sand by me + sky is falling

I was recently asked to be in On Site, an exhibition at made. creative space in Toowoomba, curated by Elysha Gould. The exhibition invited artists to exploit raw materials (such as sand, rocks and cement) that were donated by Wagners. Other invited artists included David Usher, Christian Low, Alex Isaacson, Nathan Coleman and Jacqui Linane.

I chose to work with sand, and after receiving this, had about a week and a half to have a fully resolved work. Needless to say, a fairly short and intensive period of brainstorming and experimentation followed! While initial concepts did not work out, I finally decided to use the sand on porcelain forms, and kiln fire them. The bisque (1040 degrees) changed the sand from brown to orange, so I added extra sand into the glaze firing (1240 degrees), which then turned the sand a dark pink. I utilised the leftover sand to spell out words for my finished work; an exploration of the literal dialogue between the two sand-covered porcelain forms. The title sand by me is a wordplay of the sand-written words 'stand by me'.

While I do not normally create works this quickly, or use sand or text in my ceramic works, it was an interesting concept that has extended my knowledge and experience. I think it is important to push myself as an artist and try new things, even if the end result is not perfect, and even if it is not something that I would pursue further.

Daniel Qualischefski, sand by me, 2011, kiln-fired sand, porcelain, clear gloss glaze, dimensions variable. [Photograph credits: above: Daniel Qualischefski; below: made.]

See more on facebook:

Daniel Qualischefski Art

made. creative space

Also! My solo exhibition sky is falling at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery is coming up (not immediately, but soon enough, if you are as busy as me). So here's an invitation to whet your appetite, and I'll probably post more sneakpeek photographs on Daniel Qualischefski Art in the coming weeks.

Happy Monday,

Daniel.

Annual Manual

Photographs of my ceramic work will be featured in Annual Manual: A Guide to Australian Design Now at Sydney's Object Gallery. While I was not selected as one of the 8 finalists, I am among 9 runners up; hence the photographs, not actual works. It still seems like an excellent opportunity though, and I congratulate the finalists and other runners up. It is great to see and be a part of new and interesting creative Australian talent.


The opening night is Friday 8 April 2011, 6-8pm. At this stage I probably won't make the opening (mostly due to a lack of money for flights), but I'll see how I go. If YOU live in Sydney though, or are going to be there that night, let me know so I can RSVP and put your name on the door list, as space is limited. (I'm allowed two guests, so let me know ASAP please). Alternatively, you can see the exhibition when it runs from 9 April - 19 June 2011. See Object Gallery's website for opening hours and address.

Hope you can make it!

~ Daniel.

new new new.

New artworks (and necklaces) in progress!

2011 has been a very productive year for me so far - I've made 10 or so new necklaces (available from etsy online and made. creative space in Toowoomba) and started on some new painted paper works. These paintings are my current priority - primarily for my upcoming solo show 'sky is falling' at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery. I will definitely upload some photos (and the official invite) soon.

I've also been working on some side-project drawings and collaborative zine works, and am going to be involved in a couple of group exhibitions at made.

The first of these opens this Friday night 6:30 - 9:30 pm, and features 2 of my smaller painted paper works, along with works by Joeli Eastell, Chelsie Luck, Elysha Gould and Miranda Sampson, among others. The opening is any-costume-themed (optional) and promises to be a fun night.

As always, stay tuned for more news and photographs, and let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Daniel

HAPPY NEW YE[ART]

After an eventful few weeks of Christmas with family + friends, I am looking forward to making a fresh start in 2011 with some new artworks. After finishing my honours degree in 2010 (which was largely directed towards theory and my dissertation topic 'The Place of Skill in Contemporary Australian Art'), I will hopefully be focussing more time on the practical side of my practice this year, and on getting more exposure in exhibitions.

I am having an exhibition at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery from May to June, so I will soon be making paper works for that. My proposal for the exhibition was based on the title 'sky is falling', so while I will be creating similar visuals to my previous works, I will also focussing on more apocalyptic themes.

I also hope to extend my ceramic works this year, looking at different sized forms and pushing the boundaries of their presentation, while still maintaining the implied dialogue and the physical relationships between the forms that are inherent to their meaning and to the viewer's interpretation.

Watch this space (along with my facebook fan page) for my experiments, ideas and new works. Also, if you are interested in purchasing any of my ceramic necklace pieces, feel free to visit my etsy page. One day soon I will also be updating my page with non-necklace artworks for purchase.
Alternatively, you can alway contact me by commenting here or on facebook, or by emailing me at qualischefski@gmail.com with any enquiries.

Daniel