Basil Hall Editions (BHE) was established in 2002. The studio is located in tropical Darwin in the far north of Australia and is available to artists and art centres who wish to collaborate with experienced printers in the production of most forms of printmaking.
In addition to its Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients in cities Australia-wide, BHE has worked in 2007-8 with over 150 artists from 15 remote communities in Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. Boasting one of the most experienced teams currently working with Indigenous artists in Australia, BHE employs up to 5 printers, who regularly run printmaking workshops in Art Centres or host visiting artists in BHE's Darwin studio. The BHE workshop is fully equipped for etching, silkscreen and relief printing.
Basil has been working with Australian and overseas artists for nearly 25 years, as Director of Studio One in Canberra, Northern Editions in Darwin and Basil Hall Editions.
Current Projects
Recent Projects (Updated October 15 2008)
In 2008, workshops have been held with artists from Yirrkala, Yuendumu, Tiwi Islands, Torres Strait Islands, Lockhart River, Oenpelli, Jabiru, Peppimenarti, Turkey Creek, Utopia, Fitzroy Crossing and Darwin. Still to come are Beswick and Tjungu Palya (South Australia).
After Berndt Project 2008
In collaboration with Buku Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre in Yirrkala, BHE has been involved in a most exciting venture in 2008. After an initial softground etching workshop in Yirrkala with Basil Hall and Merran Sierakowski, Buku's printing team (assisted by BHE) commenced the enormous task of working with 27 Yolngu artists from East Arnhem Land on a project which was inspired by 360 crayon drawings done by their ancestors and collected by anthropologists, the Berndts, in the 1940s.
Using the softground technique suggested by Basil, the crayon style of the original drawings was preserved in the new works. The artists studied reproductions of their forebears' works before commencing on their own contemporary, yet traditional, versions, and the resultant editions were launched at the Garma Festival in Gulkula in August 2008 and shown again in the Botanic Gardens in Darwin during the Darwin Festival to great acclaim.
Tales of the Avians Project Made in collaboration with Nomad Art Productions, June-August 2007
(Above Left) Rob Brown (Darwin) and Basil work on a series of 25 one-off versions of one of Rob's plates for the "Tales of the Avians" exhibition, which opened during the Festival of Darwin in August 2007. (Above Right) Darwin artist Bryan Bulley working in the BHE courtyard on his two plates for the Avians exhibition. 6 artists took part in the project: Nura Rupert (Ernabella), Peggy Jones Napangardi (Tennant Creek), Janice Murray (Melville Island), Monique Auricchio, Bryan and Rob (all of Darwin)
Mount Borradaile Workshops with Mandy Martin and Basil Hall2007 and 2008
(Above Left) Basil and Victorian printmaker Anne McMaster at one of the extraordinary rock art sites at Mount Borradaile in 2007. (Above Right) Part of the group of 23 who accompanied Basil and Mandy Martin on the first field trip, pictured at Major Art, a huge overhang literally covered with outstanding examples of contact and pre-contact art. Traditional owner, Charlie, is pictured, centre. Another highly successful Mount Borradaile workshop took place in May, 2008 with Basil and Mandy.
Japanese-style Woodblock Workshops at Yirrkala, May & July, 07
(Above Left) BHE senior printer Jacqueline Gribbin working in the courtyard of the Buku Larrngay Print Space in Yirrkala with Dianne Blake and a group of Buku artists during the first Japanese Woodblock Workshop in May 2007. (Above Right) Jacqueline assists one of the young printers. The two workshops and a follow-up in Darwin with Buku printer Watjumi Munungurr resulted in an exhibition of the woodcuts at the 2007 Garma Festival
First Etching and Silkscreen workshops at Beswick, May 07
(Above Left) A group of artists from Djilpin Arts, Beswick, participated in a first printmaking workshop with Basil and Jacqueline in May 2007. The men made 19 etchings and a fine set of silkscreen prints. These were made for launching at the 2007 "Walking with Spirits" Festival (Above Right) Micky Hall makes his first silkscreen acetates. Micky is well-known for his finely-painted didjeridoos
Ernabella Milpatjunanyi (Sand Stories) Exhibition in Adelaide (November 06 until January 2007)
(Above Left) Hilary Furlong, former Art Co-ordinator at Ernabella Arts, assists Nura Rupert as she signs one of her Ngintaka (Goanna) images in Alice Springs in November 2006 for the Milpatjunanyi Exhibition. Nura, Tjaria (Nungalka) Stanley and Amanyi Haggie signed 650 prints over two days!
(Above Right) Amanyi Haggie Minyma Mamu (series of 12 white ground etchings) shown at the Jam Factory in Adelaide two weeks later. The exhibition of ceramics and prints ran from November 06 - January 07
Fiona Hall drawing a series of plates during the Replant Project held in Daly River and at Basil Hall Editions' studios. Replant is a project devised by Nomad Art Productions and includes artists Fiona Hall, Judy Watson, Winsome Jobling, Marita Sambono (Daly River), Debra Wurrkitj (Maningrida) and Irene Mungatopi (Melville Is.) Replant has toured extensively around Australia in 2007-8 and will continue into 2009.
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