See also: Public Programs
Catalogue Essay by Alex Taylor

120° of Separation

Selected works by artists from 3 studios located within 500 metres of Linden

Espy Artists Studios
30 The Esplanade Studios
St Kilda Bowling Club Studios

29 MAY - 27 JUNE 2004

St Kilda has been the home and/or workplace of many of Australia's leading artists, from Albert Tucker and Joy Hester to Peter Booth, Jon Cattapan and Callum Morton. It is widely acknowledged that St Kilda's dynamic artistic community helped to provide the area with the "edgy, contemporary and bohemian" feel that has seen St Kilda become one Melbourne's most desirable addresses.

The resulting rapid development, rising rental costs and changing demographic have all impacted on the availability and affordability of studio space in the area, however in some cases these changes have offered new opportunities. Many artists inhabit spaces that St Kilda residents may walk past everyday without knowing they are there.

120° of Separation offers a glimpse of the work going on inside three of these studios and aims to showcase the diverse group of emerging, experimental and established artists that inhabit them.

The romantic notion of the artist studio is typified in the derelict, Spanish Mission-style block of flats behind the Espy Hotel in Victoria Street, soon to be transformed into luxury apartments but presently functioning as Espy Artists Studios. Current occupants include Alan Mitelman, Judy Holding, Jason Hartcup and Susie Hansen.

30 The Esplanade Studios, conveniently located across from the Dog's Bar and which previously saw action as home to the Water Police Search & Rescue, are now tenanted by such well known and respected artists as Elizabeth Gower, Sue Ford and Lewis Miller along with upcoming younger artists such as Liat Azoulay and Amanda Morgan.

Despite the recent resurgence of bowling, in the mid nineties declining memberships at the St Kilda Bowling Club saw the rooms converted into the St Kilda Bowling Club Studios. Since 1998 painters, sculptors, photographers and performance artists have worked under the same roof - these include company in space, Betty Greenhatch and leading Indigenous artist Julie Gough.

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PUBLIC PROGRAMS

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE - SERIES II - MAY EVENT

Lights Camera Action!
St Kilda's place in Melbourne's film and TV culture

As any local can tell you, film crews are a ubiquitous part of St Kilda's streetscape, whether they are capturing such icons as Luna Park and St Kilda pier or exploring its atmospheric back alleys, tree-lined streets, intriguing architecture and colourful subcultures. Locals have become adept at turning a blind eye to celebrities and dodging around film shoots. But if you think it took The Secret Life of Us to attract the cameras, think again.

St Kilda has been part of Australia's national film history from the very start. When the Duke and Duchess of York arrived in Australia to open the first parliament, in 1901, Limelight Films, the pioneering film department of the Salvation Army, were there to record their landing at St Kilda pier. And when Amalgamated Pictures decided to film detective thriller The Mystery of a Hansom Cab a decade later, the scenes around their St Kilda studio supplied many of the locations.

St Kilda's continuing importance to film and TV culture is the subject of a forum at Linden, St Kilda's Centre for Contemporary Arts next Thursday, May 27th. As part of the St Kilda Film Festival, it promises an entertaining and illuminating discussion of the ways this local area continues to inspire imaginations and nurture talent.

Among the speakers sharing their insights, anecdotes and reflections are Tania Lacy, a comic, actor and writer well known to TV and short-film audiences, and Drew Rhodes, a location manager responsible for finding and overseeing locations for such TV hits as MDA, Skithouse and The Secret Life of Us.

Joining them will be filmmaker Nigel Buesst, who was director of the St Kilda Film Festival for six years, award-winning writer/director Lawrence Johnson, best known for his films Night Out, Eternity and Life, and Lizzette Atkins, and independent producer with Balaclava-based Circe Films.

This event is the latest in the Local Knowledge series, supported by the City of Port Phillip through its Cultural Development Fund.
A free brochure detailing some of the most important cinemas, locations and filmmaking organisations throughout the City of Port Phillip will be launched at the event.

Date: Thursday 27th May 2004
Time: 6.30 pm
Place: Linden, 26 Acland Street, St. Kilda
Cost: $12 full, $10 concession, $8 Linden Subscribers
Includes refreshments.
Bookings essential, Tel 9209 6794 or email admin@lindenarts.org

For further information please contact Linden Programs Manager Jan Duffy on 9209 6794 or email info@lindenarts.org

This project has been assisted by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Advisory Board through its Cultural Development fund.

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DOES THE CITY OF
PORT PHILLIP STILL
HAVE SPACE FOR ARTISTS?

The City of Port Phillip has historically been home to many artists, who have been drawn to its cheap rent, cosmopolitan environment and proximity to the city.

However, recent rapid development, rising rental costs and a changing demographic have had a negative impact on available and affordable studio space. Although artists still enjoy living and working in the area their existence is precarious. Many have sought alternative accommodation - some using their homes as studios and others shifting to outer suburbs.

Join a panel of local artists for a discussion on the impact of social and economic change on artists' space; if artist space requirements have changed; and whether support should be provided.

GUEST SPEAKERS

The evening will be chaired by Richard Holt, an artist and writer who works for the City of Port Phillip. His former studios in St Kilda and Middle Park have become luxury housing and he now works from home in a neighbouring suburb.

Artist and curator David Hugh Thomas has had more than 20 years experience in the field. He has worked from his studio behind St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel since 2000. David has also lived and worked in New York where he had many interesting and parallel experiences finding (and losing) studios.

Elizabeth Gower is a well known and respected local artist who has been exhibiting throughout Australia and overseas since the mid 1970s. Her diverse practice and looming deadlines have often led to desperate measures when acquiring workspace - from converting her home into studio to hiring a portable class room from the local primary school.

Hellen Sky is co artistic director of company in space, a trans disciplinary collaboration that use technology to explore the connections between image, sound and the human body. company in space are original tenants of the artists studios at the old St Kilda Bowling Club.

Ben Cobham is co director of bluebottle, a theatrical lighting and design company based in South Melbourne for over ten years. Ben's current project, The Impossible House, is a collaborative experiment that extends theatrical design principles to architecture and the concept of public space.

DATE Thursday 24th June 2004
TIME 6:30pm
PLACE Linden - St Kilda Centre for Contemporary Arts
COST $8 full $6 concession $5 Linden subscriber (includes glass of wine)
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL Tel 9209 6794 or email admin@lindenarts.org

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