Our studio/workshop/performance-lab/empty-shop has now been going for a couple of days in the Imperial Arcade, Mann St, Gosford. I'm in one corner of the space; sharing with three other artists, Wendy Abel Campbell, Kylie Rose McLean and Janet Meaney. We're each working on our own site-responsive projects and enjoying the company, visitors and conversation of this pop-up creative space.
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - work in progress, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - floor frottage pinned to the wall, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
The paint on the floor is peeling off to expose the swirling patterns of the concrete beneath. I wanted to capture these textures and sense of history under our feet, so I made a 500cm long charcoal rubbing (frottage) of the sections of the floor and pinned it to my wall.
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - frottage and weeds, work in progress Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - frottage and weeds, work in progress, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
There's a few derelict spaces and vacant buildings in the surrounding neighbourhood. Nature is gradually creeping back in to these abandoned consumer domains. I'm interested in our human relationships with nature and aversion to things that are naturally difficult for us to control like insects and weeds. During my site research - strolling around the area - I've taken many photos and collected materials. It's always a funny experience dragging these found objects back into the Imperial Arcade, a busy shopping centre in stark contrast to these nearby sites. So far I've collected dried weeds taller than me, seeds and pods ready to spread their species in the wind, twigs with ridges of fungi and a segment of an old wasps nest (minus the wasps).
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - weeds taller than me, work in progress, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - weeds taller than me, work in progress, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - weeds taller than me, work in progress, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - weeds taller than me, work in progress, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - found object, wasps nest and bed of weeds, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - wasps nest and bed of weeds, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Imperial Arcade Studio - poster in window, Gosford 19 June 2012 |
The Gosford Artists Residency is organised by Gosford Regional Gallery and the Imperial Arcade. Artists: Wendy Abel Campbell, Kath Fries, Kylie Rose McLean and Janet Meaney. Visitors are welcome 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday 18-29 June and our resulting work will be exhibited at Gosford Regional Gallery from 21 July to 16 September. www.gosfordregionalgallery.com
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