00:00:04
S1: Well, if you are listening to the show in September 2021, you would have heard a conversation I had with, uh, Zachary Finn. Uh, and via Zack, uh, the artist Luke Abdallah, um, who is an artist who's been blind since birth and then extended from that conversation. We also came to know an artist called Matthew Elliott, who is an artist who lives with cerebral palsy. Um, those two artists have received, um, residencies at the beautiful Bandon on property, uh, on the Shoalhaven River, um, the, uh, the old Arthur Boyd homestead, uh, those residents were residencies were a little bit interrupted by Covid, but then weren't weren't we all, um, but now, three years down the track, um, the work of those two artists is currently on exhibition. Um, and a beautiful film has been made by Zechariah, um, about how those artworks were made during their time at Bandon. I think I've encapsulated that pretty accurately. What would you say is that?
00:01:21
S2: Yes, absolutely. Thank you. Chris.
00:01:24
S1: Welcome back to the show.
00:01:26
S2: Uh, thank thank you very much for having me on again. It's, uh. Yeah. Pleasure to be to be back in touch and to give you the update on the whole project. Yeah. As you say, it's been a lot of years in the making.
00:01:38
S1: It has. And in fact, there's a, uh, this is the third time we've talked. We did talk late last year when the first little teaser of, uh, of this film, um, uh, painting a Promised Land, uh, was available. But now the full length um, uh is available to see as part of the exhibition. And a little bit later, people will be able to check it out online. Let's go back to the start, though. Tell me about Luke and Matthew as artists.
00:02:10
S2: Yeah. So Luke and Matthew. Um, artists, fellow artists that have worked together for many years at the Studio arts, uh, supported studio up on the North Shore of Sydney. And I support them 1 to 1 with their artwork. Um, helping them, you know, complete artworks and and organize art exhibitions. Um, even as they've been, you know, very ambitious over the, over the last few years, uh, applying for art residencies and other opportunities for them to develop their professional art profile. Um, so, yeah, I've got the pleasure of working with them and helping them make their art. And also, yeah, I guess doing doing some of the background background work behind the scenes just to help things like exhibitions around, um, and, and organizing opportunities for them to, to show their art and make their art.
00:03:09
S1: They work in quite distinctly different ways. Um, and we see examples of that in the film. Um, describe a bit for us the role you play, um, in enabling the artistic practice of both Luke and Matthew.
00:03:30
S2: Yeah, certainly. I'll start with Luke. So it's yeah, my role is essentially just to facilitate uh, then being able to, to make, make their art and um, so things like organizing and mixing paint, um, preparing, you know, what canvas they're going to be painting on, all of that kind of thing. But really it is guided by them. And what, um, what kind of art they, they want to make. Um, I'm my role is essentially just to support them. Um, obviously for Luke being an artist who's blind, that that's a lot of the hands on work preparing for him to position himself in the right place to paint, whether it's on an easel or as well as you'll see in the film, painting large scale on the floor, on the ground, uh, using his cane. So he uses his white light cane, um, which has a tennis ball cut, cut in half. And that fits perfectly on the end of the ball of his cane. Um, and then he I help him dip that into paint, and then it's. And then I just. Yeah. Get him to to start, um, exploring the surface of of the of the painting, pushing his cane around and that kind of traces his movements with the paint. So it is a very unique, um, method of painting. I'm not really sure of, um, anyone else, um, in the blind community that that's painting in this better. Um, he's released the the original cane painters who like to call him.
00:05:04
S1: Am I right in thinking those act that. Am I right in thinking that it's not just the kind that Luke uses? And one of the features of being abandoned on is the gathering of local natural world artifacts. Um, yeah. Bits of nature that become the medium for the painting.
00:05:26
S2: Yeah. That's right. So yeah. Down at London on particularly Luke was interested in um exploring painting with, with nature as the paintbrush. So we would find, um, branches, leaves, even flowers then um, and sometimes, you know, the odd weed, which is definitely prevalent on, on farm properties. And we would be we'd be using those to dip into paint, um, to use as paint brushes for Luke. Um, to, to, I guess. Yeah. Help him to connect to the, the physical landscape that he was in and, and as a way of creating art that that um, has a has a distinct relationship with the landscape that he's in, um, and creating paintings that represent, um, those themes and that, I guess, those natural, um, textures and those natural sensations, um, that he got to experience in his art residency down at Bundoran.
00:06:28
S1: Uh, in the film, I think the point is made that one of the landscape features that's finding its way into Luke's artwork is a particular rock face, or outcrop that Arthur Boyd used to paint. Uh, quite a lot. Um, obviously the process, even though the subject matter is the same, the process is quite different. Um, what is Luke's process for putting on canvas the impression of that, um, quite majestic, uh, bit of landscape. Yeah.
00:07:09
S2: So the, um, the rock formation you're referring to is known as pulpit Rock. Yes. It's kind of like a bit like, uh, like a lectern or a, you know, a a platform on top of, um, and I, you know, reeds line and, uh. Yeah, we that's obviously very captivating. Um, a bit of scenery down at Bundoran and as you say, a feature and a lot of Arthur Boyd's paintings. So we wanted to, I guess. Yeah. Reference Arthur Boyd's, um, connection to the landscape, um, through the works that Matt and Luke did. Um, and kind of, you know, create a dialogue there between, um, Arthur Boyd, you know, and his experiences of the place and then, um, how Luke and Matt might, uh, respond to that. So for Luke. Yeah. Painting, painting the rock. Obviously, he wasn't able to go and. Climb the rock or go and, you know, get a close up experience of it. But, um, yeah, we we sort of helped position him in, in place on the board that he was working on where he can, he can do, um, strokes with his brushes, um, to kind of build up, you know, the rocky kind of colors. We also mixed a lot of impasto and also even concrete render with the paint. Um, and that helps to build up different textures that people can run their hands over once the paint dry, um, to explore the texture in the artwork and, um, to appreciate, you know, the build up of the landscape, obviously the sky we keep nice and flat, but then features like the pulpit Rock and even the tree tree branches and, um, the leaves of the tree, um, they, they start to generate a lot of texture. And then there's, there's physical, organic matter from, um, from when Luke's, you know, really whacking, um, the painted surface with those, um, you know, cut off stems of casuarina trees that were just lining the paddock and, and that kind of thing. They will become embedded into the paint as well. So it's really a beautiful tactile, sensory, um, exploration of landscape that's both, both representative for people who, um, who have sight, but also, um, some things especially for, for blind people to, to be able to appreciate with, with their hands.
00:09:44
S1: There's a.
00:09:46
S2: Landscape.
00:09:47
S1: Yeah. There's a lovely moment early in the film and I think it's you guiding Luke's hand across the textured surface of a painting hanging on a wall in a, in a gallery. Um, and the the the discussion, uh, you have with with Luke about what that texture means. And you know, how what a communicates. I guess it does. Luke get that opportunity very often to interact with visual art in that tactile way? Because, you know, it's something that we're all told not to do. Um, yeah. Touch the artworks. Um, but but watching that happen kind of opens up a whole new experience of the painting, I think.
00:10:39
S2: Absolutely. Yeah, it is a bit of a faux pas gallery aesthetics, you know, touch, painting self and have signs and that kind of thing. And for luck, obviously that's that's one of the main ways that he can appreciate painting is by feeling it and feeling how the how the different textures like make him feel and, and um, yeah, we were able to explore one of a particular example of Arthur Boyd's painting that had areas of really heavy texture, which is a one way that lead paint, but also areas where it was calm, like a stream that's kind of coming down through the rugged landscape. And um, yeah, I guess, yeah, definitely. He gets to go out and experience a lot of art. Um, me and a lot of his other, uh, supporters, uh, art facilitators, you know, will take them to art exhibitions. And, um, I think a lot more galleries these days are, uh, are becoming a bit more, um, hands on in their approach to the ways people, you know, want to engage with art. And it's especially, you know, um, popular for, for children and people with, um, you know, people with, you know, specific needs to be able to engage with art in all different ways, not just by visually, um, appreciating form, but, uh, but, yeah, using all of our senses.
00:12:03
S1: When we when we spoke about the, the shorter version of the film last September, um, uh, our conversation focused pretty much on Matthew's work, which, um, at the time we discussed the position of of where the painting was being made. It was above the river on a kind of high embankment, um, on the side of the road. And, uh, again, you've explained your role in facilitating, uh, the ability of Matthew, um, to, to make that that beautiful work. And in the course of that, um. Matthews, should I say mentor Greg Warburton? Uh, I think died during the residency itself. And it was a bit of a moment that I think you get a stronger sense of in the full film, um, of the impact of that on Matthew, how much he was missing, uh, Greg at the time and, and how that may have found its way into his artwork. Tell us the Greg Warburton story.
00:13:18
S2: Yeah. So Greg Warburton was also a facilitator at studio Art for many, many years. In fact, he was the principal artist at studio Art and, uh, obviously a fantastic, brilliant artist in his own right. He'd been multiple times finalist in Archibald and, uh, win prizes at the Art Gallery, New South Wales and puts it into the um, National Portrait Gallery down in Canberra. And uh, he also used to work with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and, um, you know, when Matthew was growing up, um, Greg was actually one of his, um, respite carers at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. And so they, they developed a, you know, very special bond, um, as, as Matt was a young man growing up, um, and it was Matthew and turned to, um, studio working at Studio Arts and starting to pursue his art as a young adult that he, um, inspired Greg to, to come and and work with artists with disabilities, um, at Studio Arts. So, um, there's. Yeah. And then obviously, Matt, you know, being a, uh, integral member at Studio Arts for, uh, more than two decades now. And obviously, that bond can continue to develop with Greg and Matt. Um, and then up until Covid, really, when, you know, things were quite isolated and then had to bunker down, um, you know, and we were preparing for this, this residency and, um, uh, yeah, Greg went through some unfortunate health, um, health issues and, um, yeah, sadly, it just so happened to be that he, um, finally lost his battle with cancer when he when we were down there at the week of London on, um, and. Yeah, when we happened to be filming, um, that this particular painting that Matt was doing on the river and, you know, this is something we've been planning and thinking about and even, you know, talking to Greg about in the, in the lead up to, um, to the residency. And there was, yeah, a lot of anticipation around this moment and also, uh, the emotion of of just having received that, that news about Greg passing away while we were down there at Bundoran, um, was was obviously evident. And, um, that comes out in a really, uh, poignant moment in the film. Um. And. Yeah, so it was it was really just one of those moments that you couldn't, um, you couldn't create and you couldn't, you know, expect it to come up. But it's, um, it's something that we definitely wanted to share as, you know, as raw and as emotive as it is, um, it really does shed light on the amazing work that, um, that goes on at studio ups and the relationships that have been forged over many years between the, the, um, the artists and their and the facilitators and also, um, the amazing legacy that Greg Warburton, um, had had left for so many artists, both at Studio Arts and also studio, where he, um, was very committed as well. Um, so yeah, we've, we've dedicated, um, the film to, to the memory of Greg Warburton and um, at the, at the opening night, which was last Wednesday night, I was able to share a moment with, um, really sort of. He's actually he came and, um, he was able to enjoy the film and and we definitely. Yes. Had a special moment, um, in memory of Greg. So it's been a very, very, um, a bit of a rollercoaster of a project and it's definitely had. Yeah, it's it's. Its share of emotion and its elation as well.
00:17:30
S1: Sounds like it. So, Zach, in the midst of all this scheduling and rescheduling the London on time and facilitating the work of the artists and everything else that you do on behalf of others, there's actually your artwork as well. You're a filmmaker.
00:17:52
S2: Yeah, yeah. Um, I yeah. Filmmaking is one of the hats that I wear, um, in, uh, in a broader sense. I'm an artist as well. And, and I do obviously work, work on my own painting and drawing and that kind of thing and that, um. Uh, yeah, that's something I started eating and, um, but, yeah, still making the hats that I definitely wear as well as, um, uh, installing art, obviously helping artists, supporting artists and disabilities, so.
00:18:23
S1: Well, yeah, I have to say, you you wear the filmmaking hat very well. Uh, it's a beautiful film. Um, and, uh, you know, I think I remember us talking last year about the shorter version and what an impact it, it had. And I think this runs a little over twice the length of the. Yeah, it's about.
00:18:46
S2: Twice the league. It's, um, it's about nine, 8 or 9 minutes. Yeah.
00:18:50
S1: Um, but it certainly has a great impact and encompasses so much um, I think partly through your good planning of what was going to be in the film and then unexpected things like, like the death of Greg Warburton and, and those sort of things. Um, at what point in the bandoneon experience did you know you were going to make this film and start rolling the camera?
00:19:20
S2: Oh, we were definitely planning to do a film. Um, yeah. In the in the lead up to the residency. Um, we've we've been making films about, uh, Luke and Matt specifically, but also, um, yeah, documenting their, their art progress through different studios, um, over the years. So it's it was it was definitely, you know, the next big project that we wanted to capture on film. So, um, Luke Abdallah, his brother Stephen is the director to come down for the week of the residency. He, um, he captured all the events in the film. Um, yeah. So we we we just had a plan. Um, so we wanted to capture, you know, going checking out the brand new amazing button on there and, uh, seeing our work close up. And also. Yeah, just capturing that and being outdoors in beautiful landscapes of London. Um, this is a way of documented that really important week. Um, because that there was going to be significant touchstones coming out of that. Uh, and it was, you know, generated an amazing body of work which is now on display at Woollahra Gallery. Um. Yeah, we had a we had a loose plan, but we sort of let the camera roll and, and um, managed to pick up some incredible content. So it was great.
00:20:55
S1: Well, um, the exhibition is Bandon on painting a Promised Land. Um, I can see it now at the Willow Gallery, um, running until the 17th of March, which is, uh, the end of next weekend. Um, but the film also can be seen as part of that exhibition, the exhibition of, uh, the physical works themselves of Luke and Matthew. And then sometime after next weekend, we can access that film online. Where should we keep our our attention for finding that film online at some point in the future, Zach?
00:21:36
S2: Yeah, absolutely. Once the exhibition's done, we'll upload the film online for people to view and and, uh, that'll be for disruptive media production. Com um, just on their website, that was the, the film company that we've, we've made the film through and also on their YouTube channel. Um, yeah. So, uh, I guess we can, we can share the link with you once it's up online as well.
00:22:03
S1: That'd be great. Um, well, Zachary Finn, it's, uh, three years ago we started this conversation. Um, yeah. Uh, it's nice to kind of bring it to this, uh, to this sort of, uh, endpoint, because it's been such a remarkable process, I think.
00:22:23
S2: Yeah, it really has. And it's, it's very, um, very rewarding to finally, um, see the project, um, finally come to its, its big finale in a, in a really impressive exhibition in a really beautiful gallery, um, in the Middle East. So, uh, yeah, it's, uh, it's been a huge, huge relief to finally see it come together. Luke and that are both so good that, um, the work finally on display for people after many years of planning and painting and organizing all of, all of the behind the scenes things. Um, we're really thrilled to be able to share this exhibition with everyone. And, uh, yeah, hopefully people can get down and and experience all of the beautiful work and the film as well.
00:23:12
S1: So again, the exhibitions at the Woollahra Gallery, that's um, I got an address for that. Zac.
00:23:20
S2: Um, it's on New South Head Road. Um, just just uphill from double Bay. I think it's, uh, 5 or 6. A new head road at Woollahra. Um, just after the Woollahra Council Chambers and, um. Yeah, we're Lara Elliott at Red leaf. Um, there's a beautiful harbour beach down there as well, and a beautiful garden. And, uh, yeah, it's a really, really beautiful, stunning location for an an art gallery.
00:23:51
S1: Fantastic. Well, any of our listeners who happen to be in Sydney in the next week, take a little bit of time to see the beautiful works by these two fantastic artists and the fantastic film by Zechariah and Zac. Thanks so much for, uh, being on the show again, and I look forward to the next time you email me with an idea.
00:24:14
S2: Yeah. Thanks very much, Chris. We appreciate you coming on the journey with us. And, uh, yeah, definitely stay posted for more because, uh, yeah, there's always new things, exciting things in the pipeline. Good on you very much. Thanks, Zach.
S1: Well, if you are listening to the show in September 2021, you would have heard a conversation I had with, uh, Zachary Finn. Uh, and via Zack, uh, the artist Luke Abdallah, um, who is an artist who's been blind since birth and then extended from that conversation. We also came to know an artist called Matthew Elliott, who is an artist who lives with cerebral palsy. Um, those two artists have received, um, residencies at the beautiful Bandon on property, uh, on the Shoalhaven River, um, the, uh, the old Arthur Boyd homestead, uh, those residents were residencies were a little bit interrupted by Covid, but then weren't weren't we all, um, but now, three years down the track, um, the work of those two artists is currently on exhibition. Um, and a beautiful film has been made by Zechariah, um, about how those artworks were made during their time at Bandon. I think I've encapsulated that pretty accurately. What would you say is that?
00:01:21
S2: Yes, absolutely. Thank you. Chris.
00:01:24
S1: Welcome back to the show.
00:01:26
S2: Uh, thank thank you very much for having me on again. It's, uh. Yeah. Pleasure to be to be back in touch and to give you the update on the whole project. Yeah. As you say, it's been a lot of years in the making.
00:01:38
S1: It has. And in fact, there's a, uh, this is the third time we've talked. We did talk late last year when the first little teaser of, uh, of this film, um, uh, painting a Promised Land, uh, was available. But now the full length um, uh is available to see as part of the exhibition. And a little bit later, people will be able to check it out online. Let's go back to the start, though. Tell me about Luke and Matthew as artists.
00:02:10
S2: Yeah. So Luke and Matthew. Um, artists, fellow artists that have worked together for many years at the Studio arts, uh, supported studio up on the North Shore of Sydney. And I support them 1 to 1 with their artwork. Um, helping them, you know, complete artworks and and organize art exhibitions. Um, even as they've been, you know, very ambitious over the, over the last few years, uh, applying for art residencies and other opportunities for them to develop their professional art profile. Um, so, yeah, I've got the pleasure of working with them and helping them make their art. And also, yeah, I guess doing doing some of the background background work behind the scenes just to help things like exhibitions around, um, and, and organizing opportunities for them to, to show their art and make their art.
00:03:09
S1: They work in quite distinctly different ways. Um, and we see examples of that in the film. Um, describe a bit for us the role you play, um, in enabling the artistic practice of both Luke and Matthew.
00:03:30
S2: Yeah, certainly. I'll start with Luke. So it's yeah, my role is essentially just to facilitate uh, then being able to, to make, make their art and um, so things like organizing and mixing paint, um, preparing, you know, what canvas they're going to be painting on, all of that kind of thing. But really it is guided by them. And what, um, what kind of art they, they want to make. Um, I'm my role is essentially just to support them. Um, obviously for Luke being an artist who's blind, that that's a lot of the hands on work preparing for him to position himself in the right place to paint, whether it's on an easel or as well as you'll see in the film, painting large scale on the floor, on the ground, uh, using his cane. So he uses his white light cane, um, which has a tennis ball cut, cut in half. And that fits perfectly on the end of the ball of his cane. Um, and then he I help him dip that into paint, and then it's. And then I just. Yeah. Get him to to start, um, exploring the surface of of the of the painting, pushing his cane around and that kind of traces his movements with the paint. So it is a very unique, um, method of painting. I'm not really sure of, um, anyone else, um, in the blind community that that's painting in this better. Um, he's released the the original cane painters who like to call him.
00:05:04
S1: Am I right in thinking those act that. Am I right in thinking that it's not just the kind that Luke uses? And one of the features of being abandoned on is the gathering of local natural world artifacts. Um, yeah. Bits of nature that become the medium for the painting.
00:05:26
S2: Yeah. That's right. So yeah. Down at London on particularly Luke was interested in um exploring painting with, with nature as the paintbrush. So we would find, um, branches, leaves, even flowers then um, and sometimes, you know, the odd weed, which is definitely prevalent on, on farm properties. And we would be we'd be using those to dip into paint, um, to use as paint brushes for Luke. Um, to, to, I guess. Yeah. Help him to connect to the, the physical landscape that he was in and, and as a way of creating art that that um, has a has a distinct relationship with the landscape that he's in, um, and creating paintings that represent, um, those themes and that, I guess, those natural, um, textures and those natural sensations, um, that he got to experience in his art residency down at Bundoran.
00:06:28
S1: Uh, in the film, I think the point is made that one of the landscape features that's finding its way into Luke's artwork is a particular rock face, or outcrop that Arthur Boyd used to paint. Uh, quite a lot. Um, obviously the process, even though the subject matter is the same, the process is quite different. Um, what is Luke's process for putting on canvas the impression of that, um, quite majestic, uh, bit of landscape. Yeah.
00:07:09
S2: So the, um, the rock formation you're referring to is known as pulpit Rock. Yes. It's kind of like a bit like, uh, like a lectern or a, you know, a a platform on top of, um, and I, you know, reeds line and, uh. Yeah, we that's obviously very captivating. Um, a bit of scenery down at Bundoran and as you say, a feature and a lot of Arthur Boyd's paintings. So we wanted to, I guess. Yeah. Reference Arthur Boyd's, um, connection to the landscape, um, through the works that Matt and Luke did. Um, and kind of, you know, create a dialogue there between, um, Arthur Boyd, you know, and his experiences of the place and then, um, how Luke and Matt might, uh, respond to that. So for Luke. Yeah. Painting, painting the rock. Obviously, he wasn't able to go and. Climb the rock or go and, you know, get a close up experience of it. But, um, yeah, we we sort of helped position him in, in place on the board that he was working on where he can, he can do, um, strokes with his brushes, um, to kind of build up, you know, the rocky kind of colors. We also mixed a lot of impasto and also even concrete render with the paint. Um, and that helps to build up different textures that people can run their hands over once the paint dry, um, to explore the texture in the artwork and, um, to appreciate, you know, the build up of the landscape, obviously the sky we keep nice and flat, but then features like the pulpit Rock and even the tree tree branches and, um, the leaves of the tree, um, they, they start to generate a lot of texture. And then there's, there's physical, organic matter from, um, from when Luke's, you know, really whacking, um, the painted surface with those, um, you know, cut off stems of casuarina trees that were just lining the paddock and, and that kind of thing. They will become embedded into the paint as well. So it's really a beautiful tactile, sensory, um, exploration of landscape that's both, both representative for people who, um, who have sight, but also, um, some things especially for, for blind people to, to be able to appreciate with, with their hands.
00:09:44
S1: There's a.
00:09:46
S2: Landscape.
00:09:47
S1: Yeah. There's a lovely moment early in the film and I think it's you guiding Luke's hand across the textured surface of a painting hanging on a wall in a, in a gallery. Um, and the the the discussion, uh, you have with with Luke about what that texture means. And you know, how what a communicates. I guess it does. Luke get that opportunity very often to interact with visual art in that tactile way? Because, you know, it's something that we're all told not to do. Um, yeah. Touch the artworks. Um, but but watching that happen kind of opens up a whole new experience of the painting, I think.
00:10:39
S2: Absolutely. Yeah, it is a bit of a faux pas gallery aesthetics, you know, touch, painting self and have signs and that kind of thing. And for luck, obviously that's that's one of the main ways that he can appreciate painting is by feeling it and feeling how the how the different textures like make him feel and, and um, yeah, we were able to explore one of a particular example of Arthur Boyd's painting that had areas of really heavy texture, which is a one way that lead paint, but also areas where it was calm, like a stream that's kind of coming down through the rugged landscape. And um, yeah, I guess, yeah, definitely. He gets to go out and experience a lot of art. Um, me and a lot of his other, uh, supporters, uh, art facilitators, you know, will take them to art exhibitions. And, um, I think a lot more galleries these days are, uh, are becoming a bit more, um, hands on in their approach to the ways people, you know, want to engage with art. And it's especially, you know, um, popular for, for children and people with, um, you know, people with, you know, specific needs to be able to engage with art in all different ways, not just by visually, um, appreciating form, but, uh, but, yeah, using all of our senses.
00:12:03
S1: When we when we spoke about the, the shorter version of the film last September, um, uh, our conversation focused pretty much on Matthew's work, which, um, at the time we discussed the position of of where the painting was being made. It was above the river on a kind of high embankment, um, on the side of the road. And, uh, again, you've explained your role in facilitating, uh, the ability of Matthew, um, to, to make that that beautiful work. And in the course of that, um. Matthews, should I say mentor Greg Warburton? Uh, I think died during the residency itself. And it was a bit of a moment that I think you get a stronger sense of in the full film, um, of the impact of that on Matthew, how much he was missing, uh, Greg at the time and, and how that may have found its way into his artwork. Tell us the Greg Warburton story.
00:13:18
S2: Yeah. So Greg Warburton was also a facilitator at studio Art for many, many years. In fact, he was the principal artist at studio Art and, uh, obviously a fantastic, brilliant artist in his own right. He'd been multiple times finalist in Archibald and, uh, win prizes at the Art Gallery, New South Wales and puts it into the um, National Portrait Gallery down in Canberra. And uh, he also used to work with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and, um, you know, when Matthew was growing up, um, Greg was actually one of his, um, respite carers at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. And so they, they developed a, you know, very special bond, um, as, as Matt was a young man growing up, um, and it was Matthew and turned to, um, studio working at Studio Arts and starting to pursue his art as a young adult that he, um, inspired Greg to, to come and and work with artists with disabilities, um, at Studio Arts. So, um, there's. Yeah. And then obviously, Matt, you know, being a, uh, integral member at Studio Arts for, uh, more than two decades now. And obviously, that bond can continue to develop with Greg and Matt. Um, and then up until Covid, really, when, you know, things were quite isolated and then had to bunker down, um, you know, and we were preparing for this, this residency and, um, uh, yeah, Greg went through some unfortunate health, um, health issues and, um, yeah, sadly, it just so happened to be that he, um, finally lost his battle with cancer when he when we were down there at the week of London on, um, and. Yeah, when we happened to be filming, um, that this particular painting that Matt was doing on the river and, you know, this is something we've been planning and thinking about and even, you know, talking to Greg about in the, in the lead up to, um, to the residency. And there was, yeah, a lot of anticipation around this moment and also, uh, the emotion of of just having received that, that news about Greg passing away while we were down there at Bundoran, um, was was obviously evident. And, um, that comes out in a really, uh, poignant moment in the film. Um. And. Yeah, so it was it was really just one of those moments that you couldn't, um, you couldn't create and you couldn't, you know, expect it to come up. But it's, um, it's something that we definitely wanted to share as, you know, as raw and as emotive as it is, um, it really does shed light on the amazing work that, um, that goes on at studio ups and the relationships that have been forged over many years between the, the, um, the artists and their and the facilitators and also, um, the amazing legacy that Greg Warburton, um, had had left for so many artists, both at Studio Arts and also studio, where he, um, was very committed as well. Um, so yeah, we've, we've dedicated, um, the film to, to the memory of Greg Warburton and um, at the, at the opening night, which was last Wednesday night, I was able to share a moment with, um, really sort of. He's actually he came and, um, he was able to enjoy the film and and we definitely. Yes. Had a special moment, um, in memory of Greg. So it's been a very, very, um, a bit of a rollercoaster of a project and it's definitely had. Yeah, it's it's. Its share of emotion and its elation as well.
00:17:30
S1: Sounds like it. So, Zach, in the midst of all this scheduling and rescheduling the London on time and facilitating the work of the artists and everything else that you do on behalf of others, there's actually your artwork as well. You're a filmmaker.
00:17:52
S2: Yeah, yeah. Um, I yeah. Filmmaking is one of the hats that I wear, um, in, uh, in a broader sense. I'm an artist as well. And, and I do obviously work, work on my own painting and drawing and that kind of thing and that, um. Uh, yeah, that's something I started eating and, um, but, yeah, still making the hats that I definitely wear as well as, um, uh, installing art, obviously helping artists, supporting artists and disabilities, so.
00:18:23
S1: Well, yeah, I have to say, you you wear the filmmaking hat very well. Uh, it's a beautiful film. Um, and, uh, you know, I think I remember us talking last year about the shorter version and what an impact it, it had. And I think this runs a little over twice the length of the. Yeah, it's about.
00:18:46
S2: Twice the league. It's, um, it's about nine, 8 or 9 minutes. Yeah.
00:18:50
S1: Um, but it certainly has a great impact and encompasses so much um, I think partly through your good planning of what was going to be in the film and then unexpected things like, like the death of Greg Warburton and, and those sort of things. Um, at what point in the bandoneon experience did you know you were going to make this film and start rolling the camera?
00:19:20
S2: Oh, we were definitely planning to do a film. Um, yeah. In the in the lead up to the residency. Um, we've we've been making films about, uh, Luke and Matt specifically, but also, um, yeah, documenting their, their art progress through different studios, um, over the years. So it's it was it was definitely, you know, the next big project that we wanted to capture on film. So, um, Luke Abdallah, his brother Stephen is the director to come down for the week of the residency. He, um, he captured all the events in the film. Um, yeah. So we we we just had a plan. Um, so we wanted to capture, you know, going checking out the brand new amazing button on there and, uh, seeing our work close up. And also. Yeah, just capturing that and being outdoors in beautiful landscapes of London. Um, this is a way of documented that really important week. Um, because that there was going to be significant touchstones coming out of that. Uh, and it was, you know, generated an amazing body of work which is now on display at Woollahra Gallery. Um. Yeah, we had a we had a loose plan, but we sort of let the camera roll and, and um, managed to pick up some incredible content. So it was great.
00:20:55
S1: Well, um, the exhibition is Bandon on painting a Promised Land. Um, I can see it now at the Willow Gallery, um, running until the 17th of March, which is, uh, the end of next weekend. Um, but the film also can be seen as part of that exhibition, the exhibition of, uh, the physical works themselves of Luke and Matthew. And then sometime after next weekend, we can access that film online. Where should we keep our our attention for finding that film online at some point in the future, Zach?
00:21:36
S2: Yeah, absolutely. Once the exhibition's done, we'll upload the film online for people to view and and, uh, that'll be for disruptive media production. Com um, just on their website, that was the, the film company that we've, we've made the film through and also on their YouTube channel. Um, yeah. So, uh, I guess we can, we can share the link with you once it's up online as well.
00:22:03
S1: That'd be great. Um, well, Zachary Finn, it's, uh, three years ago we started this conversation. Um, yeah. Uh, it's nice to kind of bring it to this, uh, to this sort of, uh, endpoint, because it's been such a remarkable process, I think.
00:22:23
S2: Yeah, it really has. And it's, it's very, um, very rewarding to finally, um, see the project, um, finally come to its, its big finale in a, in a really impressive exhibition in a really beautiful gallery, um, in the Middle East. So, uh, yeah, it's, uh, it's been a huge, huge relief to finally see it come together. Luke and that are both so good that, um, the work finally on display for people after many years of planning and painting and organizing all of, all of the behind the scenes things. Um, we're really thrilled to be able to share this exhibition with everyone. And, uh, yeah, hopefully people can get down and and experience all of the beautiful work and the film as well.
00:23:12
S1: So again, the exhibitions at the Woollahra Gallery, that's um, I got an address for that. Zac.
00:23:20
S2: Um, it's on New South Head Road. Um, just just uphill from double Bay. I think it's, uh, 5 or 6. A new head road at Woollahra. Um, just after the Woollahra Council Chambers and, um. Yeah, we're Lara Elliott at Red leaf. Um, there's a beautiful harbour beach down there as well, and a beautiful garden. And, uh, yeah, it's a really, really beautiful, stunning location for an an art gallery.
00:23:51
S1: Fantastic. Well, any of our listeners who happen to be in Sydney in the next week, take a little bit of time to see the beautiful works by these two fantastic artists and the fantastic film by Zechariah and Zac. Thanks so much for, uh, being on the show again, and I look forward to the next time you email me with an idea.
00:24:14
S2: Yeah. Thanks very much, Chris. We appreciate you coming on the journey with us. And, uh, yeah, definitely stay posted for more because, uh, yeah, there's always new things, exciting things in the pipeline. Good on you very much. Thanks, Zach.
