Artist Profile: Ellen Benson

I, Ellen Benson, have been sponsored by the City of Melbourne as the Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residence. My work is conceptual, the idea dictates the materials and craftsmanship involved. The images displayed here are from numerous bodies of work.

Ellen Benson Contact Details:

personal blog:
http://sleepingpirate.blogspot.com
mob: 0416859943
email: zzzpirate.gmail.com

Artist Statement for my current, unrelated personal work:

‘Most Handsome Seen From Afar’ presents an exploded view of a Waratah. Abstracting individual Waratah stamen with its’supporting bract to heighten the awkward sexy aesthetic of a ‘large man in a boat'. This ‘large man in a boat' both celebrates and parodies our bourgeois and curious ‘men’ of science, specifically Carolus Linnaeus and Joseph Banks, our prime patriarchs responsible for the most common system of plant classification, observation and documentation.

images from miscellaneous bodies of work:









Melbourne Contemporary Artist Ellen Benson has donated Four Life-Drawing Ink Sketches for sale as part of our Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio. To request a viewing please visit our front desk at Level 2, 169 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.

To view Ellen's profile as well as any future Artist Profiles please click on the Artist Profile label at the bottom of any Artist Profile posts.

Making Headway,

Ellen Benson
(Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residence)

Residency Update

Cough...cough...I am being altruistic this week - I have a nasty virus I wish not to spread so am working from my personal residence today.

Last Tuesday was very productive - Sian Whalley (Project Co-Ordinator) and I enthusiastically discussed our upcoming 'Traverse Skill-exchange' idea. The concept is sound (not to mention innovative) so I have been spending time researching potential grants that could fund the exciting project. Not wishing to jeopardise our chances of obtaining funding I am keeping relatively quiet on this one until we have worked out all the nuts and bolts. Grant writing is a fine-art, it requires you to understand why the organising body is offering the grant (their agenda) and understading whether you and your idea fit the necessary criteria. There is much paperwork and you have to learn an entirely new language for each grant application as there is much variation and many guidelines for each type of grant.

Notice our new snazzy header (which is excerpted from a related former body of work of mine titled 'Mapsway'). I have been further consulting with Artist Rebecca Delange - she is very excited about our visual and verbal dialogue - the good news is we are on the same page!

On the publicity front, I have contacted google to notify them of our Traverse Blog URL. and am in the process of making a site-map using Free-Find that will make our blog more readily accessible to the public. I also intend using google analytics, a software program that helps one to see who is accessing the page and why.

Selected four of my own quick ink sketches to donate to the Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio, so you will see my artist profile shortly. I've been networking to obtain donations of contemporary emerging and mid-career artists and am awaiting response. I am also currently pricing presentation folios for our submissions.

I have constructed a vague project plan for potential ideas - including a time-line and list of resources that may be required.

I will be visiting Travellers Aid this week to photograph some of the beautiful craftwork our Trading Table features and intend showcasing a range of works using this blog.

Traversing via Creative Dialogue: Resident Artist Ellen Benson and Artist Rebecca Delange Talk using their Bodies, Found Stuff and Subjective Minds

"The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse. "

-Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

Rebecca Delange 'Paper Project' Installation Cross-section, 2006


Ellen Benson 'Mapsway' Installation Cross-section, 2005

Talk of Myself, Resident Artist Ellen Benson and Rebecca Delange undergoing a collaborative project has been brewing since late in '05 when Rebecca and I realised we had a shared interest in the Individual and Collective Body in relation to Space, Time and Movement. Individually, we expressed this interest via physical and performative installation by private manipulation of expected public trajectories and architecture. An interest in sourcing found, already existing materials from their humble surrounds is also a shared personal preference for us both as artists.

We are now consolidating this shared interest in the form of a creative and collaborative installation itinerary. If you would like to join a mailing list to hear more about this please email me: zzzpirate@gmail.com and stay tuned for future updates!

Making Headway,

Ellen Benson
(Artist-in-Community Residence)

Artist Profile: Sylvia Karall

Melbourne Contemporary Artist Sylvia Karall has donated two photographs for sale as part of our Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio. To request a viewing please visit our front desk at Level 2, 169 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. Sylvia Karall is our first Artist Profile posting.


Contact Artist Sylvia Karall: 0423630473

To view Sylvia's profile as well as any future Artist Profiles please click on the Artist Profile label at the bottom of any Artist Profile posts.

Making Headway,

Ellen Benson
(Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residence)

Residency Progress

A Call for Artists for the 'Traverse' Skill Exchange workshops has been scripted. I am trusting Project Co-ordinator Sian Whalley to find a good location to house the following notice as well as a contacts book in the Travellers Aid Cafe (which is aimed at Trading Table Volunteers and Travellers aid senior clientele wishing to become involved in the project).

The notice reads -

Attention:
Senior Artisans!

We are seeking interest from participants willing to be involved in a series of Skill Exchange Workshops. So if you can knit, sew, scrapbook etc. and would like an opportunity to share your knowledge and hands-on-skills with like-minded others over a cuppa coffee n' cake in the Travellers Aid Cafe, become involved!!!

To express an interest and receive more information about the project, please log your name, creative skills and contact details in the pretty pink book below.

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I am hesitant to go into much detail about the Skill Exchange Workshops at this stage - I will mention that it will provide an opportunity for emerging disadvantaged artists to collaborate with senior artisans in the familiar and supportive environment of the Travellers Aid Cafe - stay privy to any updates by clicking the label: Skill Exchange Workshops - all related posts will be shown on the page.

Thank you to Melbourne Artist Sylvia Karral for responding to our Call for Artists by donating two magnificent dreamscape photographs for the Travellers Aid Art Folio - Your Artist Profile is currently under development.

Making Headway,

Ellen Benson
(Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residence)

Call For Artisans: Travellers Aid Wants You!

Attention all artists, designers and crafts folk!

'Cuthbert' Ink Drawing on Fabriano Rosipina by Melbourne Artist Paul Compton

Travellers Aid as a not-for-profit organisation is dependent on your busy hands, creativity and generosity to make and donate artworks for fundraising via our Trader's Table. In exchange for your wonderful services we will promote your individual arts practice via an Artist Profile web posting.

Artist Profile (What you get):

1 x donated artwork = one image displayed online + your contact details posted

2 x donated artworks = two images displayed online + your contact details posted

3 or more donated artworks = amount of donated works images displayed + an artist blurb + photograph of the artist + contact details and/or web link

(This is a general system that may be negotiable for mid-career artist donations or exceptional works)

For more information or to donate work please contact Artist-in-Residence, Ellen Benson

email: ellen_b80@yahoo.com.au
ph: 0416859943

allo...allo

As the Traveller's Aid Artist-in-Residence, sponsored by the City of Melbourne, I welcome you to our Travel Log communication board (or blog if you like). This communication board will be used not only to log my personal adventures as artist-in-residence, but will also house creative workshop/volunteer opportunity notices, artist profiles, Traveller's Aid public notices etc.
May you enjoy browsing and engaging in our jazzy, new and informal online platform.


Making headway,


Artist Ellen Benson