MEDIA links
Mediateka: (Archival) My six months residency at the Centrum Pro Metamedia, Czech Republic
Review: Artco, Taiwan "Burkini Controversy, Visual Reasoning induced by Islamic Clothing" Oct 2016
ABC Radio National: Interview with Books and Art,
Michael Cathcart on Imagining Ned, April 2015
"Imagining Ned" (p.29) by Tansy Curtin, Bendigo Art Gallery 2015
A year in a Burqa gives Artist a new view of Ned Kelly's story,
ABC Central Victoria, March 2015
The Age: Imagining Ned, Bendigo Art Gallery - Ned and Burka on the Pink Lake, March 2015
COMMUNITY CONNECTEDNESS STATS AND STORIES - THE IMPACT OF THE ARTS IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT pp 11,12 Deakin University 2015
SOCIAL INCLUSION : THE IMPACT OF THE ARTS IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA
REMOVING BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION pp 15,16 Deakin University 2015
ABC Radio National : Podcast on burqas in Australian Art, Jan 2014
Mars Drum paintings for sale on Australian Collector's new online gallery: ArtEdit
ABC Open - The Writing's on the Wall 2013
Review by Robert Nelson for The Age, 2010
Review - Muslim Village: Who's an Australian Hero? 2010
Radio National interview with Michael Cathcart, 2011
Bush Telegraph ABC Radio National - Burka Woman meets Ned Kelly - Michael Cathcart
Art Nomad - Mars Drum
Instagram: @mars.drum
Some Media Images
Wow-Writing on the Wall, Horsham 2013
Regional Arts Australia, "Belonging" 2014
Local news coverage of Horsham's Writing on the Walls (Wow) public art project
Painting Workshops
STREET ART: Billy Williams of Horsham paints a wall at Horsham Regional Art Gallery. His painting is part of a Wimmera Parklife exhibit which is running in conjunction with travelling exhibition SKATE – Portraits by Nikki Toole.
Picture: BELINDA ELLIOTT
Picture: BELINDA ELLIOTT
Horsham’s Billy Williams had his first taste of art without condemnation last week.
Originally from Perth, the 23-year-old used his graffiti skills to paint a wall at Horsham Regional Art Gallery temporary home at Jubilee Hall in conjunction with a touring exhibition called SKATER – Portraits by Nikki Toole.
Williams accepted an invitation to paint the wall in a ‘Wimmera Parklife’ section of the gallery after word spread of his talent following an art workshop led by artist Mars Drum.
Drum said she met Williams through Wimmera Uniting Care’s Aiming 4 Independence program.
“I had a lot of variety in pens at the workshop and I saw him doing this really classic graffiti-style writing,” she said.
“Billy told me he was from Perth and that he had a group of graffiti friends over there that were more like a family to him than his own family.
“He said the police would let them work on certain areas but when he came to Horsham they said straight away that they had him on record and wouldn’t be letting him paint. They even call him every now and then to remind him.”
Exhibition
Drum said she spoke to a friend who worked at Horsham Rural City Council, who then passed on the idea to Horsham director Adam Harding. She said the SKATER exhibition, which opened last on Friday was the perfect opportunity to exhibit Billy’s talent.
“It just looks so impressive,” she said.
Williams said it the artwork took him about two hours and it was nice to be able to paint again since he moved from Perth in 2008.
“It’s the first time I’ve really been able to paint something legally,” he said. “I usually have to break the law.”
Originally from Perth, the 23-year-old used his graffiti skills to paint a wall at Horsham Regional Art Gallery temporary home at Jubilee Hall in conjunction with a touring exhibition called SKATER – Portraits by Nikki Toole.
Williams accepted an invitation to paint the wall in a ‘Wimmera Parklife’ section of the gallery after word spread of his talent following an art workshop led by artist Mars Drum.
Drum said she met Williams through Wimmera Uniting Care’s Aiming 4 Independence program.
“I had a lot of variety in pens at the workshop and I saw him doing this really classic graffiti-style writing,” she said.
“Billy told me he was from Perth and that he had a group of graffiti friends over there that were more like a family to him than his own family.
“He said the police would let them work on certain areas but when he came to Horsham they said straight away that they had him on record and wouldn’t be letting him paint. They even call him every now and then to remind him.”
Exhibition
Drum said she spoke to a friend who worked at Horsham Rural City Council, who then passed on the idea to Horsham director Adam Harding. She said the SKATER exhibition, which opened last on Friday was the perfect opportunity to exhibit Billy’s talent.
“It just looks so impressive,” she said.
Williams said it the artwork took him about two hours and it was nice to be able to paint again since he moved from Perth in 2008.
“It’s the first time I’ve really been able to paint something legally,” he said. “I usually have to break the law.”
- Get the full story in the February 21, 2013 edition of The Weekly Advertiser.
Posted on Feb 20 2013
More Ned and Burka articles 2001 - 2013
Review by Robert Nelson, The Age 2010 - "In Habit" Lab X Gallery, St Kilda
Review by Emma Brown, The Courier, 2014 - "Beyond the Burka", Arthur Gallery, Ballarat
Review by Caroline Tang, Wimmera Mail Times 2013 - New and Past Works, Goat Gallery, Natimuk
"Mask" C3 Gallery, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne 2008
Fight Slavery performed weekly by Mars Drum,
City Lights Gallery, Melbourne 2001
Saving Abbotsford Convent 1999
Construction in Process VI, The Bridge, Melbourne 1998
"The Move", Channel 31 arts/culture series, 1994, 1995, 1996
CURRICULUM VITAE
ARTS & MEDIA
2016 - Photography,
painting. Collaborations: Writing Through Fences, Rose Turtle Ertler.
2016 –2019 Arts in Health research and practice: Music and painting for people living with
dementia. Aged Care in Horsham, Dimboola, Warracknabeal and Donald, Victoria.
Feb / March Co-coordinator of culturally diverse events, in
collaboration with migrant group Oasis Wimmera: river
swimming, camping, plein air painting, multicultural cooking.
20
weeks facilitating writing workshops and public art with cultural diverse youth aged from
8 - 16, their poetry installed in steel on CBD public seats/walls.
Mar 2013 Solo
Artist, "New and Past Works", Goat Gallery, Natimuk, Vic. – oil
paintings.
A
month of daily drawing sessions, inviting Horsham shoppers, passersby, school children
and families to draw together in temporary warehouse arts studio.
One month
residency, Goat Gallery, Natimuk, collaborative theatre project with Rose Turtle Ertler, local Dementia Unit and primary school children.
Mar 2011 Solo
Artist, “Beyond
the Burka”, Arthur Gallery, Ballarat, Vic. - oil
paintings.
Primary
aged girls writing what they want & how they want in a safe space.
Girls
Drawing club, Boys drawing club, drawing what they want & how they want.
Oct 2008 Solo
Artist, “Mask”, C3 Abbotsford Convent, Vic. -oil paintings.
Jul 08 – Oct 08 Resident
Artist/Video Producer, Sacred Fire/Boom Festival, Portugal
Working
within a culturally diverse community on designing gardens, growing food.
Apr 05 – Oct 06 Resident
Artist/Director, Drawing Time: Maze Studios, Brunswick, Vic.
May 03 - Dec 03 Facilitator/Producer, DrawingTime workshops, Carlton North Learning
Centre, Vic.
May 00- Dec 00 Resident
Artist, Westerdockdijk Studios,
Amsterdam, NL – painting / writing.
Jan - May 00 Arts
Video Production, Vrie Keyser Television, Amsterdam, NL – voluntary.
Jun - Dec 99 Resident
Artist /Projects Coordinator, Centrum Pro Metamedia, Plasy, Cz Rep.
Assistant
coordinator for international symposium, community events / exhibitions, resident
artists. Also Audio visual technician.
Mar 98- Jul 98 Video
documentation/resident artist, C.I.P.VI: The Bridge,
Footscray, Vic.
Events facilitator, video documentation for international artists.
Apr 97- Dec 97 Resident
Artist, video/painting. Fortunate Boat Studios, Abbotsford Convent, Vic.
Feb 95- Oct 96 Production
assistant: The Dear Marias Theatre Co., St. Kilda, Vic.
Bookings
for schools, costume assistance, video documentation.
Mar 94 - Oct 96 Co-producer/director:
“The Move”, Channel 31, Melbourne, Vic.
Music/arts
television series launching Channel 31. Production, marketing, editing.
Jun 93 - Jan 94 Arts/cultural
research: Turkey, Ireland, India
and Thailand
Jan 92- Nov 92 Arts/cultural
research: Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, Nepal and India
Apr 88- Apr 90 Arts/cultural
research: Ireland, UK, Spain,
Greece, Turkey, Netherlands
