A wonderful collection of Art, Photography, Film, Poems and Stories has been collated to celebrate the beautiful and historically precious landscape at Stockyard Hill, Skipton and surrounds. The contributions displayed opened visitors and the communities eyes to what beauty surrounds them, before the encroachment of an industrial wind farm, it’s network of powerlines, towers, roads, construction blasting and mining.
The documentation of this formerly, large-scale-industrial-free landscape in this art work, creates an important historical record of the landscape for future generations and is in safe keeping at the Skipton Historical Society. Congratulations to Mrs P. Gabb and the community on the fantastic collection and it’s successful launch.
A special dedication of the exhibition was carried out by Councillors Lesley Brown and Tanya Kehoe – from Corangamite and Pyrenees Shire Council’s.
Photo: Andy Berry
May 4 2019- Article extracted below, by Tom Ford-The Courier; for full story, including the image of young school children signing a massive blade see link below;
https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/6104614/turbine-blade-inspires-art-exhibition-to-respond/
Patricia Gabb, from Skipton, was inspired by the work of colonial landscape artist
Eugene Von Guérard to create a “historical document” of the landscape before the towers went up.
Von Guérard was the subject of a major exhibition at the Ballarat Art Gallery last year, and his paintings of Victoria as it was in the late 19th century, when taken as a whole in contrast to today, reveal the effect of white settlement on the environment.
Ms Gabb said she is encouraging artists in any medium to contribute their own reflection of the volcanic plains to a special exhibition in June.
Eugene Von Guerard’s ‘Stoneleigh, Beaufort near Ararat, Victoria’, 1866. Image: State Library of New South Wales
“I hope to have some friends get prints of some of his paintings, and one of our neighbours, who’s on one of the farms he painted on, we’ll try and do a before and after with his painting, and we’ll try and get a photo of the same spot,” she said.
“I hope it opens their eyes to what a beautiful environment we have, and the light and texture – the sheer beauty.
“You’ve got the sun on the grasses, and the grasses moving in the wind, and it’s such a play of light – we won’t get it back, it’ll be changed forever.”
While she said artworks that feature turbines or power lines would not be accepted for this exhibition, she stressed it was a non-political event, and encouraged children to submit work.
“I think it could empower other communities that are in the same situation as ours, to record what it did look like (before the turbines),” she said.
You, your Friends and Family are
INVITED to our COMMUNITY
CELEBRATION of our LANDSCAPE, as
inspired by Eugene von Guerard.
Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June,
Skipton Hall. 10.00am to 4.00pm. Free !
We are CREATING an HISTORICAL
RECORD of our LANDSCAPE before the
turbines and powerlines change our area
for ever.
Many COMMUNITY members are creating
in a variety of mediums depicting the
landscape as they see it. All ages and from
anywhere in Australia you may contribute
as long as it depicts the area impacted by
the Stockyard Hill Wind Development.
Join us all for a special ceremony Sunday
16th at 2.00pm-followed by a share
afternoon tea.
Event organisers look forward to Celebrating the Landscape as Inspired by Eugene von Guerard this weekend. Articles have been placed in lots of newspapers with hopes to encourage communities being confronted with wind developments to get switched on to what has occurred to our rural landscapes and lives.
Creating an Historical record of the Landscape before the turbines and powerlines destroy what they love, is important to those who care for Stockyard Hill and it’s beautiful surrounds. Eugene von Guerard’s art has contributed much to the visual history of Victoria and has inspired this community to create their own visual documentation.
A Stop These Things post here shows the effort members of this community put in to protect their community from this wind energy development for many years.
DeFrock 