Filomena Coppola

On Sunday 25 January, Multicultural Arts Victoria’s 2015 Piers Festival was celebrated at Princes Pier, Port Melbourne. This is the place where my parents and thousands of other immigrants arrived in Victoria to begin a new chapter in their lives. It was a wonderful day of poetry, immigration stories, art, music and food!! The video for Mother Tongue was included in the exhibition component of the Festival. It was showing in the Gate House on the first floor with a spectacular view of the pylons from Princes Pier. A wonderful celebration of the first generation of immigrants who made Mildura in Regional Victoria their home.

The pylons of Princes Pier, Port Melbourne

The Mother Tongue video showing in the Gate House. First generation immigrants from Regional Victoria sharing their stories of leaving Italy, the journey and their arrival. The view out the window is of the Princes Pier pylons.

Great music, Tania Bosak and the Barefoot Orchestra

Beautiful plates and tiles from Turkey

And shoes from Peru.

Fish out of Water – Sabbat Releases 2013 – 14, this year long project has come to completion. I have been releasing a sardine painted pebble at each of the eight sabbats. These represent the earth changes of the summer and winter solstices, the equinoxes and the four cross quarters. Often associated with pagan festivals, I acknowledge this history as well as connecting with the moments of change within the earth cycle. This project connects with the earth changes through out the year; the seasons, light and my own connection to Melbourne. It has also encouraged me to work outside of the studio as I have walked with each release – connecting the fish to the place, my body to the environment and also to my home city of Melbourne.

1. Summer Solstice, Elwood Beach, 21 December 2013 

2. Lammas, Old Exhibition Buildings, 4 February 2014

3. Autumn Equinox, Elwood Canals, 2 March 2014

4. Samhain, Maribrynong River, 30 April 2014 

5. Winter Solstice, Botanic Gardens, 21 June 2014

6. Imbloc, Station Pier, 2 August 2014

7. Spring Equinox, Williamstown Beach, 20 September 2014

8. Beltane, Monsalvat, 31 October 201 

9. Summer Solstice, Elwood Beach, 21 December 2014

Another development from the Fish out of Water project occurred when Aaron Fell-Fracasso from The Egg and Dart, in Thirroul asked me to participate in their Christmas exhibition. This work will be available for sale, please contact Aaron on 02 4268 4885, or by email info@egganddart.com.au or drop into their shop at Shop 2/1-3 Raymond Rd, Thirroul NSW 2515.

This exhibition gave me a chance to explore an idea I have had for a long time – which was to paint on leaves. I have been collecting leaves and pressing them for quite some time. These leaves are from a Murray River Red Gum on the banks of the Murray River in Mildura, Blue Gum Leave from the side of the Calder Highway near Charlton and small gum leaves from a friends native garden in Mildura. I have painted the Fish out of Water Sardine on these leaves and used pages from the first edition “The Reader’s Digest Complete Atlas of Australia” which was copyrighted in 1968 – the year of my birth. The works are all gouache, gum leaves and original pages from “The Reader’s Digest Complete Atlas of Australia”, 12 x 12cm, 2014

Fish out of Water – A Visitor, 12 x 12cm, 2014

Fish out of Water – Eucalypt, 12 x 12cm, 2014

Fish out of Water – Fishing, 12 x 12cm, 2014

Fish out of Water – Old World Cultures, 12 x 12cm, 2014

Fish out of Water – Old World Cultures, 12 x 12cm, 2014

Fish out of Water – Murray Cod, 12 x 12cm, 2014

I have just completed the second part of Alpha Sound, after making my alphabet I have made twenty six sound waves which will each sit opposite their respective letter. I recorded myself speaking the alphabet and then through Final Cut Pro I was able to see the sound waves and turn these into drawings. I decided to draw the sound waves to resemble blue fur. I wanted the blue to refer to blue ink, writing and language. The pulses of each sound wave will connect with the first part of this piece – Chasing the Disappeared, whilst the sound component of Alpha Sound will refer back to Mother Tongue. Alpha Sound is the final work in this trilogy.

The sketches for Alpha Sound. Working from the images of my sound waves on Final Cut Pro, I sketched up each letter to see how it would feel in its entirety.

A full studio whilst working on Alpha Sound.

The sound wave for the letter ‘d’, one of 21 blue letters. The ‘j,k,w,x and y’ shift from blue to red.

This is the letter ‘w’, moving from blue to red. The letters j,k,w,x and y’ are not in the Italian alphabet.

The invitation to the Sale Exhibition of the f word – Contemporary Feminist Art in Australia curated by Caroline Phillips. Exhibiting Artists: Catherine Bell, Penny Byrne, Filomena Coppola, Kate Just, Jill Orr, Clare Rae and Elvis Richardson.

The exhibition opened on Friday 18 July, 2014 and continues through 7 September, 2014.

the f word – Contemporary Feminist Art is Australia exhibition invitation to the Sale exhibition at Gippsland Art Gallery.

the f word – Contemporary Feminist Art is Australia exhibition invitation with essay by exhibition Curator Caroline Phillips for the Sale exhibition at Gippsland Art Galle

It was a great few days of installing at Gippsland Art Gallery with Caroline Phillips and all the other artists that took the trip across to Sale. Great location, lovely gallery experience and a fantastic group of artists to be involved with. A huge thank you to Caroline Phillips for all her continual work and effort is getting the entire project of the f word – Contemporary Feminist Art in Australia happening over the last two years. Will post an image of the catalogue below but if you can get your hands on it it features the Sale Exhibition and the Ararat exhibition as well essays by Louise Burchill, Virginia Fraser and an in conversation with Caroline Phillips and Carolyn Barnes, the forums in Melbourne and Bendigo and the Technopia Feminist Art Bus.

Installing a smaller version of Mother Tongue at Gipplsand Art Gallery, two new drawings and the 15 minute Mother Tongue video.

Mother Tongue – Romulus and Remus, pastel on paper, 80h x 120w cm, 2014

Digital still from the Mother Tongue video. Interviewee: Ilario Crisera, Photography: Robert Klarich

Mother Tongue – Birth Markings, pastel on paper, 80h x 120w cm, 2014

The catalogue features the Sale Exhibition and the Ararat exhibitions as well essays by Louise Burchill, Virginia Fraser and an in conversation with Caroline Phillips and Carolyn Barnes, the forums in Melbourne and Bendigo and the Technopia Feminist Art Bus.

The Fish out of Water project is half way through. I have been releasing fish every solstice, equinox and cross quarter since the Summer Solstice, December 21, 2013. With the Winter Solstice I am at the half way point. It has been a wonderful experience. An intimate project which is released into a different environment every six weeks. The environments are places that are important to me and it is an extraordinary feeling each time I leave a fish and walk away. I leave them for people to find – well I hope that they find them and treasure them. It takes me quite a long time to paint them and I hope that it brings joy and excitement to the people who discover them. Engaging with the solstices, equinoxes and cross quarters is my way of connecting with the yearly cycles of nature. I venture out to different locations, walk and connect with the weather, the earth and then the release.

Painted fish awaiting release!!

Winter Solstice, June 21, 2014. Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Samhain, April 30, 2014. Maribrynong River, Moonee Ponds

Autumn Equinox, March 22, 2014. Women’s Walk, Elwood Canals.

Lammas, February 1, 2014. Old Exhibition Buildings, Carlton.

Summer Solstice, December 21, 2013. Elwood Beach.

Alpha Sound is the third project in a series of three works that began with Chasing the Disappeared, Mother Tongue and now the final part is Alpha Sound.

In the third project Alpha Sound I have made a new alphabet based on the Australian native orchid forms that I have been using in my work. The new symbolic alphabet will run along the length of one wall. On the opposite wall I will visually represent the sound wave that is made by speaking each letter. At each letter there will be motion detector that will trigger as the viewer walks past and you will hear the corresponding letter. If there are several people in the room each person will trigger a different letter simultaneously.

The beginnings – drawing up my alphabet using the petal of a spider orchid. To get an idea of scale I laid the drawings out on the floor of the ADFA Building in Mildura (the week before installing Mother Tongue).

I initially thought that the drawing would be 76h x 56w cm but when I thought about the sensors and that each one would be triggered by a person walking past them. I realised that each drawing would need to correspond to the human scale – each drawing then became 120h x 80w cm. Stocking up on pastels to make this work!!

Working out the blue background with the William Morris pattern in the background. In the foreground the colours for the letters. Most of the letters are in an orange/yellow with j, k, w, x and y in an orange/red. 

Work in progress in the studio 

Work in progress, with the orange/red K – top left and the orange/red J – middle front.

Half way through the drawings and now that I have an understanding of the scale and colour, I meet with Rob Klarich, and we start discussing the sound component. I know how I want the sound to work and we can now begin this research. And at the same time I begin the second half of the drawings which are the sound waves.

quietNOISE is a group exhibition which I curated for Chapman and Bailey. The exhibition showcases the work of five contemporary Melbourne artist and the opening coincides with International Women’s Day. Sara Lindsay, Dawn Csutoros, Caroline Philips, Corinna Berndt and Filomena Coppola. quietNOISE opens Friday 7th March at 5.30pm. The exhibition is current from Friday 14th February to Saturday 15th March, 2014.

Installation View of quietNOISE, on the left Sara Lindsay, Cargo: china tea cinnamon ticking, mixed media – cinnamon, silk, rayon, cotton, wool, paper, 11 parts – overall approx 120 x 320 cm, 2009

Installation View of quietNOISE, on the right Dawn Csutoros, Numinous #10, pigment, ink on handmade paper, 145 x 75cm, 2012, Numinous #6, pigment, ink on handmade paper, 145 x 75cm, 2012, Numinous #4, pigment, ink on handmade paper, 145 x 75cm, 2012

Installation View of quietNOISE, on the right Caroline Phillips, Lug, rubber octopus straps, chenille stems, 198 x 33 x 12 cm, 2013. Equilibrium, rubber octopus strap, wire, plastic and rubber, 145 x 45 x 10 cm, 2013. Untitled, recycled rubber, cotton elastic, 25 x 15 x 10 cm, 2013. Skulk, recycled leather, synthetic tie-down strap, 95 x 15 x 12 cm, 2013. Suspension No.2, rubber octopus straps, recycled rubber, Length 530 cm, dimensions variable, 2013. Suspension No.3, rubber octopus straps, recycled rubber, 25 x 16 x 5 cm, 2014.

Installation View of quietNOISE, on the left Filomena Coppola, Fish out of Water – Lammas, February 1, Royal Exhibition Building, 2014, photographic documentation. Fish out of Water – whitecubemildura, 2012, gouache, river pebbles and glass dome. Fish out of Water – Summer Solstice, Elwood Beach, December 21, 2013, photographic documentation. Fish out of Water, 2014, gouache and river pebbles.

Installation View of quietNOISE, on the right Corinna Berndt, Lorelei, 2 channel video installation, iPads, Spray Paint, MDF, 6.35 min, 2014

Works on Paper Fair, Science Museum London

This is a huge month of exhibitions, the first sees my drawings being shown in London by Celia Lendis Galleries at the London Works on Paper Fair. February 5 – 9 at the Science Museum.  It is a very exciting opportunity. Follow the link to see more at Celia Lendis Galleries.

SUPERGRAPH, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

You can also see some of my drawing in the Super Picks section of Supergraph, Australia’s Contemporary Graphic Art Fair which is held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne on the 14th, 15th and 16th of February, 2014

quietNOISE at Chapman and Bailey, 350 Johnston Street, Abbotsford

quietNOISE is an exhibition that I have curated for Chapman and Bailey. The exhibition features the work of Dawn Csutoros, Sara Linsday, Caroline Philliips, Corinna Berndt and Filomena Coppola. The exhibition is current Friday 14th February to Saturday 15th March, 2014. The opening event is on Friday 7th March at 5.30pm. I will be exhibiting my Fish out of Water project for the first time. This image represents the second fish release of my second fish on Lammas, 1st February 2014 at the front of the Royal Exhibition Buil

Museo Italiano Exhibition and Talk – Melbourne Social Equity Institute Pop Up Event.

I will be exhibiting at the Museo Italiano in Carlton with Kate Just and Laurene Dietrich on Thursday 27th February. This part of the event has been curated by Caroline Phillips.  I will also be presenting a talk about my three projects, Chasing the Disappeared, Mother Tongue and Alpha Sound at the Museo Italiano at 199 Faraday Street Carlton. Exhibition dates and talk time will be confirmed shortly. Updates will be made on my Facebook Page.

Palimpsest #9 curator, Helen Vivian viewing the work at the old ADFA building in Deakin Avenue, Mildura

Fish out of Water is an exciting new intervention project. This work is a development from a work that I originally made for whitecubemildura in 2012, I have extended the project and created a different context for the work. Small river pebbles are painted with a sardine and will be released into different environments. The first was released on Summer Solstice, December 21, 2013 at Elwood Beach. Released at the edge of the breaking waves and then left behind to be either swallowed by the sea or picked up by a beach comber. Stay tuned to my Facebook page for my next release!!

Fish out of Water, 2012 whitecubemildura. Top view of work in a small cube gallery measuring 30 x 30 x 30 cm.

Fish out of Water, Summer Solstice Intervention, Elwood Beach, December 21, 2013.

Fish out of Water, Summer Solstice Intervention, Elwood Beach, December 21, 2013.

Fish out of Water, Summer Solstice Intervention, Elwood Beach, December 21, 2013.

Fish out of Water, Summer Solstice Intervention, Elwood Beach, December 21, 2013.

Fish out of Water, Summer Solstice Intervention, Elwood Beach, December 21, 2013.

Fish out of Water, Summer Solstice Intervention, Elwood Beach, December 21, 2013.