During this series of three one-hour workshops, you will examine three artworks (one per workshop) which evoke processes, inspiration or impetus from science. Around the themes of ‘Refraction’ and ‘Diffraction’, you will learn to cast your ideas far and wide, embrace the breadth of your conceptual imaginings, and hone your words to etch your voice and viewpoint with clarity. Through these lessons you will observe the similarities between natural phenomena, scientific processes and your creativity.

You will develop short vignettes of fiction or nonfiction driven by current scientific themes, contemporary art and your imagination. These may be absorbed into your larger work or published as stand-alone creative non-fiction pieces or short stories.

Two women, mother and daughter, both with short hair and smiling. The daughter has glasses.

You will work with respected art writer Louise Martin-Chew and her daughter, marine scientist Tallis Martin-Baker. Martin-Chew will share her insights into contemporary art to open its possibilities for inspiration, while Martin-Baker will explore the fascinations of science and the myriad of ways in which the real world can offer opportunities for creative interpretation.

Martin-Chew’s voice is integral to Australian visual art commentary. Over the last 30 years, she has published articles, critiques and essays in books, magazines and catalogues. She has published monographs on artists Linde Ivimey, Judy Watson, Fiona Foley, Stephen Hart and Robert Brownhall, and contributed to art and academic books, newspapers, magazines and journals. Her first biography on Aboriginal artist Fiona Foley Fiona Foley Provocateur: An Art Life was published in 2021 and shortlisted for the Magarey Medal for Biography (2022). Most recently she authored Margot McKinney: World of Wonder for the Museum of Brisbane, 2022.

Martin-Baker has been writing fiction since she was 12. By 16 she had discovered the wonders of the marine environment and developed a fascination for ecology and natural sciences which has since led her to study climate change policy and advocacy, in an effort to protect these beautiful ecosystems. Mangroves particularly hold a special place in her heart. A love for the natural world infuses almost everything she writes, and she finds constant inspiration to draw from the landscapes around her.

3 - 4 HRS; SELF-PACED; $150 AUD

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