Roman Sites - an exhibition of paintings disceminating locations in both Rome and Melbourne

'Roman sites' is a series of paintings depicting the architecture of Rome in relation to contemporary life. The work arose from time spent at the British school in Rome when on an Australia Council residency in 2000-2001 and was later expanded upon in 2006 and 20012. Living in Rome presented the opportunity to explore and appreciate this monumental urban space and to begin the journey of discovery through Rome's historical layers. Stefano Forsatti, the director of Melbourne's 'Italian Institute of Culture' invited me to to exhibit and on Saturday June 30, 2012. The exhibition was opened by Dr Susan Russell who had recently retired as the assistant director at the British School at Rome. One thousand exhibition invitations were distributed to mailing lists by the IIC and myself. Approximately 100 people attended the opening. The exhibition opening was recorded and broadcasted online both on the Italian Institute's website and on the British School at Rome's website. A self- published catalogue essay was available during the exhibition. My project aim was to record Rome's layers in relation to contemporary life and research past artists who reinvented Roman views. In thinking about Rome's historical layers I was motivated to split up the imagery of urban scenes. The sections of the views that appear to be sorted and stacked in the way of an archeological dig have been of interest to historians and archeologists. In 2012 Valerie Teh, a Cambridge University archeology student, interviewed me with regards to my creative outcomes for her masters paper that documented the relationship between art and archeology. Included in this exhibition were images of wall spaces in Melbourne tying up an idea of wall substances and surfaces reflecting interaction of people within my current urban environment. I believe the project to be new knowledge.