amy jane stephenson » artists

OBI: week four rehearsals

amy — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 09:01:11 +0000

Vulkana badebåt, publicity, set design, loud music, tape, lampshades, snow, sauna, projectors, concern, yellow, play, energy, warmth, Norwegian. Kjenner du Olsen?

OBI: week three rehearsals

amy — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:10:20 +0000

Learning to waltz, costuming shopping, live music, meetings, browsing for props, discussions, projection, aquarium, scenes, research, autumn, OLSEN.

OBI: week two rehearsals

amy — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:30:41 +0000

OBI: Week one rehearsals

amy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:54:23 +0000

My creativity is completely nourished by this talented and inspiring ensemble.

OBI: Olsens Ballettinstitutt

amy — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:57:13 +0000

In just over a month I fly back to the beautiful town of Tromsø in northern Norway to begin the creative development of Olsens Ballett Institutt.

Elin Danielsen (director of Hangen Til…) has formed a smashing group of artistic people to explore “the waiting room before death” aka a nursing home. Among the group are a; poet, electronic artist, video artist, musician, choreographer, costume & set designers and performers (of which I am one).

The project has received substantial funding support from the Norwegian Arts Council. After a five week creative development process, there will be a two week season as part of the Tromsø International Literature Festival.

It’s going to be a very special trip! I can’t wait to return to Norway and re-connect with all the wonderful people I was lucky enough to work and play with when I lived there for two years, and also to be a part of a cutting-edge new work which crosses all boundaries of culture and language.

Now I better go and practise my Norwegian…

Printmaking exhibition

amy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:19:10 +0000

I’m looking forward to heading down to Fitzroy on Friday 26th February to the exhibition opening which my Mum is a part of. It’s at the Brunswick Street Gallery and the exhibition runs from 26th Feb-11th March.

Linden has some beautiful, detailed prints from her MFA exhibition. Printmaking is such an incredible art which must take so much patience and skill. I love the earthiness of prints, they make me feel real & alive in a time when so much is digitised and hidden on a computer hard drive.

Friends in Adelaide Fringe Festival

amy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:00:12 +0000

This year there are some especially great performances to check out in the festival. Each show reflects a contemporary edge which I am a huge advocate of. They re-work traditional texts to create original work, or don’t even use text, and cross boundaries to surprise the audience.

2 Dimensional Life of Her

2 Dimensional Life of Her tells the story of an artist whose reality is infringed upon by an imaginary world that manages to escape from the confines of its two-dimensional existence. A richly imagined parallel world is awoken where drawings reproduce themselves, drift between surfaces and move in and out of three dimensions. Film, animation and puppetry occupy the stage as the audience enter a space charged with possibility, becoming part of a real-time artwork that breathes with life.

La Petite Mort – The Orgasm

La Petite Mort – The Orgasm is a raunchy cabaret romp through sex and sexuality.

“A truly original, delightful, accomplished show, another of the shows that remind you why you love the Fringe so much.” The Scotsman.

Hamlet Apocalypse

A group of actors stage Hamlet the night the world ends. As the reality of the situation sets in, the play, the characters and the actors break down to the simplest of human states as they attempt to reconcile their lives in the face of a dying world.

I’ve crossed paths or worked with artists from each of these shows and have so much respect for the incredible art they’ve created. Keep going my friends.

I’ll be there

amy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:05:43 +0000

Next week is an exhibition which I have been awaiting for a few years. I am filled with absolute intrigue and excitement about the final prints and installations of Linden’s Masters after the many fragmented ideas and brief descriptions she has shared during the process.

It’s on in Hobart and I have a feeling this will not be one of those passive, echoey exhibitions where you’re afraid a single cough might interrupt the flat atmosphere. No I think she may have some surprises in there…

I’ll be there.

Did I mention she’s my mother?

A costume designer like no other

amy — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:13:43 +0000

In the arts industry it’s often difficult to get the rightful recognition and pay for ones work. Danielle Killick’s stunning and craftful new Six Women costumes are likely to gain her the recognition she deserves. One can’t ignore the pure creativity and time spent on these unique designs. Not to mention how lushfully soft and flexible they are (perfect attributes for performing in). I’m sure Danielle is set to continue on the path of designing beautiful costumes and clothing both in and out of the arts industry.

Click here to see Danielle’s Yellow Mule Collection.

The Water Hole

amy — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:38:32 +0000

I popped into the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art to have a look at their much-talked about current installation. The Water Hole is ‘an ecological fantasy-world’ created by Swiss artists Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger.

It’s not one of those installations which you walk into a square room and make your way from left to right, no, this one takes you on a real journey. The breeze created by your walk sends shivers through the strange mixture of human objects entertwined with nature. Eclectic mobiles hang with just enough space for you to crawl beneath and watch the colours and textures sway.

This ‘extravagant, magical installation’ allows you to participate, observe, or observe those who are observing. For me, it commented on how we impose our consumerist culture into the environment. I wonder how many untouched water holes exist today?