I am super pleased to be selected as a finalist in the 11th Prospect Portrait Prize. Open to entries nationally, a shortlist of 34 entries will be on display at the Newmarch Gallery in Adelaide.
The longest running portrait prize in South Australia, the Prospect Portrait Prize is a non-acquisitive juried exhibition of contemporary portraits in any medium.
Opened on Friday 10 December 2021 and runs until 25 January 2022.
Artist statement
The generosity of my photographic mentor Che Chorley is as immense as the ocean he loves to photograph in. He repeatedly submerged for extended periods to simulate an object relevant to a photographic concept for ‘Uprising’ I was developing.
The encouragement and advice flowed as we travelled in his car, with his photographic equipment, to Fannie Bay and the waterholes of Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory. This image reminds me of his big-heartedness and our shared sense of humour.
Flotsam Festival is a two-week visual surf imagery tsunami hitting the Gold Coast from 1-14th May, 2023.
Staged like a giant interactive arts trail, the festival pays homage to the Southern Gold Coast’s world-class breaks and iconic coastline through film, photo, and live music events inspired by sand and sea.
Flotsam Festival brings together surfers, filmmakers, photographers and ocean lovers with pop up film and photography events peppering precincts in Burleigh, Palm Beach, Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra and Coolangatta.
Programming will include a maelstrom of both free and ticketed events – from film premieres, workshops, in-depth film makers and photographer panels, live music and visual experiments, digital projections, and photographic exhibitions staged indoor and out.
I will gradually add more images and information to this page once I get the chance to stop and review all of the footage.
If you are keen now to learn more about the Dwarf Minke Whales visit the Minke Whale Project that has been researching them for decades.
Some brief points
I sailed from Cairns overnight on July 15 and and spent a few days out along Ribbon Reef 9 and 10 before flying back to Cairns from Lizard Island on July 19, 2021.
My encounters adhered to the Code of Practice for dwarf minke whale interactions in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (read Code) and were supervised by a researcher with over 20 years experience with the whales.
The whales visit the northern Great Barrier Reef each winter and form the only known predictable aggregation of these whales in the world.
The whales control the interactions and often stayed for 2 hours or even many more.
They were first discovered in the 1980’s and are not yet formally described with very little know about them. They are currently regarded as a subspecies of the northern hemisphere minke Balaenoptera acutorostrata.
They usually grow to between 6 and 9 metres in length and weigh several tonnes.
A short preview of one of my encounters in mid-July 2021.
I flew into a very grey and wet Coolangatta for the World Surf League Challenger Series Gold Coast Pro at Snapper Rocks in May 2022.
I arrived on Day 3 of the event, less than 2 hours before Kelly Slater was about to compete in his 2nd, and last, formal heat of the event. He wore the green top in that heat and just before sunset on Day 4 he wore the white top in the Legends Heat.
Bettylou Sakura Johnson at the Gold Coast Pro, Snapper Rocks, May 2022. Experimenting with long exposures to capture the motion of the athletes and ocean.
Some out takes from the grey days at Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast in May, 2022.
After a 5-year break the Burrinja Climate Change Biennale returned 3 December 2022 until 17 Feb 2023 with an Award Exhibition at the Burrinja Gallery.
I was a finalist in the last 2017Burrinja Climate Change Biennale, and was very pleased to be able to exhibit there again.
From the scientific to the fantastic, the cultural to the creative, the Burrinja Climate Change Biennale brought together diverse voices, practices and perspectives to interrogate and speculate on the future we so desperately need.
I was the only South Australian participating in the Award Exhibition with over 40 artists spanning a range of art forms.
Bigger than ever, the Biennale featured a national cohort of 60+ artists. The project included ‘Live Actions’ across the Yarra Ranges, A moving image program, and various exhibitions across multiple venues including Art Centre Warburton, Yarra Ranges Regional Museum and The Memo, Healesville.
In addition to my photograph ‘Climate report’ from the Uprising series my short film ‘The Ocean was harmed during the making of this film’ was screened in the Award exhibition gallery.
BURRINJA CLIMATE CHANGE BIENNALE PROGRAM (4 Page PDF)
Burrinja Cultural Centre 351 Glenfern Road, Upwey, Victoria
Climate Report, 2021. First exhibited in a solo exhibition ‘Uprising‘ at Sauerbier House Culture Exchange, SA.
Artwork statement The ocean is a recreational playground for many Australians. Gazing, paddling, splashing, fishing.
The pleasure is on course to subside as we experience coastal erosion through rising sea levels and the loss of marine ecosystems through increased water temperatures.
Temperature is core to impacts like rising sea levels and the destabilisation of our future weather patterns.
‘Climate Report’ upends a symbol of our relaxed relationship with the ocean to become a dramatic indicator of current environmental changes happening slowly around us.
This artwork is just one from the ‘Uprising’ series. You can see more of the works on the Uprising exhibition page.
The Burrinja Climate Change Biennale is delivered in partnership with Yarra Ranges Council, Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, and Your Library.
So this sounds familiar. We have all read something like this in the final credits of a movie.
To clarify things up front this is not a disclaimer for some particular incident that I, the filmmaker, was responsible for. It is about the big picture.
Originally released as a 2 channel video within the solo exhibition ‘Uprising’ at Sauerbier House, South Australia in February 2021 on two flat screens. This re-creation has been produced to share online and specifically for COCE2021 (Conference on Communication and Environment) hosted virtually in June 2021 by the International Environmental Communication Association (IECA).
Best viewed in full screen with sound. 2min16sec
Want to read more about the Impacts in the film? Here is some additional information and links for further reading. The majority of links are to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) that I visited back in 2020. (You can either click on the link that’ll open in a new Tab, or copy and paste).
ACIDIFICATION Ocean acidification results from seawater absorbing excess CO2that has been emitted into the atmosphere. The CO2 dissolves in the seawater where it changes the chemistry.
“We know now that oceans are taking up about 23% of the excess CO2from the air. They actually provide a service to humanity by slowing climate change. But the price to pay is that the seawater’s carbon chemistry is changing, and we didn’t know it was happening in dynamic coastal waters at such fast rates,” Dr Fabricius said.
BLEACHING Coral bleaching is a coral’s response to stressful conditions and can result in its death.
The 2020 Status of the World’s Coral Reef Report showed 14% of the world’s coral reefs have died since 2009, and coral bleaching caused by marine heatwaves have driven this loss. This pressure is predicted to continue with climate change.
COASTAL DEVELOPMENT Increased runoff of sediment, nutrients and contaminants from the land has lowered coastal water quality and marine ecosystem health across northern Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef.
Increased sediment runoff ultimately increases sedimentation on coastal reefs, reduces the clarity of coastal waters and restricts the growth of light-dependent plants and animals. Increased nutrient inputs stimulate algal growth on reefs and in reef waters, increase the occurrence of coral disease, and may influence crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
EXTRACTION Deep-sea mining is the process of extracting and often excavating mineral deposits from the deep seabed. The deep seabed is the seabed at ocean depths greater than 200m, and covers about two-thirds of the total seafloor. Research suggests deep-sea mining could severely harm marine biodiversity and ecosystems.
FERTILIZER RUNOFF AIMS estimates that average yearly inputs of nitrogen from the land have nearly doubled from 23 000 to 43 000 tonnes over the past 150 years, while phosphorus inputs have tripled from 2400 tonnes to 7100 tonnes. In wetter years, these inputs can be many times higher.
GREENHOUSE GASES The ocean generates 50 percent of the oxygen we need, absorbs 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 percent of the excess heat generated by these emissions. It is not just ‘the lungs of the planet’ but also its largest ‘carbon sink’ – a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change.
The ocean is central to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and stabilizing the Earth’s climate.
However, increasing greenhouse gas emissions have affected the health of the ocean – warming and acidifying seawater – causing detrimental changes to life under water and on land, and reducing the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide and safeguard life on the planet.
HABITAT DESTRUCTION Over the past century, habitat loss has been the most common cause of extinction for freshwater fish in the United States. Many saltwater fish are also in decline due to habitat degradation. When habitats are damaged or lost, they are difficult and costly to restore.
INDUSTRIAL FISHING The number of overfished stocks globally has tripled in half a century and today fully one-third of the world’s assessed fisheries are currently pushed beyond their biological limits, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
OIL SPILLS The study found UV light changes the impacts of the chemical compounds in petroleum oil – amplifying their toxicity by an average of 30% across the early life stages of coral. At its most extreme, UV was able to increase the potency of oil by 94 times.
POLLUTION Ocean pollution can also be found far beyond national jurisdictions in the open oceans, the deepest oceanic trenches, and on the shores of remote islands. Ocean pollution knows no borders.
RAINFALL EXTREMES Extreme rainfall events will increase, with larger amounts of low-salinity freshwater and sediment extending further out from the coast.
SHIPPING Shipping comprises about 90 percent of world trade by volume, contributing approximately twelve percent of the total marine pollution arising from human activities on the ocean.
Coal dust enters the marine environment at loading and storage facilities when it is blown or washed into the sea, during transport, and in rare shipping disasters.
Adelaide band, The Vains, are a ‘femme, patriarchy smashing rock quartet’.
Here are some shots of their performance at The Crown and Anchor Christmas Eve show. The cosy band room allows close access to their high energy performance, inches away from the speaker stack.
(Photo of Dave Court by Che Chorley)More details at my Artist Facebook Page. I am very pleased to share that I am one of four South Australian emerging visual artists that have been selected to take part in the SA Power Networks Stobie Pole Project.
Orientation to the project commenced in May 2022 and the formal launch with Artist Talks etc are in October.
For an overview you can read more at the Helpmann Academy website.
What is a Stobie Pole? For those of you not from South Australia, they are Power Poles.
Map of stobie poles to be used in the public art project to be installed in the western suburbs of Adelaide.
The 3rd Poster Project by Climarte was launched in Melbourne on 26 February, 2022. Following an open call to artists to create an original poster design, 10 works were selected and pasted up around the streets of Melbourne.
An online gallery of shortlisted entries was also launched and you will find two of my poster designs there. See all entries.
Read more about the Forum/Launch event ‘Why a Call to Art’ and the Climarte Poster Projects on their website.
CLIMARTE’s Vision To harness the power of the Arts to communicate the Climate Emergency in all its manifestations to mobilise the public to demand immediate effective action; a transition to zero emissions and the drawing down of legacy carbon at emergency scale and speed, before 2030.
For the video clip to ‘We resist’ by Midnight Oil, they put a call out for people to submit images of protests.
One of my images is used in the video, and while at their concert at the Riverstage Brisbane in April 2022, I was able see it displayed as a backdrop to their performance of ‘We resist’ at the opening of the concert.
Lead singer Peter Garrett is up the back left, raising his arm.
It is bizarre to know that this image will now tour around the world with them as they travel to Canada, USA, NZ and Europe.
The School Strike 4 Climate Friday October 15, 2021 kicked off a long term project for me documenting climate protests. As we head towards Glasgow and a Federal election I expect ample opportunities to hit the streets with my camera.
A unique twist to this project is the collection of Placards from protests that I will use as part of an exhibition in late 2022.
I had a table in the square after the SS4C March for donations of unwanted placards to be made. Special thanks to the Festival of Climate Action for giving me a spot next to the Food Trucks.
There was a huge program of the Festival that followed through to Sunday afternoon.
For those visiting this website for the first time I am an Adelaide based Visual Artist who has produced three exhibitions previously on Climate Change themes ( bushfires 2017, coastal erosion 2018 and the human impact on marine environments 2021).
WANT TO DONATE YOUR PLACARD? Look out for announcements about my location at future events or feel to send me an email to ClimateProtestArtATgmail.com
I am also happy to hear from people interested in working with me on the creation of behind the scenes photos of placard making sessions and/or interviews about your involvement in climate protests. Likewise just send me an email. My preferred timeline is anytime during late 2021 and the first half of 2022.
92 year old Stanley has been eating an apple and a banana every day for as long as he can remember.
This image presents his typical annual consumption showing 729 pieces of fruit. Times that by just 10 or even 20 years and you get a staggering number that reflects his commitment to good nutrition that has contributed to his long, happy, healthy life.
I created this work in response to the Art Prize theme of Healing and I was very pleased to learn is was shortlisted as a Finalist to be exhibited amongst 40 works from over 400 entries received.
The exhibition has now closed but more details about the Centre for Creative Health and the Art Prize can be found at their website.
Annual consumption, 2021, 60cm x 60cm, Pigment print. Ed of 2 + AP.
About 8,000 gathered in Adelaide to say Enough is Enough at the March 4 Justice rally on March 15 2021.
Here is a small selection of shots of the well organised, respectful, emotional and unfortunately necessary event.
I am sure there will be more events like this in the future and most likely with larger numbers as the associated issues are cementing themselves as a front of mind for many and also the media.
I really enjoyed my return to Sauerbier House where I exhibited my last solo exhibition Filter in 2018.
The new exhibition Uprising was launched on Saturday 6 February 2021. The summer weather expected for the Opening was replaced with cooler conditions and the threat of rain. But it was great to have 80 people attend the event that also launched new work by Gilbert Roe.
This new work had been brewing for 18 months prior and influenced by a range of activities. I undertook a Mentorship with Che Chorley and spent time with him in the water in Darwin in August 2020. After a trip out onto the Great Barrier Reef in September I had a 2-week residency at the Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns. I then squeezed in a side trip to the National Sea Simulator and the Coral Core Collection at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville.
The exhibition ran until March 20th. Visit the Uprising exhibition page on this site for more details. Artist Peter Drew was promoted as the Guest Opening Speaker, but had to cancel last minute due to COVID Quarrantine requirements. Unfortunately Peter has not been able to reschedule an alternate date during the exhibition.
The timing is right with this topic as 2021 signals the commencement of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. More about that here.
Special thanks to the Bowden Print Group and Prolab Imaging for their support of this exhibition.
This is the theme of COCE2021. The 16th Conference on Communication and Environment presented by the International Environmental Communication Association (IECA) online, June 21-24.
The conference brings together artists, practitioners, scholars, students and engaged citizens from around the world to discuss the state of communication related to environmental affairs.
The intent of this theme, Re-Mediating the Wild, is to bring attention to research and practical experience on how best to communicate for the sake of Wildlife and Wild places and address the ways in which communication and culture influence how humans value the Wild and perceive their relationships with the rest of Nature.
In 2019 the theme for the Conference in Vancouver was ‘Water’ and I was fortunate enough to have recently completed an artwork series on rising sea levels and coastal erosion. The series was called Filter and I was able to showcase it there.
The 2021 conference was originally scheduled to be hosted in Hobart, but for obvious reasons that has been postponed to 2022 and this year it will be online. Once again I was fortunate with the theme as I was just completing a new series of work on the human impact on marine environments when submissions to exhibit were requested.
I am looking forward to a few intensive days of listening in and watching sessions and discussion online. Within the conference portal (fee required) delegates can access a specific exhibition space where up to 10 artists from around the world will showcase their artworks and engage via live video chat individually or in small groups.
There are also a number of social sessions in the conference program called Coffee and Cocktails as the timezone you are will determine what is in your tumbler. This is the first time I have formally participated in showing my work online in a live format is I am sure I will learn a lot and no doubt it will be valuable experience for years to come.
