Developed in response to the Museum of Brisbane (MoB) exhibition, Making Place: 100 Views of Brisbane, artist and writer Pat Hoffie has published When Pictures Whisper Stories.
In 2022, Pat was engaged by MoB as Writer in Residence to respond to the artworks on display through creative writing.
The collection of stories she developed focus on different aspects of life in Brisbane and are as diverse as the visions and experiences of the artists whose work inspired them.
When Pictures Whisper Stories comprises ten stories and a ‘fairy tale’ that is the author’s personal homage to Maiwar.
With tales both funny and informative, poignant and challenging, this book takes readers on a journey through Brisbane’s past, always maintaining the importance of acknowledging and listening to the Custodians of the land.
As idiosyncratic as it is illuminating, this collection of stories offers a primer for those interested in delving deeper into the wondrous past of this extraordinary part of Country.
Pat Hoffie is a Queensland based visual artist. Trained in painting, her practice includes a range of media including installation, assemblage and sculpture. She held her first solo exhibition in Brisbane in 1974, and since then has exhibited extensively in Australia and internationally.
Pat has engaged in visual arts residencies across the Asia-Pacific region and in Europe, and has worked collaboratively with artist communities including, and especially, those in the Philippines. She has also worked on a range of projects and exhibitions that include Australia’s changing role in the Asia-Pacific region; Art and Human Rights; the changing nature Country, land and place; and the effects of globalisation on local cultural production in Australia and overseas.
Pat has worked full-time on her art practice for the past six years, and has also worked as an academic, a curator, and as a published writer. She has held positions on a number of leading national boards and committees including Australia Council for the Arts, Asialink, National Association of the Visual Arts, Institute of Modern Art, Australian Flying Arts School and Queensland Artworkers Alliance. Pat Hoffie (AM) is Professor Emeritus at Griffith University.
When Pictures Whisper Stories is published by and available to purchase from the Museum of Brisbane. For more information, visit: www.mobshop.com.au for details.
Image: When Pictures Whisper Stories – courtesy of the Museum of Brisbane