+ urbanart + Maggie McCormick & Christine Gillespie +

ornament is a visual response by artist Maggie McCormick, to the essence of a novel in progress by writer Christine Gillespie. The lives of mythical, fictional and real women connect across time, place, legend and reality, through the arts - stroy telling, poetry, film making, writing and photography - interrogating concepts and sensations of the female body and ornamentation. The idea began in Europe, was filtered, expanded and exploded between Asia and Australia, then deconstructed, fused and returned to Europe.

Christine Gillespie has published her short fiction and poetry in Australia, France and India and has received several awards. In 2000 Christine was the Asialink Writer in Residence in Malaysia where she wrote a draft of her first novel Ornamental Bodies, after a research trip to India. The novel set in southern India, intertwines the divine and human sensual love of mythical Radha, Muddupalani, a real 18th century poet and Rachel a fictional based 21st century film maker.

Maggie McCormick has exhibited her photo/text installations in Australia and Europe. She is founding member of urbanart that initiates innovative approaches to contemporary arts practice. Her writings on contemporary art in public space have been published in Australian art journals and on line. She is the co-curator of Global Fusion with Claudia-Maria Luenig.

Thanks to EYE 2 EYE photographics.

Maggie McCormick