Crimbos

Happy Christmas to all. We had a sweet time, baby knows about presents now. How delightful.

The Cuckoo's Nest

Featuring new works from Beci Orpin, Siri Hayes, Lucy James, Dell Stewart, Kate and Jessie Tucker, Ellequa Martin and Tai Snaith. Curated by Tai Snaith.

In most bird species, the female builds and feathers the nest before laying her eggs. In the case of The Cuckoo, however, she simply lays her egg's in another bird's nest. This idea of hijacking someone else's space is in some ways similar to what we do as artists. We make personal objects, images and ideas and  they often end up in someone else's home and life. In The Cuckoo's Nest a group of seven artists will be treating Linden a little like a display home for a new way of living with art.

The Cuckoo's Nest takes a look at domesticity and creative living through psychedelic coloured glasses. This is the kind of home where you might find birds living in the loungeroom, inedible rainbow feasts and mushroom tea ceremonies.

Some of my bits and pieces on the living room floor, in readiness for install tomorrow.

July 12- August 11 at Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts. Opening night- July 12, 6pm. Linden Centre for Contemporary Art 26 Acland Street St. Kilda

Send them away

I love this new video. Beaches launched their album, she beats on the weekend, it was sold out, I didn't get tickets.

Space Switch

 
















Is a workshop with Kate Matthews and I - over two weekends - 8th & 9th, 15th & 16th June - 11am to 4pm at SIGNAL. Bookings online.

Ever wanted to transform the world around you? Or transport yourself into an alternate reality? In this series of weekend workshops you will use traditional stop motion animation to do just that. You will create an animated version of yourself and transport into a world of your own creation. Will the world be as you see it or the world as you want it to be? You’ll build your background with collage elements and paper cuts using a multi-layered, traditional animation set up. 

Your old school motion graphics will be exhibited on the Signal Screens after dark.

This workshop will be held at SIGNAL, a creative studio for young people aged 13 to 20 years old. 
SIGNAL is located on Flinders Walk, behind Flinders Street Station towards Sandridge Bridge, Northbank.

Easy Money

Saturday night we played the launch of Post Magazine at Soldier Sailor in Fitzroy. It is only our second ever gig, and I was very nervous. I made a sequinned bolero jacket on saturday morning to distract myself. I didn't wear it, I went for the first day of school in Mullumbimby look instead. It was fun, we need more practice. Thanks to the Zonks for inviting us, I love the Zonks. We hope to play more soon!

Look, Dodecahedron

Adam Cruickshank has been organising a show. It opens this week, Friday in fact, and is accompanied by a lovely book, featuring work by many good people. Come along and get one!

RRR

I have been loving the radio lately. It's all to do with timing, having been enjoying working in the shed to the accompaniment of Breaking and Entering and Set it Out and my nerdy garden favourite, Dirty Deeds. Thanks to the ladies of handmadelife for talking up the show on the Grapevine on monday too, love the love.
I subscribed the band in some vague hope that it makes us get it together with recording something and playing more. We do have a gig coming up, but no time to rehearse, see how that goes!

A conversation in space. Setting up at West Space. I have a lot to do before tomorrow.

Trainspotters

Some time lapse shot during the workshop at Signal. Possibly only interesting to people who like that sort of thing. Time passing. And trains – the trains are nice if you like trains – I think I must.

Something to hold on to...

Some crappy phone photos from the opening, since it was the closing party last night. Lovely Sarah doing some last minute polishing, and a blurry picture of my Bronze twig hooks. Did I tell you how much I loved Antonia Sellbach's beautiful trivets.

And the lovely brass scoops and tongs from Anna Varendorff. There were a lot of people crammed into that room for awhile there, building trivet towers and sugar mountains. Thanks everybody for coming! This is definitely a show to ponder in the regular quiet of Mr Kitly. Last chance to visit it today and tomorrow, though I think some things will be making their way into the shop.
 

Openings

I am about to begin a week of exhibition openings. Tonight is Yuta Project all the way from Yirrkala at The Ownership Project in Fitzroy. Lovely Annie writes about it here.
Tomorrow night is Jesse Marlow at Anna Pappas in Prahan. Thursday night is Adam Cruickshank and some others in Code at (the new) Odessa in Fitzroy. And lastly is Group Work on friday night at Mr Kitly. I'm tired already!

Anyway, I best get on my bike, I have Don's beer garden to visit on the way.

Last tuesday

It's about a week ago today, and in keeping with my late recall of late, here are some pictures from last tuesday. I went out to Monash with Adam as he had a meeting, and I'm not at work that day. I got to visit MUMA. There was more than a little something for me in all of the shows.



Hany Armanious and his Venetian dust or Hany Armanious: The Golden Thread.

All of these from the collection. Self-Conscious: Contemporary Portraiture.





And lastly. Adrian Paci, Per Speculum. A beautiful 35mm film.

BYOB

(Bring Your Own Beamer) is a series of one-night exhibitions where artists are invited to bring their own "beamers" and explore the medium of projection by creating a collaborative happening of moving light, sound and performance. Organised by Ry David Bradley, Antuong Nguyen, Sam Hancocks and Emile Zile, initiated by Rafaël Rozendaal.

I have been anticipating this one for awhile now, ever since Emile posted the first of these killer Julian Assange gif's (I think by Sam Hancocks). Friday 16 December 2011 at Tristian Koenig Gallery.

Open House

After work wednesday we went to the launch of The Design Files Open House. It's a pretty amazing place – filled with covetable objects, spaces, and views – along with some lovely friendly faces.

Funnily enough, I don't mind these woody stools, or the reflection of the flowery umbrella in the puddles on the roofdeck.




The steely stormy sky looked incredible against the snowy gums, pebblecrete and bluestone walls. I could stare at that scene for ages, with a golden handled Bridget Bodenham teacup to keep me company on the deck, and occasional distractions from the garden and the daschhound on the neighbouring rooftop.





This Penelope Durston cushion is my favourite in the house and in the shop, and was really quite stunning on the acid yellow lounge. I liked the prevalence of Polka dots on people, both staff and punters alike, and the eye candy in general. It's only open this weekend, so if you are in the neighbourhood, and don't mind a peek behind usually closed doors, check it out.

THE DESIGN FILES OPEN HOUSE is located at 40 Little Napier Street, Fitzroy, just off Gertrude street, 10-5pm.

Essendon Airport

Last week we went to the Chapter Music gig at the Old Melbourne Gaol as part of Melbourne Music Week. We were excited to see Essendon Airport and they were great. They were playing with Fabulous Diamonds and Primitive Calculators, both of whom I was happy to see again. There were alot of other things on that I would've liked to see too, but sadly there are limitations to time and money.

Essendon Airport video found via the excellent Rose Quartz.




Fabulous Diamonds via the Catwalk and Ned Kelly's cell. One little thumbs down to overzealous gaol security, fitting I guess.

Derby

Tuesday was the Derby, officially my favourite day out in Melbourne. Horse race, whatever.

Shame

It's a rainy Saturday, and while I should be doing my tax, I am instead writing about a pretty shameful day for Melbourne, with an excessive show of violence from our police force – breaking up a peaceful protest by dragging off and arresting 100 protesters – as the city square apparently needed to be returned to the public. (It is today closed for maintenance and filled with Police and their dogs).

Yesterday violence erupted as about 400 police evicted demonstrators who had been camping in the square since last weekend. Police used capsicum spray, horses and dogs to push the hundreds of activists out of the city centre, with officers dragging some protesters away. [www.abc.net.au]

Occupy Melbourne. I visited during the occupation, and witnessed many people getting a positive interaction there. Perhaps not all the usual paying customers to the neighbouring businesses, but still, a broad selection of the people of Melbourne in their city square. There were free plants, gardening tips, guided tours of Melbourne, conversation and a soup kitchen, alongside the tents. For this to be violently shoved into a rubbish truck, the square fenced off and people trampled by unwilling horses after a peaceful week of protest seems entirely unhelpful and reflects pretty poorly on our Mayor. Of course they don't love the untidy mess of all this, but surely there are better ways of negotiation. Particularly when the whole thing was organised to encourage discussion and idea's towards a more egalitarian society. Surely relocation could've been better handled than by sending in the riot police after a week of peaceful and harmless habitation. Depressing. The Queen is coming. I'll just go finish with the tax.

Library

I spent part of yesterday drifting about the city and occasionally helping Adam with his set up for West Space. As of today he will be in the project space with a purpose built library desk – full of amazing borrowed books to read – making a book. The project is called 'The Half-Asleep Pilgrim' and is part of the 'Today Your Love' series.

I wandered into city square to Occupy Melbourne, where I loved this brilliant, and topical milk crate library, and the free-reading, rock rug in the shadow of a giant, shiny, mutant baby. Viva la revolution and la reading library.

Gingerbread

I came home last night to make some gingerbread for afternoon tea today at Mr Kitly. It's pretty, if you can handle blue foods, and I can totally understand if you can't! Pene has also made some toasty coconut Marshmallow and there will be some special Mr Kitly tea. From 2 til 4pm today. Come along if you need some refreshment and some more beautiful Denim.

It's a jungle in here

Thursday night was Guildford lane, with a Utopian Slumps show, and It's a jungle in here at Screenspace, which is part of the Melbourne festival. Van Sowerwine and Isobel Knowles are all kinds of clever. I had the privilege of sharing a studio with Isobel earlier this year while they were working on this, so I was really looking forward to taking part in the final product. The lazy suzan set they built, the picture box for viewing, the technology, man, it's all smart and very fancy.




There was a queue, luckily for me I got to catch up with some amazing ladies while I waited, and then had the unexpected pleasure of not only being a bearded book reading nerd on the train, but also being bullied by beautiful Lorelei in the guise of obnoxious twin schoolgirls. Joy is probably not what it is meant to come of the experience, but still. 'Part psychodrama, part multimedia marvel, It's a jungle in here is a confronting tour of the fragile rules that organise our public lives.' It was a really fun night, ended in coconuts with Laksa and then a long ride home.