A spot for forthcoming events, exhibitions, works in progress and other interesting bits.
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Live Drawing and Auction Fundraiser, Sydney
August 25, 2010
ArtHouse Hotel, Gallery Bar, 275 Pitt Street
The Indigenous Literacy project is a charity aimed at promoting reading and literacy for children in underprivileged indigenous communities, and to this end supported by many prominent artists, performers, publishers and writers in Australia. As part of this project, I will spend a evening talking about my creative process, cluminating in the production of an original artwork on stage (about as far away from a private studio as I can get!). Please do come along and support this important cause.
The event also features a musical performance by Old Man River, and an exhibition of paintings and drawings from Australia’s best-loved children’s books, including work by Kerry Argent, Bronwyn Bancroft, Freya Blackwood, Terry Denton, Bob Graham, Peter Gouldthorpe, Leigh Hobbs, Judy Horacek, Dee Huxley, Stephen Michael King, Frané Lessac, Alison Lester, Jan Ormerod, Matt Ottley, Donna Rawlins, Tohby Riddle, Craig Smith, Julie Vivas and Bruce Whatley.
All artwork, including my illustration, will be auctioned or for sale on the night, and all proceeds go to the Indigenous Literacy Project.
The exhibition will remain on display at Kinokuniya from 26 August to 1 September.
Visit the ILP site for more information and bookings.
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Grand Prix for The Lost Thing at Melbourne International Short Film Festival
August, 2010
The Lost Thing has won the 'Best Short' award at the Melbourne International Film Festival, which was a terrific surprise for our team given the calibre of both live and animated shorts selected for screening this year (the award for Best Animation went to Anita Killi of Norway for the acclaimed film 'Angry Man' - leading us to prematurely assume we were out of the competition.) The prize was especially gratifying for us, given that our production was so much based in Melbourne, with our core team (including myself) moving here from Perth, Adelaide, London and Edinburgh in order to complete work over the past three years.
Look here for more information about the MIFF awards, and comments from Leo the animator.
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The Lost Thing wins the Yoram Gross Animation Award
June 14, 2010
The Lost Thing has won the award for best short animated film at the 57th Sydney International Film Festival, sponsored and presented by Yoram and Sandra Gross, as part of the Dendy Awards: a terrific honour. Many thanks to Team LT, to Yoram Gross, the Sydney Film Festival, Madman and Screen Australia. Here is a press release about the awards provided by Inside Film.
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The Lost Thing wins the Annecy Cristal!
June 2010
Our film has won the Cristal Award for Best Short Film at the 34th Annecy International Animation Festival - the world's largest animation festival, in Annecy, France. Needless to say, Team Lost Thing is stoked! Andrew Ruhemann was present to accept the award amid jubliant cheers from the audience.
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The Lost Thing Short Film completed
April 2010
After almost ten years of being in production, the 15 minute animated film 'The Lost Thing' has finally been completed, and has been included in the official selection for the Annecy Film Festival (France, 7-12 June 2010).
For more information about festival dates and production notes - and to view the Lost Thing Trailer - please visit www.thelostthing.com.
A special edition DVD of the film will be available in November, distributed by Madman Entertainment.
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Eric
April 2010
Australian readers who tell me that 'Eric' is their favourite story from 'Tales from Outer Suburbia' will be pleased to know that it has been published by Allen & Unwin as a special mini-edition of it's own. I'd always been in a quandary as to whether to separate 'Eric' from 'Tales', as it seemed to be it's own book, but also quintessential 'suburbia'. Now I can have it both ways! At 48 pages, this edition actually feels like the 'original' version of the story, and in appropriate form as a 'gift book' not much taller than it's protagonist.
Available from April 2010, RRP $10
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The Arrival, Red Leap Theatre, Sydney,
January 10-17, 2010
This theatrical adaptation by New Zealand's Red Leap Theatre will be playing at the Sydney Festival, following critical and popular success over the Tasman. It's a fascinating adaptation which takes the book's story and imagery into very new, inventive territory that is very dynamic, dreamlike and engaging. It's also very different in style to the adaptation by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. For more information, visit the Sydney Festival Site.
(I hope to get around to writing more about this production, and adding more images to my 'film and theatre' page before long).
Photo: Robin Kerr
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Genesis Exhibition, University of Wisconsin, Jan 28 - Feb 18, 2010
Foster Gallery, Haas Fine Arts Centre, 121 Water Street, Eau Claire, WI
An exhibition of original illustrations from 'The Arrival' and 'Tales From Outer Suburbia', plus preliminary sketches, together with work by the acclaimed book illustrators James Gurney, Bill Joyce, Adam Rex and David Wiesner.
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Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, October 6 - December 7, 2009
Exhibition: De Gouden Penseel, Location: Rijksmuseum, Philipswing
This is an exhibition of original artwork and developmental sketches from prize-winners of the Gouden en Zilveren Penseel (Gold and Silver Brush Awards), a Flemish prize for illustrated books. The Arrival (De Aankomst) received an honourable mention, so several original graphite pencil drawings are included in this exhibition.
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Kid's Night In 3, October 2009
Thanks to all those who have participated in the online auction for an original drawing (below), and others purchasing the anthology to raise money for the charity War Child, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children affected by war.
To find out more about the book and War Child, visit the Kids' Night In website.
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Jugendliteraturpreis, Germany, October 2009
On October 16, 'Tales from Outer Suburbia' (Geschichten aus der Vorstadt des Universums) won the picture book award in the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 2009, announced in Frankfurt. Many thanks to German readers for their support, and to Carslen Verlag (publisher), Eike Schonfeld (translator) and Dirk Rehm (hand-lettering).
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Exhibition in Germany and Belgium
Museum der Stadt, Troisdorf, October 11-tbc
An exhibition of about 60 illustrations at the Picture Book Musuem Burg Wissem in Troisdorf, Germany (near Bonn), curated by Dr. Maria Linsmann-Dege. It includes work from the past 15 years; illustrations, paintings, working drawings and film desgin. For more information about this musuem go to: http://www.museum.troisdorf.de/bilderbuchmuseum/
This will also travel to other venues in Germany and Belgium until 2011:
Belgium - Hasselt:
Literair Museum, March 7 - May 15, 2010, www.literairmuseum.be
Germany - Munich:
Internationale Jugenbibliothek May - August 2010: www.ijb.de
Germany - Bad Pyrmont:
Museum im Schloss Bad Pyrmont, November 25 2010 - January 30 2011: www.museum-pyrmont.de
The exhibition is accompanied by a well-designed 70-page catalogue featuring colour reproductions and essays in both German and English (cover image below). For more information, contact the Museum Burg Wissem: Museum@troisdorf.de
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Venezuela:
El banco del libro (Book Bank) has chosen Emigrantes (The Arrival) as one of the best books of 2009, and including it as part of an exhibition of books at the Guadalajara Book Fair in Mexico City.
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Bologna Illustrators Exhibition World Tour JBBY
Itabashi Art Museum, Japan, July '09 - March '10
This is a large group exhibition of children's book illustrations touring Japan throughout 2009, following the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition (at the International Bologna Children's Book Fair in April). I have five original works from 'Tales from Outer Suburbia' included. The dates are;
Itabashi Art Museum, Tokyo, July 11 - August 16
Otani Memorial Art Museum, Hyogo, Auguest 22 - September 27
Kawara Museum of Takahama, Aichi, October 3 - November 1
Ishikawa Nanao Art Museum, Ishikawa, November 6 - December 6
And in Korea, Seoul Art Centre, December 22 - March 1 2010
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IBBY Regional Conference, United States
Chicago, October 2-4, 2009
I've been invited to be a keynote speaker at the IBBY Regional conference in Chicago. For more information, go to the USBBY (US Board on Books for Young People) conference site.
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National Gallery of Victoria, 'Art Chat'
Melbourne, August 6, 2009 (changed from July 23)
I've been invited to present a short talk at the NGV, Federation Square on Thursday August 6, as part of their ongoing program Late Night Thursdays @ NGV Australia. Entry is free (I think), but seating may be limited.
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Books of Wonder Booksigning
New York, Sunday May 3
I will be signing books along with authors Harry Bliss, Jason Chin and Peter Brown at Books of Wonder, 18 W. 18th Street, New York, NY, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
http://www.booksofwonder.com/events.asp
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PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature:
New York, 27 April - 3 May 2009
I will be appearing on two panels relating to illustrated books:
Leaps and Bounds, Fits and Starts: The Evolution of a Children’s Book Writer on Thursday, April 30 with Neil Gaiman and Mariken Jongman, moderated by Andrea Davis Pinkney. 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the Scholastic Auditorium, (in the Scholastic building), 557 Broadway, New York.
For more information about this session, go to:
http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/3213/prmID/1831
1,000 Words: The Power of Visual Storytelling on Saturday, May 2 with Emmanuel Guibert, David Polonsky and Jonathan Ames. 2:30–4 pm at The Great Hall, Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street.
For more information about this session, go to: http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/3245/prmID/1831
You can also visit the PEN World Voices homepage
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Books, Bytes and Beyond Bookstore
New Jersey, Wednesday April 29
I will be signing books in the store from 3:30pm to around 4:00pm; open to the public. Books, Bytes and Beyond is at 197 Rock Road, Glen Rock, NJ 07452.
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Colin Simpson Memorial Lecture
Sydney, March 28, 2009
I was recently invited by the Australian Society of Authors to present this year's Colin Simpson Memorial Lecture, on the subject of illustrated narrative. I spoke about some of my favorite picture books and graphic novels, and why I'm attracted to this medium. An edited recording of this talk can be found on the ABC Radio National's The Book Show's programs site.
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PAPERWORK: 12 December 2008 - 4 Feb 2009
An exhibition subtitled 'Works on paper from the Bundanon Trust Collection', which features a few of my drawings produced during a residency at Bundanon, the estate formerly owned by Arthur Boyd, along with the work of other recent visiting artists.
Shoalhaven City Art Centre, Main Gallery, Berry St Nowra. 02 4422 0648
2008
InFrame.tv: November 2008
InFrame.tv presents short documentaries about creative types, produced in Melbourne Australia. I was fortunate to be featured recently, talking mostly about the short animated film, The Lost Thing, currently in production. Watch it here:
http://www.inframe.tv/videoproject.aspx?id=10
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Lingua Franca, ABC radio: August 16, 2008
Saturday 3:45pm: I will be presenting some thoughts on visual language entitled 'Words and Pictures, an intimate distance' on Lingua Franca, hosted by Maria Zijlstra on Radio National ABC. Audio and transcript may be found here:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/linguafranca/stories/2008/2332955.htm
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Sunday Arts, ABC TV: August 17, 2008
A story on the 'rich world of children's novels' in which I was invited to make some comments. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/sundayarts/default.htm
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Sunday Arts, ABC TV: August 10, 2008: August 17, 2008
Sunday Arts looks at the Australian Chamber Orchestra's production of THE RED TREE, video of which may be available on their website: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/sundayarts/txt/s2327197.htm
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Port Fairy Book Fair: September 5 - 7, 2008
Victoria Australia
The EX LIBRIS Literary Weekend, in Port Fairy (west of Melbourne), will feature an exhibition of my original artwork (mainly from The Arrival), some prelimiary drawings and limited edition prints. Check the site below for details:
http://www.exlibris.port-fairy.com/
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KRAZY! Exhibition in Vancouver: May 17 to September 7, 2008
Original artwork and sketches for The Arrival have been contributed to the following exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery:
KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art
Krazy! The Delirious World Of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art is the first exhibition of its kind, a groundbreaking project that offers unique and dynamic insight into the world of comics,animated cartoons, anime, manga, graphic novels, computer/video games and visual art. With outstanding examples of original sketches, notes, concept drawings, final production drawings, animation cells, three-dimensional models and published works, KRAZY! promises a rare insight into the mind and method of some of the finest artists at work today. With generous support from Vancouver Foundation. The exhibition is organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery with co-curators Bruce Grenville, Tim Johnson, Kiyoshi Kusumi, Art Spiegelman, Seth, Will Wright, Toshiya Ueno and exhibition design by Atelier Bow Wow.
The book / catalogue for the exhibition is also available:
KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art, Douglas & McIntyre, the University of California Press and the Vancouver Art Gallery, 2008
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July 2007, 2008
The Australian Chamber Orchestra recently concluded their tour of The Red Tree featuring music inspired by the picture book, composed and arranged by Michael Yezerski and Richard Tognetti, with the children's choir Gondwana Voices.
Click here for a mini-documentary about this project.
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September, 2008
Australia and elswhere
The release of PIXAR's latest film WALL-E to which I contributed some concept artwork along with their usual eclectic range of artists, illustrators and designers.
The Art of WALL-E, the art book featuring concept drawings and paintings by various artists is also available.