New and emerging artists showcase their work in TRANSIT 09

Southern Cross University's visual arts block is humming with activity as final year students prepare for their annual graduate art show, TRANSIT 09, which will be on again for two weeks from Friday, October 9.

The exhibition covers art forms as diverse as video art, bronze, artists' books, ceramics, papermaking, installation art, woodfire, printmaking, sculpture, and painting.

This year it features the work of 50 new and emerging artists. Exhibiting students come from Southern Cross University's entire geographic footprint – from the Mid North Coast to the Northern Rivers and beyond to the Tweed and Gold Coast areas.

TRANSIT 09 presents an exciting chance to see and purchase work early in the careers of these promising artists, some of whom are already well on their way to acclaim with recent sales to public and private collections.

Tweed Coast printmaker Ally Lorenzo is working on a whole room installation using handmade paper embossed with wire fencing materials – a cautionary tale to show how we are caging ourselves in while destroying the natural life all around us.

Dorrigo-born Gold Coast painter Hailee Byrne is trying to smash stereotypes in her technology-inspired portraits of people – made from painted mosaic squares. "These have been painted from real people. You want to see a familiar face in there but somehow it eludes you and hopefully makes you think more about the identity of that person and who they really are," she said.

Established Byron Bay artist Rebecca Kinsey has made a big change from her signature urban animé style to a more serious statement about the state of relationships and language in the modern world. She has hand-written thousands of words – sourced from text messages through to philosophy books – onto giant canvases. "It's like we're drifting through spaces filled with textual information, and whilst overwhelming, most of it is like white noise," she said.

TRANSIT 09 is free and opens to the public on Friday, October 9, from 5pm until 8pm, in the visual arts block (V- block). The exhibition will be open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with extended hours on Thursdays until 8pm. It continues until Saturday, October 24. The exhibition is closed on Sundays.

Selected students in the Bachelor of Contemporary Music degree will give a performance at the gala preview opening of Transit 09 on Thursday, October 8, at a private University function.

Performing will be Jack Britten, a third-year pianist playing his original compositions; jazz-focused and 'Indi' songwriter, Linda Cochrane, a third-year vocalist/composer; Emma Davison, a 'soul and pop groove diva' and second-year vocalist; and third-year singer/songwriter Lydia Story and band.

Photo: Dorrigo-born Gold Coast painter Hailee Byrne is trying to smash stereotypes in her technology-inspired portraits of people – made from painted mosaic squares. (High res image available on request.) (Photos of Byron Bay artist Rebecca Kinsey and Tweed Coast artist Ally Lorenzo are available on request.)