CARBON BLACK gallery is a new gallery space in Prahran that “provides early career artists with an affordable opportunity to exhibit in a bright, professional gallery space.”

If you’re a photographic artist interested in taking part in this exhibition, send your proposals to Carbon188[at]gmail.com 10 artists will be selected to exhibit PLUS you will be in with a chance to win a three week exhibition at Carbon Black Gallery!

Closing date for proposals is Monday May 31.

Art Studio for Rent
Bouverie Studios

Large shared studio with attached communal space on the Carlton edge of the CBD. Kitchen and storage area, lots of natural light and a ping pong table. Shared by media artists, photographers, architects and designers.

$250/ month includes bills, heating & wireless ADSL2.

Email michael[at]tapeprojects.org to find out more.

Image: Natasha Frisch It’s ... nothing really (2006). Single channel video.

The High Life is a series of rooftop art projects curated by West Space that will be a feature of this year’s Melbourne Food + Wine Festival. The Festival invited West Space to work with contemporary artists to present artworks that reflect upon themes initiated in this year’s festival keynote project ‘The Metlink Edible Garden’. West Space has commissioned eight artists to make new work that responds to ideas around plants and gardens, food sustainability, urban landscapes and environmental concerns more broadly.

Working across some of Melbourne’s best-loved rooftops for the duration of the festival, the artists have also responded to the unique flavour of each establishment. How will artists interpret the hunter/gatherer ethos at Sarti Bar and Restaurant, or the flamboyant cheekiness of Madam Brussels? How will they respond to the understated but oh-so-Melbourne elegance of the Order of Melbourne, or the cool as a cucumber and high as a kite atmosphere of Rooftop Bar?

Artists:
Sarti Restaurant & Bar: Hotham Street Ladies + Natasha Frisch
Rooftop Bar and Cinema: Dell Stewart + Adam Cruickshank
The Order of Melbourne: Andy Hutson + Kirsten Bradley
Madame Brussels: Tai Snaith + Carl Scrase

Closing Night Event: Tuesday 23rd March

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival

12 – 28^th March 2010

Opening night Wednesday 17 March at the Astor Theatre

MQFF is the biggest and oldest queer film festival in Australia, and screens the best in queer film from Australia and around the world.

Centre for Contemporary Photography

Gallery Two

David Van Royen

Not Moving

19 March – 16 May 2010

Opening night Thursday March 18, 6-8pm

Not Moving is an exploration of self-portraiture within photography to display no movement and to create a still frame. This photographic series examines the process of becoming older by exploring that one’s ‘persona’ or ‘inner picture’ somehow remains the same within one’s mind throughout the course of one’s life.

We have a specific self-portrait inside our minds that does not shift like a photograph. It is this image that we attempt to maintain in spite of its possible discordance with the reality of our physical appearance. Like many artist self-portraits that examine mortality, this series concentrates on the environment around the subject, as well as my own state within the particular place displayed.

These photographic images display ideas that permeate my life without relying on the traditional ‘returned stare’ that dominates the genre of self-portraiture. Through this the window to my soul/persona becomes the photographic frame rather than my eyes. Within these images the release cable from the camera represents the physical action of taking the photograph, symbolising my attempt to ‘refresh’ the internal photograph of myself.

Artists: Maggie Brown, Christo Croker, Dylan Hammond, Ted McKinlay, Sophie Mitchell, Sam Page, Van Thanh Rudd, Jacob Weiss and Marcin Wojcik

28 January to 13 February 2010

Maggie Brown

Van Thanh Rudd

“Blindside’s Debut series of art exhibitions is an annual survey of Melbourne’s freshly emancipated art school graduates.

Its curatorial premise is simple: NO fancy French philosophy or long German words to connect points A and B; NO unifying theories; and NO attempt to fill in the gaps. Debut, without bias or favor supports the sweat and success of 2009’s brightest – the shining stars and the diamonds in the rough.

Work is selected from the tender bits of a marathon hunt through a month-and-a-half of near-daily exhibitions. We’d like to congratulate these artists, emerging talent we proudly highlight, and wish them well as they transition from art schools to art galleries and beyond.”

‘Accumulating’
Gorker Gallery
Michael Steele

4 February – 21 February 2010

Michael Steele

“Gorker Gallery is proud to present a solo show by Melbourne based artist Michael Steele. Michael’s mixed media pop surrealist cluster paintings convey personal and culturally based themes. These themes are explored by sourcing and combining visual icons from the artist’s generation, referencing the development of computer game culture, the internet phenomenon, the evolution of a multicultural consumer society, advertising and the emergence of graffiti art.

By fusing recognizable visual elements together in random composition, the artist’s works engage the viewer to respond simultaneously to these clusters, evoking their own unique response to each combination. The works are rich in communication, obvious and hidden messages lie within each explosion of visual stimulus to interpret.”

With so many print choices available today it is often difficult to choose which substrate best suits your image.

Photographic or ink jet is a big question. If one chooses ink jet, then the choice gets bigger. We encourage you to come into the Colour Factory where we can discuss a variety of paper surfaces and print some tests. This will help you choose the best paper surface to suit your work aesthetically and conceptually. Ultimately how it looks once PRINTED is what’s important.

‘Sustainable Fusion Reactions’ is a very exciting exhibition for the Colour Factory as it pushes the boundaries of what photographic art is. All three artists use photography to communicate their vision even though they may not consider themselves solely as photographers. This differs from the current exhibition, where the artists are well known photographers in the commercial world of fashion and advertising. Marc and Gerard have taken a ‘traditional’ approach in the installation of their work – mural photographs, mounted to Aluminum Composite Board and hung formally in the gallery. The Colour Factory stands by this photographic tradition of the image telling all, presented as a high quality print on the white walls of the gallery.

Just as valid and interesting is the way artists’ who use photography think outside the square and use the installation process as a way of communicating their ideas by transforming a space. The artists in ‘Sustainable Fusion Reactions’ will manipulate the gallery space in a completely different manner involving projections, photo based sculpture, books and photographs, using not only the wall space but the floor as well.

A benefit of exhibiting a variety of ways in which artists use photography is to educate and inspire, showing the diverse and creative methods being used by contemporary artists. Having the Colour Factory business attached to the gallery is advantageous for the public, in particular students, who are interested in the technical possibilities of the medium and challenges faced by artists and technicians alike in bringing an idea to fruition. The experienced Colour Factory staff are available to assist and provide information on how the artwork was produced, the technical requirements, the archival quality of the material and much more.  Just ask us!

Some technical details: photo techniques, printing devices

Gerard and Marc have printed their images as Lightjet photographs on Flex paper then mounted to 2mm Aluminum Composite Board, which floats off the wall. The Flex paper is high gloss and has incredible depth, fooling many to believe that the prints are face mounted to acrylic. This option, although aesthetically similar is more cost effective and light weight.  This process produces a collectable museum quality archival artwork.

In the next exhibition Utako Shindo will create a sculptural floor piece that has images printed onto clear vinyl and adhered to squares of mirror. This process is usually for commercial applications, printed on the large format OCE CS7070 with UV ink. This means the work is not museum quality archival however, it affectively achieves Utako’s creative vision and aesthetic purpose.

It is a manufacturer’s responsibility to guarantee their products and to ensure care when handling and processing.

What are the consequences?
Your work will not be rated by museums as archival, which could be a costly loss to your reputation.

Do you guarantee your work and for how long?
It is up to individual artists to maintain high standards in photographic fine art reproduction. This can be achieved by requesting the highest quality materials available, such as a particular brand of paper and types of ink. This will ensure the reputation of fine art photography as a valuable art form and a good investment, increase overall sales of photography and do justice to your work.

To show our commitment to artists, the Colour Factory is at present collecting certificates from all manufacturers about their products and we will be supplying a certification of our materials, inks, chemicals, handling procedures and expected lifespan, with all prints in the very near future. Your art collector will be able to look at your artwork knowing a gallery or museum could buy it and comply with worldwide archival standards.

This article was inspired by a recent experience of Phill Virgo’s,  Colour Factory director. So the story goes…

“A friend who had recently purchased three mural canvas digital prints asked me to look at them when one of them developed several stains, which had also blistered the liquid laminate surface. After a long appraisal, my opinion was that either the substrate was sub standard, or the mix of media was not suitable. It is also a possibility that handling issues in the production or contamination had caused this unwanted chemical reaction. The piece is no longer suitable for display or collection.

Dedicated art collectors, and influential in the Australian art scene (my friend’s father is a past chair of the Melbourne Arts Festival) unfortunately, this experience has lowered their opinion of photographic fine art and printing. Keep in mind that most people, even collectors, don’t overly discern between substrates. It is the work of art that is important. However, if it doesn’t stand the test of time, it has little aesthetic or financial value.”

This story illustrates the importance of protecting photo-based arts as a quality art form, continuing to produce works on fine art materials as it has been done for over a century.

Some retail companies pump out hundreds of canvas prints that will fade in a reasonably short time. As a result, the photographic print, be it ink or photographic, is in danger of being perceived as a short term, commercial decoration and nothing more.

You cannot command high prices for your art if the production methods are substandard.

For anyone wanting to know more on this subject you can contact Phill at the Colour Factory on +61 (03) 9419 8756.

We invite you to come along to the grand opening of the Colour Factory Gallery from 6 -8pm. Enjoy some complimentary wine and check out the space whilst enjoying the incredible, elaborate and entertaining work of Gerard O’Connor and Mark Wasiak.

Gallery opening hours are Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 5.30pm. Other times can be arranged by appointment.

We are currently accepting proposals for the period November 2009 – June 2010. We welcome solo, group and curated exhibition proposals from emerging and established practitioners.  If you are interested, please download an application form here.

* Exhibition duration is one month, including installation and de-installation.
* Openings will take place on the first Thursday from 6 – 8pm.
* Rental on the space is $500.00 per month and there is no commission on the sale of artworks.
* Artists who wish to print their work for the exhibition at the Colour Factory will get a 20% discount off rent.
* We welcome solo, group and curated exhibition proposals from emerging and established practitioners.
* We accept proposals for exhibitions of a variety of mediums. However, we may place preference on photographic exhibitions.

At Colour Factory we have a range of industry professionals, gallery curators, fine artists, students, art writers and collectors coming through the door on a regular basis. Thus, the opportunity for exposure is great.

The exhibition committee will consist of three members of the Colour Factory team; director Phill Virgo, production manger Shane Waghorne, and artist and academic Linsey Gosper. A guest collector and an established practicing artist will also be part of the panel.

For further information call us on +61 (03) 9419 8756 or email us at mail@colourfactory.com.au.

Clare has recently completed her BFA (Honours) at RMIT. Her work will be on show at the Centre for Contemporary Photography from August 7 – September 27, 2009. We are currently working with Clare to produce her series of fine art photographs.

‘Climbing the Walls and Other Actions’ is primarily concerned with visually representing my experience of femininity, whilst also exploring aspects of representation that relate to feminism. The project considers the relationship between the body and space by including formal elements within each frame such as windows and corners. Through a sequence of precarious poses I explore my relationship with femininity, an approach born of frustration.

I use the body to promote ideas of discomfort and awkwardness, resisting the passivity inherent in traditional representations of femininity. The images attempt to de-stabilize the figure, drawing tension from the potential dangers the body faces in these positions.

Whilst the actions taking place are not in themselves particularly dangerous, the work demonstrates a gentle testing of physical boundaries and limitations via a child-like exploration of the physical environment.’

Interestingly this project started with digital and has ended in analogue. The outcome is a mural chromogenic print of overwhelming proportions. STELARC commissioned Graham Baring to take his portrait and assist in creating the image below. Scott Livesey on behalf of STELARC, came to us with a high resolution file, which we wrote to an 8 x 10 inch negative in order to produce an analogue projection print.

Projection printing has become a unique area of expertise and still produces the highest value print in terms of archival and aesthetic quality and collectability.

Colour Factory Director, Phill Virgo, has 30 years experience in mural printing, including over 30,000 black and white photographic enlargements, and 120,000 plus colour photographic enlargements.

Inside the Colour Factory darkroom, several massive Durst enlargers are on tracks, moving back and forth to create the enlargement size that is projected onto the wall.

STELARC’s work, printed by Colour Factory, will be on exhibition at Scott Livesey Galleries from August 5 – August 29, 2009. The artwork is a three-part panel; the entire size is 4.2m wide x 2.7m high. It was a pleasure working with STELARC and the staff of Scott Livesey Galleries, who shared with us their knowledge and expertise in the field of fine art.

At the Colour Factory we enjoy a challenge and take pleasure in collaborating with artists and galleries to achieve their creative vision.

Currently there are many printing alternatives and an abundance of print media, often with a variation of names. It is no wonder the artists may be unsure how to correctly request a specific process or what to call their medium of choice when it comes to cataloging or exhibiting.

The Colour Factory has put together a glossary of terms associated with these types of printing to provide some clarity amongst the confusion.

Projection printing (Analogue) - a method of exposing photographic paper by means of an enlarger. “Projecting the image” onto photographic paper.

Emulsion - light sensitive material which consists of a suspension of silver halides in gelatin.

Chromogenic - film or paper contains one, or in the case of colour, three layers of silver halide emulsion. Exposing this light sensitive emulsion coated paper or film generates a latent image. The image is then created via a chemical reaction when liquid chemical is introduced to the light affected silver bearing emulsion. Often referred to as a C Type print or Silver Gelatin, the chromogenic print is unique, created specifically by the photographic process, hence it cannot be used to describe ink jet.

Continuous tone - term applied to the photographic process.

Digital capture - the use of a digital camera to replace film (Be careful of your megapixel size to ensure you capture enough information to achieve your final print size).

Digital laser exposing enlarger – a means of exposing photographic material to create a chromogenic print. Often referred to as a “Light Jet” or “Lambda”. NB these are brand names and when requesting quality digital photographic prints the light source (”Light Laser”) is what you need to be aware of.

As opposed to…

Digital LED exposing enlarger - a means of exposing photographic material to create a chromogenic print. Brands such as Pegasus and Chromira use these light sources.

Light jet - is a brand name for a digital light laser photographic enlarger

Lambda - is a brand name for a digital light laser photographic enlarger

Pegasus - is a brand name for a digital LED photographic enlarger

Chromira - is a brand name for a digital LED photographic enlarger

Ink jet - is a printing process that uses liquid inks sprayed onto paper to create images. Sometimes referred to as Giclee

Giclee - (pronounced ‘zhee-clay’) is French for ‘to spray’ and is a registered trademark. Giclee prints are produced by ink jet printers. The term, however, offers no standard for quality or print longevity.

Pigment Ink - is used in combination with ink jet printers. The newest archival ink is made from 100% pigment, and offers the best combined longevity and color gamut. Pigment inks are not affected by color enhancement papers in the way that dye inks are. However, they are not very compatible with gloss.

Dye Ink – was first used in ink jet printing. They have a good range and accuracy of colour, however are less fade resistant than pigment ink.

RGB – The way that the colours are recorded in Digital imaging. A large percentage of the visible spectrum can be represented by mixing Red, Green and Blue coloured light in various proportions and intensities. All Digital cameras & scanners are RGB devices.

CMYK - A colour system based on the four colours used in printing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and BlacK. CMYK is primarily used when preparing digital images that will be printed using the process colours by a printer or publisher on a four colour printing press.

Profiles - A mathematical formula made by taking readings of up to a thousand colour swatches generated by a computer. Readings of all squares are measured by means of a spectrophotometer and are returned to the computer which then compares the information. A mathematical correction formula is made and applied to print files to ensure a more correct result is achieved

Colour Space – A colour space is a means of uniquely specifying a colour. There are a number of colour spaces in common usage depending on the particular industry and/or application involved. Computers use RGB, the printing industry may use CMYK. Color spaces, along with device profiling, allow reproducible representations of color, in both analogue and digital representations