From the beginning

Splinter Contemporary Artists was formed in February 1998 by Lynne Hume, a Kyabram artist who recognised the need for an art group that encouraged contemporary art practices and ideas. At this time, locally, only traditional art was being recognised so Lynne and five friends who had studied for the Visual Arts Diploma at TAFE in Shepparton set out to make contemporary art practices more popular in the Goulburn Valley. Dawn Greenham, one of the original six, suggested the name ‘Splinter’ to depict that they were splintering away from the more conventional traditional art.

Over the sixteen years the group has been in existence the members have staged twenty-eight exhibitions, worked in community projects, gained artist-in-residence projects with local schools and groups, used their art to raise money for charities and conducted workshops in many different techniques. Some of the workshops given by members include writing, poetry, felting, glass slumping, ceramics, basket weaving, printmaking, screen printing, and many different painting techniques.IIn Splinter Contemporary Artists was formed in February 1998 by Lynne Hume, a Kyabram artist who recognised the need for an art group that encouraged contemporary art practices and ideas. At this time, locally, only traditional art was being recognised so Lynne and five friends who had studied for the Visual Arts Diploma at TAFE in Shepparton set out to make contemporary art practices more popular in the Goulburn Valley. Dawn Greenham, one of the original six, suggested the name ‘Splinter’ to depict that they were splintering away from the more conventional traditional art.

Over the sixteen years the group has been in existence the members have staged twenty-eight exhibitions, worked in community projects, gained artist-in-residence projects with local schools and groups, used their art to raise money for charities and conducted workshops in many different techniques. Some of the workshops given by members include writing, poetry, felting, glass slumping, ceramics, basket weaving, printmaking, screen printing, and many different painting techniq

Splinter has also collaborated with non-visual and performing artists in several exhibitions including:

 

THE BURDEN OF CLIMAX (above) where Splinter members worked with two playwrights and a number of actors. The play was the story of a struggling female artist and the Splinter exhibition became the third act when the audience was invited to leave their seats and go to view the exhibition in another room of the theatre where they heard the actors discuss individual art pieces.

 SCALING THE FISH (above) which commented on the environment. This was a collaboration with a musician, John Lewis, who composed a song for the exhibition opening, and it was performed by the a capella singers, Heart and Soul. Splinter members made ceramic brooches, relating to the exhibition, for all the singers and members. Photographer, Chelsea Nicholson made a video of the exhibition opening and it was put on YouTube.

 

 

VOID (above) a comment on consumerism, was the groups first collective installation. To create the work for Void there were many workshops (below) where artists shared their different skills. It was exhibited as a floor installation in the Shepparton Art Museum and subsequently the exhibition then had another life in a pop-up exhibition space in Echuca.

 

VOICES CONNECT was a community project funded by the Australian Government, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Office of the Arts through Festivals Australia. Assimilated refugees in this area were interviewed by writers, photographers and Splinter artists. Working with each other they all produced an exhibition telling these stories. With this exhibition Splinter drew a large map of the world on the glass window and people were encouraged to draw in their journey to Australia.  

 

 

A book  of all the work, titled ‘Voices Connect’ was produced.  The cover of the book was work from textile artist Sue Reid (below).

 



INTERFACE (below) Splinter members worked with emerging artists for this exhibition. Pairs from different art disciplines worked on the same piece of artwork so each had to have full trust in the other. 

 

BE SEATED (below) A Craft Cubed project.  Furniture designer, Damien Hipwell, provided a chair design and Splinter artists then crafted their own in response. Exploring  a range of themes and concepts and using a variety of materials, they illustrated the unique interface between design and craft.

 

 

This sculptural exhibition was given prominence in an empty shop-front in the busy Shepparton mall and was well received  by the public.

 

Splinter Contemporary Artists presently has 17 members from a wide range of artistic backgrounds. The group manages to work so productively together because, although artists pursue their own individual art practices,  there has been a history of Splinters supporting and encouraging each other and working toward a shared goal: that of promoting contemporary art.

The collaborations work because everyone has a voice and a lot of discussion takes place before a project.

There is a key to Splinter’s survival; we work together. When members work wholeheartedly  for the good of a group then the group will automatically  become good for the members.

 

Text and images supplied by Lynne Hume - Splinter Contemporary Artists Founding Member