Artist talk: Shifting Currents
J9 Stanton
Join us for artist J9 Stanton's talk about her current exhibition at Watch This Space, "Shifting Currents".
Read about the exhibition in J9's own words:
'In 2018 over a 5 day and night period I watched my mother struggle for breath, holding her hand, as she took a peaceful journey to the other side of existence. Her last minutes where breath seemed to gently diminish until it had ceased was a profound experience for me. After breath, we are no longer.
“Shifting Currents" is an attempt to come to terms with the knowledge of our doom filled trajectory. It is referring to the affects of climate change on warming our oceans, threatening not only our fish but more importantly our phytoplankton. Though microscopic they are responsible for over 50 % of the air we breath. As the oceans warm, currents are mixing and shifting more than ever before, taking the photosynthesising phytoplankton to cooler waters. Just as pneumonia deprived my mother of oxygen, I worry we will be damaging the lungs of the earth to the point of no return.
This body of work is a spiritual response to loss of breath and the moments between life and death, where the physical becomes spirit. It is a call for us to notice what can’t really be seen but is nevertheless integral to all creatures of this earth.'
Free entry // morning tea on us.
11am
Saturday 17 April
2021
ARTIST BIO
J9 Stanton arrived in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) on Arrernte country in 2002. She has been creating art most of her life and practicing professionally for over 30 years. Her artwork incorporates a range of platforms including painting, sculpture, video and experimental music.
J9’s artistic passion lies in finding ways to comment on socio political and environmental issues. She often employs dichotomies as the lens in which she views and expresses her world.
Although having created many artworks in hard steel and concrete, in the past few years her mediums have taken a softer direction.
By transforming discarded materials through manipulation and placement, J9 intrigues audiences when presenting them in unpredictable ways.
J9 trained at RMIT and VCA in both painting and sculpture. Following this, she shared studio space and collaborated on many public art works with other artists at Down Street Studios in Melbourne.
Since 2004 J9 has been working with Yarrenyty Arltere artists at Larapinta Valley, originally as an arts trainer and then facilitator. She has been integral in developing the niche practice of soft sculpture that has matured into a sustainable social enterprise for members of that community.
J9 continues to develop her own work while maintaining her investment in the success of local Aboriginal artists.
She has worked on both Wide Opens Space and the Alice Desert Festival for many years, and has had numerous public and community art commissions in the central desert region.
J9 has been a receiver of The Lofty Award, The Advocate Art Award and has been a two time winner of the Wearable Art Award. Her work has been twice selected for the Alice Prize, and has been collected by Araluan and Deakin University and other private collectors.
J9’s current work explores a merging of 2d and 3d practices creating wall art that welds sculpture to painting as well as drawing with sculpture. In an abstract 2/3 dimensional format, she is focussing on the spirituality and deep ecology in relation to the affects of climate change on land and sea scape. She feels it is important to use her art to convey ideas of beauty, illumination and sustainability. J9 hopes to continue developing and strengthening her arts practice and aspires to show her work interstate in the future.