Grant Fink's talk was really good - there will be a better report in the formal newsletter later.
There were too few people present to achieve a quorum but reports were heard and some discussion took place on the motions on the agenda. The financial report for the year 2007 - 2008 was presented and some discussion took place. The meeting noted the loss on running MIFGS 2008 and also the larger than usual loss for the annual and awards exhibition 2008 (not in the 2007 - 2008 financial year).
The meeting was adjourned to Wednesday 19th November at 7:30pm in the Community Arts Room. Members wishing to vote on any matter need to attend as no further proxies or votes can be accepted.
The new constitution has been accepted by the authorities with clauses inserted. The amended constitution can be found at http://www.sculptorsvictoria.asn.au/asv_const_prot_12112008.doc
President's Message October 2008
A Question of Identity
Many claims are made for the oldest sculpture. A stone object about six centimetres long and 400 000 years old found in Morocco with human characteristics is thought by some to have been carved and painted, but dismissed by others as the result of natural weathering. It stands upright, with a head, shoulders, arms, body and legs; how much more human could it be? But created by the chance happenings of nature or man-made; evolution by nature or creation by man?
The oldest European sculpture, of about 35000 years of age and found in Germany, is a relief carving on an ivory panel of a male figure with ‘imposing’ genitals. On the reverse are ‘dots’ that, at that time, would have lined up with the stars in the constellation of Orion thus suggesting its use as a compass.
A stone figure that you could hold in the palm of your hand is the Willendorf woman. This highly detailed carving from about 25000 years ago is naked but for a knitted beanie. Broad of hip and overflowing with the milk of human kindness, she has been taken to be an ‘earth mother’.
Why are these objects regarded as sculptures? Older artefacts have been found of course; stone arrow heads, antler axes, etcetera. These are not regarded as sculptures presumably because of their assumed purely utilitarian purpose. But every object that has been deliberately made can be said to have a purpose if only to provide amusement to the maker, thus eliminating ‘uselessness’ from the list of criteria necessary to define a sculpture. With smaller steps along the way, one could finally arrive at a position, and argue with some conviction, that any man-made object is a sculpture. That is, any man-made three or four-dimensional arrangement of any materials, however intangible and ephemeral, in space and time is a sculpture, which is just about the point at which the world of ‘sculpture’ has arrived.
While these attempts to nail things down continue so does the evolution of sculpture. A thousand years from now it will be as unrecognisable to us, as present day sculpture would be to the person who carved the Willendorf woman.
I wonder if those early carvers thought of themselves as sculptors? I doubt it. I like to think they thought more about what they were doing rather than who they were. Their identity is expressed by the sculptures they left behind
Many claims are made for the oldest sculpture. A stone object about six centimetres long and 400 000 years old found in Morocco with human characteristics is thought by some to have been carved and painted, but dismissed by others as the result of natural weathering. It stands upright, with a head, shoulders, arms, body and legs; how much more human could it be? But created by the chance happenings of nature or man-made; evolution by nature or creation by man?
The oldest European sculpture, of about 35000 years of age and found in Germany, is a relief carving on an ivory panel of a male figure with ‘imposing’ genitals. On the reverse are ‘dots’ that, at that time, would have lined up with the stars in the constellation of Orion thus suggesting its use as a compass.
A stone figure that you could hold in the palm of your hand is the Willendorf woman. This highly detailed carving from about 25000 years ago is naked but for a knitted beanie. Broad of hip and overflowing with the milk of human kindness, she has been taken to be an ‘earth mother’.
Why are these objects regarded as sculptures? Older artefacts have been found of course; stone arrow heads, antler axes, etcetera. These are not regarded as sculptures presumably because of their assumed purely utilitarian purpose. But every object that has been deliberately made can be said to have a purpose if only to provide amusement to the maker, thus eliminating ‘uselessness’ from the list of criteria necessary to define a sculpture. With smaller steps along the way, one could finally arrive at a position, and argue with some conviction, that any man-made object is a sculpture. That is, any man-made three or four-dimensional arrangement of any materials, however intangible and ephemeral, in space and time is a sculpture, which is just about the point at which the world of ‘sculpture’ has arrived.
While these attempts to nail things down continue so does the evolution of sculpture. A thousand years from now it will be as unrecognisable to us, as present day sculpture would be to the person who carved the Willendorf woman.
I wonder if those early carvers thought of themselves as sculptors? I doubt it. I like to think they thought more about what they were doing rather than who they were. Their identity is expressed by the sculptures they left behind
John Wooller President
ASV Diary Dates
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Grant's talk will be followed by the AGM when we will be nominating and electing your committee for next year. I will be standing down as Activities Secretary but I would like to thank all those people who have spoken at our meetings and hope it has been an interesting year. It has been a very rewarding experience for me to meet so many accomplished artists and learn so much about their practices. I would also like to thank all our members who shared their work, experiences and knowledge with us. Last but not least I want to thank all the members who came to the meetings and made it all worthwhile.
Meetings are held in the Boroondara Community Arts Room, rear 360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn and start at 7:30pm.
12th November
This will be our AGM. Information on arranging nominations, proxies and so on will be in accordance with the official notice later in this newsletter.
Please come and help set our path for the coming year.
Grant Finck has kindly agreed to come to talk to us about his work at the November meeting. Grant now lives in Anglesea but is making the journey to Melbourne for this meeting. Lets make it really worthwhile. He has a wealth of experience to impart.
Grant started his professional career as a potter and sculptor in 1977 By 1989 he had reached the limits of the ceramic medium. Work from this period is featured in five public collections. He went on to do postgraduate studies at the Victorian College of the Arts where the environment opened a world of possibilities in materials and conceptual development. Since this time he has completed many public commissions and has been involved in many projects around Victoria. Grant has maintained a strong studio practice. His work was selected as a finalist in 2006 for the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Awards and was an exhibitor in the inaugural Lorne Sculpture Exhibition. He has just delivered a work to Sydney to appear in The Bondi Sculpture on the Beach Exhibition. Grant has so much to tell us about the development of his present work.
Please come along 7.30pm
Grant's talk will be followed by the AGM when we will be nominating and electing your committee for next year. I will be standing down as Activities Secretary but I would like to thank all those people who have spoken at our meetings and hope it has been an interesting year. It has been a very rewarding experience for me to meet so many accomplished artists and learn so much about their practices. I would also like to thank all our members who shared their work, experiences and knowledge with us. Last but not least I want to thank all the members who came to the meetings and made it all worthwhile.
Christmas party
Our Christmas party this year will be held on Sunday 7th December at the home of Tim and Dianne Kervin:
3, Mary Place, Hurstbridge.
BBQ facilities are available.
They have large indoor and outdoor entertainment areas. It should be fun.
Next Year
A programme of activities is already on the way with a talk by Michael Meszaros,about his achievements in getting and completing his commission at the new Royal Women's hospital. Richard Grenville Smith has agreed to talk to us about his Sculptures in Graphite and I am hoping also to give the opportunity to involve more country members when we have a possible visit to Castlemaine during their festival.
Watch this space for more details.
Notes from the 15th October Meeting
Marija explored connections and continuity between family members of different generations, using her own bloodline as a model, and showed how these can be represented in delightful papier mache figures. Different and vivid colours are used in similar figurines to show generational traits, and the similarities in the figurines demonstrate the continuing family genotype over time. The talk included a description of drafting, method of construction, and finishing. The artist was remarkable in her frank discussion of her purpose and theme, and clear demonstration of achievement of these in the charming feminine figurines. The figurines were shown at this year’s ASV Annual Exhibition at Montsalvat, and she is accepting commission work. In addition she showed an example of other work recently exhibited at Melbourne International Flower & Gardens Show. Marija qualified in Fine Art at RMIT and shares a studio in Carlton. We wish her every success.
Geoff Williams
REPORT ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION
An Extraordinary General Meeting of Members was called by the Chairman for Wednesday 15 October 2008 in the Boroondara Council Chambers. Members were circulated in advance with Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting by P Culshaw, in the absence of the Secretary, on Monday 15 September 2008, including with the Notice, instructions on postal votes and proxies, and reply paid postal vote and proxy forms. In addition, members had been advised of the proposed changes in the August newsletter for the Association, with website links given of locations of copies of the new and old Constitutions and a summary of differences. Members were also reminded of the proposals again by a Minority report in the September newsletter.
John Wooller opened the meeting on 15 October 2008 at 7.45 pm and noted that 19 members were present and this number did not constitute a quorum under the existing Constitution. He asked the meeting to wait for half an hour in accord with the requirements of the Constitution. The required half hour having elapsed he adjourned the meeting to 7.45pm Wednesday 22 October, at the same venue.
The Chairman advised the members that there was a resolution to amend and replace the Constitution before the meeting, moved by G Williams and seconded by P Culshaw, representing the results of study by the Sub-Committee on Constitution changes. He stated detailed information had been given to members and the members present at the meeting if they had questions on the proposed changes to the Constitution. Discussion revolved mainly around the change in membership structure from one involving artists with voting rights and associates with no voting rights, to one of ordinary members with interest in sculpture and voting rights. The Secretary stated the Constitution changes reflected the reality of the Association, but the question of classes of members was dependent on members finding a practical and acceptable formula of balancing interests of practicing sculptors with others.
The Extraordinary General Meeting of Members was reconvened by the Chairman at 7.45 pm on Wednesday 22 October 2008. John Wooller as Chairman noted that the 8 persons present did not initially constitute a quorum and asked members to wait half an hour in accordance with the Constitution. At 8.15pm, he noted that the 8 financial members present constituted a quorum under the Constitution, and declared the meeting open.
The Chairman then asked the Secretary to summarise the proposal to amend the Constitution. The Secretary stated that the number of changes seen as desirable obliged the Committee to package them, rather than burdening members with a series of changes at successive meetings. He outlined the defects seen by the Sub-Committee in the existing Constitution, and the advantages of the main changes proposed.
Discussion was led by J Rickards in opposing the proposed constitution, with particular emphasis on the membership clauses. She tabled an alternative proposal distinguishing Sculptor Member and Associate Member, with voting rights limited to Sculptor Members. She also emphasized the importance of retaining the deductible gift recipient status. Two members believe this may be jeopardised by the ASV adopting an unacceptable discipline process.
Further argument was made by M Meszaros that the Sub-Committee’s proposals were a fair reflection of practice in the Association, and by P Culshaw that the Constitution could be amended again subsequently.
The Chairman closed further discussion and stated the Sub-Committee Proposal to amend the Constitution would be put to a vote forthwith. He advised the meeting of the receipt of 29 postal votes and 7 proxies without direction from members.
Voting was recorded as follows:
J Rickards requested that her dissent be noted in the Minutes.
The Chairman declared that the Resolution to amend the Constitution was carried by a special resolution of members.
The Secretary emphasized that Consumer Affairs need to approve the Changes. J Bishop indicated interest in collecting member opinion on membership alternatives.
The Chairman terminated the meeting.
John Wooller opened the meeting on 15 October 2008 at 7.45 pm and noted that 19 members were present and this number did not constitute a quorum under the existing Constitution. He asked the meeting to wait for half an hour in accord with the requirements of the Constitution. The required half hour having elapsed he adjourned the meeting to 7.45pm Wednesday 22 October, at the same venue.
The Chairman advised the members that there was a resolution to amend and replace the Constitution before the meeting, moved by G Williams and seconded by P Culshaw, representing the results of study by the Sub-Committee on Constitution changes. He stated detailed information had been given to members and the members present at the meeting if they had questions on the proposed changes to the Constitution. Discussion revolved mainly around the change in membership structure from one involving artists with voting rights and associates with no voting rights, to one of ordinary members with interest in sculpture and voting rights. The Secretary stated the Constitution changes reflected the reality of the Association, but the question of classes of members was dependent on members finding a practical and acceptable formula of balancing interests of practicing sculptors with others.
The Extraordinary General Meeting of Members was reconvened by the Chairman at 7.45 pm on Wednesday 22 October 2008. John Wooller as Chairman noted that the 8 persons present did not initially constitute a quorum and asked members to wait half an hour in accordance with the Constitution. At 8.15pm, he noted that the 8 financial members present constituted a quorum under the Constitution, and declared the meeting open.
The Chairman then asked the Secretary to summarise the proposal to amend the Constitution. The Secretary stated that the number of changes seen as desirable obliged the Committee to package them, rather than burdening members with a series of changes at successive meetings. He outlined the defects seen by the Sub-Committee in the existing Constitution, and the advantages of the main changes proposed.
Discussion was led by J Rickards in opposing the proposed constitution, with particular emphasis on the membership clauses. She tabled an alternative proposal distinguishing Sculptor Member and Associate Member, with voting rights limited to Sculptor Members. She also emphasized the importance of retaining the deductible gift recipient status. Two members believe this may be jeopardised by the ASV adopting an unacceptable discipline process.
Further argument was made by M Meszaros that the Sub-Committee’s proposals were a fair reflection of practice in the Association, and by P Culshaw that the Constitution could be amended again subsequently.
The Chairman closed further discussion and stated the Sub-Committee Proposal to amend the Constitution would be put to a vote forthwith. He advised the meeting of the receipt of 29 postal votes and 7 proxies without direction from members.
Voting was recorded as follows:
|
| In favour of proposal | Against proposal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persons present | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Postal Votes | 23 | 6 | 29 |
| Proxies Awarded | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Totals | 36 | 9 | 45 |
| Requirement of 75% for a special resolution under the Associations Incorporation Act 2001 | 34 | 11 | 45 |
J Rickards requested that her dissent be noted in the Minutes.
The Chairman declared that the Resolution to amend the Constitution was carried by a special resolution of members.
The Secretary emphasized that Consumer Affairs need to approve the Changes. J Bishop indicated interest in collecting member opinion on membership alternatives.
The Chairman terminated the meeting.
G Williams, Secretary
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