Illuminated by Fire

Federation SquareIlluminated by Fire is really great Illuminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really greatIlluminated by Fire is really great

Thank you

LEAD ARTISTSCATHERINE LARKINS

Catherine Larkins is an installation artist and visual designer, arts lecturer and a community cultural development

activist. She chooses to work in a specifically regional context addressing issues of cultural and geographical remoteness, racial

and socio-economic tension and reconciliation. The work is achieved through major collaborations with communities and specialists in

diverse and unexpected fields of expertise.

Major East Gippsland projects include Bute Utes 2002, Snow Circus @ Possum Flat 2006, Common Ground Lakes Entrance in 2007, The

Spirit Poles 2009 and Camp-FIRE WATER-hole FIRE- place 2010. Catherine was awarded Life Membership to Regional Arts Victoria for

her outstanding service to rural communities and in 2009 she was invited to speak at the Global

Reconciliation Summit in Amman, Jordan.

Catherine Larkins at the Lakes Entrance Community Complex Photo: Lindy Allen

Illuminated By Fire Project Team

2011

Artistic Director Donna Jackson

Curator of Stories Malcolm McKinnon

RAV Director Lindy Allen

Production Coordinator Julia Earley

LEAD ARTISTSFRANCES HARRISON

CLAN: GUNAI/KURNAI - MONARO

Frances Harrison is a painter, print maker, wood burner and in all forms a naturally magnificent artist. Her strong cultural family back-ground is reflected in her own practice. Frances’ contribution as an artist in local schools and as a lead artist on numerous collaborative

arts projects is outstanding. Common Ground 2007, Blind 2008, The Spirit Poles 2009 and her current work on Camp-FIRE WATER-hole

FIRE-place are all major cross-cultural achievements. Frances has ex-hibited widely and her work is in many public and private collections,

including the Koori Heritage trust.

Frances HarrisonPhoto: Sherry Hayes

LEAD ARTISTSLENNIE HAYES

CLAN: GUNAI/KURNAI - BIDAWAL

Lennie Hayes is highly and widely respected within the Lakes Entrance community for his leadership in general and his work with disengaged

aboriginal youth in particular. He was the Cultural Liaison Officer on 2007’s Common Ground, a massive cross-cultural project that brought

black and white communities together in a powerful show of reconciliation.

In 2009 Lennie was lead artist and cultural advisor for the Spirit Poles, culminating in the first permanent, public Gunai/Kurnai art work in Lakes

Entrance since white settlement. Lennie has continued his special artistic-community role with Camp-FIRE WATER-hole FIRE-place.

Lennie Hayes (center) working on the Spirit Dog with daughters Sherry Hayes (left) and Sissy Hayes (right). Photo: Catherine Larkins 2010

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSIlluminated by Fire - Lakes Entrance would not have been possible without the support, dedication, and creativity of the following individuals and organizations.

We thank you for your assistance.

SUPPORTING ARTISTSTerry Hayes, Kate Joyce, Sissy Hayes, Ian Keegan, Gary Belskyj, Adelaide Macpherson, Daniel Jenkins, Susan Purdy, Sherry Hayes and Deb Goulding

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TOAaron and Kym Stroud-Smith - Canvas Barn, Simon Anderson Consultants Pty Ltd, June Parsons & the Funky Monkey Café staff, Industrial Energy Pty Ltd, Whiter Street Cranes, Dahlsens Building Centre, O’Donnells Transport, Marnie Graham, Drew Montgomery, Andrew Capes, Rocky Harrison, Dave Nicol, Bob Dunlop, Pat Nicol, Adrian Morgan, Sadie Campbell, Elaine & Graham Wheildon, Murray Hassett

SUPPORTED BYGippsland Lakes Community Health Lakes Entrance, Aboriginal Health Association, Yoowinna Wurnalung Healing Service, Lakes Entrance Neighbourhood House, Mission Australia and East Gippsland Institute of TAFE

THE BUSH LOUNGE ROOM

BACKGROUNDFire Place is a unique cross-cultural collaboration by installation artist Catherine Larkins, aboriginal artists Lennie Hayes and Frances Harrison, and the community of Lakes Entrance.

Fire is integral to human existence. Our dependency on fire or even the illusion of fire is a comfort we cannot do without. At the heart of a modern home is the Fire Place, a structure for containing fire, the giver of warmth and comfort. The unique architectural features of the Fire Place – the chimney, mantelpiece and hearth are powerful symbols of our civilized society.

The Gunai/Kurnai people say that the Fire Tail Finch brought fire to their country thousands of years ago on its tail; a vibrant red patch of feathers on its rump is testimony to this feat. A flock of beautifully painted finches circle the briquette chimney overlaying an ancient story on an iconic symbol of modern architecture.

The briquettes in this chimney are 15 million year old blocks of compacted coal from Gippsland’s pre-historic forests. The briquette-fired furnaces of the Latrobe Valley power stations now bring electric fires to our lounge rooms, heat for cooking in our kitchens and a myriad other conveniences. In a bizarre twist of fate the conversion of ancient energy into electricity can ignite bush fires and burn our homes, turning our best friend into our worst enemy. After wild fire destroys a home, ironically, the chimney is often all that remains.

Fire Place offers a distinct perspective on the modern-day and the ancient past. The ‘bush lounge room’ setting includes a kangaroo skin couch, a TV screening Koori campfire footage, a Mirrigarn or spirit dog, a chimney and fire place made from domestic briquettes and a pseudo-electric log fire. The surfaces are transformed into a stunning canvas of stories from Gunai/Kurnai country about the timeless cycles of fire.

This ground breaking mix of ‘blackfella-whitefella’ culture, ideas, materials and people has generated powerful healing for those who worked together on the project. The ‘bush lounge room’ invites the visitor to share this precious spirit

The Spirit Dog, TV and Kangaroo Skin Couch and camp fire in the bush at Lake Tyers. Photo: Catherine Larkins

THE LAUNCHTHE LEAD ARTISTS!

Lead artists Catherine Larkins, Lennie Hayes and Frances Harrison. Photo: Mel Beveridge

Catherine Larkins introduces the wide ranging incredible skill mix of the local participants; (L-R) June Parsons – Café owner, Gary Belskyj - sculptor, Drew Montgomery - technician, Deb Goulding – visual artist, Adelaide Mcpherson – visual artist, Kym & Aaron Stroud

Smith (upholsterers) and Kate Joyce - visual artist & set designer. Photo: Mel Beveridge

Terry Hayes and sister. Picture: Susan Purdy

THE FUNKEY MONKEY CAFE THE ELEMENTSTHE SPIRIT DOG Materials: Fibreglass resin, acrylic paint

Celebrating after the Lakes Entrance launch of Illuminated by Fire are artists Frances Harrison, Susan Purdy, Catherine Larkins, Lindy Allen & Lennie Hayes.

Photo: Sherry Hayes

The Funkey Monkey Café in Lakes Entrance became the regular gathering place for artists, their families and friends of the project for lunches and the launch. Owner June Parsons, her daughter Kelly and their staff showed enormous generosity to the Illuminated by Fire mob. Left to right Sissy Hayes, Sherry Hayes, Terry Hayes, Catherine Larkins, Lennie Hayes, Raymond Harrison, Frances Harrison, Sadie Campbell

Artist Terry Hayes working on designs for the Spirit Dog or MirrigarnPhoto: Catherine Larkins

The Spirit Dog, an English Bull Terrier, wears a cloak of Koori designs. Photo: Catherine Larkins

Fire Birds“This is the dream time story of how fire came to the Gunai/ Kurnai people.

There was a time when the people had no fire; the fire was kept by two old women. Bimba-towera the Fire Finch wanted to get some fire for the mob, he was gammon to be friendly to the old women, he acted deadly around them so they let him stay at the camp. So Bimba-towera grabbed the coals and carried them on his moom. He flew back to the mob and gave the coals to the Gunai/ Kurnai people, the people made a fire. Today Bimba-towera still carries the red spot on his tail.”

Illustration of the Fire Tailed Finch Detail of Fire Bird on TV cabinet. Gang-Gang Cockatoo - wood burning and acrylic paint on timber

Artists Terry Hayes & Gary Belskyj assemble the chimney structure for the launch at the Lakes Entrance Community Complex. Photo: Catherine Larkins

The Fire Place and Spirit Dog at the Lakes Entrance launch.Photo: Susan Purdy

The TV Materials: Recycled TV cabinet, wood burning, acrylic paint, digital TV

The 1960’s TV Cabinet has been embellished with Fire Birds on the sides and the ‘Blackfellas Coat of Arms’ on the top. The lead artists have replaced the British shield with the local Gunai/Kurnai shield. Using traditional wood burning and acrylic paint, the surfaces have become a canvas for cross cultural narratives.

Screening on the TV is Koori camp fire footage from ‘Common Ground Lakes Entrance’ staged on Australia Day 2007. Photo: Catherine Larkins

Fire Place & Chimney Materials: Domestic briquettes, steel, timber, acrylic paint, recycled heater

Artists Kate Joyce & Deb Goulding laying briquettes on the chimney structure. Photo: Catherine Larkins

Artist Ian Keegan (left) delivers the Chimney structure he constructed ready for Artist Kate Joyce (right) to clad with briquettes. Photo: Catherine Larkins

Fire Place Installation at the Illuminated by Fire Lakes Entrance launch. Photo: Susan Purdy

The Kangaroo Skin Couch Materials: Kangaroo skins, recycled couch, wood burning

Catherine Larkins & Lennie Hayes designing the layout of the kangaroo skins for the couch.

Lennie Hayes laying out the skins for the couch. Photo: Catherine Larkins

Upholsterers Aaron & Kym Stroud Smith from Canvas Barn deliver the Kangaroo Skin Couch to the Lake Entrance Neighbourhood House. Photo: Catherine Larkins