Arts Features International: Escape Artists Anthology. Editor: Ruth Skilbeck

Featuring the works of thirty-four authors, artists, arts and cultural historians, from around the world and across urban and regional Australia, the inaugural anthology issue of Arts Features International literary journal, addresses themes of artistic, social, cultural and technological change, in a time of major historical evolutionary transition. From the displacement and shock of transitioning from the ‘private’ timeless zone of writing to the public zone of ‘virtual reality’ and publishing via computer, to social media and digital arts production arises the need to gather together to defend our humanity, and environment, and speak in a polyphony individually together.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Ruth Skilbeck Letter From the editor 1

ESSAYS ON LITERATURE, ART, POLITICS AND AESTHETICS

Ruth Skilbeck excerpts ‘Notes’ from The Writer’s Fugue, 3rd edition 4

Wang Zhiyuan paints Beauties Captured in Time 26

Philip Mann excerpts ‘Epilogue–Après le Déluge’ from The Dandy at Dusk 27

Fan Dongwang paints and analyses Shifting Perspectives and The Body 36

Elizabeth Gertsakis uncovers The Beginnings of the Story of Visual Censorship in Victoria 66

MANIFESTO: STATEMENTS, LETTERS & CONVICTIONS

Ying Huang satirises Kim-pie (Kim J Un) painting 74

Ruth Skilbeck contributes Café Life in the Antipodes, novel excerpt 76

Suellen Symons rethinks Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) in photographic representations 84

Behrouz Boochani sends A Letter from Manus Island, translated by Omid Tofighian 88

Guo Jian unmasks Picturesque Scenery 98

Ruth Skilbeck on Guo Jian’s art From Mao to Now 109

Christen Clifford posts A Message from Christen Clifford 114

Ghassan Hage Hage Ba’a letter Why I Have Voted in Support of BDS 118

Elizabeth Farrelly posts on #savingsydneystress 122

William Yang photograph Redwood Forest, Muir’s Wood 126

Ruth Skilbeck Daily Fugue letter Why I will be Boycotting the 2014 [Sydney] Biennale 127

POETRY, SONGS, POETRY & IMAGES

Rhyll McMaster reprises Loose Connection 136

Thomas Connelly poetically chronicles Australia’s historical relations with Manus 137

Richard James Allen declares J’accuse and sends more new poems 141

The Editor posts A Note on the Ern Malley Literary Hoax 149

Ramon Loyola speaks of Alien Tongue (Transiting in Lost Cacophony) 150

Jeremy Gluck poetic reflection on loss of a mother, Snow 155

Jeremy Gluck and The Carbon Manual play Winter Begins 157

John Queripel, lyrics and links to Africa Song, Turning Away, Recompense 158

Ella Skilbeck-Porter, poems Napaltjarri; Between Attraction; Temporary Whim 161

Michael Gormly, poems and photographs Night Sounds and The Shortest Day 164

Lâle Teoman, poems and underwater photographs Triptych Underworld 166

Leisa Woodman, poem Tricks 172

SHORT STORIES & MEMOIR

Maxim Skilbeck-Porter, short story The Rip 174

Kenneth Wolman New York poet’s memoir aged 70, A Brief Guide to Middle Class Homelessness 178

Karen Kennedy travel essay and photographs Travelling on a Long Rope #1: The Festival of the Pot, Allahabad, India 2013 202

CREATIVE PROCESSES: DIALOGUE—ART & TEXT, POETRY & PHOTOGRAPHY, PERFORMANCE & FILM

Ruth Skilbeck in Conversation with Mary Kelly and son Kelly Barrie and her photographic portraits of the artists 217-230

Ruth Skilbeck reflects on The Hidden Mother 232

Paloma Concierta focuses on Mortal Closeups 237

Natasha Williams print For Christopher 248

Christopher Barnett poem Pour Thomas 249

Luciano Prisco paintings O Jerusalem, New Jerusalem, Wall Revelation and Death Fugue 256

Christopher Barnett Interviewed by Ruth Skilbeck 258

Anne Tsoulis & Georgia Wallace-Crabbe arts documentary on Christopher Barnett These Heathen Dreams: Journey of a Cultural Bolshevik 270

Anne Tsoulis Interviewed by Ruth Skilbeck 271

Lâle Teoman The Heroine’s Journey: Women on Solo Expeditions Through Film 286

ISSN: 2209-8933 (print)

ISBN: 9780648398356 (hardcover)

Date of publication: August 2018

Pages: 312. Number of images: 57 colour. 2 black and white.

Book dimensions: 15.24 x 1.9 x 22.86 cm