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Australia

Mindful matchbox art helps Bundaberg’s Marlies Oakley process floods and COVID

Mindful matchbox art helps Bundaberg's Marlies Oakley process floods and COVID

A south-east Queensland artist has been hunting for matchboxes — but the only fire she is interested in lighting is a creative spark.

Sharks leaping into a waterspout, penguins mingling with nuns and a space shuttle gliding over the Sydney Opera House show some of the stories inside Marlies Oakley’s mind.

The German-born Bundaberg woman creates miniature stories inside matchboxes using a cut and paste collage technique, then joins the boxes together to create large voyeuristic artworks.

A woman leans against an artwork of empty matchboxes filled with collage stories.
Individual stories contained in the matchboxes symbolize disconnect and isolation.(ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)

“Every matchbox is different,” Ms Oakley said.

“They consist of a background, with a few other elements within the matchbox for a 3D format. All collage and hand cut.”

Ms Oakley began working with collage after her home and business were devastated by the 2013 Bundaberg floods.

Her early works involved cutting postage stamps to create large-scale portraits and the process helped calm her mind.

A portrait of Donald Trump created from postage stamps.
Ms Oakley’s early collage work involved portraits created from postage stamps.(Supplied: Marlies Oakley)

Working with matchboxes was triggered by a more recent stress — COVID-19 lockdowns.

“A couple of years ago, I got a big box of matches at the Tender Centre,” Ms Oakley said.

“I forgot about them, but then I opened them up during COVID lockdown and I thought, ‘Oh, what can I do with them?’ and I started to collage them.”

Each matchbox contains its own “weird” or “quirky” tiny tale and when linked they represent the common feelings of isolation and disconnection during lockdowns.

“They are all their own stories because during COVID we have all got sort of inside our own homes and cocoons and nobody went out,” she said.

Matchboxes filled with small pictures pasted inside.
Each matchbox has a background, with images pasted to form an individual story.(ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)

“We started to think inside our own box.

“I love them all, I just giggle when I see them.”

Matchboxes strike interest

The artworks have captured the attention of galleries, with Ms Oakley claiming several art prizes for her works including the prestigious Martin Hanson Memorial Art Award and ‘Highly Commended’ Lethbridge Gallery Small Art Award, two years in a row.

Her 2022 entry ‘Thinking Inside the Box (cubed)’ is 462 matchbox stories linked to form a cube.

The cube took Ms Oakley about a week to create, in a process she describes as a “memory game” where she surrounded herself with images she had cut.

Creating the stories is a mindful practice for Ms Oakley but it is cutting the small images from op-shop books and magazines that has been the most helpful in calming her mind.

A woman holds a large box that is an artwork featuring matchboxes with miniature collages.
Marlies Oakley with her cube telling 462 collage stories.(ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)

“For hours I’m just cutting things out,” Ms Oakley said.

“Even if I don’t glue in a day, every night, even in front of the telly, I’m cutting things out — it’s part of my life now.

“I had a holiday for three weeks and I didn’t do it and at the end I thought, ‘I need it, I miss it’. I go into my own little world and cut and glue.”

An expensive venture

Sourcing the matchboxes is one of the only downsides of Ms Oakley’s creations, with many shops no longer stocking them.

And they are not cheap.

“It’s quite expensive to find the old matchboxes,” Ms Oakley said.

“But I found a really good supply at a major hardware store — I don’t know if they use them for barbecues or whatever, but you can still find them.”

She removes the matches and places them into a large jar, which she may use in an artwork in the future.

Ms Oakley’s artwork ‘Thinking Inside the Box (cubed)’ is currently on display the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery as part of the HERE + now 2022 exhibition, which runs until November 13.

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Australia

Ballarat exhibition takes visitors deep into homelessness experiences

Play Video. Duration: 5 minutes 26 seconds

Jeremey Gunning admits he is worried people will think the worst of him.

He sits on a chair in the center of Ballarat’s Trades Hall, surrounded by a display of photographs which share the most personal and darkest moments of his life with the world.

“I seem confident, but on the inside, I worry about the judgement,” he said.

The photograph display shows Mr Gunning, with wild hair and a long beard, his dog, a large stack of firewood and his car and a 1970s van parked in the bush near Creswick.

Next to those images taken during his 18 months living homeless are others from some of his proudest and happiest moments.

A man in a checkered shirt with a bun points to photos of him on a black wall.
Jeremey Gunning is sharing his journey through photos in a Ballarat exhibition. (ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)

He accepts a scholarship at a Federation University event in one image and smiles with a group of people he is now working with in his role as a peer support worker at Uniting Ballarat.

A man receives an award on stage, a man hands it to him.
Mr Gunning receives a study scholarship at a Federation University event. (Supplied: Federation University)

Homelessness Week exhibition

Mr Gunning’s story is part of the Experiencing Homelessness exhibition open to the public this week.

It aims to break down the stigmas of homelessness and encourage community action.

A selfie of a man in the bush wearing a cap and jumper with a beard.
Mr Gunning took this photo on his first day of homelessness in the bush near Creswick. (Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)

He said his photo selection highlighted his journey from the bush to a unit in Creswick and how support from Uniting’s Street 2 Home program got his life back on track.

“I thought it was important to show people the generosity that is required to help people out of homelessness. It works,” Mr Gunning said.

Mr Gunning’s experience of homelessness began three years ago when he was battling depression, experiencing deteriorating physical health and lost his job.

A man in a checkered shirt stands in front of photos on a black background.
Mr Gunning wants to break down stigmas of homelessness to encourage more kindness. (ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)

He had worked his whole life but said he gave up when his issues felt overwhelming.

He bought a rundown van for $400 and headed out to the bush near Creswick, then Mount Franklin and Slaty Creek, with his dog.

A run down yellow van in the bush.
Mr Gunning lived in a 1970s van he bought for $400.(Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)

He had no income and didn’t sign up for Centrelink benefits until Uniting Street 2 Home workers found him camped out and offered practical help and ultimately, a home.

Collecting firewood became a daily job to fuel the large fire that heated his van and cooked his food.

The smell of smoke masked his body odour.

A photo of a fire at a campground
Mr Gunning’s fire was his only cooking source while he was living in the bush.(Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)

“So many of my photos are of my fire,” Mr Gunning said. “It was pretty cold out there.”

He said his disability made it harder to get firewood so he adapted as he went along.

“The fire was a big part of my journey,” he said.

A dog lying on the ground in the bush.
Mr Gunning’s dog was his companion while he lived in the bush.(Supplied: Jeremey Gunning)

Mr Gunning was diagnosed with spinocerebellar ataxia, a degenerative condition which causes problems with balance, co-ordination, slurred speech, muscle stiffness and cramps.

Uniting’s support to move into a unit led to improvements in his physical and mental health, a new study venture in community services and a job as a peer support worker with the program that helped him.

A photo of a car covered in snow and a skinny bald man in the bush.
Mr Gunning’s exhibition features pictures taken while he was living rough.(ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)

“It has been a funny week for me,” Mr Gunning said while looking at his display of photos with his son.

“There has been a lot of reflection and a lot of memories that have come up.”

He said everyone’s journey into, through and out of homelessness was completely different. Yo

“It is emotional, it is ours, we own it,” he said.

“By me doing this, I hope I am challenging the stigma that is attached to homelessness. I need to tell my story because there is stigma, and it needs to go.

Community call to action

A woman sits in front of photos on a black wall and gum leaves.
Juelz Sanders organized the Experiencing Homelessness exhibition.(ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)

Street 2 Home case worker and homelessness exhibition coordinator Juelz Sanders said the exhibition was an “incredible opportunity” for the community to listen and understand.

She said the situation was dire and services needed community help because they could not meet demand on their own.

Uniting Ballarat has had to turn away 570 people who were seeking help at reception so far this year, because there were no appointments left to meet them.

Senior manager homelessness Adam Liversage said it was concerning and heartbreaking for staff.

“That unmet demand is increasing, and we are projecting that there will be 1200 people we aren’t going to get to [by the end of the year],” he said.

“This is the first time we are seeing such a demand on our services.”

A man stands in front of artwork on a black background with his arms in front of his body,
Adam Liversage says the demand for services is unprecedented.(ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)

There are currently almost 180 households waiting for housing and support on the over 25s priority list in Ballarat, including 84 families.

“We are seeing interest rate increases and the median rental prices increase to $419 in Ballarat,” Mr Liversage said.

“That is unaffordable on any Centrelink benefit and for those on the average incomes as well.”

People feel judged

The Ballarat Experiencing Homelessness exhibition shares many other heartbreaking stories of homelessness.

Beck, not their real name, spent three years living in her car with her two dogs after a family relationship breakdown and violence and trauma in the family home.

“I think one of the hardest things for me when I was homeless was the way people look at you,” she wrote in a display for the exhibition.

“The way they would stare, or point, or mutter things, or look at you with pity or disgust.

“Many people assume you’re a drug addict or I hear them say ‘something is wrong with her that she is homeless’, but they have no idea what’s happened or is happening in your life.”

Photos on a black background.
Mr Gunning’s photos show how support helped him through homelessness. (ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)

Uniting Ballarat is hosting a Take Action Day on Friday to encourage residents to sign up to volunteer and donate items like sleeping bags, non-perishable food and blankets.

Ms Sanders said her biggest wish was for people to be kind and understanding of people experiencing homelessness.

“It is an incredible opportunity for us to listen as a community and for the community to really understand,” she said.

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Categories
Australia

Spirit of SA art exhibition showcases state’s people, places and icons to support children with cancer

Spirit of SA art exhibition showcases state's people, places and icons to support children with cancer

Among the lovelier lyrics in Don McLean’s song about Vincent van Gogh are those that refer to “faces lined in pain” being “soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.”

Something of that tender spirit is reflected at Mark Lobert’s Port Adelaide studio, where, for the past few months, an impressive act of artistic altruism has been taking shape.

“Hopefully we’ve done SA proud because we’re very proud of this collection,” Lobert said when describing the project.

Painting is a paintaking business, but these portraits and landscapes are about alleviating pain — specifically, the pain of very sick children.

Collectively, the 42 canvases will comprise the Spirit of SA exhibition, and they depict prominent South Australian faces, places and icons.

A painting of the Granite Island to Victor Harbor horse-drawn tram.
The Granite Island horse-drawn tram is popular with tourists at Victor Harbor.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

From Monday, they will be on display at Adelaide’s Westpac House, and will be auctioned online to raise at least $100,000 for the Childhood Cancer Association (CCA), to support children battling the illness.

Subjects include rock legend Jimmy Barnes, actress Theresa Palmer, the Hills Hoist, Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks, chef Maggie Beer, and pop singer Guy Sebastian.

There are also the ABC’s Collinswood building, AFLW star Chelsea Randall and former prime minister Julia Gillard.

A portrait of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Born in the UK, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard moved to Adelaide at a young age.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

“As a female in politics, and in general, she’s an amazing person,” Lobert said of Gillard.

“The painting that has been done by Barnesy is linked in with the Largs Pier Hotel.

A portrait of Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes with the Largs Pier Hotel.
Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes with the Largs Pier Hotel.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

“That image would have to be one of my favourites.”

The project has evolved collaboratively — fellow artist Phil Hodgson has worked closely with Lobert, and it is testament to their commitment to the cause that both have volunteered their time.

Each has brought different and complementary skills.

Hodgson’s talents include the ability to capture the lineaments of a human face, while Lobert has focused on non-human subjects, as well as color schemes and other touches.

42 paintings in 30 weeks

In person, Lobert can look a little like a canvas himself—his arms are impressively inked, and his paint-stained shirt resembles a palette for mixing colors.

His studio is every bit the artist’s den.

Adelaide artist Mark Lobert stands in front of paintings.
Lobert’s shirt, like the floor of his studio, is suitably stained with paint.(ABC Radio Adelaide: Daniel Keane)

It is brimming with brushes, paint pots, blank canvases, and works in progress, and its floor is so densely covered with splashes of pigment that it resembles an example of Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionism.

But the paintings themselves suggest other suitably eclectic influences.

A carton of Farmers Union Iced Coffee, a packet of FruChocs and a selection of frog cakes evoke Andy Warhol’s soup cans, while the blues and yellows of an image of Adelaide’s skyline bring to mind van Gogh’s Starry Night.

A painting of a packet of FruChos.
An Andy Warhol-esque painting of a packet of FruChocs.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

“I kind of love colour, I’m always trying to chase color — I need to have color all around me,” Lobert said.

Despite that passion, he admits the production of 42 sizeable works in about 30 weeks has been a challenge.

A painting of Kangaroo Island's Remarkable Rocks.
Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks were among Hodgson and Lobert’s subjects.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

But when he admitted, “I won’t lie — it’s been very stressful”, he spoke with the smile of someone who knows the finish line is in sight.

“They have taken a lot of time,” he said.

“Originally, we were going to start off with about 14 — then it went to 20, and 25 went to 30, then it bloomed out to 38 and shot out to 42.”

A painting of a Hills Hoist clothes line.
The Hills Hoist clothes line was produced in South Australia.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

‘The fight of his life’

The driving force behind the project has been media identity and CCA ambassador Mark Soderstrom.

Media identity and former SANFL footballer Mark Soderstrom.
By auctioning the paintings, Soderstrom hopes to raise $100,000.(ABC Radio Adelaide: Daniel Keane)

“I thought, we’ve got to be grateful for where we live, what can we do to raise $70,000 to $100,000?” he said.

“What if we try and showcase the best part of South Australia, and then auction them off for Childhood Cancer?

“They need something like $1.3 million a year to function and provide their services, so if we could put a dent in that, it’d be bloody brilliant.”

A painting of tuna fish.
Chosen subjects also included Port Lincoln’s tuna industry.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

Soderstrom admits he is not “arty” himself — but he is impressed by the power of art not only to raise funds but to provide respite.

Through CCA, he struck up a friendship with Lobert.

Their work has put them in contact with some harrowing stories.

A portrait of AFLW star Chelsea Randall.
Three-time AFLW premiership player and two-time premiership co-captain Chelsea Randall.(Supplied: Phil Hodgson and Mark Lobert)

Soderstrom recalled the case of Jaxon, “an unbelievably brave little boy” who was undergoing palliative care at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“He was in the fight of his life, and his parents called him Iron Man because he was so strong,” Soderstrom said.

Soderstrom asked Lobert to paint a picture of the superhero for Jaxon, to go over his hospital bed.

“Every time he woke up, with the time he had left, all he could see was Iron Man.”

Easing the burden on children like Jaxon is at the heart of the Spirit of SA.

“Our father passed away with cancer,” Lobert said.

“So whenever I hear of any [fundraiser] that’s to do with cancer, it’s always going to be a ‘yes’.

“I love to be able to give.”

Adelaide artists Leandra McKay and Mark Lobert at Lobert's Port Adelaide studio.
Assistant Leandra McKay and artist Mark Lobert at Lobert’s studio, where he has been working on a painting of CCA mascot Elliot.(ABC Radio Adelaide: Daniel Keane)

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