After a year or so in the making I just finished printing my first letterpress project – such a great feeling! I bought my Chandler and Price press off ebay last year, and have been admiring it’s beautiful presence in my studio, but to be honest have felt a little daunted about getting it up and running. It’s around 100 years old, and seemed to have kept all its grime, dust, and gunk over that period, and was very much in need of a clean, some new parts, and some tlc. I ordered the parts needed from the USA, as they are sadly not available here, and gave it a really good clean, and then it was finally time to give it a test run!

Inking up

Figuring out how to lock up the form in the chase

Photopolymer plate supplied by the lovely people at David Simpson Graphics

Ready to print!

Inking problems… first not enough ink, then the ink rollers were too high and had to be adjusted so the ink transferred only to the raised parts of the plate

Finished! Business card, front and back.

Created for You are Here, a group exhibition exploring location, mapping and the artists place in the world.

Everything is from Nothing is an exhibition exploring the Big Bang theory of the beginning of the universe.

I am continuously drawn back to astronomy. The first time I was introduced to astronomy, in a way that really clicked for me, was when I was shown an image of a scattering of galaxies. The Milky Way was one tiny dot amongst many others, and every speck of light in the image was not a star, but actually a galaxy that could be much smaller, or larger than our own. It is kind of impossible to fathom that beyond our own galaxy, there are potentially infinite galaxies. When I first saw that image, it was the first time the monument of the universe made some kind of sense to me, and the following wonder of my place as one human being, and all the myriad of flora and fauna and seemingly infinite and amazing minutia of existence. I never have believed in a god, or creation, but here I found something I could believe in and be inspired by.

Since then – I have done quite a lot of reading on astronomy and it is a pivotal subject matter for me – both creatively and personally. Astronomy raises questions of belief, mortality, and existence. And I find it quite an unrelenting subject because whilst there has been amazing advances in our understanding of our planet, and progress on the universe at large: the ultimate question is unanswered: is there a grand unified theory of the universe and, if so, exactly where do we fit into it? What are we doing here, apart from enjoying some excellent company, having some fine times, and enjoying a lovely drop of wine? So I decided to explore that question: the beginning – where we might come from and how, and discovered that the best theory going at the moment is that everything that we know comes from nothing; and came into being in a spontaneous explosion; everywhere and all at once. Beyond our imagination and realm of possibility.

Click here to see all artworks

Artist’s book
Silk screen on paper
15pp, 12×12cm, 2011
Limited edition of 20 books,
each book unique
and numbered 1/1.

Spontaneous #1, 2, and 3
Monoprints on paper
Each 58×78cm, framed, 2011

Spontaneous #3 (detail)
Monoprint on paper
58×78cm, framed, 2011

Beginning #1, 2, and 3
Paper sculpture
Silk screen print, spirit rub
Various sizes

Beginning #2
Paper sculpture
Silk screen print, spirit rub
30×30cm, 2011

Artist’s book
Silk screen on paper
15pp, 12×12cm, 2011
Limited edition of 20 books,
each book unique
and numbered 1/1.

Everything is from Nothing is an exhibition exploring the Big Bang theory of the beginning of the universe. I am continuously drawn back to astronomy. The first time I was introduced to astronomy, in a way that really clicked for me, was when I was shown an image of a scattering of galaxies. The Milky Way was one tiny dot amongst many others, and every speck of light in the image was not a star, but actually a galaxy that could be much smaller, or larger than our own. It is kind of impossible to fathom that beyond our own galaxy, there are potentially infinite galaxies. When I first saw that image, it was the first time the monument of the universe made some kind of sense to me, and the following wonder of my place as one human being, and all the myriad of flora and fauna and seemingly infinite and amazing minutia of existence. I never have believed in a god, or creation, but here I found something I could believe in and be inspired by.

Since being introduced to this first image – I have done quite a lot of reading on astronomy, and it is a pivotal subject matter for me – both creatively and personally. Astronomy raises questions of belief, mortality, and existence. And I find it quite an unrelenting subject because whilst there has been amazing advances in our understanding of our planet, and progress on the universe at large: the ultimate question is unanswered: is there a grand unified theory of the universe and, if so, exactly where do we fit into it? What are we doing here, apart from enjoying some excellent company, having some fine times, and enjoying a lovely drop of wine? So I decided to explore that question: the beginning – where we might come from and how, and discovered that the best theory going at the moment is that everything that we know comes from nothing; and came into being in a spontaneous explosion; everywhere and all at once. Beyond our imagination and realm of possibility.

Spontaneous #1, 2, and 3
Monoprints on paper
Each 58×78cm, framed, 2011

Spontaneous #3 (detail)
Monoprint on paper
58×78cm, framed, 2011

Beginning #1, 2, and 3
Paper sculpture
Silk screen print, spirit rub
Various sizes

Beginning #2
Paper sculpture
Silk screen print, spirit rub
30×30cm, 2011

OBSERVATION #1
(VIA OPTICAL ILLUSION)
Screen print and spirit rub on paper, viewing lenses.
Limited edition of 5. 50 × 64cm

Blue and red lenses are supplied with this optical illusion print. The audience interacts with it by viewing it through one lense at a time to reveal the words ‘history’ and ‘future’

A lightbox can be switched on or off to reveal the current status of indigenous language. Blue and red lenses are supplied with this optical illusion print. The audience interacts with it by viewing it through one lens at a time to reveal the words ‘language unifies’ and ‘language segments’

A lightbox can be switched on or off to reveal ‘culture is lost in translation’

Trinity / 25″ × 25″ × 14″ / wood dowels, acrylic paint, resin / 2011

Tri Angular / 35″ × 35″ × 25″ / acrylic paint on wood / 2010

Eureka / 34″ × 34″ × 3″ / hand-cut paper on wood backing / 2009

Plasmascopic / 36″ × 19″ × 3″ / hand-cut paper on wood backing / 2009

Design process

Languages create connections between people, culture, history, place and country. They can segment as easily as they can unify, and give form to different ways of thinking; helping to define different cultural groups. Language is a record of our history, and gives us direction for our future.

Language and culture are intrinsically linked, and without one or the other language is extinguished and culture is lost.

Australia has the highest rate of language loss in the world. It is estimated that pre-settlement there were approximately 250 indigenous languages, plus a further 250 dialects. Today there are just 17 languages that are alive and spoken.

In recent years there has been a positive movement for language revitalisation, and towards a bilingual approach to education. Language revitalisation is a crucial part of reconciliation. Language bridges understanding.

Each print is a limited edition screen print available for sale, and profits will be donated to the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages to support their work in reclaiming and revitalizing indigenous languages.

OBSERVATION #1
(VIA OPTICAL ILLUSION)
Screen print and spirit rub on paper, viewing lenses.
Limited edition of 5. 50 × 64cm

Blue and red lenses are supplied with this optical illusion print. The audience interacts with it by viewing it through one lense at a time to reveal the words ‘history’ and ‘future’

A lightbox can be switched on or off to reveal the current status of indigenous language. Blue and red lenses are supplied with this optical illusion print. The audience interacts with it by viewing it through one lense at a time to reveal the words ‘language unifies’ and ‘language segments’

OBSERVATION #3
(VIA OPTICAL ILLUSION)
Screen print on paper.
Limited edition of 5. 50 × 32cm

A lightbox can be switched on or off to reveal ‘culture is lost in translation’.

OBSERVATION #4
(VIA FROTTAGE ASSEMBLY)
Vinyl on acrylic. 42 × 42cm

The audience interacts with this object by lining the paper up with the grid, and taking a rubbing (with coloured pencils provided). By working along each square – the message is revealed “language is a cultural treasure”.

Visit the exhibition at Pin-up in Collingwood this weekend, or contact us for enquiries about prints…

However in a nutshell, since I last wrote on the Ketel One commission – with the deadline looming, there was not enough time to visit a remote aboriginal community, or try to communicate via post (as post can take up to 2 weeks), so I turned my focus to learning a little about indigenous australian languages and made some startling discoveries – which inspired me to base my project on exploring language and how it relates to us culturally, historically, emotionally. The resulting submission will feature interactive optical illusions… I have created 3 screen printed posters complete with viewing lenses, and a frottage assembly. The commission also called for us to exhibit our process, so I will be displaying all the the artefacts of my process: research documents, correspondence, design process and screen printing process. It opens on Wednesday at Pin-up in Collingwood, from 25 – 29 May (just behind Lamington Drive). There are lots of interesting people in the exhibition, and it is open to the public so do pop in.

…I have some more definite direction now for where I want to take the commission. Basically have decided that this is a good opportunity to begin working on a project that I think is really important and have had on the back-burner for some time.

As a graphic designer, I define my craft as communicating information visually. And I think that if you get a choice about what the content of the communication is, that it should be something worthwhile. And that graphic design can be utilised to disseminate important ideas, connect people and provoke thought. I agree with the First Things First manifesto, which was a call for designers to utilise their skills for pursuits more worthy than selling commercial products, and instead turn their attention to more socially and culturally important projects.

There are zillions of subjects in the world that are worthwhile communicating about, so the choosing comes down to personal interest. A big personal interest and fascination for me for as long as I can remember is aboriginal culture, and I have always wanted to learn and experience more.

I grew up in Kew, a conservative suburb in Melbourne, and remember learning a little about aboriginal people and culture in one school assignment. Having never met or seen any indigenous people in the area I grew up in, it felt like I was learning about another country. My knowledge did not improve much in high school, and it wasn’t until I traveled to Darwin, Kakadu and Arnhem Land a couple of years ago that I managed to visit an aboriginal community, and learnt a little more first hand. The really sad thing, is that I am not alone with my ridiculously small knowledge of aboriginal culture – the cultural divide in Australia is huge, and the history behind it is tragic and divisive.

So I would really like to use this exhibition as an opportunity to communicate something that I think is really important, and to try and base it in action.

Aboriginal Australia Map

My first idea was to approach a friend who runs a gallery in an aboriginal community in remote central Australia: with the idea of basing my submission on education about indigenous people and culture. To try to make it a real personal experience, rather than just creating some posters from what I can learn in books. I think there is far too little information about indigenous culture in the mainstream. And I am aware that there is danger in making broad assertions without having an in depth personal understanding myself of indigenous culture. So my idea was to bring it back to the personal – and create an interaction by mail. I would send a little introduction package about myself, with some information about where I come from, my family, my environment, my culture, and make it a really nice personal parcel that is hand made. I would like to include a parcel to return also, for recipients to return sharing some things about their lives also, and family and culture. Ultimately I would exhibit a copy of the package I send, and also the packages received, and would create a thank you poster that would be screen printed and a compilation of what I have learned, and return the posters and images from the exhibition to the community.

Unfortunately with the tight deadline on this project, and long delays on post to a remote community the idea just wasn’t feasible. Bugger. Claire suggested I come to the community for a visit and learn first hand. Hmmmm, that would be amazing, though even that within the time frame would be very tight. But definitely worth investigating further…