In September 2020 I was an Artist in Residence for two weeks with the Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns.

This provided me with an intensive period to concentrate on research to create new work for a solo exhibition in February 2021.

The Far North Queensland environment was a perfect match for the marine themed work. I also drove down to Townsville for a private tour of the National Sea Simulator and the Coral Core Collection at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).

The Residency included hosting a schedule of Open Studio sessions and presenting an Artist Talk. Both at the in the Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre.

Schedule and more background listed below.

Artist Talk
10am to 11am Saturday 19 September, 2020
Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre
Free. But please book due to COVID restrictions of 20 people.

The talk will start with a slideshow of a range of my landscape, nature and abstract photography and then focus on more recent series of work on Climate Change. Including the bushfires focussed Unleashing Hell and rising sea levels and coastal erosion from Filter. Concluding with an overview of new work in development on the human impact on marine ecosystems, questions and discussion.

Bookings open now.

Open Studio
Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre
10am to 2pm (except Sunday 10am-1pm)
Friday 18 September
Saturday 19 September (including Artist Talk)
Sunday 20 September
Tuesday 22 September
Thursday 24 September
Friday 25 September
Saturday 26 September
Sunday 27 September (Tanks Market Day cancelled) Studio will close at 1pm

Outside of these times a static display and looping slide show will be open to the public 7 days per week during normal open hours of the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre (8.30am to 4.00pm weekdays and 9.30am to 2.00pm weekends)

The focus of the residency is to develop new work on the human impact on marine ecosystems.

Pollution, overfishing, habitat loss and threats posed by climate change such as ocean acidification are just some of the human impacts confronting the health of the ocean and consequently, our future.

What messages do you think the ocean and its inhabitants would like to deliver to us as long overdue feedback about our actions? How are marine ecosystems coping with all of the challenges humans are throwing at them?

While working in the Studio I will be making props to photograph that convey some of these imagined messages, the voice of the ocean, and your input is welcome.