Echuca figurative artist Luann Bennett could be jetting off to Italy next year for a specialised summit.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
A local artist has a unique opportunity to attend an international conference that offers both professional growth and community benefits.
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Figurative artist Luann Bennett is fundraising to visit the reFramed Global Figure Modelling Summit being held in Florence, Italy, in April next year.
Working from her Echuca studio, Ms Bennett’s creative practice involves holding live video sessions with professional nude models from overseas, the figures of her art.
“I spend the midnight hours connecting with models from all over the place: London, Argentina, everywhere, and we've developed a really tight community,” she said.
She came across the network amid COVID-19 pandemic restrictions after watching an SBS TV program that aired models posing for life drawings, a style Ms Bennett hadn’t practised for 30 years.
Photos of her work posted to Instagram drew the attention of other artists, opening the door to a new virtual community.
“I met a particular artist from America who said, ‘You know what, your drawings suck, but I can see something in them’,” Ms Bennett said, with a laugh.
The artist invited her to attend online model sessions they were taking part in.
“That’s really where it began. Since then, I practise regularly and my art has grown over time,” Ms Bennett said.
After around five years of association, the models have called for the inaugural week-long summit to discuss working conditions and payment while hosting workshops for artists to build on their work.
It presents a rare opportunity for Ms Bennett to work with a group of models in one location, an event she said was unlikely to occur in Australia.
While her practice grew from necessity during the pandemic, attempts at finding models to work with locally since have proven fruitless.
Having exhibited at The Foundry multiple times, Ms Bennett hopes to both contribute and learn from the summit, and bring her experience back to the gallery’s community.
“I view this as professional development, really, that I would not be able to access here,” she said.
“I have some professional esteem, and being able to grow that is probably the next logical step in my career.”
Ms Bennett has created a fundraising page to bring the opportunity to life, with proceeds going towards financing her seat at the summit.
Living on the disability pension due to a chronic pain issue, overseas travel is harder to realise for Ms Bennett.
Her practice provides an outlet, and the trip would also allow Ms Bennett to pursue artistic interests for two days on either side of the summit.
“I understand that people are doing it tough. Everybody is, but that’s why I have to (fundraise),” Ms Bennett said.
“I feel like it’s the kind of thing that changes your life, and it not just offers me opportunities, but opportunities for other local artists.”
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