Train on your parade

Hi, hope you're really well, just wanted to invite you along to a couple of new group exhibitions that i'm in, both opening this week.

First up is a group exhibition titled Physical Absence, A human portrait. 
Open for one day only this Friday November 1st, from 10am-9pm, at Missing Persons Space in the Nicholas Building, this show is curated by Maya Martin-Westheimer and features the work of artists Amelia Dowling, Leonie Leivenzon, Lucille Martin and myself.

Phsical Absence is an exhibition re-imagining societal interpretations of portraits and self portraits in which the human body is absent, allowing the opportunity for exclusively emotional portraiture. The removal of the human figure within portraiture is a response to societies' preoccupation with physical appearance and seeks to connect people through shared emotional experiences.

Two of my ceramic works featured in the show are 'Self portrait as a balloon'

And this work from 2016 titled 'Self portrait as a tobacco pouch'.

The other group exhibition I'm in that opens this week is titled LO FI HIGH, opening from  5-7pm this Saturday November 7th, and on until November 16, at TooT Artspace in St. Kilda. 

The show presents artists who make zines, and whose work focuses on both high and low culture. LO FI HIGH is curated by Jade Walsh and it features the work of Nat Thomas, Jordan Mariani, Caspar Zika, Laila Marie Costa, Holly Crawford (USA), Amy Silliman (USA) and myself. 

I've included a few drawings and as well as copies of my 200 page book from 2015 titled Ninety Nine Drawings of People On The Train, which was originally shown in the exhibition NEW14 at the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art. 


If you're interested in purchasing a copy of my book but can't make it to the exhibition please click here!

The last thing I'd like to mention in this blog post is just a huge thanks to everyone who's been out to seen my piece Soy Sauce for Dimmies in the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize!

It's such a big honour to be a finalist in this show which is still on until this Sunday November 3rd, so please check it out if you're in Sydney. (Also, if you're feeling generous please click here to vote for my work in the 'peoples choice'!)

Here's a pic from the opening of me and the brilliant comedian Tim Ross, standing beside my work.
 

Tim's been a supporter of my work for a few years now and I think he's really great, as is his book, and so it was really cool to finally meet him. And just for fun, in preparation for the night I made a ceramic sculpture of Tim Ross' great new book Motel and he was kind enough to autograph it for me.
And ok, I'm officially at a Ross for words. Thanks so much for reading, hope you're having a nice week and hope to see you soon.

Soy Story

Hey, big thanks to everyone who attended by the Drop-by Drawing I hosted last weekend at the National Gallery of Victoria, thanks for dropping by! 

In other exciting news my ceramic piece Soy Sauce for Dimmies has been selected as a finalist in the 2019 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, opening this Friday night. I'm coming up to Sydney for the opening so hopefully see you there!

For more info on the prize please click here.

My first job was at a Fish’n’Chip shop, where after school, from ages 14 to 16, I worked part-time taking phone orders, folding boxes, giving out bonus potato cakes and putting soy sauce on dimmies. 



Most dim sim eaters were happy to just say “yes please” or “no thanks” when asked if they’d like soy sauce, others however were much more specific. “Just a drop”. “Just a drizzle”. “Yeah drown them in it, mate”. “Can I get my soy sauce in a separate ziplock bag?” The more specific the order the more joy I took in getting it right.
 

15 years later and I’m still making dim sims, only now I’m making them out of clay. Rather than steaming or frying the dimmies I’m now kiln firing them, and instead of coating them in soy sauce I’m painting them in glaze.

Soy Sauce for Dimmies uses humour and sentimentality to playfully encourage us to celebrate the simple things. Or perhaps I should say, the dim-simple things.

In other exciting news I have a new ceramic sculpture of a melted Bubble'O Bill available at Cement Fondu Gallery alongside their exhibition Flat Earth Society, also opening this weekend in Sydney.

Fun fact, a lot of people think Bubble'O Bill has a sad face, but that's actually his moustache!

Thanks for reading, you're dim simply the best and hopefully soy you soon!