South Stradbroke Island - goldcoast.qld.gov.au · watching other people doing their artwork and...

South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp 2016

Shifting Sands

SOUTH STRADBROKE ISLAND – THE BEDROOMS

By Claire Agale

Blue sky, green water and shifting sands

Give a timeless dignity and reverence that marks my briefest presence

In the vastness, I see my triviality and make apologies for my intrusion.


Claim the mangroves, the waterways, swallowing up men and sea vessels.

The ghosts of the shipwrecked quietly keep watch over the ebb and flow of the tide.


Gently enforce the superiority of nature and time.

The dunes rise and fall like waves, windswept from the north.


Bring forth the abundance of life, nurturing a continuous unbroken process

Black mud balanced by the sun bleached bones of the midden

That lie desolate in the dunes’ depressions.


Give way to the stillness of sunset

Golden light floods the dunes like majesty

Until the shroud of night embraces the land in a lover’s embrace.

Star speckled sky, black water and shifting sands

Give audience to the stirrings of the sand lizards

A chorus of night frogs lift their voices in unison

To sing a lullaby to Tagai who watches over the seasons.

Photo by Michael Aird

SHIFTING SANDS4

Mangroves Photo by Michael Aird

SOUTH STRADBROKE ISLAND INDIGENOUS ARTIST CAMP 2016 5

Sand Dunes − Midden Photo by Michael Aird

SHIFTING SANDS6

Brian Robinson


I had the amazing opportunity of mentoring and facilitating a series

of workshops with a group of enthusiastic, creatively engaged and

responsive Indigenous artists from the Gold Coast and northern NSW.

Shifting Sands – South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp 2016

provided participating artists with an opportunity to develop artistic

interests and skills in an intensive artistic convergence at a remarkable

location some 30 minutes from the Gold Coast’s CBD.

A total of 20 artists, camp facilitators, mentors and cooks attended the

camp where creative tasks included landscape and still-life drawing,

printmaking (lino-cutting) and observation of printing techniques, an

introduction to large-scale public art projects as well as experimentation

with their own artistic media, which most artists brought themselves from

past experience and their need for a familiar medium to work with.

Day one was spent familiarising themselves with their surroundings

including ventures to various locations around the camp and island for

inspiration. Michael Aird, Hague Best and Lindy Salter (who all put the

history and terrain into perspective) gave a very informative talk about the

islands’ Indigenous history.

The remaining days were spent actively creating visual art and other unique

cultural expressions from poses of creative text and drawings, to prints,

photography and new media footage. Not to mention amazingly great food,

good company and lots of laughs and sand crabs (way to go Michael and Sel).

A series of nightly talks about anything and everything personal, artistic,

cultural and political was an important aspect of the camp as it encouraged

everyone’s engagement with public speaking and social interaction with

peers, colleagues and other professionals in the arts industry.

Opportunities such as this are few and far between so I must congratulate

and commend the City of Gold Coast in partnership with the Gold Coast

City Gallery for initiating such a worthwhile camp and for their proactive

approach to developing the artistic skills of local Indigenous artists. A big

thanks also goes to Jo-Anne Driessens and Michael Aird for their generous

support and tenacity overall with the camp’s development and like John

Graham would say . . . “Brian, everything is dancing mate, everything!”

Brian Robinson

INTRODUCTION

Photos by Michael Aird

SHIFTING SANDS8

CLAIRE AGALE

My experience of the camp has taught me the need to be confident, to

trust in my creative abilities, to trust in the process of creativity and have

faith in the outcome. I have learnt that if I follow these basic principles,

the authenticity and ownership woven into my work will be evident. The

Artist Camp has not only been a learning place but also a self-reflective

place. I have found there is so much to learn about oneself and it is only

when we begin to look inside, we see the hidden aspects of our hopes,

our dreams and what frightens us most.

South Stradbroke Island extended to us such rich offerings for inspiration

and artist expression. I was particularly moved by the sight of the midden.

I felt an almost reverence toward it, like a sacred, deeply spiritual place

that was deserving of respect. I felt privileged. The midden became the

stimulus for my poem titled Shifting Sands, as it stands in a timeless

reminder of the generations past and the inevitable progression of time

marked by the shifting sands of the dunes that surround it.

I love writing, I love words and stories and language that explore how

we see ourselves, our soaring triumphs and desperate failings. I am

particularly interested in recording oral histories in film or written form.

The Artist Camp has given me new confidence and opportunity to pursue

this passion. The question of identity and loss often comes up and over

the years I have written a number pieces on identity, particularly on my

own struggle to find identity as an adopted child in a European family.

The disconnection and loneliness I felt as a child has followed me into

adulthood. I have searched my whole life for my mother, I felt her absence

in every moment, and it influenced everything I did. Six months ago, I met

my beautiful mother and lonely spaces within me are melting away. One

of the most poignant and emotional moments was finding out the name

my mother gave me at birth, my name, who I am… for me, there is no

longer a question of identity. I am Felicia.

“EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN TRUTH”

SHIFTING SANDS10

Indigenous Ingeneneos, 2016 Linocut printed with black ink, hand coloured 30cm x 30cm


GLENN BARRY

For me, there have been many cathartic moments through the benefits

of art. I didn’t find out about my Aboriginal heritage till my grandfather

passed away while I was in my mid 20s, so it was an initiation of fire.

Since this discovery with my Aboriginal identity, suddenly, the unknown

but definitely felt was out in the open in my mind and body. But looking

back now, I did have a hunch that something was going on.

This has been my drive ever since. Through my moeity, my clans, my

blood, my spirit, my ancestors − I am continually renewed into the real

person that I sense I am. It’s really interesting, as I find myself through the

eyes of others. The reflection that I see gives an honesty and depth that

supports my journey.

At the Artist Camp, I feel the growth of my core being gathered or

solidified together again, unlike sand falling through my fingers. When

sand is refined it can be turned to a solid in the form of glass or even a

mirror. Recollecting the scattered sum of the parts to reunify, to refine and

become one piece again – to utilise and share. I am healing. I am whole.

I use art as a communicative tool to work better with others and it has

allowed my interactions to bloom. I used to want to communicate, but

the words would get stuck in my throat like a frog. Now, through art –

my connection between head and heart have found a good balance and

flow. They are not stuck.

“I USE ART AS A

COMMUNICATIVE TOOL”


SHIFTING SANDS12

GLENNYS BRIGGS

This was my second time attending the Artist Camp. It came at a time I was feeling

a need to re-energize myself. It gave me a real lift meeting new people/artists

and talking about our practices as a collective. I also had the opportunity to meet

industry people and discuss my practice with them. Since returning from the Artist

Camp I have been non-stop with exhibitions, projects and art talks.

You can start up with no idea and at the end of the day still end up with something

pleasing. I discovered oil inks. I’ve had a go at linocuts. My soul needed the trip

today, the sand, the water, the mangroves, the crabs, the fish, and there’s fresh

water running underneath you.

This body of work represents the relationship to place and the ever-changing tides

that bring in new knowledge of our cultural histories and practices that the First

Nations people are now revising and are becoming a large part of their everyday

life. The Dilly Bags that I use in my work are representative of the vessels that hold

our stories, which are fundamental to our way of being. I see the stories intertwined

within the fibers of the material of the Dilly Bag.

“MY SOUL NEEDED THE TRIP TODAY”

SHIFTING SANDS14

First Day on Camp, 2016 Linocut printed with black ink, hand coloured 30cm x 30cm


I’m the new kid on the block and here I am, first time I’ve ever been

to an Artist Camp and I’m very privileged and very happy about it. Just

watching other people doing their artwork and finding out what inspires

them. I’m glad I’m here and getting to talk with everyone and building

my confidence up. I was looking into putting on my own art exhibition

and found out about this Artist Camp and so here I am. I’m interested in

running art workshops. I used to do art a while back when I was about

17 or 18 but I went off and played football and then became a plant

operator (I’m a bricklayer by trade) and forgot all about the artwork.

I hurt my back and was off work about six months. I wasn’t doing

anything, couldn’t do anything and I was just really down. My wife came

up to me and said “Why don’t you go back to doing your artwork; what

you used to do?” So I got back into my artwork so I could be proud

of it. Now I’ve got 30 paintings or so. I want to show my artwork and

show that we Indigenous people have got talent, you know! I’ve put my

paintings up for NAIDOC week at Robina library. I can’t wait. I’m just so

privileged it’s going to happen! I’m proud to show that we can get up off

our butts and do the work! We express ourselves with our heart.

I want to push myself to the limits and get my confidence going.

SYLVESTER COOK“I WANT TO PUSH MYSELF TO THE LIMITS”


SHIFTING SANDS16

DELVENE COCKATOO-COLLINS“IT’S A PERSONAL CHALLENGE BEING HERE”

Sitting at the Midden, 2016Silk linoprint 30cm x 30cm


I can honestly say that I’m open to everyone’s influence here. I’m so

happy that Brian Robinson is here to mentor us and share his passion and

knowledge about art. It’s a personal challenge being here also, just being

open to whatever. I love the inspiration that happens here on camp!

It’s been good to see Brian’s process, the inks and press he uses. There’s so

much work that goes into lino printing. I’m appreciating how much work

he puts into his lino cut prints. It’s interesting to see how a big name artist

does what they do, and from a business end too.

We had Fiona Foley here last year and her words of advice really stuck

with me. She would say stuff like ‘take every opportunity’ and that advice

encouraged me to put myself out there for a couple of different things.

One was a project by Judy Watson to do with bones made of porcelain in

recognition of the early Aboriginal protester Anthony Martin Fernando.

Porcelain can be very sensitive and difficult to work with but Fiona’s words

came back to me and I said “Yes I’ll do it, I’ll try!” I was asked to make 60

bones, but it was very difficult and almost 150 broke, but I still got 60 done.

I spent a month just sitting there making it. The National Museum has just

recently purchased the work by Judy Watson titled ‘our skeletons in your

closets’ 2015. If Fiona hadn’t said those words to me at Artist Camp last

year, I would have said no to the project – and a few others too.

Last year’s camp gave me the confidence to try new things and to feel

that I can be part of new experiences and to test myself. Fiona provided

beeswax and charcoal to use. I just wouldn’t have thought to use

beeswax with ochre. I have been able to use high quality materials and

try things I wouldn’t normally consider. I love the inspiration that happens

here on camp! At last year’s camp some photos of my old people were

shown and now I feel I need to know that part of me and the connections

that go back. I’m drawn to my family history more and expressing that in

my work.


SHIFTING SANDS18

For me it’s the artist’s responsibility to dissolve boundaries. The challenge I see (and not just for artists) is how do we dissolve boundaries but stay unique

and authentic to our Mobs? It is a very important challenge in very interesting times! All artists are up for celebrating and documenting this challenge,

this journey of the imagination and spirit. I am honoured to be one of them.

I’ve learnt to go bigger with my work. It’s a challenge to expand on my ideas and still keep the same rhythm as I have in smaller drawings. It’s good to

bounce ideas off each other.

I come from the Gold Coast here, the Goori part here. I lived up north, then in Brisbane, now back here. I was brought up by my mother with a very

strong sense of Aboriginal identity. She taught me to never ignore your Mob. I think I took my wellspring of talent for granted with all the heavy duty

drinking I did over the last three decades. I’ve just made it to dry land in the last 18 months and I’m so glad to be involved with the creative scene now.

It’s really something to me! I’ve clawed my way back and now it’s time to make a splash!

I don’t know what my future as an artist might be. The journey I’m on right now is a personal journey, and it’s so amazing! It’s overwhelming for me to

let all this expression out.

So to project that far into the future, to be honest I really don’t know, but I believe that I’m going to let it be good. My “thinga”, my person, my reason

for being, my mystery for being, says to me whatever happens, come what may, let it be good, and I’m sure I’ll let it be good.

JOHN GRAHAM“IT’S OVERWHELMING FOR ME

TO LET ALL THIS EXPRESSION OUT”



An Ecology of Souls, 2016 Ink pen drawing on paper

SHIFTING SANDS20

Mangrove Mud and Sand Installation South Stradbroke Island, 2016Photo by Jo-Anne Driessens



LIBBY HARWARD

Contextualising our work at the Artist Camp helps push our own limits.

It’s important to challenge each other. When we come together as artists

we have to learn to articulate our process of creating new work. It’s

important to have conversations and open up a new dialogue about art

and history and everything else. All the elements that go into the process

of creating art, even before you start, is important. With art and history

and politics it’s all about our story, and our context.

“IT’S ALL ABOUT OUR STORY,

OUR CONTEXT”

Guriba, Yunggulba, Yabruma: (ebb tide, flood tide, always doing), 2016Linocut printed with black ink

30cm x 30cm

SHIFTING SANDS22

ANTHONY JOHNSON

When I’m filming I want to tell the story

with moving pictures. I want to bring

words to life. I want people to understand

us through storytelling, music, dance, art,

pictorial, oral, film and with new technology.

I’m from the Kimberleys but I have Mob

from Queensland here and I want to try and

find them. It’s up to me to find them.

“I’M GETTING ENOUGH MATERIAL TOGETHER

TO MAKE A FEATURE FILM”



Mysterious Being, 2016 Linocut printed with black ink

30cm x 30cm

SHIFTING SANDS24



It has been one of my goals during the journey of my art career to go

into public art. Coming to the artist camp last year really prompted me

to step into that arena through the influence of our mentor Fiona Foley.

She totally inspired me to push that dream forward and make it a reality.

Since then I have done a little bit of public art and hopefully I’ll continue

to develop that.

I truly recommend artists to experience this camp! Getting together

in one place, the connections, the exchanging of stories. Getting to

know yourself better and other beautiful artists, you develop incredible

friendships and get inspired by one another. I would never have got to

know so many artists. There’s something special about coming here – your

soul, your spirit gets invigorated. Experiencing the artist camp will catapult

you into areas you might not have thought of – some doors close but

some open wide.

For me, showcasing my art through entering art prizes and art shows is

healthy. It’s icing on the cake when I win or my work sells. There’s the

recognition but another important element is seeing how my art is going

and how I’m tracking with other artists. I try and enter whenever I can, it

helps to build my name as an artist. I try and make every effort to have my

art out there as much as possible. Development wise it’s very important

for your advancement in the art industry. Learning new skills or a new

genre of art will help you develop really well as an artist. My motto is

“Never stop learning and keep developing your art!”

If you’ve got stories and songs from your country, paint that. But allow

yourself to create in your own style and expression too. We are so blessed

to have the richness of our heritage as our foundation and as artisans, we

can weave our life into the art we create. When creating art or anything

for that matter, you have to be true to yourself, your taught cultural

knowledge and your experiences – from that place you create from your

heart, soul and spirit.

Culture is living in you every day. Culture is knowing who you are, where

you come from and who you belong to, like our ancestors. We’ve got to

teach what culture is to our children and our grandchildren, it’s their life

and it’s their identity. This is my philosophy I suppose, to distinguish my art

through the inspiration and pride of my Torres Strait heritage.

Through my family, my faith, the exquisite earth we live on and the

breathtaking universe we as human beings are privileged to exist in

experiencing together.

L ISA SORBIE MARTIN“THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT COMING HERE...

YOUR SPIRIT GETS INVIGORATED”

SHIFTING SANDS26

NEVILLE TORRISHEBA

My ancestry is from the Jabirr Jabirr people of Broome, Western Australia, so I’m

a long way from home. I’ve learned heaps here at the Artist Camp. It really is is an

honour and privilege to be selected.

I’ve been made very welcome by my peers and mentors and Yugambeh community

here on the Gold Coast.

Art helped me recover from a coma. It was my therapy and healing. It’s important to

continue to help grow, nurture and develop young and talented artists.

For my sculpture I’m picking up rubbish along the beach and on the sand dunes

and including that with the turtle made of drift wood to send a very clear message

about humanity’s obligation to land and sea. Our obligation to our children.

“I FEEL VERY WELCOMED HERE”



Survivor, 2016Linocut printed with black ink, hand coloured30cm x 30cm

Wanderer, 2016Linocut printed with black ink, hand coloured

30cm x 30cm

SHIFTING SANDS28



My family is Yiman and Gurreng Gurreng from central Queensland. I

grew up on the Sunshine Coast, then lived on the Gold Coast for several

years, and currently reside in Byron Bay. I draw a lot of inspiration from

the marine diversity of the southern Queensland and northern New South

Wales coastlines. The main theme in my work is the celebration of and

protection of the local marine environment. As a young person, I actually

wanted to be a Park Ranger, so I undertook an Applied Science degree. It

was during my time at university that I started exploring the world of art

and music. After university, I ran a business making didgeridoos.

Through all the carving and painting that I did on the didges, I developed

fundamental design skills that still underline my arts practice today −

although I now predominately work on canvas rather than on wood. I

used the Artist Camp as an opportunity to explore other mediums besides

canvas painting, such as printing and photography. I was engrossed with

the lino printing activities and spent most of my time at the camp testing

out different lino carving techniques. Creating prints appeals to me as

it has the versatility of working on canvas, yet it is a very tactile way of

working, which reminded me of my didge making days.

I’ve seen Brian Robinson’s work over the years and most people would

agree he’s an inspiration.

ANTHONY WALKER

“BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF IS HAVING A LOT

OF INTEGRITY WITH YOUR WORK”

SHIFTING SANDS30

As artists we feed off each other, everyone bounces. I used to work in an

art gallery in Casino. I helped run workshops teaching art and that but the

funding fell through. I lost my job but I haven’t stopped doing my art. I’ll

never stop.

My primary school years were spent in Windsor NSW where I was born.

When we got to north east NSW (my father’s country), my eyes were

wide open. It opened up my insides and everything just started coming

out. My shell was broken. Starting high school was when I picked up the

paintbrush.

My experience at the Artist Camp was a great one – and a spiritual one.

With great apprehension, I told my instincts to take a back seat so I could

progress. My body didn’t want to go so far from home alone. It was the

furthest I had ever been in a little boat on the water. I knew I was coming

to an old place.

I went barefoot, a comfort thing for me I think. Shoes and me don’t like

each other. I also believe that to connect fluidly with the old people, my

bare feet must be touching the ground.

Naturally being a bit shy, it took me a while to warm to the other artists.

I can’t help that. I am a very observant person. Aren’t most artists? I

eventually warmed to everybody. It was a wonderful thing to get to know

the other artists and see their different practices. To share and compare

and learn and teach with each other. Just like the old people did, in their

different but same way. Because there was no sole person in those days.

You were everybody. You were a collective of people.

I think the main thing I took from the camp was realising I can extend my

art practice into different areas, through techniques or subjects. And to

push myself a little bit more each time.

I would like to be more successful in my art and have some sort of

business which utilises my art skills. I want to be a famous artist, and just

be out there. That’s what I’m determined to achieve.

JAI DARBY WALKER“MY ART SPEAKS FOR ME A LOT”



Midden, 2016 Linocut printed with black ink

30cm x 30cm

Ancestral Man, 2016 Charcoal on paper

Stradbroke Warrior, 2016 Watercolour background,

white and black pencil drawing

SHIFTING SANDS32


“ I have watched the Stradbroke Island Artist Camp grow with the

guidance of the support crew and special guests. Through the

guidance of art experts and the participation of group members,

the event is gathering a presence. Through that experience, the

development and exchange of ideas has become the central

annual event that inspires and feeds many projects throughout

the year. The opportunity for the community to work alongside

artists is an experience to be remembered and cherished by all.”

Maureen Newton − Camp Elder and Mentor

Sand Dunes − Midden Photo by Michael Aird

SHIFTING SANDS36

Exhibition catalogue for Shifting Sands South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp 2016 held at the Gold Coast City Gallery Exhibition 30 July − 18 September 2016

The Artist Camp is an initiative of the City of Gold Coast in partnership with the Gold Coast City Gallery to support the artistic development of our Indigenous artists

Text copyright © of the authors

Images courtesy of City of Gold Coast

All rights reserved by the copyright holders

Properly acknowledged quotations may be made

Queries regarding the republication of any material should be addressed to: City of Gold Coast Po Box 5042 GCMC QLD 9729

ISBN 1 74057 049 9

First published 2016 Designed by: Creative Arts City of Gold Coast Printed by: Printcraft, Brisbane

Cover Image: Neville Torrisheba Wanderer, 2016 Linocut printed with black ink, hand coloured 30cm x 30cm

Presenting Partner

South Stradbroke Island - goldcoast.qld.gov.au · watching other people doing their artwork and...

Documents

Transcript of South Stradbroke Island - goldcoast.qld.gov.au · watching other people doing their artwork and...