Perth Voice Interactive

THE photo of Perth film maker and artist Curtis Taylor dominates the gallery wall of Il Locale Cafe.

Dark and brooding, the image has a pulsating and primal quality.

“I wanted that particular portrait to make a bit of a statement when people walk in,” photographer Robert Simeon tells the Voice.

The photo is so powerful a regular at the North Perth cafe wanted it removed.

“He felt offended, which begs the question why,” Simeon says.

The man threatened to boycott the cafe if the photo remained.

“The image stayed and he did take his business elsewhere…though he came back a couple of weeks later.”

Brooding light

A western desert Martu man, Taylor’s image is one of a series of photos, mostly of dark skinned men from around the world, each captured in brooding light and brimming with life and energy.

“I don’t like airy fairy, I have more going on inside me and that comes out in my work,” Simeon says.

The exhibition challenges the viewer to step outside the norm and re-evaluate the human face and what is normally perceived, he says.

A professional photographer for 28 years, the Mt Lawley local prefers natural light for his portraits.

“There is something about natural light, I have used flash and lights but there is a sterility about it.

“There is a truth about natural light and its imperfections.”

Simeon’s Porta Della Verita (door of truth) exhibition is a joint collaboration with his mate Hank, who headed up the successful UK production company Monkey London, hence the working name Simeon:Simian.

“I shoot the photos and he does the post production,” Simeon says.

“He also knows when you leave an image alone.”

Despite a successful career as a commercial photographer, his love of his craft as art can play against him.

“The commercial market sees me as an artist and the artists think I’m a bit too commercial.”

Porta Della Verita is at Locale Cafe, Angove Street, North Perth until July 30.

by JENNY D’ANGER

BUREAUCRATS and a door that swings the wrong way have put the future of a Leederville gallery for emerging artists in jeopardy.

Ink Remedy owner Rachel O’Shea has been looking at the same exhibition she hung for the Fringe World festival in January after Vincent council planners got in a tizz over her front door, which opens inwards. Because of a quirk in the city’s planning scheme, she’s been told that means she can’t hold openings, which are crucial for sales at an exhibition.

Looking down the street at the myriad of cafes and restaurants with their inwardly-opening doors, Ms O’Shea’s mouth visibly tightens: “If they can operate, why can’t I?” she ponders.

She had suggested simply reversing the hinges on the doors so they swung outwards, but was told the footpath was council territory and it wasn’t permitted, while shelling out $10,000 for electronic sliding doors wasn’t justified given the low-cost aims of the gallery.

The impasse with the council has been going on for six months, and Ms O’Shea says she’s so frustrated she’s had to look at converting the gallery space into retail clothing or the like. She says that would be a great shame for Perth, because it was one of the biggest and most accessible of the few gallery spaces suitable for newcomers.

Just this week she turned away another artistic hopeful because her application to be deemed a public building seems to have been put in someone’s too-hard basket.

Ms O’Shea said before then the gallery had been successfully giving up-and-comers such as Clayton Popa (featured in last week’s Voice) four weeks in the spotlight. It’s flat $500 artist’s fee and no commissions had made it an affordable option for new artists.

“Some of them save up the $500, so it doesn’t matter so much if they don’t sell anything, although I think we’ve only had one exhibition where nothing sold,” says Ms O’Shea, whose tattoo parlour in the other side of the shop makes enough to support the gallery.

When Vincent’s planning department first decided the exhibition openings were a non-conforming use, Ms O’Shea was given a temporary permit to keep operating. But when her application went in, things ground to a halt.

She says her last three attempts to contact the council went unanswered; until she “had a rant” on a women-in-business social media website. It was apparently forwarded to the council, which Ms O’Shea claims resulted in a ticking off from a senior planner for going public.

Vincent council was contacted for comment.

by STEVE GRANT

A MISCONDUCT finding against Stirling councillor Elizabeth Re dating back to 2015 has been overturned by the State Administrative Tribunal.

At the time the Local Government Standards Panel found that Cr Re had been aggressive to a council staffer.

But the press release from her lawyer about the overturned decision has been met with legal threats from Stirling council, which claims Cr Re has now defamed the mayor and a city staff member in the release and in other comments to the media.

The now-overturned LGSP finding was released in September last year and a notice of censure against Cr Re was published in the West Australian.

It related to a conversation Cr Re had with a new council staff member in April 2015, “during which it was alleged that [Cr Re] acted in an aggressive and intimidating manner”.

New evidence presented to the SAT has seen that decision overturned, finding Cr Re did not breach any standards during that conversation.

The SAT report stated “clearly no sanction should result. It is therefore regrettable that the sanction…has already, to a large extent, been imposed.”

After the decision was released, Cr Re sent out a press release through her lawyer stating she had been given the all clear and that the SAT had not accepted some of the evidence provided by a council manager.

Stirling’s lawyers were quick to respond and Cr Re received a letter claiming she’d made “defamatory comments” about the mayor Giovanni Italiano and the manager: “your attention is drawn to section 35(1) of the Defamation Act 2005 which empowers a court to award up to $250,000 in damages for defamation”.

“If you wish to avoid defamation proceedings being commenced against you, the following action is required immediately,” and it tells her to publish a full retraction of the statements made to any media outlets she’d contacted, including “an unqualified apology”.

Cr Re said she will not do that, as the press release her lawyer wrote was based on SAT findings and contained no untruths. The lawyer’s letter also reminded her that she wasn’t supposed to speak publicly about council matters under the City’s code of conduct.

Stirling is one of the few councils left that only lets the mayor speak publicly.

by DAVID BELL

ROADS will become parks as Vincent council looks to expand the amount of green space for the city’s ever increasing population.

The council is consulting with locals around Hyde Street Reserve on the “Roads to Parks” project, which would see the reserve extended out onto Hyde Street between Alma Road and Forrest Street.

That chunk of road only sees about 128 cars a day and council techies reckon the redistributed traffic onto other streets would be “negligible,” and the nearby houses have access from either Forrest Street or Alma Road, so no driveways will be blocked.

Hyde Street Reserve had some upgrades over the last couple of years, involving getting rid of the shabby old asbestos fence, putting in a new swingset, and new trees and shrubs.

But some locals were miffed that the small patch of turf was turned into mulch in an effort to reduce water use.

It was only a little patch of grass, but families had enjoyed having a bit of turf for picnics.

Roads to Parks will give them more space and reintroduce some turfed area, and add more park furniture and waterwise native plants.

The council’s currently going out to community consultation with nearby locals and if people like the plan, the city’s flagged $120,000 on the budget to get it done.

Rasmus Moerch lives across the road from the Hyde Street Reserve and says taking over the road will create some space to give his nine-year-old daughter Aliza somewhere to play.

Mr Moerch says when the council upgraded the reserve’s playground and replaced the grass with mulch and waterwise plants, it took away a much-needed space.

“When there was lawn there were picnics and all these mothers’ groups would come down, but that’s all stopped now, Mr Moerch told the Voice.

He says the playground equipment’s a bit babyish for his daughter now, so despite being across the road from the park she’s not really been able to use it.

“It’s fantastic to see more green spaces, especially now when you have that debate on what makes green and usable spaces,” Mr Moerch said.

by STEVE GRANT and DAVID BELL

MAJOR crash investigators are seeking information about the death of a 91-year-old man on July 2 after his mobility scooter collided with a car.

About 5:15pm the scooter and a white Mitsubishi Outlander collided with each other near the intersection of Yirrigan Drive and Coralberry Crescent. It is believed the Mitsubishi was being driven west on Yirrigan Drive.

The 91 year old died in Royal Perth Hospital.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report the information online at http://www.crimestopperswa.com.au.