Download Catalogue (pdf 1.7MB) - Watch Arts

Toyota Community Spirit Gallery 

presents 

urbantide 

20 emerging artists from the communities 

of Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip and beyond 

June 1 to August 31 2005 

Toyota Australia 

155 Bertie Street 

Port Melbourne 

Victoria 3207 

Gallery Hours: 

Thu & Fri 1pm to 6pm 

or by appointment 

Inquiries phone Ken Wong 03 9690 0902

urbantide 

20 emerging artists from the communities of Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip and beyond 

Toyota Community 

Spirit Gallery 

The Toyota Community Spirit Gallery is an 

initiative of the Toyota Community Spirit 

program. 

The Toyota Community Spirit Gallery aims to 

provide space for artists from the City of Port 

Phillip and City of Hobsons Bay to exhibit their 

work. 

Toyota is pleased to present urbantide curated 

by Ken Wong. Toyota is working with the 

Hobsons Bay City Council and the City of Port 

Phillip on this project.

urbantide 

20 emerging artists from the communities of Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip and beyond 

artists 

guestartists 

curator 

MarisaAvano 

DonBlick 

SuzanneCroft 

RonEden 

SarahEwing 

ErikaGofton 

PeterGresham 

AnnetHammacher 

MaciejKarolczak 

HenriettaManning 

AdrienneMazer-Swinton 

ThomasMorison 

AndrewMusgrave 

IlonaNelson 

JuliePetrovich 

IvanaPinaffo 

CarlReis 

WendyRennie 

JennyDavis 

BibiViro 

KenWong 

thanksto 

invitationand 

cataloguedesign 

KatarinaPersicHobsons Bay City Council 

SharynDawsonCity of Port Phillip 

CathTempletonToyota Australia 

WatchArts

urban tide 

KenWong 

Curator 

This exhibition is the second dedicated specifically to the works of emerging artists and marks 

the first twelve months of operation for the Toyota Community Spirit Gallery. During that 

time it has been my pleasure and privilege to curate the exhibition program documenting and 

providing exposure for the works of over 70 local artists. 

Urbantide features the works of 18 artists who live, work or have a connection to the 

communities of Hobsons Bay or Port Phillip showcasing the quality and diversity of local 

practice. For the first time we are also exhibiting two guest artists providing opportunity and 

exposure for the practice of artists from outside the local area. The works provide an insight 

into the hearts and minds of a diverse group of people from various age groups and social and 

cultural backgrounds who all have their own reasons for pursuing the creative process. Many 

are following a career path while for others it is purely a pastime but in all cases their practice 

provides a vehicle for self expression that adds to the dialogue of contemporary urban 

existence. 

Some of the works highlight the beauty and wonder to be found in the natural and man made 

environment while others explore a more introspective and sometimes darker individual 

emotional and psychological response to modern society and urban life. The important thing is 

that these works come from people exploring their own personal truths, an act which 

potentially has a wider resonance for us all. One of the great things about art is that it opens a 

window into the perspectives of others and in so doing creates the opportunity for a greater 

understanding of the incredibly diverse culture and individuals that make up our society. 

Australia, and Melbourne in particular, is a cultural melting pot of enormous potential as 

evidenced by the fact that almost half the exhibiting artists are migrants from overseas who 

have brought their own unique culture and perspectives to our community. 

I hope you enjoy this exhibition but most of all I hope it helps you to appreciate what a 

powerful and potentially harmonising force art and artistic expression is in the evolution of 

our emerging culture. 

Welcome to Urbantide. 

Biography 

Ken Wong is the Director of Watch Arts, a locally based contemporary arts consultancy. He 

has worked in the fine arts industry since 1997 in both commercial and community arts, 

curating and managing a host of projects including gallery and outdoor sculpture 

exhibitions. He is a founding member of Southside Arts, an industry body in the City of 

Port Phillip consisting of 20 local galleries, and is currently the curator of the Toyota 

Community Spirit Gallery.

urban tide 

catalogueofworks 

MarisaAvano Doin’ the Loop acrylic on canvas 2001 $1000 

Hot Chocolate acrylic on canvas 2002 $950 

DonBlick Williamstown –in the Autumn oil on canvas board 1994 $295 

SuzanneCroft Hideaway Beach acrylic on canvas 2005 $400 

RonEden Homosapien speaks to Mr. Sun photo print 2005 $1200 

SarahEwing Ali photograph 2003 $580 

ErikaGofton Untitled 2 (Chesterfield) oil on canvas 2004 $1900 

Untitled 4 (Buttons) oil on canvas 2004 $1900 

Untitled 5 (Hydrangeas) oil on canvas 2004 $1900 

PeterGresham Interiority Complex mixed media on canvas 2005 $1500 

AnnetHammacher The Harbour photograph 2004 $360 

The Square photograph 2004 $360 

MaciejKarolczak Crash Landing I photograph 2005 $1350 

HenriettaManning Eunice acrylic on masonite 1995 $2000 

The Tower Block Series The Red Curtain acrylic on masonite 1994 $1200 

Francis and her grandchild acrylic on masonite 1995 $2500 

4:30pm with Bob and Norm acrylic on masonite 1995 $2000 

Alf acrylic on masonite 1995 $1500 

Adrienne 

Mazer-Swinton Go Fish acrylic on canvas 2001 $450 

ThomasMorison Urban Tide acrylic on canvas board 2005 $350 

AndrewMusgrave Sands of Port Phillip I oil on canvas 2005 $3000 

IlonaNelson Don’t wanna know type C photograph 2004 $350 

JuliePetrovich Passageway acrylic on canvas 2004 $950 

IvanaPinaffo Market Place in Assisi oil on canvas board 2005 $400 

CarlReis Transient Urban Landscape # 9 oil on canvas 2005 $1400 

WendyRennie Deep Waters acrylic and ink on canvas 2005 $750 

JennyDavis Guernsey St. oil on board 2004 $1800 

BibiViro Great Expectations inkjet print on fine art paper 2002 $995 

unframed 2002 $595

community of Port Phillip 

urban tide 

MarisaAvano 

Doin' the Loop 

acrylic on canvas 2001, 91.5cm x 122cm 

Marisa Avano was born in Melbourne 1963 and has worked in the City of Port Phillip for 

many years. The daughter of migrants who came to Australia seeking a new way of life, she 

grew up influenced by a family of artists and has been exposed to art from an early age. She 

has studied and exhibited her works on a part time basis since the late 1970s but it is only in 

recent years that she has begun to pursue professional practice having completed an Arts 

Business course in 1998. Her work is based on observations gained from her experiences and 

the environment, transcribing what she sees and feels into her paintings, utilizing expressive 

brushwork and vivid colour. “When creativity hits, paint doesn’t come out of its tube fast 

enough”, she says. “When those moments come, I like to allow the viewer to experience a 

moment in time in its purity - uncluttered with detail”. 

artiststatement 

This piece documents Melbourne commuters via the city rail loop and describes a way of life. 

The iron Richmond rail bridge is deliberately enlarged from reality to exaggerate the past 

and present industriousness of a working city. This cool structure contrasts the warmth of a 

dusky orange sky nearing the end of another working week – a relief, when most workers 

gather for a mass exodus to the suburbs for a weekend adventure or free time. The painting 

captures: the transition between one moment to another – responsibility and freedom, and a 

common link to the city that unites us.

urban tide community of Hobsons Bay 

DonBlick 

Williamstown - in the Autumn 

oil on canvas board 1994 , 41cm x 51cm 

Don is a 72 year old retired newspaper manager who has had an interest in art all his life. He 

has been a member of the Hobsons Bay Art Society for the past 13 years and received the 

society’s most improved award in 2000 and an encouragement award in 2001. This year he 

won first prize in the 'Painting of a subject in the City of Hobsons Bay' category of the 

QENOS Art Show in Altona. 


This picture was painted on site, depicting suburban Williamstown as it was in 1994. The 

building has since been completely renovated and redeveloped and is now an exclusive 

residential apartment block.

community of Hobsons Bay 

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SuzanneCroft 

Hideaway Beach 

acrylic on canvas 2005, 100cm x 50cm 

Suzanne was born in 1970 and has lived in Altona all her life. In 1990 she began working at 

Toyota Port Melbourne and was transferred to the new Altona Plant in 1994 but left in 1999 to 

have the first of her two children. In 2003 she discovered her passion for art and began 

painting and attending art classes locally. She finds using her creative side gives her an outlet 

from the demands of family life. 


I believe that to move forward as an artist you must always be evolving. I evolve by always 

keeping my eyes open for any inspiration that I might see, whether it be a particular scene, 

image, emotion, expression. I’m always trying out new products to enable me to find a new 

way of expressing myself on canvas.

urban tide community of Port Phillip 

RonEden 

represented by Gallery 461 

Homosapien speaks to Mr. Sun 

photo print 2005, 70cm x 100cm 

Ron has lived and worked in Port Melbourne for the past 4 years and was previously a 

resident of St Kilda for over ten years. He has had a long and distinguished career in the 

multimedia industry as a photographer, writer and director, but still considers himself an 

emerging artist as his work is always in state of evolvement and he is constantly exploring 

new horizons. In his early career, Ron was involved in the Melbourne music scene opening 

the Thumpin Tum Discotheque in 1965. He has worked as a freelance multimedia 

communications consultant for the corporate sector and multimedia artist/photo-iconographer 

including three stints working on projects in New York City. Currently he is working on the 

DISTANT EARLY WARNINGS multimedia project. These images are photographic 

interpretations of the impact of global warming and climate change on Planet Earth if the 

process continues unabated. 


The Distant Early Warnings images have been transformed by exposure to some of the same 

chemical forces that are transforming our global environment. They are thought provoking 

and stimulate debate regarding their beauty as well as their symbolism of environmental 

chaos. As such, they represent a microcosm of the impacts of global warming. 

Many of the transparencies are in a very delicate condition, so delicate in fact that they would 

not survive the rigour of duplicating, so each one has been digitally cleaned, scanned and 

painstakingly enhanced.


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SarahEwing 

Ali 

photograph 2003 

Edtion 1/5, 53cm x 42cm 

Sarah was born in Melbourne in 1983 and has lived in the City of Port Phillip all her life. She 

developed her passion for photography in the latter years of high school, going on to study at 

the University of RMIT [BA Photography]. In 2002 she was a prize winner in the Barwon 

Heads ‘Festival of the Sea’ photographic exhibition. She is passionate about the creative 

process and hopes to one day have her own studio space and dark room where she can explore 

and further develop her creative practice. 


The primary focus of my work at this stage is portraiture. Photography allows me to follow 

my interest in meeting and working with people. This work explores aspects of the female 

form and utilises particular darkroom techniques. My aim is to capture the quintessential 

spirit of my subjects.


ErikaGofton 

Untitled 4 (Buttons) 

oil on canvas 2004, 91cm x 61cm 

Untitled 2 (Chesterfield) 


Untitled 5 (Hydrangeas) 


Erika graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Tasmanian School of Art in 1995. 

Although now working solely as a painter, she majored in Ceramics in her final year of 

university, providing her experience in the three dimensional as well as work rendered in 2D. 

Practicing in a limited capacity whilst in Tasmania, it was not until moving to Melbourne in 

2000 that she decided to seriously pursue her artistic career. Having exhibited in numerous 

group shows in Tasmania and in Melbourne, it was in 2002 that she held her first solo 

exhibition at Smyrnios Gallery in Prahran. Since then her works have been shown in various 

group exhibitions and she was a member of the Melbourne Independent Artists successfully 

participating in the Sydney Affordable Art Fair in 2004. She is currently developing a new 

body of work that she plans to exhibit in 2006 


I am inspired and stimulated by the smallest things in my surroundings. I find my imagery in 

the everyday and am attracted to the ordinary, to the often disregarded. I endeavour to 

examine, to dissect, to become intimate with objects that ordinarily may be overlooked. I am 

inspired by what makes certain objects visually distinctive and unique, not by what they are or 

what purpose they serve. Objects display their fragility, sensuality, strength and tension by 

their very structure by a combination of elements. I aim to explore these elements much the 

way a botanical artist examines every details of their subject. I feel challenged to transform 

my chosen subjects worthy of attention, to elevate them from the mundane to the precious.


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PeterGresham 

Interiority Complex 

acrylic/mixed media on canvas 2005, 150cm x 100cm 

Peter Gresham was born in Melbourne in 1957 and has worked in the printing and graphics 

trade for 30 years. He has painted for his own enjoyment for much of his life but has only 

begun showing his work over the past year at various exhibitions in the City of Port Phillip. 

He paints in acrylics and watercolours but also has a keen interest in photography. Recently 

he has become fascinated with the transient urban “artworks” which result from the fixing and 

removal of street posters on railway sidings and building site hoardings. He is currently on a 

mission to document these works photographically and the resulting images are providing the 

subject matter for his current series of paintings. 


This piece is from my series “Accidental Heroes” whereby I see in commercial 

art/photography/graphics some small moments that when amplified and taken out of context 

become emotional issues of a different kind. The series itself is mostly a photographic exposé 

but in some cases the images lend themselves to more potent large-scale paintings.

urban tide community of Port Phillip 

AnnetHammacher 

represented by Phaze 3 Gallery 

The Harbour 

photograph 2004, 51cm x 37cm 

The Square 

photograph 2004, 51cm x 37cm 

Annet was born in 1958 in The Hague, Holland and lived in Belgium and Sweden where she 

obtained a PhD before migrating to Australia in 1990 to pursue a career in medical research. 

A resident of St Kilda since 1992, she has only recently taken her long-standing interest in 

photography down the path of personal expression, exhibitions and formal education, 

beginning part time studies for an Advanced Diploma of Photography in 2002. She has 

exhibited widely around Melbourne over the past three years and in 2004 she was awarded a 

Silver Distinction in the illustrative photography category of the Australian Institute of 

Professional Photography Awards in Sydney. 


Being an immigrant to Australia with roots in various communities, a recurrent theme in my 

work is the crossing of borders – real and imagined – the sense of belonging and the 

recognition that ‘other’ can be ‘same’ or ‘different’ depending on our expectations. To 

emphasise this, I use alternative photographic techniques and plastic Holga Cameras. 

Holgas are both ‘same’ and ‘different’. They are medium-format, point-and-shoot cameras 

made in China that have become popular in ‘the West’. Being made of plastic - with a plastic 

lens and corresponding individual qualities and quirks - they are both ‘toy’ and ‘tool’ to bring 

out the often over-looked detail and beauty in the everyday.


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MaciejKarolczak 

represented by Anne Middleton Gallery 

Crash Landing I 

photograph 2005 

edition 1/1, 104cm x 84cm 

Polish born, Australian photographer and digital-artist Maciej Karolczak is a newcomer to the 

visual arts. Having tried his hand at a Commerce-Management degree at University, Maciej 

decided to open his own business and make time to pursue his love of poetry. More recently 

he has chosen to translate the narrative of his words into pictures, and has been pursuing an 

interest in photography and digital art for the past two years. The familiar genre of portrait 

and landscape, are the starting points of much of Maciej’s work. He has lived in the inner city 

Melbourne suburb of St Kilda for a decade, and as a youth travelled extensively over four 

continents. Much of his imagery comes from his experience of the streets in St Kilda, and 

incorporates the symbology of many varying traditions from his travel. He exhibits regularly 

at Anne Middleton Gallery and was recently commissioned to provide artworks for the City 

of Port Phillip for the 2005 Port Phillip Business Excellence Awards. 


This piece is part of a series exploring the new possibilities offered by blending modern 

technology with traditional mediums, and the oldest of photographic techniques. Rather than 

trapped in amber, these insects are preserved in pastels as a digital photogram; a contact 

printing technique that pre-dates the use of negatives, converted to use modern technology 

that allows for the massive magnification, not possible with any traditional contact print.


HenriettaManning 

represented by Catherine Asquith Gallery 

Eunice 

acrylic on masonite 1995 

72cm x 44cm 

The Red Curtain 


65cm x 44cm 

Francis and her grandchild 


81cm x 57cm 

4:30pm with Bob and Norm 


51.5cm x 86cm 

Alf 


50cm x 72cm 

Born in 1961 in the United Kingdom, Henrietta studied at the University of London and 

received a BA with Honours in English and Art in 1984. She also studied lithography at the 

London College of Printing and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Art at the City Art 

Institute in Sydney in 1990. She has exhibited widely and has received various commissions 

and prizes but still considers herself an emerging artist as she has only recently become 

represented by an established gallery. Between 1994 and 1997 she lived in Hobsons Bay and 

in 1995 was awarded the Hoechst Art Prize. The works exhibited here are part of a series she 

completed during her time in Williamstown, one of which was purchased by the Hobsons Bay 

City Council. 


The Tower Block Series explored themes of isolation and community in the Housing 

Commission flats in Williamstown. The Williamstown commission blocks are isolated in their 

construction design aggravating the sense of social isolation that many already felt. Yet what 

I found on each floor was a strong sense of community and despite the bleak uniformity of the 

dwellings expression of great individuality. In August 2005 I am holding a solo exhibition at 

Catherine Asquith Gallery of current works, still exploring isolation in communities through 

the historic goldmining towns of Hillend in NSW and Walhalla in Victoria.


urban tide 

AdrienneMazer-Swinton 


Go Fish 


Adrienne Mazer-Swinton was born in Detroit, Michigan but came to Melbourne in 1974. In 

1977 she graduated from Caulfield Institute of Technology (Monash University) with a 

Diploma of Art and Design in Fine Art, adding this qualification to her earlier Degree in Art 

Education/Social Science from Wayne State University in Detroit. She has always created 

artwork in various mediums, as well as written short stories, novels, poetry and children’s 

books. While she has exhibited over many years, winning first prize in the St Kevin’s College 

Art Show in 1982, she still considers herself an emerging artist. Over the years work, writing 

and family commitments have taken precedence over her art practice and it is only recently 

that she has been moved to record her imagery onto canvas. She currently resides in Newport 

with her partner and two children, teaches art at Williamstown High School and has been 

involved in many cultural and community activities in the area. Much of her inspiration is 

derived from family, students and lifestyle. 


I work in various mediums such as watercolour, acrylic, oil and etching, as well as three 

dimensionally in fibre and clay, to explore my surroundings and life. Having arrived in 

Australia the effect of Australian light has had a tremendous visual impact on how I’ve 

interpreted my surroundings. My style has developed from drawings, observations and 

photographs, reflecting the moment when the eye first glances at a scene before it is 

dismantled visually into smaller components. Overall, my work reflects my continuing 

fascination with the Australian environment and the changing colours due to light.


ThomasMorison 

Urban Tide 

acrylic on canvas board 2005, 41cm x 51cm 

Born in 1982, Thomas grew up in North Melbourne and attended University High School 

where he studied graphic design. In 2001 his family moved to Altona Meadows. Art has 

become a means of self expression for him following a short stay in Werribee Mercy psyche 

ward in 2001. 

In December 2003 he began painting and his obvious talent has been developing swiftly ever 

since. In 2004 his work was shown in the ‘Re-inventing Culture’ exhibit at Footscray Arts 

Centre as part of a TAFE course. His compositions are bold, inventive and courageous, 

reflecting his observations on life with disarming honesty and demonstrating the insight of a 

true artist. 


I’ve been living at my current address since April 2001, riding the buses, seeing the sights, 

smelling the seaweed. This painting took a long time to complete and was based on an earlier 

sketch I had done.


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AndrewMusgrave 

represented by Pivotal Galleries 

Sands of Port Phillip I 


Andrew is a former resident of Port Melbourne who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from 

Latrobe University in 1989. His career as a painter has begun to take shape over the past few 

years with exhibitions at commercial galleries culminating in his first solo exhibition at 

Pivotal Galleries in Richmond in 2004. 


My work is about an unrelenting longing to form a meaningful connection to the unconscious 

– the ever illusive and mysterious world of the ‘Other’. My paintings capture moments in this 

process, where spirit and matter are brought into a soulful relationship and what was once 

chaotic energy is transformed into a natural order. Through the act of painting I enter a 

space of “not knowing”. In this space concepts, thoughts and ideas give way to a deeper 

truth. The painting acts as a container for energy from the unconscious to undergo a 

transformation, as an organic form begins to emerge from a place outside my conscious mind. 

Each painting represents my commitment to the process of ‘Lifting the Veil’ of my own 

illusions and discovering a deeper truth.


IlonaNelson 

Don’t wanna know 

Type C photograph 2004, Limited edition 1/3 

60cm x 84cm 

Ilona has had the creative urge for as long as she can remember, but photography took priority 

when she was 10 years old in a caravan park at Queenscliff, when she set up her ‘Icehouse’ 

tape with her walkman and took photos of the composition with her pastel blue 110 camera. 

It felt so right to be doing this that Ilona promptly went to her parents and declared that she 

wanted to do a photography course and ever since has viewed the world as if she’s looking 

through a lens. In 1998 she graduated with distinction as a Bachelor of Visual Arts from 

Latrobe University in Bendigo majoring in photography. Over the past few years she has 

exhibited across Victoria and earlier this year was the recipient of the Williamstown Festival 

Contemporary Art Prize local artists award. 


The environment I live in is the constant inspiration for my works. My ideas are always born 

from the things I see and conversations overheard when I’m walking the dogs along the 

beach. I like to stop and take in the sights and sounds around me and be inspired by watching 

people going about their lives. I try to approach subjects that people are concerned about, 

but don’t always talk about, such as how they really feel about the condition of the 

environment and the state of politics today.


urban tide 

JuliePetrovich 


Passageway 


Julie Petrovich was born in 1973 in New Zealand and has been attracted to art and spiritual 

aspects of our existence for many years. In 2004 she opened Phaze 3 Gallery in Newport, 

supporting local artists and art awareness in the community. She is currently curating an 

exhibition at The Substation and also a Hobsons Bay City Council exhibition at Phaze 3 for 

local artists. In recent years her practice has focussed on combining strong colours and thick 

layers with abstract cubism. The work is driven by emotion and she uses minimalist 

symbolism and bright strong colours to express it. While her energetic application of paint 

remains loose, capturing the harmonious and luminous effects of light and space, her precise 

constructions and networks of colour produce shifting forms and the illusion of perspective. 


This painting shows a candle, symbolizing light in the darkness of life, purification, cleansing, 

and holy illumination of the truth. I have used strong white lines around the candles which 

represent the soul, which is the closest source to the light.


IvanaPinaffo 

Market Place in Assisi 

oil on canvas board 2005, 61cm x 51cm 

Ivana was born in Tripoli, Libya in 1952. In 1970 she migrated to Australia with her family in 

search of a life of greater opportunity. She subsequently married and had two daughters and it 

was not until the early 1990s that she rekindled her childhood interest in art. She began taking 

lessons in painting, drawing and decorative and folk art, eventually becoming a teacher of 

decorative painting herself. 

She has been a member of the Hobsons Bay Art Society for five years and in 2002 won First 

Prize at one of the local exhibitions. She considers herself an emerging artist because her 

passion and ever growing knowledge gives her the desire to share her work with others. 


Style comes from my heart and the hunger to improve keeps growing. My many trips to Italy 

have inflamed a belated passion for observing and painting European scenes.


urban tide 

CarlReis 

Transient Urban Landscape # 9 


English born, Melbourne raised Carl Reis has been involved in the creative field for several 

years through his work in the display/exhibition/design arena. Originally trained as a signwriter, 

Carl’s talent developed and led him into the design arena within the display/exhibition 

and retail environment. 

It was from this point that Carl recognized another need within him and commenced his 

journey into the creative field of contemporary modern oil painting. His highly successful 

debut solo exhibition was held at Metropolis Gallery in St Kilda in 2003. Since then Carl has 

participated in numerous exhibitions in St Kilda, Albert Park, South Melbourne and Port 

Melbourne. A resident in the Port Phillip area for over 20 years, Carl’s strong connection with 

the local community and the bayside landscape is reflected in his ‘transient landscape’ and 

seascape works. 


With this new series of urban landscape paintings incorporating familiar urban icons and 

structures, I am continuing my exploration of the transient urban landscape. The work 

depicts a journey through the ever changing and unpredictable transient urban environment 

capturing a moment moving through space and transcending time.


WendyRennie 


Deep Waters 

acrylic and ink on canvas 2005, 121cm x 91cm 

Born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1975, Wendy trained as a sign-writer before commencing 

part time studies in the 1990s which culminated in her completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at 

Quay School of the Arts, Wanganui in 2002. In 2003 she moved to Australia to pursue her 

career and is currently living, working and exhibiting in Hobsons Bay but has also continued 

to exhibit in New Zealand. 


As an artist, my work is just as much about the process of creating work, as it is the final 

result. This process involves working on a lot of paintings at one time, which helps to build a 

momentum, creating energy that then becomes a rhythm. This is where intuition takes over, 

hand and mind work together and gestures become automatic. My intent for the finished 

work is similar to the method I use. By building up a level of energy while painting that 

translates on a subconscious level my own experiences within the natural environment. In 

this case, my works are derived from the Williamstown beach area. My intention is not to 

reproduce the landscape literally, but the essence of a moment spent.

guest artist 

urban tide 

JennyDavis 

Guernsey St. 

oil on board 2004, 90cm x 60cm 

Jenny was born in Carlton, Victoria. At the age of 12 she won the Moomba drawing 

competition. In 1979 she travelled to the Northern Territory and was inspired by the colours 

and space which has had a large influence on her life and work. In 1980 she moved to country 

Victoria and became involved in the crafts industry opening her own craft shop in 1987. 

During the 1990s her interest in fine art began to assert itself and she was accepted into the 

Victorian College of the Arts. Her studies were curtailed due to illness, but over the past five 

years she has worked hard at her professional practice and was recently invited to represent 

Australia at an exhibition for the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and also the Florence 

Biennale in Italy in 2004-6. 


Through my own observations and mark making, I wish to capture the essence of the past, by 

investigating and recording the traces left behind on the surface and the hidden space. I spend 

a lot of time, drawing, painting and photographing cities, alleyways, buildings, drain-holes, 

garbage dumps, streets, architecture and doorways. By taking the forgotten marks and 

scratches from surfaces rarely observed, I want to transform them, raising them to a higher 

plateau of awareness by making them more relevant in my work. I use these marks and 

scratches as history’s D.N.A.

urban tide guest artist 

BibiViro 

Great Expectations 

inkjet print on fine art paper 2002 

limited edition print 1/25, 120cm x 120cm 

Bibi has lived in Melbourne all her life and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from 

Monash University in 1985. The early part of her working life was spent teaching and it is 

only in recent years she has focussed her energies on her own practice. For the past five years 

she has operated her own business supplying rugs and prints of her stunning images to many 

clients in the architectural and interior design industries. Her artworks are created entirely in 

the digital environment and she has worked over many years to develop her own expressive 

language in this medium. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and her works have 

been published in many magazines and articles and are held in collections across Australia, 

China and New Zealand. 


This image is a homage to the physical transformation women undergo during pregnancy.

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