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'My Place Your Place Our Place'Originally designed by Josephine Severn for the Print Australia website |
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'My Place Your Place Our Place'Originally designed by Josephine Severn for the Print Australia website |
The artist statements and images are reproduced with permission from the artists. | Anthea Boesenberg | Helen Clare | Sarah Dalby | Joan Hartmann |
| Jan Melville | Tessie Nelson | Nyuwara Tapaya | Carol Williams |
| Ernabella |
Being in Sydney - We liked the workshop and we liked working with Carol, Helen, Anthea, Sandra, Joan and Jan. For Tessie it was the first time making prints and the first time for Sarah, too - and the first visit to Sydney. The trip on the Manly Ferry was really exciting and also the trip on the yacht. It was really windy! Seeing the city lights at night from North head was beautiful.
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"Ernabella and
Walka" Carol Williams and Nyuwara Tapaya |
"Sydney City
Scenes" (aluminium etchings) The Four Ernabella artists. |
Doing a print is a bit like painting a walka on canvas. But when we do batik we do different kinds of designs. Everyone has their own separate different style - that's why they look different.
(More Ernabella artist prints are displayed under the artist's name, below.)
"The experience of working with the four artists from Ernabella reminded me of the power of repetition and pattern. I saw this collaborative exhibition as an opportunity to explore the spiritual nature of my home, the city of Sydney, which in my eyes is beautiful and redolent with mystery and meaning.
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| "3 x Reflection"
b/w intaglio solarplate print. |
"City reflections"
intaglio solarplate print. |
I chose the grid as my pattern. It represents the intersection of roads, of lives, and of structural elements in the physical and social architecture of my place."
In 1998 I was fortunate to visit Ernabella and share my monotype techniques in printmaking with artists in the art centre. I was very impressed with the immediate adaptability in producing impressive images without any hesitation or deliberation. It was exciting to meet again and to experience the warmth of the relationship a year later at Warringah Printmakers Studio and to work with other techniques. I was again amazed at how Tessie, Carol, Nyuwara and Sarah could produce such wonderful work with an uncomplicated approach.
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| "Carnival" monotype | "Road to Ernabella", monotype |
My own adventures in this vast country, in the outback, on the sea, with the beautiful transparent colours have always been my inspiration. My place is the movement of the harbour, the action of the city, the night lights and reflections and the open beach spaces. The country around Ernabella is characterised by vastness of land and beauty of colour. The different ideas and experiences for all of us have produced exciting, diverse interpretations of our place.
"Ini Wiya" (Untitled in Pitjantjatjara) Monotype "Ini Wiya" (Untitled in Pitjantjatjara) Monotype
"Exchanging ideas with the four women artists from Ernabella has been a rewarding experience, the sharing of knowledge and exposure to another culture invaluable. The Warringah artists were unable to spend time at Ernabella to experience their place first hand, yet through the spontaneity, imagination and wonderful sense of observation in their art we were able to gain some insight into their place.
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| "Connection" Monoprint | "Crossroads" Monoprint |
The special bond of women working together, communicating, sharing a spiritual intimacy, an emotional space, inseparable from their environment, that is our place. This is how I have depicted in my art the collaboration of ideas, the meeting of women from different backgrounds and cultures, people and place."
I was pleased to be able to share with the Ernabella artists a new, less toxic process of etching into an aluminium plate with copper sulphate. The resulting images were strong, vibrant and excited us all in our collaborations.
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| "Mountain Stream" monotype | "Mountain Track" monotype |
Having just moved from Balmain to the south coast at the time of the Warringah Printmakers Studio residency, My Place is now 'my mountain' on Wattamolla at the entrance to Kangaroo Valley. It is this, together with the response to working with the Ernabella women that I have chosen to bring into this exhibition.
"Ini Wiya" (untitled) monotype "Ini Wiya" (untitled) monotype
"Walka Wirunya" (Beautiful Design) Monotype "Raining in the desert"
Monotype
"Puli munu punu" (Rocks and Trees) Monotype "Ini Wiya" (untitled)
b/w intaglio solarplate
Thanks to Hannah Semler who has coordinated this project, to Susan Steggall for the use of her article first published in the Northern Beaches Weekender and to Carole Siu and Sandra Williams of Warringah Printmakers Studio for their help during the workshop and afterwards. Thanks also to Josephine Severn, owner of Print Australia website for designing these pages.
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