PICNIC TABLES - THE NEW NEW

Opening late in October of 2010, the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia is staging possibly one of the most significant overviews of contemporary SA artists ever to be undertaken. Including 47 artists, numerous sites across Adelaide and a hefty publication this is a project that has been a long time coming.

My contribution to the project is a series of picnic tables that have been altered and placed in both Victoria and Whitmore Squares. They have images of significant Australian paintings from the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection carved into their tops, which double as printing plates. For me, this project is an exploration of the values placed on cultural residues such as graffiti. I find the scratchings on various public furniture to be as engaging as some of the greatest paintings that are in major institutions. I have adapted images from Roberts, Gould and Boyd, each of which portray particular notions of Australian colonialism and social identity that can still be reflected upon today.

One of the tables is to be carved on site, allowing the opportunity to interact with the general public and extend the project via discussion. Viewers are invited to add their initials or names to the surfaces of the tables.

Here are a few pics taken during the development of the work.

BOAB INSCRIPTIONS - PART TWO

Here are a few more shots of my show at the Fremantle Arts Centre.

BOAB INSCRIPTIONS - PART ONE

Here's a few shots of one part of my Boab Inscriptions show at Fremantle Art Centre.
There are some other rooms that I will have shots of for you soon.
You can download a PDF of the zine for the show here -
DOWNLOAD ZINE










The plastic sheets that you see in each of the shots are tracings taken directly from both the Derby Prison Tree and Wyndham Prison Tree. Each piece of plastic wraps around the outside diameter of the tree.

BOAB INSCRIPTIONS - WORK IN PROGRESS

Here's a few shots of some of the work in progress...

BOAB INSCRIPTIONS

Here are some pics from my recent trip to the Kimberley region.
I have been documenting inscriptions from boab trees that I will use as references for work that I will develop over the next couple of months, in preparation for a solo exhibition at Fremantle Art Centre.

YOUTUBE ACTION

Some recent moving images...

Shootin the breeze with Fuzzy on Video Hits



Being interviewed about the latest Banksy production 'Exit Throught the Gift Shop'



University of South Australia Mural Project

RECENT SHOWS

Here's a couple of install shots from recent shows...
'Outback Explorer' at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, May 2010





Installing as part of 'Present Tense' at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, May 2010




Click here for a peek at the National Portrait Gallery documentation

JAMES DODD - MAY NEWS

I have a bunch of projects that will be coming to fruition in the near future.
Read on for more details.

OUTBACK EXPLORER
CANBERRA CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE




Opens Friday May 21st 6pm, Gorman House, Ainslie Ave, Braddon

Come along to CCAS to see a solo show of new paintings that I have recently completed.

Graffiti is hardly the first thing that springs to mind when considering the outback- especially when the general public has forgotten what graffiti actually are. They are representative of individuals, their thoughts, motivations and emotions. In this way we can examine the psyche of a place via its public inscriptions. The graffiti that I have interpreted in this work offer us insight into our contemporary Australian outback.
Also showing will be Helen Shelley and James Lieutenant.


http://www.ccas.com.au/newsite/archive/?period=Apr-Jun&year=2010


PRESENT TENSE
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, CANBERRA




Opens Friday May 21st 6pm, King Edward Tce, Parkes


I have dusted off a series of stenciled street posters that I developed around 2003 to be shown as part of a group exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.
The series is titled ‘Occupied Territory’ and portrays all of your favourite political superheroes including Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, George W Bush and John Howard. I will be producing a large scale wall based work in the space.

http://www.portrait.gov.au/UserFiles/media/document/Present%20Tense%20Media%20Release.pdf

DROP AND PLOP – THE ART OF PUBLIC SCULPTURE
Public debate at Craft ACT Galleries
Tuesday 8 June 6.pm - 7.pm
I will be arguing the affirmative, for public sculpture, as part of a Craft ACT and Canberra Contemporary Art Space forum. This series of informal discussions and debates examine topical issues surrounding the impact and influence of contemporary craft and design on the cityscape and city dwellers, and form part of the ongoing dialogue associated with the Designing a Capital: Crafting a City program.

http://www.craftact.org.au/events/daccac

BOAB INSCRIPTIONS
RESIDENCY & EXHIBITION AT FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE

At the beginning of July I will be travelling to Fremantle and the Kimberley to undertake a 3 month artist in residence. This will culminate in a solo exhibition at Fremantle Arts Centre late in September. The project will examine inscriptions left on Boab trees. The trees have a distinctive place in WA history and culture and people have left their marks on them for hundreds of years. One of the unique qualities of these trees is that marks do not grow out of their bark and so it is possible to still read messages written by early explorers, pastoralists and travelers. I am interested in the stories that these marks hold and the way these can be incorporated into a visual art practice.
More details as they come to hand.