This interview with Petra from Atelier TV occurred at my childhood home in Vincentia following SeeChange18 where I met Petra in front of my Shroud works in ‘Threads’. Petra also published an article about my practice.
Author: Vanessa Barbay
Laomedia visual artist and drummer
Reading the Bherwerre Wetlands
I exhibited the following 5 Bherwerre panels in the Sandholme Salon Show for SeeChange 18. The 3rd Stage of the Bherwerre Mural Project received funding from the Shoalhaven Arts Board while the entire project would not be possible without my project partners BBCR Shed who installed the panels at Sandholme.
Hidden Histories – Holden st General Store
In the SeeChange Festival 2018 I have an installation in the Sandholme Salon Show 2 Jervis Street Huskisson Open daily – 10am to 4 pm 26 May 2018 to 11 June 2018. The installation is part of a larger ongoing project produced by Jenny Robertson titled ‘Shared Pathways – The Wool Road Project’ assisted by a grant from the Shoalhaven Arts Board. This video organised by Jenny and recorded by Michael Buckley and Susan McCauley will be on display as well as relics from the original Vincentia Post Office, an oral history recording of my mum Maree and uncle David (equipment and editing generously provided by Brad Slaughter BBCR Shed), Photographs of my grandparents Keith and Gloria Sheehy at the Holden Street General Store early 1960s and mum and David at the original building 2018.
Bherwerre 9
I finally completed the 9th panel which took almost 3 times as long as the other panels due to the level of detail.
Bherwerre 8
The Other Art Fair Sydney
New Works for the Art Fair:
‘Shadow Self (Winter Currawong and Ringtail Possum)’ 2016-17. Currawong, ringtail possum, bitumen, oil, aquarelle and rabbit skin glue on canvas. 66 
x 165 (h) cm. SOLD
‘Death Hatch (Spring Port Jackson Shark)’ 2017. Port Jackson shark, bitumen, oil, delek and rabbit skin glue on canvas. SOLD
‘Body Map (Spring Stingray)’ 2017. Stingray, bitumen, oil, delek and rabbit skin glue on canvas. 88 x 73 (h) cm. SOLD
Worrowing Shroud Processing
Last Sunday Darren and I drove to Worrowing in our old ute to pick up the shroud set featuring the turtle, baby Port Jackson shark, stingray and kookaburra. A horse came to check us out and ran away snorting and shaking its head when I shook out the turtle shroud. Must have got a diabolical whiff of it! At home I put them in a vinegar bath before hanging them out to cure for a few weeks. The only body I kept was the cute little baby shark. The rest I placed under a large eucalyptus tree.
Worrowing Winter Shroud Set
In preparation for the Other Art Fair in Sydney I set up a new Winter Shroud set at Worrowing last weekend. Magically as soon as I thought I needed to create more marine shrouds a baby Port Jackson shark, green turtle and stingray magically appeared on the beach where I jog many mornings. Then on the way to the shroud site directed by Tom I saw something on the track and discovered a recently deceased kookaburra!
Bherwerre Wetland Mural 6 & 7
Bundanon Rainbow Lorikeet
On Sunday I completed the Rainbow Lorikeet I had created at Worrowing during my residency. The Lorikeet was found deceased by Alicia Talbot during my residency at Bundanon in 2015. Its shroud on paper is still waiting for a watercolour painting. At Worrowing I had a strong desire to paint on a sturdy linen stretcher with rich oil colours. I remembered a friend (my former primary school teacher) Bruce Malbon had requested a colourful bird, so I felt inspired. I began the ‘paint’-staking but enjoyable process of completing two coats of gesso in the negative space between the nest motif consisting of the raw linen glistening with rabbit-skin glue. I also left raw linen sections inside the Lorikeet too, which made the oil painting a little more challenging. I am very happy with the result.
Bundanon Rainbow Lorikeet 2017 68(w) x 64(h) cm SOLD
Laomedia 