Winter 2020 Gallipoli Gazette
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Vol. 50, No. 2 (New Series) WINTER 2020 THE GALLIPOLI GAZETTE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE GALLIPOLI MEMORIAL CLUB LTD Alison Mackay with her winning painting "Breathe" 2020 Gallipoli Art Prize Despite the COVID-19 lock down, the 15th Gallipoli Art Prize proceeded with electronic assistance. Alison Mackay, of St George’s coast and posed a real threat to for their bravery. Their courage Basin at Jervis Bay on the NSW her community. and comradeship reminded me of South Coast, won the $20,000 “We spent New Year’s Eve the ANZAC spirit,” Alison said. acquisitive Gallipoli Art Prize for dressed in masks and goggles to “With the world now battling 2020 with her powerful work protect our eyes and lungs from corona virus, the painting has a Breathe which depicted nine diff- smoke as we stayed to defend our certain prescience although it was erent gas masks, mostly from home from potential ember attack. painted before the first case of World War One. It was a scary time for everyone, COVID 19 was diagnosed in Alison said she began thinking but particularly it reminded me Australia,” according to John about breathing masks and what an extraordinary job the Robertson, President of the respirators over the summer Rural Fire Service was doing day Gallipoli Memorial Club and one period when the bushfires were at after day to keep us all safe. We their worst on the NSW south owe them a great debt of thanks of the judges of the prize. 1 ‘The title Breathe is perhaps a including the Bundanon Collection semi-automatic rifle, the standard timely reminder that, in these and National Gallery of Australia, issue personal weapon for difficult days, we all need to take a Canberra (as part of the Animalia Australian soldiers during the moment to breathe.’ print collection). She has been a Vietnam War. In the background Alison Mackay has been a finalist in numerous art prizes are lightly sketched rubber trees finalist in this major national prize including The Archibald, The Portia which Bean invites the viewer to for the last seven years with a Geach Memorial Award for female “imagine petrichor, the smell of range of works reflecting the portraiture, the National Still Life the first drops of rain, warning of a Gallipoli Club’s creed of ‘loyalty, Award and NSW Parliament's Plein tropical downpour.” In her courage, respect, comradeship and Air Painting Prize. Alison works accompanying statement Bean love of country’. mainly from her studio at St says “Major Smith’s petrichor is not ‘I’ve explored different and George's Basin where she paints intended to glorify weaponry or often quite personal themes for directly from life, however she also war, but to remind us of the this prize over the last seven spends time working en plein air in courage and heroism our soldiers years,’ she says, ‘There’s always a the landscape around her home exemplified in the pursuit of diverse and interesting range of and further afield. peace.” paintings in the exhibition, so I’m The judges highly commended Now in its 15th year, The Gallipoli really thrilled to have won this The Telegram by Lori Pensini of Art Prize invites artists to respond year.’ Boyup Brook, WA for her painting to the broad themes of loyalty, Alison Mackay’s work has of a woman receiving devastating respect, love of country, courage focused mainly on still life painting news via telegram. In her and comradeship as expressed in using oils over the last 15 years. accompanying statement Pensini the Gallipoli Club's creed. The She has exhibited throughout talks of her grandmother and “the works do not need to depict Australia, including seven solo unrelenting trepidation clinging to warfare, nor do they need to shows and her work is held in her folds like the rolling dust relate, directly or indirectly, to any private and public collections clouds at her skirt hem, as she conflict. prepares for the two day horse ride to town. She tells of the foreboding waiting for a telegram to arrive, the angst of not knowing and the dread to come upon knowing. This painting is a tribute to the rural women that fought the loneliness of war and the ever lingering threat of an uncertain future on the land without their loved ones.” The judges also highly commended Major Smith's Petrichor by Diedre Bean of the Hunter Valley for her water- colour of an L1A1 gas-operated Lori Pensini Dierdre Bean THE GALLIPOLI MEMORIAL CLUB CREED: “We believe that within the community there exists an obligation for all to preserve the special qualities of loyalty, respect, love of country, courage and comradeship which were personified by the heroes of the Gallipoli Campaign and bequeathed to all humanity as a foundation for perpetual peace and universal freedom”. 2 Editorial: The 2020 Gallipoli Art Prize is the backbone of this Winter edition which includes many of the entries of the finalists. Despite the lock down the prize has continued with works on display at the Merrylands RSL Club. Our worthy winner for this fifteenth year was Alison Mackay, of St George’s Basin at Jervis Bay on the NSW South Coast, for her powerful work Breathe which depicted a variety of gas masks dating back to World War One but also was influenced by the difficulty people of her region had in breathing during the dreadful summer fires in New South Wales. The judges gave high commendations to two artists. The work on page 4, The Telegram by Lori Pensini of Boyup Brook, Western Australia for her painting of a woman receiving devastating news via telegram and to Dierdre Bean for Major Smith's Petrichor of Maryville in the Hunter Valley for her distinctive watercolour of an L1A1 gas-operated semi-automatic rifle, the standard issue personal weapon for Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War. For Alison Mackay’s work http://alisonmackay-latestwork.weebly.com/current-work-2020.html, for Dierdre Bean https://www.botanicalartist.com.au/ and for Lori Pensini see https://www.loripensini.com/. Our President John Roberson reports on progress of the Club and its new premises. We enjoy a historical walk through the Garden Island naval base which started life as a navy garden. On a sad note, we farewell long standing Gallipoli Club member, Colonel John Haynes AM who died in February aged 90 after 38 years of military service and four decades of work for ex-service groups and we also read about the worst air disaster of the Royal Australian Airforce. 360 Virtual Tour of 2020 Gallipoli Art Prize View The 2020 Gallipoli Art Prize online at www.gallipoliartprize.org.au Watch Alison Mackay’s Acceptance speech here (recorded via Zoom from her home) The 2020 Gallipoli Art Prize winners’ and finalists’ works are at www.gallipoliartprize.org.au. In an innovative development for the Gallipoli Memorial Club, a virtual tour of the exhibition using 360 degree photography is available via the website. Developed by filmmaker Luke Banfield of Balderdash Films the virtual tour allows viewers to walk through the exhibition, zoom in on individual works and click for more information on each work. The Gallipoli Memorial Club is hopeful that a physical exhibition of this year’s prize can take place in Sydney later in the year. Full details are available on www.gallipoliartprize.org.au Dierdre Bean "Major Smith's Petrichor" was Highly Commended 3 President’s Report To Quote Edgar Bergen, or more correctly one I think that you will be impressed with the result. of his characters Mortimer Snerd: “Who'd a The judges were impressed with the quantity and thunk it?” When I last put pen to paper, (and quality of the entries. those who know me, I do indeed write with a pen The Scholarship Presentation function equally and ruled paper before transferring to the could not proceed. However the scholarships computer,) we were planning for the AGMs, Art were awarded, information on the recipients can Exhibition and Scholarship functions. be found at: It would have taken a far better Crystal Ball https://www.gallipolischolarship.com.au/27. than mine to have predicted the situation we are Refurbishment of the Club Building is now in; A worldwide pandemic resulting in the approaching completion. The external finishes majority of us living in isolation and a ban on all are impressive. All the windows have been public gatherings. installed, and work has commenced on the As we did not, and could not, have a quorum internal finishes and the floors. at the appointed AGM time we are invoking The Building Committee continues to meet Article 36 (i) of the Club’s Constitution and are with AMP and the builder albeit via video calling for another meeting. Those present will conferencing. We are hoping for a site inspection form the quorum. We are inviting members to update mid-May. contribute via a survey and to ask any questions STOP PRESS: Annual General Meeting (AGM) prior to the meeting. One door closes and another one opens. While As no quorum was present at the second the Gallipoli Art Exhibition cannot go ahead at scheduled AGM, those present were deemed to be this time due to the Covid 19 restrictions, we a quorum. All reports were accepted, and all have gone Hi-Tech. The virtual exhibition can be motions were carried. viewed at https://www.gallipoliartprize.org.au. Lori Pensini "The Telegram" was Highly Commended 4 Vale : Colonel John Haynes AM Long standing Gallipoli Club NSW Association’s Chaplain, and the .303 was our service rifle.