Valentine’s Day is not a big thing in Australia, just a bit of fun. In the spirit of fun and in celebration of love and passion, I have added a couple of new photos to my ‘Artistic Nudes’ page.

My next show will be ‘Shed Nudes’, held at the Artists’ Shed in Queanbeyan, NSW. A variety of talented artists participate, showcasing different styles and interesting treatments of the human form.

You are welcome at the opening at 7:00pm, Thursday 18th February 2010
14 Foster St
Queanbeyan, NSW

One artist who exhibited during the PlanEx10 Art and Craft Show was so impressed with my photo of her, she sent me this email;

"Dear Margaret,

I was very impressed with the photos you took at PLAN on Sunday last and would be very grateful for a photo of Tricia and me with the certificate.  Usually I look dreadful in photos, to the point of embarrassment, but yours made me look more normal.

Best wishes,
Salwah."

Every year, for the last ten years, Canberra Friends of Plan have hosted an Art and Craft Show to raise funds for a development project. This year the money raised by PlanEx10 is going to projects to improve access to clean water and sanitation for schools and the community the Kisarawe District, Tanzania.

Canberra Friends of Plan wish to thank Bob McMullan MP for opening the PlanEx10 Art and Craft Show in Canberra on Friday 27th November. I took some photos of Bob McMullan, one is posted on his website.

Bob McMullan MP is the Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance and Member for Fraser. He is also a long term supporter of Plan International. He opened the first Plan show ten years ago and has maintained an active interest over the years. His opening address covered many issues including access to clean water and sanitation. These issues affect girls and women more directly than boys and men. In many parts of the world, including Tanzania, girls and women have the responsibility of obtaining the daily water for the household. This may require walking many kilometers or queuing for hours at a village well or pump. Improving access to clean water and sanitation has obvious health benefits. It also frees women from hours of drudgery, giving them time to learn skills, improve farming or develop businesses.

Bob McMullan also promoted the book "Because I am a Girl" which you can download from Plan's website:
http://www.becauseiamagirl.com.au/the_evidence.html
He described how his own daugher's life has been influenced by sponsoring a girl of similar age. His daughter noticed some similar interests and she saw the common humanity of girls the world over. His daughter also noticed the extra work load and pressures that poverty places on girls in developing countries.

This year was the best show ever with the most number of paintings sold, the highest value of craft sold and a great number of visitors.

Over the years, the Plan Art and Craft Show has supported local and emerging artisits some of whom now exhibit regularly. The quality and professionalism of the artists was impressive. I exhibited three images; "Angel of Life and Death", "Sleeping Beauty" and "Red Riding Hood".

Below are photos I took at the opeining.

Bob McMullan and Tricia Frake


PlanEx10 Art and Craft Show 2009


I exhibited three images; "Angel of Life and Death", "Sleeping Beauty" and "Red Riding Hood"

This spring has been unusually cold. It was clear that the number of visitors to Escape ArtFest were down on previous years. Even some of the hotels had “Vacancy” signs. Despite this, Naked Flames was well received and the opening was well attended.

Again there was an interesting variety of arts - textiles, sculpture, paintings and photographs.

The theme of Naked Flames was articulated in various ways. Jodi Stewart had passionate lovers embracing in private to contrast with Barbie Robinson's public kiss in Paris. Pauline Mager's photographs of women were imaginative fantasies that contrasted with Malcolm Smith's more direct, sharply articulated and carefully constructed style. Ian Baird had a candid photograph of a group of revelers enjoying an evening show. Richard Lamond and Paul Haslam created amazing flame sculpture with wood and metal that reminded me of the destruction of forests, yet it had a symetry and grace that reminded me of a Lotus blossom. Alan Baptist's skill with drawing was a delight to behold. His work is amazingly detailed. Marie Lund showed the secret love of bees deep within flowers.

There were many other interesting artists at this well received show.

Here I am with two of my images at the opening.

I was asked to photograph a home that is for sale. Of course, my photos need to show the home looking good and inviting. The pictures show the different rooms and living spaces and the garden. With care I was able to show some of the outlook through the windows.

The vendor was pleased with my photos, and gave me a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine as a Thank You!

Frank Cordelle has kindly given me permission to show a photo from The Century Project that relates to my theme. All of the women who pose for Frank Cordelle choose their own setting. Tamara chose to express this part of her life in this way without any distractions. Frank’s high view-point makes her look smaller and gives her some vulnerability, yet her direct look shows strength, dignity and is completely devoid of shame. Tamara”s poem is beautiful and expresses heart aspects of menstruation that many women feel but do not know how to express. Thank you for your boldness Tamara.

Menstruation is a significant part of most women’s lives and our society tries to ignore it. There are few places where a woman can express how she feels about her periods. This site is one place where women’s expression is welcome. Send me your ideas, images, favourite sites, favourite books and I will post your comments, with your permission, of course.

The photo and poem below was published in the book: "Bodies and Souls: The Century Project" copyright © 2009 Frank Cordelle.

“The moon,
like a prospective grandmother,
keeps time.

In an empty womb,
I create space
for process.

Pale yolk
runs from me,
malnourished and alone.

All that is mine
breaks
apart
in grief

becoming
rich pulp,
the ripe fruit
of my most internal decomposition.

It gathers like angry water

beating blood

against
flush,
tender walls,
crashing comfort,
painfully pulsing

out of me.

It flows wide
spilling, furiously,
red
onto the altar of my soul,

to which I bow in need of You
in body,
in blood.”

Tamara

ABC Science has awarded my photo, “Rise and Fall”, a Highly Commended in the Winter Science competition “Reflections on the Moon”. It is 06 in the series.



The Moon is a long way away by human standards, but it has a profound influence on life and the ocean especially. Many fish breed in estuaries created by the rise and fall of the tides. There are many species that live on rocky shores that rely on the renewal of the tidal waters, animals such as oysters, sea anemones, sea urchins, starfish, cockles, crabs, fish fry, and numerous sea snails and sea weeds such as mermaid’s necklaces, kelp, sea lettuce.
The tides affect erosion of coasts and the shape of beaches. If a storm, heavy rain and a high tide happen together, a beach can be completely destroyed or a lagoon breached.

The Moon has a powerful influence on us all.

Recently, during research for my art, I saw the very powerful photography of Frank Cordelle.

Frank Cordelle has created a photography exhibition called “The Century Project”. He has photographed girls and women from birth to 98 years of age. These are women who have faced struggles and problems with their bodies. Their stories, in their own words, accompany the photographs. Some of the stories are confronting, some are angry, some are sad, some are joyful, some are a triumph. All of the stories are intimate person experiences.

Frank has photographed the women in the nude to express their vulnerability and their humanity. Cloths can enhance some parts of the body and hide parts of the body we find difficult for various reasons. Cloths express culture, social status, occupation and wealth. These nude images cut through much cultural clutter and gets past assumptions and prejudices to see the real woman underneath. Sometimes clothes hide things so well that health issues are not address properly and the woman does not even know what is within the normal range for a female for her age.

This project is extremely important. Even healthy women struggle with body image because the media display so many ‘perfect’ images of women’s bodies all around us. When women have health and other body image problems, they can feel that they are inferior somehow. The shame some women feel about their bodies can restrict and limit their lives. For example, many women limit their participation in sports, especially swimming. These limitations are unnecessary, often inconvenient and in some cases even harmful.

The Century Project gives women dignity and a voice. It has changed the lives of some women who have felt alone, disregarded, afraid and ashamed of their struggles. This project has given many women the courage to treat their bodies with respect and inspired some women to get the medical care they deserve.

The Century Project is beautiful and has been shown in 63 colleges around the USA and has been viewed by thousands of people.

You can obtain your own personal copy of the exhibition in a book called “Bodies and Souls”.

I recently met a lovely woman from Sumba, Indonesia. She was visiting Canberra for a short time. We discussed many interesting topics and we both discussed gender issues in our respective cultures. My soul was warmed by someone from another culture who was able to be frank and honest with me about sensitive issues.

She saw my art and encouraged me to continue exploring the meaning of womanhood and menstruation in many cultures. It was moving that my images spoke to her so strongly despite our different backgrounds.

When she left, she gave me a Mamuli pendant as a memory of our connection. I told her I will wear it to the opening of “Naked Flames” exhibition. Mamuli are symbolic representations of the vagina and are made with precious metal. They are treasured within families and are passed from mother to daughter as an heirloom or bride gift.

I will treasure this Mamuli. Thank you my friend from Sumba.

You are all welcome to come to the opening of “Naked Flames” as part of Escape ArtFest 2009. This is a group art show held from Saturday 3rd to Sunday 11th October 2009.

Hibiscus Gallery
15 Wallaroy Drive
Burrill Lake NSW

Opening celebration, 4:00-6:00pm Saturday 3rd October, Hibiscus Gallery.

I have been working on a few photographs that show my interpretation of Naked Flames. These are new photographs, not seen before, cheeky, unusual and a bit provocative. One of my images has been chosen to publicise the show on the official ArtFest website. Just click on the Naked Flames tab.

Medical students have always had difficulty studying anatomy using flat book images. There is a big difference between a flat page and the real living body. The way the organs and muscles fit together, the three dimensional curves, the scale and size and variety of body types. Here is a novel way to bring the body to life and teach anatomy. See this article from Australia’s ABC;
Body Painting Helps Anatomy Lessons
I like the way the body is used as a canvass. It gives the illusion that the skin is transparent. This is humanity in the raw and shows that we are all the same under our skins. There is no racism, no preconceptions. In a way this art is confronting how we experience our bodies and shows us all as vulnerable.
So is this Art? Should the model be nude? Personally, I think the model should be nude as a logical continuation of the painting. The underpants do not add to the learning at all and detract from the effect, they look contrived. The effect reminds me of Damien Hirst, “The Virgin Mother”. I think underpants would look silly on her too and even runs the risk of changing her from a body to a sex object.

However, this body painting exercise looks like a great learning experience. I’m sure it is fun to do also. Perhaps I should learn anatomy!

At the Wharenui
Download a 6meg .mov clip.

Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby, is a humorous, bold and irreverent TV programme from New Zealand about a fictional boys high school starring David McPhail. Tepapawai Boys High is threatened with closure and the school attempts a variety of activities and avoidance tactics to avert the inevitable. Mr Gormsby is an ‘old school’ style teacher with a plethora of politically incorrect attitudes and behaviours that highlight the absurdities of life. The students are rambunctious and defiant about learning almost to the point of being unteachable, but they do not want the school to close either. The result is a comedy that makes many social comments on education and human frailties, as the students and teachers co-operate to fight a common enemy, the Education Review Office (ERO).


Mr Gormsby with the Education Review Officer

In Series 2, episode 6 titled “An Inspector Calls” tackles the often avoided topic of menstruation. Mr Gormsby uses implied menstrual customs to avert the ERO inspector from inspecting a wharenui, a traditional Maori meeting house. He blurts out a string of menstrual euphemisms and confronts the ERO inspector. The fear is that a menstruating woman would reduce the sacred power of the carvings in the wharenui. There is often a relationship between fear and respect, for example, a strict and disciplined teacher often has the respect of the students. The mystic power of a woman to create life engenders both fear and respect and must be treated carefully. Part of the insult for the ERO inspector is that a woman’s menstrual status is considered a personal and private matter in western culture, irrelevant to her ability to perform her duties.

Many traditional cultures had restrictive and sacred customs associated with menstruation. Although Mr Gormsby’s aim is stalling the ERO inspector, there is evidence that menstruation required specific treatment in traditional Maori society. This is an article describing some menstrual customs in Australia and New Zealand, New Zealand Institute, 1904. Full article can be found in the National Library of New Zealand.

A more modern article gives a Maori interpretation of celestial bodies and describes the moon in female symbology. Some traditional cultures required women to have exclusion in separate huts, during their menstruation. One example is of Ethiopian Jews who settled in Israel Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. This exclusion allows women space and privacy under the protection of purity rites. In highly patriarchal societies, this totally female space was potentially a refreshment, a time out for women.


Photo - Margaret Kalms

Please, do not get the impression that Maori culture is stuck in the past. Wharenui are a cultural focus for Maori life both past and present. A descriptive background and short history of wharenui is found in this Education Resource, used with kind permission from Wellington City Gallery, Te Whare Toi. This resource includes definitions of many Maori sacred words and explains how symbols of today’s modern world view are incorporated into contemporary Maori ideas.

Modern art is revitalising the wharenui with new building techniques, technology and modern symbolism. Here is a wonderful modern rendition of a wharenui by a modern fractal artist, Rerewhakaaitu, which includes a description of the meaning of wharenui that is well worth reading. The Chrysalis Seed Trust magazine which explores the intersection of art and faith, describes the potential for Maori tradition to be integrated with the Christian faith in meeting houses. Many wharenui have become churches.

This integration of indigenous culture with mainstream (western) culture has not happened to the same extent in Australia. Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby is an amazing blend of the issues of indigenous culture and spirituality with mainstream and can teach us all to look life directly in the eye and face many difficult issues with courage and bold, good humour.

At Christmas we give gifts and spend time with our family and friends wishing good will to all. Christmas is the celebration of the Christ child – Immanuel – God with us, Matthew 1:23.

To all the new parents I ask you to remember the moment you first saw your new baby. Remember the sense of awe and excitement of a new human in the world. I certainly felt it when each of my children were born. Despite my biological training and sex education, I still asked in wonder ‘Where did you come from?’ It was a spiritual question, not a biological one. I knew the practicalities of creation but the practicalities did not prepare me for the force of emotions that overwhelmed me when I first looked into the eyes of each new child. This emotion is spiritual, full of hope and joy. I photographed newborn babies for several years in Canberra’s hospitals and I never tired of the awe of holding and looking at a newborn baby. As I said in ‘Passages Through Parenthood: real life stories from Australian parents’ Anne Godfrey. Lothian books 2000.

'I still feel a sense of wonder when I hold a newborn baby. Each baby represents another try at life, another chance to explore what it is to be human. Maybe this baby will make fewer mistakes than I, achieve greater things, inspire or help more people. Each new baby brings hope. We can look into a baby’s face and imagine any future. They help us to think of and plan for the future because it will be twenty years before they are full members of the community. Babies give us a continuum of life that is difficult to describe, a sense of history, a sense of generation following generation and of time flowing on. Who of us has not marvelled at those beautiful tiny fingers and toes of a newborn and not wondered at the sheer mystery of life. When we grasp how much of a miracle birth is, we also know that life is precious.'

This experience is one aspect of Immanuel – God with us. God came to earth as a human to experience ALL of our emotions and to share the experience of our lives and to live in perfect harmony with God. In doing so in a mysterious and miraculous way He reconciled God and humanity.
As a Christian I am asked to see Immanuel – God with us in everybody. As a human it is relatively easy to see Immanuel – God with us in our friends and family, those whose company we enjoy. It is harder to see Immanuel – God with us in people we do not like, people who have betrayed or hurt us, people who are cruel or violent, or people who look, dress and smell differently from us. Christmas is a time to remember all our fellow humans to see the miracle of creation in every person, to see the mark of God within no matter what their life situation, to look beyond our personal preferences. Our church reaches out to many during the Christmas season by giving food hampers to local people, hosting community events, giving Christmas shoe-boxes as presents to children and by sending any money offerings gathered on Christmas Day to Baptist World Aid for suffering people around the world.

Last night we received a call that our son had a ‘bad landing’ when he went para-gliding. He is in a country hospital recovering from his injuries 50km from home. This is a dread that any parent fears. Of course we drove to the hospital immediately. It was a sombre mood during the drive to the hospital in the dark last night. We wondered exactly how injured our son was and how it may affect his young life in the future. I am reminded of the fragility of life, how quickly circumstances can change. Although our son’s life is not in immediate danger, this fall has reminded us of the possibility of death. Another reason to see Immanuel – God with us in all of us, is that life can be taken from us at any time. In the developed countries like Australia where I live, it is easy to forget the fragility of life. We know life expectancy is around 80 years so we expect everyone to live ‘til their 80s. We have a tendency to take each other for granted, to take life for granted. But death happens at all ages, even in Australia. Life is a gift to be treasured. But not held on to. I still do not want to wrap my children in ‘cotton-wool’. I’m glad they are doing exciting things and I will not restrict their adventures. I know they are learning from experienced trainers who will teach safety issues. I hope that when my time comes to die, I will be doing something exciting or something worthwhile, because we ALL die.

I wish you all a Happy New Year bringing you many blessings, that God is with YOU and that you achieve good things and grow closer to your life purpose.

I've done a bit of cooking. See my photo gallery to see if you like my cooking!

On Sunday I did some portrait photography. The profits are going to support volunteers at Agape Home, an orphanage for AIDS children. Currently they support approximately 100 children ranging in age from babies to teens. The home has its own water treatment system and grows some of its food. Fresh food and clean water along go a long way to maintaining a healthy life. Sometimes the children become sick and they are given treatment as needed. They are given training in practical skills and schooling. At all times the children are given a lot of love.

AgapeHomePoster2

It is wonderful to do something positive and practical for World AIDS Day.

On 25th October, I went to our National Film and Sound Archive to a lecture and presentation called, “Blue in Black and White” by Prof Jill Julius Matthews from the Australian National University.
Australia’s erotic history does not often generate serious study. The lecture included film clips from the period 1890s to 1970s. It was a joyful experience of fun images of playful bawdy sexual visual jokes that delighted in the absurdity of sex.
This is a link to the full article in NSFA Journal, Vol 2, No 3, 2007 written by Prof Jill Julius Matthews.

My descriptions of the film clips contain explicit erotic content. Do not download if you are under 18 or if explicit sexuality offends you. My comments on Blue in Black and White by M Kalms.

I placed two new photos in my gallery today. It is good to get back into the photography again. We all lead such busy lives it takes discipline to arrange time to do those extra things. Life/work balance is important and it is the extra things that give life richness and depth. I encourage everyone to follow their passion, whatever gives meaning and joy.

What an amazing feast of artistic expression! Heavenly Bodies exhibition opened to a full house. Artists and guests enjoyed a stunning array of interpretation of Heavenly Bodies. Included were figure studies by Marie Lund, mythic bold sculptures by Terry Fuller, life's meaning explored by Lyndy Delain, delicate paintings on emu eggs and original fashion by Marlene Greenwood and fragile carvings in cuttlefish bone by Kylie Douglass. Helen Nugent had bright playful mythic images which contrasted with soft drawings by Allan Baptist. Kaoru Rauter explored diverse styles with great skill and stunning effect. Kerry Shepherdson demonstrated skill in cubist style and Wanda Bridgland made a social statement. Barbie Robinson told a story in digital photography and I continued my theme of women's symbolism with three digitally blended photographs.

A big THANK YOU to Hibiscus Gallery hosts, Chris and Wanda Bridgland.

The exhibition runs until 12 October.


A real angel and devil came to the opening of Heavenly Bodies - Photo Richard Robinson


A drink at the opening - Photo Bryan Kalms


Two of my photos, 'Angel of Life and Death' and 'Cosmic Woman' - Photo Margaret Kalms

Yesterday, I entered three photographs in the 'Heavenly Bodies' exhibition as part of Escape ArtFest 2008;
- Monthly
- Cosmic Woman
- Angel of Life and Death

The exhibition opens 20th September 4-6pm and continues until 12th October.

A friend sent me this joke...............

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, 'Son, how old are you?'
'Eight', the boy replied.
The man continued, 'Do you know what these are used for?'
The boy replied, 'Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can't do either.'