Ecological Expression at The Refinery
Thanks to The Refinery, Noosa is in the creative spotlight as artist Marian Tubbs explores the beauty of the Biosphere through her vibrant, interactive and unexpected work, discovers Rebecca Jamieson Dwyer.
Have you ever explored the Noosa Biosphere on a macro level – seen the veins running through the leaves, a raindrop hanging from the thread of a spider’s web, the lichen patterns on the rocks?
That’s part of what Lismore-based artist and academic Marian Tubbs will be doing as part of her R|Artist Residency: Noosa Natural Ecologies over the next few months. This innovative residency, run by Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance (SCCA), provides an experienced career artist with the funding, resources and opportunity to conceptualise a work inspired by the Noosa Biosphere, with a focus on integrating new technologies.
As someone who grew up in Noosa, Marian said this was an exciting moment for her – both personally and professionally.
“I grew up running the trails of the Noosa National Park and I even made my first video art piece there, so to have the opportunity to spend time creating work in the Noosa Biosphere as part of this residency is absolutely incredible,” she said. “I feel lucky to have the chance to work with these new technologies in a supported and collaborative way, both in the Noosa Everglades and during the field trip to K’gari.”
A mid-career artist and lecturer at University of the Southern Cross, Marian describes her art practice as ‘experimental assemblage work’, which fuses together a variety of images to create animations, videos and lenticular photographs (photos that refract light to show different images at various angles).
“Through this residency, I hope to create a new experimental assemblage work that will be fun and highly pleasurable for the audience, and that will enrich or look at the Noosa Biosphere from different and unexpected angles,” she said. “For a very long time I’ve been drawn to the Subtropics as the most inspiring place for me. It’s something I keep returning to, so I’m excited to keep exploring this in my work.”
The residency is designed to encourage experimentation with new technologies, something that Marian is interested in both in terms of her own creative practice and her role as an arts educator.
The Refinery is a suite of professional development programs with a strong partnership with UniSC, allowing Marian full, supported access to a suite of innovative equipment, including CAVE2 – a 320-degree, immersive, panoramic virtual environment, where she plans to showcase her final work.
But how can new technologies help us understand, interact with and appreciate the natural world?
“Visual technologies change our ability to see the world and ourselves,” Marian explained. “For my project, I’ll be creating highly researched macro observations of the Noosa Biosphere, which contains some of the richest bird life diversity in Australia.
“This is an opportunity to research that biodiversity and to go beyond the superficial to create something meaningful.”
The local arts community and general public will be invited to experience the work she has created during the residency at UniSC’s CAVE2 in September, which Marian promises to be a highly immersive experience, with images and field recordings from the Noosa Biosphere and K’gari.
“I want to activate the audience so they can really engage with it,” she said.
Marian will also be capturing underwater footage with high-resolution cameras, which she’ll then transform into digital filters that can be downloaded to a smartphone or device.
“It’s about democratising art,” she said. “Art isn’t just for the people on the VIP list or those with an Arts degree – it’s available for anyone to experience, enjoy and interact with.”
At the time of writing, Marian was just a few weeks into this incredible opportunity, and she’s excited to be working with the encouraging and supportive people behind the program.
“The team behind The Refinery are really dynamic in a time when visual arts in the rest of Australia is in trouble,” Marian said. “They know how to collaborate with universities, advocacy groups, academics, and the directors of the galleries – and they’re all in it together to enrich visual culture on the Sunshine Coast.
“My dream was always to be able to exhibit or work in the Noosa region, and I’m so grateful to The Refinery for providing this opportunity for mid-career artists like myself.”
Part of The Refinery’s mission is to attract artists and creatives to the region in order to contribute to a thriving arts scene on the Sunshine Coast.
“The work they’re doing to retain or bring back practices that have rigour and critical value, both nationally and internationally, is very important,” Marian explained.
“Young people and artists have been known to leave the region in the past because of a lack of opportunity, but I believe we’re beginning to see that change.”
One of the purposes of art is to make us feel something – so, at the end of her residency, when showcasing her work, how does Marian want her audience to feel?
“I’d love for people to think, ‘Oh, I didn’t know this was art, but I’m enjoying myself!’ I want to create that feeling you get when you see a really great and surprising piece of cinema, or you go to a gig and you weren’t expecting the singer-songwriter to also be a comedian,” she said. “I want to give the viewer agency and create a pleasurable aesthetic experience that will make them want to engage with art again and again.”
WHAT’S ON
Artist Talk with Marian Tubbs
Noosa Parks Association
Friday 27 June, 10.30am.
$5 entry on arrival.
Hear from artist, Marian Tubbs about her Noosa Natural Ecologies residency as part of the NPA’s Friday Environment Forum.
Masterclass with Cameron Deyell, UniSC Sippy Downs
Sunday 20 July – ticketed event.
Learn from composer, performer, producer and ocean sailor Cameron Deyell in this hands-on-masterclass on commercial songwriting, field recordings and the rewilding of the studio.
R|7.0 Showcase
The Events Centre Caloundra
Wed 10 September – tickets on sale in August. Hear from R|7.0’s Creative Business Incubator cohort as they pitch their creative practices culminating in a 10-week program
Visit therefinerysunshinecoast.com to find out more about The Refinery and to book tickets.
