fair share fare

Photographs by Emma Byrnes

Amongst many other ambitious projects, Canadian Métis (Indigenous)/Australian artist-researcher, Jen Rae has established Fair Share Fare - a collaborative, multi-platform art project focused on future food security in a time of climate change. And for the second year running I have had the great pleasure of documenting REFUGE at Arts House for Jen.  

REFUGE is now in year three of a five-year project that examines potential climate-related disasters and traces how we might collectively respond. It explores the role of artists and cultural institutions in times of climate catastrophe…extreme heat, rising sea levels, forced migration, increased spread of diseases, social unrest, extinctions.

In 2018, the theme for REFUGE was PANDEMIC - artists examined a pandemic event and what happens when the risk of contagion mean no public gathering?

In Jen’s project - a horticulturalist, a masseur and a beekeeper each had significant roles to play and she places them in an immersive spa-meets-science-lab-meets-urban-agriculture environment.
In most instances during this documentation process the light was extremely low which for a photographer can be very challenging as light is what we paint with! But I think the limitations allowed for some dramatic images.

For in-depth detail and photographs of the project visit Jen’s website.

merging materiality with modernity

Melbourne artist - Katie Stackhouse (top) and artworks from Embodied Materialities, 2018 and Perspicuity, 2018. Photographs by Emma Byrnes.

I have had the pleasure of documenting two of Katie Stackhouses’ exhibitions these past months.
The Melbourne artist’s sculptural works refer to the emerging experiential technologies of virtual reality, and the enquiry as to how these technologies may affect human relationships. Her use of limestone to carve sculptures of what are essentially VR goggles allows her to marry the serenity of the natural environment of her home-base in Warrandyte with the inner-cityscape in her work “Embodied Materialities” at Assembly Point. Following on from that at Rubicon Ari was “Perspicuity” - a work that continued the conversation - combining elements of the past with the present.
I was very happy to hear that Katie was able to use these photographs to communicate her creative work for successful grant applications.
For a blog post about the importance of documentation for artists see here.

heat wave at refuge

FUTURE PROOF by Jen Rae for REFUGE 2017 at Arts House. Photography by Emma Byrnes.

For REFUGE 2017, the heatwave provides a context to question, what do you know, that you don’t know you know, that we all might need to know in a disaster? 
Artist Jen Rae explored this question through a series of task oriented activities for participant involvement where food is created and experienced in the 24-hour period.  Skill, labour and knowledge-sharing underpinned the interactions and participants helped with designated collaborative kitchen-related tasks whilst talking about food futures. Participants were rewarded with Feral Food trade tickets for their contributions. 
The depth and complexity of Jen Rae’s inspiring Fair Share Fare art projects is difficult to communicate unless you actually participate in one of them as her ideas and concepts are so challenging, immersive and interlaced.
However my job in documenting them requires me to capture not only the breadth of the project but also the small details in order to tell the story . Of course this is the ultimate challenge from the photographer’s point of view and had me on constant alert for any special incidental moments that flashed before me that communicated the project in one gesture or action. 24 hours is a long time for an art project and many moments took place. If you would like to see more images from the project visit Jen’s website here.

And here is a wonderful testimonial from Jen that demonstrates how valuable documentation is to her art practice:

“Working with Emma on Fair Share Fare projects has been a game changer in how the creative works of Fair Share Fare are documented. Her ability to place herself within the artist’s lens means that she captures the moments that matter - the big picture, nuances, subtleties and aesthetics of what can be very complex projects. She listens, comprehends the scope and is always present. Her stealth modus operandi means that she can get behind the scenes and within performances without ever detracting from what is at play between subjects, performers and public participants. I value Emma’s contributions and considered approach, so much so, that I see her as an integral part of the creative team in planning and sharing the story of Fair Share Fare’s work to various audiences.”