FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

Tape 1 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about childhood in New Zealand, household in Auckland, female dominant family, starting school, parents' marriage break-up, father coming back when she was 14, being at high school during the Depression, grim times in New Zealand, comparison with her clever older sister, wanting to make things as a child, winning prize at school for flower arranging, ikebana classes, first interest in looking at things sculpturally, lack of self confidence, need to have children, teaching after university, activities at university, interest in boys, connection with nature, meeting husband Ben playing bridge, Ben winning scholarships.

Tape 2 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about early years in New Zealand and limitations there, not receiving any encouragement, being suppressed, marriage to husband Ben, move to Mount Stromlo in Australia, living in a very cold place, war effort in Australia, first impressions of Australian landscape, having first baby, living in a small scientific community, making friends with other wives, making a quilt in order to keep herself occupied and sane, enjoyment of walks, being a bad housewife, motherhood, bringing things home and arranging them, interest in the land, being isolated, making a big flower garden.

Tape 3 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about love of nature, preferring familiar surrounds, restrictions and limitations in New Zealand, need to look at things for the pleasure of the eye, making things to look at, people not understanding her creations, flower arranging, Ikebana training, experience with plagiarism, gaining confidence through Ikebana, move to making things that would last, works that reflected the country, finding materials, dislike of plastic, use of wooden boxes,

Tape 4 - Various still photographs Rosalie Gascoigne, family, school friends, university friends, husband, children, Mount Stromlo, house, artworks.

Tape 5 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about moving from Mount Stromlo to Canberra, description of house in Canberra which was badly designed, building new house and then studio, husband Ben being away a lot as an astronomer, having work recognised through knowing the right people in Canberra, relationship with Jim Mollison, art first shown in public at Macquarie Galleries in Canberra, various exhibitions, first Australian woman represented at the Venice Biennale, not enjoying Venice because of political hindrances, recognition as an artist, different phases of her art, finding and choosing materials for her art, preferring weathered and used things, shapes and worn colours,

Tape 6 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about trying to capture the image of air, description of artwork ÒBut Mostly AirÓ, communicating emotions and feelings in works, inability to draw or paint lifelike, looking for self satisfaction in own artwork, use of tools, influences from other artworld contacts, pleasure from natural things, use of an unseen grid, use of galvanised / corrugated iron, searching the countryside for materials and encounters with people along the way including road gangs, wanting to depict the positive in her work rather than negative.

Tape 7 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about affinity with certain places within a limited range, needing familiarity with country, regional aspect to her art, thoughts on travel abroad, bad impression of art in New York, overseas interest in her art, love of the Monaro district and its air and grass, giving works their titles and the importance of getting the titles right, origins of works ÒPink WindowÓ and ÒWattle StrikeÓ, origins and development of feathered work, Arnott's parrots and Norco cows, works taking time, doing work in morning, highs and lows with work, honesty in art.

Tape 8 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about thoughts on female artists, not being a feminist, equality, idea of no sex discrimination in art, discovering art world, admiration for James Mollison's vision, talks with artist and teacher Michael Taylor, realisation that she was a true artist when in her fifties, having a clear vision as a mature artist, making money from art but not needing it, giving up a lot for art, art is not for sissies, getting strength from need and desire, finding materials in the more modern world, belief that you shouldn't run out of inspiration, making bigger things as getting older, fear of deprivation and losing heart, thoughts on value of art.

Tape 9 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about liking the materials she works with, always representing the positive, being very aware of nature, being limited to landscape abstracts, having control over work although a disorganised and untidy person, Bacon saying that art comes out of chaos, surprise in being a success, always new challenges ahead, effect of success on her life, reaction of husband Ben to her success and his surprise at her ÒobsessionÓ, resulting strain on marriage, demands with exhibitions and promotional work, giving talks to art students, needs of art students, her need for art, being hard to live with, importance of poetry, thoughts on religion, nature being an eternal verity, still being young and energetic at the age of 81, having more vitality in the mornings, having no fear of death,

Tape 10 - Interview Rosalie Gascoigne about working with bones in her art, beauty of bones, wood and iron, finding the right pieces, sometimes asking for help to move heavier objects, sometimes pulling a completed work apart, relationship with father, who was a drinker, being compared with her father, her mother's intellect and drive, strength of her sister, discovering herself, frustrations with work, still having her passions, need for beautiful things in nature as an opposite to negatives in her life.

Tape 11 - flowers in garden, vs Rosalie Gascoigne digging and gardening, husband Ben sitting on garden bench reading newspaper, various CUs flowers, interior studio and Rosalie working in studio, tidying up, arranging small wooden blocks, vs cutting wood on bandsaw, vs tools, vs different materials stacked up, vs artworks, various family photographs.