Bass Coast Post - Bass Coast Arts news and features

Stories of us

18/6/2021

Bushfires, pandemics, and the never-ending battle over
urban development … these are our stories.

By Catherine Watson

THE story of the Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction starts in 2019 with an act of generosity by Phillip Island writer and arts patron Phyllis Papps, who wanted to encourage other local writers in an age of dwindling options for mainstream publication.

When the first competition was launched in 2019 at the Phillip Island Story Gatherers Festival, we had little idea where it would lead.

The prize is now well established on the Gippsland writing calendar, with 86 entries submitted in the first two years of the prize, by writers ranging from professionals to people making their first attempt at an extended writing piece.

Bloomsday comes to Bass Coast

3/6/2021

Maggie Millar

By Ian Robinson

BLOOMSDAY, June 16, is the day in 1904 on which James Joyce’s classic novel Ulysses is set and the day is celebrated each year throughout the world with readings from the text and discussions of the work.

This year Maggie Millar is reprising her legendary reading of the “Molly Bloom” monologue from the final pages of James Joyce’s novel for Bloomsday at Wild Food Farm in Rhyll.

No-one who has heard Maggie read “Molly Bloom” ever forgets it. It’s one of those performances that engender a long awed silence at the end, before the audience break out in applause.

In 2007 Maggie was invited by the James Joyce Centre to perform her reading for Bloomsday in Dublin, a singular honour for an Australian actress.

In your dreams

1/6/2021

Wash the Pixels from My Hands by Ross Vaughan

By Ellen Hubble

THE illusion of three-dimensional shapes created on a two-dimensional surface and the echoes of domestic spying are just some of the mysterious facets of classical surrealist artist Ross Vaughan’s new exhibition, Human Pastiche Prism.

Ross has combined multiple elements as a homage to a parody of past styles. His images are borrowed from vintage magazines, found photographs and old studio portraits of strangers before being manually pasted into collage and then digitally manipulated to create weird and bizarre references for his paintings.

Using surrealist techniques and limited but arbitrary subject matter, he allows his subconscious instincts to guide his aesthetic decisions.

The loneliness of the long-distance writer

20/4/2021

Evgeny Chirikov, by Ivan Kulikov, 1904.
Gemäldegalerie der Stadt Murom

Compiled by Ian Robinson

WRITING is a solitary task. Writers work on their own for most of their creative life. For a work of any length or substance this can mean hours alone in front of a computer. Taking regular breaks is important. So is fellowship with other writers.

Writers groups perform a very valuable role in the writing life, providing a place where a writer can meet with other writers, share their work, discuss their craft and encourage each other’s endeavours. Where they can experience themselves as part of a community of writers and not isolated individuals.

From desert to coast

9/4/2021

Beauty and drama co-exist in exhibitions Mandy Gunn and Karen Chugg opening at ArtSpace next week.

Painting by Mandy Gunn

Desert-ed
An exhibition by award-winning artist Mandy Gunn

Mandy Gunn has driven and camped through many of the vast tracts of desert that comprise 20 per cent of the Australian landscape: the Simpson, The Gibson and most recently the Great and Little Sandy Deserts.

A spectacular area of dunes, rocky escarpments and salt lakes, through which runs the 1800km of the Canning Stock Route, it is sadly now unoccupied due to the enclosure of the 50-plus natural wells once known and relied on by the traditional owners. Surveyor Alfred Canning forced his Aboriginal guides to disclose their locations and made them inaccessible to them.

A touch of magic

8/4/2021

Stephen Jansen’s Magic Street won first prize in the
Bass Coast Artists Society’s Easter Show.

By Catherine Watson

“IS IT a broken love affair, a party, a hard time living, or a wondrous spiritual breakthrough?” judge Josephine Kent asks of Stephen Jansen’s Magic Street.

Jansen himself is saying very little about his mysterious work. After taking out first prize in the 2D section of the Bass Coast Artists Society’s Easter Show at the weekend, he confesses he’s intrigued by Kent’s interpretation

A painting should set you wondering, he says. That’s what the imagination is all about.

“Art critics I’ve read over the years have turned themselves inside out trying to work out what Gustav Klimt’s work was about, what his motivations were. It’s all part of the magic.”

A world apart

11/3/2021

Volunteering at ArtSpace Gallery gives Ellen Hubble a chance
to clear her mind and slip into a quiet place of art and space.
Photo: Sophie Dieu

By Ellen Hubble

QUIET is something we seek, avoid, or of which we are often unaware. Inside an art gallery we might notice the noise we have just left behind or notice a silence we have just entered. Art can silence the clutter in our minds and slip us into a precious tranquility as we become immersed in the world of creativity.

Even as a child I loved being in galleries where the sense of timelessness I had experienced in art books became three dimensional. In a gallery I was not just in another world but in a space in another world. A world of quiet, a world of contemplation, a world of visual languages descended through the ages. For me, an art gallery is a place of inspiration, passive energy and timelessness. It is a silent place where stories are told, passion is expressed and experiences are communicated.

Coloured by COVID

26/2/2021

Spheres by Ken Griffiths. Oil on canvas on plywood.

By Catherine Watson

WHOEVER thought of sticking Ken Griffiths and Susan Hall together in an exhibition should be congratulated.

Griffiths and Hall are two of Bass Coast’s most respected artists but beyond that appear to have almost nothing in common in artistic style or interest.

Yet curator Karin Murphy Ellis manages to find a common thread by the way she has hung the exhibition, and also bounced each artist’s works off the other.

This is an exhibition very much influenced by COVID and the lockdowns.

The next chapter

26/2/2021

The COVID-modified gathering for the prize-winning and commended writers of the 2020 Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction, from left, writers Lauren Burns, Fiona Power and Jeannie Haughton, patron Phyllis Papps, judge Anne Heath Mennell, and writers Linda Cuttriss, Lucinda Bain and Jillian Durance.

By Catherine Watson

THE future of Gippsland’s richest literary prize is more secure with an alliance between two of Bass Coast’s art groups.

Artspace Wonthaggi has agreed to auspice the Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction and to co-sponsor the 2021 prize.

ArtSpace vice-president John Mutsaers said a collaboration between the literary and visual arts would boost the arts in general within Bass Coast. The artists’ group is also considering running an art award in association with the writing prize.

Looking for Wonthaggi

12/2/2021

Can do: Volunteers knock up the Wonthaggi Surf Lifesaving Club’s home at Cape Paterson, 1960s

By Catherine Watson

IN 2002, when Gill Heal arrived in Wonthaggi, she knew little about the place beyond the fact that it was a former mining town that had fallen on hard times.

In fact that was why she was here: she had a job on a State Government program aimed at socially and economically disadvantaged shires and towns. Bass Coast qualified on every measure.

As she got to know Wonthaggi, however, Gill found a richness and pride in the community that belied any objective measure of wealth. And she noticed that newcomers to the town seemed to think they had stumbled into paradise.

Bearing up, thanks

10/12/2020

In the midst of the lockdown, Karin Murphy Ellis
got so many laughs out of works for her
new exhibition, she wondered if she’d gone mad.

By Karin Murphy Ellis

FROM an early age I displayed an aptitude for making things. My mother wondered how I managed without using a pattern as she was a dressmaker and relied on the formality. My favourite items to create were hats and so all my “fluffy friends” got one.

Many years on, I still have most of them, though the hats no longer remain. I was never fond of dolls, found them a bit spooky.

As a young adult I finished my dance training and began a career as a professional performer going on tour all over Australia and New Zealand. During this time my trusty sewing machine came along for the ride, and so the guys and girls got G-strings, very small bikinis and various garments one would wear to functions.

Please share our journey

28/10/2020

Safina Stewart: “Many of my artworks are best described as a pilgrimage. A journey into silent depths …”

By Safina Stewart

NAIDOC Week! The stage is ours to shout, ‘This is the magnificence of our people! This is the ancientness of our lineage! This is the sacredness of our land; hear the beauty of our languages, see the creativity of our culture, feel the depth of our stories, the gravity of our struggle, the power of our passion! Meet us where we are at.’

I’m a storyteller. With Aboriginal (Wuthithi Country), Torres Strait (Mabuiag Island), Ambonese, English and Scottish heritage I am a bridge builder striving for restoration and healing. As a member of the local community in Bass Coast I honour those who have gone before, those who are here now, and those who are yet to come.

History with a twist wins non-fiction prize

14/10/2020

Linda Cuttriss’s story At Screw Creek will be published in the next issue of the Post.

By Catherine Watson

BASS Coast writer Linda Cuttriss has won the 2020 Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction with At Screw Creek, part true detective story, part local history, part family history.

The judges commented that this was local history at its best – not just a succession of dates and events but an engaging story with a narrative drive and a search for understanding.

Second prize has gone to Drouin writer Jeannie Haughton for Who Speaks for the Trees and Creeks? Part memoir, part polemic, this is a powerful piece of writing, concluding with an urgent call to action and a plea not to give in to despair.

Equal third prize went to Lucinda Bain of Eltham for Paper Thin and Max Hayward of North Melbourne for Sometimes Nothing Can Happen But Fire.

Armchair arts tour

1/10/2020

The Coastal Connections project combines words, images, music and film.

Music in the Bass Coast Air

Spring is here, the blossom is out and there is music in the air. Nature writer Michael McCarthy thinks of spring birdsong as blossom in sound. We’d like to hear how you experience the songs and sounds of the natural world.

The call out to Bass Coast composers and musicians for the Coastal Connections project is generating some wonderful conversations and collaborative possibilities. We have heard from multi-instrumentalists, acoustic guitarists and digital artists who create experimental music with loops and pedals. We have listened to the recordings of a musician who interweaves sounds of nature into his compositions; birds at dawn, frogs at dusk and ocean waves in which smooth pebbles in the water rub against each other and create a percussive sound. A local musician has shared a draft of a composition in which he has set to music the words written by a community member about her special place by the sea.

The bright lights of Coronet Bay

1/10/2020

By Di Lutz

A RAINBOW Garden has appeared on the foreshore at Coronet Bay. A marvellous display using hundreds of plastic bottles donated after a call went out to the community, it’s a sight to behold against a back drop of coastal beauty, or in the evening when it is lit under a starry sky.

It was all done with the help of a happy band of artisans and volunteers, a couple of talented tradesmen who gave freely of their time and support from Bass Coast Council.

The Bass Coast sound

18/9/2020

BASS Coast’s writers, photographers and artists have done their bit; now it’s time for the music makers.

In the first stage of the Coastal Connections project, Bass Coast residents were invited to write 150 words or less about a place in the natural world that was special to them.

Thirty-six creative contributions were submitted and the project’s working group has selected 14 of the submissions to incorporate into six short films. The films will include footage of the special places as well as interviews with community members about their special places.

Now the working group is commissioning original musical compositions to accompany the six short films that will be made around these special places in our natural world.

Alone together

21/8/2020

By Geoff Ellis

LAST year, I was delighted to introduce (it’s no) drama in their performance of ‘Real. Not Real’ at the Wonthaggi Union Theatre.

The place was packed. They were awesome. And inspiring.

Late last year the all-abilities group from Bass Coast and South Gippsland secured funding from Creative Victoria to produce major productions and take part in collaborative workshops.

Led by artistic director Samara Cunningham, they were working on their 2020 production when the wheels fell off.

Armchair arts tour 6

14/8/2020

By Liane Arno

The bald truth

You guessed it ... we've been thwarted again, with the new restrictions we are not going to be able to hold the Archies Bald exhibition in September. Instead we will aim to coincide with the Cancer Council biggest morning tea in late May 2021. On the bright side it gives us all time to polish our heads, and to create some masterpieces. This is the only competition in the world that celebrates the beauty of the hairless head. There are three cash awards are given for each category – that is 2D and 3D: 1st Prize is $1000 2nd Prize is $500 and 3rd Prize is $200. People’s Choice is $50. Selected works will be exhibited at Wonthaggi Town Hall from May 20-30. Full details https://www.facebook.com/Archiesbaldportraitprize/

Testing times for writers

30/7/2020

By Catherine Watson

THE judges in this year’s Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction are curious to see whether local writers will tackle the events of the past eight months – drought, fire and plague – or whether they will avoid them completely.

Past experience suggest it is often years or even decades before writers feel they can tackle disaster and tragedy. The great novels of the First World War – All Quiet in the Western Front, Mrs Dalloway, Goodbye to All That – didn’t appear until the late 1920s, more than a decade after the war ended.

With entries closing on September 4, we will have to wait and see how writers respond.

Armchair arts tour 5

27/7/2020

Ken Griffiths' Figure in Abstraction, part of the Winter Exhibition at ArtSpace. Viewing by appointment only.

By Liane Arno

JUST when we thought we were through the worst! We had the winter exhibition hung and ready to go – but with the deteriorating situation in Melbourne decided to be prudent and keep our doors closed for the time being. But never fear, we have plenty to keep you amused with private viewings, DIY masks, challenges for writers, poets and photographers.

We are open for viewing by appointment. Please email me at liane.arno@gmail.com if you would like to see the exhibition. I am only 10 minutes away from ArtSpace and can open at any time you like.

I am attaching a teaser which shows you some of the works you will encounter when you have your own private viewing! How special would that be?

Calling creative writers

27/7/2020

Do you have a special place in Bass Coast? Write 150 words about the place you love and it could feature in a series of short films celebrating our natural landscape. Full details at https://www.basscoastpost.com/laura-brearley/places-in-the-heart

The armchair arts tour 4

11/6/2020

By Liane Arno

DAMN it! I was so sure I could win! In February, John Mutsaers sent us all a challenge to write about our interpretation of freedom using his Infinite Birdcage series as inspiration.

I approached our erstwhile publisher of the Bass Coast Post to see if she could help spread the word. And what did she do? She teased us with an article, “Damn you John Mutsaers” about how she was struggling with the concept and not writing well.

But – damn you Catherine Watson – your The Ties that Bind won!

There were hot contenders at your heels – Karen Bateman’s Crooked Heart was a close second and Wendy Saphin’s Key to Freedom was third.

The armchair arts tour 3

29/5/2020

Bush after Fire. Image: Sofie Dieu

By Liane Arno

WHILE our attention has been diverted by COVID19 it should not be forgotten that there are other health issues that demand attention.

While not officially a mental health disorder, experts are noticing higher levels in adults and children of eco-anxiety, ie. distress about environmental changes, particularly climate change.

Gippsland artist Sofie Dieu has developed some online workshops to help creatives, educators and art enthusiasts who are suffering from eco-anxiety.

The art of isolation

14/5/2020

Collins Street. 5pm, 2020, after John Brack. By Baden Johnson.

By Baden Johnson

I AM an artist living in Coronet Bay. On March 21, as the nation was about to go into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I founded an art group called The Isolated Penguins.

I invited artists and friends to start making art in response to the experience of what Australia was facing in 2020. Issues like bushfires, floods, climate change and COVID 19. I set the group up to network and display our art through the social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Countdown for Gippsland musicians

14/5/2020

THE countdown has started for Gippsland musicians to record and upload their songs for the chance to win a paid gig in a gala concert.

Gippsland Live will be held via Facebook and culminate in three prize winners performing at the 2021 Esso Night under the Stars early next year.

The competition is organised by Theatre Gippsland, representing five performing arts centres across Gippsland: the Wonthaggi Union Community Arts Centre, The Wedge in Sale, West Gippsland Arts Centre in Warragul, Latrobe Performing Arts Centre in Traralgon and The Forge Theatre in Bairnsdale.

The first step is for Gippsland musicians to make and submit a video of themselves performing an original song. (For the purposes of the competition, a “Gippslander” is defined as anyone living in Gippsland or who grew up in the region.)