Linden New Art acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate, the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin nation and pays
our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
IMAGE > Karla Dickens, Mother’s Little Helpers V, 2019, inkjet print, 67 x 120 cm.
Image courtesy of the artist and Andrew Baker Art Dealer.
Karla
KARLA DICKENS
My Mother’s Keeper
22 February 2020 > 30 August 2020
My Mother’s Keeper will feature a film and a series of new photographs produced as a result of a collaboration between
the artist Karla Dickens and writer Bruce Pascoe. Initiated by the Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation, the work focuses on the urgent
need for us to protect and conserve the land and our environment.
Jacqui Stockdale
The Long Shot
22 February 2020 > 30 August 2020
This new body of work extends Stockdale’s long-held fascination with early colonial times in Australia. The Long Shot explores
the dominant narratives of Australian folk history, mythology and iconography and challenges their potency within a contemporary context.
Based on extensive research, Stockdale presents a new version of Ned Kelly’s family history, with a focus on the experiences of Kelly’s
mother, Ellen.
Jacqui
IMAGE > Jacqui Stockdale, Historia [detail], 2015-2020, C-type print, 140 x 110cm.
Image courtesy of the artist.
IMAGE > Robert Fielding, Echoes #2 (Kapi Pilki Kapi Ilu) [detail], 2019, C-type print on lustre paper, 80 x 120 cm. Image courtesy of
the artist, Mimili Maku Arts and Blackartprojects.
Robert
Robert Fielding
Routes / Roots
22 February 2020 > 30 August 2020
Robert Fielding is a contemporary artist of Pakistani, Afghan, Western Arrente and Yankunytjatjara descent, who lives in
Mimili Community in the remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Fielding’s work combines strong cultural roots with
contemporary perspectives.
Isolate with Linden
The Linden team is happy to share some great links and art activities with you during the closure of the gallery.
Tips for surviving isolation | Kids Activities | Podcasts
we recommend |
Food Obsession | Well-being | Craft Activities |
Links from Galleries
TIPS FOR SURVIVING SELF ISOLATION
Cat Hope
In 2019, Cat Hope presented a solo exhibition with Linden titled Sub Decorative Sequences. Cat is a composer, musician, songwriter and performance artist. For her show, she transformed the decorative elements of Linden’s interior design to create a unique graphic score that ran the lengths of the gallery walls and was performed by musicians in a series of special events. We asked Cat what she had been up to during lockdown and we were not surprised to find that repetition, routine and rhythm have underpinned her recent work.
“This most recent lockdown is hard. I have been feeling quite adrift but have now learnt you just go with that for a while and
you eventually find your way back in when someone knocks on that virtual door. Luckily, early on I started a project that sees 2 x
2 minute new music commissions recorded every month, in the '2 Minutes
From Home'
project with my group Decibel. This has turned out to be pretty robust for these ups and downs: we all record our parts at home, and
they are edited into short audio visual experiences where you see us playing, accompanied by a podcast
series,
and the score scrolling in a video released on the groups social media. We
have 20 to do, so this will take us up to the end of the year at least! Talk about Repetition, Routine and Rhythm! It strangely keeps us
together. I recommend doing things with your gang that can withstand changes and are not conditional on 'things getting better'.
IMAGE > Portrait of Cat Hope, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist.
Tips from
Cat
Online experiences of visual art have not been as rewarding, but I have enjoyed getting access to galleries without having to travel. These are best when there are new and extra interviews added - it makes up for the paucity of online. I have been reading poetry, then sharing the books so I can talk to others about them: Antonia Pozzi in Italian with my friends there, rediscovering Emily Dickenson though a colleague's Instagram posts, taking me back to the texts, talking to my daughter over in Perth about Nikita Gill. There is a lot of great poetry on Instagram. A little book by Clarice Lispector called The Hour of the Star that I have returned to few times as it’s so rich and strange. Short is best for me right now. I have also read a beautiful book of dance as writing entitled The dancer in your hands <> by my PhD graduate Jo Polllit, that was recently published on UWA press.
Loving the online film festivals, most recently, Revelation's “Couched” version from Perth. Working with friends on low impact audio visual collaborations to see what happens - then trying to make my scores flash for an online collaboration with Chicks on Speed as part of Ars Electronica in Austria. And back to making silly Facebook posts instead of promotional ones. I have discovered GIFS and MEMES. I am a social person, and I think I have found a way!”
Sam Leach
In 2017, Sam Leach presented a solo exhibition with Linden titled Avian Interplanetary. This show was held at Domain House in
Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, while our Acland St home underwent a major renovation. We caught up with Sam to find out what he had been
up to during lockdown and as it turns out, he has been very busy.
"My studio is at home and normally it is very quiet, but during lockdown I have been joined by my wife and daughters so isolation for me
has meant a lot more human interaction than usual. Home-schooling has been fun – I found a mistake the maths teacher made, which was very
satisfying. Some of the material they cover in school is quite interesting, and some is not. But it is nice to recall how much fun it was
mucking around with the other kids when the teacher isn’t looking – or when you have the camera turned off.
During round one of lockdown I added to my difficulties by building a new studio in my backyard and giving myself a couple of
semi-serious (not actually serious though) injuries. Calling the ambulance and going to the hospital was an opportunity for conversations
with different people and also an outing, so in a way quite a treat. I’m not sure what round two will hold but we have recently adopted a
rescue cat (our beloved old cat died at the end of last year so we were ready for a new addition). Building a relationship with a new cat is
a complex process so that is absorbing a lot of attention now. With what energy I have left after the cat and the home-schooling I am
preparing for a solo show in Sydney at the end of August (touch wood). This show is paintings based on compositions developed using AI and
its all about finding a way to have a society without anybody doing hard work. I started that idea before Covid but now it seems pretty
apt."
Alicia King
2019. The exhibition aimed to raise questions about the use of technology to manipulate nature and biological systems, including the human
body. We asked Alicia what she had been doing during lockdown and what had been keeping her motivated and entertained.
“While in lockdown I've started a new job and moved into a new house (both of which I'm very thankful for), so it's been quite a hectic
time. I feel like I have less time now, even though I don't have a work commute anymore. I'm a bit of a workaholic homebody at the best of
times, though in my 10th week working from home I finally have itchy feet to get out into the world again. In between packing up my old
studio and setting up my new space I haven't had much creative time but having a break from making has been perfect for daydreaming and
thinking about what I want to do next creatively. I've been doing a lot of reading and journal sketching, mapping out new project ideas;
making the most of ACMI's free Wednesday night film program and links to queer films online; soaking up podcasts like Criminal and This is
Love; disconnecting from the news-hype and avoiding COVID-19 conspiracy theory emails from certain family members. It's been a strange
time.”
Kylie Stillman
Kylie Stillman’s solo exhibition The Opposite of Wild was shown in 2017 at Domain House in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, while
our Acland St home was being renovated. We asked Kylie what she had been working on recently and what had been keeping her entertained and
motivated over the recent weeks.
“Isolation for me has had me yearning for everything audio. The need to be on screens to communicate for work and learning had me reach
for Bluetooth headphones and speakers and flood the house and studio with music, audio readings and conversation. Here are my three
loves that are getting me through:
Dan Fox has released a makeshift audio recording of his book ‘Limbo’; the work has been great to revisit in the current climate of isolation.
Richard Watts, 9am - 12pm Thursday on RRR Smart Arts. To be able to still hear from the Melbourne arts community has helped bring the wider
world within virtual reach.
And for the kids (3-6 years old), I have discovered Kinderling, which plays quality kids radio programs and music all day long.
Mimili Maku Arts
Anna Wattler, Manager at Mimili Maku Arts, has shared an update on how the Mimili community have been handling the government restrictions
put in place in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. Though this has been a challenging time, it has also brought new opportunities to the
community.
"Mimili is on the APY Lands, a region in the far northwest of South Australia. We have been under the Commonwealth Biosecurity Act since
mid-March. This means that entry to our region is strictly restricted, and requires 14 days of self-isolation.
Whist those measures may seem extreme, it has been absolutely essential for keeping everyone in community safe. Like many remote Aboriginal
communities we experience severe levels of social disadvantage, manifested – amongst other things – in poor health and living conditions
that make it hard to impossible to enact best-practice hygiene for prevention of community transmission of COVID. With high rates of
diabetes, asthma and kidney disease, large parts of the population out here are considered high-risk when exposed to the virus. That is why
the strategy of restricting access to the APY Lands was enacted very early on, and has been strictly executed since."
KATIE GRAY
Katie Gray is an emerging artist who is also part of our team of volunteers. We asked Katie how she has maintained her creative drive during
lockdown.
"I would say the most important thing in order to stay creatively focused is to invest in yourself and your mental health. Then seek
some inspiration. Take your time with it, to gather enough that you feel ready to create again. And take time to rest if you need it. Pick
some type of project to focus on - something that has an achievable end goal. In such trying times with no control over how long the
circumstance will last, it's important to give your brain something to focus on; something that is in your control, and something that you
can see the achievable outcome and finish line for."
Erin Coates
Erin Coates exhibited in Dark Water with
Anna Nazzari at Linden in 2019.
“My practice is quite strongly connected to ideas I’ve formed around endurance and physicality – at first it was rock climbing, and now it’s
free-diving. I need these activities to drive the conceptual aspects of my work and also maintain a sense of physical and creative
endurance.
Reading Haruki Murakami’s book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running was like a road to Damascus moment for me. So obviously,
being cooped up during COVID-19 is pretty hard! Luckily, in WA, I can still get out for a nearby run and some free diving training in the
Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). This is allowing me to have long studio days. I’m working on several new pieces. Some require a lot of
concentration and I find I can only have instrumental background music on. Film soundtracks are great for this. I like quite dark stuff,
such as the scores to Under the Skin, Annihilation, Sicario, Bladerunner 2049. For other studio work I can listen to podcasts and
audiobooks. My current favourites are: 99% Invisible (fascinating design stories), The Allusionist (all
things linguistics, very entertaining), ABC’s Bookshelf and Conversations, and I love the podcast The Scissor Sisters – women
filmmakers discussing genre, action and horror films. My life goal at the moment is to be a guest on there.”
Anna Nazzari
Anna Nazzari exhibited Dark Water with Erin Coates at
Linden in 2019.
“As a self-diagnosed introvert, I thought working from home would be a breeze - I would be able to avoid peak hour
traffic and have more time for making art. The reality has been a lot harder, work often bleeds into my
art practice time, so establishing boundaries has been the most difficult thing for me. I have
found time to focus on my practice and … it is the first time in 18 years that I can just enjoy
playing/experimenting without a deadline looming.
Currently, I am interested in exploring a sort of transhuman transmigration, in which everyone may have to migrate in some
way, shape or form after the impact of a major disaster or climate change. In this space, I don’t just want to focus on
human migrating bodies after a disaster I also want to include human/animal hybrids. I guess I am most interested
in questioning what a transhumanist transmigration might look like i.e. is it moving
to a liminal place in which humanity has evolved beyond its physical and mental limitations or is it
a familiar place but one “humans” do not normally inhabit such as the ocean?
When I am thinking about this and painting, I love to listen to music and I find what is getting me through at
this time is live music videos on Instagram. In particular, I am a fan of the Isol-Aid festival. The voyeur in me
likes seeing the artist’s home environment as well as the raw nervous energy of artists performing alone (or trying hard to social
distance). I am also enjoying Beinart Gallery’s one-on-one artist talks and some of
Saatchi Gallery’s live presentations.
Importantly though, I’m doing okay and I hope you are also fairing well in these strange times.”
NATALIE RYAN
Natalie Ryan exhibited a series of photographs and sculptures in an exhibition titled Imaging
the Dead at
Linden in 2018. We asked Natalie to share her thoughts on isolation and to let us know what she’s currently working on.
“I believe working within restrictions can allow for new opportunities to develop. It’s important to try and adjust to keep moving and
motivated. I know it can be easier said than done but we have time to explore how. I am currently working from home due to restricted
studio and kiln access, for me this means I am changing the medium I predominately work in.
I usually work in clay - either firing the work to finish as ceramic or making moulds of the work to cast in other materials. As I am
unable to use these materials at the moment I will be developing a series of drawings and also jewellery works which I will be able to
sculpt on a very small scale and finish in safer times. It’s important during this time of adjustment to not be hard on yourself as we’ll
all need a bit of warm up time to set new routines and negotiate workarounds for multiple parts of our lives – I’ve started several drawings
and haven’t been able to stick with one yet!
I am quite used to working in isolation in the studio but I always make sure that when I take my breaks I communicate with people –
either social media, phone calls, text etc. I think this is really important as it can pick up your mood and change the your headspace. When
working I also listen to music or podcasts. I’m currently being a bit nostalgic and listening to some albums from the past, as for
podcasts a bit of true crime but at the moment I’m enjoying Clementine Ford’s ‘Big Sister Hotline’ for a bit of fun
and David Zwirner’s ‘Dialogues’ which has some interesting conversations between creatives. I’m reading ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’
by Gabriel García Márquez which was a gift.
I’ve just watched a British Crime series ‘The Capture’ on ABC, which was great, and I’ve been watching measured doses of the ABC News
who I believe are providing the most informative and useful information. I’m loving making lots of yummy and healthy food, we are getting
fresh fruit and veg and a cheeky wine delivered by the Local Drop - a company that has started delivering local produce to your door
contact-free that would have normally gone to restaurants. I think it’s really important to take moments everyday that are just for you,
simple pleasures and time away from all the noise are everything.”
kids Activities
Tessellations
Tessellations are the covering of a surface using one or more geometric shapes, called tiles, with no overlaps and no gaps. They are an interesting way in which to create beautiful patterns and have fun learning about shapes.
+ Read more
Art Coloring Book
Art Coloring Book is an experiment by Google. Colour your way through the palettes of famous paintings.
+ Read more
Animal Vision Periscopes
This activity encourages consideration of how animals might view the world. Which animal will you be today? An eagle? A hammerhead shark? A chameleon? Think about all of the different features of your chosen animal’s habitat… you never know what you might spot on your adventures!
+ Read more
Night Sky Lanterns
Make your own upcycled tea light lanterns inspired by Winter Solstice night sky – the longest night of the year – which occurred on the 21st of June 2020.
+ Read moreOur favourite podcasts
We also recommend:
Food obsession!
Keep healthy and creative during your isolation. The kitchen is the place to be.
Pasta canvas
inspired by artist Kirra Jamison
When thinking about repetition, routine and rhythm, there is only one recipe that springs to mind - pasta dough made from scratch. All it takes is a bit of flour, water, egg and a bit of time to knead, roll & shape and knead, roll & shape.
For this Cook Like an Artist, we decided to take it up a notch by making pasta inspired by Linden alumni artist Kirra Jamison.
Ingredients
- 400g Tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 eggs
- pinch of sea salt
- cold water
Pasta
Canvas
IMAGE > Pasta Canavas photos by Jasmin McNeill
Heston Blumenthal and Cheesecake With Emmental
This week we have looked to the master of magical cuisine, Heston Blumenthal, for our cooking inspiration. Well-known for creating illusory recipes such as ice cream pork pie or meat fruit, we have found a recipe that is achievable without a science-lab kitchen, yet still has that beautifully surprising element of not being all that it appears.
+ Read more
Anicka Yi's Lemon Pasta
This recipe comes from artist Anikcka Yi, who told Mina “It is super tangy from the lemon juice, floral from the zest, and fresh from the addition of peas and herbs. It is filling yet light, and a platform for endless variations.”
+ Read more
Paul Cézanne
Embracing this week’s theme of transformation, Jasmin, our Events Coordinator, took to the kitchen with her seasonal farm produce to create Cézanne’s delectable Brousse cheese. Jasmin made this dish from her home-grown oranges, lemons, honey and goat’s milk.
+ Read more
MILLET’S BREAD ROLLS
This week we have gone for a recipe that would allow you some meditation time whilst baking, as well as the therapeutic pleasure of kneading dough. This is a recipe that was enjoyed by Monet and Millet, presumably because it left them plenty of time for painting as they waited for their rolls to rise.
+ Read moreTake care of yourself and your family
Takashi Kokubo
The ambient music of Takashi Kokubo just might be the perfect relaxing accompaniment to brighten any of your repeated household tasks .. you’ll feel like you’re vacuuming in a forest.
+ Read more
Rhythmic backstitching
There’s nothing quite like hand sewing for a meditative and menial task on a winters day in isolation. It's all about repetition, routine and rhythm. And it seems that sewing is a skill in high demand as the need for reusable face masks increases.
+ Read more
Need a Moment of Zen?
The Rubin Museum is using its Buddhist Art collection to offer daily mindfulness tips and guided meditation sessions. The museum is posting daily Instagram videos exploring Himalayan wellness traditions you can practice at home.
+ Read more
Sound meditation by Mona Ruijs
Support local artists and meditate with Mona Ruijs' 45-minute sound meditation on bandcamp ($5 AUD download for a limited time of one week).
+ Read more
If you're concerned or if you require some help. Have a look at the headtohealth
website here.
You can also call the Coronavirus mental wellbeing support service on 1800 512 348.
The Lifeline Crisis Support Chat is also
available to help if you need.
You can also call Beyond Blue at 1800 512 348 or visit their website
here.
Add a bit of art & craft in your life
Geometric Designs
Through this activity you will discover the satisfaction that comes from creating designs using two simple tools—a compass and a ruler.
+ Read more
Terrazzo-Style Planter
Transform your indoor or outdoor space with some new plant pots. Creating these terrazzo-style planters from polymer clay will add some colour to your space as well as giving you that sense of satisfaction that comes from a DIY challenge. It is a process with many steps, but we all know that transformation doesn’t always happen overnight!
+ Read more
Introduction to eco-dyeing
This method of dyeing is free of harmful chemicals and showcases the beauty of nature. The process relies on trust and patience.
+ Read more
crafty ways to stay zen
Ever heard of meditative stitching? Well we hadn’t either, until we hand-picked our way through contemporary Australian artists to find the best and most crafty ways to stay zen.
+ Read moreFew links from the art world
Del Kathryn Barton
In 2010 the ArtAnd Foundation asked Del Kathryn Barton to reimagine a timeless fairytale. A long-time aficionado of Oscar Wilde’s works, Barton chose The Nightingale and the Rose. With a score by Sarah Blasco, this poignant story is led by a vulnerable but emboldened feminine protagonist.
+ Read more
Celestial Motion
An immersive dance performance in virtual reality, Celestial Motion is inspired by the imagery of solar physics. Choreographed by Alexander Whitley and made in association with Sadler's Wells Theatre, the experience features 360-degree filming and motion-capture technology. The dancers are visualised both in human form and as other-worldly digital figures in a cosmic landscape, showcasing the choreography from a unique perspective.
+ Read more
The Garifuna Collective
Black Catbird is a beautiful video clip by The Garifuna Collective. It features birdsong from species in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. The visuals are stunning and based on Mexico's textile traditions.
+ Read more
Dior
Enter a world of mythological beauty and see the preview of Dior’s Autumn-Winter 2020-2021 Haute Couture collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri, showcased in an exclusive film directed by Matteo Garrone.
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