FAR-fetched: Going Live in less than 24!

FAR-FETCHED ART SHOW

Friday 30 May 2008, 6p.m.
SMSA, Level 1 / 280 Pitt Street, Sydney. By Invite Only.

All artworks are donated, so 100% of money raised goes to supporting a safe space for young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender young people in Western Sydney.

Make a donation! All donations over $2 for FAR-fetched are tax deductible. You can donate online now at www.ourcommunity.com.au/farfetched

RSVP by Friday 23 May 2008 to jackie@farsocialenterprise.com

FAR-fetched is a child friendly event, and SMSA is an accessible venue.

FAR-fetched: Our Approach

Principles and practices underpinning FAR-fetched:
• FAR-fetched is being organised by Jackie Ruddock and Jo Taylor of FAR Social Enterprise.
• This is an event to celebrate the values of FAR, celebrate Jackie's 30th birthday, and raise money for a specific cause: Twenty10.
• The purpose of the FAR-fetched exhibition is to raise money for Twenty10's Shout Out Western Sydney Project. Twenty10 is a registered charity.
• FAR-fetched is an invite only, private function.
• The purpose of the FAR-fetched event is to have a shared, good time and raise money.
• FAR-fetched is NOT a commercial art selling initiative.

Rules governing the artwork sales:
1. Artwork is for sale only on the night, 6 p.m. Friday 30 May 2008. There are no presales.
2. A price list will be available on the FAR-fetched blog on Thursday 29 May 2008.
3. FAR-fetched is a one-night only event.
4. There is one person in charge of all sales only. This person is the only person authorised to agree to the sale of artwork. Their decision is final.
5. The prices of the artwork are fixed. There is no negotiation on art sale prices. Works are not being auctioned.
6. Payment for artworks must be made in full on the night by credit card, or by cash only. Personal Cheques are not accepted. Each person buying artwork must fill in a form including name, address and method of payment to secure the buying of the piece.
7. Two authorised people will witness cash sales.
8. Work that has been bought in full, may be taken at the end of the night, 8.30 p.m. Friday 30 May 2008. Otherwise, it will be collected from the FAR office at a pre-agreed time. All artwork must be collected by Friday 13 June 2008.

FAR-fetched: The Price List

1. Jodie Maurer
Untitled, 2006
Acrylic on board
(Ready for hanging)
$190

2. Jennie Pry
Reach, 2006
Oil on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$500

3. Tori Spooner
Untitled, 2007
Acrylic on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$220

4. April White
Fish 1, 2006
Oil on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$150

5. April White
Fish 2, 2006
Oil on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$300

6. Jeffrey Samuels
Brilliance of the golden fish school no.12 (Golden Fish Series), 2007
Acrylic and screen-printing on canvas
(Unframed)
$550

7. Arlene TextaQueen
I’ve already got an internet connection (Laura)
Texta on paper, masonite, Perspex
(Unframed)
$750

8. Brendan Lakin
Panoramas (2 of series)
Oil on board
(Ready for hanging)
$600

9. Mark Davis
Drift, 2007
Oil on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$350

10. Tom Civil
Stencil 1
Mixed Media
(Unframed)
$120

11. Tom Civil
Stencil 2
Mixed Media
(Unframed)
$130

12. Tom Civil
Stencil 3
Mixed Media
(Unframed)
$150

13. Peter Williamson
Leaf Triangle, 2007
Giclee print (on archival watercolor paper)
Limited Edition Print
(Unframed)
$330

14. Magdalena Urzon
Pulling Your Own Strings, 2008
Mixed media
(Ready for hanging)
$220

15. Dennis Ropar
Wet4U
Acrylic on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$250

16. David Lever
Lucy, 2008
Oils on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$500

17. David Lever
Doll with Magenta Hair, 2008
Oils on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$350

18. John Kilbey
Fighting for Memory, 2008
Mixed media
(Ready for hanging)
$200

19. Michael D’Abbs
Boy in Sun Hat, 2008
Water Media
(Unframed)
$200

20. Gav Barbey
Giraffe study (Ngoro Ngoro National Park, Tanzania), 2008 Limited Edition Screen Print on rag paper
Artists Proof
(Unframed)
$650

21. Dean Rankine
Hunger Strike at the 7Eleven
3 Print Series
(Ready for hanging)
$500

22. Jo Waite
Hippolyta, 2008
Watercolour
(Unframed)
$180

23. Nick Baldas
Wallpaper Poppies, 2008
Mixed media
(Ready for hanging)
$250

24. Paul Ferman
civilise #283, 2006
c type photograph
Limited Edition Print
(Framed and ready for hanging)
$800

25. Loris Quantock
Rhythm Sticks, 2006
Oil on canvas
(Ready for hanging)
$450

26. Martin Mischkulnig
[to come]
Photograph
(Ready for hanging)
$250

27. Ingvar Kenne
Lake Torrens, 2007
Type C digital print
Limited Edition Print
(Unframed)
$400

ARTIST: April White

April was born in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada in 1972. She now lives between Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

After completing her Fine Arts education in Canada, she travelled extensively before returning to work ingraphic design; while painting on the side. She exhibited in Toronto with her paintings inspired by her travels.

”My inspiration has always come from both within me and from the external world… sometimes an exchange of energy between me and my surroundings is what prompts me to create, and to express an emotion through line and colour.”

April continues to surround and stimulate herself with different scenery, different wildlife; and through observing different ways of the world. These observations take her from Thailand (where she lives and paints for 2 months of every year); Canada, where she likes to reconnect with her roots; to Australia where she lives and now paints full time.

ARTIST: Tori Spooner

Tori Spooner is a life long musician, children's music educator and part time artist. While her works don't portray greater metaphor, social or political message nor any specific representation of image, her art shows an exploration of the raw simplicity of colours and how they relate to one another and ultimately also to the observer. This limitation in variation of colour, depth and tone, along with the use of open, geometric shape structure helps the works to transcend other interpretation and becomes an invitation for observers to directly see the value of colour and tone as the artist does. Colour makes a constant impression on Tori throughout every day. In recent years she came to learn she is part of a minority of people who experience Synesthesia - a neurological sensory phenomenon in which her perception of numbers, days of the week, months and sense of time are all associated specifically and constantly with colours, tones and graphic images. The paintings are always within a certain colour pallet which she finds very cohesive, calming and inspiring to work with. It is this depth of connection with colour that ultimately inspires Tori's work.

ARTIST: Jennie Pry

Jennie has recently returned to creative work after far too many years of avoiding her own potential. As Pablo Picasso said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

In between careers in the health and community sectors, Jennie went back to Art College (C.O.F.A) in the late 1980s to major in photography. While the experience was invaluable, she thinks she may have missed the point of art being one of the most authentic forms of human expression to help us to explore life’s truths and process our experiences. It may explain why she went back to community work and became a parent in the years that followed her formal art training. Jennie thinks she may be finally getting ‘the point’ and has recently returned to creative practice focusing on drawing, painting and photography. She works out of small studio at the Lennox Street Studios in Newtown and has been rekindling her painting, drawing and photo-media skills at the Sydney Gallery School (TAFE). In March 2008, Jennie started studying with Charlie Sheard at the Charlie Sheard Studio School for Oil Painting.

Artist Statement:
Since my return to painting and drawing in 2004, I have experimented with still life and the theatre of objects, portraiture and narrative work. I have pushed myself in new directions and enjoyed seeing my work change and come back to teach me something new. Most significantly, I have rediscovered my passion for drawing and have embarked on an ink wash and charcoal journey filled with vintage bathing suits, personal possessions and stories (real or imagined) of the women who filled them. Memory, nostalgia and the transitional phases of womanhood are themes that appear to be drifting through my curren

ARTIST: Jodie Maurer

Jodie Maurer is an artist who lives in Alexandria. Jodie studied painting at Sydney College of the Arts, graduating with first class honours in 2001. Since that time she has exhibited her paintings in the Whitechapel Gallery in London, Washington Square Gallery in New York City, and held numerous shows throughout Sydney.

Her paintings have been described as the visual equivalent of the calm before the storm, evoking a sense of uneasiness, a moment ripe with potential. Her references are photos of a tableau constructed out of refuse which in turn performs the task of a backdrop for either heroic or diabolical acts.

ARTIST: Martin Mischkulnig

Image to come!

Martin Mischkulnig works as a professional Photographer and teaches at The Australian Centre For Photography in Sydney, Graduating in Hotel Management, he travelled around Australia and Europe, working for a while as a toilet attendant at London’s Savoy Hotel. After studying a short course in photography in Melbourne, he set off again, this time through Asia. His clients include magazines, design companies, advertising agencies and newspapers throughout Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States. Martin is grateful for being alive.

ARTIST: Jeffrey Samuels

Jeffrey Samuels is represented by Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Cooperative.
See www.boomalli.org.au

Exhibitions include:

2008 "Reflections on China" Jeffrey Samuels and Chris Pang, Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Cooperative Limited

[Group] 2008 "Hand in Hand" Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Maori, Samoan, Nuiean & Fijian artists from Australia and beyond; Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Cooperative Limited.

[Group] 2007 GUANGHOUH International Art Fair 2007, China

[Solo] 2000 "Stylin-Up", Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Cooperative Limited

ARTIST: Arlene TextaQueen

For more information on Arlene TextaQueen check out:
www.textaqueen.com

Selected Exhibitions / Projects / Events
2002 Primavera 2002 (Exhibition of 10 Young Australian Artists), Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

Ladyfest, (Textanudes narrated slide show and live drawing performance), Vrankrijk, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Make Art not Love, (street drawing performance) Wilhemstrasse, Berlin, Germany

Dobell Drawing Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

Textanudes Strip Poker, Reklaim Da Mullet Festival, Adelaide, SA

ARTIST: Brendan Lakin

Photo is detail of the artwork.

I have worked in many creative disciplines over the past 20 years: fine art, stage design, animation, murals, trompe l'oeils, signwriting and painted finishes.

For more information, go to www.blakin.com

ARTIST: Mark Davis

Mark Davis is represented by the Kenthurst and Darlinghurst Gallaries.

ARTIST: Tom Civil

Tom Civil (AKA Civilian) is a d.i.y. artist and activist graphic designer who publishes posters, zines, stickers and newspapers. His stencil work has been featured in various publications including Melbourne Stencil Art Capital, the film Rash and ABC TV series NotQuiteArt and he was a feature artist in Psst… Melbourne Stencil Festival 2004/05. Civil has exhibited in community art spaces, empty shows and on the street and has run stencil making workshops in different communities and given various public talks about the political nature of street art.

Tom is one half of Breakdown Press, radical publishers of 3 Poster Series covering issues of Indigenous sovereignty in Australia, corporate-globalisation and the nuclear industry, and the book YOU: some letters from the first five years, an anthology of an ongoing anonymous letter writing project. Breakdown Press can be found at www.breakdownpress.org or PO Box 1283 Carlton Melbourne VIC Aus 3053.
Civil has a collection of creative commons licensed work at www.flickr.com/photos/tomcivil and currently works designing for independent artistic, activist and community organisations. He can be contacted a civil@antimedia.net.

ARTIST: Peter Williamson

Peter Williamson is an environmental artist, who has been working and exhibiting in Sydney since 2006. He has been an invited artist in several community festivals and has exhibited work in galleries in Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

Peter says, "I am an environmental artist, working in and with natural materials found in urban contexts. I use tree litter, fallen flowers, water, sticks, mud and stones for my work. My installation work is ephemeral and is photographed as documentation of the process of creation and dispersal. One of the goals of my work is to draw attention to the existence and potentials of natural objects all around us in the city, those things which are often overlooked as useless or used, but have intrinsic qualities of strength, durability and beauty that can be drawn out with a careful hand."

ARTIST: Magdelena Urzon

Magdalena Urzon has a background in fashion design, graphic design and fine arts. She has undertaken extensive studies in various design communities in Krakow (Poland), Florence (Italy) and Sydney. Magdalena has developed a style that speaks of spacial simplicity, and intense emotional expression composed in visual arrangements. She has been awarded media distinctions, a young creative distinction, and fashion award for her first collection 'qlala' in 2005 in Poland.

Magdalena has been living in Sydney since 2005.

ARTIST: Dennis Ropar

Selected Bio:
Born: Melbourne, Victoria 1971
Studies: 1990 - 1994 University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Education, Visual Arts

Solo Exhibitions include:
2007 Masterpiece @IXL, Hobart, "Product"
2007 Greenwood Gallery, Melbourne, "Disposable Art"
2006 Span Galleries, Melbourne, "Behind Close Doors"
2006 Church Studios, Adelaide, "Behind Closed Doors"
2006 Fad Gallery, Melbourne, "Leatherbound Women 2"
2006 Pop Shop by Ropar, Melbourne, "Leatherbound Women"
2006 Pop Shop by Ropar, Melbourne, "100 Ropars No Reserve"
2006 Fad Gallery, Adelaide, "100 Ropars No Reserve"

ARTIST: David Lever

David Lever is a relative newcomer as an artist yet his passion for the arts has developed over many years through his avid collecting of Australian works. He was finally persuaded to join a workshop in 1995 by fellow artist and friend, Garry Shead. Within 12 months David had left his current employment to pursue a career as a full-time artist exploring the world of paint. Side stepping formal training; David’s works have evolved over time to possess a high level of individuality.

He spent the first two years of his artistic life revisiting his Paddington childhood memories and exploring the Sydney working class environment. It was during this time that David explored the idea of a series of works based on the life and times of Arthur Stace who was born in Balmain into very difficult circumstances. Over the years Stace’s life has provided inspiration for poems, documentaries and other art exhibitions. The idea of presenting Stace’s full life in a series of 25 paintings became a reality. In 2001 the “Eternity” Exhibition was opened by prominent Australian artist, Martin Sharp at Macquarie University.

David Lever’s works are predominantly urban landscapes with figures and are usually set in the inner suburbs of Sydney during the 1940’s to 1970’s period. During March / April 2008 Macquarie University presented David’s latest series entitled, “Aspects of perceive Australian culture.” David’s work is highly imaginative and is inspiring on many levels, not least because it brings to our attention our own unique Australian heritage. Since 1995 David has been exhibited 16 times at various locations in Sydney.

ARTIST: John Kilbey

John Kilbey is 41 and grew up in Canberra, two facts he guards carefully so that people are not prejudiced against him. He is mainly a musician but has also sporadically made visual art, usually to fill a gap on his wall. His work toured Australia as part of the Big Day Art. He has been involved in a large number of musical records, including his own and he runs a niche record label (called Karmic Hit) specialising in Esoteric Rock. Whatever that is. His latest foray into the visual art world involves one of his life long obsessions - the novelties hidden in cereal packets during the late 60's/early 70's. He enjoys childhood, poached pears and living. Not always in that order.

ARTIST: Michael D'abbs

Michael D'Abbs excelled in art at school and was asked to join a leading commercial art studio. He declined this opportunity in order to pursue a seagoing career becoming a master mariner as well as a qualified pilot. He has continued painting throughout his life, specialising primarily in marine and aviation subjects, for which he has completed many commissions which are held in private collections in the UK and Australia. Now retired, he continues painting mainly land and seascapes and has been represented by the Manyung Gallery in Melbourne.

ARTIST: Gav Barbey

Gav Barbey is an established artist, who has also worked in films, animation, commercial art and theatre.

In 2004 Gav did the solo exhibition “Ned Kelly Hanged” in Sydney, and in 2005 “The White Album” in the Roney Gallery, Sydney. Gav’s focus is currently on his ice works and he has had two group exhibitions this year, one in the Dumbo Panelling Gallery, New York, the other at the Queen Street Studio in Sydney. Gav’s art is installed in public collections around Australia and in private collections in Hong Kong, the United States and England.

Please go to http://www.gavbarbey.com/index2.html for a full history of Gav Barbey.

ARTIST: Dean Rankine

Dean Rankine received a 'silver' and 'bronze' in the inaugural Ledger Awards to 'recognise excellence in the Australian Comic Arts Industry. His comics have appeared in a number of magazines including; KidZone, Explore, Venue, Tell, On Fire and Mania (Australia), Kids Alive (United Kingdom), The War Cry (New Zealand), Priority (United States), Sorthvit (Norway) and TFL (South Africa). He's illustrated books for Ashton Scholastic, Acorn Press & the Victorian Foundation for the Victims of Torture and Trauma. He produced the infamous 'Polly Drug User and the Curse of the Dry Horrors' comic for the Australian Drug Foundation and illustrated the 'Kaleidoscope resource manual' (for same sex attracted young people). Dean really likes to draw comics about Jesus. He's self-published a number of comics including, 'Open Your Heart When They Hate Your Guts' and 'God's Love is Like a Conjoined Twin'. He was once branded a 'heretic' by some American right wing fundamentalists. But he’s trying not to take it personally.

ARTIST: Jo Waite

Jo Waite has been a comic artist/cartoonist/illustrator for more than 20 years.

She has been paid to draw comics for Streetwize Communications, Arena magazine, Rolling Stone Australia, Going Down Swinging, etc. and to draw cartoons for various community based organizations, such as Friends of the Earth, Reclaim The Night,
Jobwatch, Merri Creek Management Committee, Lesbian News, Brother/Sister Magazine; to name but a few.

Her comics have appeared in many small press compilations: Tango, Heat, True Fantasy, Going Down Swinging, Is Not Magazine, and she has printed her own comics since 1987. Her minicomic "One Sock the Lovesick Devil" is up to issue #5, and 'Kickstart' a new comic about life on a Government stipend is coming out soon.

ARTIST: Nick Baldas

Since graduating from the National Art School of Australia in 2001 with a bachelor in Fine Arts (majoring in photography), I have endeavoured to use “my art as a voice”.

I have created exhibitions for charities such as;
• AIDS Trust of Australia
• Australian Conservation Foundation
• Amnesty International Australia
• Australian Conservation Foundation
• Sydney Lesbian and Gay PRIDE Center
• Twenty10 GLBT Youth Support
• Greek Festival of Sydney
• United Nations Association of Australia

I a currently working on projects for;
• Wilderness Society Australia
• ACON (AIDS Council of New South Wales)

Moving backwards and forwards through different mediums and working for different charities and organisations if fun and rewarding. Each new exhibition is a challenge in both idea and creation. I hope that I may continue to be challenged and that my art speaks loud enough to be heard.

For those of you who are keen...

FAR-fetched will be from 6.00 p.m. until 8.30 p.m on Friday 30 May 2008.

The Art Show is being held at SMSA, Level 1/280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

To RSVP, please email Jackie on jackie@farsocialenterprise.com.au

Artists supporting FAR-fetched so far...

As we come closer to FAR-fetched on Friday 30 May 2008, we'll put up all the details and images of the GREAT artwork for the show. But for now, you can see three pieces of art to whet your appetite.

Want to know who else is exhibiting? Here is a list of our supporting artists so far:

Nick Baldas, Gav Barbey, Tom Civil, Michael D’Abbs, Paul Ferman, Ingvar Kenne, John Kilbey, Brendan Lakin, David Lever, Loris Quantock, Jodie Maurer, Dean Rankine, Jeffrey Samuels, Arlene TextaQueen, Jo Waite and Peter Williamson.

And trust me, the art is FANTASTIC!

ARTIST: Paul Ferman

Paul Ferman was born in 1948 in Hamburg, Germany and arrived in Australia in 1950. Paul is presently living and working in Sydney. Paul has a Fine Arts Degree from the University of Sydney.

AWARDS
Ulrik-Schubert Photographic Award
Gold Coast City Art Gallery
Pat Corrigan Acquistive Award, Center of Contemporary Photography, Melbourne

Please go to www.paulferman.com/history.html for a full history of exhibition.

ARTIST: Ingvar Kenne

Ingvar Kenne studied Photography Bachelor of Arts at the University of Gothenburg between 1988 – 1991. The same year he completed his studies Kenne had a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art in Boras, Sweden.


It was in 1992 Kenne when created his first monograph ON THE SIDE (Tidens Forlag, Sweden). An exhibition also toured over a two year period. He then embarked on several journeys around the globe. The culmination was as around the world trip by motorcycle, resulting in his second monograph CHASING SUMMER (Bird Press 2004). Paul Theroux wrote the foreword.

In 2005 at Cannes Lion Festival, for an inaugural event called New Photographers The Hottest Talent of Tomorrow, Kenne was selected as one of the 31 photographers worldwide, to be exhibited and discussed during a seminar. That exhibition toured Europe and showed in New York.

His work has been exhibited worldwide in countries including England, France Spain, Sweden, Italy and Australia. He has received several fellowship grants from the Arts Council of Sweden.

ARTIST: Loris Quantock

In 2007, Loris received the Directors Choice Award at the inaugural Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize.

Loris began her art studies under the tutelage of well known contemporary Sydney artists in the early 1990's. In 1995 she undertook more formal studies in a fine art course at St. George Technical College.

After completing the course she traveled extensively throughout Australia drawing inspiration from the desert landscapes.

On her return, Loris moved into studios at Blackwattle Bay, Glebe. There she began work on a series of paintings based on her travels.
After the demise of the Blackwattle complex, Loris established herself at Lennox Street Studios, Newtown.

Loris’s highly individual art reflects her observation of and intense reaction to the rich diversity of the Australian landscape.
She displays a response to the natural world that is both intriguing and intrigued.

Loris's most recent works are of subtle, delicate and ambiguous assemblages of found natural objects and striking oil-on-canvas works that vibrate with dramatic colour.

Loris has been exhibiting in Sydney for 14 years and in 2005 she had a successful exhibition in Melbourne.

Her commissioned works and works purchased at exhibition appear in collections in Australia and overseas.