NEWS
December 2011
We are pleased to welcome Christine Miezis, who will be joining CDU as the new Northern Editions Gallery Manager, this December 12th. In 2011, Northern Editions has been re-integrated within the School of Creative Arts and Humanities, and we are pleased to see strong linkages and partnerships being formed which will benefit the students and staff of the University as well as continue to position Northern Editions as one of Australia’s leading editioning Printmaking Workshop and Gallery.
This month Northern Editions began its end of year exhibition ‘The Full Stocking Show’, with prints on display for less than $400. The selection of prints can Viewed in the Northern Editions gallery or our online gallery.
Due the strength of the great work produced on the Tiwi Islands and the accompanying paper and presentation delivered at the inaugural Mokuhanga Conference in Japan, Workshop manager Jacqueline Gribbin has been invited back to Japan for a 5 week artist residency in January 2012. During the residency, Jacqueline will learn even more advanced cutting and printing techniques, as well as specialist paper preparation and book binding techniques.
We wish Jacqueline the best of luck for her residency and look forward to having her share her newly finessed mokuhanga Skills with us upon her return.
November 2011
Northern Editions was pleased to be once again invited to run a workshop at the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA) Annual General Meeting at Mount Bundy Station in Adelaide River. Northern Editions printmakers Jacqueline Gribbin and Karlissa Kennedy worked with about 20 artists from across Northern Australia including the Kimberley, Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land.
Despite the heavy rain, stormy conditions and the thick mud, some great plates were proofed on the Ute beneath the tarpaulin. Next to us master screen printer Timothy Growcott worked with the artists to produce some stunning T-shirt designs, eventually shutting up shop at 12 midnight!
The resulting dry-points will be editioned in 2012 as an ANKAAA collaborative project in celebration of ANKAAA’s 25th anniversary.
October 2011
In November 2010, a collaborative printmaking workshop was held at Northern Editions with emerging artist Dion Beasley and established Darwin artist Rob Brown. The week-long workshop produced a series of humorous and irreverent prints which are indicative of the spirited environment in which they were created.
A selection of these prints is on show at Alcaston Gallery from 25 October to 11 November.
As part of the end of year show for CDU’s creative arts students, Northern Editions exhibited the work of students from the VET remote delivery course in printmaking run by VET Lecturer Leon Stainer. Prints from Tiwi Islands students included reduction lino block prints as well as lino block with hand colouring using natural ochres. Reduction lino block prints from Ngukurr students were also displayed.
August 2011
The Northern Editions Gallery and Workshop staff has had a very busy lead up to the Darwin festival this year.
As part of Darwin Festival, Northern Editions is presenting an exiting exhibition and display titled ‘Cut, Burn and Bite’. The exhibition goes past the finalised artworks to explore artistic and human achievements through a year of innovative projects and workshops. It explores the distance between homelands/studio, communication needed between artist/printmaker and the result of this unique collaboration. Prints will be exhibited alongside the artist’s original print matrix. In addition to the prints, the display includes images, stories, videos and interviews of the ‘behind the scenes’ workings of Northern Editions, remote workshops and various printmaking processes.
With Northern Editions once again, keen to participate in Darwin Festivals 'Artists in Schools' Program, Darwin artist and papermaker Winsome Jobling and Northern Editions Workshop Manager Jacqueline Gribbin have collaborated with Darwin Middle School students over 6 weeks to create a series of exquisite fish prints based on Gilbert Whitley’s 1923 relief blocks. The students learnt how to cut and print their own images, using Whitley’s blocks as inspiration and even made their own printing paper, with Winsome Jobling teaching papermaking workshops in unison with Northern Editions. The Fishy Relief prints will be exhibited around the grounds of the Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory and the gardens around Charles Darwin University during the Festival. At the closing of the festival, students will be performing a ceremonial release of their fish back into the sea.
July 2011
In July, Northern Editions was proud to exhibit five multi plate etchings by the late Paddy Bedford in 2004. Paddy, or Kuwumji pronounced “Koomsie”, was born at Bedford Downs Station c.1922. Although Paddy painted ceremonial paintings all his life, his works on paper and canvas received international attention. Bedford depicts traditional Gija camping places in his distinctive abstract style. Waterholes, caves and hills are among the geographic features he paints.
Northern Editions is representing the work of Paddy Bedford in the Northern Territory and has only a few of these prints in stock. All prints and imagery are courtesy of the Paddy Bedford Estate.
Alongside these prints we also exhibited some beautiful little prints from artists in Yuendumu community. Suzi Lyon, VET Lecturer at CDU, Alice Springs campus had delivered a remote delivery workshop with the artists at Warlukurlangu Aboriginal Artists Corporation, and the Northern Editions team proofed and editioned the plates.
June 2011
In 2010 Northern Editions Workshop Manager, Jacqueline Gribbin conducted a series of Japanese woodblock (mokuhanga) printmaking workshops in the remote Tiwi Islands of the Northern Territory. These workshops culminated in an exhibition of 37 distinctive prints which are unlike anything being produced on the Tiwi Islands or in mokuhanga. The uniqueness of these works led Jacqueline to be invited to the inaugural mokuhanga Conference in Japan to deliver a paper and host an exhibition of the works created. Over one hundred people from 22 countries attended the conference which saw a variety of demonstrations, workshops, exhibitions and presentations.
Visit our techniques page to learn more about mokuhanga printing.
In February through until March Northern Editions exhibited the work of women from Palngun Wurnangat Association in Wadeye community (NT). The women worked with great concentration and commitment on these etchings back in 2009, so it is fantastic to see the fruits of their efforts, and the popularity of the prints among customers to the gallery.
November 2010
The Northern Editions team was excited to play host to two of the Northern Territories most interesting artists. Rob Brown and Dion Beasley joined together for a week long workshop from 15 to 19 November 2011. Northern Editions' workshop manager Jacqueline F. Gribbin collaborated with the artists in etching while Charles Darwin University printer Leon Stainer focused on lithography. It was a colourful week and we are all looking forward to the publication of the remarkable artworks that were the outcome of this unique workshop.
Perfectly timed in conjunction with Rob Brown and Dion Beasley’s workshop was the opening of a new show of etchings by Dion Beasley by Suzan Cox, QC, Director of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission. The exhibition is a display of Dion’s first fine art etchings representative of his humour and sophisticated technique. Sitting alongside Dion’s prints are a series of eight etchings by Yuendumu artists. These vibrant prints are an excellent example of what the Northern Territory has to offer the art world and provide visitors to the Northern Editions Gallery with an opportunity they are sure to enjoy.
October 2010
Artback NT: Arts Development and Touring and Northern Editions launched Northern Impressions, celebration of contemporary fine art prints at the new Chan Contemporary Art Space, located at State Square Precinct in Darwin city. Northern Impressions is the second exhibition held in the new space, after TOGART in September 2010. The exhibition was officially opened by Darwin-based artist Chips Mackinolty (click here to view the full speech). Northern Impressions will tour regionally and nationally in 2011-13. Dates and locations to be announced soon.
To celebrate the 7th Australian Print Symposium in Canberra, Nomad Art Gallery showcased a selection of Japanese-style woodblocks produced by Northern Editions in 2010. Tiwi Shima
exhibition, presented for the first time at Northern Editions Gallery during Darwin Festival in August 2010, was welcomed with great enthusiasm in Canberra. Showing until 14 November 2010.
August 2010
On 27 August 2010, Jacqueline F. Gribbin, Northern Editions workshop manager, and Karlissa Kennedy, Editioning printmaker, delivered a one-day workshop at Larrakeyah Primary School. As part of Darwin Festival public program, this workshop was an extension of Northern Editions' current exhibition Tiwi Shima, which showcases a series of new Japanese-style woodblocks by Tiwi artists. Larrakeyah Primary School's pupils had their first insight into printmaking and expressed their creativity by producing their own first-ever woodcuts.
On 14 August 2010, Northern Editions, in partnership with Darwin Festival, launched two exhibitions Nexus and Tiwi Shima and a preview of Dion Beasley's first ever etchings. Thank you again to the artists, art centres managers and speakers, CDU's Professor Steve Larkin, Indigenous Leadership and Marg Bowman from ArtBack NT for their support and enthusiasm. Over 100 visitors joined us on the day.
July 2010
Rob Brown's etching Charles Darwin 1863, published by Northern Editions in 2009 (see exhibition) has been selected for the Fremantle Arts Centre Print Awards 2010. 47 works were selected out of 303 submitted from around Australia. All works will be exhibited at Fremantle Arts Centre from 25 September - 21 November 2010.
The second round of judging to award the prizes will take place on 23 and 24 of August; winners will be notified by August 30.
Rob Brown is also presented at the Not Fair, alternative perspective on contemporary art, in Melbourne from 4 to 8 August 2010.
June 2010
For the second time in Australian history, aboriginal artists came across Japanese-style woodcut printing. Jacqueline F Gribbin, Northern Editions workshop manager, has previously lived in Japan for 11 years. She has worked in a variety of printmaking studios and has acquired knowledge in different Japanese techniques, including this century-old technique of water based woodblock printing. The workshop held in Munupi Arts and Crafts Association (Tiwi Islands) in September 2009 was very successful. The artists, already world-famous for their wood carving skills, quickly adopted this new technique, producing powerful and subtle prints.
Jilamara Arts and Craft Association and Tiwi Design Aboriginal Corporation, the other two main art centres in Tiwi Islands, also decided to join the project. Jacqueline F Gribbin travelled to both communities in June 2010 to collaborate with the artists and produce a new series of woodblock prints.
At Jilamara Arts and Craft Association...
At Tiwi Design Aboriginal Corporation...
In August 2010, Northern Editions will present an exhibition conceived with the three art centres of Tiwi Islands. Twenty-Five artists and no less than Thirty-Six limited edition prints will be showcased in Tiwi Shima until October 29, 2010.
In June 2010, Leon Stainer, printmaker and VET lecturer at Charles Darwin University, and printmaker Kevin Banbury travelled to Tennant Creek to hold a workshop with artist Dion Beasley. The new etchings will be presented as a Special Preview at Charles Darwin University during Darwin Festival. Learn more about the preview...
February 2010
Mid-February 2010, Jacqueline F. Gribbin, Northern Editions' studio manager, travelled to Pirlangimpi community on Melville Island for a 5-day workshop. As part of a project initiated in September 2009 with Munupi Arts & Crafts Association, Jacqueline met the same group of women to improve their knowledge of Japanese water based woodblock printing. Well-known and emerging artists such as Nina Puruntatameri and Donna Burak had this time a chance to work on larger scale blocks and pursue their discovery of this rarely used technique.
Eric Fassbender, Research Associate at CDU, took the opportunity to interview and video the women about their work.
In February 2010, Jacqueline F. Gribbin and Glynis Lee also welcomed Minnie Lumai, Phyllis Ningamara and Penny Archie from Waringarri Aboriginal Arts for a 5-day workshop at Northern Editions' studio in Casuarina Campus.
Minnie and Phyllis did etching as well as silk screen, whereas Penny chose woodblock print for her first printmaking experience. A skilled boab nut carver, sheproduced a wonderful boab tree woodblock print and several drypoint etchings on copper. When we handed her a dremel, she never looked back – she was in heaven! Right until the very last minute of the workshop she was dremelling away and before leaving Darwin took a trip to Bunnings so she could take one home with her!
A special thank you to Cathy Cummins, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts coordinator, for her input and support during this workshop.
January 2010
Jacqueline F. Gribbin and Paul Kovesi conducted a 5-day workshop in Alice Springs with Dorothy Napangardi, her daughter Julie Nangala Robinson, Mitjili Napanangka and Rusiate Lali from Fiji.
Mitjili chose to work on silk screen. Dorothy, Julie and Rusiate set their hearts on etching. Dorothy is very experienced in etching but neither her daughter nor Rusiate had done printmaking before. Their first forays in etching were amazing. Rusiate was very excited and tried many techniques, finally producing some stunning results with sugar lift and soft ground etching. Some of his works will be presented at the Alliance Francaise in Canberra in May. Not to be missed...
Northern Editions would like to thank lecturers Suzi Lyon and Henry Smith who kindly allowed us to use their printmaking facilities at Charles Darwin University Alice Springs campus and Gallery Gondwana for their great support during this workshop.
November / December 2009
At the end of November 2009 Clinton Gaykamangu an artist from Djiliwirri, Central Arnhemland attended a print making workshop with Northern Editions printmakers Jacqueline Gribbin and Paul Kovesi to enable him to explore a new artistic medium for expressing his people and his country. During his week of printmaking at Northern Editions Clinton successfully created three multi-plate etchings.
November 2009
ANKAAA recently invited to Northern Editions to conduct a 2-day collaborative dry-point and etching workshop at Mt Bundy Station in Adelaide River where ANKAAA members gathered for their Annual General Meeting. Northern Editions printmakers Jacqueline Gribbin and Sean Smith worked with about 30 artists from across Northern Australia including the Kimberley, Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land. The resulting dry-points will be editioned in 2011 as an ANKAAA collaborative project.
September 2009
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of the Species’, Northern Editions invited Darwin based artist Rob Brown to work with Jacqueline Gribbin on a series of etchings. Briefly daunted by the size of the etching plates for all of five minutes, Rob went on to break all the “rules” in etching, producing seven beautifully drafted and fresh monochrome images. In the studio, Rob scratched, dropped, scraped and teased the plates every which way, as well as letting loose with some strong spit bite. The prints are now available at Northern Editions gallery. Learn more...
September 2009
Jacqueline Gribbin and Paul Kovesi travelled to Pirlangimpi community on Melville Island to work with artists at Munupi Arts and Crafts. They conducted a Japanese style woodblock workshop for 5 days. This technique conveys a subtle and transluscent quality through the use of water based inks, which are applied to the blocks with brushes. It was the first time for the Tiwi artists to try this technique, which has rarely been practiced in communities so far, but which works so well with artists skillful in the art of carving.
