Kate Cotching

Exhibition at Gallery F Mildura - Opening 8th June 5:30 pm

An exhibition of paintings and soft sculptures that highlight everyday struggles and achievements.
At Gallery F Mildura 31-33 Deakin Avenue Mildura, Vic.

Exhibition Runs from Thursday 8th of June until Saturday 1st of July.

Opening celebration Wednesday 7th June 5:30 pm.

The gallery is open Thurs - Fri 10am - 4pm and Saturday 10am - 2pm.

Kate Cotching, Books for building, 2015, Oil on paper.

In a sport obsessed society the exhibition playfully challenges the way we see victories, by acknowledging some of the most difficult and personally challenging activities people face.

The embroidered and heat moulded fabric sculptures were produced while undertaking the Artist In Residence program through Ashfield Council in Sydney 2015 and the works were first shown in Ararat Regional Gallery. Inspired by the self-professed, but otherwise unacknowledged accomplishments of the artist's friends and family, these sculptures de-construct the shape and notion of the trophy. By embracing these individual stories of generosity, adventure and strength while producing the works, the sculptures seemed to develop of their own accord.

The seven paintings on show depict altered sporting trophies alongside everyday objects, which have been discarded and given to a second-hand store, representing the difficulties and frustrations that come with day to day life.

Kate Cotching, Ultramarine Reservation, 2015, Fabric and silk thread

Caught: The southern, uppermost bank of the Murray River

Caught: The southern, uppermost bank of the Murray River.
Silk and cotton thread, wire, debris
2017

Debris collected from the southern, uppermost banks of the Murray River.

Caught in a stateless place.

A natural curve, evolving and open to all that the elements throw at it.

A division, political, enforced, governed, uncontrollable.

Sometimes we get caught in this space.

We are trying to move.

Caught: The southern, uppermost bank of the Murray River.
Silk and cotton thread, wire, debris
approx 100x 150cm)
2017

This piece was exhibited as part of the Earth exhibition at Gallery F.

Glue

The new millennium bought me to a place where space isn't sparse and there isn't an excess of artists. The living, working, creative occupants are dwarfed and isolated by the vastness of their surrounds. In this place, there is so much space and so many gaps that artists and institutions alike need to be everything to everyone. To me this is the greatest challenge for regional artists in the new millennium.

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I have recently joined a group of artists in Mildura Victoria who are creating a space that brings people together in a dispersed community, we have taken the name of GALLERY F. The work exhibited is a drawing of artists and supporters of the gallery, it was produced during the eight hour journey from GALLERY F to Blindside.

This work was part of an exhibition at Blindside curated by the SOAP collective.

Exploded Trophy

Exploded Trophy, window drawing (from the inside)

On the front window of GALLERY F is a drawing of a small hand made lace sculpture I produced in 2013 titled The Disquietude Trophy. The original sculpture is a homage to the everyday challenges people quietly face without without recognition. This window drawing is an explosion of the energy and ideas that are compacted within that work, a reminder that within every little thing there is something tremendous.

Exploded Trophy, window drawing (from the outside)

The work is part of a group exhibition curated by Kerryn Sylvia at Gallery F

Fusion - Group show
An exhibition of works by local artists curated by Kerryn Sylvia for GALLERY F Mildura
November 9-26, Thurs - Fri 12-6pm Sat 10 - 2pm. Opening Wednesday 9th 5:30 - 7pm
Arts Mildura Building 39a Deakin Ave Mildura

Guided Art Sessions for Adults

Premier Art Supplies, 143 Tenth Street, Mildura, Vic 3500
Mondays 1:00 – 2:30pm
Classes run from 22 August until 3 October 2016, join anytime.
Contact Kate Cotching 0410 772 058, cotchingkate@hotmail.com

Learn to draw and paint from the inside.
Have fun, experiment and play with a variety of materials.
Discover how art can be used to learn more about yourself.
No art skills are needed. Basic materials supplied.

Cost $30 per person, $15 Concession
*Special introductory offer* pay for the first two sessions upfront and receive the next two free.

Here's some of the great work people from the class created. The aim of the sessions was to learn and appreciate non- objective art making, Thanks Sue, Beverly, Margery and Fran!

The Disquietude Trophy Project Mildura Vic

Artist In Residence, Ashfield NSW

Art+ Power, Bristol UK

Out of the cube, exhibition in Sydney

The Disquietude Trophy Project

What are your unacknowledged achievements – things taking lots of time or effort, but that only you notice? For many people, the most important accomplishments in life are stuff done each day “just” to keep everything together. Over the past four months in Mildura Kate Cotching has been running short workshops where people took on the challenge of reflecting on their lives to identify strengths, and imagining what a trophy for these might look like – and then they made it.

An installation of the sculptures produced were exhibited at Mildura Arts Centre

Yvonne Jones, My dream heart (left) and Crazy fun People (right) and Rosemary Lawson My garden (Centre) Photo by Huw Greenhough

Works by various Artists

Detail of artwork by Gulsoom Hashimi, Happy Heart in Australia

The workshop at The Mildura Eco Centre with Sunraysia Community Health Services Refugee Kitchen Garden Group

Works by various Artists

Thanks to the following organisations and groups for supporting workshops: Sunraysia Community Health Services' Refugee Kitchen Garden and Pain Management groups, The Christie Centre's ArtRageUs Studios, the Mirabinda Social Club, Mallee District Aboriginal Services Elders Group, FLO Connect, Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura Neighbourhood House and the Afghan Community.

This project is supported by the Regional Arts Fund, an Australian Government initiative supporting the arts in regional and remote Australia, administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria. This project is also supported through Mildura Rural City Council's Arts Development grant and auspiced by Arts Mildura. Thanks to Huw Greenhough for the Majority of the Photography.

Tonilee Kay Lavers, Surviving Life.
Mikayla Pryor, The Melody Hits the Sound.
Anonymous Artist, Moving on.

Bianca, Friends
Shay, Free
Annabelle, Growth

Eric Murray, Dream Cup
Maureen Taylor, Family Tree
Maureen Taylor, Imagination

Jacinda Kelly, Ladder to Heaven
Joe Sadler, Golden Hand

Elizabeth Maloney, Be Happy
Aaron Kyle Rose, A K R
Josh Satori, Untitled

Joel Milne, Milly keeping calm
Erin Glasson, Trophy Medal
Neil Kelcey, Glass

Melissa Woolcock, Family Ties
Anonymous Artist, The door to achievements
Anonymous Artist, Kindness

Jan Gulzari, Calmness by happy music

Ali Sultani, Candle Light

Hilda Murray, BMX National Title

Judith Bailey, Love For My Grandson

Barry Pettit, Basket Ball Trophy

Michael Lang, People looking and having a talk

Jayden Dickinson, Exercise

Leah Harris, I'm Happy

Pam Jones, The lengths I go to
Anonymous Artist, The Flow
Kirsty James, Circle of life

Hilda Murray, Snoopy Dreaming

Molly, Untitled

Pauline Hamence, Untitled

Raihana Hashimi, Goal!

Maria Riedl, Look in the mirror will you stand?

Antonette Zema, Pearls are a girl's best friend
Judy Marshall, Togetherness, About myself and my sister coming back together
Anonymous Artist, The Creative Progress