BIG Win: Booking two workshops

Abbey and Emma are two groovy sunshine bringers, near to emerge from the other side of VCE. Their life aim is to touch souls, effect change, and make this world a more beautiful place. Abbey and Emma love people and are totally intrigued by the ways in which people connect and the psychology of human connections. Their hope is to allow people the opportunity to be one with each other in the beautiful realm of creativity and inspire. ‘Communication’ is so overused these days that we find people ‘bubble’ over the top of shallow, insignificant small talk.

Abbey and Emma’s exhibition connects people amongst the depths in a beautifully raw, authentic silence. They’ll gather a range of people, from all different walks of life, and ask them to communicate about an
indicated topic without the use of sound. They’ll push the barriers of body language and expression and demolish the predisposed stereotypes of ‘vibing’ with a total stranger. In short, they don’t play in the rock pools of communication, but dive in the depths.

Creative Beast: Kaitlyn Francis
Species: Photographer
Description: Unstoppable force, old soul, academic, self-taught, sponge, co-creator
Soul Goal: A Bag Of Skittles
BIG Win: Nailing two solo exhibitions and Winner of Wellington Youth Art Prize

A contemporary artist, Kaitlyn explores the nature of not only her own, but others identities, and the impact that has on their relationships. Currently completing her VCE certificate, Kaitlyn’s work reflects the way a teenager’s mind works. Exploring the experiences of today’s youth, including the pressures of schooling, relationships (platonic and romantic) and the looming fear of the future once school is completed.

Adopted as a six-month-old, her biological mother passed away in 2007, leaving Kaitlyn to navigate complicated relationships, fears of abandonment and quite strange coping mechanisms. A Bag Of Skittles, Kaitlyn’s first solo show at Briagolong Art Gallery, explored what it meant to live rurally, the idolisation of the ‘city’, and the lifestyles and architecture of the people that live in juxtaposed regions.
The show marked a stepping stone in Kaitlyn’s fine art photography career, giving her a confidence boost that photography is a possible career, not just a hobby.

Her recent solo exhibition, Zenskost, at Brunswick Street Gallery, explored how most of the people she surrounds herself with are feminine appearing or female identifying and how their surroundings reflect their personalities. Every photograph is a subconscious reflection of her life and the people she chooses to associate with.

Creative Beast: Grace Ware
Species: Artist
Description: Ephemeral, rebel, firecracker, problem solver, inventor, bold, badass
Soul Goal: Finding The Lion
BIG Win: Featured on Instagram, @dopelemonmusic

Grace is a self-taught artist from Traralgon, who displays a surrealist and quirky flair in her illustrations. Her artwork explodes with bold detail, through line work and tone, giving life to her offbeat and eccentric
characters. Grace paints how she feels using her distinct band of characters and symbolism. Grace’s surf punk-inspired style and thought-evoking graphics make her a distinctive young artist emerging from the Valley.

Grace stands by the Frida Kahlo quote, “Surrealism is the magical surprise of finding a lion in a wardrobe, where you were ‘sure’ of finding shirts”. Grace consistently strives to create a lion in my wardrobe – one that will disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. The dream is to bring a mighty lion to my wardrobe of wearable denim art. With the help of the Alt_Art collective community and mentors Grace has a strong force behind her to learn, experiment and bloom as a young regional artist.

Creative Beast: Tara Cornell
Species: Watercolor artist
Description: Healer, entrepreneur, hunter and gatherer, survival, inspirer, obsessive
Soul Goal: Adventures Of Tara’s Art
BIG Win: Nailing a residency at the Foundry

Adventures Of Tara’s Art is a Sale-based watercolourist that promotes healing via therapeutic artworks. After pursuing many different careers, Tara has finally begun chasing her passion in art through her business and selling works through various stores in Gippsland, including the Foundry in Bairnsdale and the Yinnar General Store.

Growing up, Tara was always told that she couldn’t be a successful artist and had to choose a ‘proper career’. Now, she’s defying the naysayers having started her business; selling her cards and art. For Tara star constellations and galaxies are integral to her being. Tara’s Aunt taught her art therapy and to heal from life’s troubles through art. Tara now uses this for herself, as well as healing others. The manipulation and flow of the watercolour on paper is one of the most calming things to watch and do.

Colours also help Tara self-reflect her moods, whether she’s angry (red) or calm (blue/purple) or happy (turquoise). Reflecting emotions through art conveys that emotion to others. Tara’s art describes beauty and healing, and needs to be shared.

YES! I Do Support Marriage Equality In Gippsland

2 years ago we had a simple idea, photograph anyone in Gippsland who believe in the equal rights for ALL PEOPLE to marry the person they loved. Since then we have photographed over a 1000 of you. Raised over $5k, published a book, started a LGBQITA+ Youth Support group, A queer social club, and been able to run an amazing campaign over the last 3 months in the MAIN STREET OF SALE. All leading up to this day. Our community has seen the worse Australia has to offer, from the face of the national no campaign living our region, a victim of a hate crime and media out who couldn't keep it
clean or balanced. We have persisted not out of spite but LOVE! Thank you all who stood up to be counted 2, 10,20,50 years ago thank you to everyone who vote THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO FOUGHT FOR LOVE AND WON!

Gippslandia Issue 3: Rising again

Illistration by Joel Berend & Si Billam

To turn your occupation into “art” is the highest compliment you can earn, but to have “art” as an occupation is one of the dirtiest things you can utter.
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Why do we turn art into a dirty word just as our children start their metamorphosis into adulthood and begin exploring identity and sexuality through art? You may remember the moment you stopped doing something that made you really happy. It may have gone something like this: “You can’t sing”, “You can’t paint”, “You can’t dance” or “You shouldn’t talk so loud”. When you see someone expressing themselves and they kind of suck, you cringe and feel embarrassed for them. Not because they’re embarrassing, but as you feel insecure by the idea of you in their place. This moment is called, “I could never do that. What would people think?!”

The haunting pain caused by society clipping our fledgling artists, as they start to spread their wings, often comes from the most beautifully complicated place – protecting the people we love. Our primal herd mentality has told us that standing out can get you killed. Moving away from the pack makes you vulnerable. It’s real basic ‘fight or flight’ stuff. Artists don’t stay with the pack – we stray. We hunt different perspectives on the world, ourselves and our existence. It begins as “instinctual”, but soon we roam knowingly. We are observers and the people that ask questions. Society, I believe, instinctively hurts or hinders young artists in an effort to protect them from what could cause temporary isolation from the group. We think we are “saving” our little wildebeest from getting mauled by a lion or worse, exposing a weakness in the herd, or even worse, challenging the status quo or leaders of the pack. But this unconscious thought process is based on the assumption that the artist feels the same embarrassment others do when faced with being uncomfortable or being vulnerable in society’s eye.

My friend, the difference is that we artist’s “practice”. We condition ourselves to the pain of humiliation and failure, because like an athlete needs to repeatedly damage their muscles so they repair stronger, so do we too get stronger. I don’t believe in failure anymore. Doing something different and sucking in a public way is the fastest way to improve. The lion can come at me and I’ll kick him in the balls. As an artist, I have increase how uncomfortable my expression makes you feel. Moving up the scale we become more comfortable with ourselves and our battles with the demons in our mind become less obvious. Transforming shit art into the complete suspension of reality. Accessing and activating the deepest levels of emotions makes our art unforgettable. We can show and inspire the herd to new or greener pastures.

Writing for this paper has changed my life. It’s connected me to you, my readers, and made space in my mind as I am purging my soul onto this page. Tim and John from Gippslandia had the power to clip my wings, but instead they’ve held my hand, making sure I didn’t slip and fall through the cracks. I write for Gippslandia as a volunteer, just like 95% of my work here in my native lands. I choose to write because I believe what this paper stands for is important. As a bonus I get 10 hours of writing practice every couple of months. I know I’ll be able to nail paid gigs in the future now that I’ve tested the waters and not died. Getting paid to write is what, my friends, I call a “soul goal”. If you’d asked me, what was the lion that stalked me six months ago, I would’ve said having my writing published for the world to judge. Now in my third outing, I’m totes chill about it.

I know my biggest fear as an artist is asking to be paid to do my art – knowing I’ve chosen to live life apart from the safety of the herd. It’s this fear, combined with my “do or die trying” attitude, that cost me my studio.

As much as I loved my Main Street life, I can’t grieve about its failure as a business model as its death provided the fertiliser to grow something truly beautiful – TOPshelf. Just after Gippslandia was first published I opened my studio doors to the wandering creative beasts that roam Gippsland in search of their own kind. I started a not-for-profit, The BIG Picture Space Inc., to take them in at no cost, like Gippslandia took me in. I shared openly with them, as I share with you. I passed on the learnings of my 10 years worth of survival skills for life on the fringe.

What began as six artists in Sale has now spread to over 30 in a region roaming from Traralgon to Lake Tyres in only a couple of months, with more joining every week. The badge system I first developed was based around simple to-do lists of how not to get eaten by lions, has now evolved into a tool to lead the fight for a full-blown art education revolution.

Gippsland is huge, but unless you have grown to fit the frequently conservative country mould, there isn’t a lot of room for you to express and explore your identity, sexuality, ideas, value system and goals. We know our regional people have incredible creativity and a solid work ethic, but from the New South Wales border to Melbourne there’s a desert of creative education opportunities and artistic pathways. Until now. Now you can be TOPshelfed by me.

I have tested my ideas and connected the unexpected, focused minds and kick started careers. Proving the gamification of learning works. Helping regional emerging, established and elite artists has totally consumed my life and their stories of completely surrendering to the arts, after years of fighting to stay in line has only fuelled the fire burning in my heart.

Over the last six months I’ve helped my creative creatures develop concepts, build exhibitions, gain grants and even full-time employment in their creative fields, and self-publish entire bodies of work. Now, my dear reader, the time has come for me to face my lion head on. I’m coming back to the safety of my herd to ask for help.

I’ve hunted and gathered a tribe of locally-sourced creatives, graphic designers, coders and artists to birth a totally new badass TOPshelf system. Our next phase is to take this bad boy online to the people. Users will be able to subscribe to our compassionate, but intense, step-by-step badge system to help them get from concept to realisation of their desired soul goal. We will arm you with a mean set of tools, sweet hookups to local resources, networks and grant opportunities.

Luckily, I was able to be fed and be watered by Regional Arts Victoria and Pozible, Australia’s largest crowdfunding platform, sheltered by Federation Uni, Churchill, in their new creative village and loved by The VRI and FLOAT as I have worked to create a campaign to raise the $35,000 needed to launch a new breed of art education for Gippslanders. If you have ever taken comfort in my words, have been inspired to create more art or understand a friend or family member a little better, you now have a chance to really help me to help others. To take your hand, leave the herd and chase your soul goal as we face the lions together.

Regardless of whether you donate or not, for the short time we’ve had together I’d love for you to fold this paper and walk away knowing you’re an artist, constantly working on the greatest masterpiece ever created – you.

Every day we make decisions on how we look, feel and see the world. To be a “practicing” artist you just have to add a simple question in front of every decision – have I lived my life in fear? Once every action has a conscious thought behind it we start actively choosing the life we want. Will you continue to follow the person in front or stray?

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Gippslandia loves having PollyannaR’s passionate and personal contributions in our newspaper every issue. We want the most vibrant Gippsland creative community possible, to see Gippslandians pursuing their artistic ambitions, so we implore you to support the TOPshelf Pozible campaign at rav.pozible.com/project/topshelf-1 before it closes on July 2nd.