The Arthouse Report - Artist Open House Fremantle

EVENT DATE
NOV. 13 - 15, 2015
TH E
R
HANG ART LIKE A
PROFESSIONAL
P
O
R T
AN ARTIST OPEN HOUSE FREMANTLE PRODUCTION
ISSUE 1
tips from the experts:
E
4
arts opinion:
TED SNELL ON
WHY ART MATTERS
11
unique insight:
ARTISTS IN THEIR
CREATIVE HOMES
12
personal introduction:
MEET OUR 2015
EXHIBITING ARTISTS
18
TRUST YOUR REAL ESTATE MASTERPIECE
TO THOSE WHO APPRECIATE ITS TRUE VALUE.
Proud sponsors of Artist Open House Fremantle
Stefanie Dobro
l Sales Executive
0409 229 115
[email protected]
Associate Director
Michael Harries
l Auctioneer
0434 076 229
[email protected]
Sales Executive
CLA R EM ONT
l
FR EM A NTLE
l
A PPLECR OSS
www.capornyoung.com.au l 08 9335 5977
CONTENTS
AOHF, November 13 - 15, 2015
WELCOME TO AOHF 2015!
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE...
4. STYLE COUNSEL: HOW TO DISPLAY ART
Tips and tricks for showing art in YOUR home
6. PEOPLE’S PICK: FIRST DIBS
People’s most coveted artwork from the show & why
8. Q & A: ART MUSINGS
We talk to three artists about art, work & life
10. EVENT SPONSORS
See which businesses support this wonderful event
11.OPINION: WHY ART MATTERS
Border Negotiations by Lesley Munro, 60 x 60cm, $2200
An insightful essay from esteemed art expert Professor Ted Snell, director of the UWA’s Cultural Precinct and WA art reviewer for The Australian
12. SNEAK PEAK: ARTISTS AT HOME
Three of our esteemed artists grant us a look at how their creativity is expressed at home
15. PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE: HELLO!
How Artist Open House Fremantle came about & why
16. STYLED HOUSE: MEET THE MAKERS
er
aS
m
ias
ni
eo
yL
b
ies
18.OVERVIEW: THE AOHF 2015 ARTISTS
e
idg
br
s
an
eM
Stylist Jo Carmichael introduces local craftsman & extols the virtue of bespoke furnishings
A pictorial line-up of artwork from this year’s artists
20.GETTING THE MOST OUT OF AOHF
Ch
How to get involved
‘Inside Wall (Paint)’ by Sally Anderson. Similar available at AOHF 2015.
FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
JODY D’ARCY
Photographer
NIKKI LILEY
Writer
Having taken photos since she was a
teenager, photography is now Jody’s life. Her
breadth of work includes food, fashion, news,
sport and portraits (including The Dalai Lama
and Jennifer Hawkins!). Jody’s dry sense of
humour and her love of art and interior design
made working on The Arthouse Report with
her a real treat.
Ready for a colour injection, Nikki escaped
the monochrome world of government health
for a spell in Alabama where she worked
at PMT Publishing. Nikki later wrote for
the Habitat lift-out in The West Australian
and last year was the AOHF Artist Liaison
Officer, while tending three little girls and a
house renovation.
Editor: Managing Editor and Writer: Interior Stylist and Producer:
Cathrina Read
Nikki Liley
Jo Carmichael
Design and Art Direction: Photographer: insomnia design
Jody D’Arcy
Contributing Writer:
Contributing Photographers:
Professor Ted Snell
Bo Wong
Simon Davidson
Sharon Morris
Artist Open House Fremantle is a Not For Profit organisation.
This publication is produced by Artist Open House Fremantle
Inc. and is distributed for free to our audience, with a print
run of 10,000.
Advertising space in this publication is exclusively for our
sponsors. Join us in 2016!
Email: [email protected]
For an advance copy of the 2016 edition, become a Friend of
AOHF (details on our website).
No use may be made of this document or parts of without
prior written consent from Artist Open House Fremantle Inc.
3
Cover
Shot by Jody D’Arcy in the delightful,
art-adorned home of Fremantle artists
Giles Hohnen and Eveline Kotai.
(Green painting by Giles, the small work
by Eveline and the blue silkscreen print by
American artist Robert Motherwell.)
STYLE COUNSEL
2015
HOW TO DISPLAY ART
A guide to making the most of the artwork in your home
DARK WALL SALON
Salon style with a dark backdrop helps to
group artwork and give an oomph factor
Owner’s artwork
The art you display and how you display it
makes all the difference. But hanging art is
an art itself.
For a statement piece of art, let the painting be the hero
and dominate the room. Keep other furnishings simple,
drawing colours from the artwork to decorate the space
and tie it in.
Having understated artwork is often understated. It
is not necessary to crowd a space - spartan is neither
boring nor bland. Giving the artwork plenty of space to
breathe draws your eye to the details.
Propping art is not a cop-out. It’s often easier and
mixing hung artwork with propped pieces makes a
space more interesting. Try overlaying artworks (being
careful not to damage) and filling the foreground with
objects, flowers or greenery echoing colour from the
paintings.
Don’t be afraid to use a dark background to showcase
art. Gallery white is always chic, but so is black. A dark
wall pulls artwork together creating a cohesive look.
Mixing and matching colours, shapes and sizes in a
salon-hung style works well here too. But find the right
composition first by laying artworks out on the floor
before hanging them on the wall.
STATEMENT
Let the painting be the hero
Waters Deep by Becky Blair,
100 x 140cm, $6600
UNDERSTATED
Embrace minimalism by giving
work space to breathe
Owner’s artwork
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TOM’S TIPS ON HANGING ART
AOHF artwork installer & artist Tom Freeman
Hang art eye-level, with the centre of the artwork about 155cm from the floor… BUT this
can depend on the space, size of artwork and architectural features. For example, some
may choose to line art with the top of a doorway, maintaining a horizontal line that is
easy on the eye.
PROPPED
Use two hooks to keep artwork level. D-rings that loop directly
onto wall hooks are the most secure.
The easiest way to show art, especially for renters
Cut templates of your artwork from newspaper and Blu Tack
them to the wall to see how it looks before damaging your walls.
Paintings, left to right, by Giles Hohnen (similar at AOHF), Susie Marwick
(similar at AOHF), Jo Darvall (similar at AOHF), Emma Lipscombe
(similar at AOHF), Magali Dincher (La Cremerie, 21 x 30cm, $290).
Ceramics by Mad Harriet (similar at AOHF)
If you still screw it up, call Tom!
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2015
PEOPLE’S PICK
FIRST DIBS
Our panel discuss their most coveted artwork from this year’s line-up
ANNIE TAYLOR
Co-owner, Corner Store
PICK: Kate Jarman
Minty Bloom, 25 x 25cm, $360
Kimberley Cactus, 25 x 25cm, $360
Peachy Blooms, 14 x 14cm, $240
My pick for this year would be a couple
of Kate Jarman’s cactus paintings. Similar
pieces caught my eye at the inaugural AOHF
but were sporting a red dot by the time I
arrived.
I love Kate’s use of the beautiful soft palette
of pinks and mints, which disguise the
harshness of their spiky thorns. I think
I’d set Minty Blooms alongside Kimberley
Cactus or even make it a dreamy triptych
with Peachy Blooms so all my favourite
colours were on show.
PICK: Debbie Walker Tremlett
Do Not Swallow
50 x 50cm, $3200
EMMA WILLIAMSON
Architect, Director - Coda Studio
Kieran and I have quite a large collection of
art. But this work drew me in and made me
realise we don’t have anything hyper-real.
Our works are mainly abstract, photographs
or landscape. Debbie’s painting is beautifully
executed and technically perfect. What I
really love is that she has taken something
completely ordinary, even irritating, and
made it beautiful.
I was also thinking about my interest in
suburbia and how this shines a light on the
everyday-ness of domestic life, no matter how
nice your house!
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NIKKI LILEY
AOHF Co-producer
PICK: Sally Anderson
Unfolding her room
40 x 60cm, $850
Sally’s subtle layering of fleshy pinks and
greys in this abstracted work is refined and
understated. I can imagine this painting
gladly sharing wall space unlike some more
brazen works that insist on being belle of
the ball.
At 25 years old, Sally is just hitting her straps.
She has her whole career ahead of her and
is one to watch for sure.
KAY CAMPBELL
Vice President, Friends of the Art
Gallery of Western Australia
PICK: Jordy Hewitt
Ledge Point VIII
117 x 77.5 cm, $2100
I have selected Jordy Hewitt’s abstract
landscape painting, Ledge Point VIII. I love
this oil painting for the sense of drama of
the passing storm.
Kate Jarman coffee
cups only available
@ Ootong & Lincoln
Sweeping brushstrokes add to the feeling
of a deluge. The horizon dominates the
painting with an area of lightness drawing
our eye to it. One feels that if we can just get
to that point on the horizon, all will be OK –
we will have weathered the storm.
There is an interesting diagonal as well with
the use of colour balancing the painting.
The painting suggests an intense storm with
a hint of lightness that the storm will pass.
This resonates emotionally. For me, this painting would continually
demand attention. It will keep challenging
the viewer, and I find that appealing.
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www.artistopenhousefremantle.com
Q&A
2015
ART MUSINGS
Three of our artists muse about art, work and life in the lead-up to AOHF 2015
I also had a wonderful photography teacher in high school.
My interest in photography probably developed there but it
collided with my environmental interests and led to the work
I do today.
Is it rare for photographers to survive on photography alone today?
Through the years I’ve worked with many photographers who
make a living doing something they love. But with the prices of
cameras coming down more people are doing it and I can see it’s
getting harder. It seems true that the competition is fierce.
HE’S LIKE THE GEORGE
CLOONEY OF BIRDS
What is your biggest pinch-me moment to date?
It happened for me only a few weeks ago. I flew to New
Zealand to photograph an extraordinary parrot called Sirocco.
He’s an endangered Kakapo - a huge, flightless, nocturnal,
eccentric, adorable, gorgeous bird. Having the opportunity to
photograph him was a big deal. He’s like the George Clooney
of birds. He even has his own mobile phone number and I
have it in my phone!
LEILA JEFFREYS
Leila Jeffreys is a Sydney-based wildlife photographer
whose crisp photos of wild cockatoos, budgerigars, owls &
falcons have graced the pages of magazines as varied as
Belle and Australian Geographic, from China to the UK.
Did your exotic childhood in Papua New Guinea, India and
Kashmir inspire you to be a photographer?
Amanda (Orange Chat) by Leila Jeffreys, 61 x 52cm, framed $1425
Leila’s book, Birdland, $49.95, is available at AOHF 2015
Dad was very adventurous so we lived abroad and travelled
regularly, but I also spent time in Perth. Spending time away
or in the bush had a really big affect on me and definitely
made me care more about wildlife and the environment.
NICOLE LAW
Nicole Law is an artist, designer and mother of two roaring boys in
Sydney, Australia. Though her background is graphic and product
design, her current art practice explores the transformative power of
daily mark-making.
What inspired your ‘making marks daily’ idea?
Foremost, I was looking for a way to pull together a creative practice around
the demands of being a full-time mum. It was a question of my mental
health, really!
I COMMITTED TO A YEAR OF
DAILY MARK MAKING
I did a lot of work with Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, in which
daily ‘morning pages’ are a big part (three pages of stream-of-consciousness
writing, longhand, every day). Doing those morning pages quietens the voices
in my head.
I also discovered an online community created by artist Michael Nobbs,
called ‘Sustainably Creative’. He talks about finding space to create with
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When is your book due for release? What have you learned
about that process?
My book, Birdland, is due out in November through publishing
company Hachette. At the back of the book, I share background information on my experience with the birds. I’m not
a natural writer so that was a real challenge for me but the
publisher did a word count and the book has 20,000 words in it!
Is there an artist you are passionate about?
I love Anna-Wili Highfield’s paper animal sculptures. I’ve been
waiting five years to have a sculpture made by her. We finally
met for the first time last week to discuss my animal. She’s
wonderful and we have a lot in common even though we work
in different mediums. It’s easy to be passionate about her work.
Coastal Banksia Walk by Jane Tangney, 4 panels, each 51 x 41cm, $2400 for the four
JANE TANGNEY
Jane Tangney is a Fremantle-based artist
whose abstracted landscape paintings have a
hazy dream-like quality in all shades of green.
When she’s not in the studio painting, Jane
also takes on graphic and residential design.
Tell me about your background.
Art is my background, design came later. My
qualifications are in visual art, graphic design
and multi-media. I am not an architect, I am an
artist who also loves designing houses. I fell into
residential design 15 years ago. Apart from the odd
drafting unit here & there, I am mostly self-taught.
PAINTING TAKES A
LOT OF COURAGE
Who is one of your style icons and why?
I was exposed to architecture at an early age
through my Dad. His plans were beautifully handrendered and he had a great eye for detail. It’s
possible his design sensibility has influenced me. I
tend to plan my artwork compositionally and then
allow the paint to take over and surprise me.
Historically there has been a divide between art and
design, is that changing with artists becoming more
multidisciplinary?
Artists are diversifying their work practices,
however art and design are still vastly different
disciplines. In most cases, design still supports
function with each project having its own unique
set of helpful constraints. Design involves clear
communication and collaboration.
Painting on the other hand is a solitary pursuit
without constraints, which for me makes
it infinitely more difficult. Painting takes
commitment and a lot of courage. Everyone’s a
critic after all. As an artist you need thick skin.
I recently travelled through Georgia O’Keeffe and
Agnes Martin country in the deserts of New Mexico.
I adore Agnes Martin’s work but O’Keeffe had style.
Her Pueblo-style restored adobe home in Abiquiu is
a beautiful example of architectural restraint. The
earthen-walled interior is sparsely furnished and
utilitarian with modern furniture by Saarinen and
a lone mobile by Calder. Large windows open onto
desert vistas and an extensive vegetable patch.
O’Keeffe grew and cooked her own food. She even
sewed her iconic black & white clothes.
Is buying quality art a luxury?
Yes, there is no doubt it is a luxury but so is a car, a
boat, designer clothing and jewellery. It depends on
what you value as an individual.
limited resources. One of his mantras is ‘small and often’.
And finally I stumbled upon a call to action by Olive and the Volcano
Letterpress on Instagram. They asked, “We’re making marks daily, who will
join us?” which galvanised my resolve!
I committed then and there to a year of (almost) daily creativity, with no
ambition other than to get through that year. My fortieth birthday was also
fast approaching, so it was time to get my act together if I ever wanted to
become an artist!
Do your skills as a graphic and product designer help or hinder your art?
Design is an iterative problem-solving process and outcomes are context
dependent. But with my artwork, I am my own client and the problem I was
trying to solve is how to make art daily within the context of being a fulltime mum.
Working from home forced me to create art within strict parameters. At first
I chose to work in black and white only, in pen on paper only. With fewer
decisions to make I had no excuse but to get on with things.
Six months and one exhibition into daily mark-making, how do you structure
your creative practice?
The exhibition was such a high after a year of making marks daily. It gave me
a deadline to pull ideas I had been exploring into a cohesive form but also, to
celebrate what I made over the year.
Getting back into a routine post-exhibition has been a struggle. I feel overwhelmed with possibilities. I wonder if I should start a new year-long project.
I wonder if I should do some formal training… there are lots of ‘shoulds’!
9
Archipelago by Nicole Law, 30 x 42cm, $580
THANK
YOU TO
OUR
PARTNERS
MAJOR PARTNER
SUPPORTING PARTNER
CITY PARTNER
EVENT PARTNERS
OLD BRIDGE
CELLARS
FOOD & BEVERAGE PARTNERS
THANK YOU!
Sincere and heartfelt thanks to all our partners for nurturing
Artist Open House Fremantle.
This exciting, community-building event would not be
possible without your support.
And art lovers, keep these local businesses in mind when you
next make a purchase!
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OPINION
WHY ART MATTERS
An essay by renowned cultural observer Ted Snell, Winthrop Professor, University of Western Australia
Art matters, it is vital to our individual experience
and essential to community health and well-being.
Artists matter, they are integral to any society and their
work is a litmus test of its vitality, resilience and selfawareness. Artists and the work they create are central
to the health and well-being of our species because it
impacts on so many aspects of our experience.
Art changes the way we live our lives. One of the main
skills that makes us human is our ability to re-think
and re-imagine our world. As agents of change, artists
and designers seek ways to improve, integrate and
re-imagine the objects and spaces that shape how
we live. By questioning at the boundaries of what is
known, they do indeed change the world as we know
it. Whether it is something as small as the elegant
design of a brooch we wear on our lapel or a gamechanging shift in our consciousness that re-calibrates
our understanding and transforms our daily lives, art
impacts our understanding and our experience.
Art enhances our lives. Each morning the first image
that catches my eye is a Guy Grey-Smith print of
startled kangaroos and when I sit at my desk I run
my finger over the delicate rim of a Pippin Drysdale
vase and ‘ping’ it to activate its glorious bell-toned
resonance. Then I can begin to work. I eat my
breakfast from a Stewart Scambler bowl while I daily
re-familiarise myself with Billy Benn’s wonderful
evocation of the MacDonnell Ranges. Every time I pass
the painting of Banksias by Duncan McGregor Whyte
my spirits lift, and I am re-energised by the joy of his
transformative seeing. Experiences such as these bring
great pleasure, insight and affirmation to our days.
Art enables us to operate successfully in the world. The
essential skills and attitudes of flexibility, adaptability
and boundary hopping at the core of art and design
are fundamental to all forms of human activity. The
visual arts enrich, enhance and transform by teaching
us to be agile, self-motivated and visually adept so
we can solve problems in creative ways and respond
to changing conditions with a range of new and
traditional skills. In a period of change in which thirty
percent of the population are employed in jobs that
didn’t exist thirty years ago, and with the prediction
that in the next twenty years seventy percent of people
will be employed in jobs that don’t exist today, the
arts teach us precisely the skills required to ...move
gracefully through a world of rapid change. 1
WHETHER IT IS SOMETHING AS SMALL AS
THE ELEGANT DESIGN
OF A BROOCH…
ART IMPACTS OUR
UNDERSTANDING AND
OUR EXPERIENCE
Art reveals who we are. We live in a unique terrain,
with a long history of 50,000 years of continual
habitation. The extraordinary landscape and ecology
demands a response and artists find their own ways
to inflect received knowledge with their experiences
of living here. It is a catalyst for new ideas and new
approaches; it generates a sense of urgency and
of making do and creates a space that can only be
inhabited through bold action.
It is also frequently the case that western coastlines
attract outsiders later, after the great waves of
migration and human movement sweep first upon
the eastern seaboards and then later find a foothold
on western shores. This lateness offers another kind
of freedom, a space to act in response to what is
11
happening elsewhere while not being constrained
by it. Artists in Western Australia have the ‘make do’
mentality often associated with the outback, with the
new frontier. Without the great weight of established
corporate monoliths on the doorstep they are free to
‘have a go’, to see what can be achieved, to break new
ground or stir it up.
“The Arts are not the icing on the cake, but the yeast”
(Mallika Sarabhai). A rich and diverse cultural life
engenders a sense of identity, purpose and a rationale
for existence. The arts are central to this process
of building stronger communities, where a high
concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher
civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child
welfare, and lower poverty rates. Charles Landry has
shown through his Creative Cities project that great
cities are “… places of inspiration, where culture is alive
and, a great city is well put together through design”.
Yes, art matters! It is the yeast of any healthy and
wealthy society, and it sustains all aspects of social,
economic and cultural life. We must support our
artists, buy their work and create the conditions
where creative practice can flourish. We need
to be more determined, more focused and more
articulate in putting the case for the arts and
culture as fundamental to our lives, not peripheral,
not expendable, not marginalised, but central to
every discussion and every debate. We need this
commitment to be embedded in our planning so that
we can guarantee a healthy, and ultimately a wealthy,
twenty-first century community that embraces current
concerns, identifies future issues and has a solid,
informed base from which to view the past.
This is not a wish-list, this is a genuine need, and it’s up
to all of us to make it happen.
Winthrop Professor Ted Snell AM CitWA
Director, Cultural Precinct,
University of Western Australia
(1) A Case for the Arts at Stanford, January, 2008, Stanford University
SNEAK PEAK
2015
ARTISTS AT HOME
Three talented Perth artists grant us access to the private spaces from where their creativity springs
GILES HOHNEN
Artists Giles Hohnen and Eveline Kotai’s home, office
and studios in White Gum Valley were once a neighbourhood shop, complete with deli and beauty salon.
inspired by a trip to Hungary. Theo Koning, a Fremantlebased sculptor who uses second-hand materials, made
the black animal motifs on the wall. Theo and Giles did
an art swap.
Giles did most of the conversion himself. A self-taught
building designer, he and architect Tom Roberts revived
rammed earth building in Margaret River in the 1970s.
Local furniture makers, Squarepeg, made the Hans
Wegner style sofa beds in their lounge room and
Eveline’s mother embroidered many of the cushions
after taking up the hobby at 85.
A small courtyard separates the house from Giles’ studio.
The courtyard walls, painted ‘Budapest yellow’, were
The kitchen is a proper cook’s kitchen with deep
concrete benches and pots and pans in easy reach.
“Everyone cooks, occasionally with recipes,” says Eveline. “But it is our son
Harry who has the golden touch in the kitchen.”
Giles, which is your sanctuary, the studio or home?
My studio is more a place of solitude. It’s always a good place to go, sometimes
productively.
Some artists battle with ‘doubt monsters’. Did you ever suffer from a crisis of
confidence in your art? Do you now?
Yes, constant doubt, forty-five years of it. Luckily I have had distractions & detours.
See Giles’ artwork at House # 2, during AOHF 2015, Nov 13 - 15
12
BETTY POULSEN
It is hard to believe artists Betty Poulsen and husband Tom
Freeman moved into their gorgeously quirky home in Fremantle
only months ago. Rooms teem with art and artefacts. Apart from
a rug or two, virtually no furnishings were bought new.
Shunning flat-packed furniture, they scour garage sales, the
Melville markets and Gumtree for unwanted gems. For example,
their dining table was re-purposed from her Pop’s aircraft
hanger. A tall cabinet in the lounge room was bought at a garage
sale for the price of the nuts and bolts inside.
They are passionate about buying handmade pieces.
“There is an intrinsic value in their materials,” Betty says.
A mixed media artist, Betty often works with vintage
textiles, hand-loomed silks and linen. Her sewing room
is a treasure trove of fabric remnants, ribbon, thread,
cord and bobbled trim kept in antique cedar cabinets one is the old shop counter from a tobacconist store in
Fremantle.
Artists often have inviting and interesting homes. Why do
you think that is?
A lot of the artists I know are homebodies. Home is my
favourite place to be, so I consider carefully the things in
and around it. Artists are trained observers, constantly
looking, discerning and collecting images in our minds.
I also make a point of collecting art that I love.
See Betty’s artwork at House # 4 during AOHF 2015, Nov 13 - 15
13
2015
EMMA LIPSCOMBE
Artist Emma Lipscombe and husband John make a formidable team.
They worked on design projects across Europe, Asia and the Middle
East, she as a landscape architect and he as an architect, before
settling back into Perth a few years ago.
Their Shenton Park bungalow is filled with antiques,
patterns, pops of colour and spoils from their travels
including a painting of a foxy lady above the mantle
- a cherished find at a Brussels flea market.
The Scandinavian table and chairs in their dining
room are family heirlooms. Emma painted the oil
portrait of a friend which graces the wall behind, but
is better known for her vibrant geometric artworks.
She has always painted and early on found inspiration though
a friend’s father, artist John Beard.
“Hanging out with their family and visiting his Fremantle
studio got into my blood,” Emma says.
Nowadays, balancing work with a young family, she mostly
paints at night. “When I can find the headspace!” she adds.
What’s on the horizon for you art-wise?
I have a fashion collaboration in the pipeline, which I’m
excited about.
As a practising landscape architect, what must your
dream garden include?
It would be BIG with lots of interesting spaces
for kids, including an in-ground trampoline,
pool and climbing frames!
See Emma’s artwork at House # 1 during AOHF 2015, Nov 13 - 15
14
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
HELLO!
The story behind AOHF - a letter from the founder
HELLO!
My name is Cathrina and I’m the founder of Artist Open House Fremantle.
The idea for AOHF grew over several years, partly prompted by musings on the
accessibility and affordability of art - something I often queried in conversation
with artist friends. Was there a different way to show art?
At the same time, a number of commercial art spaces in Perth were closing. For
artists, what now?
I felt confident there was an interest in making homes beautiful and expressive
of oneself using decorative objects including (I hoped) art. So, with my youngest
child entering full-time school I began working on my idea.
THANKFULLY, THE PUBLIC TOOK
NOTE AND CAME IN DROVES
What started as a ‘Friday’ project quickly became my ‘every-night-of-the-week-intoo-deep-to-back-out’ project. For a dreaded moment before the inaugural event
launch last November, I felt like the host of a party that no-one would attend.
PS. My thanks go to Soraya Ramsey and Nikki Liley, assistants integral to the
production of this event. They sit on the AOHF Board along with Eamon Broderick,
Chris Dickeson (and myself). The following people made sponsorship-seeking a
rewarding experience: Stefanie Dobro, Michael Harries (Caporn Young); Annie
Taylor, Adam Thew, Caroline Thew and Kevin Sanderson (Corner Store); Talia Teoh
(Bernard Seeber Architecture); Soraya Ramsey and Eamon Broderick (Broderick
Architects); Hayley Beaden and Emily LaMerra (Design Farm), Zita Pal (South of the
Border), Emma Williamson and Kieran Wong (Coda Studio); Karen Adie (Convict
Bags); Cassandra Beeson (Old Bridge Cellars); Kathy Johnston (Hilli Creative);
Dirima Cuthbert (Studio Anthro); Sarah Lovegrove (School of Early Learning);
Miles Hull (Alex Hotel); Brad & Charlotte Cox and Todd Stopp (Mash Brewery);
Bridie Hutton (Ootong & Lincoln); Bec Spencer (Quirky Bird); Leila Jeffreys; Ted Snell,
Kate Stanwicks and finally, collaborator Jo Carmichael!
Of course, this event is nothing without homes, so massive thanks to Sharon
Morris, Eamon Broderick and Soraya Ramsey, Paul and Charlotte Chartres, Piero
Casellati and Alessandra Rossi, Gilles and Dani Besson, Patrick Kosky and Yun Nie
Chong, and Paul and Leonie Mansbridge.
I’d like to thank all our artists past and present – they are the reason this event
exists. And for every single visitor who has stepped inside an AOHF home, thanks
for coming to the show!
Thankfully, the public took note and came in droves. Some people came for the
sneak peek at the homes; others came bang-on opening hour to buy art they had
pre-selected, and others came out of curiosity buoyed by the festive vibe.
Naturally, given the positive feedback, I had to do it again, but bigger! I decided
to produce this broadsheet and to style an entire house from head to toe where
everything in the house is for sale.
Suddenly the volunteer team and I were snowed under with tasks. Nikki Liley
came to the rescue offering even more time than last year, including becoming
the writer for this broadsheet. She and Soraya Ramsey, the administrative guru,
have been my sounding board throughout.
Pic: Sharon Morris
Collaborator and stylist Jo Carmichael was a gift from heaven, taking on the
Styled House as well as styling most of the photos in this broadsheet.
As a Not For Profit enterprise AOHF relies on corporate funding. Some amazing
businesses, as well as the City of Fremantle, supported this event. When someone
believes in this project enough to commit to it financially, we get more than
dollars in the bank. We get their support and belief in what we are doing.
There’s much involved in producing this event; sponsorship, funding, art curation,
house negotiation, marketing & PR, editorial production and collaborations – all of
which require money and attention. While it is hard work it’s also very gratifying.
If you would like to help nurture this baby and be part of the incredible group of
collaborators and sponsors, then I’d love to hear your ideas.
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The beautiful homes on this page will be open
as part of AOHF 2015, November 13 - 15
STYLED HOUSE
2015
MEET THE MAKERS
A Jo Carmichael x AOHF collaboration
JO CARMICHAEL
JO’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Stylist
In the UK, from age 25, Jo worked for British Homes & Gardens, BBC
Stylist Jo Carmichael founded business
blog ‘Style and Focus’ with noted
photographer Jody D’Arcy after moving
to Perth four years ago. Drawing on her
impressive background as Decorating
Editor for Ideal Home and British
Homes & Gardens in the UK, as well
as Sydney-based magazines, their blog
soon morphed into a service, styling
photography for boutique retailers
and Perth’s best architects and interior
designers.
Good Homes and Ideal Home where she had the pleasure of meeting
Kevin McCloud, Terence Conran, and Ray & Charles Eames.
In Sydney, Jo worked for Vogue Living, Vogue Entertaining and Travel,
House & Garden, Inside Out, Home Beautiful and Donna Hay. She
has styled sets for Bill Grainger, Akira Isogawa, Jamie Durie and the
Edgerton brothers.
In Perth, Jo teamed up with photographer Jody D’Arcy to provide a
service styling photography for boutique retailers and Perth’s best
architects, interior designers and The West Australian. For select
clients, she also has an interior decorating service, Texture Tone Design.
MEET THE MAKERS
In this fast environment of disposable goods, more consumers are
seeking well-made, well-designed products. Make-do furniture is
making way for investment pieces that last a lifetime, so it’s time to
choose quality over quantity and introduce ourselves to fine craft.
Fremantle in particular has a raft of fine furniture makers, each with
their own identity and style. Take Ben Savage from Squarepeg and David
Eastwood of Raw Edge - both build custom furniture, each with their own
style of keeping craftsmanship alive.
Ben has a range of well-crafted pieces ascribing to the Danish ethos that
items in your home should be both useful and beautiful. David achieves
great design and function by blending timeless methods of joinery with
affordable materials, such as ply. He adopts modern styling in his finely
crafted kitchens and storage.
Another local, Ben Kovacsy, a true artisan, adorns everyday objects with
layers of parquetry, making pieces special - almost kinetic. His geometricinspired timber artwork and unusual objects, from skateboards to intricate
pencils, embody original thinking and make you appreciate everyday
objects.
Pic: Bo Wong
Down south, Nathan Day blends current production methods with
traditional techniques at his Yallingup workshop, making high-end design
accessible to more people. Having trained with some of England’s finest
furniture makers, Nathan now creates well-designed and functional highend furniture.
For those seeking quality, sustainably-crafted pieces, buying something
custom-made is an investment. Owner of online shop Cranmore Home,
Tracy Lefroy embraces a conscious ‘Slow Design’ process that is, ‘buying less,
but buying well’. Sometimes likened to the Slow Food movement, ‘Slow
Design’ is seen as the next step in sustainable design, balancing individual,
societal and environmental needs.
NATHAN DAY
Supporting Australian artists reduces shipping costs and being able to
connect with the maker also makes a piece feel more cherished.
Feeling the timber, checking the colour and getting excited about the
process is all part of it. There’s nothing more rewarding than enjoying
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a piece of furniture that you have played a part in creating,
says Lefroy.
If you are unable to commission a piece from start to finish,
the next best thing is being able to customise your home
furnishings and many manufacturers welcome individual
customisation.
After all, well-designed pieces will be future furniture classics.
Supporting time-honoured skills also keeps traditional methods
of production alive, giving vibrancy and meaning to the
products we choose.
The Styled House is open during AOHF 2015, Nov. 13 - 15.
See event guide for location and opening times.
BEN SAVAGE and DAVID EASTWOOD
STYLED HOUSE
ARTISANS
Netti Ratti
facebook.com/nettyratti
Botanica Naturalis
www.facebook.com/BotanicaNaturalis
Cranmore Home www.cranmorehome.com.au
Raw Edge Furniture
www.rawedgefurniture.com.au
Langdon
www.langdonltd.com.au
Ben Kovacsy
www.benkovacsy.com
Square Peg Home
www.squarepeghome.com.au
Arthur G
www.arthurg.com.au
Leaf Street
www.leafstreet.com.au
The Vallentine Project
www.thevallentineproject.com
St Albans
www.stalbans.com.au
Lightwerk
www.lightwerk.com.au
Pampa Rugs
www.pampa.com.au
Forma studio Design
www.formastudiodesign.com
Nathan Day Design
www.nathandaydesign.com.au
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Murobond Paint
www.murobond.com.au
OVERVIEW
2015
THE AOHF 2015 ARTISTS
All our artists in one place, November 13 - 15, 2015
Dale Frances - Madharriet
www.madharriet.com.au
Belynda Henry
www.belyndahenry.com
Sally Anderson
www.sallyleeanderson.tumblr.com
Jo Darbyshire
www.jodarbyshire.com
Jo Darvall
www.jodarvall.com
Sandra Black
www.ceramicartswa.asn.au
Beth-Emily Gregory
www.beth-emily.com
Jordy Hewitt www.jordyhewitt.com
Magali Dincher
www.beauestmein.com.au
Stephanie Hammill
www.stephaniehammill.com
Becky Blair
www.beckyblairartist.co.uk
Giles Hohnen
Britt Dunbar
Fiona Chamberlain
Caspar Fairhall
www.casparfairhall.com
Annie Hayward
www.anniehaywardart.co.nz
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Lisa Lapointe
www.lisalapointe.com.au
Nicole Law
www.nicole-law.com
Leonie Mansbridge
Sarah Robey
www.srobey.wix.com/urbansquirrel
Matthew Thorley www.matthewthorley.com
Pilar Rojas
Audrey Tulimiero Welch
www.audreytulimierowelch.com
Susie Marwick
www.susiemarwick.blogspot.com.au
Emma Lipscombe
www.emmalipscombe.com
Lesley Munro
www.artcollectivewa.com.au
Alessandra Rossi
www.alessandrarossi.com.au
Kate Jarman
www.katejarman.bigcartel.com
Melisa Jasa - Ohskii
www.ohskii.com
Debbie Walker Tremlett
Katie Weiner
www.katieweiner.com
Ashleigh Perrella
www.ashleighperrella.com
Olivia Samec
www.oliviasamec.com.au
Leila Jeffreys
www. leilajeffreys.com
Betty Poulsen
Jane Tangney
www.janetangney.com.au
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Yuniko Studios
www.yunikostudio.blogspot.com.au
GETTING THE MOST FROM...
A O
ATTEND THE EVENT
VOLUNTEERS
Come see art in real houses, November 13 - 15, 2015.
We love volunteers. Experience the delights of the event and talk to our visitors.
ARTISTS
STAY IN THE KNOW
To be in AOHF, sign up to our newsletter online and watch out for the ‘Call for
Artists’ in early March.
Subscribe online for our e-newsletter for info about our events and more.
If you want to support the arts by opening your house, please contact us by
email or apply on our website.
DAILY DOSE
Follow us on social media and be the first to know what’s happening!
Here’s where to find us:
facebook.com/artistopenhousefremantle
FRIENDS OF AOHF
@artistopenhousefremantle
Friends of AOHF are friends with benefits, including an invite for two to the
opening party. Membership is only $100. Details online.
[email protected]
Wartistopenhousefremantle.com
H F
AOHF 2015
November 13 - 15, 2015
Look out for the EVENT GUIDE at your local shops
or download at artistopenhousefremantle.com
Background created from details of (bottom to top): Sally Anderson Come in, make yourself uncomfortable (with window), Jordy Hewitt Ledge Point XXVII, Jo Darbyshire St Ronan’s Well
HOMES