Yandell Walton collaborates for Gertrude Street Projection
Moving Galleries artist Yandell Walton, who’s work ‘Cargo’ featured in the ‘Transformation’ exhibition, is part of an exciting collaboration which will feature in the 2010 Gertrude Projection Festival from this Friday.
Walton has collaborated with the indigenous communities of Fitzroy and the Melbourne Aboriginal Youth Sports Centre (MAYSAR) in a series of workshops to create a shadow projection titled “From All Over”.
The work is a cultural community art project funded by the City of Yarra and part of the 2010 Gertrude St Projection Festival opening this Friday night and running for 10 nights along Gertrude St, Fitzroy.
The festival’s theme “Me You Us” is reflected in the work. It is a shadow projection reflecting the coming together of the indigenous communities in Fitzroy from across Australia.
Over the last 10 weeks, Yandell and group met informally at community barbecues and at the recreation centre. Yandell said, “This was such an important part of the process, because by getting to know each other, the stories of the people and the importance of this area and street to the people came out.”
It was during this process that Walton ran the workshops at MAYSAR and at her studio in Collingwood.
“The idea was to engage, talk about the concept and develop a work that has deep meaning for the people involved”
Celebrating and encouraging the diversity that makes up the Gertrude St community is an aim of the Gertrude Association, the not for profit group producing the Gertrude St Projection Festival.
Gertrude St is an incredible mix of social community services, artists, restaurants, high fashion shops and it’s also a place where indigenous people have strong emotional, historical and cultural connections. This street saw the birth of many key developments of modern indigenous history.
‘From All Over’ is projected down a lane beside The Charcoal Lane restaurant, named in honour of the real Charcoal lane of Archie Roach’s song.
While it’s not an official part of NAIDOC week, the Festival exhibits it with pride and in the spirit of celebrating our remarkable indigenous Fitzroy community.
Jump on a tram and head along to the Festival from Friday.
