“PLACE” exhibition opening – Bailey, Masin and Roberts. Tacit Contemporary Art, 323 Johnston St. Abbotsford, Tuesday 14th August 2012

Popular performer Brian Nankervis (Rockwiz, Pictures of You) is opening the exhibition “PLACE” at Tacit Contemporary Art, 323 Johnston St. Abbotsford at 6pm, Tuesday 14th August 2012

About the exhibition: Combining the talents of these three diverse artists gives the exhibition a broad appeal with works ranging from photorealism, collage, traditional, modern to abstract. Finding our “PLACE” in the world. An exhibition by three artists explores the concept of where we come from and where we belong. “PLACE” at Tacit Contemporary Art, gives the artists, Pauline Bailey, Helen Masin and Ken Roberts the opportunity to visually respond to what the sense of place means to them. Pauline, born and raised in Melbourne, explores the areas that she grew up with and which still now give her a sense of home. You experience her comfort and familiarity with the images of suburban streets and buildings. Unlike her rural home amid gumtrees and kangaroos, her paintings inhabit world-weary streets, well-used buildings, live music venues and crowded shop facades. Her inspiration is firmly placed in the city of her youth. Helen, though living in the country, has nomadically journeyed away from her place of birth but those ties seem to hold her and many of her images are from the familiar areas around her original country hometown. She explores the openness of the country, the isolation and vastness of life on the land. A still beauty and quietness haunt her works. She portrays scenes usually unseen and missed though in her work they are rendered as unforgettable images. Ken still lives in his country town of birth and his paintings relate to the people and places he knows well. While some paintings show “Australian pastoral” images and a sense of belonging, others portray people who seem misplaced and lost. The security he feels in his own place makes him question that of others who do not feel such a connection and are alienated from where they belong. The diversity of style and content displayed by the three artists enhance the subject of where we belong and who we are and how we find our own “PLACE”.

Watch the opening speech by Brian Nankervis here

August 2014: Paintings featured in Darren Cole’s Soundproof documentary screening at Melbourne International Film Festival. About Soundproof: “Three men linked only by their passion for rock and roll battle to keep their dreams and businesses alive in a city rapidly changing around them.”

December 2015: Design feature in Herald Sun Home Magazine (December 12th issue)

5th September 2017 – ABC Gippsland Radio live to air interview to promote “The Devil Won’t Take Charity” by Kim Volkman.

November 2019 – Blues Portrait book launch.
Speech by Kerri Simpson – 10.11.2019

First, I would like to say how honoured I am to speak at Pauline’s book launch. On behalf of the blues community, I would sincerely like to thank Pauline Bailey for making the huge commitment and effort to write “Blues Portrait”. I got my copy last week and it truly is a milestone for Australian blues. Writing any kind of book is no small task, but this book took endless hours of researching, phone calls, emails, messages, recordings and transcriptions. Not to mention wrangling musicians. A book like Blues Portrait is a labour of love. I am a librarian by day, so books are of great importance to me. This book is important because it is a documentation of an art and culture unique to Australia. I am so glad that the Australian blues scene has finally been captured and documented so well, and can now take its place in Australian entertainment history. I kinda see Pauline as a bit of an Alan Lomax type figure with the publishing of this book. If not for her, artists who have made significant contributions both nationally and internationally for decades would have remained unheralded. It took me a few trips to New Orleans, Chicago, London and Europe to realise that the quality and standard of musicians and artists that we have here in Melbourne is genuinely equal to anywhere else in the world. There is a saying that you are as good as your last gig, which in many respects is true. But a book, like a recording remains, lasts far longer. And what is even better, you can come back to a book over and again. The lives and contributions of everyone included in the book remain there to explore at will. In reading the stories of the 40-odd featured musicians, you quickly realise what a large and thriving blues scene has existed across the country for decades. What a dedicated and diverse bunch of musicians. You see a picture of just how far blues transcends into other genres. You get a feel for the people and places that created a haven for musicians to work and entertain in. You get a sense of how much community is involved in the scene. How much love, appreciation and respect is held for blues music and musicians. Blues Portrait is dedicated to Chris Wilson, who features prominently in the book. In many ways Chris personified the blues scene in Australia. The hard graft, the absolute commitment, devotion, and the immersion into the community; the emotions blues evokes in people. The way that the blues community across the country came together in support of Chris when he became ill was overwhelming and astonishing. It demonstrated just how widely blues music touches so many people, as Chris did. I am really proud to be part of this ground-breaking book and, on behalf of all of us, I thank Pauline Bailey from the bottom of my heart for taking the time and making the commitment to write it. I ask you to raise your glasses and drink to Pauline and “Blues Portrait”… Best of luck with it Pauline. And people, please buy up plenty of copies cos writing books is financially even harder than making recordings.

January 2020: Feature in Issue 20 of MEGAscene Magazine

March 2022 – Thanks to Geoff Hughes for having me as a guest on his Writer’s Show podcast! Check out Geoff’s website here

Pauline Bailey

May 2022: Big thanks to Stefan at the Gippy Times for the article!

Thank you to Des Cowley for the review in Rhythms Magazine, Nov/Dec 2022 issue:

© Pauline Bailey