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Australian Library of Art

"My Journey through the Ekka, August 2013"

By Christene Drewe | 10 August 2017

It is August and the sun is shining in Brisbane. The winds are picking up, so it must soon be time for the ‘EKKA’. For many in Queensland the Royal Queensland Show is an annual highlight and not to be missed.  August 2013 was the first visit for artist Caitlin Sheedy & partner Fred – a journey which Caitlin has recorded in an artists’ book acquired for the Artists’ Book collection in 2014. This work is a favourite in our collection and like the EKKA, a book not to be missed.

Caitlin’s work is an unbound artists’ book consisting of 55 leaves of ink drawings which she has hand coloured with gouache and watercolour. Her journey starts as she & Fred arrive at the showground by train and ends with the fireworks display. Caitlin provides a continuous narrative of the day’s experiences. Most who have visited the EKKA will relate to Caitlin’s whimsical work.

Last year the individual pages were framed and displayed in the ALA Showcase on Level 4 of the State Library. This year, come into the library and request to see her book in the Heritage Collections reading room.

A local artist, Caitlin graduated from Queensland College of Art, Griffith University with first class honours. She was awarded the Win Shubert Graduate Prize for Fine Art and the Karl and Gertrude Langer Memorial Prize for the highest graduating student in the printmaking department. Caitlin has exhibited regularly since 2001 and has been a finalist in the Thiess Art prize, the Churchie Art Prize and won the Under 25 Libris Award offered by Artspace Mackay in 2006. Her artistic output includes paintings, drawings, prints, collage, artists’ books and she is currently working with ceramics.

 

 

The artists’ book collection holds five of Caitlin’s artists’ books –all with a story to tell.
The 199 – An early acquisition to the Australian Library of Art, this book is made up of a connected series of 51 original watercolours documenting the people and sights encountered on Caitlin’s daily journeys on the number 199 bus, between her home in West End and the City Hall, Brisbane.
The 385/199 journey – another unbound artists’ book of 46 individual pages documents Caitlin’s journey from home to work, by two buses, from Paddington to Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.
Catching Zac – A folded triangular shaped book which opens out to square pages and uses collage created from etchings to tell the story of a runaway & mischievous dog Zac.
A night with Oscar -A folded triangular shaped book which opens out to square pages filled with brightly coloured pen & ink drawings that tell the story of Oscar the cat’s attempt to join his humans for the night.

 

 

 

 

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