Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The more things change the more things change.

That's how the saying goes and of course its quite true.


circular cotton-rag paper with lino-printed seed capsules

February arrived and I put up the show...

people came...
wonderful conversations ensued...
ideas were exchanged...
friendships reconnected with...
new ones sparked...
artworks went to new homes...
events were held and all went swimmingly...



Friends popped in... pomegranate tea or coffee was offered,
good conversations made the experience all the
more enjoyable and thought-provoking! Thanks D!

tasty morsels were shared


a friend just back from visiting family in South Africa
was adorned with gorgeous handmade things from
 home... if you look closely you will notice the portrait
on the bag below. This photo does not do justice at all
to the patterning on cloth, bag, jewellery nor my lovely
friend whose appreciation for art is such an inspiration!




Now I am following up on tasks that arise from all this wonderful exchange. Slowly but surely I'm working my way through thanks-you's, queries and links.

Soon its going to be moving time.
First the Studio I've inhabited these past nine months will be packed up...

Then my home will be next...
although we are not sure how that might play out.
So things are going into a fascinating transition period but I am more or less ready for that now... if not packed!

What I did happily manage to do last week is something that I find all too easily falls by the wayside... photographing the show... I even filmed it on the last day... although its yet to be uploaded.

I found a wonderful tumblr template here at Pouretrebelle and chose to change my Fascination of plants tumblr to one of the templates called Daeron which I rather llked for a change.

The one I selected to upload the exhibition online was Artemesia for its wonderful horizontal reading and constant-scrolling facility. It seemed closest to that feeling of walking into a show and gazing along the walls to view the works as they come into view.

Take a peak at the artshow here: Recent Art Online  ... You might find a few late night mistakes here and there ... but I'm glad to have a record of the show and most details documented and in one place for easy viewing!


I have new Limited Edition prints available. It is possible to see what's on offer if you simply make an query here. I'll be letting all know if an online-shop is set up... the coming changes make that less likely for now! 

The recent use of my artwork on the cover of The People's Food Plan for the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance generated some interest the week before the artshow and led to orders coming from Interstate through the AFSA membership which was wonderful. Its an exciting venture being run by an amazingly committed volunteer base from all kinds of sectors and backgrounds ...academics, farmers, promotors of Urban ag initiatives, lawyers, teachers... you name it. Dr Carol Richards, key speaker at the 2nd Biodiversity Dialogue event I ran was the brains behind the idea to link my artwork on Seeds with this project she has been heavily involved with for some time.


studio-archive:

The People’s Food Plan Artwork by Sophie Munns.


We are cooking up other possible ventures we might undertake now...  its been such an enjoyable process brought forward by running the Dialogue events. Collaborations that grow from broadening the conversations are invaluable in many ways... not the least just working with good people and gaining much from the stimulation of that. Solo painting time has its wonderful elements, especially as a chance to think and listen to good radio and such ... but I have to say this exhibition brought together some excellent people, brilliant ideas and experiences, and I am ever so delighted to have started 2013 in this way... particularly with the period of change about to commence. I'm taking so much with me when I leave the studio that will enrich the journey this year... no matter what it brings!



Now available as a LIMITED EDITION Print. 
See the online show to see more!

Sophie Munns 
Black Bean Pods,
lino print on paper  
50 cm x 70 cm

During the Cairns Botanic Gardens Residency in Sept-Oct 2012 the artist visited Djumbunji Press where master printmaker Elizabeth Hunter provided simple lino-cutting materials and space to work. Further experiments with lino were carried out in the Residence studio. This approach was decidedly low tech and painterly… lino-printing put in the service of providing a repeatable motif and joyously played with in a series of works .

NOW AVAILABLE: Limited Edition print for $265 large format ( 60 x 80 cm )  or $135 small ( 30 x 40 cm)
                                      Plus Postage and Handling


11 comments:

Sharmon Davidson said...

Hi Sophie! I like the way you said it, but isn't it supposed to be "the more things change, the more they stay the same"?
I'm finally getting around to visiting blogs which I haven't done in a long time, and wow! You are doing some amazing things! I love your new work, first of all, and congrats on the show, which looks absolutely wonderful. I didn't know you were moving again, either; where to this time? You seem to be well, and I hope that continues! xo

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Sharmon,
Ah... the more things change!
I was greatly touched by a film many years ago that explored this particular idea about change that I've quoted.The oft-quoted line is as you say it the commonly quoted one so I am really glad you have picked up a conversation on that.

Its not how I have learned to think about change over the years as I've reflected on the choices that determine our response and the capacity of one's inner resources to grapple with the challenge of change.
In the 21st century it seems to me we have something else going on in terms of change that calls for a different response to being human, how we might shape our response to life on the planet and so on.
I'll be talking at a conference in a couple of months where the conference focus rests on exploring intersections between art, science, ecology and technology and very much in terms of change and the kind of humans we may well need to become to navigate the world that is coming into being.
That notion of becoming might seem ridiculous but I suspect collectively we might need to be steeling ourselves in readiness for far more change than today many might see coming. And I am tending to think it may look a lot like change, change and more change. I do think human beings are adaptable and I do think some sayings get in the way too. This could be one of them.

On the one hand I am still very immersed in thinking about the perennial things that bind us together as human beings and give our lives meaning... on the other hand I have been utterly stumped too many times in my own life when change came and visited me and I had to go kicking and screaming toward an unknown future.

When a change is sudden, or total and/or traumatic and unbidden I do think we need a different kind of thinking to help us through the loss and the seemingly empty space that shows up. An all important sense of relief and capacity to reconcile oneself with change on that scale for me has come from slowly accepting things can change irrevocably, and it can be very , very different ever after, but that is OK... something good and very different that one might not have chosen for oneself can in fact come to light.
Learning how to overcome the shock of the unknown ... and not fight changes that Ive had no control over.... has taught me to subscribe to a different kind of thinking at times to the dominant messages around me.
That there are so many people now working in professions of all kinds as 'change agents' also says to me that were are at a different human crossroads even if at heart we are still essentially human with many common human traits and ways of doing things.
Thanks for sparking a valuable conversation Sharmond. Much appreciated!
S

Valerianna said...

Wishing you good luck with all the packing and moving and transitioning! And hope that you will find a wonderful, inspiring place to live. Heading over to see your virtual show, ciao!

Valerianna said...

Sophie - what an amazing show! Loved being able to see so many images of it. REally, really love the raw materials pieces, especially the stitched pods. Awesome. So looking forward to where you will go from here!!

Sophie Munns said...

well thank you Valerianna!
all those good thoughts are most appreciated ... it was a gung-ho effort born of not knowing quite what was down the track in terms of working space, timing of things and next possible opportunity to get stuck into the making.
Funny how one often releases every ounce of energy when things get chancy!
Glad to hear that the online show worked .. have found it all too easy to forget to make a decent effort of documenting when other things are demanding one's time. Didn't want to miss out this time.
Best to you!
S

ArtPropelled said...

I so enjoyed browsing through your art show pieces, Sophie. You've worked hard. Hoping you can settle in a new space soon.

Sophie Munns said...

thanks for taking time to browse Robyn!
Was keen to try ticking all the boxes properly with this show and be ready for the next phase! Thanks for your lovely message!

Velma Bolyard said...

this is so wonderful, so uplifting to me on a tough day! thanks sophie, for helping me SEE this show. there are works in here that i would love to spend some time looking long at.

annamaria potamiti said...

Hi Sophie, it all looks fabulous. I wish I could have been there and physically stand across from the works and take them all in! You have done so much amazing work. I love the way you link past-future, private-public, one-all. I always work within my microcosm and I love connecting to your work which is totally different.
Best wishes for you next studio move.;-)

Introverted Art said...

I kept looking at the food the whole time... ;-)

Mlle Paradis said...

loved the coverpiece....so much going on with you. good luck with it all. loved the mirrored structure at cairns too. tried out the skywalk (?) at kew last week have never been fond of it. it would have benefitted from a few mirrors too i think.

yup! back already. it was way too short. xo!