studio visit: jade oakley

Last week, we were invited to the studio space of Sydney artist Jade Oakley. We chatted about her work and took loads of photos as she prepared for her upcoming exhibition "Estuary" which will open on the 18th of June at Australian Galleries Glenmore Road in Paddington (Sydney).

Jade's recent work has been centred around delicately balanced mobiles. For this exhibition, she drew inspiration from estuaries. "An estuary is a special place. It is where the river breathes out into the sea. This is where life begins, muddy and mysterious. It is a place of crabs, mangroves, tides and tannins; where salt and fresh waters meet. I have used colours that speak of the murky depths of water and mud and mangrove. These mobiles have sprung from my thoughts about estuaries, of dark water filled with primeval life." Jade Oakley

The mobiles are made using materials such as fine wire and translucent papers. Jade applies gouache to the paper, creating subtle graduations of colour & tone. She plans the overall shape and colour shift of the finished mobile, then cuts the shape of each "leaf" before attaching it to a wire "stem". The leaves are gently fixed to the mobile with a (well-practised) turn of the pliers. Jade makes it look so easy! Once completed, the colour effects are stunning - a mobile may appear to have been dipped in ink, or reveal a wash of colour like brackish water over white sands...

The leaves pictured above were quietly awaiting their assembly into a large mobile Jade was creating the day of our visit. They looked amazing with the light shining through them. One by one, they disappeared from the queue and took their place in the lengthening work. Once part of the mobile, the leaves move so effortlessly - it can be mesmerising! You could never tire of a work like this as it would look different at every glance. I also took some longer exposures to try & capture the movement.

I originally know Jade from high school, and when I headed off to SCA (Sydney College of the Arts), she began her studies in fine arts at COFA (College of Fine Arts). Since graduating with Honours in Sculpture, Jade has exhibited her work both locally and internationally. Recent solo shows (both in 2007) include "Circumnavigation" at Bondi Pavilion, and "Tipping Point" at Mori Gallery (which we posted about in December 2007).

She has also completed some amazing commissioned work, been involved in many community art projects, and been Artist in Residence at Bundanon Artist's Centre, Noosa Regional Gallery, Vermont Studio Centre in Vermont, USA and Bondi Public School.

We're really looking forward to seeing more of Jade's new works in Estuary. The exhibition opens on Thursday, 18th June 2009, 6pm-9pm, and continues until Saturday 11th July at:

Australian Galleries
Glenmore Rd
24 Glenmore Rd, Paddington, NSW, 2021.
Opening Hours:
10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday
12pm - 5pm Sunday
Phone: 02 9380 8744

Jade will have many mobiles on display, and if you're in Sydney, make sure you don't miss it! As beautiful as the photos are, you really need to see her works in real life to appreciate the delicate balance & beauty as the leaves turn their circles and the whole mobile shifts shape. You can (very soon) see more of Jade's work at www.jadeoakley.com.au.

squirrels with secrets & pretty dresses

Poketo Skirt (left, AUD $95) and Tux Dress in Black (right, AUD $195) from Secret Squirrel Clothing

Hi there Indie kids, so lovely to meet you all. As I pondered over what I should share with you in my debut post, the thought occurred to me that it might be nice to share a bit of myself with you all. A getting-to-know you sort of deal. So here we go: I adore dresses, especially the wintry kind that, when teamed with some thick black tights, patent black heels and a cute beret, equal perfection. So when I stumbled across Sydney label Secret Squirrel's winter '09 collection, I couldn't resist sharing it with you all.

From humble beginnings under a canvas umbrella in Sydney's Glebe Markets, Secret Squirrel's playful yet elegant creations can now be found in a handful of retail and online boutiques in Australia and New Zealand. It is the beautiful love-child of designers Bri Cheeseman and Andrew Prince, who produce two seasonal collections a year.

Velvet Smoking Jacket (left, AUD $189) and Christina Dress - Lace (right, AUD $209) from Secret Squirrel Clothing

Their latest collection, Darker Than Blue (AW09) sees their classic cuts teamed with antique lace, opulent silk and just a hint of velvet. The winter collection also sees the duo team up with another cult Sydney design duo, We Buy Your Kids, to create some super cute and quirky t-shirts.

When asked about their creations, Bri says that Secret Squirrel aims to make clothes that will stand the test of time; collections that are simple and elegant without necessarily looking like it. "We are young and modern, and a little innocent, but there is a splash of gorgeous and grown up about us, too."

Christina Silk Dress (left, AUD $198) and Smock Dress (right, AUD $209) from Secret Squirrel Clothing.

My personal favourites from the collection are the Christina dress in red silk (above left) and the navy silk smock dress (above right). To see more of Secret Squirrel's luscious collection, or to purchase one of these beauties for yourself, visit www.secretsquirrelclothing.com.au.

Smock Dress (left, AUD $209) and Button Skirt (right, AUD $115) from Secret Squirrel Clothing.

Even better news: right now in The Grand Social's online store, Secret Squirrel items from the sweet summer collection Kaleidescope are on sale. Pretty and cheap! What more could you ask for. :)

Kimono Dress (left, AUD $220) and Tux Top (right, AUD $145) from Secret Squirrel Clothing.

You'll find Secret Squirrel's Darker Than Blue collection hiding at the following Australian stockists:

NSW: Pigeon Ground Records and Clothing (Camperdown), Somedays (Surry Hills), Abicus, Made 590 (Newtown), Glamourpuss (Erskinville), Lee & Me (Wollongong)
VIC: Some Buddy Loves You (Fitzroy), Little Salon (Fitzroy), Dorothy & Evelyn (St Kilda), Pussycat Black (Brunswick), Lu Lu Design Store (Balaclava), Hummingbird 60 (Northcote), Wolf Whistle
WA: Subway DC (Perth, Freemantle, Claremont), Atlas Devine (Leederville)
ONLINE: www.birdmotel.com.au, www.thegrandsocial.com.au/secret-squirrel

Posted by Jacquie

introductions!

Welcoming two new contributors into the world of indie art & design!

A big HELLO to Jacquie and Melissa. Jacquie lives in Adelaide and is studying French at uni, and Melissa is a graphic designer who has recently returned to Sydney after a few years living overseas. (She is also Carolyn's little sister.)

Thanks to you both for joining our little team & we look forward to discovering all the design + art + fashion you love best!

stories to tell

"Druantia and Ava" by Nadia Turner (Wayward Harper)

Illustrators are, by their very nature, storytellers, and a trio of Melbourne-based artists (whose paintings I love) currently have their work on show at the GASWORKS Arts Park.

"Creature" detail by Nadia Turner (Wayward Harper)

Titled "Stories To Tell", the exhibition showcases the work of Nadia Turner, Rhiannon Mowat and Alisha Ball. Each artist has their own unique painting style, but all of their images offer a window to an imaginary world. The works draw inspiration from many sources: from classic fairytales and folklore; to Shakespeare; to the darker myths and legends that form part of our cultural consciousness.

Mixed works by Nadia Turner (Wayward Harper)

Nadia Turner's work is incredible. Intricate detail, and the very way she paints each stroke contributes to each character possessing a real presence. They step into our space and silently suggest that they were here first.

Combining fine detail with decorative elements, Nadia's paintings evoke a sense of otherworldliness.

Nadia draws inspiration from many sources, including the art of the Surrealists, the Pre-Raphaelites, traditional folk art, various children's books, and music - more specifically the music of the Celtic Harp and all the mythology and folklore associated with it. For "Stories To Tell", you can expect lots of beautiful fairytale and myth inspired work! Nadia says she's discovered "a definite gypsy theme" running throughout her work.

"Tea and Sympathy" by Rhiannon Mowat

The three artists met when they studied illustration together at Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, graduating in 2005. They had a lot of fun and have remained friends since. Rhiannon and Nadia have exhibited together before, but this is the first time all three girls have shown their work together.

The paintings revolve around what they love best, which of course is illustrating. In particular they tend to be drawn towards themes of fairytales or myth and folklore.

For this exhibition, Rhiannon draws her inspiration from the plays of Shakespeare, using his words and themes throughout her work.

"What White Rabbit?" by Rhiannon Mowat

Rhiannon Mowat's paintings are full of drama & whimsy. Her characters are wide-eyed & quirky, drawn from dark worlds and spooky tales.

I especially love Rhiannon's works pictured above, "Tea and Sympathy" and "What White Rabbit?". The clever composition (in the latter) teases us with the mystery of what lies further down the rabbit hole.

Painting by Alisha Ball

Alisha Ball has been traveling for the past few years and a lot of her work is directly influenced by her travels and the cultures of the countries she passed through.

I love the colours in Alisha's painting (above). The rich, pinks & golds in the woman's scarf and skintones against the cool pastel tones in the background. The palette itself gives this beautiful image a spiritual feel.

Stories To Tell officially opens this Thursday night at the Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery in the GASWORKS Arts Park, but you can visit the exhibition any time from yesterday! The show continues until 14th June 2009.

Date: 25 May to 14 June 2009
Venue: Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery
Time: Opening Thursday 28 May, 6pm to 8pm
Gallery Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm, daily
Enquiries: 03 8606 4200

design now! 2009

Amanda McKenzie, Untitled, detail from The Decay Of Life series, 2008.

The incredible work pictured above is The Decay of Life - glass castings of fruit in various stages of the decaying process. Designer Amanda McKenzie describes her inspiration as "traditional Baroque still life oil paintings (especially Caravaggio) and the different interpretations of its symbology. Symbology and meaning in the still life has changed over the centuries and have been phased out in contemporary art. The introduction of a new model of the still life in a modern and relevant style which can be interpreted in a society of materialistic values."

The work is currently on show at Object as part of Design Now! 2009, Australia's only touring exhibition of student design. Now in its ninth year, Design Now! is a launching pad for young designers, and the exhibition showcases innovative work from 18 graduates of 2008. These finalists were chosen from over 200 nominations by Heads of Departments and lecturers from university art & design schools across Australia.

Lucy Simpson, Gaawaa Miyay collection, 2008. Photo courtesy the artist.

This year, Design Now! was divided into 6 categories: Design for the Built Environment; Design for the Body; Design for Communication; Design for Studio Production; Design for the Home; and Design for Industry.

We've chosen some of our favourite pieces to share with you, such as Lucy Simpson's Gaawaa Miyay, pictured above. The work is a collection of textiles featuring four prints: Gaawaa, Dhinawan, Walgett and Barigan. Each pattern holds a memory and tells the stories of family and country on cloth. The stories are told in a contemporary context, through the use of Yuwaalaraay language (an Aboriginal nation in Northwest NSW - her country) The incorporation of Indigenous language into the project is a reflection of the language revival currently happening across the country. The designer aims to contribute to this revival, bringing Yuwaalaraay and the stories of her family and country to new lips and ears.

The Object Award for Creative Innovation was jointly awarded to RMIT graduate Anthony Hamilton Smith and UTS graduate Michael Anderson whose winning works are pictured below.

Anthony Hamilton Smith, Slow Kitchen, 2008. Image courtesy the artist.

Anthony Hamilton Smith has used locally & sustainably produced ply wood, traditional wood crafting methods, and the principles of Slow design to create his Slow Kitchen, a vehicle (in both a metaphorical and physical sense) to advocate the ideas and philosophy of the Slow Movement. This modular, bicycle-led trailer "transforms into a working kitchen interior, within or adjacent to the primary production site of a chosen slow food ingredient(s)". (Anthony Hamilton Smith)

Michael Anderson, The Arborist's Blocking Crane, 2008. Image courtesy the artist.

The Arborist's Blocking Crane by Michael Anderson is a fantastic example of design being a mechanism to create clever, pragmatic solutions to specific problems - in this case, the precarious and dangerous process of lowering sections of tree trunks being removed by an arborist.

Kali Norman, Untitled 14 (set of 4), 2008. Work courtesy of Curtin University of Technology Art Collection. Photo: Christiane Keller.

I adore these hand-cut metal tree sculptures by Kali Norman. Each of the four pieces have been blackened with patina, so that the viewer's focus is on the shapes & shadows rather than the metal surface. The branches and leaves are bent and curved to reflect the organic nature of the subject and retain a sense of movement.

"My body of work is a study of shadow play and light through the seasons. The idea of light and shadow appeals to me, as it so influential on our mood and state of mind, in particular the effects of dappled light." (Kali Norman)

Kim Wong, Three Greedy Pigs from the Bedtime Stories collection, 2008. Photo: Kim Wong

Isn't Three Greedy Pigs cute?! The ring is from the Bedtime Stories collection comprising of jewellery made from semi-precious stone and "something fun" - plastic animals from a toy store of course!

Krista Lindegger, Breeze Way, 2008, image courtesy the artist, and Eric Ng, Scenarios of a Sustainable Future, 2008, image courtesy the artist.

The two designs above each take a very different approach to sustainable design. On the left is Breeze Way by Krista Lindegger - a revolutionary way of drying clothes naturally. On the right is Scenarios of a Sustainable Future - a series of 7 booklets that communicate everyday scenarios in a fictional but feasible near future. The project illustrates the potential well-being and unconsidered benefits of a future which is disassociated with materialism.

Design Now! 2009 will be showing at Object until 12th June 2009, then at the Melbourne Museum from 14th August - 22nd November 2009.

By the way, the new "Wood" issue of Object magazine came out last week!