Birmingham of Australia

Birmingham of Australia casts a twenty-first century lens across 1930s Footscray’s aspirations, where wealth and community were forged, in part, from black tyres on albeit stolen lands. The subsequent assessment and redevelopment of Olympic Tyres and Rubber Company point to how we constantly layer and rewrite our heroes and histories.

Birmingham of Australia

Encaustic wax collage, 20.3cm x 20.3cm,

The explorations into the recent histories of my neighbourhood were written on the back of the work.

I will confess to setting this work alight and let it burn until extinguished.

Rhytidectomy

Rhytidectomy is the surgical term for a facelift.

It is an encaustic monoprint augmented by acrylic inks.

An encaustic monoprint is a single print where I placed a 30cm by 30cm khadi paper square on a hot palette. Then I responded to the print with acrylic inks.

Plumping Cochineal

Plumping Cochineal

Plumping Cochineal is a lipstick advertisement broken into its primal elements. The lipstick appears here as wax and cochineal shell. The black is the lipstick case. The text is the carved lines. An advertisement wouldn’t be complete without the perfect pout modelled by Linda Marie!

My exploration of lips and makeup started in 2019. As the works came into being, I created a naming convention using a beauty business name generator to create titles that places the works as bluntly as commercial products.

Hokusai Fellatio and Plumping Cochineal
Hokusai Fellatio and Plumping Cochineal at Alternating Current Art Space

Vermillion Borders

Flesh, rock, lip, sea.

Vermillion Borders maps our emotional cartography. A vermillion border is the line around your lips separating skin and lip. What is outside of the line? What is contained inside the border?

Linda explores our relationship with the land through surreal landscapes, where my arts practice is based on ways of communication and complexity in life. Their practices use ink, watercolour and graphite on paper (both), digital and encaustic (Fiona), and oils and text (Linda). Vermillion Borders is a series of mixed media works unified by a limited colour palette of red, black and white and careful curation. The works were generated by one artist producing a starting point and sending it to the other to complete: creating a true integration of both artist’s practice. The stages were completed in isolation so that each cannot influence the other’s response to the original.

The works were mapped to gallery space at Alternating Current Art Space to fit into the walls, ceiling beams and the energy flow to and from other shows.

“A map tells you where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going — in a sense it’s three tenses in one.”

Peter Greenaway

Trophy Heads: Marilyn

Trophy Heads: Marilyn jumps from Marilyn Diptych (1962) by Andy Warhol and his preoccupation with celebrity beauty and consumption and mapping them as iconography. This ‘good idea at the time’ became a copyright issue where Warhol was sued not by Monroe or her estate but by the owner of “Niagara” film stills.

Shown in Layers of Meaning at Propeller Art Gallery July 2021

Ars

I created another copy of Monroe based on Marilyn Diptych and buried her in layers of encaustic wax symbolic of her humanity. The act of scrapping to reveal her shows that we will only find versions of what we believe is her.

Trophy Heads: Marilyn was a prototype for Trophy Heads,

Trophy Heads

We place people on pedestals and on spikes.

“Trophy Heads” is a series of works that takes its leave from the human preoccupation with taking and displaying others to serve a purpose: the Shuar blocking a vengeful spirit by severing their enemies’ heads and shrinking them, Khaled al-Asaad’s murder by ISIS to many a head put on a spike.

I dug into my preoccupations to explore the nature of celebrity and how we need to make them Trophy Heads or to put a line around it.

I realise my work is complicit in trapping these people in a moment.

Vermillion Borders

Flesh, rock, lip, sea.

Vermillion Borders maps our emotional cartography. A vermillion border is the line around your lips separating skin and lip. What is outside of the line? What is contained inside the border?

Linda explores our relationship with the land through surreal landscapes, where my arts practice is based on ways of communication and complexity in life. Their practices use ink, watercolour and graphite on paper (both), digital and encaustic (Fiona), and oils and text (Linda). Vermillion Borders is a series of mixed media works unified by a limited colour palette of red, black and white and careful curation. The works were generated by one artist producing a starting point and sending it to the other to complete: creating a true integration of both artist’s practice. The stages were completed in isolation so that each cannot influence the other’s response to the original.

The works were mapped to gallery space at Alternating Current Art Space to fit into the walls, ceiling beams and the energy flow to and from other shows.

“A map tells you where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going — in a sense it’s three tenses in one.”

Peter Greenaway

Hokusai Fellatio

Hokusai Fellatio, 2020

Hokusai Fellatio was one of the first works completed under the auspices of Vermillion Borders. Linda Marie created a series of ink works using decalcomania technique. One of the reactions to this series of acrylic ink paintings was that they were ‘restaurant’ quality and not leaning towards Hokusai. I pondered the works and thought about the second last time I saw Hokusai. I was vastly amused to see National Gallery of Victoria didn’t include this genre in the show.

I responded with my technique, wearing Paloma Picasso Mon Rouge, a birthday present from a dear friend, giving the work the second half of its title.

Hokusai Fellatio in situ at Alternating Current Art Space

Vermillion Borders

Flesh, rock, lip, sea.

Vermillion Borders maps our emotional cartography. A vermillion border is the line around your lips separating skin and lip. What is outside of the line? What is contained inside the border?

Linda explores our relationship with the land through surreal landscapes, where my arts practice is based on ways of communication and complexity in life. Their practices use ink, watercolour and graphite on paper (both), digital and encaustic (Fiona), and oils and text (Linda). Vermillion Borders is a series of mixed media works unified by a limited colour palette of red, black and white and careful curation. The works were generated by one artist producing a starting point and sending it to the other to complete: creating a true integration of both artist’s practice. The stages were completed in isolation so that each cannot influence the other’s response to the original.

The works were mapped to gallery space at Alternating Current Art Space to fit into the walls, ceiling beams and the energy flow to and from other shows.

“A map tells you where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going — in a sense it’s three tenses in one.”

Peter Greenaway

Vermillion Borders

Flesh, rock, lip, sea.

Vermillion Borders maps our emotional cartography. A vermillion border is the line around your lips separating skin and lip. What is outside of the line? What is contained inside the border?

Vermilion Borders is a conversation between Linda and I, where the singular creative processes and preoccupations of two experienced artists meet removing the line between them to create new lands, boundaries and borders.

The show is on at Alternating Current Art Space 18 JUNE-10 JULY 2021

Linda explores our relationship with the land through surreal landscapes, where my arts practice is based on ways of communication and complexity in life. Their practices use ink, watercolour and graphite on paper (both), digital and encaustic (me), and oils and text (Linda).

Vermillion Borders is a series of mixed media works unified by a limited colour palette of red, black and white and careful curation. The works were generated by one artist producing a starting point and sending it to the other to complete; creating a true integration of both artist’s practice. The stages were completed in isolation so that each cannot influence the other’s response to the original.

A film of the installation at Alternating Current Art Space

“A map tells you where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going — in a sense it’s three tenses in one.”

Peter Greenaway

Trophy Heads: Trinny

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Trophy-Head-trinny-website.png
Trophy Head: Trinny

“What the fuck are we doing?”

Trinny Woodall

Partly why I love her.

Trinny Woodall is a founder and CEO of Trinny London who moved from style advice shows to broadening her practice to incorporate makeup and skincare products. Her head ended up on a pyke. Her sin? She still owns coats her ex husband bought her and what she wore on her wedding. This needed to be a Daily Mail article. Reviewing the video for this post I noticed her Dries Van Noten coat was edited out of the video.

I capped her saying “have a great Monday, ladies and boys.”

Ars

‘Trophy Heads’ is a series of processed drawings set in wax. The drawings are based on an image significant to the Head and then worked up in graphite and charcoal on Chinese rice paper. Drawings were soaked in wax to create a skin. These drawings were layered on top of each other and then photocopied and soaked in wax. This process was repeated several times with a final dip into wax. The monoprints were framed in black and displayed on the wall.

Wax is a component of lipsticks and charcoal used as eye liner by the Egyptians. Layer up graphite and rice paper links to ancient practices of art.

The images could be something they said to a loaded image that piqued my interest.

The lines of Trophy Heads map to Marilyn Diptych (1962) by Andy Warhol and his preoccupation with celebrity beauty and consumption and mapping them to religious icons. Another boundary crossed was appropriation and copyright where Warhol was sued not by Marilyn or her estate but by the owner of “Niagara” film stills.

I realise my work is complicit in trapping these people in a moment.

Trophy Heads

We place people on pedestals and on spikes.

“Trophy Heads” is a series of works that takes its leave from the human preoccupation with taking and displaying others to serve a purpose: the Shuar blocking a vengeful spirit by severing their enemies’ heads and shrinking them, Khaled al-Asaad’s murder by ISIS to many a head put on a spike.

I dug into my preoccupations to explore the nature of celebrity and how we need to make them Trophy Heads or to put a line around it.

Vermillion Borders

Flesh, rock, lip, sea.

Vermillion Borders maps our emotional cartography. A vermillion border is the line around your lips separating skin and lip. What is outside of the line? What is contained inside the border?

Linda explores our relationship with the land through surreal landscapes, where my arts practice is based on ways of communication and complexity in life. Their practices use ink, watercolour and graphite on paper (both), digital and encaustic (Fiona), and oils and text (Linda). Vermillion Borders is a series of mixed media works unified by a limited colour palette of red, black and white and careful curation. The works were generated by one artist producing a starting point and sending it to the other to complete: creating a true integration of both artist’s practice. The stages were completed in isolation so that each cannot influence the other’s response to the original.

The works were mapped to gallery space at Alternating Current Art Space to fit into the walls, ceiling beams and the energy flow to and from other shows.

“A map tells you where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going — in a sense it’s three tenses in one.”

Peter Greenaway

Trophy Heads: Courtney

Trophy Heads: Courtney
Trophy Heads: Courtney

Courtney Love wrote her description: “I’ve always presented as very tough and been fine with that. I’ve had to be tough. But in terms of my own psychic space, I’m not. I’m so dainty, I think. That’s why I got sick. And why I’m getting well. I’m owning my frail.” Me ⁣

[Edited]

First shoot and interview I’ve done in 7 or more years , where it is actually me speaking . ( vs others pretending to be me ) . I love Laura’s work , Grace , long admired Leith / Violet Book & Stephanie didn’t get side tracked into cliches. ⁣

Such luxury to have allies tell my story with me . Not a dated projection . This will be the last time I do this for a long time . ⁣”

I watched her documentary “Courtney Love: Behind the Music” and laughed with her about her Trent Reznor story. What was clear was the threads and lines of trauma running through the generations of women.

Courtney has a lot to say and many have a lot to say and sing about her. I mapped her paused, in thought. The image mixes up a 90s promotional shot where she is in the pose of Theda Bara and a shot from 1993 MTV Awards when Courtney and Kurt reclaimed their daughter.

Ars

‘Trophy Heads’ is a series of processed drawings set in wax. The drawings are based on an image significant to the Head and then worked up in graphite and charcoal on Chinese rice paper. Drawings were soaked in wax to create a skin. These drawings were layered on top of each other and then photocopied and soaked in wax. This process was repeated several times with a final dip into wax. The monoprints were framed in black and displayed on the wall.

Wax is a component of lipsticks and charcoal used as eye liner by the Egyptians. Layer up graphite and rice paper links to ancient practices of art.

The images could be something they said to a loaded image that piqued my interest.

The lines of Trophy Heads map to Marilyn Diptych (1962) by Andy Warhol and his preoccupation with celebrity beauty and consumption and mapping them to religious icons. Another boundary crossed was appropriation and copyright where Warhol was sued not by Marilyn or her estate but by the owner of “Niagara” film stills.

I realise my work is complicit in trapping these people in a moment.

Trophy Heads

We place people on pedestals and on spikes.

“Trophy Heads” is a series of works that takes its leave from the human preoccupation with taking and displaying others to serve a purpose: the Shuar blocking a vengeful spirit by severing their enemies’ heads and shrinking them, Khaled al-Asaad’s murder by ISIS to many a head put on a spike.

I dug into my preoccupations to explore the nature of celebrity and how we need to make them Trophy Heads or to put a line around it.

Vermillion Borders

Flesh, rock, lip, sea.

Vermillion Borders maps our emotional cartography. A vermillion border is the line around your lips separating skin and lip. What is outside of the line? What is contained inside the border?

Linda explores our relationship with the land through surreal landscapes, where my arts practice is based on ways of communication and complexity in life. Their practices use ink, watercolour and graphite on paper (both), digital and encaustic (Fiona), and oils and text (Linda). Vermillion Borders is a series of mixed media works unified by a limited colour palette of red, black and white and careful curation. The works were generated by one artist producing a starting point and sending it to the other to complete: creating a true integration of both artist’s practice. The stages were completed in isolation so that each cannot influence the other’s response to the original.

The works were mapped to gallery space at Alternating Current Art Space to fit into the walls, ceiling beams and the energy flow to and from other shows.

“A map tells you where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going — in a sense it’s three tenses in one.”

Peter Greenaway

Trophy Heads: Amy

Trophy Heads: Amy
Trophy Heads: Amy

It’s the ten years since Amy Winehouse death and what do we know apart from her life sustained the British tabloid industry.

I remember hearing “if my daddy thinks I’m fine” and wondering how long she would be with us. I look forward to hearing what her best friend will say.

“You go back to her
And I go back to black”

She is saying black. I wanted the focus on her voice, her lips.

Ars

‘Trophy Heads’ is a series of processed drawings set in wax. The drawings are based on an image significant to the Head and then worked up in graphite and charcoal on Chinese rice paper. Drawings were soaked in wax to create a skin. These drawings were layered on top of each other and then photocopied and soaked in wax. This process was repeated several times with a final dip into wax. The monoprints were framed in black and displayed on the wall.

Wax is a component of lipsticks and charcoal used as eye liner by the Egyptians. Layer up graphite and rice paper links to ancient practices of art.

The images could be something they said to a loaded image that piqued my interest.

The lines of Trophy Heads map to Marilyn Diptych (1962) by Andy Warhol and his preoccupation with celebrity beauty and consumption and mapping them to religious icons. Another boundary crossed was appropriation and copyright where Warhol was sued not by Marilyn or her estate but by the owner of “Niagara” film stills.

I realise my work is complicit in trapping these people in a moment.

Trophy Heads

We place people on pedestals and on spikes.

“Trophy Heads” is a series of works that takes its leave from the human preoccupation with taking and displaying others to serve a purpose: the Shuar blocking a vengeful spirit by severing their enemies’ heads and shrinking them, Khaled al-Asaad’s murder by ISIS to many a head put on a spike.

I dug into my preoccupations to explore the nature of celebrity and how we need to make them Trophy Heads or to put a line around it.

Vermillion Borders

Flesh, rock, lip, sea.

Vermillion Borders maps our emotional cartography. A vermillion border is the line around your lips separating skin and lip. What is outside of the line? What is contained inside the border?

Linda explores our relationship with the land through surreal landscapes, where my arts practice is based on ways of communication and complexity in life. Their practices use ink, watercolour and graphite on paper (both), digital and encaustic (Fiona), and oils and text (Linda). Vermillion Borders is a series of mixed media works unified by a limited colour palette of red, black and white and careful curation. The works were generated by one artist producing a starting point and sending it to the other to complete: creating a true integration of both artist’s practice. The stages were completed in isolation so that each cannot influence the other’s response to the original.

The works were mapped to gallery space at Alternating Current Art Space to fit into the walls, ceiling beams and the energy flow to and from other shows.

“A map tells you where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going — in a sense it’s three tenses in one.”

Peter Greenaway