Neville Assad-Salha
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The South Australian School of Art at Stanley Street North Adelaide
South
Australian School of Art during the 1970s for
me was an extremely important period in my life with many great students
coming from all over Australia to be part of a hub for the Fine Arts.
Meeting many of these people along with sharing houses and parties with many of them, allowed a young person coming into Art School to have a strong dialogue between different backgrounds and also the crossing over of departments.
I strongly believe it allowed its students to think like artists and create a lifestyle that we have never let go of. Still these connections remain and I never lose focus of producing work in reference to this period of my Art School days.
Many afternoons were taken up at the Kentish Arms Hotel playing darts with our lecturers and discussing our works in a slightly intoxicated environment. These times were absolutely fantastic as we could feel very much a part of the Art School and art community of South Australia.
I
must say none of this would have happened without Gough Whitlam (Prime
Minister) and Don Dunstan (SA Premier). These people really turned
things around and gave us much more strength within Australia and very
much so gave South Australia the edge on the fine
art and craft scene.
Still I try to work by these memories so as to retain the qualities which we discovered during this time.
I am currently working in Beirut helping to set up the Art Department at the American University of Beirut and every year I return to Australia to spend time in the studio I have had for 30 years in Dutton, rural South Australia. Special thanks to all lecturers during this time and especially Milton Moon for giving me the opportunity to explore clay in a more diverse manner.
Neville Assad-Salha (Salha was added at a later date, being our correct village name in Lebanon)