Australia is a huge country, not very populated, the flows are slow. Living in a small town in northern NSW, the idea of a mobile gallery dedicated to bring Art into public spaces germinated.
The Trailer is an exhibition space devoted to encouraging all disciplines - painting, photography and/or installations. It is also a mobile projection unit allowing for outdoor slide-shows or movie and video presentations. Inspired by the history of mobile movie theatres, the trailer project reaches near and far communities and in the process creates a reciprocated exchange of ideas.
The Lure of the Sea
The Lure of the Sea consists of four solo exhibitions: Bob Cooper, John Witzig, Alby Falzon, Dick Hoole.
It is a look on Australian surf culture from the 1950s to the 1970s, drawing on original photos shot by influential figures within the surfing world. All these photographers are – and were – essentially surfers. When these images were made, it was not about exploring the road-movie genre, or even aiming at documenting their lives. It was simply about their common passion, their original and pioneering lifestyle, and their strong sense of belonging to an outcast, close-knit community.
ALBE FALZON
18 – 31 August 2018 | The Quad
From Morning of the Earth to the meaning of life, film maker Albe Falzon has followed his own path
When Albe Falzon was honoured at the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame awards in 2006, it was more than 30 years since the release of his classic surf movie, Morning of the Earth.
Surfing had moved on, become big business and a high profile professional sport, but Albe still looked like he’d walked straight off the set of his great country soul surf flick. He couldn’t be lured from his quiet country retreat for the bright lights of the awards night at a fashionable beachside resort, and appeared instead via a video greeting. Sitting on the veranda of his charming renovated farmhouse, patting a kangaroo that was seated peacefully at his side, Albe thanked all for the acknowledgement and apologised that he had many pressing commitments that kept him busy at the farmhouse. “Like feeding kangaroos,” he grinned.
Albe had been given The Surfing Hall of Fame Lifestyle Award, which honours those who best represent and contribute to Australian surfing’s culture and lifestyle. He had earned this honour by doing what he has always done - surfing, making art, and living life at his own designated, gentle pace, taking time to smell the flowers and appreciate the great natural playground he inhabits.
Albe is enjoying a whole new bout of recognition as surfing’s retro fashion trend gathers steam, and a new generation of surfers look back to the early ‘70s as a time of magic and inspiration - of radical new design experiments and easy country living before crowds and the coastal real estate boom transformed our beaches.
The music, the look, the surfboards are all back in fashion among a generation of surfers weary of fast-edited thrash/punk surf flicks and earnest battles in pro surfing competition.
“Getting back to where it all began
Life was simple, no rip off people
And it was fun.”
So goes the soundtrack to Morning of the Earth, and while many of us are trying to recapture that innocent approach to life, Albe has never left it.
Text by Tim Baker
