Seaside Pull
standing on land's edge
water draining back to sea
feet sink deeper still
Spent a couple of days with the kids at the south coast this weekend. When I say south coast I mean the south coast of New South Wales ... the Sapphire Coast if you listen to the tourism bods. Canberra you see is a landlocked capital and about 2 hours drive from the coast ... not very far ... and a pleasant drive too. It just seems a long way when you're in Canberra but not very far at all when you're standing with your feet in the waves. It was cold by the way ... it being winter down this way and the water temperature is around 14-15°C ... a bit too cold for swimming but vibrant on the toes! The water was beautifully clear.
These pictures were taken with my phone as I stood watching the kids muck about in the sand and rockpools. I adore that feeling as the water drains from it's sigh up the beach and sluices sandily past your feet ... and ... if you wriggle your feet ... you sink a little ... somehow becoming more fixed to a point within an environment ever-changing ... it's the kind of juxtaposition that does something for me - it really does. A little seaside pull :-)
In Your Eyes
In your eyes
I see the world anew
feel an unconditional love
see the joy in life
and the small things that matter
the beauty
of mud between my toes
of creating something new
the tears
at the injustice of the world
of frustration when it just didn't work out
When you look at me I see myself in you
see the love returned
I feel you there
feel you working me out
you see the mixed emotions in my eyes
the love for you
In your eyes
I see your life stretch out to horizons I cannot imagine
things I will never see
... I see my own mortality then
as I felt when you were born
I knew then my days were numbered by you
Acutely
Aware
My life is yours
forever
(22 January 2014)
A poem I wrote for my children and featured in Two Tens & A Tomato
Postcards from a Show
For someone who hasn't exhibited work publicly for a couple of years I'm really quite in the thick of it now. I find myself in the position of having not one but two shows running concurrently and they both represent different aspects of my artistic endeavours.
The first show, Zoologica, is running at the Kaori Gallery until 2nd August and the second show, 2 Tens & A Tomato, a collaborative joint exhibition with visual artist and poet Marina, is at the Front Gallery until 28th July.
When approached by the Front Gallery in June about a sudden vacancy in their gallery calendar I was at first hesitant ... I was in the thick of organising Zoologica and didn't want two photographic exhibitions running concurrently ... but when Marina and I spoke about the potential of a joint show combining our poetry, writings, imagery and imaginations we decided to pitch our ideas to The Front ... and they said 'yes'. That was about three weeks before the show was due to to open and at that stage we had no completed ideas not to mention any completed collaborative works to put on show.
The show contains 20 works including clay sulpture, images and words, installations, mirror-books and photography. One thing we both realised as we brought the work into being for this show is that we had far too much and indeed have enough material for another two thematic shows at least! We have been busy!
The installation Carousel, featuring suspended words bent into fencing wire so that their shadows play against the wall and surrounded by photos of those very wiry words draped around the necks of the City's antique (and still operating!) carousel and blue velvet with blue lighting forming a small stage ... it turned out beautifully ... the words, by Marina, run as follows;
A broken carousel
My life
A dead Burst
of sound and colour
Staring blankly
at one another
We ask
With rusting words
why the ride
never begun
We are deeply indebted to my good friend Alex (and his son Tristan) for assisting us with the installation of Carousel along with a number of the other works through his unique solutions to our hanging requirements (and above-all by remaining calm!). I'm including a number of pictures I snapped with my phone (when I remembered to) whilst setting up the show.
In addition, Marina and I are guests at this month's Canberra Poetry Slam where we will be reading works from the exhibition. This is happening on Friday night at The Front in the bar adjacent to the gallery space.
It's all go! I'll be in to document the show later this week and will post about that separately :-)
2 Tens & A Tomato
Hi, just a quick note to let you know about a new collaborative show of fresh art and words from myself and visual artist and poet Marina. We have mixed poetry, photography, sculpture and installation into works exploring the written word and visualisations of poetic elements. The show will opened by PS Cottier, renowned poet and local.
The show is titled '2 Tens & A Tomato' and opens this Thursday evening at 7pm at the Front Gallery in Wattle Street, Lyneham ... be great to see you there and show off the works personally ... plus the gallery's attached to a pub and there's a band on too ... art, alcohol, live music and interesting people ... sounds like fun.
In addition, Marina and I will be guests of the July Canberra Poetry Slam the following Friday 25th July where we'll be reading works featured in the show.
The details in point form...
- What: 2 Tens & A Tomato - Fresh art and words from Geoffrey Dunn & Marina
- Where: The Front Gallery - Wattle Street, Lyneham - 17th-28th July 2014
- Opening: 7pm Thursday 17th July by PS Cottier ... that's like this Thursday ... yeah we know :-)
- Poetry Slam Readings: Friday 25th July - 8pm
ps ... my solo show Zoologica is still running at the Kaori Gallery until 2nd August ... it's all go at the moment! G :-)
Zoologica I - selection and hanging
OK so I have been putting together (what I realised is my first) solo show ... titled Zoologica: a photographic study of life through death. Exploring zoological specimens, the works encourage you to ponder the nature of scientific collection, death and preservation. The series comprises 12 monochromatic prints, printed on Canson Baryta Photographique by Stephen Best of Macquarie Editions in Braidwood. The final series of 12 is shown in the gallery below. I've gone with hanging the prints unframed using linen hinges and small tacks. I'm really impressed with the printing quality and the light curl of the paper really adds to the apparent depth of the images. It's a great feeling when you see your own work on a wall ... and a real buzz when there's a series of your own work up like this.
I hung the show yesterday with gallery owner Michael and it looks fantastic ... it'll look even better when fully lit.
The opening is Wednesday evening at 6pm and I'm rather looking forward to it :-)
In Review: Mikelangelo sings Cave, Waits, Cohen - National Theatre, Braidwood - 21 June 2014
Saturday night saw Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Mikelangelo performing songs by Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen in an intimate performance at the National Theatre in Braidwood. Mikelangelo (Michael Simic) brought forth his velvety baritone to create his own versions of tracks by these three masters of song. Singing un-mic'd and accompanied only by acoustic guitar, the small but enthusiastic audience was treated to an intimate and personal show.
The 'stage' was a small are defined by an arc of tea-light candles and two small standing lamps. The atmosphere was at once warm and cozy (even though the temperature wasn't quite what you'd describe as such). Songs included Deanna and The Ship Song (Cave), Black Wings and Pasties and a G-String (At the Two O'Clock Club) (Waits) and Chelsea, Famous Blue Raincoat and Bird On a Wire (Cohen). Of particular stand-out to me was Mikelangelo's cover of Cave's Into My Arms in which I felt I was hearing it for the very time ... thank you for that. Local Rosie Rick (making her on-stage debut!) joined Mikelangelo on stage toward the end of the first set where they sang Henry Lee (Cave & PJ Harvey).
We were also treated to Streets of Melbourne, a new original song of Mikelangelo from his upcoming album.
My friend and I came down from Canberra (about an hour's drive) especially for the show and were very glad we had. We had seen the poster in Braidwood the previous weekend while I was visiting my printer for the upcoming Zoologica show but that's another story... Rain had started falling just as we arrived in Braidwood and it made a lovely sound on the tin roof of the National during the performance. It was the occasion of Winter Solstice and Braidwood didn't disappoint with near zero temperatures and fog beginning to settle after the rain. Ticket price of $25 included a mug of mulled wine (which was magically replenished throughout the evening) and a bowl of deliciously warming vegetarian curry courtesy of Paydirt Eatery. Couldn't ask for more really :-)
Links
- You can visit Mikelangelo
- You can visit Paydirt Eatery
- You can read about the heritage listed National Theatre in Braidwood
Naturey Macro
A gorgeous early winter's day day in Canberra and a trip with friend David to the Australian National Botanic Gardens for some naturey macro pictures. David is interested in purchasing a macro lens so I've lent him my copy of the Tamron 90mm SP to have a play with. The day was cold but beautifully clear but a little on the windy side for nice calm macro shooting ... still, I came away with some nice pictures ... hope you like them too.
In other news ... my preparations for the Zoologica show are progressing and I've completed drafts of the poster, postcard and list of images appearing in the show ... as well as capturing some new images yesterday while out and about. I've also signed up for a joint photos/poetry show which will run in another gallery at the same time as Zoologica ... I'm going to be a busily creative boy ... wish me luck! :-)
Creepy Dolls
Creepy Dolls and the Teddys left behind
Do you find old dolls a little creepy? You know, the ones oft found at garage sales, second-hand shops or historic houses? Like a lot of objects once loved, they embody something of the abandoned and discarded. Their staring eyes, their presence, their often disrobed and dismembered nature, they lie or sit or otherwise propped up ... seeing but not seeing. I don't collect them but I find myself enraptured by their gaze... Do objects retain a sense of the love and devotion poured into them over time? I'm unable to come up with a rational scientific rationale to support it but there's a part of me that believes it may happen and we simply haven't found a way to quantify it. Perhaps it's the way an object, once the centre of such affection and loving focus, now lies bereft of that love.
When I see one I find myself wondering whether the person who owned it is still alive? Did they like the doll? What did they tell it? Maybe they didn't like the doll ... had it forced upon them by an overbearing relative? Perhaps it was a possessed spinning head ectoplasm spewing doll? (wouldn't that be cool!) What happened to their eyes, their limbs, their clothes? Lost? Separated definitely...
I find myself making up stories for them ... perhaps that's why I find them a bit creepy ... kinda like them.
How about you? Do you share this kinda fascination with dolls and the abandoned? Do you make up stories for them? Do tell :-)
Autumn Spirit
Autumn is upon us down here in the southern hemisphere ... well, nearly over as it happens. It's been a beautiful show this year, helped along by late summer rains and crisp mornings. I've not taken the camera out to really record the show this year ... preferring instead to enjoy the colourful spectacle with fine company ... it happens you know :-)
In other news, I have two solo shows coming up later this year. The first is in the Kaori Gallery in the City and will feature my series Zoologica ... that starts in the beginning of July so I'd beat get cracking on that one ... at least the pictures have been chosen and more or less finalised... The second is at the Front Gallery & Cafe in Lyneham and will likely feature a 'Best Of' compilation of series'd works ... more details as I find them out myself :-)
Anyways, here's some drizzly Autumn afternoon leafy goodness for you plus an extra one showing a bleak windy Canberra autumn afternoon by the Lake.
Welcome...Geoff has moved!
Hi,
I've been busy of late. I've decided to decommission my old site at lushpupimages.com and simultaneously inaugurate my new umbrella site here at geoffreydunn.com.au ... I felt it time to consolidate my blog, wiritings and art into one space ... so far everything seems to be working pretty much as it should though I'm certain there are little pockets of clunkiness I'm yet to discover ... should you perchance discover something that you think "hmmm ... I'm sure that's not quite what Geoff was trying to do..." then please tell me :-)
In other news, I have copied across my post archives along with my subscriber and follower database so I'm kinda hoping that if you've received an email and you've arrived here then everything will be all right.
Anyways ... welcome. Please take a look around and see what you can see
Geoff...
Parties at the Shops
One of 2013's better Canberra Centenary celebratory ideas was called Parties at the Shops. It was intended as a way of encouraging communities to interact more while showcasing the many talents and variety of folks living in a suburb. The idea worked so well that's one of the few Centenary events to be carried forward to this year. Over the weekend I was commissioned to capture some images of Parties at the Shops ... I attended four in total: Scullin, Downer, Hackett and Watson. They were all well attended and the threatening rain held off too :-)
Skywhale
I went down to the first day of the Canberra Balloon Festival yesterday morning. Skywhale was there, one of the many hot-air balloons to take off yesterday from the lawns in front of Old Parliament House. Now, Skywhale was launched last in 2013 after artist Patricia Piccinini was commissioned by the ACT Government to help celebrate the Centenary of Canberra. The balloon tours around representing Canberra to other capital cities and regional centres and causes a stir wherever it goes. What the f*ck it has to with Canberra I simply fail to understand and overall the artwork is not to my taste ... but I do appreciate the nerve of it. I also like the way that it gets people talking about art ... the point of it ... spending public money on art et al ... it gets people talking about art and it's place in our culture and society and that is a good thing I believe.
Anyways, here's a little photo-essay on the Skywhale. Enjoy :-)
PS Cottier - Poet
Earlier this week I had the good fortune to be asked by renowned local poet Penelope (PS) Cottier to take some some new head-shots for a new collection of poems she's about to publish. After the head-shots were done I coaxed her out onto the street with her fabulous green silk parasol :-)
(did you know that she collects fish vases?)
Links:
- PS Cottier
- She has just had a new work published on Verity La
Late Night Call
A little while ago I was up in the (not so) Snowy Mountains region of south-Eastern Australia, taking the kids on a trip to visit the grand Snowy Mountains Hydroelectricity Scheme's dams and turbines, tunnels and towns ... and the mountains of course. One of the places we stayed was a caravan park on the shores of Lake Eucumbene ... there was also no mobile coverage apart from a 50m circle on a patch of road some 13km back up the hill ... you'd see cars there in the morning, connecting ... there was a little shop in the park office, a petrol bowser and this telephone booth.
I didn't think much of it at the time apart from my initial "haven't seen one of those in a while" ... until after dark when I went for a walk outside; and there it was ... a poignant reminder of communication and connectedness bathed in a pool of it's own making. I just had to take some pictures as you do. Truth be told I wasn't actually talking on the phone but I was missing someone and I imagined I was calling them from a place a long way away ... which in many ways this was ... a long way away :-)
The late night call :-)