For we are young and free
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Toyota Community Spirit Gallery presents
for we are young and free
exploring the diversity of contemporary Australian life
8 August to 26 October 2012
Toyota Australia, 155 Bertie St, Port Melbourne, Victoria
Gallery Hours Mon - Fri, 9am to 5pm or by appointment
Inquiries Ken Wong 0419 570 846
Toyota
Community
Spirit Gallery
The Toyota Community Spirit
Gallery is an initiative of Toyota
Community Spirit, Toyota Australia’s
corporate citizenship program.
Toyota Community Spirit develops
partnerships that share Toyota’s
skills, networks, expertise and other
resources with the community.
The Toyota Community Spirit Gallery
aims to provide space for artists,
especially emerging artists to show
their work. The space is provided
free of charge to exhibiting artists.
No commission is charged on sales
and Toyota provides an exhibition
launch and develops a catalogue
for each exhibition. The gallery
has now shown works by over 800
artists. This project is mounted in
consultation with Hobsons Bay City
Council and the City of Port Phillip.
Football the Australian Way (detail) by Ryan Mullavey, acrylic on canvas 2012
for we judge
are
Andy Dinan
Director, MARS Gallery
young
and Prizes awarded across all mediums for
works which best interpret the theme of
free contemporary australian life
$3000 first prize award
exploring the $2000 second prize award
diversity of $1000 third prize award
contemporary
Australian life We would like to acknowledge the valuable
feedback and support provided by the
following arts community and organisations
in the development of this project:
Sue Roff, Arts Project Australia
Fiona Cook, Arts Access Victoria
Steph Tout, FIELD
Bianca Rayner, City of Port Phillip
Lee Agius, Amaroo Arts Program
Larissa MacFarlane
Kate Geck
IMAGES
FRONT COVER Welcome (detail) by
Liezel van der Linde, mixed media 2012
THIS SPREAD An Urban Industrial
Playground III by Larissa MacFarlane,
collagraph & stencil monoprint 2012
thanks to
Tania Blackwell, Hobsons Bay City Council
Louisa Scott, City of Port Phillip The opinions and points
Toyota Community Spirit Gallery Committee of view expressed by
Katarina Persic, Toyota Australia participants through
the artworks and
Steve Blakebrough artists statements in
catalogue editing this exhibition and
catalogue are those of
Ken Wong (watcharts.com.au) the individual person
pre press & graphic design or persons and are
not intended to reflect
Sandra Kiriacos (watcharts.com.au) the position of Toyota
Australia.
ken wong
curator
This exhibition is the 29th in a Moreover, I am much more excited than
continuous program for the Toyota proud, of the thoughtful, courageous, sincere
Community Spirit Gallery since its and robustly optimistic voice that collectively
inception in 2004. speaks through this exhibition to us all of the
nation and the people that we are, and have
The title of this exhibition is not intended as the potential to become.
a statement but perhaps more as a question
to be posed about who and where we are as a We are, even stretching back to the creation
nation, a people and a contemporary society. stories of our original indigenous inhabitants,
a nation of immigrants. And the story of that
Advance Australia Fair was originally immigration is and has always been complex
written in the late 1800’s by Peter Dodds and at times extremely difficult. But for all
McCormick and performed by a choir of that, here we are; a nation and a people who
10,000 at the Federation of Australia as a has learned how to endure hardship and still
nation in 1901, before eventually becoming find a place where the miracle of life can be
our official National Anthem in the 1970’s. cherished and celebrated.
The lyric, “Australians all let us rejoice, for
we are young and free” was written in a Perhaps in this great story of immigration,
different time; but how relevant is it to us as it is this place, this timeless land in which
Australians of today? we all find ourselves, that is truly the main
character and guiding light. Perhaps from
One thing is certain; we are not one people, it, if we are prepared to listen, we can all
but many. In fact, in order to truly explore learn the humility of forbearance in times
the diversity of perspectives on contemporary of difficulty, the joy of celebration and
Australian life, the call for submissions thankfulness in times of plenty, and the
for this project specifically targeted artists common sense to realize that it is only
whose voice is perhaps not always heard in through the honest toil and hard work of
mainstream society. Over 50% of the artists coming together with respect; to value, offer
participating in this exhibition identify as and share the great gifts we all have as unique
someone living with physical, psychological individuals, that we can reasonably expect
or intellectual disability or other social or to survive and prosper towards our true and
cultural disadvantage. perhaps unlimited potential as a nation and
a people.
To that extent, I am very proud that this
exhibition offers an opportunity for those Perhaps, in the land of the Dreamtime, there
voices to be heard on an equal footing with is still a dream in which we all can share.
the balance of other artists, who do not
specifically identify as living with disability or Welcome to For we are Young and Free.
other disadvantage.
Ken Wong is the Director of Watch Arts, a Victorian based contemporary arts consultancy. He has worked
in the fine arts industry for over 15 years in both commercial and community arts, curating and managing
a host of projects including gallery and outdoor sculpture exhibitions.
exhibitors
08 Pamela Bain 28 Peter Gresham
09 Gayle Bodsworth 29 Mary Hackett
10 Terry Barclay 30 Jodie Harris
11 Iris Bonello 31 Marice Henare
12 Sheila Callaghan
13 Peter Cave
14 Kevin Chin
15 Matthew Clarke
16 Damien Conte
17 Gabriela Crosara
32 Kandria Hogan
18 Sophie Curzon-Siggers 33 Charles House & Shaun Low
19 Ruth de Vos 34 Ying Huang
20 Christina Di Bona 35 Initially NO
21 Lynda Dingley 36 Sue Jarvis
22 Michelle Downing 37 Liz Johnson
23 Neville Duncan 38 Larissa MacFarlane
24 Mark Farrelly 39 Steven Makse
25 Sai-Wai Foo 40 Leah Mariani
26 Jose Consul Gonsalves Jr. 41 Christina Markin
27 Debbi Gray 42 Belinda Mason
43 Aaron James McGarry
44 Anna McGrath
45 Alexander McGregor
46 Jinari Mountain
47 Greg Muir
48 Ryan Mullavey
49 Kathie Najar 61 David Thomson
50 Clare O’Shannessy 62 SJ Thomson
51 Norian Paicu 63 Mary van den Broek
52 Priscilla Pike 64 Liezel van der Linde
53 Fraser Pollock 65 Gary Walker
54 Frank Powell 72 Patrick Walker
74 Leanne Prussing 66 James Wallace
55 Donna Richards 67 Sally Walshe
56 Ignacio Rojas 68 Oksana Waterfall
57 Daniel Savage 69 David Williams
58 Libby Schreiber 70 Joe Wilson
59 Pamela See 71 Patrick Woolfe
60 The Winged Collective 73 Mr Wright
Aurukun Rugby Boys by Belinda Mason, Digital capture & print 2011
pamela bain
victoria
Young & Free, Watercolour, pencil & pastel, 90 x 100cm, 2012, $1700
Australia is known for its ‘wide Pamela began her schooling in the late
open roads’ that traverse the 1960s at the Sight Saving School in
landscape and many Australians Hobart. Diagnosed with hypermetropia and,
have experienced our ‘road trip’ glaucoma, she has trouble seeing close
culture including myself. Young up and at a distance. She cannot drive a
and Free is a re-interpretation of the road car, and also has trouble reading print.
matrix around Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Overcoming some negative attitudes from
Maps, for me, represent freedom: like tickets to others during her childhood, including her
specialist, Pamela succeeded in achieving
new beginnings, new futures. When I moved to
a level of education she was told was out
Melbourne from Hobart to pursue my education,
of her reach due to her disability. This
maps became an important tool that helped me includes a BA in Fine Art at the University
familiarise myself with my new environment. of Tasmania, two Graduate Diplomas and
Even though there are sometimes obstacles to a Masters from Melbourne and Monash
be overcome, I am thankful that Australia is a Universities. Apart from her studio practice,
place where travel is encouraged, freedom is she also works as a freelance illustrator
cherished and a pathway to academic pursuit is and graphic artist.
available.
08 for we are young and free
gayle bodsworth
new south wales
Nancy Bird Walton
(1915-2009) and
Margaret Olley
(1923-2011) are
Australian icons
who epitomize
the lyrics “For we are young
and free”. Both were born in
country towns in NSW and
made significant contributions
to enriching Australia’s history
and culture throughout their
lives; so much so, they were
recognized as National Living
Treasures. I have endeavoured
to capture them in similar
poses both in their youth
and in their later years, to
try to express to the viewer
that although their outer
appearance may have changed
over the years, the embers of
the spirit of determination that
burned within them in their
youth, continued to warm our
country as they aged.
Country Women, National Treasures
Charcoal on paper & digital media, 2012
POA
Living in a small village in northern New South Wales, Gayle has been a member of the local U3A art group
for about 2 years. Art has become an increasingly important means of communication for her. She finds
producing a piece of artwork that others find interesting a unique and hugely satisfying experience. This
digital exhibit is based on her recently completed first ever work in charcoal.
for we are young and free 09
terry barclay
victoria
Whether we choose to
acknowledge it or not
we are all immigrants,
or the offspring of
immigrants. We all
came to Australia
seeking a better life, yet for many
years governments of both political
colouring have chosen to make
immigration and especially the
immigration of refugees a political
platform by distorting the truth
and creating a climate of fear
and suspicion. The warmth and
humanity that was shown in the
past to people and families hoping
to create a better life for them and
their children has been gradually
eroded by the misinformation and
the half-truths fed to us by the media
and our government. When my wife
and I arrived in Australia nearly 40
years ago with 2 suitcases and our
chest x-rays, we were greeted by an
immigration official who smiled at us
when we told him that we had come
to live here. When did Australia’s
smile start to fade?
The Fading Smile
Carved & painted wood, 76 x 43 x 37cm, 2012
$1500
Terry lives near Frankston but was born in the North of England where he studied design at Bradford
College of Art. After graduating he worked as a commercial artist before migrating to Australia with his wife.
He has worked as a designer in private and public settings including NGV and The State Library of Victoria.
On retirement in 2007, he returned to study painting and sculpture at Chisholm Institute, completing a
Diploma of Visual Arts. In 2011 he was a finalist in the Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture
Award and is currently creating work for a solo show in November 2012.
10 for we are young and freeiris bonello
victoria
Change in my time
Coloured markers & pencils, 24 x 33cm, 2009
$75
Time moved ever so slow in Iris was born in 1933 and has enjoyed
the past. My world felt safe and drawing since her teen years. She never
secure, as it was bound with a studied art but has continued to draw
and has never stopped ‘doodling’ as she
chain, each link connected with
puts it. When a loved one passed away
family and good friends. The she discovered she had some skill using
present time is fast; my world geometry to create different designs. The
is no longer safe nor secure. My family are concentration on measuring and colouring
all gone and so are most of my friends. The became a soothing tool allowing her to
links in the chain have gone, only empty grieve without dwelling too much on her
spaces remain. Time moves even faster loss. Despite working with a tremor in her
today, rushing me to an unknown future, hand she has created many designs and
exhibited her work at Bundoora Homestead
but regardless of this I will continue to keep
Art Centre in 2010 and 2011.
up because I am free to move on and free
to dream. I find no obstacles when I am
drawing, I feel young and truly free.
for we are young and free 11sheila callaghan
Drop In Art at Port Melbourne Neighbourhood House
victoria
Roy de
Maistre,
considered
Australia’s
first abstract
painter was
born of French ancestry
migrants fleeing the
French Revolution.
His story is perhaps
reflective of more
contemporary Australian
artists. His work was
unacceptable to the then
current local art circles
fraternity, until his
return from European
exposure, where
contemporary art forms
were more advanced.
Comparative freedom of
new fields was evident
in this artistic family.
My contribution is
influenced by his superb
patterns of flat colour
and design.
Old Boat Shed, North Shore, Sydney
Acrylic on canvas, 41 x 21cm, 2012
NFS
Sheila is a third generation Australian and a self taught painter. Her earliest painting was in watercolour
and she studied pottery for several years while living in Northern NSW. Now working with acrylic paints,
she is a member of the Drop in Art Group in Port Melbourne. She spent her early school years in Victoria’s
Western district, where she was inspired by the large expanses of flat paddocks offering constant seasonal
changes of colour that to this day still excite her and free her spirits.
12 for we are young and freepeter cave
represented by Arts Project Australia
victoria
Mick Harvey
Acrylic on canvas, 86.5 x 86.5cm, 2012
$500
Peter’s paintings are frequently concerned with a distinctly Australian landscape, as well
as portraiture. Unabashed in their realism, his work depicts a country and people both
familiar and iconic. From his base in Melbourne, he has exhibited in cities across Australia
and internationally. In 2010 he won the Chapman and Bailey Acquisitive Art Award at Belle
Arti, Metro Arts in Brisbane. His work reflects a rich and unique view of everyday Australian
life, evidenced in this portrait of legendary Australian musician Mick Harvey.
for we are young and free 13kevin chin
victoria
Other side of the fence
Oil on sized, unprimed linen, 150 x 192cm, 2012, $2700
In a country where gay couples can Kevin was born in Malaysia in 1980,
neither get married nor have children, migrating to Australia with his family
this painting presents a longing for when he was 2 years old. Since
graduating from VCA in 2006 he has
escape into a pieced-together fantasy.
produced four solo exhibitions at West
Playing with painterly conventions of Space, Linden, Kings, and TCB. His work
figure/ground, positive/negative, and was recently published in the book, Safe
foreground/background, you have to write your Hiding Spot. A finalist in the Metro Art
own rules when you don’t fit into societal family Award (2010, 2009) and RBS Emerging
norms. Painting delicately onto the exposed linen Artist Award (2009). Grants include the
calls for a gentle touch that reflects the tenderness City of Melbourne (2010) and National
of the life I am trying to build together with my Association of Visual Arts (2010-11).
same-sex partner of eight years.
14 for we are young and freematthew clarke
victoria
Camping
Acrylic on canvas, 91 x 122cm, 2012, $1000
Mathew was born in 1986 and lives in Kirkstall, near Warrnambool in Regional
Victoria. He lives with mild intellectual disability and mental illness but this has
not impaired his pursuit of a passionate career as an artist. He has completed a
Diploma of Arts & Craft Design and is currently working on an Advanced Diploma
of Fine Arts. He has also produced 7 solo exhibitions and appeared in many group
shows in Warrnambool, Geelong and Melbourne. He is a member of Quarry Art
Studio in Warrnambool and his bold energetic works have been described as a
naïve, action style of painting. His love of the environment and painting comes
together in this piece that references the significance of the outdoors and camping
in Australian history and contemporary culture.
for we are young and free 15damien conte
new south wales
Damien is a young artist with
autism. He has a limited ability
to communicate verbally
and thus uses painting to
share his inner world with
others. He has spent the last
5 years working with several
local artists in a mentoring
capacity and as a result has
acquired a natural finesse for
acrylic painting techniques
and an understanding of
composition requirements.
This has emerged into a
unique personal style that
often evokes powerful
responses from viewers. He
has won several awards for his
work and has exhibited all over
Australia. Damien works in his
home studio with minimum
assistance. When he is not
painting he enjoys bike riding,
swimming and going to the
gym. He has a weekend job
feeding farm animals at a local
Universal Bonds
Acrylic & marker pen on canvas, 40 x 40cm, 2012 outdoor and environmental
$350 education centre.
There are very many different ways that young people are seen by others in
Australian society, compared with the way young people view themselves. For
young people with disabilities this is perhaps doubly true; they have a very
different view of themselves and where they sit in our society, especially about
their ability to make a valuable contribution. In the very recent past young
people with disabilities in Australia were grouped together in segregated
centres. However, now people with disabilities are encouraged to live life their own way the
same as their peers. This piece represents a new paradigm where people with disabilities
are at the centre of their lives with families and communities all around supporting them.
With this assistance, Damien has been self-managing his government funding for several
years. By having more say in how he wants to live his life he has discovered his passion for
painting and a new direction.
Text by Cheryl Gardner
16 for we are young and freegabriela crosara
represented by Carinya Society
victoria
Community integration
Posca pen & marker on paper, 68 x 99cm, 2012
$300 framed, $150 unframed
For Gabriela, as an artist with intellectual disability, art is a large part of
her communication. She contentedly works on each artwork for weeks,
painstakingly creating diverse pieces that display a natural affinity for colour.
With time, her self- and artistic confidence has grown which is reflected in
bolder, vibrant pieces. Art has provided Gabby a voice; her art speaks of
hopefulness and optimism, a theme that shines through this work. In the
drawing, a variety of colours and gestures are used, combining flat planes of colour and
texture, plus areas of stipple. Her local communities of Broadmeadows and Coburg are
diverse in culture, and this artwork is a metaphor for how with respect and communication,
variety sits as a balanced whole - every quality has a place.
Text by Samantha Clarke
for we are young and free 17sophie curzon-siggers
victoria
Hippies use side door
Photography – Neopan 1600 film, digital print (Edition 1 of 2) 32.9 x 38cm, 2010, $180
The sign that directs the less desirable Sophie is a poet and photographer
patrons to a concealed entry confronted whose respective practices are
my father (a former hippy) and I (with separate yet siblings of the same
artistic thread. Both seek to
camera). A mirror framed our responses,
frame an image; to use the visual
continuing a theme I explored in a series in order to transcend the thing
of photographs taken at an Equal Love it represents, that something of
rally in Melbourne in 2010. The right to protest to its’ universal nature – its’ aliases
augment the liberties and civil rights of all our citizens and second families – might
is part of Australian life. Where once people may be revealed. Sophie lives with
have been obliged to follow such direction, now we disability caused by a chronic
are merely faced with our own comical reactions. The neurological and immunological
syndrome.
sign, once indicative of concerns about class and social
status, heralds how far we have come.
18 for we are young and freeruth de vos
western australia
In this
beautiful
country
we are
privileged
that our children
are free to discover
the awesome world
around them with
full tummies and
without the threat
of war. They are
free to discover the
budding flowers,
snail trails, ripening
fruit, textured leaves,
dripping rain and
floating bubbles
and to delight in the
wonderful world
that God has made.
Observing small
children experience
Taking It All In #1
this for the first time Textile, 85 x 78cm, 2011
is a wonderful $900
reminder of just
how special these
ordinary things are. Ruth was born in 1979, lives in Mount Nasura, Western Australia and is the
mother of 4 children. Her work stems from the historical and increasingly
It is my prayer that
popular and contemporary practice of quilting. She is one of many modern
we may all share in practitioners of this traditional craft skill creating international recognition
and learn from the for it as a contemporary fine art form. Her work involves stitching hundreds
delight, innocence of small pieces of hand-dyed fabric together to create fabric tableaux known
and wideeyed wonder as textile paintings. She has exhibited widely and her works are held in
of our children, collections including the Western Australian Museum and private collections
especially we here in in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States.
this most beautiful
and privileged part of
the world.
for we are young and free 19christina di bona
new south wales
Christina was raised in Sydney’s
South West in an area dubbed as
“a low-skilled, lower socio-economic
region”. She believes it suffers
from a negative stereotype due
to limited public resources and a
significant amount of migrants living
in numerous housing commission
developments. A 2006 study showed
that 50% of the Western Sydney
area had no formal qualifications.
Despite this, in 2005 Christina was
identified as within the top percentile
of High School Visual Arts Students,
and selected for Bodgies, Westies
& Homies a curated exhibition at
Fairfield Museum and Gallery in
Sydney. She was recognised on
the NSW 2008 HSC Distinguished
Achievers List and in 2009 was
selected for exhibition at Port
Macquarie Regional Gallery. Since
then she has been fulfilling demand
for collection of her artworks overseas
including the United Kingdom, Spain
and the United States.
The Same But Different: Self Portrait of My Friends and I
Mixed media, 76.5 x 57cm, 2012
$295
Growing up in Western Sydney, I was surrounded by a melting pot of
cultures and people. My friendship group consists of people who descend
from numerous nationalities and cultures, yet we are all still proud to call
ourselves Australian. Regardless of what country of origin our families come
from, the food we eat or religion we believe, we are all human with the same
goals for our future. Inspired by this notion of “the same, but different”, and
Andy Warhol’s repetitive screen prints, I featured my friends and my own nationality of
origin in something that is used frequently in our daily life, and is quintessentially Aussie;
The Thong. This work is a celebration of not only our diverse cultural backgrounds but
our patriotism towards Australia and the creation of a harmonious multicultural society. I
think it is indicative of the community spirit all over Australia.
20 for we are young and freelynda dingley
represented by Art Unlimited
victoria
Sisters Merging Together
Acrylic on canvas, 77 x 102cm, 2011
$475
During Dreamtime, our land was As a mature person Lynda has discovered
undamaged and pristine. Now, many her true life’s journey as an artist after
of the immense forests that once being confined to a wheelchair in 2007. As
an indigenous person she finds the basis
existed are gone and many animals
of her work comes from her heritage.
have become endangered species Her love of this country is paramount
or extinct. My work focuses on the to the genesis of her paintings and her
Australian landscape combined with Aboriginal development is fed by interaction with
art and my goal is to raise awareness so the next established artists. Images are distilled in
generation is educated about the need to protect her sketchbooks from pictures, memories
the natural environment. and imagination and then translated into
paintings.
for we are young and free 21michelle downing
victoria
Children do not belong
behind bars and razor
wire in detention
camps. There are
currently around 1000
children in Australia
living like this and studies have
shown a correlation between
extended periods in detention and
serious mental health issues in the
young children detained. The photos
I have used are refugees in Australia
in Australian detention facilities.
The young girl in a posture similar
to the statue of liberty and her
message is to remember the words
of our anthem and ensure freedom
for these young children, many of
whom have suffered great trauma in
their journey to Australia.
Kids Don’t Belong in Detention
Mixed media on paper, 120 x 90cm, 2012
$400
Michelle is a resident of Williamstown who was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1966 and completed a BA at
Adelaide University in 1986. She started painting as a child but began working seriously as an artist three
years ago. Last year she gave up a career in IT management to become a full time artist. Her leap of
faith was rewarded this year when she won the Amnesty International Freedom Art Prize. She has worked
predominantly in oil paint but her latest body of work is a combination of charcoal and acrylic. She
specialises in portraits, particularly of children and seeks to capture the carefree nature of childhood. Her
naïve style emulates the drawings of children and uses a limited colour palette.
22 for we are young and freeneville duncan
represented by Carinya Society
victoria
Neville is an
incredibly friendly
and community
minded person.
He generally
creates buoyant
scenes with numerous
characters that feel alive and
connected. He is very aware of
his environment and he takes
initiative to assist others if
help is required or if he senses
they are struggling, or simply
to share the load. Shared
living provides a challenge for
most but if we were all like
Neville, joining together as a
disabled person or not, our
community would be strong;
a quality required in a young
community as multi-cultural
as Melbourne. This drawing
perhaps reflects the possible
colourful existence that is a
product of working together
instead of in competition with
each other. World community
Pen & pastel on paper, 62 x 41cm, 2012
Text by Samantha Clarke $175
Neville is an optimistic individual with a passion for creating art. Due to living with Downs Syndrome, Neville
has attended the Carinya Society day centre for over 15 years where he has learnt independent life skills
and spent many hours in the art room. He has exhibited in numerous community exhibitions and the centre
often receives phone calls with requests for his artwork.
for we are young and free 23mark farrelly
victoria
There is
nothing
more
Australian
than two
young boys
on summer holidays at
the beach, gathering sea
creatures at the local
rock pools. I think this
image typifies what it is
to be young and free in
Australia.
At the rock pools
C-type pigment print (Edition 1 of 10), 70 x 50cm, 2012, $600
Since graduating with a BA in photography from RMIT in 1994, Mark has worked as a commercial
photographer while continuing to develop his artwork. In 2009 and 2012 he was selected as a semi-finalist
in the prestigious national Moran Photographic Prize and is also a past prizewinner in the Williamstown
Festival Contemporary Art Prize. He exhibits regularly and he has been represented by Jackman Gallery
since 2006.
24 for we are young and freesai-wai foo
victoria
Girt by sea I’m from everywhere Dreams of the Grey Nomad
Mixed Media, 42.5 x 20cm diam (base) Mixed Media, 42.5 x 20cm diam (base) Mixed Media, 30 x 20cm diam (base)
2012, $580 2012, $580 2012, $560
Girt by sea I’m from Dreams of the
explores everywhere Grey Nomad –
Australia’s plays on the Part curiosity
nautical past, lyrics of the and part tourist
whether it be 1959 Geoff kitsch,this
from the Torres Mack song, which listed piece embraces the idea
Straits, first fleet, post war Australian country towns. of the freedom to travel
European migrants or Here our diverse cultural and explore of the great
asylum seekers. past is represented in Australian road trip and
the use of cartography & also themes of retirement,
atlas papers; our diverse life goals & great journeys
backgrounds are reminders whether they are physical,
of our rich heritage but the emotional or psychological.
common thread that binds
us is the Australian psyche.
Sai-Wai an emerging artist who has made the move from fashion design to establishing an art practice. She
trained in fashion design disciplines and has worked as a commercial designer, stylist and illustrator over
a number of years. Her fashion background influences and informs the finish, construction, materials and
approach to her current practice.
for we are young and free 25jose consul gonsalves jr.
victoria
Freedom?
Digital Photo (Second Edition: Free Sudan) 86 x 124cm, 2007
$3000
As a member of a Born in Mozambique in 1970, Jose is a documentary
cultural and linguistic photographer and video artist currently studying his
community other Masters of International Relations at the University
of Melbourne and Masters of Community Cultural
than English, I am
Development at VCA. He has a strong commitment to
aware of the notion social justice and active citizenship. In a career spanning
of linguistic capital in which more than 10 years, he has produced a body of work that
language is seen as a form of portrays Mozambique’s vibrant culture covering a wide
capital that can be exchanged range of social, economic and political themes. Currently
for other forms of capital – he is the Creative Director of Grass Tree Productions in
political, social, economic or Melbourne, a non-profit production company specializing
cultural. Linguistic competence in multi-media projects for young people. He believes
that Australian’s successful transition to a prosperous,
– or incompetence - reveals itself
tolerant, truly inclusive and mature democracy depends
through daily interactions. on the active participation of its young people.
26 for we are young and freedebbi gray
victoria
Camping with Maternal Love
Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 90cm, 2012, $250
I was a very frustrated and dismayed unemployed person with a disability who
returned to my country hometown to raise my daughter after working 20 years
in Melbourne. I have travelled around and driven a rally car across Australia on
two occasions and solo travelled through many other countries. As an admired
high profile person in my hometown, I thought I would gain employment once
my daughter started school. I was wrong! So after spending many years as a hobby artist with
pencil, I was convinced by a professional artist friend to study art in order to gain further
skills, in the hope that I might be able to work within the community when a community art
project arose. It was not to be. Fighting depression over several years I have come out the
other side and am now beginning to produce art again. With a new found confidence I want to
now display one of my many skills, in the hope that society will not see me as just somebody to
look after. Therefore, I have decided to display my artwork. I currently sit in a very supportive
studio two days a week and look forward to producing a lot more works. I was inspired to
create this work specifically for this exhibition because I am an Aussie gal with a great love for
my daughter, and the Aussie bush due to the peaceful feeling and freedom it offers.
Debbi was born in Lakes Entrance, Victoria in 1957 with no arms and malformed legs. In 2004 she
completed a Diploma of Visual Arts at East Gippsland TAFE in Bairnsdale. In addition to pursing her art
practice, Debbi is also a single mum to her 20 year-old daughter Emma.
for we are young and free 27peter gresham
victoria
Peter was born in Melbourne in
1957. He works in a variety of
mediums including painting in oils,
watercolours and acrylics, both
on canvas and paper. He is also
busy working on different bodies
of work in photography, printing
on archival American cotton and
archival canvas. He considers his
work contemporary surrealism and
abstraction. In recent years he has
shown extensively in solo and group
shows and his works are held in
private and corporate collections.
More of his work can be viewed at
www.surrealistpop.com.
Portrait of Professor Graeme Clarke
Acrylic on canvas, 153 x 122cm, 2012
$1750
I do not generally identify as someone with disability, and although it was not
a prerequisite, while considering a response to this exhibition I realized that
with my 90% deafness, I was indeed disabled. Consequently I thought I should
champion the cause for the man that is changing lives for ten’s of thousands
of people across the world. Professor Graeme Clarke is the inventor of the
cochlear implant and is the reason today that I don’t feel disabled. He is a great
Australian innovator who has contributed enormously to society and who still today shows
great Aussie creative invention in his new projects.
28 for we are young and freemary hackett
victoria
Birth
Mild steel and scale (the residue from forging), approx. 90 x 130 x 130cm, 2012
$5600
Anything sitting in, on or around Australia is described as a ‘resource’ instead
of being seen as unique topography and therefore something to treasure. This
work questions our exploitation of Australia as a continent by suggesting both
birth and death of an object/ creature. It does not declare that using what is
available is wrong, but asks that it be regarded with reverence.
Mary completed a Master of Fine Art with distinction at RMIT University in 2011, receiving a Graduate
Award and a place on the Vice-Chancellor’s List for Academic Excellence. Her particular interest is in
metalsmithing. She is a coordinator and a founding member of Blacksmith Doris (a women’s blacksmithing
group), a partner in NMH Metalworks with her husband and also teaches silversmithing at TAFE level.
Eleven years ago Mary was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and while she is generally able to manage
her condition, she does have times of mild relapse resulting in limited lower limb movement and extreme
fatigue. In 2011 she was selected for the international exhibition, Love Lace at the Powerhouse Museum,
Sydney. Her works are in private collections in Australia, China, USA and Britain.
for we are young and free 29jodie harris
new south wales
Disposable Days # 2
Photograph (Edition 2 of 2), 42 x 58.5cm unframed, $1200 unframed
My work explores the relationship Jodie was born in 1982 and graduated
between our rate of consumption with a BA in Photography from Queensland
and imminent disposal of 98% College of Art in 2011. Over the past four
years she has exhibited widely in Australia
of what we buy. Through this
and internationally. She specialises in
increasing disconnect, our humble the field of Social Documentary and
trash has become an iconic describes her work as a mixture of political
representation of western society in the eastern comment and personal interpretation of
world. The mood present in the work serves the world as presented to her. Her current
to capture the viewer and provoke thought series explores her Indigenous heritage.
surrounding the continuing advances of mass By placing herself and her work within
media and the role it is playing in justifying our the context of historical ethnographic
imagery, Jodie redefines what being
“upgradeable” existence. A role that serves to
black means and how it is represented in
perpetuate the resulting lack of accountability of western iconography.
our culture of trash.
30 for we are young and freemarice henare
victoria
My mother was
a painter and I
always loved it.
As a child I used
to draw in the
dirt with a stick
and on concrete with charcoal
remains of burnt firewood;
it was what I excelled at. I
found painting relaxing, it
took my mind off my fear of
being in public. This work
was painted from a photo in
the Herald Sun newspaper
to mark a momentous day in
the history of our country,
when Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd apologised to the stolen
generations. This event
had a very deep personal
significance for my mother
and family.
Sorry
Oil & oil pastel on paper
60 x 51cm, 2008
$300
Marice was born 72 yeas ago in Chelsea, Victoria. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis ten years
ago but has been mostly restricted to a wheel chair since 1989. Her mother is of Aboriginal descent
from the Yorta Yorta tribe and her father a white Australian. As a child her mother always reinforced her
Aboriginal heritage, even though speaking about it brought shame to her family and so was discouraged.
Her serious pursuit of art began in her mid 40’s when she attended an art group for mature age Aboriginal
students at Dandenong TAFE and graduated with a Certificate of Art and Design. Through this course she
received a scholarship to travel to Europe to expand her knowledge of art by visiting galleries, museums
and exhibitions. She was so inspired by the work of other indigenous people, that her interest in her own
heritage was rekindled. Since then she has continued her education with courses in silk painting, pottery,
lead lighting and many other artistic pursuits. Her works have been exhibited at the National Gallery of
Victoria and are held in collections including State Trustees and The Brotherhood of St Laurence, where
she has worked as a volunteer with homeless people and street kids for 20 years.
for we are young and free 31kandria hogan
western australia
Malu Weipu Punu Shape
Sandalwood, 43 x 7 x 5cm, 2012, $240 Desert oak, 57 x 14 x 8cm, 2012, $250
I am a young Spinifex lady. I enjoy making Kandria was born in 1994 and
punu because it is fun and I like carving lives in Tjuntjuntjara, a remote
shapes in the wood. I have also enjoyed Aboriginal community in the
Victoria Desert, WA. The nearest
making art and paintings. I like pattern
town is Kalgoorlie, 700kms
making with the punu using the different away. She has learned traditional
colours and shapes in the wood and have wood carving (punu) from her
watched the older people make punu in the bush since elders and combined this with
I was young. They would say to us ‘when you grow up new techniques learned from
you will be learn these things from old people’. I have a Victorian sculptor who is
also enjoyed learning new techniques with a sculptor. conducting an ongoing residency
In my punu work I enjoy using old people’s way and in her community. This has led to
Kandria’s first group exhibition,
my new way of punu. My artwork is about things I have
the 2012 Tjuntjuntjara Sculpture
seen in the land and they tell stories. The Malu Weipu Exhibition at Kalgoorlie, WA.
is a kangaroo tail.
32 for we are young and freecharles house & shaun low
supported by DHS
victoria
For this
exhibition, we have
experimented with
Shaun painting the
backgrounds and
Charlie drawing
on top of them,
in order to create
some collaborative
works, to interesting
effect. This work is a
curious divergence
for both men,
in which Shaun
rather unusually
chose to create a Ghosts of the Free
dark background, Acrylic & paint pens on canvas, 45.5 x 60.5cm, 2012
$250
that Charlie then
populated with
curious ghostly
creatures, smiling Shaun has Autism and does not speak. He paints every week from his home.
faces and floating He chooses the colours he wants to work with each session, usually bright
bodies. Inexplicably orange, pink and red shades. He works quickly, yet with diligent focus, mixing
he then filled it with his colours and working until the entire canvas has been sufficiently covered.
hundreds of dots. When he is satisfied, he usually hands the piece back to his support worker
The end result is and doesn’t want to see it again. Painting is an activity that Shaun has enjoyed
somewhat similar to for many years. It seems to keep him calm and happy and provide him with a
the ‘dot’ paintings means of expressing himself that he can’t do vocally.
of Indigenous
Charlie has an Acquired Brain Injury. He spends much of his evenings working
Australians, though
on his drawings and in the warmer months sits in his back yard drawing until
neither Charlie
the sun goes down. He draws with thick permanent markers or paint pens,
nor Shaun come creating fantastical creatures of his own imagination such as ghosts, vampire
from Indigenous birds or mummy-creatures. The people in his drawings are always happy and
Australian smiling and bright, often surrounded by love-hearts or smiling suns. He has
backgrounds. recently displayed and sold his artworks at local galleries, cafes and school
art shows. He loves to talk at length to people about his creations whenever
Text by Simon Bragg he has the chance.
for we are young and free 33ying huang
victoria
Ying left China in her early twenties
and spent several years travelling
through Asia before settling in Thailand.
She immigrated to Australia in 2001.
She has worked as a scuba diving
instructor in Queensland, Thailand and
Egypt, but is currently completing a
Bachelor of Fine Art at RMIT majoring
in Printmaking. In 2011 she was the
winner of the Flanagan Art Prize and
this year has been selected as a finalist
for the Rick Amor Drawing Prize at
Ballarat Art Gallery.
Kelly
Charcoal & pastel on paper
91 x 72cm, 2012
$1800
My current art practice explores themes of identity, loss and justice. I am
influenced by my experience of growing up in Communist China and the
impact of this on my immediate family for the last three generations. This
portrait is based on the death mask of Ned Kelly, an Australian icon who was
executed at the Old Melbourne Gaol in 1880. Although the death penalty has
now been abolished, my work reminds us that this was a relatively recent period
in the history of our justice system. It serves as an example of the powerful relationship
between the arbitrary nature of conventional morality and the law. It invites the viewer
to be vigilant and to constantly question that morality; particularly when it is reflected in
legislation that facilitates the State’s power to destroy a life.
34 for we are young and freeInitially NO
represented by The Stables Studio
victoria
Initially NO was
born in 1972. Over
the past 10 years
her art practice
has been intensive
producing 10 solo
exhibitions, which
she credits to
having access
to studio space
at The Stables.
Her work takes a
variety of forms,
from found
objects, through
abstraction, to
more recently
painting
landscapes from
life. She was
diagnosed with
schizophrenia 13
Mountain Ash
years ago and has Oil on canvas, 51 x 61cm, 2012
had a number of $200
psychotic episodes
triggered by
trauma, like the
death of someone In the past I spent years continuously sketching without
close to her. Her knowing what would appear on the page. I called this,
last episode was The automatic hand. After large doses of neuroleptics in
a year and a half hospitalizations, this amazing skill I had disappeared. I
ago. She is hoping have, however, since my last episode been able to write
psychosis does not a children’s story and illustrate it. I have to think about
happen again.
what I’m going to paint or draw though. I didn’t used to do that, I’d
trust myself and something amazing from my dreams would appear.
In 2004 I created a series of abstracts about the culmination of my
travels around Australia. Something new was developing in my mind,
about the individual that is Australia. I travelled far west and up
north, but even though there were differences it somehow was still
Australia. Recently I have been seeking to capture the look and feel
of our landscape in oil paints. This one is near Cambarville where
a beautiful tall mountain ash was lucky enough to escape the black
Saturday fires.
for we are young and free 35sue jarvis
victoria
Ode to Youth, Oil on canvas, 78 x 93cm, 2008, $1700
Australian youth Sue was born and raised in the industrial and now multicultural
are not constrained city of Dandenong in Melbourne’s southeast. She was a major
by pressures to prizewinner at the Dandenong Festival of Music and Art for
Youth, and went on to become an art teacher and artist. Her
conform. They do
practice also includes photography and much of her current
not succumb to work expresses an interest in the everyday, the changing nature
pressures of time or of the city and socio-political issues of contemporary life. Sue
of place. They interact in their has been a finalist of the ANL Maritime Art Award many times
own way. Their common bond and was a finalist in the Blake Prize in Sydney, 2006. Her works
is the use of social media and are in collections throughout Australia and overseas, including
mobile phones. the State Library of Victoria. More of her works can be viewed
at www.suejarvisartist.com.au
36 for we are young and freeliz johnson
victoria
Gene Pool
Watercolour, pen & ink
87 x 110cm, 2012
$450
Bathers are not only an acceptable Liz is a visual artist who works in the genres
form of casual summer clothing in of landscapes and still life, using a range of
Australia, they are almost a right media including pastels, watercolour, pen
and ink. She has been exhibiting her work
of passage; symbolizing freedom
in solo and group exhibitions since 2006.
of movement and self - expression.
The individual bathers represent
all the different shapes and sizes of people that
make up contemporary urban Australia.
for we are young and free 37larissa macfarlane
victoria
An Urban Industrial Playground III, Collagraph & stencil monoprint, 55 x 68cm, 2012, $450
My work investigates what it means to live at the intersection of the industrial,
suburban and natural worlds, exploring ways we coexist with technologies
and structures that at the same time we can be so disconnected from. The ever
increasing consumer lifestyle that dominates contemporary Australian life
has seen an explosion in car and truck traffic as we transport ourselves and
the containers of consumer goods around the country. These art works explore how we
negotiate,interpret, mark and change these places to make them our own or find a place
to play. I hope to find ways to look anew at our contemporary urban landscapes, and thus
possibly (re)examine how our current choices define contemporary Australian life.
Larissa was born in London, England in 1969. She began her studies in the visual arts after a brain
injury and car accident redirected her life in her late 20’s. She completed a Diploma in Visual Arts (CAE)
in 2010 and is currently undertaking undergraduate studies in printmaking at RMIT. She is inspired by
the landscapes of Melbourne’s West where she has lived and ridden her bicycle for the past 10 years.
She also draws inspiration from her experience of illness and disability to investigate ideas of belonging
and place, healing and change, and ways that we can celebrate what we have here and now. Her many
exhibitions include 5 solo shows and she has a strong interest in community art, leading many projects that
use principles of peer support and self-advocacy to be inclusive of people of all abilities. Awards include
Mini Print International Asia Pacific, 2012, Arts Access Australia 2011 and Finalist 2012 Silk Cut Awards.
Collections include Maribyrnong City Council, MIND, TAC and the Mental Health Foundation.
38 for we are young and freesteven makse
western australia
Australia Day
Oil on board, 65 x 80cm, 2012
$1200
Part proceeds of sale go directly to Layla and her sister (pictured in the portrait)
The meaning of Australia as a nation Steven was born in 1973 and has a
is both contentious and subjective. Masters of Visual Art from Edith Cowan
Like those of any country, accounts of University in Perth. He works mainly
in paint and some digital media,
our history have been written to suit
often with a subtle tension between
particular points of view. So is January the absurd, the optimistic and the
26 ‘Australia Day’ or ‘Invasion Day’? apocalyptic. He was the recipient of
Depending on who you ask, it could go either way. the Kondinin Centenary Art Prize in
To these particular refugees, two Batwa sisters 2010 and more of his works can be
from the Republic of Burundi – Australia is place viewed at www.stevenmakse.com
of relative freedom – a safe haven from the troubles
and persecution in their homeland.
for we are young and free 39leah mariani
victoria
I have
recently been
exploring
the theme
of childhood
and
innocence. The subject
here is a young girl with
her arms outstretched
to the sky, her dress and
hair flowing in the wind.
She is shown to be young,
happy and carefree
and one imagines that
she wants to fly high in
the sky. The image is
symbolic, representing
her future hopes and
dreams and her potential
to take on the world.
I can fly
Dry point print on paper (A/P), 32 x 23cm, 2012
$150
Leah is an emerging artist, currently completing a Diploma of Visual Arts at the Centre for Adult Education
in Melbourne. She works in painting, collage and printing making. Her work is held privately and has
been exhibited in cafes and group exhibitions. Recently she has been selected as a finalist for the 2012
Lethbridge Small-Scale Art Award, 2011 Metro Art Award, 2011 Agendo Award and the Box Hill Community
Arts Centre Biennial Art Competition 2011.
40 for we are young and freechristina markin
victoria
Undefined Boundries
Acrylic on marine treated board
60 x 60cm, 2012
$1500
I do not aim to reproduce what I’ve seen, Christina was born in 1975 and
but rather to relive the experience of a lives at Whittlesea. Her heritage is
space. Through my work I aim to question half Cree Indian of the First Nations
people of Canada. She completed
the relationship between memory and
an honours degree in visual arts in
the present; and how our perceptions of Canada over a decade ago before
our environment impacts our collective spending several years travelling
history. I feel compelled by the sense of emptiness, through Europe and completing
history and desolation that is evoked from industrial additional study at university,
and some urban spaces. I seek to capture what is as well most recently a Post-Grad Diploma
as what isn’t, and in doing so, allow for the possibilities in Fine Arts at VCA. In 2011 she
that arise from uncertainty. My experience not only as commenced an Artist in Residence
Program at New Delhi, India and
a Canadian Indigenous person, but also an immigrant
was a Finalist in the Sunshine
allows for a unique emotional landscape, as I find Coast Art Prize, Queensland.
myself integrating into Australian culture.
for we are young and free 41belinda mason
new south wales
Aurukun Rugby Boys, Digital capture & print (Edition 7 of 10) 75 x 120cm, 2011, $795
This image of Aboriginal people from Belinda is a Sydney-based freelance
the remote community of Aurukun, a photographer who previously worked as
small indigenous community on the a News Ltd Press photographer. Since
North West tip of Cape York Peninsula, 1998 her work has focused on taboo
is inspired by the spirit of reconciliation social issues that explore the very personal
and sometimes difficult subjects of grief,
between the oldest living culture in the world and
body image, identity and family. With the
the youngest living culture in the world. Together
assistance of Accessible Arts and Visions
we forge a new future together, remembering and of Australia, her work about sexuality and
learning from the past, so that all our children will disability, Intimate Encounters, toured
always remain, young and free. I took these images Australia extensively for seven years. This
whilst working on a project with the community to exhibition continues to tour internationally
visual record their stories for a project that is yet to and has been shown in London, Barcelona,
be finished due to lack of funding. The exhibition Seville, New York, Toronto and Auckland.
will been shown at The State Library of NSW in In 2008 Belinda was the recipient of The
conjunction with NADOC week and the World Press Moran Prize for photography and also the
Awards www.yolnguonbalanda.com. Human Rights Award for Photography.
42 for we are young and freeaaron james mcgarry
victoria
Calyptorhynchus banksii
(the Red Tailed Black
Cockatoo) is a native
Australian bird and
one of our larger bird
fauna. It is no surprise
it is currently under threat due to
de-forestation of its natural habitat.
The aim of this work is to show
the indisputable beauty of a single
feather, one of many making up
this creature. Every creature that
makes our country so great and
diverse deserves to be preserved
and recognised for the striking and
stunning creation it is; for what are
we without what makes our country
so unique and special?
Aaron is a 28 year-old artist from Melbourne who lives
with Bi-Polar disorder. He attended the National Art
School in Sydney and has since exhibited widely and
received multiple awards. In 2011 he was selected
for the Australian Stencil Art Prize and this year was a
semifinalist in the coveted Moran Prize for Photography.
Aaron works in a wide range of mediums, reflecting the
world around him and sees all things (whether ugly,
powerful or pretty) as inspirational; the sights, sounds
and emotions he experiences precipitate works that
range from the beautiful to the macabre.
Calyptorhynchus banksii
Stencil/print (Edition 1 of 1)
130 x 49cm, 2012
$600
for we are young and free 43anna mcgrath
victoria
© Photograph Stefan Duscio
Mandarin Peel, Capture Format – Super 16 mm film & Red. Exhibition Format – DVD, 5 minute duration, 2009, NFS
Mandarin Peel looks at childhood, a time of being “young and free”, through the lens
of memory and dreams. The film does not follow a traditional narrative structure
but through an evocative montage it turns a surrealist eye upon the experiences of
two girls in the dry environment of a Melbourne summer. The film evokes tactile
experiences and revels in the visceral. The girls silently interact with each other and the
landscape, making their mark, they hoard objects, sharing, bonding and touching the natural
and unnatural in their midst. The film explores the innocence of childhood, kinship of the young,
instinctual reactions, sensations, shifting boundaries, violence and forgiveness. The girls are part of
the landscape, they are not just placed “in” it, and indeed l feel the landscape is the third character
in the film. The strong tradition of “women in the landscape” constantly referenced in Australian
art speaks much of our cultural preoccupation with themes of isolation and the imagined horror of
the wide-open spaces of our country. Finally, the children of Mandarin Peel serve as metaphors for
Australia itself, its exploration of identity, forging relationships, inventing history and future.
Anna is a Melbourne based film writer and director with a passion for telling Australian stories. She has a
Masters of Film and Television from VCA and her films have screened in over 60 film festivals around the
world.
44 for we are young and freealexander mcgregor
new south wales
Easter Party
Drawing, 35x 45cm, 2010, $660
I like to draw because it is fun for me, also I spent
a long time to do them from the time when I was a
baby. I like to draw people I know, buildings and
transport from my own way, as I enjoy them. I
draw them with the different stories that I write.
Alexander is an 18 year-old artist from Bondi Beach in Sydney who lives
with Autism. His joyous pictures are reminiscent of Egyptian hieroglyphs
that reflect an immediately infectious zest for life. His works have been
exhibited this year at Sydney College Art Exhibition, the Botany Bay Art
Prize and he was Highly Commended at the Waverley Youth Art Award.
for we are young and free 45jinari mountain
victoria
I am aware
of the
importance
of modern
Australians
coming to terms with the
ancient Aboriginal cultural
heritage and stories of this
country. This is not to say
we take these stories as
our own, but rather that
they may help us better
understand our landscape;
and through this we may
begin to birth a substantial
reconciliation between
multiple cultures and the
landscape. Reconciliation
is a relatively young
concept; perhaps as a
theory and a practice it is
even still in uetero, with
many of its’ characteristics
yet unknown. In our
Enter the Wallaby favour is our freedom as
Acrylic on canvas, 91 x 91cm, 2012 a young, multicultural,
$2000
and democratic country,
able to draw upon a great
variety of knowledge and
Jinari was born in Australia in 1975; a time of local political upheaval, resources in order to
rock music, post-war bitterness, hippy-love, the dawn of the create the path together.
technological revolution and the globalisation of market economies We are freer than the
and culture. This milieu left an indelible imprint that continues to countries many of us have
influence her. Jinari follows a strong line of self-taught women artists in come from, whom are
her family. While she has no formal tertiary training in art, she studied more constrained by old
photography in Secondary College and won several state prizes. She traditions and hierarchies.
then attained a BA, and a BSc at Monash University, and a Diploma in This raises the possibility
Holistic Counselling at Phoenix Institute. Jinari has sold and exhibited
of us being able to bear
her works internationally and has worked with public and private clients
responsibilities to the
in art therapy and community arts. Her symbolic and figurative works
explore how myth, story and cultural practice influences how human
environment and each
beings relate to each other and the surrounding environment. other in a way that could
be an example to the
world.
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