Then things begin to change… #ephemeral2013

For this group exhibition, Then things begin to change… #ephemeral2013, I'll be installing some new works developed during my recent residency at Hill End, including Solace, my beeswax window pane and floor shadow installation pictured in the invitation below. You can view photos of these works in progress, on my September blog posts from Hill End. I would like to thank Katy Preston for inviting me to be part of this exhibition at Archive Space, and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) for selecting me for the Hill End artist-in-residence program which enabled me to have the time, space and inspiration to develop these works.

Then things begin to change… #ephemeral2013, exhibition invitation

"...That we live in an era in which we are inundated with imagery through social media is not a new observation. The drive to capture the everyday through applications such as Instagram has become second nature. THEN THINGS BEGIN TO CHANGE… #ephemeral2013 explores this strengthening form of interaction with the world around us by creating an evolving exhibition of ephemeral art and asking observers to document its physical transitions in a cumulative virtual exhibition. Working on varying temporal cycles and continuums the artworks of Kath Fries, Julia Gove, and collaborative artists Kathryn Ryan and Alexandra Spence mark the passing of time through the use of light, sound and material shifts. Changing according to the time of day, the day of the exhibition, and the movements of the observer THEN THINGS BEGIN TO CHANGE… #ephemeral2013 will constitute a different experience for every viewer. All visitors are strongly encouraged to actively engage with the artworks by photographing them (as details or in full, in isolation or in relation to one another) and posting the images on Instagram with the hashtag #ephemeral2013, forming a virtual record that will exist long after the physical exhibition ceases to, and providing an insight into how different viewers respond to the space." 
Katy Preston, Curator

The Thousands - the best of Sydney - recommends 'Then Things Begin To Change'
http://thethousands.com.au/sydney/calendar/then-things-begin-to-change-curated-by-katy-preston#2

Then things begin to change… #ephemeral2013
Kath Fries, Julia Gove, Kathryn Ryan & Alexandra Spence
Curated by Katy Preston

4 - 14 December 2013
Archive Space, 5 Eliza Street, Newtown, NSW 2042

Opening: Wednesday 4 December 2013, 6-8pm
Gallery open: Thursday to Saturday, 12 - 4pm

Archive Space invitation Then things begin to change… www.archivespace.com.au

Sun-compass, 2013, Accelerator Gallery

Sun-compass continues my experiments with beeswax as material for sculptural installations, exploring its tactility, malleability and flux. I've used readymade beeswax sheets, made from melted down comb (from honeycomb after the honey is removed), cast into thin panes with embossed hexagonal patterning. These unified sheets have an intriguing translucency and mathematical patterning that echoes the wax's original state in the hive. The tactile sensory nature of this material is heightened by its thin dispersal, drawing attention to its smell and colour influenced by changes in light and differing temperatures.

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread,
installation total size approx. 250 x 690 x 300 cm

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, installation total size approx. 250 x 690 x 300 cm

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, (detail view)

A continuous line of beeswax, like a high-tide mark, runs around the walls of the gallery space forming a visual connection and sense of journey. The line is made from reused pieces of beeswax from previous artworks, as well as new sheets torn or melted into smaller sections and remoulded together. At each end of the space is a distinctly separate  sculptural element; combining beeswax with twigs, bark, thread and clay. On the floor, a circle of twigs and clay seem to be attending each other amidst a state of collapse, whist the suspended bark sculpture benevolently looks on, spinning slowly in the draught. 

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, installation total size approx. 250 x 690 x 300 cm

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, 
installation total size approx. 250 x 690 x 300 cm

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, (detail view)

Sun-compass reflects aspects of my research into the cycles of the worker honeybees' journeys within and beyond the hive. Ever since Aristotle first began observing and recording bees' social behaviour in ancient Greece, scientists have been researching bees  and are still learning new things about their complex behaviours and adaptations. I  was interested to learn about bee communication, particularly the waggle dance - which tells the other worker bees the direction and distance to pollinating flowers. 

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)

My use of beeswax has expand into an interest in bee research, Apiology and Apiculture, heightened by recent media coverage of Colony Collapse Disorder (CDD). This epidemic is rife throughout the Northern Hemisphere and will probably become apparent throughout the  entire world over the next few years. The term, Colony Collapse Disorder, is used to describe phenomenon of worker bees failing to return to the hive, causing the dying out of mass populations of domesticated Western Honeybees. CCD is believed to be mainly caused by use of nemonic pesticides in the agricultural industry. More info.

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)
Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, (detail view)

Kath Fries, Sun-compass, 2013, beeswax, twigs, bark, clay and thread, 
total installation size approx. 250 x 690 x 300 cm

Sun-compass is currently being exhibited at Accelerator Gallery until 30 November 2013.
Artist talk 6pm Thursday 28 November.
Culture at Work - Scott Street Studios

6-8 Scott Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009


Sun-compass exhibition poster

Sun-compass: installation work in progress

Kath Fries, Sun-compass work in progress, 2013, beeswax, thread and twigs

I'm currently undertaking a project with Culture at Work, as the tenth artist in their 2013 art+science program. This work extends my use of beeswax as an sculptural material, referencing bees' communication dances and our reliance on bees to pollinate our food crops. My resulting installation Sun-compass will be exhibited 23-30 November 2013, at Accelerator Gallery, Pyrmont NSW.
Kath Fries, Sun-compass work in progress, 2013, beeswax, thread and twigs

Sun-compass reflects the worker bee waggle dance - performed to communicate the direction and distance of pollinating flowers, in relation to the position of the sun. This tiny insect dance resonates with larger narratives about the complex relationships between bees and their understanding of the world outside the hive. From a human perspective Sun-compass considers how we are undermining our fragile relationships with bees, despite their integral connection to our very survival.

Kath Fries, Sun-compass work in progress, 2013, beeswax on wall

Over the past twelve months I’ve been using beeswax in my installations, as a metaphor for impermanence and our fragile relationships with nature. Currently beeswax is inexpensive and relatively easy to obtain in Australia, but elsewhere in the world its becoming rare and costly, indicative of increasing annual losses of domesticated western honeybee hives in Europe, America and China. This alarming epidemic is termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Kath Fries, Sun-compass work in progress, 2013, beeswax on wall

 Globally we rely on domesticated western honeybees to pollinate one third of all food crops, so the disappearances of these bees has dire implications on the international agricultural industry and our food supply. Scientists estimate that the domesticated western honeybee species will become extinct in most parts of the world, within twenty years if CCD continues at this rate. CCD is caused by neonics pesticides sprayed on crops; the residual toxin in the plant pollen and nectar weakens the bee’s immune systems, eventually killing the bee. This is compounded by a combination of factors including mites, parasites, viruses, genetics, habitat loss, environmental change related stress, malnutrition, and migratory beekeeping.
Kath Fries, Sun-compass work in progress, 2013, beeswax on wall

Sun-compass
Accelerator gallery
23 - 30 November, 2013

Opening: Sat 23 Nov, 3-5pm
Public talk: Thurs 28 Nov 6pm
Gallery hours: Wed-Sat, 1-5pm

Culture at Work - Scott Street Studios
6-8 Scott Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009
www.acceleratorgallery.blogspot.com.au

Accelerator Gallery invitation to Sun-compass

Fishers Ghost Art Award Finalists Exhibition

My works Scorch, 2012, and Situational, 2013, are currently being exhibited in the Fishers Ghost Art Award Finalists Exhibition 2013, at Campbelltown Arts Centre.

Kath Fries, Scorch, 2012, bronze, twine and charcoal, 180x200x20cm

Kath Fries, Scorch, 2012, bronze, twine and charcoal, (detail view)

Scorch, 2012, explores notions of time by capturing in bronze the temporary transitional state of a magnolia budding. A sense of impermanence is rendered into a permanent form. The lengths of twine and pendulums of charcoal, infer trajectories of time and our inability to step outside these continuances.

Kath Fries, Situational, 2013, single channel video, 19.46 minutes

Kath Fries, Situational, 2013, single channel video, 19.46 minutes

Situational, 2013, also reflects the passage of time by documenting a clump of thistledown disintegrating in the breeze from an open window. The shifting angles of late afternoon sunlight and shadows give a sense of real time experience, as this entire work was filmed in a single afternoon. 
More information on this work.
View Situational, 2013, on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/64000155#

Fishers Ghost Art Award 2013

Fishers Ghost Art Award Finalists Exhibition
2 November - 16 December 2013
Campbelltown Arts Centre, 1 Art Gallery Rd, Campbelltown NSW

Applications open for Gunyah artists-in-residence

Since 2011 I've been running the Gunyah artists-in-residence program at North Arm Cove, in Port Stephens NSW. The program has now gained considerable momentum thanks to the enthusiasm and encouraging responses from participating artists, and the positive support of Gunyah's member/owners.

Gunyah

I was a toddler when Gunyah was built, as a fun weekend project and holiday house, by my parents and their friends. This group still own, manage (via the Gunyah Board of Directors) and maintain the property; and their friends and families continue to enjoy  holidays there. I love escaping to the tranquility of Gunyah, each visit feels restorative  and nurturing for my art practice. In 2010 I suggested to the Gunyah Board that other artists might enjoy using the property during the quiet off-season times. The following year Gunyah artists-in-residence program was trialled and it has continued successfully since then.

Gunyah AIR is currently calling for applications for the 2014 program. Visual artists, writers, composers, performance artists, curators, new media, arts administrators and other creators are welcome to apply for a solo, collaborative or group residency. The 2014 AIR program will run from March to October, with one residency per month, providing low cost self-contained accommodation at Gunyah in the quiet village of North Arm Cove, overlooking the gentle waters of Port Stephens. For more information on how to apply please see www.gunyah.blogspot.com.au - applications close 30 November 2013.
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