Friday, April 24, 2009

40 Degrees Of Separation









James Newitt and Justy Phillips

Through a new multi-screen video work titled 40 degrees of separation, the artists are presenting a collaborative project developed during their 4-week Arts Tasmania Residency at the King Island Cultural Centre in 2008.

The work explores connections between personal histories, ideas of change and an island in transition through the use of video and sound. Using selected community groups as a starting point, such as the CWA, Senior Citizens Association and through community facilities, such as the Grassy Club; the artists undertook an intensive period of research, interviewing over twenty older residents in their homes at various locations around the island. The artists also utilised community platforms such as the King Island Courier and community noticeboards to encourage interested residents to contact them directly, such as invitations to afternoon tea.

As artists, they are interested in the ways in which people relate to each other and to the world in different social and cultural contexts and chose to focus on significant moments of change within the lives of older residents and drew connections between these vastly different experiences. In 40 degrees of separation, they present these as evocative visual portraits of both a generation and a place.

During this residency, they gathered significant video content and production stills, which have been edited and refined to create this new multi-screen video for presentation at the CWA, 5.30 2nd May.

For further information:

Sally Marsden

King Island Cultural Centre

Cultural Development Officer

King Island Council

03 6462 1924

0428 550404



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