A little suspected consequence of the pandemic year has been a reduced need for paper shredding. In the Bindi Contracts Room, where they usually run a ‘Confidential Shredding’ business for clients around town, they had to adapt.
An art workshop got their employees using texta pens to do portraits. “The results were instantly astounding. So beautiful, bold and imaginative,” said Senior Support Worker Saar Amptmeijer, launching a show of this and other work at Bindi’s gallery on Elder Street last weekend.
The texta portraits were followed by another flash of inspiration: use the shredding to make paper clay used in turn make sculptures.
The very first one was the yellow car that became the signature image for the exhibition, which they called Paper Trails. Dubbed Bumblebee Camaro, it was made by Elizabeth Trew and shows her with brother Isaac, off on a trip.
“This sculpture set the tone for the rest of the year,” says Saar. The employees in both the Contract Room and the Workshop (specialising in wood products) enjoyed their new creative work so they continued, exploring different materials and different concepts.
More motorcars came along, both sculpted and drawn: small wooden planes were crafted by Ryan Andrada, inspired by games and Star Trek Klingon starships; Mano Falwasser made a new line of Bindi backyard coasters, from the wood of a tree that met its fate in the Bindi grounds.
Showing too are some fine contributions from Mwerre Anthurre Artists, including both drawn portraits of themselves and family members and some very beautiful landscapes. They have had a great year, with, among other achievements, Adrian Jangala Robertson (pictured above) winning the NATSIAA General Painting Award, and Billy Kenda completing a large mural, an engaging tour of the local townscape, installed recently at the Public Library (at bottom).
Paper Trails closes tomorrow.
Below, from top: Some of a series on Family at Yalpirakinu by Adrian Jangala Robertson • the striking landscape is the centre is by Charles Inkamala • A section of Billy Kenda’s mural.
– Kieran Finnane