IF THE CAP FITS

Everyone loves a re-enactment (those who don’t are weirdos) and thus there was a big turnout for the photo shoot at the infamous Fitters Workshop at Kingston this morning. It is well known that Megalo Print Studio + Gallery has been afforded ye olde workshop and had it taken away – on several occasions. Bolshy choral musicians (among others) are after it and Liberal and Green Parties have got together to (effectively) block Megalo’s move with a Parliamentary Inquiry. See submissions. So there aint nothin gunna happen at Kingston for a good while. “Well done everyone”, the social secretary said sarcastically.  In the mean time, ever thinking positively, print makers and friends posed outside the workshop many wearing caps and aprons just like the fitters of olden times. You will see from the photo that a lot of people are supporting Megalo ….. and here are a few random shots of people milling around at the time of the shoot. Names have been left out to protect the guilty.

The fitters

ready for action

supporters

milling

el windswept presidente

excellence indeed

familiar faces 1

familiar faces 2

PSYCHEDELIA&SEXUALITY

The CCAS Manuka program is off to an early and spectacular start this year with shows by James Rowell and Ralph. The gallery is a blaze of colour as the warm winds of summer fill the revitalised space. James has been hard at work on a series of paintings that he describes as ” … interpretations embracing various aspects of sexuality, based on a pun of John Locke’s name.” If you look at titles like Locked and unlocked sexuality in the garden, Milk unlocked from mamary glands and Sexual interpretaions of Numbers 20:8 the picture will probably still not emerge so best to go and have a look at the works of this literally sparkling new talent.  Ralph is another colourful local character who has developed his own style of painting by merging colours without mixing them … he is inspired by psychedelic artworks, posters and underground comics of the 60s and 70s. Its an energetic and enthusiastic show that should absolutely not be missed. And watch Manuka for the next magnificent event in which our 2011 intern Alice curates work and a happening with Lisa Toomey – Solstice Eyes FRIDAY 3rd February.PSYCHEDELIA&SEXUALITY at CCAS Manuka until 29 January.

Helen Musa and James Rowell

Pip and Ralph (David Pereira on the cello)

Niki and Caro

Ralph and Kimmo

WAIHEKE NEW YEAR

Waiheke Island by day

Waiheke art

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all social page punters from Waiheke Island in far off Aotearoa. New Years Eve begins (and undoubtedly ends) at the Casita Miro restaurant and winery because it’s simply the best. The Casita has exquisite Mediterranean fare served in an unpretentious atmosphere of sun bespectacled clientele in shorts and jandals (thongs in Oz). Cat Vosper the, more than, maître d’ who is the very model of a modern hostess is famous for her skills which she modestly  describes as amateur but that’s what the people crave. The cool Cat (restaurant personality of the year) is out there doing the hard yakka with the guests and then there is the rest of the fab family around, super friendly staff and yes, a good time is guaranteed. The perfect way for many lucky folk to ease into 2012 with more than a little help from the vineyards from which emerge a spectacular rose, pinot gris and the madam rouge aperitif  to name but a few . . . .

the garden path

David, (Cat Vosper in the background by the door), Gaylene and Renee

Angelique and Alexandra

George and Barnett (fab family shot)

Waiheke new year sunset

DING DONG DANDY CHRISTMAS !

Annika, Alex, David, the Social Secretary and the Paparazzi all wish the readers of the Social Pages a Ding Dong Dandy Christmas just like those of the 1960s when gorgeous young women dressed in sexy Santa gear would go for a skate and get picked up by average looking men wearing identical clothes. Ah, those were the days. As for the New Year … we will worry about that when they get to it.

ON (& OFF) THE WALL

No point in inviting the social secretary to any more Christmas parties because there’s been one too many hangovers and now she is just plain NASTY. So its just as well the Chrissie show at ANCA was so good or things could have got much worse. Its Wall Works and its interesting, not because the works are on the wall, but rather because there is a great bunch of artists covering the ANCA walls with all manner of interesting marks. Its one of those shows where everyone appears to be genuinely enjoying themselves, making the most of the opportunity to do something they might not usually do. Its a show with energy and its great. The Christmas Party was nice too but hey …. we are a bit over it ! Check out the Wall Works by Byrd with Hanna Hoyne, Mariana del Castillo with Gus McGrath and Alex Asch, Nicci Haynes, Tess Horwitz and Paul Summerfield. Curated by Narelle Phillips at ANCA until 22 December.

Andrew (we think) and Gus McGrath

residents old and new : Dan, Emma and Julia

Hannah Hoyne with Byrd

Nicci Haynes

Paul Summerfield and the bub

Mariana del Castillo, Gus McGrath and Alex Asch

POPULAR PRINT

As the last shows of the year continue to roll on the paparazzi are getting very tired not to forget extremely hungover. Shows by Alison Alder Clem Baker Finch and U.K Frederick, however, drew a large crowd to CCAS on Friday night. All three exhibitions employ print media to focus on other popular media such as vinyl records and magazines in ways that explore their continuing potency as objects in a world of  constantly changing media.  A very stylish exhibition all up and as David Broker said in his speech ” a testimony to the continuing strength of print media in the ACT”. Since Megalo Print Studio is behind these class acts it was also timely to mention the on going mistreatment of one of Canberra’s finest cultural institutions as various wings of government give them the Fitters Workshop at Kingston while others supported by the Opposition and the Greens take it ways. The opening of these exhibitions was an excellent opportunity to put Megalo first and celebrate its achievements through great new art. This was followed by a book launch of Robyn Backen’s Backspace covering her 20 year practice so far. A beautiful little book that is available from the CCAS bookshop. Shows by Alison, Clem and U.K until 18 December and then reopening 17 January until 11 February.

Sophie and U.K Frederick

visiting from Canada Etienne and Alison EGOtrip Productions

Paul, Michelle and the kid

Megan and Ingeborg

Mary, Simon and Anni

PREDILECTION PLACE

Its the final show of the year at CCAS Manuka and who better to close a great year than S.A.Adair. This is a jam packed show of diverse natural and made objects with no small amount of drawing and perhaps even a splash of paint. There is something here for everyone so dont miss  Place of My Predilection at CCAS Manuka until 18 December.

Hannah Semler, S.A. Adair and daughter

 

100 % FINLANDIA

This post is less to celebrate the Independence of Finland’s timely escape from the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1917 than it is a tribute to Ambassador Maija Lähteenmäki and her partner Dr Nestor Vargas. The Ambassador and Dr Vargas have gained the affection and respect of Canberra arts community over the last couple of years being the most visible and glamorous couple in the zone of diplomacy. This tireless team are genuine supporters of the arts and take a keen interest in what’s happening in the ACT. And when it comes to entertaining the Ambassador and Dr Vargas certainly leave their guests with very favourable impression of Finland.  They are clearly not only skilled diplomats but also know how to party. So despite the coldest December in Canberra since 1960s the reception by the pool was warm and hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of the Ambassador and Dr Vargas at openings in 2012. In the mean time we can all be very grateful that Finland let the Russians go all those years hence !

Ambassador of Finland Maija Lähteenmäki and friend

Thorsten Eisingerich Deputy Head of Mission Austrian Embassy and his mum Brigitta

pool party in freezing Canberra summer

MVI_2090

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OUTPOSTED

SYDNEY Sunday arvo

The social secretary has been at it again – looking at art that is, and on Sunday afternoon she took the ferry to Cockatoo Island for the Outpost exhibition of street arts from Australia and the world. Although young people with caps, tattoos and pierced bits make her very nervous she braved the dreadful Sydney weather for what turned out to be a rather rewarding excursion. Nothing, she thought, could be as intimidating as Mike Parr’s exhibition at the 2008 Sydney Biennale which rendered her close to breakdown.

indoor house KID ZOOM

It was pouring with rain and so it seemed sensible to go straight to the underground tunnel that traverses the island.  The tunnel was transformed into an art gallery with “wall works” produced especially for this environment by all and sundry. This is quite a good intro and the environs are most interesting, but her favourite works would be the large ones on walls, cliffs, tanks … pretty much anything that doesn’t move … too quickly.

Tourist tunnel work by BEN FROST

ETHOS and VEXTA

THE ECOSYSTEM OF MOON TITAN

E.L.K alley!

There is a lot of work in this exhibition, however, that is exactly what you would expect to see and as a result, few real surprises. Even in this spectacular industrial environment that seems to have been built for shows like Outpost its kind of rare that anyone has attempted to do anything truly interesting in a different space. So in the end its street artists doing what they always do on an Island. In fact the street arts in fact are mainstreaming on Cockatoo Island – in limbo between their illegal and subversive pasts and the seductive world of high art and business. Perhaps only Mini Graff breaks the mould with works that sit outside most street practice and are more aligned to culture jamming by using actual advertising imagery to subvert its message. Go Mini ! And then there is Ghost Patrol’s beautiful projection on white balloons which transports the viewer away from the streets into some sublime heavenly party space. Positively Ghostly.

MINI GRAFF

GHOST PATROL

So the secretary felt a little tristesse not to mention nostalgia as she wandered amongst the brightly painted ruins on a grey afternoon in Sydney. There are some artists in this exhibition, she thought sternly, who try very hard to be cool and bad which they don’t really need to do because they already are. Outpost Cockatoo Island until Dec 11

social secretary

Tags: Outpost, street arts

AWARD NIGHT AT ANU ART SCHOOL

At the end of the each year comes award night at  ANU Art School when the Emerging Artists Support Scheme (EASS) kicks in and local orgs provide support for new artists in many different ways. Its a Canberra thing and well known that CCAS takes on up to 6 studio residents each year who will have studios at Gorman House, hang out and exhibit. In fact some of them are still hangin’ out after many years. The studios residents are the grads that, in the not especially humble opinion of CCAS staff, are the creme de la creme and thus the announcement is always eagerly awaited. This years studio residents so far are: Roman Stachurski (Sculpture), Hannah Bath (Printmedia), Patrick Larmour (Painting),  Ruby Green (Painting) and Holly Granville-Edge (Photomedia). Roman also received  the Debra Porch Award. Debra is convenor of visual arts at Queensland College of Arts and when she had a show at CCAS earlier in the year she donated her artists’ fee to an ACT emerging artist. We know that she will be delighted because Roman certainly is ! Award nights are so big that its not possible to get pictures of all the new residents because they just disappear in to the crowd but 3 out of 5 aint bad and there’s plenty of file pictures of Partick.

NEWSFLASH – The 6th resident is Julia Boyd who graduated from ANU Photomedia in 2009 and then went to the UK.

Grace and Roman Stachurski

Ruby Green and her proud parents

Hannah Bath and Chris Carmody

Patrick Larmour and Thomas Farrell (file photo)

Tags: CCAS Studio Residents