Poem Phone
INTERIOR: Poem Phone is a dial-a-phone custom designed to feature audio through the selection of tracks via the number selected. Instruction on use is available. Installed inside the Bar and fitted into a foam compartment for an optimum listening experience.
TEENA MCCARTHY
Artist Talk and Poetry Reading:
6pm Friday 22 November 2024
The poetry of Teena McCarthy was recorded at a Contains Strong Language showcase of five Sydney-based poets exploring new directions of engagement and performance in celebration of the Red Room National Poetry Month.
The event is presented as part of BBC’s Contains Strong Language and Poetry Month, in partnership with Red Room Poetry, Poetry Sydney and the Knox Street Bar.
Artist bio:
Teena McCarthy is a visual artist and poet who works predominantly in painting, photography and performance art. McCarthy is an Italian/Barkindji woman who is a descendant of The Stolen Generations. Her work documents her family’s displacement and Aboriginal Australians loss of Culture and their ‘hidden’ history. In 2018, she was the inaugural winner of the King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary ATSI Art Award and a finalist in The 65th Blake Prize. Earlier, she was a finalist in the 70th year Mosman Art Prize and finalist in the 2014 and 2015 Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Prize. Bush Mary is her first poetry collection published by Cordite 2021.
TRACKS:
00 Teena McCarthy - Acknowledgement to Country by the late K.R. Gilbert :45
01 Teena McCarthy - The Ghosts at 48 2:51
02 Teena McCarthy - Mary’s Hut 1:00
03 Teena McCarthy - Land is Our Archives :43
04 Teena McCarthy - You Can’t STEAL Time 1:05
Recorded @knox.live, 31 August 2024
poem phone & gallery
Poetry Gallery
EXTERIOR: Poetry Gallery is a small window space accessible 24 hours outside of the Knox Street Bar. Audio can be listened to via QR-code and phone access. A bench seat is positioned along the pathway for you to get a seated screen experience.
TEENA MCCARTHY:
Soft Slow Burning
Artist Talk:
6pm Friday 22 November 2024
Artist Statement:
Fire is a very important symbol in Aboriginal culture, for it holds great and deep spiritual meaning.
In my work ‘Soft Slow Burning’, I am wanting to draw attention to the need to educate people about our way of fire management. Known as ‘Traditional burning’, soft cool burning is cultural land management. These cool burns save not only the flora and fauna, they stop massive fires burning out of control. This soft heat is much cooler than Hazard reduction burning, as it doesn’t ignite the oil in the tree’s. It could be described as a gardening tool, whilst at the same time it cuts carbon emissions by half.
The burning of hair was also the original form of hairdressing known as ‘singing’ starting in the early 1900’s, as a way of cutting hair. Secondly, in aboriginal culture, after there has been a death, people cut or singe, they’re hair off. This practice is known as ‘Sorry Business’ , an important part of both rituals and ceremonies.
Artist Bio:
Teena McCarthy is a visual artist and poet who works predominantly in painting, photography and performance art. McCarthy is an Italian/Barkindji woman who is a descendant of The Stolen Generations. Her work documents her family’s displacement and Aboriginal Australians loss of Culture and their ‘hidden’ history. In 2018, she was the inaugural winner of the King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary ATSI Art Award and a finalist in The 65th Blake Prize. Earlier, she was a finalist in the 70th year Mosman Art Prize and finalist in the 2014 and 2015 Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Prize. Bush Mary is her first poetry collection published by Cordite 2021.
The Knox Street Bar and Poetry Sydney partner for a monthly exhibitions program that provides a platform for media poetry: video poetry, sound poetry, aural recordings of poetry and audio-visual experimentations with launch events on the first Friday of the month.