” Notes from the Field “ , is an exhibition currently being held at the Margaret Lawrence Gallery, at the VCA complex , in 40 Dodds St , Southbank .
It is a collective exhibition by eight artists , 2 local , 6 international , with the underlying theme of artistic fieldwork . The central premise is that understanding is founded in personal experience and most of the works in the exhibition are taken from daily life , a record of the day to day comings and goings of the artists , and the curator .
dodds st gallery
The artists are Maria Antelman , George Egerton – Warburton , Dara Gill , Sandra Selig , Alexandre Singh , Charlie Sofo , Michael John Whelan , Nina Yuen , and the curator is Melissa Keys .
Many visual tools are used in the exhibition , including , photography , collage , b&w photography , inkjet prints , assemblages , video , altered book pages , found objects and polystyrene sculpture .
To quote the curator the artists ” composing their work using everyday found objects , images and routine simple gestures , the artists featured in ” Notes from the Field ” create humorous , poignant and haunting works that confound and rewire the habitual and commonsensical ways we establish meaning and make sense of the world . ” Melissa Keys , Curator , September , 2014 .
It is a diverse skill base employed by the artists , and they too are a very diverse group . I particularly liked Sandra Selig’s work . Her altered book pages using enamel paint , adhesives and folding techniques were displayed in a series , and were beautifully executed . It was an interesting and unusual variation of the altered book theme , and one we have used in our own practice in studying our VU Visual Arts Diploma.
notes from the field
Housed at 40 Dodds St , the gallery space is a former factory , and one in which I worked in the personnel office , as a young school leaver many years ago . The transformation of the former factory is innovative , although the old wooden staircase , stained glass doors and windows , concrete floors , and beamed ceilings , bear testament to its former life .