22
July - 8 Aug
Stephanie
Bray
Big
Bad Wolf
Big
Bad Wolf (The fable of the Dog and The Sheepskin)
was inspired by Aesopic fables, in particular the fable of The Wolf
Wearing the Sheepskin. In my work, a domestic dog on a sheepskin
blanket has transposed the devious wolf in sheep’s clothing
of the original fable. In the absence of an actual wolf the dog
can be seen as a metaphor as it carries out the role of the wolf
indirectly.
The original fable resonated with my personal feeling of hypocrisy;
enjoying the comforts of an affluent western lifestyle while being
aware of the poor conditions in which those who make many of our
commodities work and live. However, due to the distance both geographically
and socio-economically, the metaphor of the domestic dog seemed
more fitting. The dog has no contact with sheep as living animals;
its only contact is through the product, the sheepskin.
Through the work I also wanted to explore the relationship of the
hand-made and artistic production to the broader context of capitalism
and mass-production/consumption. I am trying to locate my own place
of practice by creating a scene that brings together domesticity
and industrial labour, the hand-made in dialogue with the mass-produced.
Sean
O'Keeffe
In
Loco Parentis
The
term in loco parentis, Latin for "in the place of a parent",
refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to
take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent.
The doctrine of in loco parentis is generally applied to educational
institutions. Originally derived from British common law, it was
applied as a broad provision allowing such institutions to act in
the best interests of the students as they see fit.
In Loco Parentis features a performance by Sean O’Keeffe
and his father Harry O’Keeffe a recently retired High School
English teacher. Harry has been teaching for over fifty years in
the public education system.
Harry teaches a lesson. His movements, actions, verbal and non-verbal
cues have been honed by half a century of practice. It is a dance
of learning and a dance of teaching. His slowed and deliberate movements
are directed to the audience. He is teaching them. But he is also
teaching Sean.
The audience are able to passively observe a moment of learning
taking place. This significance of the moment is heightened when
it is clear that Harry is Sean’s father and that teaching
is the subject of the lesson. A father passes on a family tradition
to his son.
On the opposite screen Sean attempts to mimic Harry’s ritualised
performance. They are engaged in a dialogue. Sean’s movements
are at times forced and awkward as he attempts to copy Harry’s
natural and perfected delivery. The two screens facing each other
create a space of learning and dialogue to which the audience is
an incidental observer.
The final reversal comes with the realisation that Harry’s
movements are being choreographed by Sean for the video. The son
is now directing the father.
The concept principally deals with the ideas about learned, taught
compelled and modelled behaviour.
Justy
Phillips
Magnificent
Through
observation and narrative, Magnificent reveals the missing
links, raw undercurrents and subtle connections that exist beneath
the surface of everyday life. Published four-monthly in Australia,
this modern day novella presents an opportunity to reconsider contemporary
social issues. Magnificent questions our relationship to
people, identity and place by connecting extraordinary actions and
everyday lives. With a screwed up identity – part magazine,
part documentary, part novel, Magnificent presents a unique
twist on the nineteenth-century novella – short tales of country
life brought to, and orated in the city. True to historical form,
each edition will turn around a single incident or significant issue.
Magnificent Issue 1: ‘Your weight I carry like a salty rock’
responds to the nature of loss on a small island. The content for
this first issue was generated during several visits to King Island,
including a 4-week residency at the King Island Cultural Centre
in 2008.
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