conversation 1 - 24th april, 2010
First exchange - language: Mayrah - painting series; P.d - found objects - textiles
The conversation began on this day. During the exchange, Mayrah received a “found object” and p.d. casely-hayford received a series of paintings. The components of each piece set up the initial subject and commenced the creative discussion.

"How do I listen to this? I felt committed to opening up creatively to the paintings and felt a great responsibility to hear what was "inside" of the paintings..." P.D. Casely-Hayford"
image - segment from one of Mayrah's painting series

"I felt O.M.G. what have I got myself into here, what are we doing, where is gonna go? I reconciled from my series of paintings with my responses to the object as well as how I felt at the time..." Mayrah Yarragah
image - language: found object, which Mayrah is holding.

conversation 2 - 24th may 2010
Response: exchange - language: P.d - soundscape - Mayrah - mixed media artwork
The artists receive their first respective responses to the initial conversation.

“I can’t go off on my own tangent, or could if I justified it in some way, but that wouldn’t be an honest response to our conversation, and might jeopardize the integrity of the project. As rude as changing the subject midway between someone speaking. We are working in different mediums and have no idea if the other will continue using that medium for the next exchange. We have absolutely no idea of the outcome or themes that will emerge or thread these conversations together...” P.D. Casely-Hayford

"O.M.G. again! Where is this really going? Can I do this? At least before I had a tangible object, now I have to respond visually to a sound. In listening to P.d's response, I developed a new layered work, layered from P.d's sound, the sound of my world, and the sound of my material..."
Mayrah Yarraga
image - segment from Mayrah's mixed media artwork

conversation 3 - 24th june, 2010
Response exchange - language: Mayrah - painting; P.d - new media film

“ I’m finding remnants in Mayrah’s work of our previous conversations flowing into the work, in terms of what I have “said” through my creative work while other aspects have dropped away... Well its seems as though the conversation has shifted... so this kind of reminds me of the process of language where by we all are thinking about the same thing but we say it in different ways... I thought I had some idea of where we were going - just goes to show you should wait till the other person has finished "speaking". I can understand what Mayrah is "saying" although I thought we were gonna talk about something else. Also shows that while I was focusing on my response - I got wrapped up in where that was going - so it seems as though when two creative people take on this collaboration, there is no directing the outcome. Yet, I still feel like we are creatively in sync.... ”
P.D. Casely-Hayford
image - still from p.d casely-hayford's new media film


"Wow, what can I say. In responding a lot of things were going on for me. I had been really thinking about my connection to country and the movements of people through my life. When listening to your soundscape there was a moment of confusion... It was like you had taken my heart and transformed this into sounds. A kind of bloodline, familiar and comforting, As I painted the movement of the sounds swirled my brush strokes and soon a colour change was needed. Then the Ancestor... a power literation of your mob. This collaborative moment made me think of their emergence into my work... "
Mayrah Yarraga
image - segment of Mayrah's painting

conversation 4 - 24th july, 2010

Response exchange - language: Mayrah - painting and painted cloth : P.d - series of photographic images
The artists are challenged with being in different countries while honouring their commitment to the project and the exchange dates.

"Making creative pieces while traveling really made me realise the dependence on the internet for collaboration... I am in Ghana and haven't got studio space or access to my creative tools so at the moment my language feels stifled, that is really only a feeling, in reality I can still "speak" simply. That is probably a positive... I found a movement of a performer in Ghana which reflected the movement in Mayrah's painting and that inspired the set of images and influenced the colour scheme. Maybe that is the way I listen to others... remembering what they said instead of being present for every moment. Perhaps that is what we do when we collaborate... just take fragments of one another's offerings..." P.D. Casely-Hayford
image- segment of P.d - series of photographic images

Response from Mayrah delayed... received 24th September, 2010.
"When I opened the video response I was somewhat confused. . It was as though you had reached inside my soul and laced together the imagery that was being broadcast in flickers across my mind's eye... my back injury has debilitated me to a point of conscious nothingness... I find myself dissolving into a world of nothingness... surrounded by 1960s and 1970s artifacts has added to my bizarre surreal state of being in responding to your video with references to this 1960s white woman world of home making.
image - segment of Mayrah's painting

I am amazed to think that you have somehow been able to tap into my hidden reality of pain and privilege... Mayrah Yarraga
image - segment of Mayrah's painted cloth.



conversation 5 - 24th august, 2010
Response exchange - language: Mayrah - painting: P.D. woven sculpture and beads:

"Still waiting for the responses. I am wondering if I respond to nothing. Would I really talk to nobody this month? Probably yes, we all talk to ourselves. I wait patiently for our next conversation, knowing you are going through something more real that this creative chatter." P.D. Casely-Hayford

Response from Mayrah delayed... received 24th September, 2010.
"The natural flow of creative responses back and forward up until now has been great. The moment when your responses one revealed to me are tense, exciting and thrilling all at the same time. I often wonder in anticipation of what might next be revealed to me or how, in turn respond. Here today I also give you another response. This one is to your vibrant images... you have forced me to consider my position in a less didactic way. Colours moods and emotions stir out of my responses to yours are directly from the work. I have tried to remain true to your responses in both cases, but too I must confess each of my responses contains just a little bit of me." Mayrah Yarraga
image segment of Mayrah's painting.

P.D. Casely-Hayford's response gifted in October, 2010: the spine. The story of this exchange is detailed in 24th October, 2010 blog.

image segment of P.D.'s woven sculpture and bead.


conversation 6 - 24th september, 2010

"I realise that it really doesn't matter if we exchange out of sync. This conversation has no rules. That is the only thing we really agreed upon. Just to respond honestly and creatively. You've given me two conversations from my previous works. The images are slotted above for the sake of continuity... Something I need right now. A shattering experience has entered my life so this seems pedestrian to continue. However, the thought on reflecting on the works at the journey's end keeps me committed to this process. I wonder how the whispers of those moments around me will flow into this conversation. Diving back into creativity is a feeble attempt to hush the noise of grief, but it feels that is the only way through this for me."
P.D. Casely-Hayford

conversation 7 - 24th october, 2010
"You probably think why is she giving me this stuff. Well it's Project 24, it pulses though, although in the background. I thought about your last set of exchanges and also of the events that have passed in the last month... So what i have given you are the backbones of my culture - the spines - in the colours of Ghana; red, yellow and green and the black star. It is the essence inside me, my Afrocentric soul that is my compass through life. Also some beads from the tropics. How do these relate to your exchange? Well I guess we are always taught to look at what's like and what's different. That learnt separation is one of the problems of humanity. Peace." P.D. Casely-Hayford

"The colours of your mob are so strong and they make me consider the pride I have in drawing my own Aboriginal colours. In considering the 'spine' in your creative work I was thankful. this made me realise that you as an artist were producing work sensitive to my predicament... rather than focused on only responding to my work. I thank you for this. through this exchange we are reminded that relationships and realities of life, the good, the bad and the ugly are far more important than prestige, fame and individualistic focus... The beads have already given me strength. Good art does this. In responding to your gifts this month's, I know that I have been taken back inside myself to where the most important essence of myself resides - an essence that is no mine alone but will, I hope, result in creating a gift from my people, from the time before time - because inside me this is the truth of my soul... Your project 24 response is what I needed on this day 24th October, 2010. to remind me of what is important in life and to move beyond the facades that encompass us. To always seek strength in the spines that hold us together and remain true always to the complexities within ourselves." Mayrah Yarraga

Summer Saturation - Flooded out
There have been some personal delays as well as some shared one, in particular, the Queensland floods came through over the last few weeks, devastating towns and washing through the capital city, Brisbane. Phone lines down, electricity outages, food shortages, and water washing over levies through towns. Most heartening has been the incredible generosity of Australians in a time of crisis. Over 75,000 registered "gumboot brigade" volunteers sweeping and cleaning streets and home in Brisbane and more in other ravaged towns. Thousands more unregistered traveling from across the country to help their loved ones and those unknown to them. Stories of amazing giving are overwhelmingly beautiful. The kindness of strangers, traffic jams of people coming into towns to help, fund raising across the country, endless innovative groups setting up ways to help those in need, an amazing outpouring of the human spirit in its brightest light. As I type up this update, Mayrah is in a small town under the threat of flood. I have been comparatively lucky, cleaning up some mess in the drenching. However, we've not forgotten project 24. Exchange made impossible at this time due to roads washed away, bridges destroyed and communication limited to sharing thoughts.Just need to wring out our wears before we can continue the journey - more postings later. P.D. Casely-Hayford.

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Contributions
A selection of contributions from professionals in Creative Industries... Read more...

poetry films: Laterally Creative has just completed a new poetry film. What are poetry films? Some have described them as a new hybrid art-form, others see them as an evolution of multimedia poetry, yet the notion of combining art forms and dabbling with technology to create new aesthetics is nothing new. Read more....