tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20027316502464625312024-03-19T21:20:00.710+11:00where for ART nowExhibition reviews and what's on in art and other creative enterprisesMissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-48945718438836432842013-12-05T19:44:00.001+11:002014-10-18T13:04:33.994+11:00MONA - The new museum vernacular<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-mH2HZ5jtTeQU-IXo1RTdEd5WMKJNnCPP1Fq8ve34go6C-BUi-HxJ0vSR_7a0CayWUoBCkOourZya4p1Iiguv8D7MockJ8J6PRfeWxBdwbUFs4gyxt13qxPxNJL4_cOL1Zfn48ym3j4/s1600/MONA+outside+soundscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-mH2HZ5jtTeQU-IXo1RTdEd5WMKJNnCPP1Fq8ve34go6C-BUi-HxJ0vSR_7a0CayWUoBCkOourZya4p1Iiguv8D7MockJ8J6PRfeWxBdwbUFs4gyxt13qxPxNJL4_cOL1Zfn48ym3j4/s400/MONA+outside+soundscape.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
have heard all the hype for a while now, I’ve read the articles, I’ve endured
all the work colleagues from across Australia visiting and speaking so highly
of their experience, “It’s really different; there are no labels; you really
should go and see it for yourself; what, you haven’t been yet? really?” Yes, I
missed the very first version of Monanism, and have suffered great
embarrassment, catching up with every work colleague back from professional
duties/ visiting MONA since its opening in 2010. To be honest I also haven’t
much been paying attention to others opinions which I realise on the plane into
Hobart, I am a clean slate, ready to explore unhindered.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
arrived on Saturday afternoon back in January 2013 realising it was “market day” (every
Saturday in summer).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To avoid the ferry
passenger queue already at a complete standstill at the main museum entry, I decided to
wander the grounds for an orientation of the site itself. I managed to get
quite distracted for well over an hour, by the mini-festival up on the lawns. It was
a relaxed atmosphere with people enjoying live music, laying about on beanbags
and witty banter from a host being broadcast across the sound system, chatting
to local providores at stalls around the perimeter, quality foods to sample and
a charity lemon-aid stall run by children. I could have stayed longer, and as a
local I would have enjoyed a day out, just for market day (and miss the gallery
altogether). The MONA foodfest certainly evoked the same relaxed and effortlessly sophisticated vibe that Hobart township was so good at showcasing.</span></span><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiEJhisCzXaFj-IcfuQoz6TG02eHMph2fjcb62o5iVG293gyf1M444oFeQav1hKZgl4SS46LBuM7KnsPb_fZRzl9JVMaEPQpZzk7Cp22t8xvPNMqNznftS6rAu2Tck7sXSB9rD1a6QSc/s400/Mona+lawns+%25283%2529.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scattered beanbags in the aftermath of the festival</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Fear of the dark<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I finally
arrived inside and quickly realised this casual sophistication I witnessed
outside also translated to inside. Bubbly staff at the entrance ushered me to
receive my O and explain the device was the labelling system. A very quick
tutorial, and a glance at the galleries map (hard copy) and I was on my way. So
far my journey was effortless, I was equipped and already intuitively flicking
through screens familiarising myself with the IPod touch format. Descending in
the glass lift I prepared myself, in the few moments of calm silence after the throngs
of the crowd upstairs. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZN1Usbxhj6bd5XAE4BzbIEUyfz5Uqm_6CmwjKM9tmPxYJHEXYJZRHzouALr9aKpLNn8FxiktwQmgBlCaAYntxKxG8V8lTsbmynouvS660h05Fdz6FKdPTt5bTjDawOSMnZPkC-KXzWOc/s640/dive+into+the+void.jpg" height="640" width="400" /><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">Stepping off into the void</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once in the lower void, the gigantic sandstone rock face
escalated to what seemed 5 storeys above. It was stunning and had an immediate
impact on everyone who entered. The scale of the Museum was revealed (in parts),
hanging off the rock face – pinned lightly to it, to create the cavernous void.
The sense of awe it created, was reminiscent of other great architectural
features such the turbine hall of the Tate Modern in London. It was spectacular
and daunting as I craned my head to see other visitors poking their heads over
a wall above, pointing downward and across at something they could see, (and I
could not) yet another floor or so above me. I started to get the sheer gravity
of the exercise ahead of me and almost immediately went into a panicky head
spin. Where do I start? How long will this take me? I’m running out of time to
see it all! Julius Popp’s Bit. Fall is a perfect introduction to what lies
beyond in the darkness, it is pop culture, provocative and a comment on our
technology driven society. The one thing you learn about MONA is, they are not
afraid of the dark, they are not afraid of going where other museums seem to be.</span></span> </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;" unselectable="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shrouded car - an invitation to peer through the heavy rope curtains</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
took the advice of the attendant upstairs and went to the entrance of the new
exhibition <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theatre of the World.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I engaged with the O straight away and
touched the update button to find an introduction audio from the curator. As I
stood in the darkened threshold I viewed the display of random and unconnected objects
and was invited by the narrator to look at the objects and reflect on the art
of looking and ways of seeing. In fact this introduction was perfect for
setting the scene for the tone of the whole museum. You had to have your eyes
peeled to navigate the dark spaces but also an open mind for the installations
ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Room
after room were iconic contemporary <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
conceptual pieces juxtaposed with the historical (tribal dance masks, carved
statues, coral specimens, Egyptian sarcophagus, ancient Greek and Roman coins,
Neolithic flints and mortuary amulets). Every nook and cranny had surprises
something up high, down low, around corners like a labyrinth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61I0t3qjDg4JPDjkG3HLMZ85Pr84eftq4VSPYjO_IhHN0Hq-3ObNIwYdd__LeJybnjXG-vHwFhUSenypDCEveqcBdZxuOlwnCHflgErSNrJUyOEzKR5RWLwdp9SYnSnvYwEHOFEVsOMA/s1600/darkness+descending+corridor+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61I0t3qjDg4JPDjkG3HLMZ85Pr84eftq4VSPYjO_IhHN0Hq-3ObNIwYdd__LeJybnjXG-vHwFhUSenypDCEveqcBdZxuOlwnCHflgErSNrJUyOEzKR5RWLwdp9SYnSnvYwEHOFEVsOMA/s400/darkness+descending+corridor+%25286%2529.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">Darkness decending corridor</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The IPod
touch application was intuitive from the outset. Just hit the update button and
wait for the works around you to upload, select the image relating to what you
were viewing and find all the information. You could read basic data, listen to
audio of interviews with the artists, read the Gonzo (David Walsh ramblings)
and the whimsically termed “art wank” if you fancied something more traditionally
‘discursive’. The format was easy to navigate and convenient, just updating as
you went along to select from the nearby works to explore on screen. It could
also be flicked to landscape orientation for a more accessible font size and a
slightly revised, more gestural scrolling interface much like viewing album
covers in an ITunes library. But where was the map showing my location and
where some of the routes ahead? I was lost in the dark – which way was out? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<h3 class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Fear of missing out<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There
was one frustrating part for me some way through the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theatre of the World:</i> I just couldn’t at all find the data of the
object in front of me. Instead I got other objects I had just viewed or others
that didn’t resemble the piece at all, (or any in the vicinity).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving up after scrolling through the list of
objects, I just ventured ahead. Turning a corner, it dawned on me that I may
have been locating something, as the object seemed to be located on the other
side of the gallery but in fact just behind a wall where I was standing moments
before. This happened on a couple of other occasions where I couldn’t
immediately find the object in the list of “nearby works”. As perplexing and
slightly frustrating as it was at the time I quickly got absorbed in exploring
more interviews, or random gonzo anecdotes, musings on the work or behind the
scenes chit chat or the “art wank” button. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Art
wank? Some might call it colloquial, but I found this labelling very
refreshing, so much so, I read the room brochure from cover to cover, (with
good deal of amusement). When was the last time anyone read a room brochure
from cover to cover? I believe this casual and conversational tone does a fair
amount to relax the visitor and create a more receptive ambience to engage with
the content, particularly the difficult content. Standing by yourself looking
at a photograph of a dog copulating with a man is no easy feat in a public
situation, but standing with a stranger looking at said work does become
slightly...awkward. But I found security in the O and in wearing the headphones
a sense of displacement from others, which for me, helped overcome
uncomfortable feelings while viewing confronting content with others. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There
is fair amount of shock-value on the walls at MONA. They admit “there are all
your favourites, and some stuff you totally effing hate”. MONA’s honesty here
is likely backed up by the data captured by the O. In social media style the
visitor is invited to Love or hate artefacts along their journey using the O.
It was engaging enough to see the works I liked and how my vote stacked up
against the majority. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cute descriptors
such as “621 other people have similar warm and fuzzy feelings about this
object” is all entertaining enough but some of the statistics left me wanting
to know more and to have the data quantified further. 621 out of how many? Just
because it wasn’t captured on the O doesn’t mean it wasn’t liked by 1000 other
visitors who saw it that day – or since it had been on display? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
content was generally a bit more lo-fi than I had expected (poor quality sound
recordings of the interviews) but all worked together as a package. It all
seemed really so effortless until I remembered the gallery host instructions
“Simply upload your email address when cued by the system and your journey is
saved. So why has it asked me four times to retype my email address? Have I got
concurrent tours going at the same time? Inadvertently hitting the O return
home button was a common error I made, out of habit using my IPhone which meant
some waiting for it to reboot. Finally at the exit I asked the attendant to
check I had signed out properly, and just as well I did as she explained “now
your tour is saved”. At this point, I was slightly sceptical I would receive an
email with my tour saved in one piece. Within 2 hours of arriving back to my
hotel I checked my email account to no avail, leaving me with a deflated
feeling, also confused how I could get such an intuitive simple system so
wrong. I decided to go back the next day to get to the bottom of it...<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<h3 class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Fear of falling<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After
checking my email on Sunday morning, lo and behold my MONA tour was there and
in one neat tour. I had a new found respect for the O and felt slightly guilty
I had decided to front up to MONA with a complaint about the technology. Once
there, I took less time to navigate the system (and the galleries) and settled
in to cruising around without such a huge agenda. Everything seemed far
effortless than the day before. I couldn’t help but notice quite a few visitors
abandoned the O device altogether. I even overheard one female explaining to a
gallery attendant “it’s frustrating, I’m too focussed on using the thing and
not looking at the art properly”. I couldn’t help agree my first day was a bit
fatiguing taking in the ‘whole’ MONA experience, reading the small screen text,
while also trying to take in the whole of the building and the art piece by
piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did have to remind myself to
look where I was walking at times. There was a gentleman who’s partner had the
device and was compelled to explain things as he pointed and commented – I
don’t like this one, this is crap”. Walking on the same gentleman stated “WOW
look at this, how amazing” The O is a device people could dip in and out of as
the collection could certainly be appreciated in its own right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That
said, I couldn’t help but feel that visitors who weren’t using the O were
missing half the fun. The Z<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">izi the
affectionate couch</i> label explained if you patted and stroked the furry
upholstery Zizi would respond. The purring and mews were interactivity at its
best. As I was sitting another visitor joined for respite, without her O, she
missed the surprise of the vibrating responses until I explained it was no
ordinary gallery seating.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJoXz1KiS6d11fUZYWMUKlpd2XNRc8s82HkIgYo3Ja-jdqviW83UkEaTNqqYjFbN4Pscr2-oN3YuuOPLclOwVmTNrMCWQru2eHBbVWZl3m5yl7jRbQ6ENH5WOWIQ3TL8HjM1C31SzkCg/s1600/disorientation+spaces+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJoXz1KiS6d11fUZYWMUKlpd2XNRc8s82HkIgYo3Ja-jdqviW83UkEaTNqqYjFbN4Pscr2-oN3YuuOPLclOwVmTNrMCWQru2eHBbVWZl3m5yl7jRbQ6ENH5WOWIQ3TL8HjM1C31SzkCg/s400/disorientation+spaces+%25284%2529.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;" unselectable="on">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Views through the layers of architecture, as if installations in themsleves</span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most
contemporary art galleries create similar experiences and environments, where the
visitor enters a magical place and forgets about the daily humdrum and is truly
absorbed in an ‘other-worldliness’. This sort of contemporary art experience
can be enjoyed pretty much anywhere in the world depending on the curatorial
programming. It isn’t unique to MONA. But, there is something... different,
strangely compelling and truly exceptional about the place. What is it about
MONA that creates this I believe it is the sheer single mindedness of David
Walsh. He has created a new language, a casual, conversational tone that puts
the visitor at ease with the highly sophisticated displays and allows
meaningful engagement on a number of levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">MONA
creates an atmosphere which is astoundingly different and in your face (dark
spaces, confronting art, offensive smells, disorienting walkways, poor quality
audio interviews, indulgent bars and sloppy language, and loud music) and yet
completely accessible. This new language, “the new museum vernacular” is a
complex formula where, collection, curatorial direction, vocabulary,
programming, technology and environment all come together so effortlessly in a
seamless unison.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<h3 class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Fear of failing<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Visiting
MONA has highlighted to me that museums should take more of a leap of faith
and give their audiences the benefit of the doubt, let them be afraid, explore on
their own terms, don’t get too preoccupied with “interpreting” everything, and be relaxed
and honest about what the museum is about. Why not be bold and try new approaches? Some
people will get it and others won't... and that’s OK! With these principles,
MONA goes a great way to democratise the experience, is inclusive and promotes inquiry,
provokes responses and provides range of engagement. Funding permitting, other
museums should be quick to follow a few examples from MONA and soon the world
will be “monanised”. </span></span></div>
<br />MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-19963043533810236272014-08-10T22:26:00.001+10:002014-08-10T22:26:41.385+10:00Lonely hearts uniteAvid art historian seeks statuesque male with understanding of chiaroscuro to reenact Botticelli's Mars & Venus. BYO toga: grapes and chaise longue supplied.MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-34590656198954688262010-04-01T16:51:00.004+11:002014-05-05T13:57:48.172+10:00Take your time - Olafur Eliasson<div style="text-align: left;">
Get in quick, it is the last days of the exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art!</div>
<br />
This show is not to be missed, because it is also the first ever solo show of the Icelandic artist in Australia. Renowned for his <i><a href="http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/47554/">Waterfall</a>, </i>superstructure installlation on the East River, New York, in 2008 and other large scale public architectural sculptures throughout Europe, Eliasson is worth the effort to see on local turf. This exhibition is a survey of more manageable and intimate proportions and shows work spanning his carreer from 1993 to 2008.<br />
<br />
Looking at the exhibition as a whole, it appears Eliasson is somewhat a minimalist at heart, right down to the spacial planning and 'no labels' policy of each exhibit, but this doesn't diminish the visual feast and extraordinarily sumptuos experiences throughout. Eliasson is a master investigator and recreator of what often seem like highschool physics experiments and artistic creator of trompe l'oeil-like presentations. Believing there is some trickery at play, when all is in fact bared, is half the revelation of Eliasson's work.<br />
<br />
I don't want to give too much away, but agree with the curators and recommend visitors do "take your time", particularly at the <i>Mosswall</i> 1994, to breath in the earthiness of the gigantic curtain of imported raindeer moss and at <i>Beauty</i> 1993, where the continual shimmering mist of water develops rainbows before your eyes while the tunnel of volcanic ash still lingers on your senses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsxXtYkLWSEF13MOjXOapbTyMvbmkUjqtgwyKkQvBm1tQwES-4Vv1Jx9rwfQESGmmrqBY94qLRgKKXZO9x2YywbaxtnRMJ1XMPamvmDxaEIVKwkAsGtwBt5uhSzlfSt3RloUwSDGt79I/s1600/02.Eliasson.Beauty.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsxXtYkLWSEF13MOjXOapbTyMvbmkUjqtgwyKkQvBm1tQwES-4Vv1Jx9rwfQESGmmrqBY94qLRgKKXZO9x2YywbaxtnRMJ1XMPamvmDxaEIVKwkAsGtwBt5uhSzlfSt3RloUwSDGt79I/s320/02.Eliasson.Beauty.2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Beauty </i>1993 Collection Museum Contemporary Art, Los Angeles</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy and copyright the artist. Photography: Poul Pedersen</span><br />
<br />
Even in the white cube gallery environment a strong identity of place prevails and a sense geological forces firmly roots the viewer in an Icelanding experience. Hopefully visitors will get swept away as much as I did, feeling this ominipresent environment, maybe then looking, seeing, sensing the exhibition rather than simply walking through it as a passive observer. The retinal shadow effect of <i>Yellow versus purple</i> 2003 is so simply presented but so beguiling I revisited it again on the way out...(as I did with many of the exhibits).<br />
<br />
Eliasson questions us as viewers and in turn assists us in questioning ourselves and our environment. The exhibition provokes us to; take a new approach, enquire about our world, experience our surroundings differently for a change and make us realise that seeing as a process is a lot more complex than just 'looking'.<br />
<br />
(NB: take your time also to read the room brochure!!!it will add a dimension to your overall enjoyment)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mca.com.au/">Museum of Conemporary Art</a><br />
10 December 2009 - 11 April 2010<br />
$15 adult ticket<br />
Circular Quay West<br />
Sydney NSW 2000MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-76769820925626588672013-10-21T09:29:00.000+11:002013-10-21T09:31:17.695+11:00Font of confusion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlta36v3yCgc1HjwdC3pl5ekNyLWGk1oskYk0fbe3v6KEee73De-uIY7oUyHdQTYo2aWSc090w7S37ouW_1VGLlkJqGz6qhmicnzeWtCB0Xm3zv-I-IKkCidkbTdq-EMovjqNU-nZdFs/s1600/Kettle+chip+pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlta36v3yCgc1HjwdC3pl5ekNyLWGk1oskYk0fbe3v6KEee73De-uIY7oUyHdQTYo2aWSc090w7S37ouW_1VGLlkJqGz6qhmicnzeWtCB0Xm3zv-I-IKkCidkbTdq-EMovjqNU-nZdFs/s400/Kettle+chip+pic+1.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
Dear Kettle Chip Company,<br />
<br />
I'm writing to you to express my great disappointment with this product, as upon opening the pack, I could not find the beetroot variety in the mix.<br />
<br />
I've included some pictures, packets and supermarket receipts for two packets of your vegetable chips.<br />
<br />
I've never written my concerns on any food products before, but in this instance I feel compelled to let you know about my utter disappointment in the Kettle company veggie chips.<br />
<br />
Upon opening the first pack (for the first time trying the product!) I was confused and just simply couldn't believe what was before my eyes... the simple fact that the packaging labelled 'beetroot' in the largest font might have indicated that in fact there was a FAIR amount of beetroot inside, perhaps the super-sized word could even be interpreted as the 'primary' ingredient? In this instance I would just put it down to a rogue graphic designer who has absolutely NO experience in communication design as it is so called these days. <br />
<br />
While the word 'beetroot' was indeed a feature of the packaging it was in no way reflected in the product!<br />
<br />
What a let down...<br />
<br />
Putting my disappointment behind, I opened the second packet with my family shortly after - there were four of us sharing so the sweet potato was appreciated quickly and we unanimously decided to see what the second pack would offer - <br />
<br />
this is what the SECOND pack offered. Continued disappointment, surprise, incredulous wonder, suspicion and deflated feelings. We all looked at what spilled into the bowl, then at each other, then back to the bowl in utter disbelief!<br />
<br />
WHERE'S THE BLINKIN' BEETROOT??<br />
<br />
If I could give any advice... (well while I'm here writing now and you can't stop me)<br />
Please! Either one of these options might work in desisting a flood of mail similar to mine.<br />
<ol>
<li>Remove the word beetroot from your packaging</li>
<li>Add beetroot chips in the product - and plenty of them!</li>
<li>Reprimand the the graphic designer and redesign the packet. A trendy use of justifying the text across the pack does nothing for conveying the essence of what's inside it, it merely misrepresents the hierarchy of 'key ingredients'</li>
<li>Employ a whiz-kid systems engineer in order to fix the machine on the production line, so it dispenses beetroot at the same rate as the other varieties</li>
<li>create a strategic plan around the seasonal availability of beetroot so as to alleviate any potential shortage of the vegetable that may impact its distribution throughout the veggie chip product.</li>
</ol>
I do hope that the Kettle Chip Company can remedy the situation so that one day I can brave buying another pack, to perhaps relish your product. Until then I won't bother myself with the sheer dissatisfaction.<br />
<br />
I hope you have enjoyed my discursive opinions more, than I your veggie chips!<br />
<br />
Disenchanted<br />
Bliss<br />
(on behalf of the Jensen family)MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-54278285930719331622012-03-18T16:14:00.003+11:002012-03-18T16:42:24.511+11:00Baristas are like hairdressersI love my morning coffee. Actually, considering I've never been much of a morning person, I really neeeeeeeeeeeeeed my morning coffee to reboot from sleepyland. I generally can't even stomach the thought of a big breakfast first thing in the morning and there seems to be a definite threshold of at least 10:30am which marks my metabolism changing gear and finally I can cope with saying hello to the world with a relatively cheery tone. This brings me to the point of how important coffee is in my daily routine when, these past few months, I find myself having to start work most days for meetings at 8:30am. Even as I write this at 8:30pm I can feel my body twitching and cringing at the mere gesture of gathering with others for congenial chats, let alone the serious brain processes required of 'work' discussions that early!<br />
<br />
That said, I'm trying to go with the flow, accept my early morning professional responsibilities and get with the groove. Heck - I'm even thinking I could perhaps train myself to be a "morning person". The most critical thing for this 'new and improved morning Bliss formula' would of course be a generous portion of strong coffee. It has become a mission to get on the early morning cafe circuit and discover more of Melbourne. To-date, it has been a relatively unsuccessful mission as I'm still too often hitting the snooze button for the third time and heading in straight to my desk. I haven't found a regular coffee establishment that fits the bill either.<br />
<br />
I do miss my regular stop in Collingwood since moving house a few months ago. It was a convenient mid-point in my walk to work. It was far enough into the journey, to get the blood circulating so as to improve my complexion from its zombie pallour. It was far enough from the office for the caffeine fix to work its magic and boost my brain capacity to at least avoid getting hit by a tram. Those benefits aside - I miss the good coffee, conversation and obscure coffee art to boot.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivh8RKv85r4KSvIrvJEyKpNKUh0S4DvhsyzI1ZTKzquV49dGeqEBt8sp4mzbdpIPBo0ElAVg_7lvPjZEYBymO7fM9-_9fUF1VBwmiltzUxPOvCgP8QgcDHBRYBKYP0IvoqqQ_dLgSbrM/s1600/coffee+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivh8RKv85r4KSvIrvJEyKpNKUh0S4DvhsyzI1ZTKzquV49dGeqEBt8sp4mzbdpIPBo0ElAVg_7lvPjZEYBymO7fM9-_9fUF1VBwmiltzUxPOvCgP8QgcDHBRYBKYP0IvoqqQ_dLgSbrM/s400/coffee+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Bebida "spuffo" cafe latte, 2012</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I have been braving an exploration about once a week not venturing too far from my path to work and have discovered it's a mixed bag out there. For months now, I've been a babe in the woods, lost and wandering aimlessly in search of early morning coffee options en-route to work. The memory of that barista still true to my senses, the others just flounder around not even coming close to piquing my tastebuds. With every new cafe I try, I also have a growing guilt of venturing from the riteous path. This feeling is heightened by the usual diappointment of a latte that is too weak or a flat white that is really a latte - only filling my take away cup three-quarters. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
Baristas are like hairdressers, when you find a good one you really should stick with them. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I have a great hairdresser, who is tried and tested, consistenly fantastic at knowing what I like and get's my haircuts spot on. She demonstrates a fair intuition when I want to try something really different, she goes for it and creates something surprisingly suitable every time. She also always knows when I have pulled out the kitchen scissors to trim my hair in desperation. Inevitably, I usually bump into her post hair-hacking when my new cut hasn't even had a week to relax and soften. I am totally exposed with the severity of a fringe too blunt and short because of my paultry attempt to make it level and trim. Though I haven't gone so far as seeing another hairdresser, the look of scorn and the silence that follows the glib comment "so you've had your hair cut", always makes me feel like a real sneak and a cheat. There is no amount of explaining, "I just couldn't see" or recounting the amount of pain resulting from eyeballs whipped by coarse dry ends 8 hours of a day, that can ease the tension as her eyes inspect every inch of my head.</div><br />
And now I can categorically say baristas are capable of stirring the same emotions of guilt, remorse and shame.<br />
<br />
Last week in Fitzroy, while waiting for the pedestrian crossing I was caught red handed by the Collingwood barista driving by. Unbeknownst to me he beeped and hollered at the time, screaming "Noooooooo", from his car window, but his cries were lost in the noise of the traffic. It was when I dropped in to the old cafe a few days later and he asked me "are you seeing another coffee maker? " that I quickly realised I had some fast talking to do. The gravity of what I'd done hit me with a sickening panic and regret swelled inside. I knew full well, by the look on his face I couldn't explain the Wednesday coffee was an experiment, a rarity, an anomaly, a digression.... only once a week (if that!). I just stood there in that moment of silence, aghast, lost for words, feeling dirty!<br />
<br />
Without further ado I'd like to advise, with great sincerity, be faitful to your barista!MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-79422828287629444212010-08-09T12:16:00.000+10:002010-08-09T12:16:18.478+10:00Green attitudeI have yet another excuse for not posting. I've moved cities and started some new adventures for a while. Now in Melbourne town, I see everything around me with fresh eyes. And yes...I'm still on the hunt for milk crates but I didn't have to try too hard to spot the humble crate incorporated for another handy use.<br />
<br />
It's such a foreign concept in Sydney but it seems eveyone rides bikes here in Melbourne!! A fair proportion between Collingwood and Carlton have a crate configuration. Is it a political statement by a bunch of acivists, with the brazen act of ripping off a crate in defiance of capitalism, slapping the'big M' companies right across the face? Perhaps it is an example of a cottage industry of sorts and just promotes a simple greenie DIY attitude...<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdq4lrvp4sdit4zQuSkDy7Gnb9QtT7rSU_w70NJH9G1a0R27sceTBQNvn6Ck8AcUmBT6GE9YZYcFQLWj6vPkjyRWyBiYnqy4tjNUVQJxGxHPj7vzzZtesh-errSMsGPJ7KKgwXkD8ays/s1600/bike+crate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdq4lrvp4sdit4zQuSkDy7Gnb9QtT7rSU_w70NJH9G1a0R27sceTBQNvn6Ck8AcUmBT6GE9YZYcFQLWj6vPkjyRWyBiYnqy4tjNUVQJxGxHPj7vzzZtesh-errSMsGPJ7KKgwXkD8ays/s400/bike+crate.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">green crate = green attitude. Fitzroy 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-74920043704759493672010-01-13T14:22:00.001+11:002010-05-13T17:34:23.481+10:00Brett Whiteley Studio – Iconic Whiteley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rd-MI7m2p9_aDsl6aHyx2rIn4SHcKjpjqffZutokX86CIolS68s0eBfQVprAk5g9B5gjKhLooytaGbPpR49SqwxKpK1BDhohm9EATVD_uhgss5kPd1P-qNMquH4ZgC_gz137oNQwsNg/s1600/melb+exh+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rd-MI7m2p9_aDsl6aHyx2rIn4SHcKjpjqffZutokX86CIolS68s0eBfQVprAk5g9B5gjKhLooytaGbPpR49SqwxKpK1BDhohm9EATVD_uhgss5kPd1P-qNMquH4ZgC_gz137oNQwsNg/s400/melb+exh+001.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Another hidden treasure of inner Sydney, the Brett Whiteley studio is a source for endless inspiration. If you have been living under a rock the past century and do not know who Brett Whiteley is to the Australian art scene, then this exhibition is for you. It is a survey of the many decades of Whiteley’s career from his lesser known work of his late teens and early twenties including landscape abstraction, Christie, and Zoo series, through to his popular Lavender Bay, Paris and Bird series. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The exhibition includes 33 paintings in the downstairs gallery including the self-portrait masterpieces that won him the Archibald Prize on more than one occasion and over half a dozen mixed media assemblages creating a smaller but dynamic and also significant survey of Whitley sculpture.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">One of my favourite pieces would have to be the large canvas after French inspiration, titled <i><a href="http://www.artquotes.net/masters/whiteley/whiteley_dogpiss1989.htm">Fifteen great dog pisses of Paris</a>,</i> 1989, hanging in the upstairs studio lounge. It is a large perspective view of the banks of the Seine with ominous patches intermittently staining the walls, distracting from the majestic, painterly view and upsetting the overall romantic oeuvre that has been recreated. To me this picture is true Whiteley slapping the viewer in the face with his warped and overtly subversive take on the world.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">While, you couldn’t ever call Whiteley’s paintings ”pretty” , there is a world of beauty and seduction in his fluid lines, gestural brushwork and bright hued compositions, as there is humour. The unfinished six panel board upstairs in the studio is as fresh, interesting and whimsical today as the day it was left unfinished due to his tragic death in 1992. The studio itself is somewhat of a shrine to the artist with every accoutrement left in situ; the library of books, paints, bed, home furnishings, wall quotes, newspaper clippings and graffiti; giving a spooky sense the artist is still at work. Overall the environment of the studio is crammed with the back story of whitely. It’s worth picking up the old black telephone and listening in on the Andrew Olley interview, where you get a tangible sense of who the artist was and what made him tick. There is a candid discussion about Brett’s battle with drug addiction which perhaps plays a vital part in both the artist’s accomplishments and demise. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There is no denying Brett whitely has left a massive mark on Australian art, a legacy that continues to foster other artists’ talents through the Whitely Travelling Art Scholarship today.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The smaller changing upstairs exhibit of the annual prize this year displays the winner, <a href="http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/sub/bwtas09/bow.html">Nicole Kelly</a>. Her painterly freedom and lavish paint application creates modern and abstract landscapes “without baggage and clutter for the past” (as Whiteley himself would put it). For Whiteley, Abstraction was “Liberating... There is a freedom of mass, line and tone. A sensuality with things slightly out of focus”, and for Nicole Kelly this ethos is also strong. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I look forward to the next changing exhibit at the Whiteley Studio so I can return and discover some more hidden gems I missed this time round.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Brett Whiteley Studio </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 Raper St</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Surry Hills NSW 2010</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(02) 9225 1740</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Free admission</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">10am-4pm Saturday & Sunday</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Thursday & Friday booked school groups</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">12 September – April 2010</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://brettwhiteley.org/">http://brettwhiteley.org/</a></span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-51362546446632152182010-03-24T14:12:00.006+11:002010-03-25T13:54:18.267+11:00Mythic Creatures - Dragons, Unicorns and MermaidsUpon visiting this exhibition, I have to admit I was sceptical about the what the content would be and whether the overall treatment of such subject matter could be anything else but 'sensationalism'. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. As you'd expect, the show is mostly geared to the younger audiences but also includes some academic discussion about the origins of various myths and creatures.<br />
<br />
Originating from <a href="http://www.amnh.org/">American Museum of Natural History</a>, New York, in collaboration with the Australian National Maritime Museum and <a href="http://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a>, Chicago, the exhibition shows some fascinating collection items from these institutions as well as other significant international collections. The <i>Feejee mermaid</i> (pictured below) from the Peabody Museum, Harvard University is fascinating addition, one of the highlights, not to be missed in the 100 objects on offer. This freaky skeleton is believed be from the famous Barnum circus hoax of 1841, where the head and torso of a monkey and tail of a fish were sewn together and presented to the public as a grotesque spectacle and 'physical evidence' of Mermaids. The range of cultural objects and imagery helps demonstrate the allure of mythical creatures throughout history and natural specimens add a reasonable range of scientific perspectives.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4cK0aP9lHIQxdq-Zzw8Q5jl3Vtw5gpn_hdDbODM-3k_q3mY_deL3EIqVJw7bsuQVrxR1kKxZDDcHLGeJ5sRLsgSVhRhjJdrf0Zn1ubkG1pnAW9srgevj9lU4d41Oe98JRNsrZrGBH1s/s1600/06+Mythic+Creatures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4cK0aP9lHIQxdq-Zzw8Q5jl3Vtw5gpn_hdDbODM-3k_q3mY_deL3EIqVJw7bsuQVrxR1kKxZDDcHLGeJ5sRLsgSVhRhjJdrf0Zn1ubkG1pnAW9srgevj9lU4d41Oe98JRNsrZrGBH1s/s320/06+Mythic+Creatures.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Feejee mermaid </i>copyright 2007 Harvard University, Peabody Museum</span></div><br />
If you have little people in the family and are at a loose end this April school holidays, it'd be well worth taking them to enjoy the massive replica models and let their imaginations run wild. During my visit I couldn't help appreciate the overwhelming wonder and excitement of all the young visitors. Models of the Kraken, Roc, Dragon, Mermaids and Unicorns certainly invoked a suspension of disbelief to the point where, in one case, a particularly precocious 5 year old was repeatedly stunned into a frozen pose every time the model Dragon roared as he edged over for a friendly pat. <br />
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The exhibition is indeed sensational in being able to capture the imagination of the young target audience and I'm sure the big kid in us all will learn something too.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1598">Australian National Maritime Museum</a><br />
19 December 2009- 23 May 2010<br />
9:30am - 5:00pm daily<br />
FREE entry<br />
<br />
2 Murray street<br />
Darling Harbour<br />
Sydney NSW 2000<br />
(02) 9298 3777<br />
<a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Australian+national+maritime+Museum&sll=-33.871399,151.197563&sspn=0.015767,0.033023&gl=au&g=2+Murray+St,+Pyrmont+NSW+2009&ie=UTF8&hq=Australian+national+maritime+Museum&hnear=2+Murray+St,+Pyrmont+NSW&ll=-33.871164,151.19756&spn=0.015322,0.033023&z=16&iwloc=A">where is it?</a>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-9795577956705909632010-03-23T13:40:00.005+11:002010-03-25T13:47:42.600+11:00Watching and looking<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This post is dedicated to J, whom I thank mercifully for reminding me that sometimes people might look at this space (and perhaps want to read something since February)...</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apologies for being tardy - you'll be glad to learn I have renewed determination to have a March listing, if not at least for the sake of a tidy archive list! I am thinking of a litany of excuses I could write here such as: a bout of flu that lasted two weeks and resembled meningitis; being attacked and clawed during a feirce netball match leaving my nose bloddied and missing a few layers of skin; falling from the doctor's bed during a check up and tearing tendons in my hand; limping with a swollen, bruised foot for days after a drunken punter walked across it in stilettos while i diligently worked, moonlighting in a nightclub on the weekend; but it would all sound like such fictitious hoop-la that noone would believe, let alone accept any such drivel as an excuse for my mediocre mood and absence from the computer...</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamKzrexC82q3_g9CVX2yUkLv0shnxFn-wHS4ZQkWaAgIO50ho95sAQJQktpXRyqpiIlOJaVy0kV38yIm8Z1c-3bBjoYMJ-URwCIXBe80LsUMFvNEzAHqdkwXmThqtt_5oMsa9qTIfNhY/s1600-h/milk+crate+hoop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamKzrexC82q3_g9CVX2yUkLv0shnxFn-wHS4ZQkWaAgIO50ho95sAQJQktpXRyqpiIlOJaVy0kV38yIm8Z1c-3bBjoYMJ-URwCIXBe80LsUMFvNEzAHqdkwXmThqtt_5oMsa9qTIfNhY/s400/milk+crate+hoop.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Milk crate hoop, Woolloomooloo, Bliss Jensen</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Anyway, back to the matter of looking and watching - I am still on the hunt, to provide Sydney</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">-siders with the most comprehensive digest and 'tour' of milk crates</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">around town (<a href="http://whereforartnow.blogspot.com/2009/10/remember-to-look-up_3729.html">refer earlier post</a>). I thought I'd quickly share this little gem with you. It's worth noting, the nearest basketball court is a good kilometre away at the Cook and Philip Park sports complex where entry fetches a pretty premium so you can enjoy the top of the line equipment. But here in a quiet, leafy Woolloomooloo backstreet, the idea of basketball is democratised and set amongst the rustic charm of the neighbourhood. What I most enjoy about this milk crate is the intended pun. It is fastened to the exterior wall of a great heritage building that also happens to be the local community gymnasium. Remember to always look up!</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Corner Dowling and Nicholson streets</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Woolloomooloo</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sydney NSW</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Dowling+St+%26+Nicholson+St,+Woolloomooloo+New+South+Wales+2011&sll=-33.870267,151.220189&sspn=0.007884,0.016512&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=Fcsu-_0dvXQDCQ&split=0&hq=&hnear=Dowling+St+%26+Nicholson+St,+Woolloomooloo+New+South+Wales+2011&ll=-33.870264,151.221442&spn=0.007884,0.016512&z=17" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">where on earth is that?</a></span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-82123179438347173112010-02-04T18:31:00.001+11:002010-02-04T18:34:42.952+11:00Martin Sharp - Sydney artist<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Walking into the exhibition you can’t deny there is an immediate visual impact and WOW factor! Sharpe’s work IS instantly recognisable and from a truly brilliant and original mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The accompanying room brochure states this exhibition “shows discerning insight into the man, and social issues of our times...” but I’d disagree that merely hanging pictures ‘salon-style’ upon the walls does no more than illustrate how prolific the artist is, and reading the content of the pictures by themselves merely elaborates the personal taste and passion of the artist. Labels with basic catalogue information certainly do no more to unwrap the artist’s involvement in cultural and political contexts or present any deeper thinking about Sharpe’s involvement in other artistic causes such as the Yellow House. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Once I got over the initial frustration of the lack of interpretation, I could begin to appreciate the 120 paintings, posters and mixed media display for what they were. Perhaps this "art for art’s sake" approach was the basis of the curatorial brief? I did enjoy watching the audio visual of the Tiny Tim world record for professional non-stop singing; it was a classic Sharpe production, highly enjoyable, with 100% wit. Moving on, I came to acknowledge that Sharpe is indeed a Sydney talent worth dedicating and showcasing, but thought that perhaps the curator was hiding behind the glory and talents of this artistic master. In this case, there could have been so much more storytelling, than simply the idea of Sharpe’s work in terms of “the medium is the message”. Just because there was so much pop culture material and references surely doesn't mean it is not worthy of a few digestive words here or there? I felt that there was a certain amount of curatorial laziness in cobbling together a bunch of disparate media, that was this exhibition. Surely just delving into a couple of what may be hundreds of amazing personal stories about Martin Sharpe “the artist” could have brought a sense of life to this immense body of work. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Highlights included: Patrick White’s <em>Signal Driver</em> Belvoir st theatre poster 1980s, <em>Sideshow in Burlesco</em>, Nimrod theatre poster 1979, <em>Eternity</em> haymarket acrylic on board 1981 and David Gulpilil in <em>The Thousand Dollar Bill</em> painting 2002-2009, but overall the experience left me disappointed. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If only the curator was as much a talented, artistic, individual thinker and activist as Martin Sharpe. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ho-hum....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hht.net.au/museums/museum_of_sydney">Museum of Sydney</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Corner Bridge and Phillip St, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sydney, NSW 2000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Saturday 31 October 2009 — Sunday 14 March 2010</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">9.30 – 5pm daily</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">$10 adults, $5, concession/child, family $20, members free</span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-5783418938955367212010-01-29T18:45:00.000+11:002010-01-29T18:45:06.111+11:00Femme Fatale: The female criminal<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“As a double exception, the criminal woman is a true monster. Criminals are an exception in people and women are an exception among criminals.” I was really drawn to this quote at the beginning of the exhibition, probably because the statement illustrates attitudes of a time gone by so well and also cleverly introduces the provocative curatorial direction of the <em>Femme Fatale</em> exhibition. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This show takes a close look at women and crime in Australia from the convict era through the booming years of the infamous inner city Razor gangs of 1920s Sydney. It is a relatively small exhibition space but is absolutely crammed with fascinating historical artefacts and other objects, multimedia and pop-culture memorabilia. The content comes together to paint a vivid picture of the female as the screen siren, the comic vixen and the temptress and seductress of detective stories as well as the revengeful wife, murderous lover and underprivileged opportunist. The exhibition cleverly exemplifies how beliefs about wicked women are cross-cultural and have evolved from archetypal stories of Eve, Medusa and Witches, transcending myth over time, to be embedded in our popular consciousness today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Don’t let the content of psychopathic murderers, incarcerated criminals, violent offenders, prostitution, sly grogging and stark criminal records with photographic evidence deter you from seeing this exhibition. It is a classy and sassy romp through culture and Sydney’s dark past, injected with just as much humour as there is chill-factor!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">7 March, 2009 - 18 April 2010 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Weekends 10-5 (booked school groups during the week only)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Closed Good Friday and Christmas day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Adult $8, child/concession $4, members free</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Justice & Police Museum</strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Corner Albert and Phillip Streets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Circular Quay NSW 2001</span><br />
<a href="http://www.hht.net.au/museums/justice_and_police_museum"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.hht.net.au/museums/justice_and_police_museum</span></a>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-66842138286324366152009-12-23T13:57:00.000+11:002009-12-23T14:06:19.435+11:00Untitled - Window Box Installation<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A collaboration between Mell Kyriakidis, Sven Simulacrum and Michaela Davies at Medium Rare</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkdu60qiuwbf6kfDl9ioRDv67p-6X_FPL4AXPhdhLkRZ9qr9Bl6dIetvNCT2GA8L0aq2hvXGPSzD9pWoeOejc9SE1iHyakERUxBNq4IA8Xk-F3_lfO9T7ETo0pMB7GoBYFg1siksBycA/s1600-h/art+files+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkdu60qiuwbf6kfDl9ioRDv67p-6X_FPL4AXPhdhLkRZ9qr9Bl6dIetvNCT2GA8L0aq2hvXGPSzD9pWoeOejc9SE1iHyakERUxBNq4IA8Xk-F3_lfO9T7ETo0pMB7GoBYFg1siksBycA/s400/art+files+043.jpg" /></span></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I never liked Cabbage Patch Dolls so this one made me smile...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I stumbled across this scenic window display while running some errands on the weekend and found the ghoulish toy sacrifice just too sweet, adorable and humorous to ignore adding it to my list of must see neighbourhood treasures. Medium rare is one space, dedicated to the avant-garde, experimental work and the independent arts community, worth following!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">12 - 30 December 2009 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Free (to look through the window)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Medium Rare Gallery and Studio</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">70 Regent Street </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Redfern NSW 2016</span><br />
<a href="http://www.mediumrare.net.au/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.mediumrare.net.au/</span></a>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-16518936109287475292009-12-22T17:10:00.000+11:002009-12-23T09:51:04.616+11:00Fashioning Now: Changing the Way We Make and Use Clothes<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">...well the milk crate is still up in the tree another month later...and I have added no more words to this blog. Now the panic of guilt has made me succumb to beating out an apology to Timo Rissanen... and a heartfelt farewell to an enterprising and great creative thinker!</span> <br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2KXXqHFxIu1k7eexgO5M2lhuWT0FJfUvScpIDjUP_3y0vlHwFwpdEocvUrw8VTK7LcnwkbvCo3FwK9g8P97oXlHcC5cKPzT3k47PhKzJRoh4k8R-S52GoCsIwlJu2xV_jOrGg0hQfjg/s1600-h/Timo+Rissanen+garment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2KXXqHFxIu1k7eexgO5M2lhuWT0FJfUvScpIDjUP_3y0vlHwFwpdEocvUrw8VTK7LcnwkbvCo3FwK9g8P97oXlHcC5cKPzT3k47PhKzJRoh4k8R-S52GoCsIwlJu2xV_jOrGg0hQfjg/s320/Timo+Rissanen+garment.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Timo Rissanen shirt and leggings, image © Silversalt Photography</span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was privileged enough to receive an invitation to the University of Technology Sydney VIP fashion shows scheduled as part of the end of year fashion and textile expo of student projects. Visiting UTS I realised this was a HUGE undertaking and the parades were but a small part of an overwhelming display of the <strong>State of Design</strong> (borrowing the Victorian design festival moniker), promoting the faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, DAB student portfolios for 2009. The parades themselves were seamless in production, exquisitely atmospheric and the ingenuity of the fashion abundant. This made me reflect on the DAB faculty and the creativity I’ve seen there also in a recent exhibition <a href="http://www.fashioningnow.com/"><strong>Fashioning Now</strong></a><strong> </strong>curated and produced by UTS staff.</span><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The exhibition showed 9 artists under the broad thematic areas of “source, make, use and last”. The overall investigation pulling the artists together was sustainable philosophy and practice in fashion design today. While across all areas of culture we are now coming to debate and investigate sustainable and environmental solutions, I must admit I was sceptical about what the fashion industry was contributing in this area.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Thankfully this exhibition opened my eyes to some ingenious solutions and practices, from polymer research developing biodegradable fabrics, to <strong>Timo Rissanen’s</strong> perfectly formed “</span><a href="http://zerofabricwastefashion.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">0: waste</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">” philosophy in pattern making. Rissanen’s intricate and spectacular pattern illustrations epitomised the aims and objectives of the exhibition. They spoke a language beyond ‘fashiony’ fashion and more about how a garment holds its intrinsic value through the design and fabrication, utilising every scrap of fabric to prevent landfill waste, as well as encompassing a facility for alteration. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just as Issey Miyake garments stand the test of time, the exhibition promoted the raise en d’être of ‘quality not quantity’ in a number of the displays.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex Martin, a performance artist, showed another novel approach to anti-waste and an alternative to the high volume turnover in the fashion industry in her ‘Fashion Detox Diet’. Her whimsical project involved wearing a brown dress for all 365 days in the year, a thought provoking response to the throwaway culture of fashion. You can see more about the little brown dress project </span><a href="http://www.littlebrowndress.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Reflecting on this exhibition and the recent DAB end of year student shows, I look forward to other ground breaking programs from the University of Technology through 2010. Unfortunately (but fortunate for him) Timo Rissanen leaves the UTS to take up a lecturing position with </span><a href="http://www.parsons.edu/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Parsons the New School for Design</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> in New York. His passion, creativity and forward thinking will no doubt be missed in the Sydney fashion and academic circles. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Farewell and good luck to a true talent! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">UTS Gallery (University of Technology Sydney) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Level 4, 702 Harris Street Ultimo </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Monday – Friday 12-6pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">8 July – 28 August 2009<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fashioningnow.com/">http://www.fashioningnow.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Curated by Alison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(Design Architecture and Building Faculty) DAB </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Exhibition tours to Fremantle Arts Centre mid 2010</span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-64667372153810046732009-10-16T12:46:00.000+11:002009-10-16T12:49:54.096+11:00Remember to look up!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwAK_DUDhWxElWHACIJZla5LH25g3eb6qlNC9Cao5sj4iwXwENXEImOOURP5JmfBRUx8yv2n_Tu2B3AfY-CRxQRqA2h0tF9lPVyy_BdJn49t9seqP0tQ-gGcI1nXzF7ZaZpSJeHCMBuM/s1600-h/sept+011.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393008497556982930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwAK_DUDhWxElWHACIJZla5LH25g3eb6qlNC9Cao5sj4iwXwENXEImOOURP5JmfBRUx8yv2n_Tu2B3AfY-CRxQRqA2h0tF9lPVyy_BdJn49t9seqP0tQ-gGcI1nXzF7ZaZpSJeHCMBuM/s200/sept+011.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBGWPfw-vyDoMK4SEP6ZJb5a5lwYPP-49rMcyhSZfQpUUdKJH9r-jBL8st5g2nH8pr7mIn60GADsTqnzL8g2mcfN9cozhthyphenhyphenI74H19VLq8e8GtieVXomOGZjF3HBt9iKmmWBmingA2HQ/s1600-h/sept+013.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393008507333378610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBGWPfw-vyDoMK4SEP6ZJb5a5lwYPP-49rMcyhSZfQpUUdKJH9r-jBL8st5g2nH8pr7mIn60GADsTqnzL8g2mcfN9cozhthyphenhyphenI74H19VLq8e8GtieVXomOGZjF3HBt9iKmmWBmingA2HQ/s200/sept+013.jpg" /></a><br /><br />I was provoked to respond to a freind's blogpost titled "Back from vacation? don't waste a precious clear mind..." (<a href="http://miteshsolanki.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/back-from-vacation-dont-waste-a-precious-clear-mind">you can read it here</a>)<br /><br />…hmmm, well, I am in fact back from a break, but, it seems for me, a holiday is more like a lobotomy. My mind is a mere blurry quagmire of mush. I've only just realised September has slipped me by. Insane work deadlines aside, perhaps it is "the melancholy of things complete" that explains my brain slump....Damn you Wittgenstein!<br /><br />Along with the regular “what day is it?” holiday mentality, I’ve found myself forgetting to pay bills, leaving my mobile phone at home (on more than one occasion), absently walking past the dry-cleaners when there’s two parcels waiting for me and returning from the supermarket with soap instead of toilet tissue!<br /><br />Has my frenetic daily work routine conditioned me to function as an astutue human being? Are my two jobs, radio show and blogs now an essential part of me subsisting as a “regular schmo” in the real world? Will I ever be able to relax, take time out, switch off and have a holiday ever again – without my sensibilities and entire life falling apart in the process?<br /><br />I only have one random recollection from September and that is... Remember to look up! You may enjoy some simple pleasure from the weirdness that appears when you gaze above every once in a while. This milk crate, high in a tree kept me smiling and imagining for hours. It appeared in stealth-mode, camouflaged so perfectly against the blue sky and patchy foliage.<br /><br />Just remember if bills aren't paid and phones are lost there's still worse things that could happen. ...you could be struck by a kamakaze inanimate object at any time.<br /><br />In a tree - in perpetuity<br />corner of Crown and Stanley St<br />Darlinghurst NSW 2010MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-81790208218157737292009-08-14T18:39:00.000+10:002009-08-17T16:30:13.616+10:00Edward Burtynsky: Australian Minescapes<div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Some 20 or so large format colour digital C-type prints make up this travelling exhibition from Western Australian Museum. Burtynsky captures astounding scenes in these industrial landscapes. Some of the compositions are quite other worldly as the panoramic birds-eye views create abstracted forms resembling lunar landscapes or expressionistic paintings rather than photographs.
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<br />Burtynsky travelled in a helicopter to obtain these aerial views. The result is a riveting look at man-made gorges, abstract scenes of a land cut open revealing the earth’s stratigraphy like a layer cake, massive upside-down pyramids of the <em>Super Pit #4</em> at Kalgoorlie and the painterly abstraction of <em>Tailings #1</em> and <em>Silverlake Operations #15</em>. </span>
<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhLDqlpE_3wSq91jk2zxnGjZQCu9tdYEAYmpoVtGqcIIFvQsqKo1GMtyXMZbVLjuP-zZHTgWqnyY7ICe4TtvddcYo2_dv-T4JAcHxGg-QD8j9wcyB5ou2qn9G3-4eVeBwt9XEJ7fZoJw/s1600-h/Tailings+%231+small.JPG"></a></span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VNv9oRlKAUenSB7iKw4PjywIcSuXfA0FF_SieGNrl1HhA7e5DEM1RjIDZCgYEcqamzkWOhOChW8e-M2nypmKqKSmsU9KNPyCa2XTBMioQczsRqAFmEOKpLKeD5e6oLTsfMTkvoVB1sU/s1600-h/Tailings+%231+small.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ONMO3-n_KKnuo6QOehM_4-qedoFySuUkk-85tssLM0SqREK90jKrE3EEe43RpVFJqag4LFfpIvxaomKvK5FOm_IOnSFj_5HmA4st8BIbv9gDbI6xN0KI7WytPwIk3SQxm9ZJLXYwHOE/s1600-h/Tailings+%231+small.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370816099105386546" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ONMO3-n_KKnuo6QOehM_4-qedoFySuUkk-85tssLM0SqREK90jKrE3EEe43RpVFJqag4LFfpIvxaomKvK5FOm_IOnSFj_5HmA4st8BIbv9gDbI6xN0KI7WytPwIk3SQxm9ZJLXYwHOE/s400/Tailings+%231+small.JPG" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Tailings #1</em> 2007, Kalgoorlie WA, Chromogenic Colour print</span>
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<br />While all of the images are spectacular, a real standout is <em>Super Pit #4</em>. The photo also provokes thoughts about how comparatively insignificant the boom town appears perched next to the pit's perimeter, ironically showing how massive our industrial footprint is at the same time. The sheer scale and detail captured in one shot is reminiscent of the panoramic mastery of Melvin Vaniman a century before.
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<br />These minescapes were a Foto Freo (City of Fremantle Festival of Photography) commission coming off the renowned international reputation of Burtynsky’s previous series, Shipbreaking in Bangladesh (2000) and Shipbuilding in China (2005). ACP in fact shows a few photographs from these series in the adjoining gallery. The continued ‘industrial wastelands theme’ is also complimented by a stirring audio visual presentation of yet another body of work called the China Series. This series shows the decrepit landscapes of rubbish tips, derelict houses and city demolition sites, alongside oil mines, massive road networks and hundreds of factory workers going about their business.
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<br />Overall the images of production and destruction, progression and regression are juxtaposed to great effect. Better be quick to catch this one!
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<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">
<br />17 July – 22 August 2009
<br />Free entry
<br />Tuesday – Friday 12:00 – 7:00pm every day
<br />Saturday and Sunday 10:00am – 6.00pm
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<br />Australian Centre for Photography (ACP)
<br />Oxford Street
<br />Paddington NSW 2021
<br /></span><a href="http://www.acp.org.au/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.acp.org.au</span></a>
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<br />MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-13226761713392313532009-08-13T09:19:00.000+10:002009-08-13T09:25:53.764+10:00Exposed! – The story of swimwear<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yes... this show is about “swimmers, togs, sluggos, lolly bags, noodle benders, bathers, neck-to-knee, lolly catchers, budgie smugglers and dick stickers” and a few interesting things in between (pardon the pun).<br /><br />It is a great exhibition choc-a-block full of objects and some surprising stories drawn from the National Maritime Collection and supplemented with loans from the National Museum of Australia, National Archives, private lenders and designers from around the country. With around 75 swimsuits, posters, postcards, advertisements, audio visuals, designer sketches, accessories and interactives, it’s worth spending some time to look at this exhibition in detail.<br /><br />One of the primary stories threading through this exhibition is the “reinvention of the bathing beauty which has continued since it emerged in the early 1900s”. With the help of Annette Kellerman “Australia’s Mermaid’ and screen sirens such as Esther Williams, Jayne Mansfield and Ursula Anders, the quintessential bathing beauty image has enduring popularity and become an icon of Hollywood. The swimsuit too has seen its fair share of popularity and endorsement since the early developments in 1890 and its early controversies of being risqué and naughty around the turn of the 20th century. Just taking in a few of the posters upon entry you realise that we’ve certainly had fun with the bikini over many decades. Whether you’re looking at the wistful Bridget Bardot as “a lighthouse keeper’s daughter who believes in dressing light” or the spectacular Esther Williams advertising “dangerous curves ahead” and “how to stuff a wild bikini”, the 1950s promotion of a bikini being naughty AND nice still piques our senses today.<br /><br />The exhibition takes you back in time with the breadth of familiar and rare historical collection items as well as into the future with an interesting slick mirrored catwalk display of current designs (Zimmerman, Tigerlilly, Seafolly, Jets and Flamingo Sands) evoking an active glamour inspired by Annette Kellerman. I especially like the designs and display of these modern interpretations by our iconic designers with the large format fashion video backdrop.<br /><br />As well as looking at the quirky side of fads and fashion the technical evolution of swimwear is also represented. The curator, Penny Cuthbert, has included titanium fabrics that mimic shark skin and the controversial LZ men’s Olympic suit, which add depth to all the fun and frivolity. Unexpected elements such as the topless swimsuit, of which 3,000 actually sold commercially, and “when less is more” – the history of the g-string, add to a well rounded and highly entertaining romp through the history of swimwear.<br /><br />Prepare to be titillated!<br />Rating: 8/10 mankinis from me</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Australian National Maritime Museum<br />2 July – 25 October 2009<br />Free entry to the galleries<br />9:30 – 5:00pm every day (except Christmas day)<br /><br />2 Murray Street,<br />Darling Harbour NSW 2009<br /><a href="http://www.anmm.gov.au/">http://www.anmm.gov.au/</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-44698668120420272812009-08-12T19:06:00.000+10:002009-08-12T19:16:36.023+10:00Vaniman Panorama<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On entering this exhibition you realize that the story of Vaniman is an intriguing one. He was an adventurer, singer, balloonist and a photographer as well as an inventor. His photographic images are a reflection of his enterprising spirit and show a remarkable detail and a window into a bygone era of Sydney in 1903-1904 where people rode horse drawn buggies and carts through the city.<br /><br />The first room showcases a general introductory wall panel and a large scale panorama with an interesting contemporary replica of the same view of Town Hall. Accompanying this is a ‘making of’ audio visual which alludes to the fact that these turn of the 20th century panoramas are no mean feat.<br /><br />The second room displays another five panoramas of various pastoral, urban and harbour and scenes. They show industry and a world going about its business, where cargo is delivered by steamships and the old rail tracks are laden with coal for the city’s sustenance. Again the remarkable detail shows that in amongst all the activity, a worker pausing against a fence railing for a mid-morning cigarette. There is something quaint and nostalgic about this lost city and I’m drawn in to scene after scene comparing them to the modern Sydney I know so well. Is that building still standing? Is that view of the harbor down Bathurst Street still the same? I wonder if the old painted signage remains on that façade.<br /><br />The panoramas are large scale graphic reproductions with interpretive text integrated in the panels. While the images themselves are compelling, at this point in the exhibition, I couldn’t help but feel a little let down with the overall spartan approach to the curatorial direction and design. A foreword to the exhibition describes how “the State Library of New South Wales is fortunate to hold the world’s finest and most extensive collection of photographic panoramas by Melvin Vaniman”. If this is so, then why are so few on display?<br /><br />I understand that the platinum contact prints from the original negatives are obviously too fragile for display and that a pragmatic approach creating high res scans and reproduction graphics have to prevail. BUT, on learning that Vaniman scaled a 30m pole he constructed, if a ships mast or hill wasn’t available for a birds-eye view, you can’t help but think “this is really quite something! Now here’s a man with a wholehearted passion for his art”. ...by the way - what did this pole look like and what compelled Vaniman to continue with the panorama format?<br /><br />Another seven panoramas appeared in the third room. The most interesting image here is of Sydney looking south from Crows Nest where Vaniman tethered his imported American hot air balloon some 180m above the ground to take the shot of the then ‘bridgeless’ harbour. And so my original disappointment continued. Again I couldn’t help but wonder; how did he do this? Perhaps some information about this would have shed some light on the remarkable results that Vaniman achieved. It was only in the room brochure that I gleaned he had used developed special large format camera to make the most of a panoramic view. His invention allowed a single photograph 2 meters by 50 cm high in a single shot! Sounds impressive hey? Well …what did this camera look like? How did he achieve the crystal clear detail with his equipment even way up high, amongst the elements in moving balloon?<br /><br />Some further research into the man, the social history of the time, or even historical info about the specific locations at the turn of the century would certainly have elevated these photographic images from a general sentiment of ‘olde-worlde’ nostalgia. Vaniman is the perfect romantic adventurer and a more than worthy subject for an exciting, breathtaking and out of the ordinary experience that COULD have been this exhibition.<br /><br />The exhibition continues until January 2010 so wouldn’t you expect more effort from such a long running program? Perhaps this is a sign and a prelude to future disappointments as government cutbacks continue in the arts and heritage sector? I certainly hope not! If I had to rate the exhibit I’d give it a deflated 2/10.</span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">State Library of New South Wales<a href="http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/"> </a></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">20 June 2009 - 31 January 2010</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Free entry</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Monday -Thursday 9am -5pm</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Weekends 10am - 5pm</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Macquarie Street</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Sydney NSW 2001</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/">http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/</a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-35470306373624832142009-07-29T18:23:00.000+10:002009-07-29T19:23:11.245+10:00Another Silk Road<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Referencing the trade routes between Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe this exhibition of 9 artists shows works embodying highly varied cultural exchange. All the artists have a connection to China and all their work is based on ceramic production, but contrast through personal experience, two-way exchange and reflection of relationships and the impact of technologies.<br /><br />In fact this exhibition is not just about ceramics. There are large scale photographic backdrops, a video projection, a looped slideshow and a documentary which help flesh out some of the artists ideas about ceramics, tradition, production and cultural reflections.<br /><br />It was a pretty straight forward exhibition where the contemporary art space allowed the objects to ‘speak’ in their own terms within the minimalist ‘white cube’. Although there wasn’t much interpretation as far as the labels went, (just the regular data-style art gallery label) I didn’t mind this because a room brochure was at hand for detailed, more narrative information.<br /><br />There were two standout highlights to the show, Julie Bartholomew’s installation of objects comprising <em>Vuitton Dynasty</em>, 2008 and <em>Qing Prada</em>, 2008 and Douglas Cham’s <em>Banana-kids</em> series, 2008-9. Bartholomew makes a bold statement about global brands competing with traditional cultural forms. Her beautiful replica ‘objects des arts’ delicately express ideas about cultural integration and changing globalized ideals usurping themselves within the modern China.<br /><br />Douglas Cham’s polished earthenware on the other hand, packs more of a political punch and reflects on his personal experience of displacement as a Chinese male in Australia. The title <em>Banana-kids</em>, is drawn from the term used by immigrant Chinese about first generation children, inferring “yellow on the outside, but white on the inside”. The assemblages of half peeled bananas revealing colloquial motifs such as a crocodile holding a tinny (beer can), are meticulously produced with bright glossy glazed skin and the soft white creamy texture of the unglazed creatures within. They are beautifully rendered pieces which make you want to move right up close to view them. Upon doing so, you are confronted with a subtle sourness in the detail, such as the red inked banana brand stamp on the each skin showing the date 1901-1973, the lengthy period of the White Australia Policy. Among the 8 or so banana skins, Cham also displays an audio visual in which immigrants are interviewed and set the task of hailing a taxi in Sydney city. It is an experiment that, not so subtly, explores racism in Australia. Through his ceramics, Cham isn’t just reflecting his personal immigrant experience and the tension between traditional and Western culture, he also looks at his standing in a broader, collective, Australian position on cultural relations, to expose some interesting tensions.<br /> </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Ivan Dougherty Gallery<br />2 – 25 July 2009<br />Free entry<br />Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm<br />Closed Sundays and public holidays<br /><br />College of Fine Arts<br />Selwyn Street<br />Paddington NSW 2021</span><br /><a href="http://www.cofa.unsw.edu.au/galleries/idg/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">http://www.cofa.unsw.edu.au/galleries/idg/</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-25475854287370964292009-07-17T19:47:00.000+10:002009-07-17T21:34:15.424+10:00Intensely Dutch: Image, Abstraction and the Word<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I wasn’t sure what to really expect from this show at first... For some reason, I hadn’t followed any of the publicity, but, I did anticipate something slightly different to the generalist ‘masters’ shows the Art Gallery so often pushes on to the public. I’m glad my suspicions were correct. I couldn’t help a huge sigh at the entry as I peered through to the first room filled with abstract expressionism. There’s nothing like a really thick, roughly gestured, slab, of paint smeared over a canvas to get my blood pumping! (Well...maybe that’s just me)<br /><br />Vigorously animated, child-like and primitive, the selection of canvases, portfolios and lithographs exemplify the vitality of the modernist Dutch painters joined in expressing a new optimism post WWII. Early works by the artists of the CoBrA movement, such as Karel Appel, Jaap Nanninga and Constant are bright and energetic, but amongst all the rough edges and flurry of brush marks, the subjects depict innocence and sincerity. My favourite painting, Animal Tamer, 1984 by Lucebert was a beautiful mix of an untidy and grotesque assemblage of teeth and eyes, together with playful and endearing expressions. Most of the works of the 1970s-80s were abstracted and restrained landscapes, but were still truly expressionistic with the heavy impasto finishing. From the instantly recognisable Wilem De Kooning to artists such as Jaap Wagemaker, Bram Bogart and Jan Shoonhoven the exhibition shows the continued style and gusto of the movement through their geometric and sculptural approach to building up the surface of the canvas. Even in the uber-abstracted styles their works are just as emotional and sensual as their CoBrA predecessors.<br /><br />If you’re into a liberal use of paint like I am, you should enjoy the overall visceral ‘messiness’ of this genre of painting and be prepare to have your emotions stirred. The curator, Hendrik Kolenberg, has cleverly compiled this retrospective of painting and poetry with honesty and wit; successfully revealing some eccentric and surprising elements you’d expect from the Dutch.<br /><br />Art Gallery of New South Wales<br />5 June - 23 August 2009<br />Open every day, 10am - 5pm<br />Free admission, special exhibition fees apply<br /><br />Art Gallery Road,<br />The Domain Sydney NSW 2000,<br /></span><a href="http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/</span></a>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-79045747948289205622009-07-08T21:44:00.000+10:002009-07-08T22:33:39.517+10:00FINK - Fostering Design<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A retrospective of the entire FINK + Co range is impressive to see in one space. Robert Foster has certainly proven a track record of unique and enduring product design over the past fifteen years. This exhibition of Foster's production range showcases not only his individual designs but the continued collaboration with other leading Australian designer-makers. From Fosters iconic spun, pressed and anodised aluminium beakers and tray, 2005, and Rohan Nichol's jig-formed and hand anodised bracelet, 1998, to Remi Verchot's ply-laminate, hand-turned, wooden bowl 2002, it's hard not to recognise a huge range of talent in one room.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A highlight for me was the wine chiller by Bronwyn Riddiford which is a clever laser-cut pressed anodised aluminium vessel incorporating a rotation moulded, plastic chiller insert that very subtly emits the dayglo hues from within. With the suped-up colour scheme and the sumptuous velveteen finishing of the sandblasted anodised surface, these meticuluously resolved pieces certainly look right at home in the gallery setting. Dare I say, they're almost too sexy to be utilitarian pieces for the home.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">26 June - 30 August 2009</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Tuesday - Sunday, 11am-6pm</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Free admission<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">417 Bourke Street</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Surry Hills, NSW, 2010</span><br /><a href="http://www.object.com.au/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.object.com.au</span></a><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></p><p><br /></p><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-9787002184538282332009-07-03T12:36:00.001+10:002009-07-03T12:42:08.277+10:00Khaled Sabsabi - Integration, assimilation and a fair go for all<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After migrating to Australia from Lebanon in the 1970s, Khaled Sabsabi has worked in music production, audio-visual design and the visual arts for the past 16 years. This exhibition incorporates three video installations over both floors of Gallery 4A.<br /><br />Australians, 2006/2009, on the ground floor is multi-channel video installation and is viewable 24 hours a day through the street window. The pastiche of interchanging face parts: eyes; noses; mouths, meticulously oscillates over 12 monitors to show bold portraits of multiplicity and multiculturalism.<br /><br />On the upper level industrial clanging and mysterious sounds permeate and draw you in to the installation. At first the shards of stringy-bark strewn as a landscape prevented me from getting close to view the main wall. The half light created by the red projection of a small pool or well in a cycle of spilling and filling in the centre of the floor also made it difficult to navigate the installation. After a few moments with eyes adjusting to the landscape, the oversized black lettering on the 8 metre black walls, Fuck off We’re Full hit me with confronting brevity.<br /><br />I love the way Sabsabi says so much about contact, traditional ownership, migration, occupation, policy and politics in this single work.<br /><br />The third installation continues to bridge the creative and the political by reconfiguring another landscape. Left-Centre-Right presents footage taken of a thunder storm over Newcastle in 2007, where the lightning is abstracted and fragmented to extent you are left wondering whether the phenomena is in fact footage from a man-made warzone rather than nature unleashed.<br /><br />I left the exhibition pondering the title as much of a question as a statement.<br /><br />Gallery 4A – Asia-Australia Arts Centre<br />13 June – 25 July 2009<br />Tuesday – Saturday 11am-6pm<br /><br />181-187 Hay Street<br />Sydney NSW 2000<br /></span><a href="http://www.4a.com.au/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.4a.com.au</span></a>MissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2002731650246462531.post-50727200852743858782009-06-28T17:25:00.000+10:002009-06-28T18:40:24.895+10:00Andy Summers - Desirer Walks the Streets"A dark stream of black and white photographs that are culled from Any Summers' life as a travelling musician"<br /><br />You may, at first, assume these 40 photos highlight the illustrious guitarist's glamorous touring schedule with the Police. But rather than images of a footloose and fancy free, rock 'n' roll life-style, the images document a more solitary, personal and somewhat 'rear window' view of Andy's everyday experiences and encounters.<br /><br />The archival silver gelatin prints are dark but subtle, moody, soft and alluring. His subjects, whether people or places, are the focus of the compositions and often expose an eccentricity, which may reveal as much about the artist as the quirky situations depicted. There is no doubt Summers is a talented photographer with an eye for interesting compositions and spontaneity. From Cowgirl, San Francisco, 1982, showing ornate boots poking from the foot of the bedcovers, to Monk, Tokyo, 2008 depicting a wise man enjoying a cigarette, Summers seems to capture candid moments with ease as he wanders, a voyeur amongst both his familiar subculture and unfamiliar cultural landscapes abroad.<br /><br />With concurrent exhibitions in Santa Monica (and previously in April in Tokyo) you'd best be quick to snaffle one of these prints as they are very limited editions of 10 worldwide. Prices vary on the edition but overall later editions fetch higher prices up to $3,950. Don't let the commercial gallery presentation deter you from checking out this exhibition, it's well worth seeing an alternative view outside the life of a roving rock star.<br /><br />...if you so desire!<br /><br /><br />4-30 June 2009<br />Blender Gallery<br />16 Elizabeth Street Paddington<br /><a href="http://www.blender.com.au/">http://www.blender.com.au/</a><br />Tuesday - Saturday, 11am - 6pmMissBlisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13402799275104213499noreply@blogger.com0