The BSA Project Space

The BSA Project Space is a contemporary exhibition space located inside a repurposed industrial workshop that sits within the headquarters and studios of the Byron School of Art (BSA) in Mullumbimby, NSW.

Since its founding in 2014 the space has functioned as both a springboard for students of the BSA who wish to gain experience in professional exhibition practice, and as a space for the curation of exhibitions across a diverse range of disciplines.

The BSA Project Space aims to support the development of a diverse range of artistic practices from our region and beyond including 2D and 3D works, installation, digital media and more.

Other initiatives supported by BSA Project Space include talks by exhibiting artists, curators and visiting art organisations.

What Was the Question?, is our 2024 Graduate Exhibition.

During the students’ final year, they have worked under the direction of BSA Directors and teaching staff including, Emma Walker, Christine Willcocks, Michael Cusack, Ree Hegh and Travis Paterson. What Was the Question?, will showcase the culmination of their three years of study demonstrating their willingness and determination to push boundaries while exploring materiality and contemporary concepts.

Opening Event: Friday 29 November, 5 - 7pm

Exhibition runs: 30 November - 14 December, 10am - 3pm (closed Sunday)

Repose / Immortal Soil

Bob Horan and Selena Murray are the collaborative artist duo Immortal Soil, currently based in Northern NSW, Australia. With over 30 years of experience in event production and flower installations, Immortal Soil pursues and creates worlds within worlds, a blend of nature, emotional fantasy, soundscapes, and a retreat from the real world.

Influenced by the mystery and impermanence of nature, they work with naturally occurring, often unappreciated, materials to create dramatic, large-scale, and site-specific botanical sculptures. Their sculptures often mimic the natural world and act as a gateway to connection, enticing viewers to observe what not otherwise be visible.

Botanical Sculpture includes:

Oncidium Orchids, Crucifix Orchids, Moss, Philidendrum Root, Gords and Sago Palm Cone collected from our Immortal Soil Garden and kindly donated by local garden wizards.

Exhibition runs until Friday 22 November, weekdays 10am - 3pm

BSA SECOND-YEAR STUDENT EXHIBITION - Not Before Lunch

Not Before Lunch, the BSA second-year student exhibition, opens Friday evening, 20 September from 5 - 7pm at the BSA Project Space. It features a dynamic array of artworks from a diverse group of emerging artists.

Not Before Lunch runs until Saturday 5 October and is open from 10am-3pm Monday – Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Yuka Takagi - Dedications: Reasons to Be Cheerful

"Dedications: Reasons to Be Cheerful" is a heartfelt tribute to those radiant souls who, like gentle flames, bring light into our lives. This series expresses my gratitude for their luminous kindness, symbolized by the flame as a metaphor, and blends Japanese aesthetics with memories of my childhood spent in Italy. Through simple and understated expressions, the work reminds us that even the smallest sparks of kindness can brighten the world.

Exhibition runs: Monday 2 September - Monday 16 September

Liv Enqvist - Take a moment here

Take a moment here - is a collection of hand embroidered textile works exploring what home means. As a foreigner on Bundjalung Country and far away from the place where I was born, I am interested in what makes us feel at home. To be connected to oneself makes you feel at home but also knowing that we have a safe space to go and people we love. Community.

Textiles are so present in our lives, enveloping from the day we are born and also speaks of what is going on geopolitically. The materials are from all sorts of places: Thai markets, antique silk from Japan, velvet from London, Sydney, feel free to touch.

Thread is a symbol of interconnectedness, and slow process of repetitive stitching is about perseverance, about mending and healing both of inner and outer realities. Every little imperfect stitch is a moment in time and I think of the Greek word Kairos – time or the right time- which also means the moment the shuttle goes through the loom and destiny is sealed. I am fascinated by the myth where Ariadne’s thread that leads Theseus through the labyrinth and helps him find his way out of the darkness. Sometimes things get very tangled and it’s not obvious what to do. Words are the energetic carriers of inner worlds and hold power over our reality and can be what helps you find your way.

Exhibition runs: 12 August - 29 August

Caleb Reid - The Conspiracy Makers

For me, each painting is a dialogue between the canvas and me, a conversation that evolves with every layer of paint. The process is intuitive, driven by an inner impulse rather than a preconceived idea.

The title work for this exhibition ‘The Conspiracy Makers’ delves into the enigmatic nature of those who craft conspiracy theories. These figures are like phantoms, unseen architects of intricate narratives that influence the collective consciousness. Through shadowy imagery, I explore the idea that conspiracy makers operate from the shadows, manipulating perceptions without revealing themselves. ‘The Conspiracy Makers’ invites viewers to question the sources behind the narratives they encounter and reflect on the power and danger of these invisible influencers.

My paintings are a reflection of the spontaneous and each piece is a unique expression of the journey rather than the destination. It invites viewers to experience the raw, unfiltered essence of creativity, to see the art not as a finished product but as a living, breathing entity that continues to evolve with each gaze.

Exhibition runs: Friday 19 July - 8 August

OUR FIRE - NAIDOC Aboriginal Art Exhibition 2024

“This powerful group exhibition showcases the talents of Aboriginal artists living on Bundjalung Lands and includes works by Kaitlyn Clark, Nickolla Clark, Kristopher Cook, Melissa Ladkin, Hannah Lange, Kerry Marlowe, Tania Marlowe, Coedie McCarthy, Anthony Walker and Julie Williams.

The theme of this year's NAIDOC Week, 'KEEP THE FIRE BURNING! BLAK, LOUD & PROUD', honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture using fire as a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

OUR FIRE speaks about our connections to each other, our culture, our age-old traditions, our knowledge, and our reciprocity with and connections to the land, and our fire. The works in this exhibition seek spaces to talk about the continuing fire our old people have instilled in us, our presence and our practices. Our fire has never been louder and we are sharing the history and stories of our people. These works come from Country, are about Country and will share Country for all of us together to respect and see the many snippets of First Nations perspectives in our landscapes.

This group exhibition includes earth pigment works, acrylic paintings, photography, and is not to be missed.” – Nickolla Clark

10% of all proceeds from sales will go towards 'Country as Teacher' a not-for-profit group that hosts youth leadership programs teaching Bundjalung curriculum on Country from Bundjalung people.

OUR FIRE is supported by Byron School of Art, the Mullumbimby & District Neighbourhood Centre, and Cape Byron Distillery.

Opening Event: Saturday 6 July, 2024 6 - 8PM
Exhibition runs : Sunday 7 - Saturday 13 July, 10am - 3pm

Zen Staff - Dwelling on Uncertainty

When I was growing up I lived in a tent with my father while he built the house we would live in. It wasn't a large house to begin with but room enough for the two of us, he then went on to expand the house adding separate but connected cabins. For a while I lived in the kitchen and then behind the bathroom shifting positions as the house grew. My oldest brother, who has recently passed, built his house on the same land. Then I, with the help of my brother, built my own house adjacent to their two, each house grew and shifted depending on the needs of each, mostly finished but never entirely. Three homes seperate but connected. One now sits empty.

This body of work explores the themes of shelter, stability, and the precariousness of existence. The house, a symbol of domesticity and security, is perched precariously on top of a rock, a metaphor for the foundation of our lives. The rocks themselves are uneven and unstable, suggesting that our sense of security is often illusory. These works are a reminder that even the most solid foundations can be shaken.

Exhibition runs: Friday 7 June - Wednesday 3 July

Tajette O’Halloran - The Quarry

For the past two years I’ve been returning to the Bexhill Quarry on the outskirts of Lismore, NSW documenting the people and ecosystems within its parameters. The location, with its aqua blue water nestled under towering sandstone cliffs, is an abandoned brickworks quarry that has become a popular swimming destination for both locals and tourists.

The quarry serves as a constant backdrop to an ever evolving microcosm, bearing witness to the people coming and going, the flora blooming and dying and the landscape shifting and changing - evoking a sense of 'place’ as temporal and rhythmic in a more-than-human world.

A mother swimming with her teenage son... girls vaping under the pines... a collapsed road from the February flood... Wisteria in bloom... three generations of Japanese women… a cicada caught in a web.

Tajette O’Halloran is an Australian photographic artist whose work explores the intricacies of interpersonal relationships within suburban and rural landscapes.

In recent years, Tajette has developed 'The Quarry,' a series centred around an abandoned brickworks quarry turned swimming hole in rural NSW. Using traditional documentary photography, she captures the convergence of people, ecosystems, and the changing landscape, highlighting the quarry's dynamic microcosm.

Exhibition runs from Wednesday 15 May - Thursday 6 June

Jenny Gill Shirmer - Grace and Substance

Grace and Substance forms part of my ongoing exploration of women within the complex social structures of family, society, and institutions. I have created hand-built ceramic architectural forms as a way to explore the historical notion that women have been expected to exhibit masculine qualities in order to hold positions of authority. The forms are structurally very strong - the use of the dome, arc, apse and bridge are all used in traditional architecture as forms of strength and integrity. Yet the very nature of ceramics creates a softness in both their scale and evidence of the handmade, additionally the painterly glazes are soft, gentle and feminine in nature. Moving between the deliberately formed and the found objects allows me to investigate the tension between the refined ceramic surfaces and the physicality of the found object; pieces that hold their own history. This juxtaposition of the works reflects the way I move through the world and is also a reflection of how I see the women around me. I hope these works occupy a strong yet soft presence in the space.

Exhibition runs from Friday 19 April - Wednesday 9 May

Antoinette O’Brien - Water Vessels

Exhibition runs from Saturday 16 March - Tuesday 16 April

DEAN STEWART - Selected Works

Dean is an artist whose practice investigates how history and memory are embedded within found objects and remnant materials, invoking the profound simplicity of everyday human experiences—the moments hebelieves are most authentic.

At the heart of his process lies the act of reclamation. Dean salvages discarded objects and materials—industrial offcuts, packaging foam, paper and card, as well as found objects such as vintage signs, timber blocks and bowls, book covers and board games. These remnants become his raw materials, waiting to be transformed.

For his solo exhibition at BSA Project Space, Dean presents a limited selection of pieces with which he has used book binding cloth, vintage signage, parchment-like polyester film and reclaimed timber blocks and objects to inspire a collaboration with the observer, inviting them to rekindle their own memories and forge connections with the narratives embedded within the artworks on display.

Selected Works runs 19 February - 13 March and is open from 10am - 3pm Monday - Saturday

deanstewartart.com

BSA 2023 GRADUATE EXHIBITION - EXIT 9

Opening Friday, 24 November 6-8pm, Exit 9 showcases the work of nine BSA third year the students and features a dynamic array of artworks across painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, found object art, installation and video, with many of the works for sale.

Exit 9 runs until Saturday 9 December and is open from 10am - 3pm Monday - Saturday

BSA SECOND-YEAR STUDENT EXHIBITION - 10 Volts

10 Volts, the BSA second-year student exhibition, opens Friday 3 November from 6-8pm at the BSA Project Space, Mullumbimby. It features a dynamic array of artworks from a diverse group of emerging artists.

10 Volts runs until Tuesday 14 November and is open from 10am-3pm Monday – Saturday.

TRAVIS PATERSON - Shearers’ smoko (redux)

A version of this work was originally shown as part of re-figuring ground at Grafton Regional Gallery and was a response to Bernie McDonald’s painting, Shearer’s Smoko, from the gallery’s collection.

'When I was around 14 years old I spent some time during my school holidays in a town south of Perth called Kojonup working as an offsider during shearing season: a roustabout of sorts. My father was wool pressing and had brought me down to help - perhaps so we could spend time together or perhaps so he could try to toughen up the soft, quiet boy I was at the time. In the shearing shed I found myself surrounded by this group of men, shearers whose masculinity I was unfamiliar with. They were boisterous, humorous and crude. I found them fascinating, intimidating and attractive. I was an observer to their homosocial bonding through their work and their stories. I was starkly aware of my difference. Upon encountering Bernie McDonald's Shearer's Smoko I was reminded of this time: something I hadn't thought about in many years.

By working with Polaroid film I am able to subvert the spatial and temporal logic usually associated with the medium. There is a displacement between the found images being used and the known cultural rules and behaviours of the medium. Drawing from the archive of Australian homoerotica I am able to construct events, realities and memories that have never occurred outside of my fantasies.

My version of Shearer's Smoko is a world imagined beyond the borders of Bernie McDonald's canvas. It is a suffix, an alternate possibility. It is a lament for lost opportunities and a celebration of hidden stories and encounters."

BELLE BUDDEN - Blak Matriarchy

Blak Matriarchy is a series of paintings that honour and celebrate the ways of knowing, being and doing of our doobai (Aboriginal Women), the ones who care for Country and community and continue culture. The ones with strength, resilience, humour and beauty. The ones with the survival genes and the large earrings. The ones who keep caring when things get tougher.

Blak Matriarchy is not about being negative towards our men. It’s a realisation that I am the product of matriarchs and that I walk alongside the matriarchs learning the ways of caring for our people, our Country and our culture.

Belle Budden is a Wakka Wakka woman living and working here in Bundjalung Country, a doobai, a mother, a sister, a dancer and a fierce advocate for Aboriginal community.

Exhibition runs from Friday 18 August - Wednesday 13 September

MICHAEL PHILP - Art Of My Mob

Exhibition runs from Friday 28 July - Wednesday 16 August

BSA Visual Arts Foundation Course students

Tuesdays

An exhibition of work from Term 2 by the BSA first year students (working with Michelle Dawson)

"The joy of a class can be the communal support of the group and the vortex that is created by everyone being engaged. Sometimes you can feel it swirling above the class. It is there to call on.

This was a big term. We looked at colour theory, complementary colours, composition, colour mixing, and a variety painting techniques.

Each week there was new information and explorations of new territories that could be both confronting and challenging.

We had nine Tuesdays and nine challenges that 16 students met wholeheartedly.

Here is a a celebration of that work”.

JAMES GUPPY - Looking Back

Exhibition runs from Tuesday 13 June - Thursday 29 June

MICHAEL CUSACK AND MEREDITH CROWE

This cherry weighs a tonne

Part family portrait, part studio portrait, This cherry weighs a tonne present a series of shelves, adjoined and separate works with the artists’ individual and shared interests displayed in dialogue with one another.

Exhibition runs from Monday 15 May - Tuesday 6 June.

BELLE RAINE - The Volumes

What is this flow of life, moment to moment? One moment appears only to be stolen by the next. Capturing and releasing. We get hooked on things, objects, images, people and places. They reach into us and somehow capture our vision, our hearts, our minds and our bodies. We hold onto them, hope to pin them to some eternal place. What is left with us as these things inevitably slip away? Are we richer? Are we more somehow, because we have experienced both the holding and the losing? Is it in the waning that value is gained?
The following poem by Emily Dickinson expresses this idea:

BY A DEPARTING LIGHT
By a departing light 
We see acuter, quite, 
Than by a wick that stays. 
There's something in the flight 
That clarifies the sight 
And decks the rays.

As moments stain us, so I use the paint to stain the linen. In an intuitive process of applying and erasing, layer upon layer, I continue until a rich surface develops. This way of working acts in some way, as a simulation of the human experience.

Holding...
Losing...
Only the stains remain.

Exhibition runs from Friday 14 April - Thursday 4 May.

CHRISTINE WILLCOCKS - Moss and Stone

Exhibition runs from Monday 27 March - Thursday 13 April

EMMA WALKER - Interim

Exhibition runs from Monday 6 March - Thursday 23 March

MICHAEL CUSACK - The Tower

Exhibition runs from Friday 10 February - Wednesday 1 March

COURTNEY COOK - Little Stories Everywhere

We all have a story.

Woven deep within us are many stories. Some stories are more prominent, while others are subtle and small. Some of our stories are abstracted from our memories, while others exist in our reality.

Little Stories Everywhere explores the various ways in which we access our memories and nostalgia. Through connection to the other, human or landscape, we have the capacity to gain more insight into our own psychological landscapes.

With the portals being a direct link to the process of reflection, the layers of abstraction are imbedded with the illusive and nuanced nature of memory.

Exhibition runs from Friday 20 January - Tuesday 7 February.

Please join Courtney in the galley on Saturday 21 January or 4 March between 10am - noon if you would like to share stories with her.