White Rabbit

Dong Yuan

(sorry I didn't note the title)

 

Thursday night, saw a friend and I taking advantage of extended opening hours of various galleries for art month. We had intentions to see more, but only ended up browsing through the fantastic White Rabbit space. A few people had described it to me before I went, and every single one of them had used the word "amazing" to describe it. I was not led astray, it is an amazing collection, an amazing concept, an amazing physical space. Everything about it makes you want to linger. Including, I believe their teahouse which wasn't open for tea drinking when we were there.

Sick

I've been feeling very yucky with the flu...so bad in fact, it could almost be a girly version of man-flu. I've found myself whining randomly and groaning in a pathetic manner. I've been hitting the Eucalyptus oil hard, so much so that I think the excessive aroma is getting me spare seats next to my person on public transport.

Produce

Look at this beauty, our very first home grown strawberry. It tasted so so amazingly great, just incredibly rich and sweet. it had an intensity of flavour that is so lacking from supermarket varieties. I hope it bodes well for the creation of our new vegie patch that should be up and running in a couple of weeks.

Art Express

 

Persons of Perception; Avoid Things Coloured Red; One and Five Pencils; A Bunch of Paintings Containing Lessons for the Future - detail view

Tal Chodos - Mariah College

Today at work, instead of having our Monday morning meeting in the office. We went out to see Art Express instead (yes, I do have a cool job thank you very much!). I've been a bit of a regular attendee of the show over the years, from my hopeful visits in year 9, 10 and 11. To my more bitter visit post year 12 when my work didn't make the grade! ; )

Untitled (Dialogue with Average Significance)  - detail view

Tara Rose Gurisik - Wyndham College

Dragster
Joshua Warren - Barrenjoey High School
 
This year I was quite blown away by the standard of work. To be honest, a lot of years I've been, there's been a lot of coverage given to some, well, to be honest, quite derivative artworks. (you know, Bill Henson lookalikes etc). Or, they've stuffed it full of too many pieces, all crammed into a small space.

Arpeggio
Belinda Bortolin - Terrigal High

Precious Cargo

Cassandra Simonetti - Santa Sabina College

This year, it is relatively sparsely hung, and overall the standard of work was exceptionally high, and really original....then I started to look closer at the school names where the students were from. It seemed to me to be a massive representation from some of the top private schools in the state (mainly Sydney). Knox, Ascham, Queenwood etc. While not taking away from the achievements of these students, I can't help but wonder whether these entries were hung because of their gallery-standard presentation that these students could afford to do...? Is that a terrible thing to wonder?

Work in progress - finished!

Here's the finished product of the painting I posted recently from Rozelle. Would I be the only one that would attempt to post my mail in this meter box?

Les Archives Du Coeur

While in Tasmania recently, the Count and I stumbled upon Mona Foma a contemporary art festival head annually in Hobart. I was so excited that our trip coincided with it as I had heard a great interview on the radio with Brian Ritchie the curator (and also Violet Femmes member). We didn't get to see much while we were there, but we did get to take part in Christian Boltanksi's 'Archives Du Coeur' project!

The Count getting his heartbeat recorded for Christian Boltanksi's 'Les Archives Du Coeur'

Since 2005 Christian Boltanski seeks to collect heartbeat recordings around the world, to bring together all the hearts of mankind. A truly universal project, these Archives du coeur will be kept sheltered from the effects of time on the Japanese island of Teshima, in the Inland Seto Sea, made available by a philanthropist 

I now have a CD recording of my heartbeat, all the proceeds of the recordings - (the charge $5 for the CD), were going to disaster relief in Haiti. But I can be safe in the knowledge that even if I lose this said CD my heartbeat is locked up in some vault on the Japanese island of Teshima. Which thus far seems to be famous for illegal waste dumping.

 

Rozelle

Cute work in progress covering an electricty meter box near Darling St Rozelle. Wonder how it's going to end up? I think it's by Chris Whelan (that's if I've spelt his name right) He left a note on the top with his name and website details saying that the work had been comissioned by Leichhardt council. 

My Rozelle meandering also led me to Atereal a gallery that represents my old amazing photo media tutor Simone Douglas. They've got a really nice exhibition there at the moment showcasing Claude Jones and Rhonda Dee. Rhonda Dee's work really seemed to sum up my mood today!