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Circling the Square was an exhibition and tour of new work by the members of South Australia's Gray Street Workshop and a celebration of the studio's fifteenth anniversary. Following a successful tour of Australia by the originating and auspicing venue, Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design, Asialink extended the tour to venues in Asia. From July 2001 to Jan 2002 the exhibition was taken to five centres in Thailand, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and notably Brunei - the first time an exhibition of contemporary craft from Australia has been shown there.

The Gray Street Workshop is a collectively run jewellery studio and access space in Adelaide. The workshop was established in 1985 principally to provide a sustaining work environment for its members, in an atmosphere that not only encouraged practical development but theory and research as well. The four members, Julie Blyfield, Leslie Matthews, Catherine Truman and Sue Lorraine create works that primarily relate to the body as a vessel for "emotional and physical sensations". The exhibition featured a variety of approaches and styles including Leslie Matthews' patinated brass talismans, Julie Blyfield's autobiographical tactile brooches and neckpieces, Catherine Truman's finely choreographed carved wood pieces that draw on anatomical imagery and Sue Lorraine's heat-coloured steel and wax body organ parts.

Circling the Square was curated and coordinated by the four artists with Alexandra Bowen of Object, Australian Centre for Craft and Design, Sydney. The Asian tour was managed by Asialink and supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia Council, the Australian Embassy in Bangkok and the Australian High Commissions in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bandar Seri Begawan.

Sue Lorraine, Sheath, 2000

One of the Gray Street artists also accompanied the exhibition to each venue in Asia, undertaking lectures and workshops with tertiary students, arts associations and members of the public.

"10 final year students attended the workshop, they all worked very hard and the resulting work produced was a refreshing and intelligent response to the workshop brief. They responded by making work which had reference to their culture, history and environment, using different metals and found materials. It was a fascinating opportunity to be able to work in an environment so different to my own and to experience a little of their culture, and for them to see and react to the influences of my culture and attitudes." Leslie Matthews, November 2001.

In addition to the exhibition a 44-page catalogue entitled Gray Street Workshop - Celebrating 15 years (prepared previously by the artists and Object) accompanied the work. With essays by Julie Ewington, Sue Rowley, Anne Brennan, Helen Fuller and Linda Marie Walker, the publication gave a very thorough account of the rationale and context of the work in the exhibition.
Copies of the catalogue are available for AUD$22.00 (incl GST) from Object, Australian Centre for Craft and Design
Postal address: 3rd Floor, Customs House
31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay, NSW 2000, Australia.

email: object@object.com.au