The global climate crisis is forcing a massive change in human perception and action. We’ve reached a point where we can no longer see nature as seperate and outside of us. In the long run this is actually going to be good. It insists Western thinking give Nature, indeed the planet, a ‘sentient upgrade’. It’s where our minds and hearts used to be, rooted in the animism of our ancestors where everything was immaculately interwoven with “awakeness” and relationship.Nature is no longer a ‘thing’, indeed it could actually be a someone:
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CV
PROFILE
I am an award winning, multi-disciplinary artist working across a number of analogue and digital platforms: from painting, drawing, digital and photo imaging to film making and musical composition.
CRINGILA HILLS PLAYGROUND — 2021
I have been a collaborator with Celeste Coucke since the early 1990’s. Celeste Coucke is an artist and ceramic sculptor who has taken her work to the the public space by working with Wollongong City Council on large public projects including tourist destinations and children’s playgrounds since 2000. My role always differs according to the brief. This project , I have produced a large plastic book, containing Braille ( in collaboration with Vision Australia) and Q codes that connect to information websites to access multi lingual descriptors of indigenous stories displayed in the playground artworks. This kind of multi layered book is a first, raising the bar when it comes to acknowledging the wide multi cultural language groups in the region. Because of covid the opening ceremony was only late last year and is up for awards.
A new album of 17 compositions of mine, including 13 new works and 4 remixed works. The 4 remixed works are Rainmaker, With Wings Before, Water Breathing, and Hill End #I, which have featured in various Screen and TV productions We Need To Talk About Fire, “ A Place called Robertson”, and the John Olson documentary “The King Sun”. (See below)
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT FIRE — 2020
Bridgit Ikin of Felix Media requested 3 musical compositions / recordings (listen here) for the online documentary series and onsite exhibition “WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT FIRE” at the Bundanoon Trust.
ARTWORKS FOR CHARLES HARPER PARK — 2019
60 children were involved with the production of the initial artworks producing cyanotypes derived from native plant materials, ferns, feathers, insects, twigs- the sorts as well as imagery associated with the coal mining history of Helensburgh. The children’s unique art works were then scanned and curated using Photoshop and printed onto adhesive film, then adhered to aluminium panels. These panels are now installed onto the Charles Harper Park Playground Entrance Wall.
BALD HILL REDEVELOPMENT — 2018
WINNER of the TOURISM category of the Australian Institute of landscape Architects Award for Excellence in 2018.
Permanent Installation at the NSW Rail Museum (formerly Trainworks)
WINNER : The National Trust Heritage Awards honour projects and people that have excelled in their field. “Lives on the Line “ came FIRST in the Education and Interpretation category and was described by the National Trust judges as ” …accessible, poignant and beautiful”.
Lives on the Line is 46 metres long. Over three specific sections, the work represents the 8447 NSW Railway men who fought in WWI. By far the biggest section was made collaboratively in community workshops which took place over 8 months. Our best estimate is that around 4500 people took part.
AWARDS AND OTHER WORK RELATED EVENTS
In the early 2000’s Stephen won a federal training award for implementing art-based courses and produced the award winning band Juicy Mountain in collaboration with Felipe Rodriquez from IF Media [Inside Film magazine] winning the 2006 JJJ Fresh Air Competition ( NSW ) for the composition “Sitting On A Rock”.
THE ADELAIDE PERRY / THE JACARANDA DRAWING AWARD – 2016
Sumi-e Ink Drawing “ Attack” was included in two of Australia’s top drawing awards in the same year.
Stephen collaborated with filmmaker Tony Williams providing musical compositions for his feature documentary on Painter John Olson “The King Sun” ( also featuring the music of the legendary Peter Sculthorpe ) -aired on ABC TV.
MANDORLA ART AWARD – HIGHLY COMMENDED-2014
The Mandorla Art Award is australia’s second biggest religious art prize , next to the Blake Prize. This was the first time they awarded a digital image.
A PLACE CALLED ROBERTSON – 2013
Stephen collaborated with filmmaker Tony Williams providing musical compositions for his feature “ A Place called Robertson” ( also featuring the compositions of Australian composer and broadcaster Andrew Ford )
GOULBURN ART AWARD – WINNER 2012
Photo / digital image” Anomalous Object Over Port Kembla”
Scanlines Media Art in Australia – a joint cultural project with the MCA , UNSW, DLUX and ANAT Australia, honouring the experimental film and TV work by artists since the 1960’s. The group of experimental film makers I collaborated with has now been categorised as “ Metaphysical TV “ and is now officially incorporated in the cultural timeline. Such an honour.
http://scanlines.net/object/rocky-star
http://www.scanlines.net/node/1388
http://www.scanlines.net/object/dlux-mediaarts-interviews-stephen-fearnley-and- stephen-harrop
Stephen Fearnley 