 I have arrived for my Bundanon Artist in Residence stint. Serendipity weaved its way on the waves on 702 as I drove across the land, with a segment about just one of the creatives in the artistic dynasty of the Boyds - Arthur Boyd’s cousin, Architect Robin Boyd. He brought architecture to the fore mid last century with his innovative small house designs and the book The Australian Ugliness, criticised at time for being unpatriotic. Now, its legacy is much regarded.
And also, in the folded time of that drive was an interview of an artist and scientist collaborating. It offered me a moment of reflection upon the art science project that I am currently involved in, Art of Threatened Species (AoTS) and my connections with my science specialists Deborah Ashworth and Michaela Jones. I went out monitoring brush-tailed rock-wallabies only last week with them again. Incredible, they have both worked with this population with a few others for the last twenty years. The population of these creatures at Jenolan has grown from less than 10 to around 100 during this care of theirs. On that trip, I spied a quoll too and named one of the new brush-tailed rock-wallaby’s, a T name, as is the convention, so Tegan with Tiko and Trish now bound out there. And just this morning on the drive here, I pulled over the side of the road to hook in for the latest AoTS meeting with some of the other players. It is a collaboration between (the then) Office of Environment and Heritage and Orana Arts. In November there will be an exhibition stemming from project opening at Western Plains Cultural Centre. You can check out some of the project here .... https://www.oranaarts.com/art-of-threatened-species/ It links to my project here at Bundanon, along with my project at Honours at UNSW. Really all my work links in some way or another to each other. My specific plan here is to be open to influence – to be influenced by my time in Bundanon where I’ll continue to paint and draw, and start a new body of work, a snap shot from this place and time drawing upon my work to date and feeding into my work of tomorrow. Of here, I arrived about the same time as Wart. We are under the same roof and I feel a descent level of comfort and warmth through the laughs and shared stories already. You can check out a little of what she’s up to with the Ibis here … https://bundanon.com.au/residents/wart/ Of first impressions, there is a book on the coffee table Wombats of Bundanon Twenty Australian Poets (eds. C Kelen, S Zijiang) and a mother and baby wombat have just wandered out from the burrow under our building, checking us out nonchalantly as the newbies in this place. In my first happy snap here of this place you can see a mum and bub - the wombats in residence. Nim, my four legged friend left behind at home would be beside herself. And of home I’ve also left lots of meals cooked with love back in the fridge and freezer for my loves left there. I miss them all already. This Bundanon Trust Artist in Residence program is at Bundanon in the Shoalhaven, on Wodi Wodi land, a generous gift from artist Arthur Boyd and his family. I am with him when he said “you can’t own a landscape”. There are four visual artist studios, a writers cottage, a musician cottage and a dance studio. If you ever want to check out this place it’s open to the public every Sunday … https://bundanon.com.au/whats-on/bundanon-open-days/ Thanks for having me Bundanon. Comments are closed.
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April 2023
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