A week ago I was in this tunnel ... walking along with my friend Nicki when we got to the point where the noise of bats became most unsettling. Maybe you're a tough-nut and would have kept going all the way through this tunnel ... I know Nicki, formerly a vet, would not have been nearly so nearly so keen to turn around and go back as I was... she's a formidable person... read her story and the others who play their part in the tale here at the homage blog post just up.
We'd been visiting around the area near her farm on the Darling Downs ... people on the land are generally a tougher mob that those of us fond of our city comforts. When she and her husband received a notice that they might lose their farm to a Mining Company she did not lie down and give up ... in fact she was in the middle of working on a large exhibition about the town nearby that was dismantled so an Open Cut mine could take coal from where the people had lived and communed daily with each other for decade upon decade.
This flowering gum - Ironbark: Eucalyptus sideroxylon- great hardwood, termite resistant- (Nicki's notes) was photographed in the town that is no more ... Acland. Well...not quite no more ... it has a resident still... that amazing story was written up in the Australian, the national newspaper - page 4 no less - on Saturday!
The weekend I went to the Downs was quite eventfuI I can tell you ...stories in every direction, stories that are going national... that are symbolic of other's stories from around the globe.
Its was so exciting to see the way the visual arts, in this case Textile art, could play a major role in communicating, on a number of levels, something very important in the lives of this community... and beyond.
We are all touched by the most profound density and velocity of change in contemporary life and as artists we have much to contribute and in so many varied ways - whether subtle or overt - the time is here for artistic interventions of all kinds.
Before I dash off to get on with things a little reminder in case you're down the road... and interested ! There's been a great response to the workshop series Im starting up at Percolator Gallery in Paddington this weekend...a couple of places are left for this Saturday, 25th of June and July, 9th and July 23rd too! With more dates coming soon!
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Click on website page for more information or email me here: sophiemunns @ iinet . net . au (without the gaps of course!)
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| close up of section of a new work - view at website |
The other day I got around to posting new work at my website... and added a post at my studio archives blog about all this. I was reflecting on the fact this free website provider has continued to develop what they offer and is surprisingly user friendly ... and best of all I discovered a much better slideshow facility the other day to upload work onto. Maybe its new or maybe I missed it before this.
A couple of years ago I felt like I would never get my head around creating a website ... then I saw Robyn of Art Propelled renown create an excellent one through weebly, so I wrote to her about it, then worked on one myself. It was a very basic start... but after last year's busy-ness I had time in January to rejig it... and then again recently and every time I do I find I am learning how to improve the way I use it!
I've been seriously impressed by some wonderful streamlined websites ive seen ... like blogger friend's website: Mary Zeran ... they can add so much to the viewing experiecne ... but you know...its almost impossible for me to do minimal... my first page of the website is spare ... relatively... but after that its just what it is! I guess I could apologise to the International Style Council for Artist's Websites... but what is this whiff of homogeneity all about anyway ...I'm all for bio-cultural-diverisity! Bring it on!
Bye all... have a wonderful week where-ever you are ... go forth and may you be fruitful!
Oh... and if you're into textiles and living in this region you must check out this week's big event here at the website for Textile Art Academy.
7 comments:
as always, sophie. so much here! and where do i start, when i'm supposed to be dragging my sorry body off to bed?!
i'll dream sophie dreams, how's that!? see you in the a.m.! xoxo
I know the feeling Mlle P... I have quite often fallen asleep at the computer trying to read on last blogger's post ...
always maximal... someone's gotta do it!
Sweet dreams!
S
Dear Sophie, I loved going over and seeing all your new work, all those colors AND those shapes!!!! Everything is beautiful here. roxanne
One of the things that I love about your website is there is so much to look at and read. Instead of being an online portfolio, it is a living breathing entity. A small view into the world that is Sophie Munns. A space that demonstrates every aspect of your creative process, journey, and community.
We see the interconnectedness of your artistic practice and your community activism. And..we understand that one thing cannot exist without the other.
Your website, like your blogs, and art, is wonderful and inspiring. Thank you for daring to go against homogeneity and to show your authentic vision!
PS. One of my favorite sections is about your "journals". It is a practice that truly fascinates me!
Hi Roxanne,
How lovely that you went to the website and came back to offer these thoughts! Gracias!
Thats touching!
S
Mary,
thank you for putting it to me like this. Where some night label it differently you give it the dignity I strive for.... the reason I'm compelled to live into this version of 'creative being' ....not bound by faddish rules but ducking and weaving to be as it feels right to be - working with things but in a way that works!
Funny... I read up on all these artist's lives for years and that's what I thought it was to be an artist...yet it did change a lot late last century ... there were bad moments when it was difficult to separate (some) artist's from property developers or advertising moguls!
And some notions about "right-on-ness" so stultifying ...its seems to have just shifted into a gigantic poly-phonic hum of creativity now... so thats a very good thing!
Thanks s for wonderful and warm words of validation!
S
i love the detail from your painting, sophie. love it!
Thak you so much Velma... have had such a hugely busy few days I've forgotten about my blog... much appreciated comment!
S
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