Sarah Harvey is an artist based in Byron Bay who works predominately in the printmaking medium. She began her exploration into printmaking techniques in 2003 after attending a course in etching at Central St Martins College in London. In 2007 she was presented the Fusion Commendation Award for outstanding work in printmaking mediums and in 2008 attained her Bachelor of Fine Art degree at Queensland College of Art, Brisbane. Since that time her work has been exhibited nationally and Internationally in Hong Kong and the UK. Sarah spent an idyllic childhood chasing butterflies, damming creeks and eluding swooping magpies. These moments have left a lasting impression on the artist, whose work is inspired by our attachment to memories and the sense of forgotten joy, mystery and nostalgia they evoke. She constantly finds inspiration in her memories and imagination, books, illustrations and everyday events.

Sarah is featured in our upcoming exhibition The Magic Faraway Tree...

View her profile here

The person who has most influenced my art is….
My partner, who encouraged me from day one to pursue the dream of working in a creative field.

My favourite artist is …
Paul Klee, hands down, he can do amazing things with a just a simple line.

I’m inspired to start a new work when….
I just sit and watch the confidence and pure imagination of my 3 year old son drawing.

I am at my most creative/productive when…
I am covered in ink and surrounded by printing presses.

I am currently reading….
‘Everything is Illuminated’ by Jonathan Safran Foer and anything I can get my hands on by Haruki Murakami.

The book that changed my life is…
‘Watership Down’ by Richard Adams was beautiful, haunting and sad.

My favourite film of all time is…
‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ – there are some truly classic lines in that film.

It makes me smile when…
When my partner does some crazy dancing in our living room.

My three most valued possessions are…
Artworks collected from friends, photographs of my travels and my collection of Paul Klee books.

The three things in life I could never give up are…
A good cup of tea, swimming out past the breakers, my childhood memories. If I was stranded on a desert island I would want…
Great books, a snorkel and flippers.

If I could travel anywhere back and forth in time, I would go…
To Paris and watch Alexander Calder perform his circus act.

If I was elected Prime Minister of Australia the first thing I would do is…
Change the way we treat the Indigenous people of our country.

The achievement I am most proud of is…
Finally finishing my fine art degree!! (I had my son half way through the degree).. I wish I had listened when my parents told me…
Cocoa doesn’t taste like drinking chocolate (It took me hours to remove the dry cocoa from my throat!)

I hope my art...
Will always be a constant part of my life…and continue to evolve.
If I wasn’t an artist I would like to be….
A fashion designer or a horticulturalist, most anything that is creative and uses my hands.

JEFF RAGLUS AND VICTORIA GAYE, ART AND MUSIC, LIVE AT RETROSPECT GALLERIES Jeff Raglus rates that fact that he hasn’t had a 'normal' job since 1985,’ amongst his major life achievements.  Highlights of his career include making music in the 90s with Melbourne cult band The Bachelors from Prague, working with the The Black Sorrows too, and 10 years drawing for Mambo. In 2008 his debut CD release Ballatrix was hailed as “The record of the year, by a country mile,” by the Sunday Herald Sun in Melbourne and he continues to have a successful career as a self-termed Surf-Folk-Pop artist.

Not bad for a guy who got canned for his drawings at high school…

Jeff Raglus failed art in high school twice and his art teacher said his cartoons were rubbish.  For him this was a defining moment in which he accidentally and subconsciously joined the world of ‘outsider’ artists. Ragee left school early, bought an airbrush, spraypainted surfboards and joined a rock band. All along the line, in between hitting the road on tour, he printed t-shirts and created posters. Eventually he joined the cult Melbourne punk cabaret band The Bachelors From Prague, back in the late 1980s. He started painting with other members of the band leading to his first group and solo exhibitions, which quickly turned into sell our phenomena.

Around this time he also joined iconic Sydney based graphic company Mambo. He worked there for most of the nineties - when Mambo was still cool, and continued to hone his unique self-termed Surf-Folk-Pop art style. He has written and illustrated several children’s books, of which Schnorky the wave-puncher is the most well known. This children’s story about a nonconformist surfer dude was turned into a play by Melbourne based Arena Theatre Company in 1996 and toured around Australia and overseas for eight years. These days Ragee mainly concentrates on painting and playing his own original music.

He will be appearing at Retrospect Galleries 4pm Saturday August 14, with some brand new paintings and a special free performance of his two person band Victoriana Gaye, as part of their East Coast Tour, presenting beautiful folk music from the ‘Freak Folk of the Wild West Coast of Victoria’.

If you can’t make it along you can still check out his work, on exhibition until Wednesday August 25.

View his artist profile Here...

The Gallery was packed to the brim for our July opening, in which we celebrated urban art / youth art and culture in two cutting edge shows, Revolution of Art and Tattooed.  A big thanks to Millie Loveknuckles from Rock of Ages Tattoo Parlour in Lennox for her opening night tattoo demonstrations. We loved watching the cool crowd squirming in anticipation, and then shrugging and nodding with appreciation and awe.

Great response from locals and visitors alike

Millie in action !!

Photographer Alberto Sanchez posed with one of his models in front of his wonderful works

Just like them we love Spanish artist Vilchez

Fellow tattooist Tom Burrey from Rock of Ages tattoo parlour and crew

Final work on Jess's leg after just 2 hrs and few bottles of wine ..

THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE, AT HARVEST CAFÉ…
Saturday July 31 from 6.30pm

Retrospect Galleries and Harvest Café are proud to present another great Retrospect Party at Harvest, this time focusing on the theme literature and art.

In the lead up to Byron’s famous literary festival, we have invited four local artists to join us for an evening of art and discussion, plus a preview of our upcoming exhibition, The Magic Faraway Tree.

Join Byron Bay printmaker Sarah Harvey, to hear about her works exploring the fictional life of rabbits, inspired by author Richard Adams, and his book Watership Down; 

Goonengerry’s Zom Osborne, who will share thoughts on her obsession with journaling, and how words jotted in a notebook in the early hours of the morning, help her capture the beauty of otherworldliness and the dreamlike state;

Visual Arts Course Coordinator at Southern Cross University, John Smith who has had more than thirty solo exhibitions and his work is held in many major public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, work explores markmaking and text;

And Bangalow artist Michelle Dawson, who was last year shortlisted by the Children's Book Council of Australia’s Crichton Award for Best New Illustrator, on the letters that inspired the detailed pencil drawings of hybrid animals in the art/children’s publication, "How weird is that...".

Byron Bay Writers Festival Director, Jeni Caffin, will also be joining us, to share her reflections on the visual language of books.

The evening begins at 6.30pm at Harvest Café, with a preview exhibition of artworks by the featured artists, followed by great food, wine, artist presentations and discussion, plus fabulous music by local musicians Anna Squared.

Tickets cost $45, which includes a delicious two-course meal.  We recommend booking early as there are limited seats available and this event is sure to sell out. Phone 6687 2644, or email goodtimes@harvestcafe.com.au

This event is being held in conjunction with The Magic Faraway Tree exhibition opening at Retrospect Galleries, from 6pm Thursday August 5.

The show takes a journey into literature through the eyes of the artist, featuring works by Sarah Harvey, Zom Osborne, Michelle Dawson, Michael Taylor, Dolores Cupcake, Kareena Zerefos, Susan Gourley, John Smith and renowned author / illustrator Shaun Tan. For directions to Harvest Café in Newrybar, go to www.harvestcafe.com.au

The Byron Shire Echo

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A beautifully stretched canvas

"Jess Bowen of Mud Honey fame adds to her tattoo collection courtesy of Lennox Head custom ink artist Millie Zavattaro. The performance needling was part of the Revolution of Art, Retrospect Gallery's annual urban art exhibition." Photo Jeff'Heart On Sleeve'Dawson

You can read the article here...

Come and celebrate our annual urban art exhibition Revolution of Art, featuring cutting edge works from around the globe. This year we’re also presenting an additional show focusing on youth culture, showcasing ink on the skin in a new exhibition called Tattooed.

Opening 6pm Friday July 16, with a live tattoo demo by renowned custom artist Millie (Camilla) Zavattaro from Rock of Ages Tattoo Parlour in Lennox Head. Sponsored by Stone and Wood.

View the exhibition here..

ARTS TRIBUTE TO SPLENDOUR AND YOUTH CULTURE

Splendour may be gone, at least for the time being, but it’s message lives on in an exhibition of art celebrating urban youth culture.

For the past three years, Retrospect Galleries has hosted an annual showcase of work by young urban artists, timed to coincide with the local youth culture festival, Splendour in the Grass.

And whilst Splendour has gone elsewhere to celebrate its tenth anniversary, the Gallery says they will still go ahead with their exhibition, as a remembrance that Byron is home to a diverse population, including the young.

Retrospect Galleries Director Bree Delian says Retrospect seeks to work cooperatively with all of the major events in the area, to enhance the visitor experience and add another dimension to the events that these organisations promote. As part of their program this year they have presented shows that tie in with the Byron Bay Film Festival and with Bluesfest.  They are currently working closely with artsCape to host the biennial’s indoor sculpture exhibition.  And they are also preparing for a new exhibition opening in August, in conjunction the upcoming Byron Bay Writers Festival.

“Splendour is one of Byron’s most successful homegrown festivals, attracting both locals and people from around Australia who travel considerable distances to come here for the weekend,” Delian comments.

“We have loved putting on a show in conjunction with this event, because it is such a celebration of youth culture and provides us with an opportunity to present cutting edge ideas.”

Delian recognises that there has been discussion about the types of events that Byron does and doesn’t want to encourage, but says she doesn’t believe it’s a matter of pitting one type of event against the other.  “A lot of events that are happening now are appealing to the 40 plus market.  Young people are also important,” she says.  “They are the future of the area. Without them how will we refresh the town-”

As someone who grew up in the Northern Rivers, Delian says she is very concerned that Byron is on the brink of losing the magic that made it unique. “Part of the magic of Byron comes from the festivals that attract a dynamic younger audience to the area, constantly challenging our ageing population to connect with the reality of contemporary society in the wider world,” she continues. “I also believe that the ideas and emotions some young people are expressing opens a door to an important element of our society and helps us look at everyday issues that are of concern.”

In the past couple of years Retrospect’s annual urban art show has showcases cutting edge works from young artists around the world, exploring themes such as consumerism, greed, poverty, homelessness, fear, conformity, uniformity and boredom, through diverse media including pop art, street art, stencil, drawing, painting, printing and mixed media.

This year the Gallery will broaden the show to embrace contemporary tattoo culture, in particular the emergence of the custom artist/tattooist and recognition in the art world of their original works on the human canvas.

As a local business owner Delian says she welcomes the influx of young people to the area that is associated with Splendour, for all of the energy and interest that this young crowd bring to the area.

“Recently we had a young couple come in who had seen our first urban art show, Where Mighty Giants Dwell, back in 2008,” she says. “They fell in love with Byron when they came here for Splendour a couple of years ago and came back.  This is how the visitor cycle is perpetuated.”

“Despite the element of young people who get carried away each year, we will miss the Splendour crowd in 2010. We hope that through our show some of the spirit of Splendour will live on.”

Revolution of Art + Tattooed open at Retrospect Galleries, Byron Bay 6pm Friday July 16, with a live tattooing demo in the Gallery, and fine bevvies sponsored by local brewers Stone and Wood.  Everyone is welcome, young and old alike.

You can view the Exhibition here...

BEAUTIFUL TATTOO

A new exhibition celebrating tattoo art opens next week in Byron, featuring a surprisingly beautiful collection of artworks showcasing ink on the skin.

Multi-award winning local photographer Alberto Sanchez is making the final additions to a new series of works, showcasing the work of local custom tattoo artist Camilla (Millie) Zavattaro, owner of Rock of Ages Tattoos Parlour in Lennox Head.

The limited edition prints are layered photographs, in which his original portraits of local women have been marked and manipulated to create a series of unique hand worked montages, exploring the nature of body-art, beauty and tribalism.

Recently announced as the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers’ Portrait Photographer of the Year, Runner Up for Queensland, Spanish born Alberto says that in 2010 he has been enjoying extending his artistic practice in new directions.

Earlier this year he experimented with a series of images depicting iconic Byron Bay scenes, which he layered with words and textures to create original limited edition artworks, and he has been excited to witness these works hit a chord with local and visiting arts audiences. With the Tattooed show coming up, Alberto says he has been inspired to begin a new series, showcasing women and their body art against subtly decorated backgrounds, merging the idea of art on the skin and art on the wall.
 
He says he has always being amused by the contrary reaction tattoos have in the viewer, which he describes as often being disapproval and admiration in equal amounts, and hopes that by incorporating the tattoo into fine art photography, he can dispel some of the dispersions associated with body art forms.

The Tattooed show is being held in conjunction with Retrospect Galleries’ annual urban art show - an international showcase of cutting edge works by young artists, from around the world, now in its third year.

Retrospect’s Bree Delian says the Gallery is trying to broaden the show this year in recognition of the burgeoning tattoo culture.

“Although tattoos have been around for thousands of years, we are experiencing an explosion in the number of tattoo parlours, and also seeing the rise of custom tattoo artists like Millie Zavattaro, who are attracting attention to body art, as a significant art form,” Delian comments.

“Tattoos today are a far cry from the old sailor images, and there has also been a shift away from appropriating Indigenous designs from different cultures.”

“Now a new form is emerging, spearheaded by the artist/tattooist, whose work on the human canvas is created with artistic integrity by individuals working with their own individual forms of markings.”

“The interest in evident when you consider that regular clients may have to wait months for a booking at Rock of Ages, to be marked with one of Millie’s unique custom motifs.”

Also featured in the show are stunning works by Spanish artist Vilchez contrasting Latino Maras gang culture with that of Japanese Yakuza warriors, depicted as tattoos on the gangsters bodies.

The prints are created through a classic printing technique, mixing woodcut or linocut relief, with dry crystal etching for the tattoo, allowing the artist to have two different finishes in the same print.  Tattooed and Revolution of Art open 6pm Friday July 16 at Retrospect Galleries, 52 Jonson Street, with a live tattoo demo by Millie Zavattaro.  All welcome!

You can also check out the show online click here...

Jenny grew up in and also lives and works in Mumbai, India. Jenny was always a Pop culture, animation and technology buff. Over the years her work has derived varied influences from trance and rave music, meditation, comic books, graphic, digital and interactive art.

See her artist profile here..

Vexta is an artist from Australia. She grew up in Sydney but now lives and works in Melbourne.She has been creating street art since the mid 2000s and is most famously known for her stencils and paste ups which draw from cultural visual debris, her self taught aesthetic and an ongoing exploration of painting, printmaking and photography.Her neon drenched images are influenced by a personal symbolism and a greater urban mythology which connect the dots between street rallies and galleries, between acute social commentary and aching beauty.

See her profile here...

Read her Artist of the month interview here...

Karlee-anne Louise Mackie (k.a.lm.) 18.07.83 is a sponsored surfer and a brilliant artist, who has an endless source of inspiration to draw from. Her art is inspired by the ocean and her mixed media canvases combine flowing feminine forms with empowering words to create uplifting, colourful artworks full of life and soul.

See her artist profile here...

Nate Holmes Trapnell is a Melbourne based artist, known for his cross pollinated style of comic book, tattoo, graffiti and hot rod influenced ink art. A perpetual student of all things illustrated and a constant work in progress, Nate strives to build unique conceptual worlds of imagery.

See his artist profile here..

Nathaniel Kiwi is an emerging artist whose career interweaves several artistic disciplines. He is a painter, writer and director.  In 2009 Nathaniel’s artworks were selected to hang in the Blake Prize, The Black Swan Portraiture Prize, and the Mortimore Prize.

See his artist profile here...

Apeseven's  works currently focuses on elements of alchemy. A process of transmutation depicted by a fusion of childhood creatures and science, complex symbolism akin to early scientists and an aesthetic drawn from an observation of the potential, imagined and observed worlds.

Check out his artist profile here..

Freya Tripp's heavily glossed canvass’s can best be described as pop realism. By combining recognizable imagery from pop culture with oil paint and collage, she makes comment on mass consumerism, materialism, media saturation, sexuality and identity.

Check out her artist profile here..

Vexta is a self-taught artist who grew up in Sydney and shifted south to Melbourne, where she has gained a following for her neon stencils and paste-ups, drawn from cultural visual debris. In recent years she has been invited to cross the line from street art to galleries, showing her work at fine art venues in Australia and overseas. We are thrilled to feature several of her works in our upcoming Revolution of Art exhibition.

Right now I am… being terrorised by my little cat who wants to sleep and chew everything on my desk…as well as living and working as an artist in Melbourne – which means painting walls and canvas, building things out of bones and discarded objects, drawing and photographing.

At the moment I am working on… a new collection of work for the Melbourne Art Fair , a video and installation piece and am one third of a curating team putting together  a show of 20 + artists in an empty disused space. It’s pretty rad.

In the last year I have challenged myself to… travel more, paint bigger, to draw more and make more sculptures and installations.

My proudest moment this year was… painting a giant painting on a 25m long wall.

My biggest mistake this year was… probably not ever getting enough sleep! 

Recently I’ve been inspired by the work of… scientists, especially physicists, and indigenous astronomy stories. But that’s just lately, I guess I’m inspired by anyone who is passionate about what they do and has a desire to try and see the big picture and effect some kind of change or growth whether on an personal or universal level.

When I’m stuck for ideas I usually… read books, sit in bars drinking wine talking to my friends, or ride my bike around listening to new music. My problem is usually having too many ideas and trying to figure out how to make them all connect to each other or trying to decide what to focus my energy on.

I have always been fascinated by artists that… can mix their skill equally with their  ideas and subject matter, people who create art that is filled with passion and raw emotion.

If I were to try my hand at a new artform, it would be… writing a book, most likely a children’s book or fairy tale.

When I was a child I dreamt of… flying and floating in my sleeping life. In my day dreams I always thought about painting, drawing, telling stories and  generally making things, a lot more than I probably should have when I was meant to be doing other things. My school report always read “she has a very vivid imagination if only she would apply the same energy to her schoolwork”
 
My first job was… pretty shit, I worked for a large multinational fast-food company and I got fired for insubordination pretty fast.

My first big love was… for reading, as soon as I could I started devouring every book I could, I’m always reading a novel and often a nonfiction at the same time, if I don’t I think I would go insane.

The first piece of art I ever bought was… a lightbox artwork, it took me about 10 months to pay if off and pick it up!

The best film I have seen this year is… it’s a tie between The Road, which is so beautiful and brutal and Moon.

If I could see any musician (past or present) performing live, it would be… Nina Simone.

I am currently reading…. I just finished “The Time travelers wife” which was excellent and I'm also reading a book called “sleeping and dreaming” which is about sleeping and dreaming in science, society and art.

If I could be a mythical creature I would be… Some kind of half bird half human creature. A siren or something like that.

My grandmother always said… you are never too old to stop learning. My grandmother taught me that we are students of life, she is amazing and has so many talents - she can recite so much classical poetry, she is a bonsai master, and a gardening expert who knows all the Latin names the plants in her garden and keeper of our family history. If I can know half as much at her age I’d be pretty happy.

If I was heading off around the world and could only take three things with me, I would pack… paper, pencils & my ipod.

If air travel was no longer possible I would… take boats.

If I was a superhero I would be… Spiderman.

If my art could work for a worthy cause, I would dedicate it to… buying back the forests and creating more national parks, on a global scale.

If I could live in any one period of time, I would choose… it’s a tie between the 1920’s in Paris and late 1960s in San Francisco.

If I wasn’t so busy making art I would like to… be lying on a beach somewhere with a tropical old growth forest behind me, far away from the city reading a book.

In the next year I hope to achieve… so many things!

We all ooed and aahed after unwrapping the wonderful parcel from Claude Jones whose sculptures are a cross between a dark my little pony and a cupi doll.

Read her artist profile here

And also check out her wonderful mixed media drawings

Before taking a trip overseas, Jarrah Johnson dropped off these beautiful works:

Read his artist profile here..

Sealers Cover

and Stratus over Pass

The Magic Faraway Tree - Art from Literature, and other stories…

Our third Retrospect Party at Harvest for 2010 is coming up very soon, at the end of the month, on Saturday July 31.

This time we are thrilled to present four local artists – Michelle Dawson, Sarah Harvey, Zom Osborne and Dolores Cupcake, to talk about their work and how words have inspired them.

Plus there will be a special guest appearance by Byron Bay Writers Festival Director, Jeni Caffin, who will introduce us to some of the highlights of this amazing festival, opening the following weekend and featuring special guests including Bret Easton Ellis, author of best-selling books, American Psycho and Glamorama.

So join us for an evening of art, conversation, great food, wine, music and more, as an introduction to our upcoming The Magic Faraway Tree exhibition, opening on the eve of the Byron Bay Writers Festival, Thursday August 4.

Our last two Retrospect Parties at Harvest have been sell-out events, so book your tickets soon.
It’s on from 6.30pm, Saturday July 31.  Tickets cost $45, which includes a two-course meal.

Phone Harvest Café, 02 6687 2644 or email goodtimes@harvestcafe.com.au

For directions to Harvest Café in Newrybar, go to www.harvestcafe.com.au.

The Gallery was packed to the brim for last week’s artsCape Indoor Sculpture exhibition opening, with opening speeches by internationally renowned artists Greg Johns and Usama AlNasar. This is an exceptional show of works, running in conjunction with the artsCape Biennial and featuring sculptures by many of the same artists who have contributed to the outdoor show, including renowned Australian sculptors Bert Flugelman and Greg Johns, Syrian Usama AlNassar and Japanese artist Keizo Ushio, plus local Northern Rivers’ artists James Brown, Mimi Dennett, Samantha Collyer, Noel Hart, and many more.  On now until July 13.

A leisurely arrival for our VIP artsCape ambassadors, who get a chance to view the sculptures before the official opening at 6pm.

The fabulous sand-shoe creations from Pamala Lee Brenner and Emma Medwel.

Byron Bay photographer David Young admiring wood-fired ceramic eggs from Samantha Collier.

Powerful sculptures by Jeffrey Frith, Michael Snape and Stephen King.

Japanese sculptor Keizo Ushio with Koicho Ishino and Lisa Anderson

Invited Syrian artist Usama AlNassar talks to Byron Bay sculptor Alan Horstmanhoff.

Somebody in cool boots admiring wall hangings from Anne Leon and quirky horse-like figures from Claude Jones.

Hanging mobiles from Jade Oakley, and on top of the lightbox works from Lucy Vador, Barbara Licha and Mishele Moran.

People keep coming and coming...

Gallery director Bree Delian invites our three speakers to begin their artist talks and opening speeches.

Greg Johns comments on the history of Australian sculpture and officially opens the exhibition.

Usama AlNasar talks about his work.

Keizo Ushio braves his second language and delights the crowd with his speech.

Sculptor Mike McGregor and artist Ken Johnson.

A bug thanks to interior designer and artist Kate Platt whose fantastic advice helped place all the works in an interesting display.

Artis Noel Hart with artsCape director Rebecca Townsend and Retrospect Galleries Director Bree Delian and artist Dolores Cupcake at the end of the night.