Last week was the official launch of Jos Van Hulsen's sculpture and I just can't help but skite a little. Well it's not really skiting on my behalf . . . . it was Jos's work after all, and me being his biggest fan, makes it ok - no?

The launch was held at Fawkner Cemetery where the work is now permanently housed. It was purchased by Greater Metropolitan Cemetery Trust and is now the gateway sculptural piece for the cemetery.

For years I have had a little love affair with cemeteries. And I can't think of a more fitting home for Jos's work. Chrysalis is about the process of metamorphosis, change and rebirth. It is a work concerned with transformation and the need to care and guard what is precious until it is fully formed.

Cemeteries, to me, are exquisite spaces! I think I first fully fell in love with them in my early 20's. Living in Prahran, with a bunch of Muso's, who practiced ALL THE TIME (yes - you know who you are!) To find quiet, I would sneak over to the Prahran cemetery, armed with a book. Often I would ditch the book and wander the cemetery marveling at the beautiful old headstones and imagining who these people were and the lives they lived. This for me was a place of tranquility. A snapshot. A historical document marking the passing of time.

But this is not about ME. Chrysalis is now in the public realm. A sculpture for people to enjoy, love, hate or show indifference.  We would like to think that if you do visit the cemetery, you will get a little joy from the work, but at the end of the day it is all subjective.

To end on a great quote by US author Jarod Kintz . . . “I dig art. With a shovel. In the cemetery.”

Dianne Rule (Chair) and Catherine Brown (former Chair) of GMCT, unveiling the plaque

Chrysalis by Jos Van Hulsen at Montalto Winery 2015

Art and surfing seem unusual bedfellows, yet young artist Michel Le Tellier has managed to merge both for his upcoming exhibition ‘Sailmaker’. Michel handcrafts his surfboards, which he uses as a blank canvas for his art. The exhibition opens on August 2^nd from 6- 8pm here at Post Industrial Design. Exhibition runs till Aug 15th.

 A keen surfer himself, Michel was keen to merge his two passions; fine art and surfing. At 15 Michel knew what he wanted to do. It took Michel a year to work and save up enough money to travel to Queensland to complete a surfboard-shaping course with the acclaimed board shaper, Richard Harvey. Richard had been shaping surfboards since 1967 and Michel was keen to learn all that he could. He then went on to learn glassing skills at The Surfboard Studio run by Zac Koniaris.

 Hand shaping surfboards is a dying craft. The market is flooded with cheap generic product. There is still however a niche of surfers who value customised boards. Each board presents a unique surfing experience and this is what Michel wanted to explore.

"When you are out on the water its just you and the board that exist in that moment. The board becomes an extension of the surfer. I want my board art to allow surfers to connect more with the craft they are riding and enhance the surfing experience", explained Michel.

Following his passion for drawing and the fine arts, each of Michel’s boards is hand painted with his own unique designs.

Normally we would not take on such a young inexperienced artist, however every now and again a young person crosses our path who stops us in our tracks. To see someone who found their passion at 15 and has methodically worked towards it is pure inspiration. At 18 he is very much at the start of his career. We feel very honoured to play some small part in the start of his journey.

Homefront is a textile exhibition by Gaye Naismith and Melanie Hill as part of Craft's annual festival Craft Cubed. A crocheted rug, furniture and wall art, all lovingly stitched using upcycled materials, will make up the exhibition. The exhibition is part of The festival attracts over 7000 visitors annually and this year showcases over 100 events throughout Victoria as part of the 2013 program. This year’s festival titled A Better Blueprint is all about getting back to basics to craft a better future. In terms of theme you are unlikely to find a better fit than with these two women. Both Gaye and Melanie have been upcycling since 2006 and are both passionate about sustainable local production. “We both love the 'making do' approach to creativity.  We work with fibres and other bits and pieces gleaned from second hand sources, and the scraps of felted jumpers left over from the other things we make.  While exploring the possibilities and limitations that arise from working with such materials is central to both our textile practices, we diverge markedly in our stitching and construction techniques and in the types of objects we have created for this show.” Together and separately, Gaye and Melanie run three small, craft-based labels: Body Parts Winter Accessories, Gaye Abandon and Textile Allsorts. This exhibition extends their textile practices into furniture, objects and small and large wall pieces. There will also be a pop-up shop featuring products from their ranges. Homefront is a free event opening on August 8^th from 6 – 8 pm at Post Industrial Design, 638 Barkly Street West Footscray, and running till August 28^th. The opening night will be accompanied by the infamous food van White Guy Cooks Thai and cheap drinks available at the bar. We would love to see you on the 8th but if we do miss you at the opening, the exhibition and Pop up Shop runs until the 28th of August. Melanie and Gaye will also be running MEET AND MAKE WITH THE MAKERS, an informal session of craft and chat on Saturday 24th of August 2 - 5pm.

SOLO EXHIBITION Opening: Friday 1st March 6 - 8pm 2013 Gallery Hours Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5.30pm Sundays 12 to 5pm Exhibition runs till March 22

Bookalicious video by the talented Aaron Maguire. For those of you who missed the event you can now check out the dastardly  plots, children's performance from DramaworX, and all the crazy shenanigans of the evening. Bookalicious was an event which was part of the Maribyrnong Library Literary Festival. The festival ran a total of 15 events over 10 days. To view the video of the event click HERE

Chanelle Collier’s work will be on display at our upcoming event Bookalicious, as part of the Maribyrnong Library Literary Festival. I first came into contact with Chanelle during our steampunk exhibition, Steamscape, back in March this year. On first seeing Chanell’s work I was instantly smitten. Her book sculptures transport you to a miniature world. It takes me back to being a child and seeing a snow cone for the first time. In a somewhat of an Alice in Wonderland moment, I would stare at this miniature world of dappled snow and imagine myself  inside the cone romping through this magical landscape. The detail in Chanelle’s work is amazing – each page is painstakingly carved to create a visual world within the book. Working so closely with each page of the narrative Chanelle has developed a deep respect for each book’s life. Traditional books are becoming superseded through electronic media and technology. Through Chanelle’s book sculpture we are encouraged to reconnect with the tactile beauty of the books, parodying the notion that old books have been reduced to objects of decoration in the modern environment. 

Let your imagination run wild at Bookalicious on September 6th! We are excited to invite you to our upcoming event, Bookalicious, as part of the Maribyrnong Library Service Literary Festival. Come and join us for an avant-garde evening of art, roving performance, fancy dress, mystery, mayhem and literary playfulness. Come dressed as your favorite literary character and bring your most beloved book to life. Enjoy roving performances by Peat Moss, Chris Bennett, local children's theatre group DramaworX and a special mystery guest! Discover the secret langueage of flowers in an installation by local Floriographer, Christie McIntosh, and wonder at the intricate scenes created by book sculptor Chanelle Collier. Marvel at the amazing costumes of Clockwork Butterfly who dazzled us with her steampunkery at our Steamscape event earlier this year. This is a free event but numbers are limited. Click HERE to secure your booking. Thursday the 6th of September 7 - 9PM Post Industrial Design 638 Barkly Street West Footscray 

If you didn't make it to our last exhibition opening 'Westography' you can check out all the fun on this video. Produced by local film-maker-extraordinaire . . . and all round top bloke . . . . Mr Aaron Maguire (pictured here)