Image: Lesa Farrant, Sea Spurge, 2018. Photograph: Grant Hancock.
2018 CATAPULT recipients
The inaugural round of the CATAPULT mentorship program attracted a huge amount of strong, high caliber applications. The program will enable 9 artists to engage with mentors, allowing them to extend their practice through ambitious projects that will teach new skills and strengthen the scope of practice. We express our thanks and gratitude to the amount of outstanding applicants in this round, making the judging process a formidable task for the selection panel. Within the 9 selected artists we are particularly proud to present 4 regionally based artists thanks to the support of the Government of South Australia’s Excellence in Business Fund and the wide reach of Country Arts SA. We’re really excited about the opportunities not only for the individual artists but also for the input into our broader creative community.‘This Catapult mentorship has been both challenging and rewarding. Richard Lewer as a mentor is a champion, he has strengthened my thought process, toughened the way I see things, and stretched my ability to question absolutely everything.’
Congratulations to the 9 recipients of the inaugural CATAPULT mentorship program:
$10K x 1 mentee / mentor
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS / Johannes Sistermanns (Germany)
Internationally renowned (and based) artist Johannes Sistermanns will spend dedicated time with Christopher Williams in his personal studio to develop an understanding of the technical application of transducer technology in sound sculpture. Through critical exchange and sharing listening sessions Williams will build on his already strong knowledge and experience within his field of sound art to develop compositional approaches to the design of sound environments and soundscape installation.
$5K x 8 mentees / mentors
BRIDGET CURRIE / Tamara Hardman
Tamara Hardman will bring her extensive experience and acclaim from the film industry to Bridget Currie, allowing Currie to capture and add to her sculpture and performance heavy practice through moving image.
KASPAR SCHMIDT MUMM / Darren O’Donnell (Canada)
Expanding his experience in social arts practice, Kaspar Schmidt Mumm will travel to Canada to work with Darren O’Donell the Artistic Director of experimental art company Mammalian Diving Reflex. Schmidt Mumm will develop his street performance, social data gathering and audience controlled narrative by learning from Mammalian’s inner workings.
JANE SKEER /Richard Lewer (Melbourne)
While addressing the methods and methodologies within her art practice, Jane Skeer will work with Melbourne artist Richard Lewer to push personal boundaries to undertake large scale community projects and navigate the national art industry with clarity and guidance.
BRIANNA SPEIGHT / Mish Grigor (Melbourne)
Mentee Brianna Speight will unpack connections between performance and photography with Melbourne based experimental performance artist Mish Grigor. Speight and Grigor will connect through conceptual and methodological cross-overs such as humour, critical theory and gender, to consolidate and strengthen Speights conceptual path.
GAIL HOCKING / Sasha Grbich
Working with acclaimed sound artist Sasha Grbich, Hocking will undertake a deeper exploration into the body, materiality and nature interconnections already evident within Hockings work – with a particular focus on sound recording, editing and video documentation in a site – specific environment.
LARA TILBROOK / Sera Waters
Engaging with writer and maker Sera Waters, Lara Tilbrook will expand and evolve the purpose of her practice with a self-assured definition. With parallels between the artists themesof environmental preservation, cultural values and historical sentiment of adornments and objects Tilbrook will be guided by an understanding hand.
LESA FARRANT / Irianna Kanellopoulou (Melbourne)
Working with Melbourne based master mould maker, ceramic artist Lesa Farrant will learn the complex skill of 2, 3 and piece mould making. This will greatly expand the breadth of Farrant’s object making and in turn, her narrative.
CINDY DURANT / Regine Schwarzer
Regine Schwarzer is a highly trained silver and goldsmith who will inform Cindy Durant’s understanding of specific jewellery making processes, shaping the remotely located artists practice towards an expanded sustainable practice.
Catapult 2018 Selection Panel
– Guildhouse CEO Emma Fey – UniSA Studio Head of Ceramics and Glass Artist and artist Gabriella Bisetto – Country Arts Visual Arts Program Manger Lauren Mustillo This program is supported by The Ian Potter Foundation.