Schoolhouse Studios celebrates 73—97 Nicholson Street Abbotsford

Schoolhouse Studios is a gathering place for creation, exchange, and collaboration for over 75 artists. With the inevitable demolition and residential development of the site scheduled at the end of 2012, Schoolhouse Studios’ founders, Elizabeth Barnett and Alice Glenn, have curated a two-week, site-wide exhibition. Place of Assembly celebrates and commemorates the site and its vibrant history of assembly and learning. The enduring creative and social potential of ‘assembly’ becomes both theme and action-plan in the face of demolition and disassembly.

This publication A Place of Assembly beautifully illustrated by Paul Philipson’s photographs showcases the resident artists at the site of 73—97 Nicholson Street and introduces and catalogues the 12 guest artists who will be creating new work for the exhibition Place of Assembly.

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A PLACE OF ASSEMBLYSchoolhouse Studios celebrates 73–97 Nicholson street, Abbotsford

Published in 2012 by Schoolhouse Studios inc. PO Box 1453 Collingwood, 3066 Victoria, Australia

email: schoolhousestudios@gmail.com www.schoolhousestudios.com.au

© 2012 Schoolhouse Studios inc. Published in 2012 by Schoolhouse Studios inc.

© 2012 images Paul Philipson & Alice Glenn

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 978-0-646-58522-2 Book design: Anna Harris www.annathereseharris.com Cover design: Elizabeth Barnett Map design: Alice Glenn and Lauren Steller Photography: Paul Philipson, Alice Glenn & Lucy Spartalis Archival photographs used with permission from the Christian Brothers. Melbourne. Editor: Oliver Driscoll

Printed by Tingleman Pty Ltd Australia Printed in China

THIS IS THE FIRST EDITION OF A PLACE OF ASSEMBLY

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A P L A C E O F

A S S E M B L YSchoolhouse Studios celebrates 73–97 Nicholson St Abbotsford

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL PHILIPSON

IT STARTS IN A SWAMP BY MELISSA HOWARD 3

SCHOOLHOUSE STUDIOS FORWARD 10

ELIZABETH BARNETT 16

NOELLA THOMSEN 20

ADAM PARATA 22

BONNIE GRANT, EMMA HICKS, KIRSTEN REDLICH 26

MITRA ANDERSON-OLIVER 31

TWO BRIGHT LAKES 33

NO LIGHTS NO LYCRA 36

C-KOL, MARNI KORNHAUSER 38

OLIVER DRISCOLL, MELISSA HOWARD 42

JODY CLEAVER, CHRISTIE WIDHARTO 46

ALICE GLENN 50

SARAH HICKS 55

PETER BARRETT 56

MARINA LOU 58

PETE KEEN 60

ESLA 62

EUGENIA LIM 64

HELEN GROGAN 66

JODIE WATTS 68

LAUREN STELLER, HARRIET DEVLIN 70

LISA STEWART, RACHEL FEERY, IOLANTHE IOEZZI, RYAN JAFFE

JON OLDMEADOW, KIERAN SEYMOUR 76

GLENN HATTON, ANNA HARRIS, OLIVER HUNTER,

KESS BROEKMAN-DATTNER 78

SASSICAPRA, TATE JERREMS , MIRIAM MCWILLIAMS 82

FINN ROBERTSON, ROB MCHAFFIE, BROOKE SHANTI FENNER 86

C O N T E N T S

WHO BY FIRE 88

SUMMER OFFICE, STUDIO OSK, KOREKOKO, OCA 92

THE APIARY 98

RAPHAEL KILPATRICK, CAMERON BOYLE, KASMIR BURGESS 103

THE ORCHARD BY SARAH HICKS 107

EVENTS AT SCHOOLHOUSE 110

DINNERS & PARTIES 115

THE SLOW CANOE READINGS 118

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN BY MILES ALLINSON 120

PLACE OF ASSEMBLY EXHIBITION 125

Catalogue Essay by Helen Grogan 126-129

Beth Arnold 131

Campbell Drake James Carey 132

Martine Corompt 135

Katie Lee 136

Euginia Lim 139

Bridie Lunney 140

Dominic Redfern 143

Robbie Rowlands 144

Zoe Scoglio 147

Jake Walker 148

Julian White 151

SUSTAINABILITY & ASSEMBLY 152

CREDITS 154

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK 155

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L A U R E N S T E L L E R

H A R R I E T D E V L I N- Steller Atelier -

- interior design -

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LAUREN: I am an architectural designer with a strong emphasis on conceptual design. My practice is guided by my interests in and philosophies on human play, which I try to exercise in a range of mediums when architecture is not willing to do so.

My workspace is my playground for ideas. I am so lucky to be in such a light filled, generous room. It is generous in a kind of way that allows me to exercise a range of ideas. I like placing all sorts of objects and collections around the studio for people to play with when they come to visit and tell me what they know. Tactility is comforting.

When I first visited Schoolhouse Studios in July 2011, there were two rooms available, one very

easy to fall in love with its striking timber trusses and miniature kids’ kitchen. I snapped it up, then painted it up. Slowly I started to fill it with furniture that was made out of cheap sales at bunnings or deals on ebay, using concrete blocks and doors for desks and with industrial shelving, cleaned, repainted and spunked up.

I cursed myself after these purchases, for managing to make it more difficult that needed to be: I lugged 100 concrete blocks up to first floor classroom (with thank-you’s to my friend Tobias), hoping we wouldn’t get kicked out too soon.

Our community has been so beneficial to my individual practice. Connecting with new people,

having support and sharing ideas. It was something I was searching for and floated neatly into place for me. A real blessing and FUN!

I share the studio with Harriet Devlin, interior designer, who is an invaluable work colleague and friend. It’s wonderful to have someone to scrub ‘n’ paint recycled shelves and, most of all, share ideas with. Plus she puts up with my fascist aestheticism. Gold!

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“I lugged 100 concrete blocks up to first floor classroom ... hoping we wouldn’t get kicked out too soon.”

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When offered the opportunity to use my old grade-four classroom as a studio space I couldn’t refuse. It brought back memories of sitting on the floor with my standard-issue Steiner school crayons drawing aerial views of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest.

We set out to reveal some of the old charms that had been hidden. We ripped up the carpet to find a beautiful waxed jarrah floor, and we pulled out the daggy suspended office ceiling, exposing a huge pitched roof, trusses, wood panelling, and plaster mouldings.

We added a stage in the middle of the room, because we like to think of ourselves as rockstars, but also to divide the room into three separate work-spaces without obstructing the visual expansiveness of the hall or limiting the amazing light. The stage allows for meetings and gatherings and has a great view of the city and the chooks. It also hides all the dross that accumulates in a studio environment. We tried to use as much reclaimed material as we could and to leave new materials in their raw state so they can be reused in the studio’s next incarnation.

What makes this space unique, however, is its connection to all the others in the school. There is an exuberance felt when you enter the grounds and a constant feeling that it is in flux. Nothing sits still long enough to go stale, so the place is like a good hit of snuff and can give you a kick up the arse on those lazy unproductive days.

As with most grass-roots communities people are swept up with the energy created when setting them up. Schoolhouse has somehow managed to bottle this enthusiasm and continues draw and burn brighter—I suspect it’s Otis’ doing. With so many talented people together in the one place to have a beer with it’s hard not to be inspired every afternoon.

And, importantly, through much trial and tribulation we can happily inform you that lolly snakes are the best mouse-trap bait.

R A P H A E L K I L P A T R I C K

C A M E R O N B O Y L E

K A S M I R B U R G E S S- filmmaker -

- website creator & trivia king -

- design roustabout & co-creator of the Social Studio -

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“With so many talented people together in the one place to have a beer with it’s hard not to be inspired every afternoon.”

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Schoolhouse Studios in association with Melbourne Festival presents

An exhibition of site-specific installations and creative actionsCelebrating 120 years of assembly and learning.

Showcasing 12 guest artists in addition to 75 resident artists.

1 0 – 2 7 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2

7 3 – 9 7 N I C H O L S O N S T

A B B O T S F O R D V I C 3 0 6 7

P L A C E O F A S S E M B L Y

E X H I B I T I O N

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former prep classroom

D O M I N I C

R E D F E R N

BIO: Dominic Redfern is a video artist who has spent his professional life immersed in the study, practice and promulgation of video art culture in Australia. He creates video works at the intersection of site, screen and identity, which give critical expression to the complexity of screen-mediated experience. These interests are expressed with a self-conscious approach to the technology and culture of video, making it both subject and medium for his work.

In 2012 Dominic is undertaking a solo exhibition at Conical and is coordinating So you say, a group show involving Australian and Fenno-Scandanavian artists at West Space. He is also taking part in the Experimenta Biennale, ReelDance’s Dance on Screen, 2012, The Anatomy Lesson at the Ian Potter Museum as well as several other exhibitions, performances and screenings. In 2011 Dominic was involved in a large public artwork exhibition in sites across Melbourne, Shanghai and Tokyo, a project that will continue to gain pace in 2012–13. In 2011 Dominic also had a solo exhibition in Sweden, travelled to La Rochelle to undertake a project at its natural history museum and took part in group shows at home and abroad. In 2010 his work was seen in the Perth International Arts Festival, in a solo show at Mildura Regional Arts Centre, and as a finalist in the ReelDance awards. In recent years Dominic has had solo shows at WA’s PICA, Melbourne’s CCP, Adelaide’s EAF, the Art Centre d’MArnay in France and the Chulalongkorn Art Centre in Bangkok. His work has also been seen at venues including the Tate Modern; Norwich Gallery; FACT, Bristol; Te Tuhi Centre for The Arts, New Zealand; the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of New Art, Detroit; Art in General, New York; Sparwasser HQ; the Interface Festival and Hamburger Bahnof, Berlin; Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo; Bangkok Experimental Film Festival; Alternative Space LOOP, Seoul; and Gallery Minami, Wonder Site and Remo Gallery in Japan. Dominic is the chair of the board at West Space Gallery and he works as a senior lecturer in video art at RMIT University. He lives and works Melbourne.

PROJECT PROPOSAL: Dominic Redfern’s installation for Place of Assembly will be taking place in the former preschool which occupied a transformed school hall, complete with proscenium stage. Dominic’s own ghosts and those of all the children to pass through St. Joseph’s will haunt his video installation as he channels experiences from St. Michael’s Christian Brothers High School drama productions as well as his longhaired roles in liturgical plays at Our Lady of The Way Primar

Schoolhouse Studios celebrates 73—97 Nicholson Street Abbotsford

Schoolhouse Studios is a gathering place for creation, exchange, and collaboration for over 75 artists. With the inevitable demolition and residential development of the site scheduled at the end of 2012, Schoolhouse Studios’ founders, Elizabeth Barnett and Alice Glenn, have curated a two-week, site-wide exhibition. Place of Assembly celebrates and commemorates the site and its vibrant history of assembly and learning. The enduring creative and social potential of ‘assembly’ becomes both theme and action-plan in the face of demolition and disassembly.

This publication A Place of Assembly beautifully illustrated by Paul Philipson’s photographs showcases the resident artists at the site of 73—97 Nicholson Street and introduces and catalogues the 12 guest artists who will be creating new work for the exhibition Place of Assembly.