A CONTENTS EDITORIAL A CONTENTS EDITORIAL 4 - 5. Gooooodmorning! Alice Couttoupes: Spring has sprung! Thank goodness too, winter was really Subversive Clay getting to us... EDITORS Penelope Benton 6 - 7. In the spirit of Spring this issue of COFAtopia is all about Kelly Doley shedding that winter coat, taking some risks and getting out Interview with COFA SRC FRONT COVER IMAGE there. Alice Couttoupes Queer Officer Edison Chen Our cover story this issue features Alice Couttoupes who Colonial Gaze, has been selected to exhibit in the prestigeous 2012 Australian Kangaroo Paw 8 - 9. Ceramics Triennale, and was awarded an Arc @ COFA ADG (art Botany and design grant) to get there. We then catch Edison Chen in (detail), ceramics, 2011 Kudos Award the midst of UNSW Queer Week 2012 which is all about supporting and developing Queer community on campus. We LOGO DESIGN Kiera Chevell 10 - 11. announce the judges and prizes for this year’s Kudos Award. WHAT’S ON Then going back out west, we check out the current Desert PRINTING Equinox exhibition featuring works responding to the sun and Arc Office @ COFA solar energy by COFA students and staff in Broken Hill, curated 12 - 13. by COFA Lecturer Allan Giddy. Whilst out there, we visit our THANKS Desert Equinox Exhibition recently refurbished desert studio The Green House at Fowlers Arc @ UNSW Ltd Gap, 115km west of Broken Hill. We finish this all off with a jam-packed what’s on and a rant from COFA SRC International 14 - 15. Officer Alan Fernandez on important International student The Green House issues. Oh and don’t forget to check out the upcoming Kudos Program, some great exhibitions to get to. 18. REMINDER! Upcoming deadlines to remember are: SRC says: International KUDOS AWARD entries due Wednesday 3 October, Officer Alan Fernandez Arc @ COFA Art & Gesign Grants, Group Work Grants, 2013 residency applications to The Green House and 2013 Kudos 19. exhibition proposals are due Friday 5 October, go to arc.unsw.edu.au for all the forms. Enjoy the sunshine! Kudos Gallery exhibition program Love, Arc at COFA xx WINNER “geez it’s hard to hail a cab in this town, GIVEAWAY Sally Charlton is the WINNER of Best Caption submitted for this pic. She will take home a DYMO LABELMAKER! EMAIL [email protected] with your best caption for this pic they always sneak up behind you!” and you could win one too! 2 What drew Alice Couttoupes: Subversive Clay botanical illustrations or The theme of the you to work in ceramics? cross-sections of Trienniale is ‘Subversive distinctively Australian Clay’. What do you think is I had no intention of COFA BFA Hons Ceramics student Alice Couttoupes has been selected native flowers, mounted subversive about clay? working in ceramics when to present her work at the Australian Ceramics Triennale 2012, and was in entomological boxes. I began my studies Through this work, I’m The theme inferres that also recently awarded an Arc @ COFA Art and Design Grant to get there. at COFA. I had always examining the practice of clay as an art form has the Themed Subversive Clay, the exhibiton features a survey of Australian dreaded the ceramics botanical collection; the potential to challenge and Ceramics Graduates. The exhibition is on from 21 September–1 October component at high dissecting, classifying, contest social, cultural and 2012 at the South Australian School of Art, Adelaide. I recently caught school, having to make ordering and cataloguing political norms and issues. up with Alice to talk about her work, ceramics, and submersive clay ... pinch pots and coiling of natural specimens, and It also suggests that there vessels. I began majoring how this practice parallels is a need for ceramics to in textiles and doing ideas of knowledge and challenge itself! Ceramicists ceramics as an elective. power. The process of need to challenge and I soon realised that my botanical collection transcend the conventional understanding of involves the removal of a artistic approaches to ceramics was very limited, specimen from its original ceramics in order to change and there was endless or natural context and the perception both from potential for working with dissecting it into several within the ceramics world, clay as an art and design separate components, the contemporary art form. One artist, Juz stripping it of its inherent scene, and in the face of the Kitson, was particularly meaning. The stark white, broader public. As a young, influential in determining almost bone-like quality emerging artist, when I tell my passion for ceramics. and aesthetic of porcelain people I do ceramics they She makes collections of relates directly to the assume that I make pots, weird, freakish objects process of botanical and 9 out of 10 throw in that fuse human organs, collection and taxonomy, a bad joke about Patrick animal bones and organic and epistemology (ideas Swayze and Demi Moore’s matter. It confirmed my about the creation of well known wheel-throwing belief that there is a knowledge), as it alludes romance. The ceramics space for ceramics in the to the specimens having scene needs to broaden contemporary art scene been stripped bare, and and stake its claim within - to push boundaries and being given meaning once the arts as a legitimate art shock, to make people categorized or ordered form and vehicle for expres- think and reflect - and according to a Western sion. that this space needs knowledge system. This opening up to access a practice of botanical What do you think you will wider audience. collection and classification do after your degree? allows for some interesting What is the relationship reflections on what Currently I’m completing between the conceptual knowledge really is, and the final subject for my Arts concerns in your work who that knowledge Major, Development Studies. around botany and belongs to. I’m considering doing colonialism and the Honors next year, to really medium of porcelain? What will you be consolidate my practice and exhibiting in the skills. When I finish studying My work explores the Australian Ceramic I would love to be able to intimate relationship that Triennale 2012? find a studio to continue colonial botany played in my practice, but it’s pretty the expansion of empire, I’ll be taking two pieces tough financing a studio and the desire to discover with me, the Kangaroo Paw equipped with a kiln. the New World and its and the Banksia Coccinea. Perhaps I’ll try my luck with exotic species. My an Artstart grant but I’m sculptures mimic, in 3D, not sure for now! 4 5 getting to know the cofa src queer non-female identifying officer: edison chen! What made you want to Queer Week at University get involved with Queer is so much more than that. Pride Week 2012? It’s a chance for queer students to meet I would say it’d be mostly other queer because of my role as one students who of the Queer SRC Officers share similar MONDAY, 10 September WEDNESDAY, 12 September FRIDAY, 14 September and that i’m responsible for interests and organizing events here at common @ COFA @ COFA @ COFA COFA. But also because it experience, Start of Queer Week COFA Stall (Free Lollies!) Documentary Screening: Paris is Burning Queer COFAKIDS Sushi Pigout! was an opportunity to glam for them to 12pm - 3pm 1pm 12pm - 4pm up and fabulousify COFA learn and grow and affirm Outside the Cofa Library EG02 Lecture Theatre Activities Room (Next to COFA Common Room) as much as I could! The their queer identity, and it over the year. If I didn’t @ KENSINGTON Queer Mid-Week Social @ KENSINGTON campus is nice and all but it also provides more insight 4 pm - 6pm really could use a tad more into the queer community have this role initially I COFA Common Room Sex is Not the Enemy Workshop queer (in everything). for everyone. Overall it’ll don’t know if I would’ve Start of Queer Week Visibility Barbeque! 12pm - 1pm 12pm - 3pm @ KENSINGTON Civil Engineering 701 provide a safer environ- ever have been motivated Science Lawns (opposite Red Centre) What sort of events do you ment where queer people enough to go to Sitting on the Fence Workshop No Homers Mash Up (Icecream) Kensington for the queer 1pm - 2pm 3pm - 5pm have planned? can feel more comfortable The Religious Queer Workshop LAW 101 Queer Lounge, Level 9 Chemical Science Building and loved! It’s also a great collective! (But I’m so 4pm - 5pm We have our visibility stall time to show how grateful I did). I guess LAW 101 Autonomous Cake Eating Session 2pm - 3pm the best thing would be Michael Kirby Guest Speaker Queer Week PARTY! (YAY) on Monday, our queer art fabulous queer students Queer Lounge, Level 9 Chemical Science Building 7pm 6pm exhibition on Tuesday. are of course, and I think opportunities the role Queer Lounge, Level 9 Chemical Science Building provides for experiences (Audience spots have been lled) Coming Out By Candlelight On Wednesday we have COFA (let alone UNSW) 6:30 pm a documentary screening really is in need for a bit of and growth. Queer Lounge, Level 9 Chemical Science Building Want to attend events at both campuses? and we’re giving the mid- fun and GLAM. You can catch the free shuttle bus at these week social a makeover(!). times! And on Friday I’m being a What has been the best Go to UNSW Queer Week TUESDAY , 11 September THURSDAY, 13 September little self-indulgent and am thing about being the 2012 on FB for all updates hosting a sushi pigout for COFA SRC Queer Non- and shoot Edison an @ COFA @ KENSINGTON the queerkids just because Female Identifying email for any Queer q’s I can :).