9 – 27 June 2010

Exhibitions to be opened by Ron Ringer, author of the The Brickmasters 1788-2008, Mark Pearson, Director of Animal Liberation and Brett Alexander, artist and  lecturer at theUniversity of Newcastle, at 6.30 pm on Thursday 10 June 

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Subterranean Archaeology
FIONA LEE

Bricks are synonymous with shelter and earth and these concepts are explored in my Honours examination exhibition, Subterranean Archaeology, using brick as my primary building material. For this work I have found and revealed repressed local histories which characterize the ‘site’ of Newcastle. This process also serves to construct a contemporary identity, where Newcastle is the site for the archaeology of my own life.

 

 

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Whaling: Connecting Pathways
RHONDA PARTRIDGE

As a contemporary artist, my practice is morally driven and I value certain beliefs against social inequality, discrimination, subordination and prejudiced acts of tyranny.  I am particularly interested in the animal rights movement, which has been identified as the last remaining form of social justice, because animals’ voicelessness makes them victims of abuse and cruelty.   My Honours work explores the controversial relationship between whales and humans, identifying the scale of loss and suffering that the whales have endured. This body of work is about the mark making process and leaving an imprint.

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Bound To Happen
NERIDA ACKLAND

Bound To Happen is a sculptural exploration into the power of repetition and the ritual of art making. A work in progress and the focus of my Honours project, this exhibition is a simple, minimal sculptural installation with a contemplative and serene aesthetic. It creates a sense of volume and weight from repeated form, imposing a scale that dominates the viewer. There is an undulating sense of movement through repetition of visual elements, incorporating natural materials and neutral tones. This is an intriguing response to the appeal of the multiple, exploring the possibilities if infinite expansion on the theme of repetition.

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Internal Discussions
AMY BONNICI

This body of work acts as an exploration of the self, reflecting my state of mind in a dreamlike tableau. For this series I am using the camera as a visual diary. It is a translator, changing my thoughts into a visual language. I used this work to explore the various emotions I have experienced recently especially over the first six months of the year, being unemployed and searching not only for work but a meaning in my day to day life.  While producing this body of work I began to realise that not only was I documenting my emotions and mental state, but also the passing of time. Simultaneously, days passing seemed quite insignificant yet time seemed to be speeding by. Time is also present in the series as a whole as it represents a period in my life.

Female Form
GAIL BEDFORD

The ideas behind my work are the talents, gifts and the captivating beauty of the female. The inspiration for these works is to show the world that no matter what age we are, women are so worthy, that our life is not over when we lose our youth. I want to show the form of the female as we grow into maturity and we become better with age.