Category: feature

BIGSOUND announces major keynotes to 2019 lineup

Posted on by Matthew Wotherspoon

Australia’s leading new music festival and industry gathering, BIGSOUND, has announced another major addition to its 2019 speaker lineup.

Joining the bill is Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, music writer and industry figure Vivien Goldman, Frontier Touring’s Sahara Herald and acclaimed artist Mojo Juju.

Apart from writing some of the best indie anthems of the past decade, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino has become a key figure in the feminist movement, speaking out against sexism and sexual assault, on top of being a voice for those battling addiction.

Vivien Goldman is another figure who has helped evolve the industry through her work as a journalist in the UK on publications such as NME, Sounds and Melody Maker and pirate radio. On top of such feats is her work as a publicist for Bob Marley, becoming an artist as part of 80s new-wave duo Chantage and receiving acclaim through her latest book ‘Revenge of the She-Punks’.

Sahara Herald has been a staple of the live music industry for decades, co-ordinating Big Day Out for eighteen years before moving to Mushroom Group’s Frontier Touring where she was appointed Tour Director in 2018.

Mojo Juju is an ARIA-nominated Australian musician, best-known for her breakthrough album Native Tongue. Her storytelling through music and musical journey has led her to become an important artist voice in the industry, giving us insights few other artists can provide.

BIGSOUND has also announced their party program, which comprises of no less than 16 official events. The BIGSOUND Virgin Australia ‘HOME’ Welcome Party will feature music from Electric Fields, DRMGNOW, Deline Briscoe and Mambali and the Women in Music lunch. The bill will also see music from Milan Ring, Kobie Dee, Stevan and Dulcie, Nettwerk Music Showcase (featuring Riley Pearce, Jaguar Jonze, Hayden Calnin and Harrison Storm), the Unified Showcase (with Tones And I, Jack Botts, Stellie and RINI), Music Industry College Bacon & Bangers and the famous Bloody Mary Brunch.

For more information about BIGSOUND and ticketing options, click here.


Artistic Science or Scientific Art?

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


Art and science are usually seen as being opposed, the realm of whimsical creatives versus the domain of technical and precise intellectuals, but notable figures from the past show us time and time again that the division between art and science is illusory.

From Galileo’s models of planets to da Vinci’s technical plans; Descartes’ illustrations of magnetic fields and Lomonosov’s drawings of the aurora; Agnes Arber’s illustrative sketches of plant anatomy and Edison’s designs for electrical filaments: the best thinkers are the ones who balance the technical with the creative, who think accurately outside the box, who create with precision and passion.

Jarred Wright is one contemporary creator who embodies this symbiotic relationship between art and science. Originally from Christchurch, Jarred studied at the British Society of Scientific Glass, part of the University of Queensland’s Chemistry and Microbiology Department.

As a scientific glassblower, he works in the fields of chemistry, nanotechnology and microbiology, creating technical instruments dedicated to the study of nature’s microcosm.

As an artist, he finds inspiration in these natural forms which appear under the microscope, as well as in the unique flora, fauna and artistic stylings of his home, Aotearoa.

As with all intellectuals, Jarred has always been curious. How things are made, how they work, which tools and materials are best suited to which task – these are questions he’s probably been asking himself since before he could walk! However, the most crucial issue for Jarred was always: “how can I use this information to make something new, something unique?” This is how creativity grew out of curiosity. He aimed to create something that “pushes the use of the material in a way that is both interesting and aesthetically pleasing.”

His journey into scientific art, or artistic science, began early. As a child, he would tinker away at toys and tools, always improving them. Maybe they could fire further? Spin faster? Could they be made to emit weird sounds? Significantly, his tinkering wouldn’t stop at improving their function and would extend to embellishing their form as well, adding paint or components until he felt satisfied. This sense of accomplishment as he would sit back to admire his creations is one he still strives for to this day.

He actually stumbled into glassblowing a little by accident, or maybe providence. Having been made redundant “for calling my boss a bad name – he deserved it, no regrets,” he saw a listing for a scientific glass blowing apprenticeship. The notion of being so intimately involved with an industry that “takes the building blocks of physical matter and manipulates them” drew him in, and he liked the idea of creating “the tools that these wizards and sorcerers would use to, hopefully, improve the world.”

Unbeknownst to Jarred, his life up to this point had actually instilled in him skills that were surprisingly relevant to the field. Years of workshop management experience, a basic understanding of glass casting from his Fine Arts studies and a solid foundation in microbiology and fluid dynamics from homebrewing beer (which his grandfather taught him) imparted to him some of what he needed to know, and his future boss discerned in him a particular promise.

Despite this, it was a steep learning curve. “Think the karate kid training montage, but with my ass being kicked every day by failed and broken attempts at complex glass apparatus.” Scientific glass is heavily focussed on the technical skills of glass manipulation, as opposed to Jarred’s more curious and creative approach to scientific questions. He found himself having to “approach the training as a discipline” rather than an exploration.

Scientific glass is highly technical and precise, as well as being somewhat repetitive, leaving little room for error or experimentation. Jarred describes himself as going into a “semi-meditative state” when working the scientific jobs. “I imagine the microscopic actions taking place in my hands: the silica atoms to which I’m imparting energy, exciting them to move erratically and turn the crystalline glass into a liquid; how they cool down and settle back into the tidy hexagon formation again. I think of the cell cultures multiplying, splitting and releasing gas that fills the empty chambers of what I’m working on and how that will move through the forms.”

Nine years after embarking on his glassblowing journey, Jarred is beginning to expand his work into creative fields, building on the hard-earned skills he has acquired and finding his artistic inspiration in the microscopic actions unfolding in his hands. Unlike scientific glass, art glass is “fluid, dynamic, ambitious and much more forgiving,” giving free rein to his creative curiosity and allowing him to freely create artistic representations of his scientific meditations.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Jarred’s work, check out his upcoming exhibition at the artisan gallery artisan.org.au/blogs/news/small-object-space-jarred-wright, which will open on the 20th of July with a workshop artisan.org.au/blogs/workshops/artist-talk-demonstration.

There aren’t many scientific glassblowers around for the level of demand, and I would like to personally thank Jarred for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions. I certainly learnt something new!

BLESSED provides the goods with, “Memoirs of the Melancholy”

Posted on by Matthew Wotherspoon


For the past two years, BLESSED has been nurturing his talent as a musician, producer and songwriter to bring forth a style that’s not often seen or heard in Australia’s music scene.

Combining his influences of Kid Cudi, Jimi Hendrix and Kanye West, BLESSED‘s sublime talent has seen him bridge the gap of punk and hip-hop to create a unique and textured sound, full of colourful melodies and grungy layers.

His singles, “Sorrows“, “My World” and “Superfly“ have soared into the realm of online streaming, racking up millions of plays and has led to him to receive nods from Triple J, Pigeons & Planes, NYLON, Noisey, i-D Magazine, and Clash Mag.

Weaving together stories and life experiences with his passion for art and music, BLESSED is an artist that is hard to put your finger on. But as time goes on, his sonic deliverances allow us to step into the world that is BLESSED. And the result is just as commanding as it is enchanting.

With his latest single “Memoirs of the Melancholy”, you get a little more of the picture –

“You built your walls on my back, Then told me I can’t come inside”

Stream “Memoirs of the Melancholy” – HERE.

To learn more about BLESSED, visit his Facebook page here, https://www.facebook.com/blessedtunes/.

Swanny announces debut single, ‘Sweat Baby Sweat’

Posted on by Matthew Wotherspoon


Before Royal Blood electrified the globe with their thunderous, hard rock tunes, they were but an ominous duo rumbling local bars and recording demos along the east coast of Australia and Great Britain.

As they blemished the walls of pubs and clubs with their sonic grit and broadcasted their brash and bluesy tunes, bassist, Mike Kerr and drummer, Matt Swan found themselves thrusted into the musical spotlight, earning comparisons to early Muse and Led Zeppelin.

It was only after the release of their debut single, “Come On Over” (previously “Leaving”), which saw Matt Swan depart the blues rock duo to embark on his own sonic endeavours. Fast forward to July 2019 and Swanny (Matt Swan) has released his debut single – an absolute hip-swinger of a single entitled, “Sweat Baby Sweat”.

Swanny has said, “Sweat Baby Sweat is simply about letting the good times roll live life to the max – life is one big party. It was written after a long hot Summer’s night of no sleep in Byron Bay in 2018. I had just got home in the early hours of the morning after playing drums at one of Byron Bay’s crazy warehouse parties – I picked up the guitar, cracked another beer and the main riff quickly came to me. I then laid down some drums and Sweat Baby Sweat was born.”

Swanny‘s “Sweat Baby Sweat” drips with his signature tribal and thunderous drumming, while his raw vocals provide a sensory experience reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Kram (Spiderbait). Now that we can grasp what Swanny is like on his lonesome, we can truly hear how he has shaped the sound we know as Royal Blood and how his drumming has effectively helped revive a new era of Rock n Roll.

If you’re a fan of Royal Blood, Kram, Led Zeppelin, Torrential Thrill and everything in between, be sure to get around this tasty jam, it’s definitely worth a listen.

The single saw the light of day on all digital outlets and streaming platforms on Friday July 5th.




How one local artist is combining creativity and consciousness to build community

Posted on by Chiara Torelli

More than merely a tool for bringing communities together, art spreads messages and sparks inspiration, exploring our motivations as individuals and bringing to the forefront issues that can only be solved as a collective.

So what happens when creativity, community and environmental awareness meet? Unique and meaningful works of art, of course!

Ipswich-based artist Rebecca Lewis understood from very early on the power of art to be a messenger, an inspirer and a platform for transforming mindsets.

Her own artistic transformation started early, during a childhood spent on an acreage in the bosom of a family with a highly attuned sense of their environmental footprint.

Although her parents would never have described themselves as ‘creatives,’ they were nonetheless continually finding creative ways to re-use materials and fabrics. Their imaginative perspectives on matter, function, and aesthetics have significantly impacted Rebecca’s own.

While creativity in her family was linked with a practical, economic, and ecological philosophy, Rebecca invariably took this practical inventiveness one step further. She perpetually had a pen or pencil in her hand, took up printing early on at afterschool clubs and then lino printing in high school. Textiles and printing would come to be the hallmarks of her artistic practice while her creativity would continue to go hand in hand with environmental awareness.

After having kids, it came naturally to Rebecca to combine working from home and being available for her children with furthering her creative practice. Like many artists, she needs to be exercising her creativity to find personal fulfilment (and not go stir-crazy).

Today, she reconstructs our discarded and unwanted objects in ways that enable us all to perceive the beauty and potential in them.

Working exclusively with second-hand fabrics, discarded craft supplies and found objects, Rebecca produces singular and quirky items, which you will find nowhere else. Browsing her Instagram page instagram.com/littlebrowndog, Rebecca’s childlike ability to see magic and beauty in everything is palpable. Joy and wonder emanate from each item her hands have crafted.

One of Rebecca’s priorities in working with second-hand supplies is letting the materials speak for themselves. Their stories, characters, and quirks inform the design of each work of art: they stay true to themselves even as they are transformed.

While most artists work in isolation, Ipswich art shops have opened up studios and performance areas, enabling artists to share workspaces and creative processes. Practising alongside each other and engaging in personal artistic growth as a collective has greatly strengthened an already lively creative community. Local artists frequently attend each other’s exhibitions and are deeply involved in each other’s progress and growth. As an artist in Ipswich, Rebecca has found her ‘tribe.’ (She shudders as she says this, having found no better word to describe her community but hating the new-age hipster vibe she is imbuing it with).

However, she really hit her artistic stride around 2014, when she ran one of the three teams taking part in a community grant project across Ipswich. For Rebecca, the Animating Spaces project was truly about showcasing the artistic talent Ipswich has to offer and getting artists involved with the local community. Gaining lifelong friends and a confidence boost, Rebecca grew in her practice, with stronger project management skills and more courage in working with the community and other artists. But this was only the beginning…

In 2017, Rebecca was part of the Queensland Regional Art Awards touring show; then in 2018, she took first place in their Digital Art category! While she found this hugely validating to her artistic ambitions and self-belief, even more valuable to her was being embraced in the wider Queensland artistic community. She found herself surrounded by like-minded people who aligned with her creative practice. To this day, the artists involved are actively supportive of each other and genuinely involved in each other’s progress.

Rebecca’s sustainable ethos has continuously informed her creativity and brought her into contact with like-minded artists from all over Queensland. Nevertheless, her immediate community is just as crucial to Rebecca’s practice. Community, the forging of bonds through creation and exploration of self, and the ability to spark discussions on pertinent and urgent themes are central to Rebecca’s artistic values.

In this spirit, workshops are an integral aspect of her creativity, and she loves creating environments where knowledge and understanding flow alongside creative development. Her workshops for kids and grownups build on motor skills and artistic confidence as well as being highly open, friendly and nurturing environments.

Although she’s an introvert, Rebecca also loves the face-to-face interactions which take place at markets. This aspect of the creative process is perhaps one of the most rewarding, and while ‘design and maker’ markets are always fun, her favourite is the Southside Arts Market, in Brisbane. Here, people set out knowing they’re going to purchase artwork, and there’s nothing a creator loves more than connecting with someone who connects with her creations. Rebecca is most moved when she witnesses a person genuinely relate with the one-off items she’s produced. Knowing she has impacted this person’s life in very personal ways is profoundly fulfilling.

This artist has big plans for the future – or does the future have big plans for Rebecca? Having attended a workshop on running exhibitions, she won the opportunity to host her own solo show, and her ambitions are running high! Be prepared to witness the fusion of sustainable art with secret histories.

Taking the family unit as her starting point, Rebecca wants to collect the ‘little’ histories that inform the daily lives of real people and real places. Giving them their place in the broader historical tapestries of state and nation, she’ll bring to the forefront the personal struggles that shape entire communities. Highlighting these ‘little’ histories will truly bring to light our power to impact society around us. Make sure to keep a look-out for her first solo venture in Ipswich!

Brisbane is getting a brand new summer music festival!

Posted on by Matthew Wotherspoon

The teams who brought Australian audiences Beyond The Valley and Origin Fields have joined forces to deliver a show-stopping one-day festival this December in Brisbane.

Premiering at Brisbane Shows this December 28th, Wildlands will see a plethora of artists converge to bring a showcase of exciting dance, electronic and hip-hop performances to our sun-soaked doorstep.

The prestigious RUFUS DU SOL has already been announced as the first act, which is soon to be followed by a line-up of prolific talents from around the world.

The teams behind Beyond the Valley and Origin Fields have been the forerunners of Australia’s live music scene for a number of years now, bringing international acts like The Kooks, Chance The Rapper, Jamie XX, Stormzy, Mura Masa, Cardi B and more, to stages down under. 

Now, after much preparation and dedication, they are set to push the boundaries of creative line-ups once more, this time with their eyes on the sunshine state.

“Brisbane is such a beautiful city, filled with music lovers of all genres.
Beyond The Valley & Origin host so much amazing talent touring the country over New Years, that often don’t visit Brisbane. Each festival has grown so much over the past years, carving their own unique festival experience & collectively we thought it’s time Brisbane gets their own taste of our flair too. We’re really excited to create something just for Brisbane that will be totally different to anything currently on offer, bringing the best of the East and West Coast together for one very special day.”

– Michael Cristidis, Beyond The Valley

“The thing I love about Brisbane is that it’s so musically and culturally diverse. Being able to curate a broader musical programme with our partners at BTV has been one of the most enjoyable booking experiences I’ve personally have ever had. With the strengths of the two festivals, I feel, that we will be able to create an event that is unique to Brisbane as beyond the valley is unique to Melbourne and Origin is to perth.” 

– Saran Bajaj, Origin Fields


artisan gallery: connecting makers and spectators

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


The art and design scene in Brisbane is thriving, vibrant and diverse, and a cherished element of our community. Enabling our Brisbanite and Australian creatives to spread their wings has the potential to enrich us all, as the people at artisan have always known.

Founded in 1970, artisan is proudly referred to as ‘the Queensland home of craft and design’ by its members. A beautiful modern space at 45 Kings Street, in Bowen Hills, artisan supports and promotes craft and design practices through a year-round calendar of exhibitions, event and workshops, as well as its on-site store.

This not-for-profit organisation aims to share, celebrate and offer advocacy for local and nationwide creatives, whatever their practice; whatever their medium. Their focus is on community collaboration, heavily involving the audience in the work of the makers through their many workshops and their hands-on approach to art, exhibition curation and celebration.

artisan is operated by a team whose members are themselves makers and creators. They have a first-hand understanding of the struggles facing budding artists and the challenges of making your way in the art world. This enables them to offer targeted support to their many protegees, bringing out the best in them.

One of the avenues through which artisan supports Australian makers is via their stunning on-site store. Home to the handmade and unique creations of over 100 Australian artists, this beautifully designed and curated space is more gallery than store, with jewellery, ceramics, glass, fabric, weaving and ornaments available to be perused and purchased.

This is the perfect place to buy one-off, handcrafted and thoughtful gifts for friends and family, or yourself and your home. The items here are all lovingly made with either traditional artisanal skills or contemporary design and manufacture practices, but most often a delightful combination of both. What’s more, purchases made at the artisan store truly make a difference to a maker’s experience.

The friendly staff at the store are intimately acquainted with each of the items on display, including their makers and their stories. Ask them about pieces you are interested in to gain insightful glimpses into the creative processes behind them, helping you to choose personal and pertinent gifts that will be cherished for years to come.

artisan also supports and celebrates its members through its full-on calendar of exhibitions and events, housed in the on-site gallery or workshop space. If you’re keen to get involved with your local creative community and support artists nationwide, why not head on down to check out some upcoming events?

Exhibitions

AGENCY BY DESIGN: Expressive Design for Disability
Main Gallery
11 May – 13 July

This exhibition explores the full breadth of designing for disability, with a focus on individual expressive and physical needs, which cannot be met with a one-size-fits-all attitude. The exhibition includes jewellery, apparel, ocular prosthetics, furniture and technology.

HELEN WYATT: I WALK THE LINE
Small Object Space
11 May – 13 July

Helen Wyatt’s wearable jewellery designs are centred around a visualisation of edges, borders and fences as transitional sites between nature and culture.

MAKE IT: TOOLS, TECHNIQUE & TIME
Main Gallery
20 July – 14 September

Man’s intimate relationship with tools and creating is investigated in this exploration of the thousands of years of evolution behind each new item in our toolbox.

Workshops

The workshop calendar at artisan is so exciting and diverse; I don’t even know where to begin. The workshops are quite regular and frequent but tend to sell out quickly, so make sure you get in there early if you see something you’re interested in!

BRASS & TIMBER BANGLE with Kirralee & Co
When: Saturday 29 June 2019
Time: 1:00pm

Play around with a variety of workshop tools, including a mandrel for bending brass, a vice, Dremel and a drill press, as well as materials such as steel wool and epoxy glue, as Kirralee Robinson walks you through the creation of your very own brass and timber bangle.

BOOK SMITHING with Sam Parsons
When: Saturday 13 July 2019
Time: 10:30am

Repurpose illustrations from old books using simple stitching methods to embellish, personalise and add texture. Create artwork to frame, take home or offer as a gift.

SCIENTIFIC GLASS TALK & DEMO with Jarred Wright
Date: Saturday 20 July
Time: 11:00am

Learn about the dying art of scientific glass blowing, and watch one of the last few practitioners in action!

CREATIVE GLASSWARE SANDBLASTING with Jo Bone & Aaron Micallef
When: Saturday 27 July
Time: 10:30am

Work with these two established artists to master the processes of stencilling, masking and sandblasting, creating your own personalised matching glassware to take home.

LEATHER SANDAL MAKING with The Shoe Camaraderie
When: Saturday 7 September
Time: 9:30am – 5:30pm

Spend the day creating your very own leather sandals from scratch while enjoying tea and coffee in the morning and cheese and wine in the afternoon.

For more information go to https://artisan.org.au

Innovative designers marry style and function at Kirralee and Co.

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


Bridging the space between art and functionality, the four designers and woodworkers who make up Kirralee and Co. have burst onto the interior design scene with their reclaimed timber homeware.

Working from a solar-powered shed near Ipswich, Queensland, they come together to create design-orientated, minimalist and sustainable solutions for living and decorating in the home. Their user-focused functional sculptures manage to both embellish a room and elevate the useable area, creating eye-catching spaces in which functionality is never sacrificed to style.

The timeless quality of the minimalist lines and mid-century design results in wooden pieces that grow and change as we do, enhancing both our living spaces and lifestyles.

The pieces are created from locally sourced unwanted wood, with which the designers interact intimately when designing. Each item is crafted in response to the wood’s natural character, bringing out its inherent strength and properties. From eye-catching wood grain to a poetic imperfection or a distinctive curve, the finished object is a direct response to the original material.

Founding member Kirralee Robinson began this particular journey in January of 2018. She started creating collage works from timber and cotton string, building on her previous woodworking experience in the belief that timber never stops teaching. She was particularly entranced by her engagement with the built environment and began taking night art classes, which challenged her to extend her creative perceptions into a three-dimensional space.

From here, Kirralee and Co. were born, marrying environmental and social values with intelligent design. If you’d like to find out more or browse through their creations, have a look here http://www.kirralee.co/gallery.

In her personal work, Kirralee questions the very nature of shapes. She asks: what is the quality of shape? What are the elements of shape? How can they be manipulated while maintaining the integrity of shape?

Her abstract pieces deconstruct and reconstruct shapes and their elements, bringing into focus the interaction amongst shapes and spaces, as well as exploring the interplay between different mediums.

Kirralee’s photography displays similar inspirations, searching for lines and dimensions in everyday objects, their shadows, and their synergy with their environments.

Does the magical world of Kirralee and Co. entice you? Fear not! Kirralee herself will be hosting a workshop at Artisan (45 King Street, Bowen Hills, QLD 4006), on the 29th of June from 1 pm. Budding designers will practice metal bending and working with reclaimed timber components as they design and create their very own brass and timber bangle. You’ll get to experiment with a variety of workshop tools, like a mandrel, vice, Dressel and drill press, and play with materials such as steel wool and epoxy glue.

All the materials, equipment and tools will be provided, as well as some light refreshments. For more information about the workshop, go to https://artisan.org.au/blogs/workshops/brass-bangle.

The Maryborough Story Bank and the Value of Heritage

Posted on by Chiara Torelli


Maryborough is a town rich and varied in heritage. Rival to Brisbane for the prestigious status of the new state capital, it was the second most important port on the east coast, a hub for the passage of goods, people and information. This fascinating history also makes Maryborough host to a surprising number of ‘first and oldest’ claims.

Today, this heritage is still visible in the charming streets and the iconic architecture which make up the enchanting City Heart and Portside precincts. Visiting Maryborough is one of the most immersive heritage tourism experiences in Queensland.

The Fraser Coast Regional Council is dedicated to the region’s culture and heritage, prioritising the exploration of its diversity and the furthering of culture initiatives throughout the area. This is where the heritage-listed building which was home to the Australian Joint Stock Bank, comes into the story.

331 Kent Street, formerly the Australian Joint Stock Bank, was also the birthplace of PL Travers. The imaginative and fun-loving creator of Mary Poppins spent a magical childhood living upstairs in the Bank Manager’s quarters and playing in the streets and riverside haunts of Maryborough. Relocating to England at the age of 25, she changed her name from Helen Lyndon Goff to Pamela Lyndon Travers and began writing the first of eight Mary Poppins books.

In 2015, the Council acquired this beautiful and storied building, vowing to restore it to its forming glory, and reuse it as a creative space celebrating its heritage.

Due to open in 2019, the Story Bank will be an innovative, interpretive centre, paying homage to the life and works of PL Travers, Maryborough’s unique social and cultural history, and the stories of the Butchulla people of the Fraser Coast, most significantly through an ode to the Legends of Moorie Jarl. Written by Wilf Reeves and his sister in 1964, this was the first Aboriginal children’s book, commemorating the stories and legends of the Butchulla people. I find it very appropriate to celebrate the first Aboriginal children’s book alongside the local authoress who dedicated her life to honouring childhood.

The Council’s vision is to assemble a bank of stories, a home for storytellers to pass on the cultural heritage of the Fraser Coast communities. The aim is for stories to continue to be deposited well into the future, and withdrawn and perused by locals and visitors alike. The Story Bank will feature interactive displays, artists-in-residence opportunities, workshops, design features, and meeting places for creative pursuits of all kinds.

The Council is seeking expressions of interest from Queensland-based artists for a slew of quirky and mind-bending commissioned pieces, such as interactive bookcases with hidey-holes; a Village of Fairytales carved into the spines of books, replicating Cherry Tree Lane; a Very Little People display in the nooks and crannies of a cabinet of curiosities; and a Staircase of Stories, making use of the interplay of light and shadow to create other-worldly sensations.

To get involved in this weird and wonderful project, or to find out more, have a look at the commission guidelines: http://www.ourfrasercoast.com.au/Portals/0/Story%20Bank%20Art%20Collection%20-%20Guidelines.pdf?ver=2018-10-12-013455-977, and keep an eye on Brisbane Art Guide’s updates, http://bneart.com/story-bank-art-collection/.

The Blind Leading the Blind: Artist-Run Initiatives

Posted on by Chiara Torelli

No one understands what drives an artist as much as another artist. So who better than artists themselves to provide the spaces and opportunities for others to experiment and create fearlessly? This is the principle behind Artist-Run Initiatives. ARIs are projects, organisations, and galleries run by artists, for artists, enabling creatives to experiment with, innovate, develop and present their work in a collaborative environment.

Brisbane is home to many ARIs. Outer Space, Wreckers ArtSpace, The Wandering Room, Diagram and ArtWorld Studio Gallery are all safe havens for artists to express themselves, but Boxcopy is the only ARI in Queensland to be a member of All-Conference, a national coordination network of fifteen artist-led organisations.

Through positive and constructive peer-to-peer networks and diverse and innovative artistic programmes, All-Conference pushes an experimental and cross-disciplinary art agenda throughout Australia. The fifteen member-ARIs often collaborate, building a supportive platform for creative exploration on a large scale and advancing the practices of living artists.

In this vein, Boxcopy strives to provide a platform for experimental and innovative creative practices, with an extensive programme of curated exhibitions by both new and established artists, a diverse range of events, two artistic publications, and discussion forums focused on the role of art in the lives of both artists and audiences. Here, artists are enabled to develop and present new work in a wide range of media, from moving image, to sound, performance, and installations.

The ethos behind Boxcopy has always been one of experimentation, collaboration, and a D.I.Y attitude to contemporary art practices, stemming from its own D.I.Y origins: it was founded as a collaborative project by seven art school graduates, from the basement of their Queenslander in New Farm.

Today, Boxcopy is one of the longest-running ARIs in Brisbane, having been the ARI-in-residence at the Metro Arts Centre, before moving to the historical Watson Brothers Building in Brisbane’s CBD, then Normanby Fiveways, on Petrie Terrace.

This June 8th, Boxcopy’s yearly silent auction, The Annual, is taking on a significant role: Boxcopy has recently moved to a new home! Celebrate their move to 16 Merivale St, South Brisbane, by joining their housewarming auction, and bid silently on artwork donated by a variety of local artists, with the support of both local and national art institutions and galleries.

Join their mailing list here: https://boxcopy.org to receive the catalogue in advance! All proceeds from the sales go directly to paying the artists and writers involved in the upcoming programme.

ARIs are creative communities where artists are enabled to support artists, and promoting and getting involved with these initiatives is the best way to empower the local arts scene. Going direct to the source and helping artists provide for each other means they are indeed being given the space they need to grow their practices and launch themselves into the world, benefitting from the experience of those around them.