If you think it is better to try stealing the painting now, turn to page 16.

Temporary installation by Claire² outside The Ward Studios.
590 Newcastle Street, Leederville, WA.

Claire² were asked by Artsource to create temporary artwork to attract attention from the Newcastle/Loftus Street frontage of The Ward Studios for an open day held on the 25th of November. This work is to be on display for as long as it stays in place (depending on the durability of materials, weather and possible theft!)

This work includes large hand coloured grids, alphabetised movable location points, QR and Morse Code and a six metre vinyl digital print.

As in their previous “Txt Msg” project, for this work Claire² continues to explore coded language and utilise the digital aesthetic of pixilation and gridded networks while drawing comparisons to the patterns used in textile production. Hand coloured grid panels blend traditional embroidery sampler text/iconography with text based emoticons and the abbreviated language of internet slang.

The six metre vinyl digital print is layered with a map of the local area sourced from Google maps, a historical hand drawn map (courtesy of the City of Vincent Local History Centre) and a computer generated cross stitch pattern, based on the Leederville Google maps image.

A location pointer alphabet populates the garden, referencing the “pins” on Google maps. These location points are movable and we encourage people to change the arrangement of these points. So next time you are driving by feel free to stop and play with the red alphabet points.

Words by Claire² = Bushby + Canham

Claire² would like to acknowledge the generous support of Fitzgerald Photo Imaging, North Perth.


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Vacant old hospital building in Leederville enlivened as creative studio space

(From left) Sean Morris and Kyle Hughes-Odgers are among the 25 artists and creatives leasing a studio space at The Ward.
Photo: Eva Fernandez

MEDIA RELEASE, 17 April 2012

Built in 1913 originally as a maternity hospital, ‘The Ward’ in Leederville, has been revitalised as a studio complex for visual artists and creatives, through a joint venture between Artsource and Spacemarket.

The Ward houses 21 studio spaces for visual artists working alongside other creative service peers; such as illustrators, video producers and 3D animators, allowing for collaborations and shared creative emphasis.

Artsource’s guiding mandate is to empower visual artists to build sustainable careers, and it sees having a studio space as the key platform for artists to develop their practice.
Artsource Manager of Studios and Residencies, Loretta Martella said that affordable studio space for artists can be extremely hard to come by, and even rarer; is acquiring a working space close to the city centre.

“Artsource is thrilled to have taken on the head lease for this inner city studio space. What this means for this talented group of artists is a chance to further develop their skills and
ideas in a convenient, central location without the hefty rental rates usually experience in the Perth metro area,” she explained.

While Artsource only holds the lease on The Ward for 13 months from Realmark Property Group, it is imagined that this venture will serve as a favourable model for future studio complexes.
“The Ward is the first commercial building Artsource has attained as a studio complex, and we hope this can be the first of many more inner city studio locations,’’ Martella continued.

The Ward is a welcome addition to Artsource’s well-established Studios Program, which includes a stable of over 80 studios, spread across 8 buildings in the Perth metro area. The other studio locations include Fremantle, Midland, East Perth, Kelmscott, Belmont and White Gum Valley.

Inaugural tenants at The Ward are: Linus Andersson, Tarsh Bates, Claire Bushby, Jo Darbyshire, Giovanni Di Dio, James Foley, Rina Franz, Ruth Halbert, Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Tessa McOnie, Elisa Markes-Young, Sean Morris, Carley Ternes, Deborah Oakley, Kimberley Pace, Perdita Phillips, Josephine Pittman, Aaron Welch, Christopher Young, Alucinor Productions, Inkubator and The Duck House Theatre.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Claire Hastwell, Marketing Coordinator, claireh@artsource.net.au; 08 9335 8366

About Artsource
Artsource is Western Australia’s peak representative body for visual artists. A not-for-profit organisation in operation since 1986, Artsource works to expand and improve the sustainability and profile of artists through practical services and support. For more information, please visit www.artsource.net.au

About Artsource Studios Program
Artsource is committed to providing affordable studio spaces to artists and see this as a fundamental way to develop visual artists and their practices in Western Australia. Artsource sublease these spaces to artists, keeping the rent low, offering secure tenure of up to 5 years and managing the day-to-day operations of the head leases.

Further info:
Spacemarket
Artsource

In my new studio

All moved in, still a little unpacking and decorating to do but pretty much feeling at home there now.

Ends and Beginnings

This month I've been busily packing my studio in Midland and moving it all to my new studio in Leederville. It is a little sad to say goodbye to Midland, my first 'real' studio, and the room where I've been creating work for almost two years.

It's been a ritual of mine to take one photograph of the town hall across the road, the view from my window, as the first thing I did each time I entered the room. I took my last photo on Saturday and felt a pang of sadness when I realised this was goodbye. I feel very grateful for the time spent in that room looking across at that clock who seemed such a friendly face keeping me company.

I've documented my view from the Midland studio window at viewfromawindowproject.tumblr.com.

But with one ending comes two new beginnings. My new studio in Leederville is in a building called The Ward, plus I will also be embarking on a Masters degree starting from next week.

The Ward is a former maternity hospital and is an interesting building, my room has no corners - I mean the corners are all rounded instead of squared! There will be a diverse range of creatives working from this place and I am very excited to be part of the first wave of artists moving in to The Ward.

Here are a few pictures.

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