LUCK?

Becoming The Light Oil on linen 160 x 120 cm

It has been over a week since I last posted. But, as you can see, if you are a regular reader, I have revamped and upgraded my BLOG! There's all sorts of things you can do now! You can Tweet posts share posts on Facebook or share the blog on Linkedin and more. Plus, on the right I have listed links pertaining to my book 'FOR EVERYONE:Words and Paintngs' and listed some of my 'quiet activist' posts which deal more specifically with my concerns about the rapid expansion of mining in Australia, particularly CSG.

SUBSCRIBE

If you are a new visitor please subscribe either via email in the place provided on the right [up top] or the Google Friends subscription. The benefit? Well, you get notification when I write a new post, which is normally once a week.

WHAT I AM READING

I am currently reading Too Much Luck: The Mining Boom and Australia’s Future by Paul Cleary. I went to the launch at the Queensland University of Technology about 10 days ago. There were three speakers including the author. The second speaker was Ruth Armstrong, a farmer and an ecologist from near Cecil Plains, on the Darling Downs. Here's a link to an article which will fill you in on her story http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/fertile-grounds-for-coal-seam-test-case/story-fn59niix-1226059965718 The third speaker was Prof Kerry Carrington http://staff.qut.edu.au/staff/carringk/ Prof Carrington spoke about the social impacts of the rapidly growing mining and CSG industries. She called for great caution in the face of potentail eco-terrorism and more.

In Too Much Luck: The Mining Boom and Australia’s Future Cleary examines various aspects from the economic, social to the environmental, looking at current events and their immediate impact, as well as long term issues. He looks to history for lessons...which our politicans seem not to have learnt. He compares Australia to other resource rich nations [Chile, Norway and East Timor] which have 'harvested' profits to ensure they return and maintain economic benefits to the people now and into the future. He very clearly highlights the economic impacts on other industries in Australia eg: tourism, manufacturing and education, pointing out that these industries employ more people than the mining industry. However, all three are suffering major losses. I recommend you buy Too Much Luck: The Mining Boom and Australia’s Future http://www.blackincbooks.com/books/too-much-luck

Can We Eat Coal For Breakfast? Gouache on paper 30 x 42 cm

http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2010/11/food-fantasy-in-future.html

UQ SYMPOSIUM

Last week I attended an afternoon symposium 'Governing Human Beings In The Age Of The Brain: A Symposium With Nikolas Rose' hosted by the University of Queensland's Centre for the History of European Discourses. Fascinating presentations . Here's the program:

 
“The Biological Imaginary: Science and the Somaticised Self”
Elizabeth Stephens, ARC Research Fellow Centre for the History of European Discourses
The University of Queensland

“Avoiding the Seductions of Neurohype in Ethical Analyses of Addiction Neuroscience”
Wayne Hall, NHMRC Australia Fellow
UQ Centre for Clinical Research
The University of Queensland

“Brain Whisperers: New Forms of Consumer Monitoring on the Frontiers of Neuroscience”
Mark Andrejevic, ARC QE II Fellow
Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies The University of Queensland

“A Neurobiological Complex? Governing Human Beings in the Age of the Brain”
Nikolas Rose, Martin White Professor of Sociology
BIOS Centre for the Study of Bioscience, Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Society
London School of Economics
 

This symposium follows another two day one I attended at the University of Queensland a number of weeks ago. It's theme was virtual anatomies. Plus I attended two interesting panel discussions at the Gallery Of Modern Art [GOMA] on creativity, young minds and so on. These were held in conjuction with the Surrealism exhibition which was on at the time.

 

Meeting Place Of The Mind Oil on linen 100 x70 cm

http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2011/06/meeting-place-of-mind.html

I sense a tension between the potential that our love affair with technology is prepping us for an 'evolutionary' development towards a state of singularity ie: human/machine, cyborg etc on the one hand and the desire to recapture the grace of spirit on the other. Abdicating our minds/brains to machines is already happening...in the name of 'progress', yet the juncture of culture, pscychology, technology, science, religion poses questions which grapple with age-old questions of what it means to be human. I have more thoughts on this and will write more over time.

FOR EVERYONE: Words and Paintings

Please check out the links on the right!

FOR EVERYONE is available on most online book selling sites:

PLUS:

Coaldrakes in Brisbane has some copies

and as of tomorrow [Thursday 24 November] the two bookstores at the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA will also have some copies. I am dropping them off tomorrow!

BOOK LAUNCH

Thursday 23 February 2012

at Fireworks Gallery, Newstead, Brisbane

Scott Emerson MP, my local State Government member for Indooroopilly and Shadow Minister for the Arts will be launching FOR EVERYONE

The 30 paintings inside the book will be exhibited for a 2-3 day period too.

 

NEW GALLERIES: WEBSITE

I have made some new 'galleries' on my website. One is called 'My Women' and another is a selection of paintings under $1000. Please chack them out!

www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com

RITUALS RELICS AND ICONS

This exhibition is on at ANCA Gallery in Canberra http://www.anca.net.au/ from tonight until 4 December. I have a piece Hovering At The Centre  in the exhibition.

                                            Hovering At The Centre Oil on linen 30 x 30 cm

 

FABULOUS FORTY

USQ Alumni Exhibition

23 November - 11 December

Opening Friday 25 December

MadeCreativeSpace: Toowoomba

I have three paintings in this exhibition. I am not a past student of USQ, but I was their first Art Collection Curator back inthe early 90s when the University was the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education DDAIE

http://www.madecreativespace.com/

Well...I think that's all for now.

Cheers,

Kathryn

PERPETUAL BEGINNING

Perpetual Beginning Oil on linen 80 x 120 cm

Change gives birth to beginnings as it heralds and oversees demises of pre-existing conditions and structures. But, aren't we in a space of constant change? Nature provides perfect examples of ongoing change and new beginnings with its cycles and beauty, plus its mutations and adjustments. Beginnings don't necessarily have to be good! Adjustments such as climate change, erosion, desertification etc are not the kind of beginnings we or the planet benefit from. Now we find ourselves in a place where we want, and need, to deliberately affect change, to help the planet. How do we do that? Look to the past to learn lessons? Look to the future with imagination and hope? Indeed, multiple perspectives are necessary, because the existing perspective of current paradigms is prone to regurgitative processes.

In 'Perpetual Beginning' Mother Nature hovers at a portal like place. The flames of a burning tree have multiple possibilities from death and renewal, providing light and energy, to concepts of eternity and spiritual connection, plus returning to the gates of Eden. The spirals quiver with energy and indeed Mother Nature embodies the spiral as she is embraced and energised by it. My much loved age-old  transcultural/religious tree of life offers itself as a symbol of life and hope. As regular readers know, I am interested in exploring how to visually represent the tree-of-life in a way which is meaningful to us in the 21st century. Its core symbology is eternal, and how we represent it releases meaning. Thus, I am interested in untethering the tree-of-life from past visual representations, which meant something to our forebears, but perhaps not to us in the 21st century, apart from being recognised as historically significant.  

Today, in the 21st century we are confronted by major ecological and environmental issues, which compound into social and economic minefields. The tree-of-life, I believe, has the capacity to 'speak' to us today, if we explore its potential as an age-old symbol. Indeed, being age-old certainly qualifies it as a harbour for meaningful knowledge.

Last Friday I had my first experience participating, as a presenter via Skype, in a Sustainable Resource Management class of 86 students from the Technical University in Munich. Their lecturer is interested in stimulating students to seek knowledge and inspiration in myth, music, art, symbolism, poetry etc. Great fun to be involved in something where environmental issues and the arts can inter-connect in ways which hopefully scaffold sustainability!

Indeed, the future is signalled in the past, but time has to pass to see it. Art is the witness.

..................................................................................................................

MY BOOK!

FOR EVERYONE: Words and Paintings

Avialable as a boo and an e-book.

FOR EVERYONE- PRESS RELEASE

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/11/prweb8930218.htm

Here's the GOOGLE preview FOR EVERYONE where you can see the first 5-7 pages.  http://tinyurl.com/3uomgvy 

You can BUY FOR EVERYONE from Balboa Press -

http://bookstore.balboapress.com/AdvancedSearch/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=brimblecombe-fox

You can BUY FOR EVERYONE from AMAZON too!

http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Words-Paintings-Kathryn-Brimblecombe-Fox/dp/1452536902/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319755578&sr=1-1

................................................................................................................

MY WEBSITE

Please check out my website www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com

I have made some new 'galleries'!

................................................................................................................

DIRECTORS' CUT

And please check out the Directors' Cut [Blake Prize] online exhibition. My painting Compassion was selected. It is for sale too!

http://www.blakeprize.com.au/galleries/directors-cut

Cheers,

Kathryn

Full Moon Party Post!

Hello Kittens! Merry Full Moon! Today we're having a Moon Party at Herspeak: a round up of goodies to help you celebrate the cycle. The last month has been pretty intense here at headquarters--projects being born, challenges being met, new jobs, new friends, new concerns. With Luna being her joyful self jellyfishing through the sky and a new season slipping into place, it feels like the perfect time for a little celestial inspired cyber soiree--Let's get to it!


A tangerine moon film

Beautiful Full Moon wallpaper

An awesome Full Moon Lavender Oil Tutorial!

An Amazing Mandala

A Full Moon Meditation


A Venetian Moon Goddess

Moon Goddess Goodies

Breathtaking Lunar Time Lapse


How will you be honoring the full moon? :)

(Image from psychiccupcake.tumblr.com)

VORTEX: EXHIBITION AND ARTIST'S TALK

Stillness Within Gouache on paper 30 x 42 cm

http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2010/06/stillness.html

I still do not have my proper internet at home, but when I visiting the Telstra Shop today, for an unrelated reason, I mentioned I still did not have internet due to a continuing area Bigpond network outage...and I was given a 5 gigabyte Mobile WiFi device. So, I am reconnected and I am SO happy. I can now send out all my email invitations for my exhibition VORTEX: Seeking Stillness At Its Core. I have had them drafted in my draft folder for ages.

And, readers, I promise you I chose the title for the exhibition long before cyclones started pummeling an already pummelled Qld.

BRISBANE FLOOD

On Wednesday 12 January I evacuated from my house with the Brisbane River rising on one side and overflowing into low lying nearby parkland. Water had started filling my street from this overflow and also from gushing storm water drains. I had not gone to bed on Tuesday night because I was taking all that I could from downstairs to my upstairs...making sure there was some order to the chaos too. I had sandbagged external doors, my pool pumps had been detached and taken to higher ground. My car, and my daughter's car, were full of petrol and parked up the hill. My dog was at a friend's house. Friends were so wonderful!

But, to my great relief the water did not get into my house or yard. On Thursday morning when I gingerly waded through some water to ascertain my house's condition I was so thankful to see that me and my neighbours had been spared major damage. We are the lucky ones, as I know many people who suffered severe damage, and thus the interruption to lives, financial stress and so on.

On the weekend after the flood my street was inundated with volunteers, who helped with everything the flood had caused. I am so grateful to all those people who assisted me with shifting mud. I had fallen heavily on the Wednesday morning and ignored wounds on my ankle. Well... yes... they got infected and I needed antibiotics, and redressing of the wounds every second day at my doctor's surgery. I stuck a plastic bag over my foot, but it still did not allow me to get muddy in order to help all those who were helping me. The power came back on 6 days after I evacuated, and that was also the day my children returned home. I am so glad they were not here when I was madly preparing!

VORTEX

I am getting excited about my forthcoming show which opens in just under 3 weeks. The flood and aftermath forced me to stop painting for about 2 weeks, but I have taken my easel back downstairs to my studio...aka garage! Ah...yes...I am not moving everything else back until after the cyclone season! The sand bags are still guarding my doors!

VORTEX: Seeking Stillness At its Core

Graydon Gallery, 29 Merthyr Rd, New Farm, Brisbane

Tuesday 22 Feb - Sunday 6 March

Open Daily 10 am - 6 pm

Opening Night Wednesday 23 Feb 6-8 pm

Can We Eat Coal For Breakfast-NO! Gouache on paper 30 x 42 cm

http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2010/11/food-fantasy-in-future.html

ARTIST'S TALK!

ARTIST’S TALK: KATHRYN BRIMBLECOMBE-FOX

IN DISCUSSION WITH ART HISTORIAN DR. CHRISTINE DAUBER
@ VORTEX: Seeking Stillness At Its Core

GRAYDON GALLERY
29 MERTHYR RD
NEW FARM, BRISBANE

DATE: Saturday 26 February.

TIME: 3 PM – 3.45 pm and drinks afterwards.

Painting for Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox is a spiritual event. Her work has a lyrical optimism that emanates from the beauty of the work itself and from the poetic nature of her supporting texts. Her personal oeuvre is both intelligent and understated. It comes with a big agenda-to make the world a better place in which to live. A daunting goal: but for Brimblecombe-Fox, optimism is a state of mind-a matter of choice- a way of always moving forward. This means her painting is ethically driven, politically informed and aesthetically pleasing. Dr. Christine Dauber

VORTEX: Seeking Stillness At Its Core
• Exploring the possibility of stillness in the vortex core where we can listen to things we did not know could be heard, see things we did not know could be seen and feel things we did not know could be felt. As we live locally in an increasingly globalised world new perspectives inspire compassion for self and others.
• Investigating the distance between the nano and cosmological, and thus revealing new perspectives.
• And...WATER...well how does water go down the plughole? As a farmer’s daughter Kathryn has an intense interest in the conversations and debates about water, its uses, value, commodification, infrastructure, sustainability. These are her ‘quiet activism’ paintings!

Online gallery @ http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2010/10/water-gallery.html

BLOG http://www.kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/
WEBSITE http://www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com/
MOB: 0409 059 018 PH: From Monday 21 Feb [07] 32542325

Cheers,
Kathryn

BEYOND THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL

Detail 'Beyond The Dark Night Of The Soul' Oil on linen 100 x 100 cm

Some months ago I attended one of the most interesting workshops [see below] I have ever been to. It was a multifaceted workshop looking deeply into the threads of life which seem to be ordained, yet with 'will' we can change . The workshop examined the motivation to aspire to the illusory world of material worth and status, those elements of life which are really external to us. It also looked at the world we can choose to embrace when the illusion of status succumbs to derailment, whether is be through loss or an ultimate realisation that life's purpose has to be about so much more than pleasing or conforming to external forces.

The journey through the material world, where the vagaries of external elements affect our core happiness can be repeated over and over again, with pivotal times for change going unnoticed. Yet these pivotal times are opportunities for alternative choices to be made. This often means letting go of things which may have seemed important, but upon deep reflection are not. 'Letting go' may also not be a choice when death, divorce or other forced cessation ocurrs. It is also not just about being a physical experience but also a need to 'let go' in consciousness. Addictions and attachments to things and even people are not helpful to anyone and with bravery, accompanied by a humbling, wilful and mindful decisions to 'let go' can result in a freeing re-evaluation of life.

So, my new painting, which I am working on, is one I have thought about for a long time. The term, 'Dark Night Of The Soul' really hit home with me! But, I will not dwell on heart ache, tumultuous self-reflection or as some might describe it...a total deconstruction of beliefs, attitudes and expectations. What I want to dwell upon and ponder is the 'beyond'...beyond the dark night of the soul.

I have used my much loved tree-of-life motif to [of course] represent life. I wanted to create a feeling of movement and journey, so I became transfixed by the spiral which has appeared in my work previously. A spiral is not static because [to me at least] it has a quivering action which causes movement. I wanted to convey a sense of enjoyment, freedom and healing. I wanted to create an image that people would talk about and respond to by telling their own stories. Some might say it is reflective of a journey of spirit.

Whilst all of this sounds very positive, I want viewers to know that the negative exists, but in absentia. I hope that my work conveys an optimistic approach and outlook, but one which has a mature and realistic understanding that optimism is a choice. And, when there is choice of optimism it means pessimism and negativity axiomatically have existed as potential, but they have not been consciously chosen. I make no attempt, I believe, to cover or hide the negative in warm and fuzzy visual homilies.

The meaning of frisson is...it is a noun... a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill. [ORIGIN French. Source-Oxford Dictionary] I think readers of my BLOG will understand why I am so entranced with the word 'Frisson'. The Ah Ah moments experienced when going beyond the dark night of the soul are full of excitement, thrill coupled with fear...frissons!

beATTITUDE

Please visit http://www.beattitude.com.au/index.php to find out more about the kind of workshop I attended...and more! Also, I recommend Metanoia: Renovating The House of Your Spirit written by Russell Sturgess who owns and runs beATTITUDE with his partner Anna Schaumkel.

Cheers,

Kathryn

HALO

Halo Oil on linen 90 x 180 cm 2009

I have finally finished 'Halo', the painting I have mentioned over the last few weeks. My last post gave readers some insight into my inspirations for this painting. These inspirations come from many impulses and readers of my BLOG will recognise my much-loved tree-of-life motif as central to this new painting. The 'tree' becomes the earth and surrounding the earth is a pale circle of light or a halo.
In my last post http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2009/10/climbing-mountains-seeing-earths-halo.html I wrote about the 25th anniversiary of my cousin, Dr. Bill [aka Fred] From's death on Mt Everest. I have been thinking of him much more since around July last year when I was asked to give the graduation speech at the July graduation ceremony for University of Queensland's Faculties of Arts, and Behavoural and Social Sciences. I chose the theme of perspective for my speech and had hoped to mention Bill , but during my preparations I realised I did not have the right amount of time to contextualise his experiences with my thoughts on perspective. Here is the link to my BLOG post at the time of the graduation ceremony http://kathrynbrimblecombeart.blogspot.com/2008/07/in-my-last-blog-i-wrote-about-my-guest.html

My thoughts about Bill had been based on wondering what kind of perspective one would get when standing at the top of the world. This perspective, I imagine, would be physical and spatial with distance being the awesome overwhelming experience. But, in this humbling experience would there be a shift in one's own perspective of self and others? Would there be a rethinking of time ie: temporal perspective? I imagine that standing on the top of the world's tallest mountain would be different to being in an airoplane or rocket, because you are still firmly and literally connected to the earth, yet your head is literally in the clouds. I imagine your body would become like a conduit between heaven and earth. But, of course I may be romaticising all of this, because when I think about being cold, wet, hungry for food and air my romantic notions depart with a flurry!

My cousin Bill had just received his Doctorate in Physics from the University of Queensland when he ventured to Mt Everest. His particular area of research was the ionoshphere [please read my previous post for more details and links to info on the ionosphere]. The ionoshere is the outer layer of our atmoshpere which I have painted as a halo in my new painting.

Detail of Halo

When I was an undergrad at UQ I competed a year long subject called 'History of Science' with Professor Mac Hamilton. I have to say this subject was the most stimulating subject I ever studied. It succeeded in untethering my brain from the mundaneness of lock step, sequential learning. It freed me from the learned conformity that primary and secondary schooling cloaks students with, like a blanket that quells a fire. I struggled though because whilst I 'got' it in lectures I had difficulty expressing it in assignments and exams. But, to my next point...my cousin Bill who was completing his PhD sat in on these lectures. As the numbers were not large the lectures were more like conversations. Bill was a star. He engaged the lecturer in the most amazing discussions and I basked in Bill's shadow. And, thank you to Prof Mac Hamilton...I often think of you with gratitude.

The word 'halo' conjures thoughts of goodness, spirit, blessedness and saintliness. If we imagine our atmosphere as a 'halo' then we indeed are very lucky, for this goodness cacoons and protects us. This certainly makes one more determined to look after our atmosphere, yet it may have capacities to rejuvinate and nurture itself. I believe that anything which seems complex must therefore have inate capacities that ensures its continued existence. In paintings of saints by the old masters, halos are a rim, circle or sphere of ligth which is a symbol of love and spirit.

This new painting has taken a long time to paint. I hope viewers take a long time to really look at it...and revisit it. I hope they get a sense of being on the top of the world and that they are enticed to tell their own story.

NOTE ADDED 7-11-10
I was invited to participate in the 2010 $20,000 Tattersall's Landscape Art Award [invitation only]. Halo was my entry.

Halo Oil on linen 90 x 180 cm

ANGELS' WINGS

I am very excited because I am one of the 30 finalists in the third LAUNCH: Clayton Utz Travelling Scholarship Award which will be announced in early June. The award is co-ordinated by http://www.positive-solutions.com.au/

This means I am now waiting for the outcomes of three awards I have been selected for ie: The Prometheus and the Moreton Bay Art Awards as well.

Now to the image above. The trans-cultural/religious tree-of-life represents space, time and matter, Heaven and Earth. It intrigues me that system-like processes, seen and unseen, felt and not felt can connect the unconscious and conscious, the human and the spiritual. The exploration of these systems suggests the presence of other forces tantalizingly playing with the distance or space between closeness and farness questioning the existence of opposites and antimonies with the suggestion that these connections give rise to variations rather than separate entities or concepts.

So, as we negotiate contemporary life in the spaces between the macro and micro, global and local, vast and intimate we know that our potential exists within the chaos. Optimism is knowing that life's complexity and its chaotic presentation actually create the forces of survival.

To me the seeming chaos is like the flutter of angels' wings creating energy and thus potential. The trans-cultural/religious tree-of-life, its visceral branches, its constant movement in the air epitomises the essence of chaos's promise.

The Brush Of Angels' Wings oil on linen 53 x 97 cm, 2008