BIFB - Ballarat International Foto Biennale
Text & Images ©billpurvis2015
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| The courting crows caught my eye atop the signals at the Ballarat Railway Station Lydiard St N |
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| En-route to BIFB Ballarat |
The road trip from Adelaide to Ballarat, a distance of 616kms, theoretically takes 6 hours 40 minutes. If one traveled the distance in this time they would be at risk of suffering death several
times over. The hypnotic effect of the signs, 'Micro sleep can kill in seconds', 'Drowsiness can kill', etc etc would ultimately induce the suggested effect. But that is not to make light of the messages that driving without a break is dangerous. One should not, without a change of driver, cover the distance in the suggested time.
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| An unexpected blossom in a rest area en-route |
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| A view of the Grampians en-route |
Time out was taken for a power nap by the side of the road and for lunch.
The journey took 9 hours and I missed a prearranged 3pm appointment to be briefed on my tasks as a gallery attendant at the BIFB.
Kitted out and ready for the task at allocated venues I was gobsmacked and overwhelmed at the scale of the event.
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| My 'Kit' laid out in the campervan | | | |
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| The sunset on my first day at Shady Acres Caravan Park |
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| 'Lake View' - man altered landscape - the view from my campervan |
The organisational skills of Jeff Moorfoot and Steve Marshall, and a party of volunteer assistants,
is evident with 7 core venues, many more fringe venues, and with hundreds of artists contributing.
The core venues are significant historic buildings. The venue office is the
Ballarat Mining Exchange which is also a magnificent light filled exhibition space.
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| Gallery viewing - Mining Exchange |
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| The projection screen - Mining Exchange |
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| The indefatigable Jeff Moorfoot in the foyer of the Mining Exchange |
The scope and quality of the works viewed is admirable and worthy of the 'International' status.
There are exhibiting artists from all over the world.
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| A masterful series of works are exhibited by David Williams in the Mining Exchange |
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| The Adelaide Photographic Artists are on display downstairs in Lost One's Gallery |
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| This location did not deter viewers |
The Adelaide Photographic Artists works shown can be viewed here:
http://atkins.com.au/time-atkins-artists-2015-bifb-exhibition/?utm_source=August+2015&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email
I spent 5 nights in Ballarat volunteering as an attendant for 3 afternoons and spending my spare time touring the exhibits.
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| Curves - Ballarat Mining Exchange |
Please allow time for the frames to load so the Gif runs smoothly.
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Police Lane - Art Gallery of Ballarat - a BIFB venue,
and opposite the Ballarat Information Centre |
A link to Google Map showing core locations including the BIFB Venue Office and exhibition space in the Mining Exchange, Art Gallery, Post Office, Camp Street with Trades Hall and Lost One's Gallery. Two other core venues are the Town Hall and St Patrick's Community Hall.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Art+Gallery+of+Ballarat/@-37.5609579,143.859041,19z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6ad144f876355693:0x912be6de804e6b85
Some strange but true happenings: OK I'm strange but these are true!
The Spider incident - 22/8/2015
During the early morning of my first night in the campervan at Shady Acres Caravan Park I was awoken by a sharp sensation on my leg. I thought perhaps there could be a resident spider as the camper had not been used in a while. My thoughts went back to my advice given to my niece to squash a red back spider with your finger and give it a sporting chance.
I was on duty at Lost One's gallery during the early afternoon and used the outside toilet. I had the feeling I was 'giving back' to nature because of the leaves which had accumulated.
Back on duty inside I felt a soft furry thing fall from my face. I wondered whether it may cause me some embarrassment if it had fallen from my nose so I sought it out on my chest.
I picked up the soft furry little ball and promptly squished the red back spider between my fingers
surmising I may have picked it up from its lodgings outside?
The Toilet Incident - 25/8/2015
I parked the camper in the railway station yard and walked to the Ballarat Library where there are 3 fringe exhibitions and also to use their internet and then I walked to view other exhibits in the central shopping centre. A unisex public toilet is located in the Town Hall. I opened the door to loud exclamations of 'shut the door', 'shut the door', and viewed a lady with her trousers down around her ankles. The door closes itself automatically and she asked me to wait outside to ensure nobody else entered. In the meantime she located the engaged indicator and door lock button. Her boyfriend approached wondering if I was suspect because I was 'loitering' outside. I explained that she need not feel embarrassed as I wasn't. He said she was a bit scatter brained.
The Lost Keys - 25/8/2015
Walking back to the campervan parked at the railway station I realised I had 'lost' one set of my two sets of car keys. Arriving at the drivers side door I saw the keys where they had lain on the ground alongside the car all day.
The Friendly Policemen - 26/8/2015
Later that night around midnight, after a short sleep, I set off for home my mission at Ballarat completed.
Some several hundred kilometers into the journey I stopped and had a pee alongside the car in the pitch black of night.
I had just got back into the drivers seat and closed the door when a police car pulled up alongside and the policeman asked 'Is everthing all right sir?' I replied, 'Yes thankyou. I appreciate your asking', and that was that.
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| Framed - In the frame - St Patrick's Community Hall |
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| Photographer Pang Xiangliang - Oil Rig Workers - Trades Hall Gallery |
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| Photographer Dave Tacon - Lost One's Gallery - Camp Street |
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| Trades Hall Gallery- Camp Street |
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| Appropriated images |
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| Courting Crows |
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| Town Hall - Ballarat |
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| Color match |
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| One Leg Red Boot with Carillon |
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A spring bud has blossomed - on the sidewalk - St Patrick's Community Hall
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| Against the cold wind |
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| Crossing Lydiard St |
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Shady Acres Caravan Park resident rabbits
After returning to my campervan I could hear 2 bangs, pause, 2 bangs, pause, 2 bangs.
I wonder how many rabbits are left or if it was as it sounded? |
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| Running rabbit |
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| Cloud on the hill. |
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My contribution (unofficially) - TIME - Adelaide Photographic Artist
Running to the loo. Shady Acres Caravan Park.
I drew an outline of the red phone box on the fogged window of my campervan
and played around with exposures. At times people walked or ran through.
I took multiple frames at 1/6sec hand held.
The wind was gusting and the temperature 4C.
The window fog is visible. |
