More Regal Savage

Maryann and Emma are chugging away at their collaborative effort over in Gallery 3 as part of I'll Show You My Craft If You Show Me Yours. In case you haven't heard, Maryann and Emma are combining their collective skills of weaving, crocheting and shoemaking to create a full outfit (dress, cape, shoes) for a fictional British Queen visiting Samoa during the colonial times.

Check out their latest progress here, or better yet drop by tomorrow for Maryann and Emma's artist talk! It's all happening at 2pm at Craft Vic tomorrow.

 

Click here to view images from their first week of collaboration!

At the risk of sounding like broken record, Maryann and Emma will be presenting an artist talk at Craft Victoria tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm. You might never come across two more passionate and articulate ladies, so do schedule it in as something to do!

Photography: Kim Brockett

Craft Cubed satellite exhibition: Jasmine Targett, 'Bubbling Up'

Using highly innovative materials such as NASA's dichroic glass, Bubbling Up examines the fragility of the Earth's atmosphere and ecosystems that appear like a bubble, on the constant verge of collapse. Sometimes fickle and ever elusive, Bubbling Up highlights the ongoing need to quantify ecological concerns. Every day there are thousands of toxic gases bubbling up in the atmosphere. In the age of heightened ecological awareness Bubbling Up poses the question, is it possible to view a beautiful sunset and not wonder if the sky is set ablaze with such unique colours because of the toxic pollutants in the air reacting with the atmosphere? In the space that surrounds us, what is bubbling up?

If you haven't seen Jasmine Targett's exhibition Bubbling Up and Dianne Tanzer Gallery on Gertrude Street, we highly encourage you to! It's part of the Craft Cubed satellite exhibitions program and Jasmine has very nicely provided some beautiful images of her exhibition and the opening.

Bubbling Up is on at Dianne Tanzer Gallery, 108-110 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy until Saturday 10 September.

PS, Jasmine also has an upcoming exhibition entitled Making Sense with Debbie Symons which opens at Craft Victoria next Thursday from 6-8pm!


All images courtesy of Jasmine Targett.

Regal Savage

If you've dropped by Craft Victoria recently you may have seen two very industrious (and friendly!) ladies working away in Gallery 3. As part of our annual I'll Show You My Craft If You Show Me Yours project that we've been organising for the past few years as part of Craft Cubed, we commission two pairs of artists to work together either inside or outside of Gallery 3's confines. This year's collaborating artists are shoemaker Emma Greenwood and weaver Maryann Talia-Pau (the previous collaborating pair were jeweller Tessa Blazey and fashion designer Alexi Freeman - click here to see their fabulous work Interstellar Dress!)

 Emma and Maryann's project is called Real Savage, and here's what it's all about:

A colonial British Queen travels through the Pacific to Samoa, on invitation by High Chief Moana. Upon arrival, the Queen decides that her wardrobe should embody a cultural hybrid for her CoconuTea party with The High Chief. The Queen selects a local Native weaver who works with her artisan shoemaker to create an ensemble of New Savage Couture.

Emma Greenwood and Maryann Talia Pau become the Queen's Chief WeaveStresses, chosen to help navigate culture, protocol, design, craft and etiquette. The combination of their skills and the use of diverse materials suggests a desire to experiment and comment on cultural identities and values.

Materials include stamps of both nations, local plant-based materials, shells, beads, feathers, leather, rope and luxe fabrics from the Queen's luggage.The use of plastic and rope speaks also of environmental pollution, foreign items washing up onto Island shores, a metaphor for Colonial powers in the Pacific, including the Queen.

The skills of both makers come from historically rich traditions. Greenwood's crafts of shoemaking and textile arts, and Talia Pau's skill in weaving and adornment, combine to produce a stunning vocabulary of design, and a unique opportunity to create a couture wardrobe for English nobility, worthy for a meeting with The High Chief.

The outfit-in-progress is currently being worked on, and Maryann and Emma are always looking for visitors to their vibrant and colourful 'home' in Gallery 3.

 

Wedge in progress

Click here to view more photos... Emma and Maryann will be working away this week from about 10am-3pm, drop by and say hi!


Photography: Kim Brockett

Craft and Design as a Career: tomorrow!

Work by Kate Rohde. Image courtesy of Karen Woodbury Gallery.

Part 2 of our Craft and Design as a Career seminar series is on TOMORROW! (That's Friday 26 August)

Following on from Craft and Design as a Career Part 1 which took place two weeks ago, tomorrow's seminar looks at 'what's next' in the wild and magical world of craft and design. Listen and learn from various Amazing People™ like Ewan McEoin of Studio Propeller, Emily Wright of nancybird, glass artist Philip Stokes, artist Kate Rohde, retail genius Justine Ellis from Michi Girl, Janenne Willis of Undercurrent, web genius Jeremy Smart of The Richmond Social and artist/superstar blogger Dawn Tan.


It's a pretty star-studded line up if we do say ourselves, and some of the topics that these Amazing People™ will be covering include: producing for an international market, handling international commissions, collaborating with a fashion label and marketing yourself.

We still have a few spots available, so click here if you'd like to make a booking.

You can also call us on 9650 7775 if you'd like to book in person. Tickets are $40 (Craft Vic & Museum Vic members) and $80 for everyone else. The seminar runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm and is held at Museum Victoria.

For more information about tomorrow's seminar, please click here.

Hurry!

Craft Cubed open studios program: this Saturday 20 August!

Just a reminder folks that happening tomorrow is the Craft Cubed open studios program!

We've got ten awesome studios lined up and spread across town for maximum travelling pleasure and we've listed them here so that you can plan your day!


CITY - Carlow House, corner of Flinders Lane & Elizabeth Streets
On level 8, check out the jewellery studio of Anna Davern, Nicky Hepburn and Cass Partington. Sadly these lovely ladies are moving out and with 16 years' worth of history in their studio, they are hosting a garage sale where you can pick up a bargain or two and have a cup of tea (or even a glass of wine).  

Carlow House, Level 8
10am-5pm


A few floors down on level 4 is Lord Coconut, one of the latest additions to the Melbourne contemporary jewellery scene. As a special treat, jeweller a.l.i.Alexander will be in store creating by hand a special lapel pin in wax throughout the day which will then be cast in sterling silver the following week. The completed lapel pin will be given away to a lucky store visitor.  

Carlow House, Level 4
10am-4pm


NORTH-ish -  Cremorne, Abbotsford, Collingwood and Brunswick East

After your jaunt in the city, catch a train to Richmond and make your way down to glass artist Philip Stokes' studio and gallery. If you saw our recent studio visit to Philip's studio, then you'll know how exciting it is!

20 Gwynne Street, Cremorne
10am-4pm

Heading further north to Collingwood are Alexi Freeman's studio and the Lightly Studio & Showroom. Both artists are stockists at our shop, and it's a wonderful opportunity to have a behind-the-scenes peek at what they do. PS, come view Alexi's collaborative work Interstellar Gown (which was produced with jeweller Tessa Blazey) at Craft Vic in the morning before you visit the artist!

Lightly
3 Glasshouse Road, Collingwood
11am-4pm

Alexi Freeman
Level 1, 66B Johnston Street, Collingwood
12-5pm
 
This year, we're super excited to have The Mercator Building involved in our open studios program. Quite a few of our stockists have studios there, so be prepared to bring your wallet (hehe). 


The Mercator Building is located on the eastern edge of the Abbotsford Convent precinct at 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford
10am-4pm

Further along the way towards Brunswick East are two more wonderful locations to visit: Northcote Pottery Supplies, one of Melbourne's finest ceramics studios and Pop Craft, a pop up shop presenting 'luxurious fibres for classy people'. Pop Craft is only open for a couple of weeks more (it closes at the end of the month) so if yarn is your thing, you won't want to miss it!


Northcote Pottery Supplies
142-144 Weston Street9am-4pm

Pop Craft
510 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
10am-5pm



SOUTH-ish - Middle Park and Albert Park

If you live on the other side of the river, visit the two fantastic ceramics studios that are right by your doorstep. Shelly Panton's beautiful studio/shop (located in a century-old butcher's store) and the Gasworks Ceramics Studio are bound to impress. Shelly will be busy working away at her wheel, showing you how her tableware is made, and over at Gasworks it's a double-whammy as the open studio also coincides with the August farmers market!

Gasworks Arts Park
Corner Graham & Pickles Streets, Albert Park
10am-1pm

Shelly Panton88 Park Road, Middle Park
10am-5.30pm


Wear comfortable shoes, bring a smile, get yourself a $3 weekend transport ticket and HAVE FUN!

LAST DAYS! Alexi Freeman & Tessa Blazey: Interstellar Gown

Photo by Jorge de Araujo

 Tomorrow is the last day to view fashion designer Alexi Freeman and jeweller Tessa Blazey's collaborative offering Interstellar Gown. The work was produced for I'll Show You My Craft If You Show Me Yours, a collaborative project initiated by us and designed to bring together people from different crafts to share processes, materials, and ideas.

Fit for a sci-fi goddess to traverse the celestial sphere, the gown is constructed from approximately 600 metres of gold plated chain and 6,000 jump rings meticulously embellished into a galactic flapper formation. This work evokes unseen galaxies, star clusters, constellations and nebula, suggestive of an imagined artefact; a remnant of a visitation by a cosmic being.

Interstellar Gown is the second major work for this duo. Their first work, Neo Lace Gown, is a finalist in the Powerhouse Museum International Lace Award (29 July 2011 – April 2012).

We are open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and we hope you can make it down!

Seeding the Cloud with Roseanne Bartley

 material exhibitor Roseanne Bartley is currently running a workshop called Seeing the Cloud. The first session happened on Saturday, and the following is taken from Roseanne's blog:

I recently presented Seeding The Cloud at Craft Victoria (as part of their Craft Cubed exhibition material) and extended an invitation for the public to participate in learning the process. We went out for a walk and ended up finding an incredible resource of plastic fragments in Treasury Gardens. It came as quite a surprise as the park appearsto be well maintained, however in amongst the mulch we found heaps. It would appear that plastic is mixed in with the material that is put through the mulcher, such a pity, a bit of preliminary sorting could prevent this form of pollution from happening.

Anyhow, we managed to have a lovely timewalking, collecting, sorting and drilling in the park and moved on to a cafe to thread the fragments together while having coffee and cake.

This workshop forms part of Roseanne's larger project Seeding the Cloud: A Walking Work in Process, please visit Roseanne's blog.

Seeding the Cloud is a two-hour experience around  the streets and parklands of Melbourne CBD led by artist jeweller Roseanne Bartley. Over the course of the session, Roseanne will share the 'how to' behind her roving work Seeding the Cloud: A Walking Work in Process. It's an opportunity to take part in a jewellery based process that addresses the mass of residual plastic within the environment and contribute to the creation of a collectively inspired Civic Necklace. To learn more about the workshop, please click here.

This workshop is free, and the next session is on Saturday 20 August from 1.30-3.30pm. Please call us on 9650 7775 if you'd like to attend.

All photos courtesy of Roseanne's blog Seeding the Cloud.

Newfangled Fashion

Runway photos from last Thursday evening's performance at our in-house 'magical tent' by Adele Varcoe:

"Men and women dressed in t- shirts, pants, shirts and jackets came storming down the catwalk. Celebrity models such as Brendan Oh and Simone were all there flaunting this seasons latest concept in dress- something they’re calling clothes."

- Kirstie Clements

Runway Model: Miyuki

Wearing: Rockstar black jeans and t-shirt

Photo: Andrew Hewett

Runway Model: Jacelyn

Photo: Andrew Hewett

Runway Model: Brendan Oh

Wearing: Pants- Yoji Yamamoto, Shirt- Chanel, Sandles- Dior, Socks- MMM

Photo: Andrew Hewett

Runway Model: Matthew

Wearing: New adidas football hi- vis, aero- dynamic shoes. Orange hi- vis construction worker jeans, yellow 4xXL jumper

Photo: Andrew Hewett

Runway Model: Ricarda

Wearing: Shirt/ Dress

Photo: Andrew Hewett

What's all this about then? Visit www.newfangledfashion.com to find out more!

Drop by Craft Victoria to view the material exhibition (which Adele's work is part of) and to view video footage from the opening night performance.

Craft Cubed launches this Thursday evening!

We're launching our annual festival Craft Cubed this Thursday evening from 6-8pm and we'd like you to be there!


This year's theme is 'Hybrid' and we've assembled together dozens of exciting exhibitions, workshops and events including a jumbo Craft Hatch market on Sat 13 August and an Open Studios program on Sat 20 August! Also keep an eye out for The Social Studio's Magical Tent project at Federation Square and the series of excellent workshops running alongside it. The Social Studio are our 'Super Makers' of 2011 (you may remember last year's Super Maker Michael Doolan and his soft sculpture Once Upon a Time) and fittingly, Social Studio Founder Grace McQuilton will be presenting the opening address at the launch tomorrow evening.

Also opening at Craft Victoria are exhibitions material and I'll Show You My Craft If You Show Me Yours: Interstellar Gown featuring a stunning "celestial goddess gown" made by jewellery Tessa Blazey and fashion designer Alexi Freeman from 600 metres of gold plated chain and 6,000 jump rings .

There'll also be a special performance by "newfangled fashion designer" Adele Varcoe whose previous experience includes the wonderful Hands on Heads workshops, her 2010 solo exhibition iFOLD at Craft Victoria last year and beyond that, working with Bernhard Willhelm in Paris and as a special effects artist on a selection of B grade films. Please note that as it contains nudity, it is not suitable for people under 18.

For more information about the festival launch, please visit our website.


The launch is bound to be a cracker, and if you'd like to attend please RSVP by emailing us today!

Simon & Jemila MacEwan: Telling Tales

To kick off the week, here are some more images from Simon & Jemila MacEwan's recent exhibition Telling Tales - part of 'I'll Show You My Craft If You Show Me Yours', Craft Cubed's series of collaborative exhibitions in Gallery 3.

Click here to view more images of the installation.


Telling Tales was exhibited from 23 August to 4 September.


Photography credit: Lily Feng

Do the Craft Cubed survey! (you could win $50 to spend in our shop)

It's hard to believe that our Craft Cubed festival wrapped up just a month ago. We have already started planning the 2011 event and we want your input! This is an opportunity for you to tell us what you would like to see in our public programs.

Click here to complete a quick survey and you could win a $50 COUNTER voucher to spend in our shop!

What's this? Free money?? Hey why not!


To further dangle the carrot, here's a few things you can buy with $50 at COUNTER (in the words of our retail guru Anita "there's like, a gazillion things'):

Third Drawer Down 'sumi ink club' pillowcase set >>> $45

2D paper treasures by Simon & Jemila MacEwan >>> $20 each (most of them anyway)

Linen covered hardback journals by Ask Alice >>> $26

'Bearded bloke' brooch by Handmade Romance >>> $35

You'll be spoilt for choice!


Speaking of Craft Cubed, the theme for Craft Cubed 2011 is HYBRID.

Collaboration, new technologies, cross-disciplinary practice and emerging forms of craft and design will be explored through exhibitions, public programs and satellite events. HYBRID recognises the fluidity essential to experimentation.

So start planning your satellite events now – The Australia Council for the Arts are currently offering two grants for Inter-Arts which close in early December and could assist with funding for your satellite event.

Craft Cubed registrations will open in early 2011 for events in the festival period 4 August – 3 September 2011.