On the evening of February 28th we had such a gathering in the Teardrop Garden at Carrick Hill that the warmth of that celebration will stay with me forever. Thanks to all who came.
Ashum Yarlupina Owen performed a welcome and smoking ceremony, followed by an line up of wonderful women; Rhana Devenport, director of the Art Gallery of South Australia, Ruth McKenzie, director of the Adelaide Festival and Susan McCormack, director of Carrick Hill. We gathered, we paid respects, we talked, we hunted for the treasures of this exhibition in this extraordinary house museum.
The seven new works have taken on yet another new life, settled amongst the amazing art collection, inside the many rooms of the home of the Haywards. The context of this unique house brings so much to the work. The threads back to the past and way into the future are rich and in some instances, surprising in their interplay. It’s very exciting. Im so grateful to have had an entire year to research and draw upon the many who have a vested interest and value this incredible bequest of two generous people, Ursula and Bill Hayward. We have much to learn and much to ponder about the life choices they made throughout their lifespans in comparison to the conundrums and uncertainties of contemporary life.
There is a public program of events surrounding this exhibition, artist talks and tours, a panel discussion including exciting South Australian artists Kasia Tóns and Brad Darkson, convened by Debbie Pryor . Also I’ll be settling down in the Wall Gallery, a space on the 2nd floor of the house museum that I have temporarily taken over as a studio and renamed The Assembly Room, to make some plants and chat to visitors.
The Assembly room is open during Museum hours and I’’l be there
Please click here for all the details and booking links for the talks.
Carrick Hill is in the foothill suburbs of Adelaide, not far from the city, it has beautiful gardens and a cafe.
The grounds are open every day and the house museum is open 10- 4.30pm Wednesday - Sunday.
More details here.
Here is my opening speech for those who were unable to join us for the night.
The Arrangements: assembling nature opening speech 28th February 2023
Thank you to Ashum for your moving Welcome and smoking ceremony and Susan for your introduction.
On March 1st a whole year ago, I went for a morning walk up to the apex of Brown Hill, just behind Carrick Hill Estate…
I set off under overcast skies and made my way along the paths through the well-tended garden, through the hedges, past the cutting beds and up the hill and through the gates in the deer proof fence.
I was immersed in the signs of a well-worn land, passing ancient gums, wary that if I stood in one place too long the large bull ants would let me know I was out of place. Crusty brown bark strewn like reckless litter, red clay earth and the swathes of golden grass gave the wind direction away as I climbed upwards, ever upwards.
Until finally, I glimpsed a faraway view, the canopies were carpeting the lower third of my gaze and their density was a complete surprise… an amazing vista that takes in the Gulf of St Vincent, the entire metropolis, the jut of city buildings through to the waterways of Port Adelaide.
And the house of Carrick Hill was a thumbnail sketch, a small brushstroke on a wide flat plain, distinct on its site, cocooned, arranged and assembled.
……………..
Over the past year I have come to know Carrick Hill through the land it sits on, the extreme contrasts of garden and bush, the extraordinary house- only 84 years young; sited upon land that is millions of years old. I have come to know Carrick Hill through the eclectic treasure trove of the art collection, and most importantly, I have come to know this place through the people who care for all of it - each person from the expert volunteers to the knowledgeable gardeners, the flower arrangers, the guides, the intrepid bush care group, the truly dedicated staff, the managers and administrators, each one is a custodian of this inheritance, the generous legacy of Ursula and Bill Hayward.
Their care for this place, the time they give and most essentially, the care they show for each other has influenced my research and creative response.
Carrick Hill is often labelled a time capsule, and indeed it is, there are a conundrum of pressing issues still to unfold, gaps in the held knowledge, but it is not static. If you are attuned, you will find many different pulses here, the blood of all nations, responsive shifts moment to moment, receptive thinking, symbols of the past and present and portents for the future…if you go looking.
I found myself questioning the colonial version of history, the complex relationships between human industry and the natural world, the pressing issues of contemporary life, of our everyday life choices versus the big global uncertainties we now face; climate change, loss of biodiversity, and how to reconcile them for a more hopeful, future. I have learned a little more about being a custodian of the land I live on and working towards a positive future, way beyond my own lifetime; through the everyday experience of being an artist in residence here amongst the past of the Hayward’s, and the present of all who care for and visit Carrick Hill.
I invite you to join me in the fruits of this extraordinary year, go treasure-hunting in the house, there are seven new works distributed throughout the rooms. And visit the Wall gallery on the second floor, that I have renamed the Assembly Room, where you’ll find some of the inner workings of my new work.
There are so many people who have supported this project.
My heartfelt gratitude to Tony Kanellos who invited me to a place he knew would inspire me, to Susan McCormack and all at Carrick Hill, for sharing and caring and enriching this project. Your names are all etched in my history now (and the back of my catalogue!) Thanks to Rachel Harris for the beautiful catalogue.
My thanks also to my workshop partners, especially Sue for her enduring support and superb editing skills. To Arts South Australia, and the Australia Council for the Arts for their financial support, and to the Adelaide Festival, it’s a thrill to have been acknowledged this way in my home town. And to Rhana for joining us to launch the show and to all of you for coming to celebrate with me tonight. It means a great deal to me. Thank you, please get in there and explore!
Enjoy the night!