Bennett Miller is currently working with the community of Mount Barker. This residency forms part of one of Spaced’s current programs, Rural Utopias.

Bennett Miller works across sculpture, installation, video and performance. In more recent years Miller's work has moved out of the gallery and into the public realm, through a series of live art performances for festivals and outdoor contexts.

Here, Bennett shares an update from Mount Barker.

I’ve had a great time in Mt Barker so far. Like a lot of people I had previously only driven through it, keen to end the long drive from Perth and get to the south coast.

My first day was spent working at the excellent Mitchell House Arts Centre- a pink heritage building on Albany Highway that has been converted to a gallery with a pottery club and shared workspace out the back. Mitchell House has a lot of regular users and they were all very warm and welcoming to me

My job for the day was to help hang the ‘Messing with the Masters’ exhibition- a collaborative project between artists from Mt Barker, Lake Grace and Wagin. The premise of the exhibition is to take a famous image or artwork and rework it in a personal way. I ended up buying one of them- a version of Starry Starry Night by Van Gogh that was reworked by Heather Roberts to include the communication towers and wind farms of Mount Barker.

Much of the next week was spent out exploring the Porongorups and Stirling Ranges- the backdrops of the incredibly beautiful landscape that surrounds Mt Barker. It is not hard to see why the land is so fertile around here and subsequently why it is has become such a strong agricultural base for Western Australia. Most of the Western Australian landscape that I grew up in is dead flat and dry so it makes for a nice change to actually have to climb up some things.

Having said that I most certainly do not recommend attempting the hike up to Castle Rock with your 4 year old in a harness on your back. I did this and whilst it seemed a great idea as we approached the summit it quickly became a nightmare when we got to the steel climbing ladders and assorted climbing aids that take you to the very top of the rock. These are not suitable for having a screaming, wriggling, heavy thing attached to you. On the way down I spoke to someone working on the maintenance of the track who noted that the SES had pulled someone out on a stretcher on every day of his job so far.

It was interesting to consider these tourism mishaps in the context of the undeniably strong natural and spiritual ‘juju’ of the area. Signs at the foot of the Porongorup climbs tip you off to a certain extent- speaking of the Indigenous reverence for the area and a reluctance and/or complete refusal to enter this area at night. There is even an actual ‘Twin Peaks’ within the Porongorups- so if I don’t come back next time look for a circle of white rocks in the forest.

There was no internet at our accommodation- so we became regulars at the Plantagenet Hotel, managing the days administrative affairs over lunch. It is difficult to ‘unhear’ the stories told at this pub- full as it is with workers from the Pig and Chicken farms that dot the area. Nevertheless Melbourne Cup day at this pub is the best place I’ve ever watched the race at. There was a stage in the corner and at the conclusion of the races some locals jumped up to deliver stirring renditions of classic songs and inviting everyone to sing along.

Towards the end of my stay I was lucky enough to witness a second incredible musical performance- this time by the ‘Sing For Joy’ choir in a small church on Albany Highway. The choir meets every Wednesday night and is led by a choir director who travels up from Denmark. Though I’m sure some people can sing down in Denmark too- you can see why she travels to Mt Barker each week- as the choir is completely fantastic. They sing songs in the African American Gospel tradition- 60’s Detroit transposed to a church in Mt Barker. I loved watching this and am now hopeful of collaborating with the choir in some way for this project. I approached the choir director and we talked about it, she didn’t oppose the idea but seemed a bit (correctly) stuck on the question of what exactly I would bring to the table musically. Thankfully I was saved by a local musician whom also approached the director asking to collaborate five minutes after I had, so now there is a good chance that we can all make something together.

I’m not entirely sure what direction that will take, but it was a great way to end my first stint there, and I look forward to going back down there shortly.

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