Residency Progress

As my artist-in-community residency draws to a close I would like to thank Vicky from the City of Melbourne Living the Arts for her constructive and friendly feedback, I would like to thank staff and clients of Travellers Aid for sharing their stories and dreams with me - it is amazing how many writers we have in TASV and I hope to get someone from the Victorian Writers Center to come and talk with our budding writers.

I am hoping to put the projector to good use by organising 'Emerging Artist Talks' where young and or disadvantaged artists talk of their personal triumphs and challenges as well as show-off some of their handy work - this idea is yet to be discussed with our CEO - just floating one of my ideas here.

There are currently no art classes running - our Observational drawing classes have come to a close - am working on sourcing a volunteer to hopefully continue doing art projects through Travellers Aid.

I would like to thank my amazing regular Observational Drawing students Satchiko and David for their enthusiasm, patience and individual experience - may you continue to be dedicated to your personal creative practices - you have my contact details - if requiring my support - Satchiko, I am willing to donate my time to help you put together your folio for applying for a tertiary visual arts course when you return from Japan, just give me a call.

I would like to thank the Cafe Staff, especially Wendy, for allowing me to dismantle and share your table arrangements for my classes. Wendy has incredible creative flair and even put her apron down to do the odd sketch or two.

Thanks to the front desk staff - for lodging any messages and offering me general assistance and thank you to Christine Rousse for indicating any potential funding opportunities.

and Thank you to Sian Whalley and Jodie Wilmer for overseeing my residency at Travellers Aid.

Crowds, Time and Movement in Space: A Workshop Overview

Thank you to both the City of Melbourne for sponsoring my Travellers Aid Artist-in-Community Residency and to Melbourne Artist Supplies for providing materials at a subsidised cost, we were able to facilitate a workshop teaming with six disadvantaged (primarily young) creative people with RMIT Drawing students, in a mentor capacity, to produce a series of 20 collaborative canvas panels to be housed at Travellers Aids Spencer St location - for the foyer and rest rooms.

Thank you also to the cafe staff who allowed us to dismantle their table arrangement and set up drop-sheets and barriers. A digital projector was used as a rough guide to project images of Spencer St station on to the canvases. It became apparent that some the participants would prefer to create works from their own imaginations, so we comprimised by having a mix of inventive canvases as well as some that stuck to the concept of our brief, which has worked out perfectly - the dreamy imaginative ones can be used as a point of contemplation and solace in the rest rooms, whereas the 'In Transit: Crowds, Time and Movement in Space ' will be housed in the foyer area.

We succeeded in breaking down the barriers between the young disadvantaged people requiring emergency aid as well as the differing socio-cultural groups such as our older cafe patrons and people using our disability services. Everyone was curious as to what was happening and was happy to contribute, whether in the form of feedback, actually working on the panels (including amazing works produced by our cafe staff).

I am delighted that everybody worked together in such an organised, generous, compromising manner. Many thanks to Travellers Aid Staff especially Sian Whalley for their guidance and patients in aiding me to get this extremely successful project off the ground. It is so rewarding to share my artistic knowledge and warm heart in an altruistic fashion to network and build confidence in Travellers Aids creative community.

I have enjoyed engaging with our artists, craftspersons and writers. Suggesting resources that may be of use, taking the time to sit down and offer critique/brainstorm with our artists, performers and writers, including running an observational drawing class (free to all the public) every Tues arvo from 2-5pm at our Swanston St location.

I have also enjoyed engaging with members of the Trading Table staff and have displayed some of the exceptionally tender, homely crafts-works we have had donated for sale on our web log.

If you wish to speak to me about my residency or any upcoming opportunities, please contact me, Ellen Benson at the front desk on 9654 2600. generally in Tues: 1-5pm, Thurs 1-5pm

In the transit lounge: Travellers Aid’s emerging artists say its time to go…blank walls!

‘In Transit: Crowds, Time, Movement in Space’ is a collaborative project Ellen has initiated, teaming emerging artists from the RMIT Drawing department with disadvantaged creative people to develop a series of sequenced mixed-media panels to refurbish the Travellers Aid Spencer St location.

here is part of our drafted brief:

Revamping Southern Cross Station Workshop Brief

Workshop Location

Travellers Aid: Level 2, 169 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia

Installation Location

Travellers Aid: Southern Cross Station

Concept:

Teaming emerging artists, from RMIT Drawing, in collaboration with disadvantaged people (preferably youth) to produce an installation of canvas panels to refurbish and add life to our Southern Cross location. We define young disadvantaged artists as creative people aged 15 – 25 who are from either from a low socio-economic background, are homeless, are marginalised or have either a physical or mental disability.

Theme:

‘In Transit: crowds, time and movement in space’

Potential Participants:

Mentors:

Ellen Benson

Artist-in-Community Residence at Travellers Aid, I am currently an Honors student in the RMIT Drawing Dept. My work investigates how universally, as humans, we scrutinise our surroundings. We desire to know not only how things work but also need to give meaning to, order and control all things. Sub-cultures and collective control bases have over time changed manifestation, shifting from a religious base to our present scientific and technological. I am interested in how systems of observation, simplification, classification, documentation and presentation are fundamentally flawed due to subjective bias stemming from socio-cultural factors, our access to resources, time and our understanding.

Paul Compton

Currently an Honors student in the RMIT Drawing Dept, Paul had a very successful show titled ‘Dead Dog Project’ where he taxidermined and sculpted colourful puppy plushies as a performative memento mori, reminiscing the loss of his pet when he was a child. 'Dead Dog Project' is a Zen-like contemplation of Death. At once God-like and innocent, Paul's physical manifestations of death are a kind of personal wondering, sensing and toying the idea of Death and its associated motifs. Compton's installations at First Site, Synergy Gallery and in his studio presented well observed dip-pen studies of puppy stills floated in murky, mute ink-wash voids paradoxically next to celebratory hand-crafted/altered and colourful mutt milagros.

Rebecca Delange

A Conceptual Installation artist who is about to have a solo installation exhibit at First-Site Gallery and is currently a third-year drawing/sculpture student at RMIT, Rebecca is collaborating with myself, performatively assembling and later dismantling installations constructed of found materials in expected public trajectories and architecture. Sharing a studio in the city, we discovered we have a shared interest in the Individual and Collective Body in relation to Space, Time and Movement. We consider what is private, what is public what is paradoxically both.

Elyss McCleary

Artist disability support worker, currently a second-year student at RMIT. Recently Elyss had a very successful solo show at First Site Gallery titled ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’, which was inspired by crowds of people and how they collect and disperse; individuals with their habits, their posture, in controlled and uncontrolled environments – suddenly all grouped together in a crowd in random or planned gatherings. The mark-making process of adding and subtracting figures creates a visual history of continual movement in space, evoking abstraction and intimacy.

Equipment Required:

Workshop:

(Sian and I, to find most affordable option for canvases

Best to use reasonable quality art materials – for archival materials I recommend Melbourne artist supplies – could also use mixed-matched house paints as they are economical)

• Large Canvases

• An array of Wet and Dry Media including guesso, acrylic, graphite, inks, coloured pencils, assorted brushes etc.

• Dropsheet and Masking Tape

Installing:

• Hanging Materials – wire, nails, hooks etc.

• Ladder

• Measuring Tape

Promotion:

• Avant Cards – developed from photos of each panel? (costly, money can be made back via sale of the souvenir art cards)

• Free press – the leader, the program, the blog, art websites etc.

Staff and Volunteer Involvement:

• Volunteer support worker/s on hand to give ‘one on one’ assistance to any disabled participants involved that have special requirements.

• Front-desk volunteers to be utilised as a point of call for potential interest. Front-desk could house brochures advertising the project.

• Our internal case managers may be able to recommend potential participants and be able to suggest how to best facilitate their personal needs.

• Our contact from Melbourne City Mission has offered to provide contacts from emergency crisis centers/ youth services that can help enable us source more participants and promote the project. It is also worth noting that staff from Frontyard also seemed enthusiastic to get involved in the creative side of the project.

Workshop Timetable:

(One Full Day – suggest a Saturday)

10.00am Meet at Travellers Café, have introductions – brief participants ‘In Transit: Crowds, Time and Movement in Space’ concept over tea/coffee

10:30am Lay down drop sheets – tape to wall – pin to ground set up workstations with a bucket of materials and set up pre-guesso canvas panels in a sequential manner on one wall

10:45am Set up overhead projector facing the panels – project transit photos taken of crowds at Southern Cross Station – in pairs discuss how we can use the projected imagery. Let the disadvantaged artists relatively freely work on panels for 2 hours, mentors on hand for advice.

12:45pm Lunch Break – step back from the installation and discuss individual panels and what amendments need to be made to unify as a sequential work. Be sure to photo-document sequential panels at this stage.

1:30pm Work in pairs Emerging Artist/Disadvantaged Artist to unify for an additional 2 hours.

3:30pm Finale - coffee and biscuits, thank you and participant reference letters to be handed out to participating artists for their contribution

4:00pm Emerging artists get an additional hour to unify panels. Pack up drop sheets, leave to dry.

Installing at Southern Cross Station:

(approx 3 hours work)

• Unifying and adding a professional finish using double-sided tape to attach velvet ribbon around side-edge of the canvas in a matching palette colour – (probably the colour most used in the work). Two people on hand to attach hanging wire, pins and hooks to canvas.

• At least two people on hand equipped with ladder, measuring tape, level and nails to hang work.

• Photo-documentation of works, artists involved and staff of Southern Cross station.

Residency Update: Tues 12 June

Our network is constantly extending with A Community-Arts Veteran, Phil Driver jumping on board to get involved with the 'Traverse' Skill-Exchange Workshop Project. I am meeting a contact from one of our partner groups tomorrow to hand over a survey I have compiled for potential workshop candidates as well as to obtain information from relevant individuals as well as welfare and arts industry contacts. There has been a significant amount of talk and interest from potential arts/humanities volunteers, potential candidates, our staff, Travellers Aid regulars and members of the general public who have caught wind of my residency.

We are very excited about the current works we have received for our Travellers Aid Contemporary Art Folio and I am constantly seeking and happy to receive submissions of artwork from more contemporary artists.

I am in the process of compiling a budget for a large-scale Skill-Exchange series of workshops as well as exhibition. I am also in the process of seeking funding and sponsorship to bring the project to fruition. Alot of necessary dry paperwork and hair pulling - but the project will be extremely rewarding for all involved which keeps me and the anticipating people involved enthusiastic!

If you would like more information on my Artist-in-Community Residency or about getting involved in the potential Skill-Exchange Workshops/Expo either by volunteering your time, participating in workshops, sponsoring either via advertising, food or art supplies please email me:
ellen_b80@yahoo.com.au

I am also making relevant installation work and preparing for my collaboration with local emerging contemporary artist Rebecca Delange. Click on 'Traverse' installation itinery label for related imagery/concept as well as the 'Rebecca Delange'and 'Ellen Benson' labels.

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)

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)