The decade-long wait for new content on my main website is over! There are not enough emoji to convey the effort expended, and the gratitude and relief to have it up and out in the world.
https://www.melissacameron.net/exhibition/banner_and_badge/
You just gotta see it for yourself 😉
Before I get into that, and the show, I need to say:
I am having a chat with visiting USA metalsmith Everett Hoffman, moderated by Stirling Kain from IOTA (the Indian Ocean Crafts Triennial, a supporter of the show), in the gallery space at 6pm tomorrow night if anyone is close to Walyalup and wants to listen in. Tickets ($10) are available here. An image of Everett’s work is below – if you come you can see a similar light fixture Bruce and I commissioned for our house 🙂
OK, back to the new website. It is of course supported by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries here in sunny Western Australia. And it was conceived and created by Bruce Cooper, of Mechination. It was an epic build, not least because we have added to it most of my archive, and listed for sale what I have of that in stock. If you are in Australia, it’s available now, and you won’t have to wait long for it to open up to international shipping; I just have to get the show closed first!
The exhibition, Banner and Badge, is on show now at PS Art Space in Walyalup/Fremantle, and I have to say it. I’m so proud! My feisty little team has done an incredible job. I contracted Justine Lange (my sister) from Dual to manufacture the beautiful oiled ply-wood cases. While here she also did an almost 5m-long shelf, and signage, and photo alignment and other install duties. Pete Norvilas, my brother-in-law, made a massive plinth for Juukan Tears and literally did the heavy lifting and minor acrobatics to get the tears in the air, and RCW… #1 and a huge sheet of steel on the wall, and with Justine, the shelf up and in position.
Aside from being the website architect and its coder-of-record, Bruce Cooper was also in the install crew, for 2 days of 3. He was in the painting, lifting, moving, peeling, unwrapping, hanging and drilling business, and set up the a/v to display the 1.1.2017 video. And in catering! Alongside him for much of that time was the aforementioned Everett Hoffman. He got off a 38 hour commute from Philly last Wednesday and came to dinner at our place, during which I unashamedly propositioned him… To help out with the show! He said yes, and so oiled and painted and moved and unpacked and traced a 1.5m wide map of the USA onto the wall, AND managed to shop and see quokkas and generally be the most amazing artist/friend/installer/tourist/cultural ambassador I have ever seen. That person can move!
Did I mention he also hand-delivered a lighting commission?
And then there was Susannah. The Kings-Lynne. She seamlessly shifted between image and data wrangler on the website, jewellery manipulator and photographer for a photo shoot, installer at PS Art Space (and for Reflect|Refract at Mossensens for the JMGA too!), work maker in between times, and continued her self-appointed mission of chief stalker – as in, she’s very bloody efficient with a phone or a camera. She’ll have whipped it out, got the photo and put her gloves back on before you can say “hold this!” I simply would not have attempted this crazy schedule without her or Mr Mechination – we are the little trike that could.
On the night was Stirling Kain on sales, Susannah the stalker had the Canon out, and Justine reprised her starring role with a tactical sushi pickup. Courtenay Cameron sat the show on Saturday, and with practically zero training also did sales. She’d been on vibes and occasional pickups and knife drops since install began too, and her Wal/Freo knowledge helped us to avoid lines for the best food in town. Thank you to all of them, and those who support them, and who supported me (Kaori Juzu and Kaoru Rogers were also in town staying at Chez CCC = Cooper-Cameron-Chaos – and made some art with me! Arigato gozaimasu!) this last week with hugs and smiles and salad and cheese and olives (Robin, Alister, Claire, Tineke, Lynndy, Barbara and all who let me cut the line at Saturday’s conference – who else would order the GF Vego sarnies anyway? Only Claire, and Carola!) Oh, and her too! Thanks Carola, and Jude, for letting me out of IOTA obligations as all this happened. And Spalding for the beautiful and unexpected flower delivery 😉
We had so many lovely friends, colleagues, large and small family members (in-laws and all) – all forms of all beloveds – on the night, sharing their good vibes and smiles. It was a really magic night, so thank you all who came out, and literally flew in, to join me, and to join us for the JMGA conference. (That is a whole other amazing story, mind!) It really means the most. I have never felt so appreciated, and with the work I do, it really fills the tank back up. Thank you, thank you.
Finally, a big thanks to those who’ve emailed, messaged and made it out to the show, your support means so much!
There are future plans for this work, this show, that I’ll share when I can. In the mean time, the website was an epic saga, and we have mostly prevailed. We will continue to improve it, but for now, please enjoy.