Studio Threads // Kambarang
A bimonthly update on exhibitions, events, thoughts and reflections
This update is arriving a little later than planned — Kambarang has been a challenging season. My health has been unpredictable, and it’s taken most of my spoons just to get through the days.
In October, I travelled to Albany for an artist residency at the Vancouver Arts Centre. I’d been so looking forward to slowing down, stepping away from the “big” city, and taking a pause from my regular medical appointments. But things didn’t go as I had imagined — I came down with a horrible chest infection that lingered for almost six weeks, spanning the whole residency.
It’s been hard to accept that my residency time wasn’t what I’d been imagining. Here I am learning (again), life often doesn’t follow our plans. Even in illness and recovery though threads of my creative practice continue in observation, reflection, and my imaginings.
Shortly after my chest infection and pausing and restarting oral chemo I had my tonsils removed — something I’d been on the waitlist for after a hotspot kept showing up on my PET scans. Late last week, I got a surprise call about a cancellation, and by Monday I was in surgery. I’d read all the stories about how painful a tonsillectomy can be for adults, and I can now confirm they are absolutely true. It’s awful! Recovery has been rough, but I’m taking things one slow spoon at a time. Literally and figuratively! This spoon has been living on jelly, yogurt and up&go’s.
Despite the setbacks in Albany, I was still able to see some beautiful places. The weather was wild and tempestuous, perfectly mirriring my own feelings and frustrations. I’ll be carrying some of that imagery and intensity into my upcoming work for The Storm (more details below).
While there, I also had the lovely opportunity to interview Anne Bondin, the Convenor of the Albany Bird Group and co-founder of Friends of the Western Ground Parrot. You can read our conversation here:
Not On Time: Conservation, Community, and the Western Ground Parrot
Wishing you all a lovely transit to warmer weather, (or if you are on the other side of the world, look forward to rigging up).
Love, B
Exhibitions and Events
ECU School of Arts and Humanities
Alumni Showcase Exhibition
Familiar Traces
Spectrum | Building 3, Room 191
2 Bradford Street, Mount Lawley 6050
Bringing together works by Alumni spanning the past three decades from across the School of Arts and Humanities, Familiar Traces marks a return to the familiar place where so many creative journeys began. Please join us in Spectrum for the opening of Familiar Traces on Wednesday 12 Novemeber, 5-7pm.
With works by:
Dani Andree | Claire B. Bushby & W. Sze Tsang | Susan Hauri Downing | Graham Hay | Isaac Huggins | Daniel Kristjansson | DeeDee Noon | Denise Pepper | Perdita Phillips | Kristy Scaddan | Harrison See | Ruby Smedley | Rebecca Tunks | Laura Ward | Ben Waters | Holly Yoshida
Opening Night | Wednesday 12 November 5 to 7pm
Dates | Wednesday 12 to 21 November
Hours | 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday
THE STORM
Nyisztor Studio, 1/17 Essex St, Fremantle.
Unsettling and tumultuous, THE STORM approaches rapidly, sending out ripples of energy.
https://sickaf.com.au/exhibitions/the-storm/
EVENTS +
Opening event: 2pm, Saturday 15 November
(For alternative access, live streamed version https://www.facebook.com/events/755630584171563/ )
Clean Air (immune aware) launch: 4.30pm, Wednesday 19 November
(masked event for the immunocompromised)
Digital/Alternative Access: Watch the opening events via live stream > https://www.youtube.com/@SICKAFcollective/streams
VISIT +
On show 16 – 30 November, open 11am-4pm Wednesdays -Sundays
https://sickaf.com.au/
Note: this venue has 4 stairs at the front.
Mask friendly events
Visual story and essentials for visiting and the events > https://sickaf.com.au/.../the-storm/essentials-visual-story/
Reflective Prompts
I’ve been thinking a lot about finding meaning in the pauses we didn’t choose. If you’d like to reflect alongside me, here is a prompt to think about, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments section!
What have I learned from the moments when things didn’t go as planned?
Find out more about Kambarang with Ingrid Cumming: