Sit, drop, stay.

Among my facebook friends, I’m known for my prolific (and yet amateur) photography of dogs tied up and waiting for their masters outside shops.  I’m forever taking photos of dogs with my phone.  It’s gotten to the point where my mates send me photos they’ve taken of waiting dogs, and people tell me that they think of me anytime they see a dog outside a milkbar.  Aw shucks!

Certainly, there are plenty of semi-willing subjects out there just waiting for me to walk by.  But it’s hard, and I get mixed results.  Partly it’s a lighting / crappy camera / dull background thing.  But mostly it’s really hard to capture their expressions – sometimes forlorn, sometimes content, often peering past to look for mum/dad -  without them noticing I’m there.  Once they see me giving them attention they either get happy and tail waggy, or anxious and growly.  Either way, not really the expressions I’m after for my collection.

Imagine how happy and taily waggy I got when I came across this new little paste up in Gore Street, Fitzroy!  He didn’t move at all (although when I look at the photo I took I can really imagine him animating, can’t you?).  He’s quite happy napping.  And he’ll be happily napping every time I wander by.  Which is ALL THE TIME.  Lucky me!

 

Webb St, Fitzroy

stumbled upon: chris verene

Work is sometimes good, sometimes not-so-good. On one of those recent not-so-good days I decided to spend my lunch hour blowing off steam stomping around Chelsea, home of the super hip gallery owner. In between muttering and squinting at hipsters, I stumbled upon this gem of a show at a gallery called Postmasters. The photographer is Chris Verene, an Illinois native who now lives in Brooklyn like all artists (except me- go Queens!).

I really enjoyed the series, documenting members of his family in various stages of their lives. As a not really American American, I find Americana fascinating, and was particularly intrigued by this image, which seems so ordinary yet tragic.

It definitely made the rest of my day more bearable.

Snap: snazzy!

heart for NZ goth

My one way romance with taxidermist/artist Julia deVille evolved from one of my earlier subscriptions of Dumbo Feather magazine (issue 12) in which her art, workspace and thoughts were featured.  Ever since, I have been well aware of her presence in contemporary jewellers, art spaces (Craft Victoria) and various media (even Enough Rope with Andrew Denton).

I wish I listened to my artist intuition to buy a ring from e.g. etal years ago, because her work is increasingly out of my budget but it is heavenly with detail and no less loved than before.

I urge the effort to go to her current exhibition at Sophie Gannon’s gallery.  It’s so much better than the zoo! You can get closer to the animals and they have been so lovingly preserved and adorned with jewels that you can’t help but admire her expertise in returning these animals to a new variety of animal kingdom.  The foal that is ready to pounce, the pearly piglet poised to sing and the black crow that seemingly flies with life. This exhibition is excellently executed and an opportunity to embrace art that is ironically environmental, educational and naturally gothic.  I share Julia’s advocacy for animals in all their deadly glory.

I draw the floor

My latest sketching project is a humble one. If it fell on the floor, it’s destined to be drawn.I like the way you can make monsters out of the arrangements of clothes that get flung off and mangled on the ground. A couple more sketches in the “read more” section below and visit my blog for more pics!

5Pointz

Without trying to turn all my posts into street-art/graffiti posts, I couldn’t not share some of the recent pics I took of 5Pointz, a massive graffiti-covered warehouse building in Long Island City, Queens. I have never ventured inside, and couldn’t find anyone to ask (there was a sign), however I have been told that it houses a few artist studios. Hopefully I can get in there at some point as I have heard there is talk of tearing it down.

Waste Land – a must see

I’m suffering from that famous MIFF-overload daze.  It’s a five-films-in-three-days kind of stupor, and this happy exhaustion shows no signs of letting up any time soon.

My pick of the festival so far has been an excellent documentary called Waste Land.   I hadn’t heard of Brazilian artist Vik Muniz prior to seeing this film, so don’t look here for a well-informed critique of his work.  Maybe look here instead.  But his photographs will probably be familiar to you – his shtick is to create images, particularly portraits, out of wacky stuff – in this film it’s recyclable materials salvaged from Brazil’s (and possibly the world’s?) largest tip – and then photograph the end result.  Anyway, this dude is Brazil’s most successful artistic export and the doco sees him conceive a new project that will give back to some of the poorest peeps in his homeland.

Vik is not the star of the film though.

Vik involves an incredible bunch of ‘pickers’ to help him create the images he is after – the pickers are people who pick through the rubbish in the landfill to find recyclable plastics, papers, bottles, cans, etc.  Could better ‘talent’ be found for a doco?  I doubt it.  They guys are warm, intelligent, beautiful, funny, endearing and full of spunk.  The journey they go on as they participate in Vik’s project is simply remarkable.  The doco is an exploration of art as a life-changing experience, and it gives me goose-bumps just thinking about it.

I loved every minute of this film.  I wanted to applaud all the way through the second half.  I highly recommend that you get along to the second MIFF screening – 7 August at 2:30pm.  It will sell out, so get onto it.

Australian Made

My sketches from the Australian Made exhibition

Happy times for me this week in the shapely form of Australian made, the new fashion exhibition at the Ian Potter Center, Melbourne.  I am  the original, un-killable fashion victim and anything that promises to be pretty, frilly, flounced or in any way fabulous has me tripping over my mock Manolo’s to get first look.  I must admit it all seems so long ago, now that I’m at home sick with my tracksuit pants on backwards and am zipped into stained yellow polar fleece, but I’ll try to remember the good times…

Melbournians – Welcome to Melbourne!

Russell Place substation

For two incredible days Melbournians can push past security and discover the city’s secret places and spaces as part of the Melbourne Open House event. Visit private rooftop gardens, bunker down in underground substations and discover the secret laboratories you never knew existed. The event, now in its second year, showcases the buildings and architecture that makes Melbourne so darn fab. Some of the sites on offer are running guided tours, others let you roam free and take your time to settle in. The Open House is coordinated by a not-for-profit group that is all about getting people to explore and appreciate the city they live in. I just think it’s an awesome idea. Get amongst it!

Donkey Wheel House - REALLY!

Melbourne Open House runs 24th & 25th July 2010!

On the spot

Warning: you will now be fined $550 on the spot for carrying a spray paint can.

Spotted in Little Charles St, Fitzroy.