GRADUATE  EXHIBITION  2021

Bin Bai Ashley Bartsch Renee Bell Alicia Butt Amber Cronin Lucille Crowder Isobel Davies Martha Dimitriou Stephanie Doddridge Chantelle Fey Jessa Kloeden Lok. Rio Mignone Ellis Moseley Taylor Parham Maiko Pettman Bianca Pibworth Tricia Ross Melissa Shinn Asha Southcombe Jessica Stephens Meng Zhang The Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition is an annual showing of the next generation of ’s contemporary creative voices.

Twenty-two emerging artists from and the University of South Australia will showcase their graduate works at this preeminent arts event - presented in its new home, South Australia’s flagship contemporary gallery, ACE Open.

The Graduate Exhibition brings the next generation of creative talent GRADUATE  under one roof from Friday 29 January until Saturday 13 February 2021. A range of creative disciplines will be on display at the event, EXHIBITION  including ceramics, painting, jewellery, photography, printmaking, video, installation, sculpture and fashion.

2021 Exhibiting artists will be eligible for 16 awards valued at over $65,000, to be presented on the opening night of the exhibition, making it one of the most significant opportunities for emerging artists in the country.

The Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition continues to provide a meaningful platform for emerging artists to launch their creative Friday 29 January to careers, while also providing the wider arts community with an insight Saturday 13 February 2021 into the future of art in South Australia.

Monday to Friday, We thank the awards and selection panel for their participation and 11am-4pm the staff and 2020 graduates of Flinders University, and the University Saturday & Sunday, of South Australia, for helping make this exhibition the exciting and 10am-5pm dynamic event that it is. ACE Open Jane MacFarlanE Lion Arts Centre, North Tce CEO Yarta, Helpmann Academy

SELECTION PANEL CURATORIAL MENTOR CATALOGUE DESIGN Margo Hill-Smith, Director, Hill Smith Art Advisory Patrice Sharkey Black Squid Design Brian Parkes, CEO, JamFactory PROJECT CURATOR COVER IMAGE Patrice Sharkey, Artistic Director, ACE Open Eleanor Amor Ellis Moseley, Super Duper Flying Fun Show, Photo by Michael Haines AWARD JUDGES OPENING SPEAKER Rhana Devenport ONZM, Director, Art Gallery of South Australia Rhana Devenport ONZM, Director, Art Gallery of Sam Hill-Smith, Director, Hill Smith Art Advisory South Australia Hugo Michell, Director, Hugo Michell Gallery

2 The Helpmann Academy gratefully acknowledges the support of the following partners:

Major Event PARTNER PRESENTING PARTNER WINE PARTNER

AWARD & EXHIBITION PARTNERS

Royal South Australian Society of Arts

Award Donors

Roger & Helen Salkeld David McKee AO & Pam McKee

Diana & Philippe Jaquillard Paul & Fatima McHugh David Hayden

3 Helpmann Academy’s partners in the visual arts

University of South Australia The University of South Australia is proud to count the South Australian School of Art amongst its antecedent institutions. Well-known past and present alumni who began their careers at the South Australian School of Art include Margaret Preston, Hans Heysen, Stella Bowen, , Jeffrey Smart, Barbara Hanrahan, Mandy Martin, Aleks Danko, , Zhong Chen, Gavin Walkley, Paul Hecker, Nik Karalis, Caroline Lieu, Melinda Kate Hill and Debra Little.

As one of the oldest art schools in Australia, the innovative tradition that marked the South Australian School of Art at the turn of the century continues today within UniSA Creative. Building on this tradition of innovation and with a research focus that promotes a critically reflective approach to creative practice, UniSA Creative offers a number of undergraduate, postgraduate and higher degree by research programs including the Bachelor of Contemporary Art, Bachelor of Creative Industries, Bachelor of Art and Design (Honours), Bachelor of Film and Television, Bachelor of Design (Illustration and Animation), Bachelor of Arts (Performing Arts), Bachelor of Design (Illustration and Animation) and Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing).

At UniSA Creative, students gain skills in critical analysis and creative thinking and practice and graduate as career-ready professionals. They are supported by academics with rich practice and theoretical expertise and research affiliations with UniSA’s Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (ARCIVE) and Creative People Products and Places (CP3) research concentration.

4 Flinders University For over 50 years Flinders University has nurtured the aspirations of those who would pursue creative roles in theatre, film, writing and more. Our creative arts, industries and media degrees span the areas of costume design, creative writing, dance, digital media, drama, fashion, festivals and arts production, film and television, interactive design, media and communication, screen, theatre and performance, visual arts, visual effects and entertainment design, and writing and publishing.

Our network of industry leaders provide real industry experience and connections for students while they study and our partnership with the Adelaide College of the Arts enables students to combine study at Flinders and TAFE SA in the areas of fashion, costume design, dance and visual arts.

Flinders has a long and well-established reputation for supporting research-led creative arts in many forms. Our academics have made significant contributions to creative industry, grown government support and community recognition of the value of art and utilised art as a vehicle for important social change.

Staff and graduates have included award-winning novelists, poets, theatre and film directors, screen and digital media practitioners and leaders in creative arts advocacy and industry.

5 HELPMANN ACADEMY Awards

The Helpmann Academy The Hill Smith Art Advisory The Bendigo Adelaide Bank / University of South Award New in 2021 Award Australia Postgraduate Valued at $7,000. Includes $5,000 cash. For Valued at $5,000 cash. This award will Award an artist working in 3D whose work is inspired recognise an emerging female artist. Valued at $10,000 cash. Recognises the by the craft tradition, utilising ceramic, metal, achievements of a Masters or PhD candidate. glass, wood or fibre. The award includes the opportunity to present a three week exhibition The City Rural Insurance / (on-line and by appointment to clients) Helpmann Travel Award Undergraduate Award for with Hill Smith Art Advisory. The exhibition Valued at $5,000 cash. This award provides Excellence supported by includes mentorship, marketing & promotion the winner with the opportunity to travel, Roger and Helen Salkeld assistance and install/de-install assistance. informing their practice with new ideas and Valued at $7,500 cash. experiences. The Linden New Art Award The Award Valued at $6,250 cash & in-kind. The recipient The Lang / McKee Award of this award will be provided with a 3-week Valued at $7,500 cash. The winner of this Valued at $5,000 cash. exhibition at Linden New Art in Melbourne, acquisitive award will have their work acquired through its Linden Projects Space program. as part of City of Adelaide’s art collection and The exhibition includes mentorship, marketing exhibited at a City of Adelaide location. and promotion assistance, and install/ de-install assistance.

6 Vote for your favourite artwork during the exhibition. THE HELPMANN ACADEMY PEOPLES’ CHOICE AWARD ($500 cash) will be announced at the close of the exhibition. Submit your vote to be in the running to win a $50 voucher and $50 annual membership with JamFactory.

The Jaquillard Exhibition The Peter Walker / Helpmann The David Hayden Award Advancement Award Professional Valued at $3,000 cash. Awarded for the Valued at $1,000 cash. Development Award purpose of presenting an exhibition. Valued at $750 cash. Awarded for the purpose of purchasing materials. The Royal South Australian The McHugh Award Society of Arts Award New in 2021 Valued at $1,000 cash. The Helpmann Academy Valued at $3,000 cash. Peoples’ Choice Award Valued at $500 cash. This award is voted for The SALA Award by visitors to the exhibition and presented The JamFactory Award Valued at $1,000 cash & in-kind. Awarded to the winning artist at the conclusion of the Valued at $2,500 cash & in-kind. Presented to an artist who will benefit from exhibiting exhibition. to an artist working in ceramics, glass or their work at SALA, the SALA Award jewellery, the award includes a mentorship provides premium registration for the with relevant senior creative staff from 2021 SALA Festival. JamFactory and an opportunity to have work on consignment in JamFactory’s retail store for 12 months.

7 BIN BAI Masters Candidate University of South Australia

Hi Vis Land Trio were created digitally and made with reflective adhesive tape. These geometrical figures embody the archaic aesthetics and the super flatness of visual elements in the digital era. I present the straightforward visual forms of political metaphor to evoke questions from the audience. In a deeper sense, I try to elevate the humble and the ordinary over daily blind spots and to erect monuments for them.

Hi Vis Land Trio Reflective tapes, acrylic on cotton 71 x 91cm each Image courtesy of the artist

http://www.baibinart.com @bin_bai_gentsu_gyatso

8 ASHLEY BARTSCH My curiosity in creation lies in the human-centric University of South Australia relationship we have with our body, specifically in terms of our experience of the abject. I focus on aspects of food and the body, to examine the simultaneous attraction and fear of our own body, through the mental detachment associated with organs that function to expel that which is classified as ‘other’. These ideas work in tandem with our desire to control or reject that which is considered abject. Where is it that food and the body intersect? When does food cross the line of being the ‘other’ Untitled to becoming a part of the self? Using clay, I explore Video work Dimensions variable this fragility and vulnerability of the body, using the Image courtesy of the artist physical process of creation and the unpredictable nature of ceramic as material.

9 RENEE BELL Flinders University

The earth’s soil shone in a red blaze. A sign that it has been sunburnt. The ground beneath my feet cracks as I walk. I am here. A small part of a great expanse. I hear the whisper of the wind. A hope of what is to come. The rain. It is precious. It is coming.

Water, Precious Acrylic, rain, charcoal, pastel and pencil on canvas 131.2 x 500cm Photo by Michael Haines

@Joy Art @joyart_sa

10 ALICIA BUTT Let’s Touch Base (detail) Porcelain slip, satin matte glaze, Flinders University black velvet glaze, transparent gloss glaze Dimensions variable Photo by Michael Haines

@alipotter_ceramics

Exhibited ceramics are often presented with a strict no touch policy, creating a barrier between the viewer and the artwork. Let’s Touch Base is an invitation to the audience to interact with and touch the work; to create a connection. The tactile nature of ceramics has always fascinated me and through the use of braille I hope to engage the audience in a new way. The messages are quotes and stories provided from conversations had with members of the visually impaired community and my own experiences, an inside joke of sorts between myself and those who can understand the code. This work physically engages the audience and allows them to experience the visceral importance of touch to ceramics.

11 AMBER CRONIN Ark Porcelain, timber, slate, sandstone, University of South Australia siltstone, quartz, pewter, cotton, plant dyed embroidery thread Dimensions Variable Photo by Tom Borgas

Sitting between human and plant http://www.ambercronin.com realms these curiously speculative @amberrosecronin objects seek to bridge our relationship with the living world, retracing dormant lines of meaning that pass through us and into things larger than ourselves. They signal a remembrance of a sacred path of connection. Ark finds its genesis in the oscillation between global phenomenon, localised experience and memories of the natural world.

12 LUCILLE CROWDER University of South Australia

My fascination with the sea stems from my childhood when I became infatuated by the repetitious patterns and forms of seashells. Research into the Fibonacci sequence compelled me to explore this phenomenon of nature and for this body of work I am exploring the repetitious detail of sea urchins. The material qualities of porcelain clay give the objects texture and fragility while the strength and malleability of wire and metal allow me to create unique textural pieces. These mediums have dualistic qualities that can portray the fragility and strength of the work.

Untitled Sterling silver, porcelain Dimensions variable Photo by Ella-Maude Wilson

13 ISOBEL DAVIES Flinders University

no one is coming to save you: oblivion Silk taffeta, silk/lurex chiffon, nylon netting, cotton voile Size 10 Photo courtesy of the artist

@hausofbillie

No one is coming to save you. An idea that began with a singular figure: the alien. Lost within society, faceless within the crowd, camouflaged but always recognising the difference in character. A masterful actor, the alien masks themself to the point that they lose sight of their identity. A self-made cage separates them from others, their words flailing in storms within; they can’t reveal their true self. The alien is an observer, picking up on mannerisms of others to create the perfect chameleon persona. A patchwork personality. Though the alien feels isolated, they are not alone. There are others everywhere that experience this dissonant reality. With this understanding the alien can begin to accept their ‘Self’ and embrace their differences, learning to live authentically in their own version of an ideal life. No one is coming to save you is a collection for anybody. Wearable art beyond the restriction of label. A space without prejudice to explore and become whoever you want to be, regardless of gender, sexuality or size.

14 MARTHA DIMITRIOU The Acts of Seven revealing a Hermetic Interchange: University of South Australia Side by side we lie in wait, as eyes behold and fingers pace. Seven forms for seven Saints, we await our unknown fate. Hands as eyes and eyes as hands, we are Handled to Understand. Material Alchemy (detail) Understanding paves the way, granting Responsibility. Blackened copper, fine silver, 925 sterling silver, Responsibility begets Maintenance, these moments that one keeps. hand-melted silver, genuine silver leaf Dimensions variable These moments enact Mindfulness, to consider what one reaps. Photo by Bianca Hoffrichter Acknowledgment is recognised by One and by All, http://madebymad.weebly.com As Indebtedness entwines throughout, thanking all that came before.

15 STEPHANIE DODDRIDGE University of South Australia

Skin Crawls Cloth, yarn, wax, wool fleece, fibre fill, raffia, bamboo yarn, madder root, thread Dimensions variable Photo by Michael Haines https://stephdoddridge.wixsite.com/website @stephaniedoddridgeartist

Using psychoanalytic theories as a lens, I investigate the relationship between psyche, skin and cloth. In considering my own body as a site of abjection, I explore past events which have shaped my own experience of embodiment through physical and psychical impacts. The connection between the internal and external challenge my own sense of self identity in the face of constant abjection. I draw on Surrealist traditions of drawing from the psyche through soft sculptural forms. The relationship between psyche and skin is a constant interchange of cause and effect on one another. Psychological stress, fears and anxieties manifest on the skin’s surface as disease and depigmentation. External lesions cause psychological distress, unconscious fears are visualised through the skin’s surface. Skin itself becomes a site of both beauty and abjection; eliciting responses of both attraction and disgust. It is a site of decay, of ageing, trauma, disease and degeneration. It is a border between self and the world, a vessel which contains abject fluids, and which those fluids breach; yet proportion and harmony is found in skin. Contemporary focus on skin and beauty has brought about the notion that skin is changeable. It can be customised, cut and stitched to adjust, treated like cloth. Skin and cloth hold intimate knowledge of one another. We are wrapped in cloth from birth to death, we sleep in it, we bathe with it, it protects us, hides us and forms to our shape. Cloth becomes a supplementary skin, hiding the abject skin. Cloth forms part of our external identity. We project our internal sense of self onto the surface of the skin to form our self identity. Historical fascinations with anatomy as a spectacle have informed my use of wax as a medium. Wax substitutes skin to become intermeshed with cloth. Like skin, wax flakes, cracks, wrinkles, protects and forms a skin as it solidifies. Cloth is the other predominant medium which brings with it connotations of comfort and safety, and clothing as a second skin.

16 CHANTELLE FEY University of South Australia

I have a very anxious and succumbing relationship with my own personal memories. I have completely surrendered to their fragile and deteriorating nature. Memories seem to always be balancing on the edge of recollection and decay, sometimes intercepted by a warm touch or a familiar scent to resurface a fragmented memory from the past. Brief and fleeting moments remain in our minds but the overall structure has vanished into oblivion. My work explores these feelings of impermanence with recollections and my own personal concern for the quiet and unconscious fade of memories. Exploring the extremely finicky and delicate technique of polaroid emulsion lifts to visibly represent the tenuous and floating essence of a memory. Polaroid images are the physical embodiment of a memory, they are a symbol that represents a time and a place. Polaroid images are unique and rare in themselves, as are memories. Once a Polaroid is damaged or lost, the physical embodiment of the memory is gone. The glass in this work acts as an emblem of fragility and Oblivion (detail) becomes synonymous with the frailty of Polaroid emulsion on glass the emulsion technique. The significance 20 x 20cm Image courtesy of the artist of the ocean in this work is that it aligns with the watery, seaweed type membrane of the Polaroid emulsion, creating a contrast between the idea of fragility with the sureness and infinite ocean.

17 JESSA KLOEDEN Flinders University

Items that have been orphaned from their original owners, but are given a second, or third, or fourth opportunity with another. What unknown history do they hold? What memories of our own do we share? These objects are passed down and then put aside, covered, perhaps collecting dust but kept for the memory of others. They are trapped in a loop to be shown and then hidden once more as they wait to be free and reminisce of a time that once was.

Grandma’s Tin of Keepsakes Paper, black card, string Dimensions variable Photo courtesy of the artist

https://www.jessakloeden.com @jessakloeden

18 Lok. University of South Australia

非法 (Illegal) Adjective; not legal (illegal) This word has altered an object that is intended to protect, into one that is associated with fear and vulnerability. Emphasising the injustice of an alarming situation in people’s consciousness. 2019 was a hard year for Hong Kong. The protests from 2014 to 2020 and ongoing has affected not only the people in Hong Kong but also the Hong Kongers who are watching our homes from afar, unable to do anything besides cry and pray our family and friends are safe. During the initial two peaceful protests where the population asked the government to respect their desire to “let Hong Kong be Hong Kong” many tragic events happened. Journalists were shot, police fired over a thousand tear gas canisters in a 24 hour period into public spaces, and protestors were severely beaten by police leading many people of Hong Kong to wear masks to protect their identity. In response, the government made the wearing of face masks illegal, utilizing a colonial-era emergency law to “control the citizen”. Utilizing the democratic rights that we have become accustomed to, this government law of making the wearing of masks illegal speaks of the issues we face. Is the mask so threatening that they feel unsafe? Or are the masks a symbol of the anger and voices that they choose to ignore, and the knowledge that this is a home that we would risk our lives for. So, Who is afraid?

Illegal Mask 180 disposable medical facemasks, paint, wire Apx 247 x 160cm Photo courtesy of the artist

@lok.theartist

19 RIO MIGNONE Flinders University

‘Where have you been, darling?’ brought to you by Studio Yio, is an abstractly feminine collection giving girls an opportunity to finally step, uninhibited, into their alter ego. Feeling lost and uninspired during lockdown, designer Rio Mignone conceptualised a collection that is a physical manifestation of what she desired to be at that time – her own boss, hug and company. Each look explored a theme independently to eventually come together as a cohesive collection. ‘Be your own hug’ was developed by exploring the concept of an embrace and conveying this in a garment. ‘Be your own boss’ drew inspiration from the looks of iconic women in the 80s and 90s to exude confidence. Playing on the idea of loneliness, ‘be your own company’, was conceptualised by blending two individuals into one outfit. Consider it an aspirational escape from reality, expressed through the language of performative fashion. Taking a deconstructed yet emotive approach to design, her work is unapologetically sexy, but not in a way that’s tailored to the male gaze. With so much of the fashion industry thriving off women’s insecurities, these designs are for her, and her alone. Like the Studio Yio girl, this range is multifaceted – using fabric textures, garment layering and structural manipulation to create a contrast of soft and sharp elements. It’s for the darlings who find themselves feeling a little bit wobbly.

Where have you been, darling?: Be your own boss Fusible foam wadding, cotton sateen, silicone leather, micro jersey, mesh Size 16 Photo by Alistair Nicholls

https://riomignone.wixsite.com/portfolio @studio_yio

20 ELLIS MOSELEY Flinders University

Super Duper Flying Fun Show is an installation of one hundred slip cast ceramic longneck beer bottle forms in pastel hues. It makes reference to a series of crimes enacted on young boys across Adelaide during the late 1970s and early 1980s, that left a deep and transformative wound in South Australians’ psyche. This work centres on themes of innocence taking, subverted rights of passage, and lingering injustice. Through repetition and uniform orientation, the work speaks to the shared qualities of the perpetrators, victims, and acts. Colours of Fruit Tingles and Sherbet Bombs connect to the wonder and simplicity of childhood, while the residual seams from the casting process, hardened and sharpened through firing, employ the visual language of youthful fragility, but also the incomprehensible brutality of the perpetrators’ final acts. The eternal quality of ceramic material holds to the permanency and irreversibility of innocence lost; for the victims, their loved ones, and the State. Super Duper Flying Fun Show attempts to quietly and kindly leave a question at the feet of a city and a state before these crimes slip from living memory.

Super Duper Flying Fun Show Slip cast ceramic 30 x 480cm Photo by Michael Haines

21 TAYLOR PARHAM Masters Candidate University of South Australia

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These photographs mark the beginning of a long-term project documenting places of science and research, teaching and learning, places that are unseen and unfamiliar to the majority. My intent is to reveal the accidental aesthetics and beauty that exists in these spaces built with form and function as a priority, exploring the intersection between Art and Science.

Mineral Separation Laboratory Pigment print 120 x 80cm Photo courtesy of the artist

http://www.taylorparham.com.au @taylorparham

22 MAIKO PETTMAN Flinders University

My artwork appeals to the viewer’s curiosity of nature and takes them to the macro and microscopic world between plants and fungi. ‘Whisperer’ and ‘Mycorrhizas’ are from my project, ‘The Beneath and Above’. In this project, I explore the mutual relationships that exist in nature. I would like to Whisperer - 4 represent my sense of wonder of how other life Porcelain paper clay, LED light 21 x 15cm communicates with each other and how it maintains Photo by Michael Haines balance and harmony. The three core tenets of this work are symbiosis, curiosity and understanding. SecretGarden40 Underground, fungi, bacteria and plants’ root networks @ maikopettman/ create a magnificent communication system that we are only just beginning to understand. In the air, terpenes are used for long distance communication between forest plants and insects. The forest which we think is quiet, still and passive actually is a place much chattier, busier and more proactive than we realise. When looking back on our relationship with nature, it seems we have lost our feeling of awe and see it as nothing more than a resource. If this is true, what can reconnect us to nature? It is our curiosity; our desire to know and understand the unknown. Since starting ceramics, I have been inspired by biomorphic design and artists such as Angela Mellor, Valeria Nascimento and Angela Valamanesh, while exploring the theme of non-verbal communication. Therefore, I was fascinated by the fact that plants and other forest life have a network of sharing information. It was challenging to represent their symbiotic relationship because it all takes place beyond our level of perception. To achieve this, I was inspired by Angela Mellor’s work with bone china paper clay and presentation techniques. After the experiments, I embraced the translucency of porcelain paper clay, illumination and makie techniques to create artwork that invites us to explore the secret, symbiotic world of the forest. I appreciate that I have gained valuable artistic skills and have an opportunity to communicate my message to people’s hearts directly.

23 BIANCA PIBWORTH University of South Australia

Memories can be strong, faint, changeable and distant. I aim to reference the fragility and malleability of our memories by capturing such a delicate substance onto diaphanous materials. Challenging the preconceived notions of what a painting should be, I use non-conventional materials on a surface where one would expect the pictorial space. By using a material which can be nostalgic to some, I encourage the viewer to explore their own memories and experiences with the material.

Fairy Dust #7 Wooden stretcher, screen, crystal 55 x 65cm Photo by Michael Haines

@ancasart__

24 The Installation Vanitas for a Changing World was inspired by Tricia’s determination to start a conversation about the global climate crisis. Using wet-plate collodion alumintypes as media, these are photographs made with purpose. It is said that art holds a mirror to the world, and here this idiom is tested with both general and specific intent. We (humankind) are complicit in what is now termed the ‘super-wicked’ problem of climate change. Simply put, this descriptor recognizes problems for which there are multiple causes; no simple solutions and political complications. The sting in the tail is the lack of time to sort out the mess. The inclusion of a single mirror in the group allows a reflection of viewers to join in the installation as each and every one of us is complicit in the dilemma that is the climate crisis. Referencing the art historic memento mori and vanitas genres as symbolic reminders about the inevitability of death, Tricia imagines a 21st century life on earth vanitas with additional components, being plastic artifacts that hint at the ubiquitous global presence of this pliable medium. Recognisable tropes appear - the human skull, hourglass, cut flowers and snuffed-out candles. These tropes are joined in Vanitas for a Changing World with plastic vessels, bubble wrap and succulents. These more unorthodox inclusions may be seen as playful, but there is another TRICIA ROSS way of reading their presence as they allude to a conversation we don’t PhD Candidate want to have. There is also an ironic purpose, because scientists advise University of South Australia us that modern plastics have a life expectancy estimated at five times that of the average human. Plastics will endure. Remnant fragments comprise a major contribution to the human-discarded material found in Vanitas for a Changing World (detail) the most recent geological layer in our earth’s stratum, adding weight to Alumintype a new epoch term suggested by geologists as ‘Anthropocene’. Dimensions variable Taking steps to abate predicted climate impacts is now urgent. If the Photo by Michael Haines Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated anything to the world’s population, http://triciaross.com.au/ it is that state-based restrictions, intergovernmental cooperation and @tricmross legislative regulation, can collectively go a long way in curtailing or modifying human behaviour. With a background in environmental law and visual art, in her interdisciplinary investigations, Tricia seeks to combine legal and artistic thinking with making. A goal in her research is to raise awareness toward climate change law-making conversation and action. The choice of media for this installation uses photographic processes that are relatively slow and are systematically planned. In the studio, there is a sense of slowing down, especially when compared to the present-day digital photographic pace of making and image production. Each alumintype is fought for, with many potential interrupters in the fabrication of these wet-plate, chemical photographic works. Light, temperature and the purity of chemistry (collodian, silver nitrate, developer and fixative), may singularly or collectively impact on the success of alumintype images. Each plate is unique. 25 MELISSA SHINN Flinders University

We live in two worlds, one of intolerance and the other is of acceptance. Due to not being accepted for who we are, we hide from society. As a result, we hide from ourselves. Our safe place is being seen; but not being seen, we hide our true self in the shadows. We step out from the shadows, stand up for who we are and self-actualise. I have explored the negative word in text form, which is now on bowls within a 3D structure. The image of a rocky mountain scene is telling the story of being in the shadows, then coming out into the light. This work invites the viewer to discover that there is a way out from despair. Stepping Stones aims to help create an understanding of where we are in ourselves.

Stepping Stones (detail) Hosho and bamboo fibres (paper), gold leaf, relief ink Dimensions variable Photo by Michael Haines

@leo.meayers

26 ASHA SOUTHCOMBE University of South Australia

After hearing that fungi are more closely related to humans than plants, I began my research into the world of mycology. I became enthralled by their unique qualities and often unrecognised importance to our world. Along with being biologically interesting, I find their range of forms and structures incredibly captivating, as well as the impressions they leave behind as spore prints. Working in drawing and printmaking, I aim to capture the intricacies and phenomena of these organisms to promote awareness of their importance and the ways in which they can help both us and the environment. I found that some of the most fascinating and crucially important aspects of fungi are often what we do not see of these organisms. One of these is the natural phenomenon of spore prints. Mushrooms form as the reproductive body of fungi and often last only a few days, with the sole purpose of releasing spores. They are microscopic and often can’t be seen, however when a mushroom is picked before the spores have been released, they can be captured by placing the cap on a piece of paper. As the spores collect over several hours they form a print and are very intricate yet subtle in design. I began collecting spore prints of different types of mushrooms I had picked, and found that different species ranged in colour, patterning and time it took for the spores to collect. They are beautiful and extremely ephemeral which I aim to translate through my representations of them. Kuitpo Forest Collection I Graphite on paper Printmaking seemed the most fitting medium. Wanting to draw on the 42 x 59cm subtle quality and impression that they had, I created this series of lino Image courtesy of the artist carvings based on the spore prints I had collected which I then embossed. Along with blind embossing, I then inked the lino blocks, cleaned them and printed them again to pick up a slight residue of the ink, which can be seen in the four Spore Print Editions. This created a very speckled grey hue, similar in quality to the original spore prints. While mushrooms are what we mainly look at when thinking of fungi, their structures are actually predominantly made up of mycelium which is the root-like network that grows beneath the surface of a fungi’s substrate. My large central piece entitled Mycelium is a large scale embossing of a mycelium network that branches around a detailed graphite drawing of a mushroom. Like in real life, the mushroom itself stands out, while in order to see the mycelium one must look extremely closely. This creates an intimate experience where you can look closely at all the intricacies and subtleties of my work, and give a greater understanding of the process that has been put into each piece.

27 JESSICA STEPHENS University of South Australia

Growing Lines One Raffia Dimensions variable Photo courtesy of the artist

The artwork of Jess Stephens explores the concepts of connection, interactions, exchange and the body. The positioning of the artist as a visual storyteller, links these objects to identity, history, relationships and family. The processes which the artist engages in ranges from textiles, sculpture to photography. In incorporating different mediums into art practice, the exploration of ideas invites from different perspectives. This approach draws connections between scientific investigative techniques, the formation of natural objects, the perceptions of thinking and the everyday occurrences and routine. Distinct to this is the concepts of duality and the push and pull between choice and classification. Whether this is seen as healthy or unhealthy, nature or nurture, instinct or intellect and the wearing away of these distinctions. Jess Stephens has a particular interest in how these polarities co-exist in the same space and within the same objects. The artworks mimic these qualities and seek to be in conversation across mediums and processes as well as acting as reflection of these concepts in life and the environment thus linking the mind, body and environment in the same reflective processes. The extension of these concepts are seen in the anthropology of craft. The idea that the act of making often comes from our force upon another object. In contrast the act of making through repeated action and engagement created through an object layering upon itself that is reflective of organic growth. The artworks presented illustrate this movement and creation through the interaction and conversation between artist and material. The approach taken to art-making is considered as craft. These techniques, which include basketry, crochet and weaving, draw on the memories and the history of domestication, women’s position in society through history and the currency of care. Due to this, attention in the art has a focus on the time-consuming nature of familiar objects which leads the viewer to examine concepts of time, value, consumption and personal meanings. The materials selected are touch-oriented or earthy as a way to draw in the viewer to the organic nature of the work. The art practice draws attention to the importance of time and repetition as a reflection of investment and care. This is used as a way to subvert the concepts regarding what is considered art and what is considered a craft, and to examine why these distinctions exist, linking these objects to identity, history, record keeping, maternal lines and family. The non-verbal aspect of the work links to the necessity of giving a voice to the stories held within our bodies. These concepts underpin the difficult emotions and situations that can be caused by lived experience. As such, the making of familiar or organic inspired objects reframes not only their purpose but also how we think about artefacts and materials.

28 MENG ZHANG University of South Australia

During this year, I focused on the project which is involved in the action of observing and recording. Through the observation and recording of daily life, I establish a familiar environment for my body, mind and feelings. With this familiarity, I use felt objects, drawings, prints and wired objects to note details in everyday life. The work is an observation as well as a result of recording. To observe, to record, to reflect, to consider retrospectively and then to save the unintended and improvised, to save voice from materials and to save the details of daily life, I try to record the sense of calm and relaxation through the softness of felt, cloth, lines and lights.

Daily Fare (detail) Paper maché, felt, plastic Dimensions variable Photo by Michael Haines

@mengzhang0901

29 HELPMANN ACADEMY HELPMANN ACADEMY HELPMANN BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOUNDATION BOARD ACADEMY Staff Patron Patron Jane MacFarlane His Excellency The Honourable Mr Scott Hicks Chief Executive Officer Hieu Van Le AO Film Director Governor of South Australia Nadia Dolman Chair Program and Events Manager Chair Mr Peter Walker Her Honour Judge Karen Thomas Director Olivia Power Judge of the District Court of South Australia Peter Walker Fine Art Marketing and Engagement Manager Board members FOUNDATION Professor Joanne Cys Board Members Mahalia Tanner Executive Dean UniSA Creative Ms Sarah Abbott Communications and University of South Australia Director Development Coordinator SASSAFRAS Public Relations Mr Richard Fennell Executive, Consumer Banking Ms Cassandra Crawford Bendigo Adelaide Bank Executive Manager Mr Brian Oldman Commonwealth Private SA Director Ms Alexandra Dimos Director Mr Mark Roderick Nunn Dimos Foundation Managing Director Perks Integrated Business Services Ms Margo Hill-Smith Director Professor Jennie Shaw Hill Smith Art Advisory Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) Ms Diana Jaquillard Division of Academic and Student Engagement Consultant Mr Richard Jasek Mr Peter Walker Executive Producer / Director Director Peter Walker Fine Art Mr Hugo Michell Helpmann Academy Foundation Board Director representative Hugo Michell Gallery Mr Craig Whiteman Mr Christopher Penny Partner Director EY Ginn & Penny Insurance Brokers Ms Nataliya Sard Private Client Advisor Morgans Norwood Ms Emma Trengove Senior Private Client Adviser Ord Minnett

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The Helpmann Academy MEDIA PARTNER SUPPORTING PARTNERS acknowledges OUR PARTNER ORGANISATIONS for their continued SLS TICE support throughout the year The Helpmann Academy empowers South Australia’s most promising emerging creatives to realise their visions and build sustainable practices.

We believe the arts are an essential part of society, and that the talented and dedicated emerging artists we support are valuable contributors, who deserve to be encouraged and celebrated.

A career in the performing or visual arts is a tough road to tread. Our aim is to develop connections and pathways for successful and sustainable careers and walk alongside emerging artists as they make the transition from study to professional practice.

We’re proud to collaborate with a passionate community of partners, donors and cultural organisations to provide a unique and valuable program of grants, awards, fellowships, residencies, mentorships and masterclasses.

Together, we work to ensure artists are exposed to a diverse range of opportunities, providing the best chance to develop their artistic identity, and act as the principal driving force of their own careers.

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