Photo Credit Lismore Regional Gallery Cherise Winter
Relative Cartographies
Lismore Regional Gallery
26th August - 8th September 2023
These works were created in collaboration with members of the Northern Rivers community who participated in my workshop series Mapping Internal & External Terrains Through Cartography. Participants learned how to process soil, ochre and flood mud of the local region into pigments. These small pigment paintings embody how each artist feels they have been shaped by our landscape, through everything from cataclysmic environmental events through to the subtleties of geological time.
These works are the first iteration of The Mapping of Internal & External Terrains - Community Cartography work from the Relative Terrains exhibition that Grafton Regional Gallery generously assisted Lismore Regional Gallery by presenting Relative Terrains as an LRG Offsite exhibition while our gallery is being rebuilt.
Community Pigment Callout
The Lismore Regional Gallery and artist Karma Barnes invite the community to participate in the Relative Terrains project through collecting and contributing local pigments, clays and soils. The exhibition Relative Terrains by local artist Karma Barnes and New Zealand artist Robért Franken, will be on display at Grafton Regional Gallery from 16 September - 12 November, and the pigments collected by the community will be used to make the works.
If you would like to be involved, please follow the pigment gathering and contribution process below. SUBMISSIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED
1. Materials Collection: Participants are requested to gather 250-gram samples of local pigments, soils, ochres, rock pigments and flood mud. Please be mindful and respectful of locations when gathering materials, for further guidelines visit https://wildpigmentproject.org/reciprocal-foraging
2. Labeling: Each sample should be labeled with the following information:
• Location gathered: Specify the specific location or region from which the pigment was collected.
• Name of collector: Provide your name as the collector of the pigment.
• Contact details: Include your contact details (email address or phone
number) for further communication, if necessary.
• Personal connection, knowledge, or story: Share briefly any personal connection, knowledge, or story related to the place from which the pigment was gathered. This will contribute to the narrative and significance of the resulting artwork.
3. Packaging Requirements: To ensure the integrity of the materials, please follow these
guidelines:
• Well-sealed container jar or bag: Place the materials in a container jar or bag that is tightly sealed to prevent any spillage or contamination during transit.
• Dry and clean: Ensure that the materials are dry and free from debris, such as leaves, twigs, or other foreign matter.
Community Cartography Workshops
LISMORE REGIONAL GALLERY
Thursday 17 August, 11 am - 1 pm
Lismore Quad BOOKED OUT
GRAFTON REGIONAL GALLERY
Saturday 7 October, 11 am -1 pm
Grafton Regional Gallery BOOKED OUT (contact the gallery for waiting list)
Join artist Karma Barnes in the Mapping Internal & External Terrains: Community Cartography workshop to explore the intersection of art, mapping, and personal experiences through earth pigments.
The workshop traverses the geological terrain and volcanic landscapes of the Northern Rivers and explores how we, the inhabitants of the land, form and change with the forces of the elements, time, pressures, and climatic factors. Participants are invited to each gather and bring with them 250-gram samples of local pigments, ochres, soils, charcoals or flood mud from their local environment. Participants will learn about processing materials into usable pigments and working with binders and mulling processes to transform these pigments into natural paints. Participants will create 3 works on paper to take home and contribute to a series of collaborative pigment paintings to contribute to the larger Refective Cartographies artwork, that will be exhibited at Lismore Regional Gallery (and then featured in the artist's upcoming show, Relative Terrains, at Grafton Regional Gallery opening on September 16th.
This workshop is for people aged 14 +.
Tickets and more information at https://lismoregallery.org/community-cartography-workshop
This workshop is part of our Science Week program Dark Science: New Moon.
Relative Terrains Research Body 2020 - 2023
Relative Terrains is a practice-based research body that explores the interconnections between environmental changes and human experiences. The project is a collaborative effort by Karma Barnes and Robért Franken. The project has been developed over three art residencies at The School of Creativity and Art in Wellington, New Zealand in 2021 and 2022 (where Robért is a permanent artist in residence) and then continued during their third residency in late 2022 at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery in the Northern Rivers. During their residencies, Barnes and Franken immersed themselves in the natural environment exploring the geological terrains and their internal responses. Their research involved extensive fieldwork, including creative mapping, and pigment collection from across the Northern Rivers, engaging with local communities and Indigenous knowledge holders.
The resulting artworks in Relative Terrains are a reflection of their research and experiences. The large-scale installations and suspended paintings are produced in a range of mediums, including locally sourced pigments, which are used to create a connection between the artwork and the land.
The exhibition aims to create an immersive experience for the viewers, inviting them to explore the interconnections between environmental changes and human experiences. The artwork highlights the dramatic shifts in our environmental cycles and how this informs our internal and external experiences.
The exhibition was initially scheduled for January 2023 at the Lismore Regional Gallery, but the exhibition was displaced due to the devastating floods earlier this year. The Grafton Regional Gallery has now snapped up the opportunity to house the exhibition, along with a number of other displaced exhibitions.
Relative Terrains is an inspiring example of practice-based research, which highlights the importance of collaboration, engagement with local communities, and the use of locally sourced materials in the creation of artwork. The exhibition offers a unique and immersive experience that invites viewers to explore the interconnections between the environment and human experiences.
