Kerryn Finch

 

 

Dog days. (Ink, pencil, graphite and acrylic on paper)

The dog is an iconic image in my work, symbolising loyalty and a constant companion. Growing up, my family always had pet dogs, and they were very much part of the family. One of the saddest memories I have of my childhood is of my pet dogs death. The harshness of mortality kicked in for me that day. The realization that nothing lived forever. Memories fade.

This work represents memory, and the housing of memories inside the cube, both joined and separate at the same time. Some are strong, etched eternally in our minds and hearts, others have begun to fade over the years.

Artist Bio- Kerryn Finch

Born in Footscray, Melbourne in 1980, my parents and I moved to Robinvale when I was quite young. I was lucky enough to grow up in a small community on the Murray River, with plenty of fresh air and freedom. I always loved to draw and create.

Much of my work is based on memories, sentiment and nostalgia. I currently live in Kerang with my partner and our two children. I juggle my role as a mother, practising art and working. I am inspired by my own childhood, my children, and my immediate environment, usually the domestic setting. Dogs have always been an important part of my family, and my life. My grandfather trained and bred kelpies for farming, so the dog has become a recurrent image.

 

 

Curriculum Vitae

Kerryn Finch

Education

• Robinvale Consolidated School
• Robinvale SecondaryCollege
• Sunraysia Institute of Tafe, Diploma Fine Art, Visual Art 2000-2002
• La Trobe university Mildura campus, Bachelor Fine Art, 2003-2004 (incomplete)

Awards and Exhibitions

• Recipient of La Trobe University Vice chancellors Regional Scholarship 2003
• Wentworth Art Show Highly Commended 2004
• Student Exhibitions
• Gannawarra Shire Walk of Art, Encouragement Award 2008
• Swan HillRegional ArtGallery ‘Connections’ 2009
• ‘Nejakarto’ Gallery Kerang Group Exhibition 2009 - 2010
• Shortlisted for the Swan Hill Acquisitive Print and Drawing Show, 2010
• Received a RAV grant for ‘Married to a Blockie’ project 2010-11
• Exhibited in Robinvale, Swan Hill and Kerang 2011

Nellie Howden

Artist: Nellie Howden
Title: “Tribulus Terrestris”
Medium: Mixed

Artist Statement

The noxious weed Tribulus Terrestris, commonly referred in Australia as Caltrop is

an aggressive, invasive species.

It is primarily opportunistic in sandy soil, degraded pastures and wastelands.  It also

thrives beside footpaths, disused railway tracks and where maintenance of the weed

is not enforced.  It needs little water to thrive and a buried seed can remain viable for

more than seven years.

Sheep are the most vulnerable animals to Caltrop and if the foliage is consumed in

large dosages can be toxic consequently causing a painful death.

Two primary elements or issues which I intended to explore in this work are:

• The clearing and poor usage of the land with the introduction of livestock.

• The over usage of herbicides and the consequences of doing so.

 

DARE 2 For Dareton will be an art/craft space for all members of the Dareton community

regardless of the individuals socio, ethnic and/or cultural background.

This art/craft space will provide a safe environment for all participants to express their

creativity freely.

Our intention is for the art/craft space to initially be focussed on women from all ethnic and

cultural backgrounds where they will have the opportunity to be engaged in a creative space.

Leading on from this we further intend for the space to be inclusive to all of the surrounding

community.

 

Our Vision

We envisage that all members of the community will have the opportunity to engage in art

and craft at many levels.

 

These may be:

Practicing artists that are willing to share their skills.

People that wish to “have a go at a project” to learn new skills.

School children and youth.

We wish to engage individuals who don’t normally actively engage in the community.

We envisage urban revitalisation projects creating artworks at a local level.

We would like to create a place where members of the local community can come together to

express concerns or issues through the artistic process.

Anissa McRae

pre·serve  (pr -zûrv ) v. pre·served, pre·serv·ing, pre·serves v.tr. 1. To maintain in safety from injury, peril, or harm; protect. 2. To keep in perfect or unaltered condition; maintain unchanged. 3. To keep or maintain intact: tried to preserve family harmony. 4. To prepare (food) for future use, as by canning or salting. 5. To prevent (organic bodies) from decaying or spoiling.

As we get older the idea of holding onto and keeping our memories alive becomes increasingly important - a concept only age can grasp.  As I become older I think back to my Grandmother and of the knowledge and memories that she dearly passed on to me.  As youths we may think it funny or annoying how the elderly tell us stories over and over again, however as you yourself begin to age the importance of this memory exchange becomes clearer and more significant. 

It’s about preservation.

In trying to capture this idea I decided to preserve sheep’s brains – each brain carefully preserved and bottled aesthetically like my Grandmother in vinegar or brine.  Each jar of brains, signifies a memory that is personally important and worth preserving.

Anissa McRae

Mother/Wife/Artist

Kelly Matsuura