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Photo by Kimberly Chorney

Hello! We aren't here because we're all over at craft.org.au, and our blog has become our News page. Come on over!

Cheers!

(You can still browse posts on this website, but we don't update it and the news is old.)

Submit for Vimeo Awards: We vote for Allison Schulnik

Who just loves to get lost in Vimeo, clicking between links of your favourite musicians and their film clips, losing yourself in magical stop motion and feeding the brain with docos of the world for hours on end!? We do and we're betting we're not alone. It's a jungle out there though, so you have to hop on the right path, know where you want to go, otherwise you might just find yourself in a puddle of corny mess.

So now the expedition is on, as Vimeo searches for the best works from all fields from the past year. Each category winner will win a glorious $5,000, with the overall winner scoring a whopping $25,000. As proud supporters of emerging artists, we think this is a pretty swell opportunity to not only help you fund your future creative ventures, but to also flood the online world with your magic. Some categories we think you might be interested are articulated as fashion, experimental, animation, motion graphics, music video and remix. 

 

We certainly had a whole pool of favourites this year that we would watch over and over and share and smile at, but if we had to pick just one, we think this may win first prize. It's Mound by Allison Schulnik. You may remember her famous hobo the clown from Grizzly Bear's film clip Ready, Able, but really each and every piece by Allison is pure ecstasy in it's own psychedelic sombre way. Mound is her latest master creation that is guaranteed to take you to another world, a world of obscure alien/elf-like creatures, confused haunted angels and skeleton brides coming together to form a mound amongst shrooms and owls of the wilderness. Colour marbles through the land and it's inhabitants like ink droplets falling into water before the ballerinas of dismay dance us to an end. It's moving, poetic and romantically haunting. And you can watch it here.

But in the end, we're not the the experts on the panel, so if you have something to share, enter here and let the judges have their say. Submissions due 20 February, 2012.

Allison Schulnik, Mound, 2011

GaawaaMiyay: a Cloth collaboration

Clothwork, a Cloth & GaawaaMiyay collaboration

Everyone has their dream collaboration project, that artist who you just love, whom you believe if you were to work with you could create something that is worthy of changing the world. For many Australian textile designers, we’re guessing that Cloth would feature at least in their top 5.

Clothwork, a Cloth & GaawaaMiyay collaboration

Now one little lady, with a whole lot of talent, culture and innovation has made the cut, being the first artist to collaborate with Julie Paterson of Cloth. Yuwaalaraay woman, Lucy Simpson began her very own textiles company in 2009, GaawaaMiyay, a company that deserves great credit and respect and fully worthy of the cloth collaboration. Drawing on inspiration for the land she stands on, Lucy shows respect for her country through her environmentally responsible practice with a contemporary Australian aesthetic. The collaboration with cloth, a limited edition range of cushions, tea towels and shoulder bags are available for purchase.

Beyond Cloth, GaawaaMiyay is standing strong on it’s own two feet. Story telling is translated through contemporary Indigenous designs, executed through stationery, bangles, scarves, tea towels, cushion s and lampshades. All products are created through a sustainable practice, utilizing natural fibres whilst being manufactured locally. Her work is vibrant and cultured, organic and real, as it tells the story of family and the Yuwaalaraay homeland. Work by GaawaaMiyay can be found at & Company, Antar, Cloth Fabric and Tali Gallery in NSW and is definitely worth a look and probably a feel too.

Exhibition Opening: Garry, Jacob & Kirsten.

Garry Bish, The Vessel: A Space Oddity

A new year calls for a new exhibition with new works, new innovative processes and new inspiring notions. This is why we shall proudly present to you and invite you to our very first Exhibition Opening for 2012. In Gallery One, Garry Bish will draw you into great depths with an architectural intelligence that displays itself in the form of ceramic sculptures. His geometric virtuosity in The Vessel: A Space Oddity creates new perspectives and deviated forms that mesmerise the eyes of any beholder. A few steps further and you will find yourself amongst a Pottery Practice Project by Jacob Ogden Smith in Gallery Two. This culture intense process-based work executes itself in the form of video, epitomising the value of the working development in the production of a final piece. Then as you peep around the corner into Gallery Three, Kirsten Perry welcomes you to a world of her own, Home Time. The well-known Melbourne jeweller has created another land, one that exists far from our own, one that hybrids industrial materials and mystical, emotional forms.

We are all lost in an abundance of cultured architectural ceramic worlds right now and we want you to be here with us. The opening will be happening this Thursday between 6 – 8pm 19 January, but the exhibition will continue to run until 3 March, so please join us in this mesmerising state. Let us know if we should expect to be seeing you here. Until then...

come in, we're OPEN.

Fabio Giannelli, Turning Open

Greetings two thousand and twelve! We have all had a nice little break here at Craft Vic and now we're feeling more refreshed and inspired than ever and raring to go for the New Year. An exciting year is in stall for us, which means that an exciting year is too, in stall for all of you. We have 3 exhibitions that are although tantalisingly subtle in medium are indeed about to come courageously to life in a bold and explorative means this Thursday night. Craft Hatch applications are open now for our March edition of our quarterly curated craft  market and boy are we excited by some of the entries that are swimming in. Our Membership program is thriving more than ever and the shop if looking dashingly debonair to say the least. Our Craft Cubed Festival is in the works, with ideas being thrown about here, there and everywhere. And last but most definitely not least, our latest venture, our brand new blog. Especially designed so that you can get more bang for your buck when you pop over to visit us with exciting stories, inspiring interviews and beautiful photographs.. We will be posting regularly on events, artists, our members, products and competitions through posts, interviews, editorial, studio visits and more. Keep an eye out for the spontaneous launch some time this week. Oh and ps. We’re (Craft Victoria shop) back open, so come and say hi.

Coming soon...!

Photo from here.

Oooh ahh do we have some exciting news for you!? We have been busy little beavers at Craft Vic. We've been designing, sourcing and deciphering code madly to present to you a new and improved blog for 2012. We will be posting daily with news, events, products, artists and resources on art, craft and design. There will be giveaways, interviews, studio visits and more. From now on we will always be on the lookout for quirky new products, quaint idea, opportunities for emerging makers and everything in between to provide our friends with all there is to know about craft in Melbourne and beyond. The new blog will be going live one day next week, you will just have to stay tuned to see which is the lucky day.

So now we just have a small couple of favours to ask of you:
1. Stay tuned for the revealing of our new site
2. Have a look around
3. Pop it on your favourites for easy access
4. Tell your friends about it
5. Let us know of any news you have that might be suitable for our page. Especially to our members, suppliers, partners and supporters... We want to be able to let everyone know about any exciting news you have to share. All submissions for potential posting should be sent through to craftvic@craftvic.org with BLOG SUBMISSION in the header.

The obliteration room (AKA the coloured dot room)

Installation view of The obliteration room 2011 as part of ‘Yayoi Kusama: Look Now, See Forever’, GOMA

Yayoi Kusama has returned with yet again, another work of art, where the simplicity of forms and perfectly laundered concept are enabled to flourish through the interactive nature of the piece. Anyone who bought a Christmas present from us here at Craft Vic this year will know that we had quite a bit of fun with coloured circle stickers on our Chrissy wrapping. But not all of the gifts we wrapped put together could compare to the fun to be had in an installation piece like ‘The obliteration room’.

The typical Australian home, probably built for the mum, dad, 2.5 children and dog, was constructed and fitted with all locally made furniture. Designed and fitted by a renowned to be somewhat controversial artist, one might think this room to be slightly void of warmth and character. But this piece was not built to be a static work of art, like everything in the world it changes as interactions, or even obliterations take place. Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day the room is flooded with visitors from all walks of life. They visit this blank canvas of a home as they are invited to demolish the stark sterile surface through the application of coloured, multi-sized circle stickers. As the walls, ornaments and furniture are annihilated with colour and pattern, the entire room morphs as dimensions distort and space diminishes in square meters, but inflates with life.

Only one work of many, Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art currently is housing the entire collection by Yayoi Kusama, Look Now, See Forever. The exhibition will run until 11 March 2012, so if you happen to assist population in the northern part of our country, or even if you’re lucky enough to be holidaying these summer months, we recommend a visit to the Queensland Art Gallery, GOMA. Best of luck in finding any wall space left to mark your spot though.

Makers of Easter crafts, this is for you!

How to decorate your easter-eggs?

Dutch Magazine "Ariadne", 1976-1979

Now we know for a fact that there are many of you out there who make wonderfully snuggly, yet joyfully chirpy crafts for easter. For a starters, this wee knitted duck egg warmer, from Loope, is the perfect accessory for the easter period to keep that freshly boiled egg nice and cosy whilst you're busy in the garden hunting for chocolates. Speaking of which, we recommend that you utilise this piece for eggs of the chicken variety as opposed to the chocolate sort, unless you enjoy a nicely melted easter treat that is.

So anyway, back on track, Milk Magazine is on the hunt, literally, for some quaint as quaint can be easter crafts to feature in their editorial section of the mag. From clothing, to baskets, chocolates to ornaments, so long as it is hand-made in Australia, they want to know about it! If you're from Gippsland it's a bonus, but otherwise just make sure your product is available for purchase online. Chop chop though, the hunt is almost up. To be considered, one must send their work in here, by 5pm, 13 January. We know, we know Christmas has just finished and already Easter prep has begun. Think of the positives though, it won't be long until we'll have another excuse to fill our bellies with chocolate whilst painting and decorating eggs for kitsch ornamentation of our interiors. Yum and yum!

Say yes to Containment Structure at No No

Stephanie Hicks, Untitled, collage, 2011

Remember Stephanie Hicks from 2010’s Craft Cubed Festival? If yes, then you obviously love her as much as we do and will want to learn of this news immediately and if not, this is a prime opportunity to refresh your memory. Stephanie will be joining creative forces with Heidi Holmes, Clare McCracken, Daniel Jenatsch and Jessica Brent for a Roger Nelson curated exhibition at No No Gallery. The group exhibition, Containment Structure evokes liberty through the artificial construction of creative limitations. It exposes the innovation that accumulates through remaining within strict boundaries and borders as an artist at work. Whilst the artists have set themselves a task to reside in the bounds of their own confines, the end results challenge their intention as the works surge outside the square. Say yes to attending Containment Structure at No No Gallery (14 Raglan Street North Melbourne) this Thursday 12 January, 6-8pm. And if you say maybe or no, then hopefully you can say yes to popping in at a later date, as the exhibition will run right through until 28 January.

Lanz + Martin: designing for the creative world

Craft Cubed Festival, Craft Victoria, 2011

High Noon Festival, Northcote, 2011

Playful, thoughtful, innovative and tight- this is the design of Lanz + Martin. This Melbourne-based design studio has tackled some of the most creative festivals and projects in Australia, consistently delivering the goods. Not only are they authentic and continually pushing new ground, they are reliable and approachable with communication skills that strive in this industry. The reason we know this? Because they were the genius behind last years Craft Cubed Festival Design.

So as mates of ours, naturally we like to keep up to date with their happenings. To our pleasant surprise, as we were wandering the World Wide Web the other day, we were surprised and to be honest overwhelmed with joy when their new website jumped up in front of us. It’s clean, interactive and oodles of fun, as it showcases their portfolio with the presence it deserves.

You may even be more familiar with their work than you realise. Their polished vibrant illustrative work in Northcote’s High Noon Festival was eye-catching and youthful creating the carnival like atmosphere they had aimed for. Newcastle’s This is not art Festival called for a more organic touch, as subtle watercolour illustrations juxtaposed themselves against a strong grid of typographic content. Their connection to the earth, something we at Craft Vic are always keen to see, was evident in their work for non-for-profit organisation, Morel and Energy Foundation. Their dexterity in illustration shined through as the minimalist figures pop within the limited palette, allowing the witty concept to deliver with ease. Furthermore, Lanz + Martin explore the publication side of creating, designing the complete layout and cover for Australian writing journal, Harvest. The publication is subtle and considered with an intellectual feel that has a certain softness to it.

So, if you’re on the hunt for a design studio with a unique balance between colourful creative fun and tight clean effective design then we have done the hard work for you. All you have to do know is have a look through their body of work here and then follow with a tingle or some mail of the technological variety. We doubt you would end up being anything less than radically impressed.

Holiday craft fun for the kids.

Children Finger Painting, photo from here

Had any me time this summer for some creative projects? We do hope so, but just in case you’re one of our friends who has a little one trotting around your ankles this summer, who although makes you smile, isn’t exactly offering you a whole lot of free time for all those craft projects you had planned, we thought we would step in and source a solution. Reward your little you by popping them in one of these Kids Holiday Programs, whilst you go off to adult holiday program. Brilliant, yes? To be honest, we think it’s a shame that these particular classes aren’t on offer for the adults of the world too. And might we ask where were programs like this when we were wee little rascals?

The lucky little youth of today have been offered one huge creative head-start with options to get their hands dirty in classes where you can cook, make a stop motion animation, draw with light, make jewellery or free the spirit with some creative dance or of course, the option we would opt for, all of the above. The program runs from 9 January – 17 January and is open to children between the ages of 3 and 14.

So, now there is no need to feel guilty by indulging in a little you-time to make those cushions, sew that summer frock or enrol in that pottery class you’ve been eyeing off all summer. The kids will love this craft fun time as much as you will. Don’t thank us, we’re just the messenger, Gasworks are the mastermind behind this gem of a Holiday Program.

Blanche Tilden and the culture of jewellery.

Blanche Tilden

Last December, ABC Radio National featured an interview in their By Design program with renowned Melbourne Jeweller, Blanche Tilden. As a member of Craft Victoria and as a previous exhibitor here at our gallery, we have to admit to getting a little fuzzy inside when we heard her words. Blanche discusses the idea of her jewellery being synonymous with architecture and how and why that connection originated. She explores what it is about glass that mesmerises her, whilst discussing her love affair with mechanical materials, such as pulleys and cogs. With more than 12 years experience on her back now, you will find it difficult to come across a talent that has as much experience and knowledge of the art form. Pour yourself a cup of tea, set yourself up on the couch, pop computer to lap and head to ABC to listen to the full interview. A perfect outlet for a Saturday afternoon, we think.

JOB CALL: It's resume writing time...!

We officially declare the next week to be the week of resume writing. And it looks like it might be the perfect weather for it too, with that horrid heat having passed. Everyone knows that a good career in the arts is hard to stumble upon and as a small team here at Craft Vic with a slow turnover, the call for a new Coordinating Curator is a rare and unique one indeed. Now, hopefully you have something a little more tech savvy to fill out your application than this hairy man, but then again there is a certain charm to the typewriter, isn’t there? There are some selection criteria that one is required to fill out and send through along with a Cover Letter and Resume. No need to get your knickers in a knot though, it shall not take so much time that your beard will grow this long... We just want to get to know you a little, so to speak. All applications should head to Joe Pascoe before 12pm Monday 16 January 2012. We look forward to reading the words that you write for us.

Old is the new new.

Home of Penelope Durston.

Our very own Board Member, Craft Victoria Shop supplier and dear friend, Penelope Durston gets in on the action as Lindy Percival digs deep to find out why old has become the new new. In this editorial piece, The new age of old, presented by The Age, Percival delves thoughtfully into the historical relevance of the concept ‘Make Do and Mend’, the carbon count of new versus old and the influence of technology in making DIY and craft accessible to all. Pene Durston speaks of the previous lapse in the craft movement and the importance of it's current revolution, "In the '70s, women were told 'don't cook, don't make clothes for your family, go out to get a job'. There's a generation of women whose mothers went back to work ... It was the rise of consumerism, you had more money, so you bought clothes, you didn't make them ... [their children] missed out on learning to do things with their hands, getting their hands dirty." If you’re someone getting their hands dirty, or even someone who wants to, this is a must-read article that presents the positive impact of re-cycling, re-vamping, making your own, doing it yourself and craft in general on society, the environment and the heart.