Upcoming artist-in-residence: Melinda Young

Melinda Young in her studio

Melinda Young is a contemporary craft artist whose work spans jewellery, textiles, installation and interactive public art projects. She has exhibited extensively in Australia andinternationally since 1997, her work is held in public collections and included in numerous publications. Melinda’s practice primarily engages with the idea of ‘place’ and explorations of materiality, with an emphasis on found or re-purposed materials as vehicles for narrative explorations of the landscape and the people who inhabit it. Currently undertaking a cross-disciplinary PhD at the Australian Centre for Culture Environment Society and Space (ACCESS), University of Wollongong; Melinda’s research explores how the concept of place has developed as a common touchstone for the maker, wearer/user and viewer of contemporary jewellery and small craft objects. Her research investigates how ‘objects carry traces’and how these traces help to distinguish and form personal narratives. She is also investigating how contemporary jewellers use the found object to ‘map’ locations. Found materials, both natural and ‘unnatural’,  are a constant presence in her work, the recovery of leftover materials is used to develop narrative, direct meaning and context for the research and its physical outcomes. The action of moving through the landscape, the linearity of a journey rather than the abstract fictive space of the ‘excursion’ increasingly informs the production of the work and the liminal space of the journey is frequently the site of making. Alongside her making practice, Melinda has spent the past 20 years working within the contemporary craft and design field as an educator, curator, writer and gallery manager. Melinda is an Associate Lecturer at UNSW School of Art & Design.

Melinda Young, Future Relic Neckpiece, 2018. Plastic marine debris, brass, handspun fishing line. 400x200x60mm Collection of Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery

During my residency at Gunyah I will develop a new sequence of research work for my PhD. This research involves reflection and immersion in place, looking at practices of navigating and mapping to understand how place can be reflected in a wearable object. By working in different locales, this work also reflects on the notion of the souvenir as an object collected in place. Working on location/in place extends my material and skills-based language through the necessary development of adaptive making practices. I will also write; consolidating my research for interviewing contemporary jewellers whose practice sees them mapping different locations.

Melinda Young, Graft & Glove (detail from the Installation Arbus/Adrift - Together/Apart), 2020. Driftwood, marine debris, 925 silver; largest 200x50x30mm.

You can see more of Melinda's work on Instagram @unnaturaljeweller

Melinda Young, Tracelines - Aftermath (Riverbed) Neckpiece, 2019. Heat patinated copper, handspun worsted yarn, coloured pencil; 500x400x10mm

Upcoming artist-in-residence: Anne McCallum

Anne McCallum with her work at Centre of Contemporary Photography Melbourne

Anne McCallum is an artist living in Nug Nug, on Mogullumbidj land in North East Victoria. Working across textiles, sculpture, photography and video, she has exhibited at Centre of Contempoary Photography Melbourne; in World Cyanotype Day Exhibitions in Texas, New Orleans and Brisbane; at Kingston Arts; PSC Gallery Southbank; Brunswick St. Gallery and Head On Photo Festival Sydney. In 2020 Anne was an Artist in Residence Isle of Iona in Scotland. Anne is currently finishing her Masters in Fine Art at RMIT University in Melbourne. Her impermanent, delicate sculptures are woven from organic materials. Anne's focus on materiality creates a connection to origin and engages with natural cycles. She also works with meditative moving images to give a sense of duration to these hand woven abstract objects as they sit gently in the natural environment. Anne's slow flowing video allows for drifting in a dreamy manner amongst these artefacts which, like nature, have a transient existence.

Anne McCallum, 2020, Nestling, Free motion embroidery sculpture

During my resideny at Gunyah I plan to create small delicate sculptural forms inspired by the surrounding natural environment. I will also make some cyanotype prints of the local plants and create a video about my creative processes and residency at Gunyah. 

You can see more of Anne's work on Instagram - images_by_anne

Anne McCallum, Maunder (detail), 2020, wisteria vine and found organic threads