EXPERIMENTAMFOUNDATIoNt9SIPAMELA BROWN INTERVIEWSDAVID KERR,
DIRECTOR.
Howlonghave you been involved with the EAF?Looking through the
1975 EAF Review, I sawphotos of myself as part of the
voluntaryconstruction crew building this space
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a smallpart, driving a few nails, installing a few panels.I had
enrolled at the Art School and was thirstyfor a visual education
after counfless years ofliteral and rationalist education. The
ArtSchool didn't have much to offer after the firstyear and I moved
consistently closer to theEAF. In 1978 I joined the EAF Council for
atwo year term. At the same time I had begunworking publicly as an
artist.And the Council is the decision-making structurewithin the
EAF?The Council consists of seven people, demo-cratically elected
from the membership for twoyear terms. The majority of Council
membersare practising artists and that is balanced withtwo or three
members from other areas. Atpresent there is Bill Morrow, a lawyer
interestedin art and the law, Ailsa Maxwell, a lecturer invisual
art theory, Rob Thurwell, an art student,Peter Hicks a community
arts officer and poet,and Jude Adams, Cath Cherry and Jim Cowleyas
practising artists. We meet monthly toinitiate projects, discuss
proposals for theprogram and decide on policy matters.I{hat aims or
guidelines does the EAF workwith?The EAF has consistently been
involved with artas experimental action that puts up models
ofpossible ways of understanding or perceivingthe world. This is
coupled with an interrogativeapproach to accepted societal values
andattitudes. The speculations and theory ofDonald Brook, a prime
mover in establishing theEAF, were used as guidelines in this
approach.What about the developments of the EAF?Whnt tvne of work
went on ovcr those venrn?
books on art theory to be produced. ln 1979we received money
from the Visual Arts Boardto begin an artist in residence program
and partof that money was used to employ Alan Murnas artist/printer
in residence, making theprintery a viable concern. The artist in
residenceprogram also provided for five people frominterstate to
spend six to eight weeks at theEAF, working through a specific
investigation.People who have taken part in this program areJeff
Stewart, Dale Franks, Bonita Ely, JennyBarber, Toni Robertson,
Terry Reid, GeoffBuchan and Eva Yuen Man-Wah.
I gather that there is some kind of transition inthe EAF at
present. I am wondering whetherthis is because of you taking over
as director,with Noel Sheridan taking up the directorshipof Dublin
Art College, or because of LindsayParkhill going to Praxis in
Perth, or whether itis a response to general shifts in the
currentart climate?The EAF has always been a product of whatpeople
put into it, and it has changed itsappearance as many times as
priorities andenergies have changed. If there is an issuesurfacing
amongst artists, or an apparent need,it will find its way into the
Foundation'sactivity, either through general members orthrough the
director as a liaison person. Thereis a transition or change which
the EAF isundergoing, there always has been and has tobe;but it is
not a change in method so muchas a change in emphasis because of
new people.There will always be new people.What of the creation of
ttre position ofCommunity Artworker at the EAF?That's another fresh
input. Jude Adams'appointment has meant another set of exper-iences
and another injcction of energy. Thenonition of (lorrurrunilv
Artwrlrker hue nlso
That projects an important role for artists inthe future.It's
important that the open-ended investiga-tions, the experimental
modelling, continue tooccur if our culture is to evolve. And
it'simportant that such pursuits are aired forappraisal. The role
of the EAF is to facilitatethis. The information centre, printery,
seminarspace and gallery are there to facilitate it.So it seems the
EAF is concerned with changingoutmoded notions like'avant-garde'
art.We are not essentially involved in avant-gardepursuits.
Avant-garde art belongs to conven-tional notions of art. It is
exploratory butwithin ayery tight structure. Aesthetics
areessential to its practise. To open ended experi-mentation, to
modelling possible new under-standings or ways of perceiving art in
a lifecontext, aesthetics are only incidental
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it ispart of the presentation after analysis or partof the
crafted artworks byproducts that spinoff along the way.
I think it is wasted energy trying to putsome punch back into
the term 'avant-garde'
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better that it dies. As I said earlier, if art is toremain
viable it has to leap outside the con-ventions and see its role in
an inter-relationshipwith other societal institutions.Well, what's
been happening at the EAF inrecent months and what is coming in
therest of 1981?Our recent program has included the provisionof a
venue for the national Artworkers UnionConference;the AGDC
travelling show, 'Artin the Mail'; Lorraine Hepburn's
oDissolve'asexperiences in perception; performance byWendy Teakel
and David Jensz;performancesfrom the Art School; Bonita Ely as
artist inresidence; Geoff Buchan from the BroomeArts Group as
artist in residence and an exhib-ition of the developments of the
Broome ArtsGroup; the 'Lovely Motherhood Show', whichis now touring
(see Art Network classifieds);the publishing of 'EAF Performance
Week,March 1980', Jenny Barber's 'Womens Move-ment: South
Australia'and a revised editionof Donald Brook's 'The Social Role
of Art'.
Our next project is a series of workshopsin documentation, the
results of which will beused to produce a book on and from the
1981Come Out Festival. We will also be publishingBonita
Ely's'Murray/Murundi', Marr Grourtds''Oxiclc Strcct' uncl tlro
report ol'tlrc l9tl0
What about the developments of the EAF?What type of work went on
over those years?How has it evolved?The initial spaces provided
agallery lperformancevenue as an alternative to commercial
galleryspace, and an information centre. The inform-ation centre
was given an initial boost withbooks andmagazines from Noel
Sherridan'scollection and this was supplemented bypurchases of
publications recommended bymembers or bought by people travelling
inter-state and overseas, and by making contact withany groups
related to our activities. The gallery/performance space has been
used by groupsfrom within or in conjunction with theEAF, by
individuals wishing to present theirwork for criticism/feedback,
for AGDC travel-ling shows, for talks/discussions by
visitingartists and theorists, for performance programs,seminars,
sttldy groups, films and music. To thisspace we added a printery to
handle EAFpublications at a production cost which allowedsmall
editions of good quality artists books and44
4PPUlIrtlrrgllL ltalD lllvarrL alltuLrfiit DriL ur
irfLPEr'iences and another injection of energy. Theposition of
Community Artworker has alsomeant an expansion of our activity.
Jude'stime has initially been taken up with coordin-ating the
'Lovely Motherhood Show' but in thelonger term it will be to
facilitate discussionsamongst community arts officers,
communityartists and artists generally, that criticallyanalyse
developments in practice and theoryin this area. I've had feedback
from membersfearing that the EAF is changing its emphasistoo much
towards community arts. This is amisunderstanding of the dynamics
involved orof the social responsibilities of art. To theextent that
other community art programseducate non-artists in the development
of artskills, and to the extent that these skills arethought of as
well as craft technique, theconventional notions of art begrn to be
sub-verted. Art becomes demystified, languagedevelops to link it
with other societalinstitutions. For example education,
architec-ture, town planning and welfare.
Bonita Ely's 'Murray/Murundi', Marr Grounds''Oxide Street'and
the report of the 1980National Artworkers Union Conf0rence.
In May/June the AGDC travelling show,'Australian Artists
Videotapes'will form thebasis of a review of video as an art
medium. InJuly we will show the 'futists Against
UraniumExhibition'. Bill Furlong, editor of Audio ArtsMagazine,
will be touring Australia in Augustand basing himself at the EAF.
Discussionseminars will be held on the theory and practisewithin
community arts programs, photographytheory, and a study group in
semiotics. AndToni Robertson will be artist in residence
untilmid-June.
These are some of the events coming up, it isby no means a
complete list. The EAF has toremain flexible so that it is
responsive todevelopments that arise. We announce theprogram, as it
emerges, through our monthlynewsletter to members.The Experimental
Art Foundation169 Payneham Road St Peters Adelaide 5069 tr
