Three Goddesses

 

Here are three of my Goddesses.  They are made by stacking up objects I have found in Opportunity  an Dump shops. 

The very first, an isolated example of this type of work of mine,  appeared years ago in 1995, when I exhibited a piece called ‘Mother’ at Greenaway Art Gallery in  Adelaide SA.  However, it is only recently that I have returned to this method of working in all earnest. (See the work ‘Mother’, below and to the left.)

For a very long time I collected a diverse range of things. My earlier work was quite complex. Over the years my collecting mania became more focused, and now I mainly search for biscuit tins, pieces of furniture, mannequins and needlework .

I have an very large collection of biscuit tins.  They are humble ‘reliquaries’ that hold precious things , as well as delicious biscuits. They have been used to  store gloves, needlework, letters, memories. All manner of precious things.

CV

Today I attached a CV by way of a Stand Alone Page. See link to the right of the page.

Projects for today are to continue work on the latest 2 collages and perhaps I had better introduce you to a few of the 'Suburban Goddesses'. I will post some images this afternoon.

An angel

Sue thank you for your comments...you are an angel.Your words send me soaring up to the higher realms!
c  xx

Broken Woman series

  I have found it difficult to place my images as I want so have added Windows Live Writer to the mix- this seems to have helped.  

Broken Woman

Broken Woman series

I am posting a few of the digital works from the 'Broken Woman' series I referred to.

They are photos of mannequins merged with photos of the lids of biscuit tins. There are over 200 works in the series. I will post some more images from time to time.

Over many years, I have collected a few old shop mannequins that are somewhat weathered now. They have quite a lot of character. Sometimes I have asked shopkeepers to allow me to photograph their mannequins. Usually they don't mind. Actually I think there is a whole new exhibition proposition there.....once the Suburban Goddess show is over.

These mannequins were stored in my shed for so many years before I found what I had needed them for. I have tried using living subjects in the same way that I have manipulated mannequins, but I don't think they have worked out so well.

Working with mannequins and dolls, opens up a dialogue about that very practice. It raises many questions.

I made good progress on a Powerpoint digital presentation yesterday. I created 40 pages which took some time and patience. I was soon to finish the project for the day when an error message appeared and my presentation was shut down and lost. I had forgotten to save as I progressed, and therefore, had to start again. I thought I had learnt that lesson before!!

Some good news this week: I have been selected for the 'Erotica' National Acquisitive Award run by Artworkers in Brisbane. I will post a picture of the digital work after the opening, which is Saturday June 5th. It should be a most interesting show. I will travel to Brisbane for it, and try to arrange a consultation with Artworkers at the same time. I want to make a few connections in Brisbane if I can, and hope to get their advice .

Agenda for today: 9am Coffee with girlfriends

Another coat of paint on collage......start a new collage....work on that digital presentation.

Till soon. c

Gatakers Artspace

The Nicholson Room (Sculpture Room)

Suburban Goddess-Gatakers Artspace

I commenced my art practice in 1988. I am self taught and my early years were as a painter. After a time though I developed an interest in sculpture with 'junk' and found that this was an area in which I was able to be more playful and inventive.

In 2006 I received an Australia Council grant to produce works in the theme of the 'Suburban Goddess'. The works I produced can be seen on my website at:

http://www.christineturner.com.au/website16may20/sgthumbn.html

At that time I wrote about my work:


'It has been said that the big question for a person in their middle years is a spiritual one. In my quest to find gods and goddesses, I have only found one, and that is Mother. My own, living Mother.
She is my 'Suburban Goddess'…a goddess that reigned in the fifties and sixties- presiding within a ‘Traditional’ family model that actualised what has been called by some a 'Golden Age' and by others an 'abberation'.This was a paradigm that could not sustain itself, but one that still causes today a degree of uncertainty and sense of loss in current familial relationships. The family of today takes many forms and consequently the role of Mother changes to meet contemporary needs.

The chattels of the ‘Suburban Goddess’ have been assembled. These are the objects society is currently discarding, and with them go aspects of her values and standards. These works, exhibit a stacking up of diverse objects, that serve, like totem poles, to preserve social and cultural histories through a process both unique and innovative.

The curatorial rationale of the 'Suburban Goddess" project seeks to investigate these themes in order to open up a dialogue relating to the ever-changing role of women in society.'


I had made a pledge that in the future I would show the works 'en masse'. I acquitted the grant.

The 'Broken Woman' series of digital images that I have been producing will be developed as a digital projection. The digital projection will form part of the Suburban Goddess installation.

I will feature works from this series from time to time.
....................


GATAKERS ARTSPACE

My friends and I travelled to Maryborough recently to see the fabulous new gallery- Gatakers Artspace. These buildings are valuable historically and were purchased in 2005 by the Maryborough City Council with the assistance of Q150 funding from the Queensland Government.

Gatakers Artspace opened in March 2010.

The galleries are fabulous and we especially were drawn to the Rollo Nicholson Room. Rollo Nicholson was the last owner and a member of the Gataker family. The Rollo Nicholson room seems to lend itself to the display of sculpture. This was a venue that could accommodate my 50 goddesses.

We booked in immediately. My exhibiton was booked for September 8, 2010 - October 10 , 2010. My friends Catherine and Sue, booked the gallery straight after my exhibition. Exciting!!

So that brings us to today. Projects for today are to start on the Powerpoint Presentation of the 'Broken Woman' series and to put a coat of gold paint on my collage canvas.

Till soon.

My first blog!

Hello World!

I am developing an art blog, so you can follow my journey as I prepare to exhibit my 50 'Suburban Goddess' sculptures at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.

Over the next few weeks I will update you with past news about the creation of the sculptures. I will also tell you more about myself and my friends. But I will leave you for now as I have two large collages to work on. I am going to have a wonderful day!