Time in Lieu, in other words ‘in place of’. The idea that you might be given time as a transaction reveals the tension felt in the lives of educators. It reflects a balance between the care for others, pressures of work and self-fulfilment.
Which leads to an uncomfortable idea: the concept of a balance between ‘creativity’ and ‘work’ is a misleading binary. Creative practice is work, and its future as legitimate work remains precarious. The three artists, as educators of creative and critical thinking, individuals who give time in the service of the betterment of others, are navigating and transacting time for time, to maintain creative work.
The artworks cover a variety of themes, including explorations of memory and experience, the power of the body itself, and longing for time lost. These three differing practices share a process in common, one that is informed by constraints of time, and devotion to, and joy for, creative acts and the meaningful work of educators.
About the artists:
Robyn Elliott
Elliott has participated in community-based exhibitions for many years in Victoria and the ACT, experimenting with textiles, ceramics and delving into themes such as longing and reflection.
Merri-bek summer Show 2023, 2024
Darebin Artshow 2001, 2003, 2013
Strathnairn Gallery Squares 2022.
Geelong Scarf Festival 2018
Royal Melbourne Show 2000
‘Interval’ Graduating Student Exhibition Canberra School of Art 1993
Elly Gomez
Elly Gomez is an artist and educator whose work bridges the realms of filmmaking, multimedia, andpainting. A graduate of RMIT University, Melbourne, with a degree in filmmaking in 2016, Elly transitioned into art education, earning her qualifications from La Trobe University, Melbourne.
Elly’s artistic practice delves deeply into the diverse perceptions of the human form, bodies and identity. Not only bodies the main subject of her artworks, but the body is used as a tool in the artmaking process. Through her innovative use of mediums, she examines the interplay between individual identity and collective experience. Her work often challenges and redefines traditional expectations of art and the role of the artist, emphasising authenticity and emotional resonance over convention.
Known for her sincerity and earnest approach to artmaking, Elly’s creations invite audiences to question norms and view the world through a complex lens. Her work reflects a profound commitment to exploring humanity in its most honest and varied forms.
James Langer
James Langer works in a variety of combined media, including print, collage, digital methods, painting and drawing. An interest in language and science also inform his work. The work explores the tension between time and experience, seeking positivity in the vast stretches of time that go far beyond a single life.
He graduated from the ANU School of Art in 2008, majoring in Printmedia and Drawing, and with a Master of Fine Arts at the Victorian College of Arts. Langer has exhibited in the ACT, Victoria and the Northern Territory.