A friend emailed these images to me of Loose Cannon by Dan Moynihan
at Victoria Park Gallery.
Its over now, but it was good.
outsider that old chelsnut
Monash Clayton today for oustsider thing. Good work of cause. Peter Fay and Glen Barkley know their you know. Glen and MCA whooooooo! G and P spoke and that was good, its been done in a historical way and this seems to introduce the oustsider thing well and established, because it is. I was weirded out that this was Melbournes first time to this sought of work, I am not sure I a right in feling this, probably just ill informed, but it was a bit 'that old chestnut' to me. I sought of thought MUMA didn't see it as a history thing as much as the curaters did, it was new territory for them. This kind of work was a big part of the Canberra art school experience, we got Home Sweet Home from Peter Fay's collection at NGA pretty early on. Some of us were like new oustsider artists Peter found in a way. Glen did say that now this outsider show has been completed he feels like moving on and bringing that stuff into galleries on equal footing. Good lets get freaking egalitatrian. Its just a shame that its might take the peps longer to get there, they may have just heard the word Oustsider.
But this doesn't take nothing from some awsome works in the show. Especially John Patrick Mckenzie's poetry.
But this doesn't take nothing from some awsome works in the show. Especially John Patrick Mckenzie's poetry.
chrome
I found a chromers plastic bag on the way to the studio today,well I imagined it was, but now I think about it some one had built or fixed it to carry a bit of paint, to chrome from? - plastic bag, the ones you buy, not the ones they give you at the supermarket. I picked it up. It's red down in one corner, kinder smashing up to the exit. they had tied a couple of tiny tidy knots to repair holes.
I think I decided it that was a chrome bag cause a boy got on the tram the other day - smashed out - chromer. paint was comming up and out of the corners of his mouth across his skin, the colour was silver, well chrome. It was beautiful.
Meredith Turnbull has a video in the world end show on at the carlton at the moment - she hangs upside down, her face changed by the gravity, she rocks back and forth revealing a full moon, like a sc fi bat in preparation. I am not sure if she is preparing to save or end the world. I like the thought of Meredith bothering to go out into night to get that moon and risk hanging upside down in the park alone.
Van Newton played at the Un magazine relaunch, I was there with a friend from boarding school and she asked me "so are they a covers band, and why is he wearing sunglasses?" I don't think their bad questions, but how do I answer, how do I start from scratch, cause it's dumb to wear sunglasses? I guess that's what galleries do to explain work, they have to start from scratch, and its usually uncomfortable.
reasons to be hetrosexual:
there is a pack of boys who go to the supermarket on swan street after school, they leave their bags at the door, one is a worn out, used to be green country road bag - they've scribbled over the brand, the zipper is broken and open, and some stuff falls out, it's a cheeky stand out in amongst the other private school crest, latin and maron bags.
I think I decided it that was a chrome bag cause a boy got on the tram the other day - smashed out - chromer. paint was comming up and out of the corners of his mouth across his skin, the colour was silver, well chrome. It was beautiful.
Meredith Turnbull has a video in the world end show on at the carlton at the moment - she hangs upside down, her face changed by the gravity, she rocks back and forth revealing a full moon, like a sc fi bat in preparation. I am not sure if she is preparing to save or end the world. I like the thought of Meredith bothering to go out into night to get that moon and risk hanging upside down in the park alone.
Van Newton played at the Un magazine relaunch, I was there with a friend from boarding school and she asked me "so are they a covers band, and why is he wearing sunglasses?" I don't think their bad questions, but how do I answer, how do I start from scratch, cause it's dumb to wear sunglasses? I guess that's what galleries do to explain work, they have to start from scratch, and its usually uncomfortable.
reasons to be hetrosexual:
there is a pack of boys who go to the supermarket on swan street after school, they leave their bags at the door, one is a worn out, used to be green country road bag - they've scribbled over the brand, the zipper is broken and open, and some stuff falls out, it's a cheeky stand out in amongst the other private school crest, latin and maron bags.
'From the utterly uncool peaks of some mountain somewhere'
I went to see Sam George's 'From the utterly uncool peaks of some mountain somewhere' at TCB a little while ago and introduced my half asleep dumb arse self again. The just about, penultimate ( i didn't want to use that word but oh well) and disappointed stuff in the title was in the work. Lots of scrunches of paper on the floor/corner that looked denim wash because of some blue bits. Sam said she'd made the work everywhere and not in one place, but all the pieces were the same even sizes, broken down from A4's. Some random sheets and some old essays. This is Sam's first show since art school. I liked that she was using some old essays, it's like a nice let down. burning your books. We talked about about grad show and after art school disappointment - it can feel a bit like a school formal you take years to get ready for and on the night you end up not feeling like yourself and pash none of them. The proposed exhibition was a waist height paper extravaganza, but it didn't happen....... Sam told me that at the TCB opening someone left her a note in the work, something about it being trite.............. yikes, but you know what I agree, cause they are on the right track and its not a negative thing, it suits what I think Sam has been up to. And I guess you have to try and remember that a show is a shrug in a whole practice and it don't have to have it all. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelanguage
Elvis Richardson at Utopian Slumps
TELEVISUALS/SALUTEELVIS
Opens Friday 1 Feb at Utopian Slumps. Whoop!
also Michael Ciavarella, Ross Coulter, Deven Marriner and Laith McGregor are in a show called Fuck Your Heroes, opening at West Space the night before, sounds tuff.
looking at art on the internet.
My favourite comment from the Matt Griffin 'hoo haa' on Speech was by Tao, esp the bouncing Joey bit. the Larikin bit. It's so dumb but kinda hits on an australia-australiana bit maybe.
"Perhaps Anon. is instinctively and inarticulately responding to what I found to be a nihilistic aspect to Griffin's humor. Though I don't think this is the right word, in the face of work that provides no answers or solutions, no easy outs, the happy go lucky Joey will bounce him self silly and really get quite upset with all the hoo haa" Tao, Speech Review, Nov 5 2007.
Just re-read an Art Life comment on Fergus Binns at Chalkhorse, Feb 2007. I', kinda likng this cringe stuff, the cringe of something really local. When your tummy flips when Binns uses green and gold. Nadine Christensen's works Prospector and Crops on Mars, both 2007, get Aussie too. Prospector with its mirror Rozellas and farm art rustica sculpture and Crops on Mars, swings + Blue Heeler. Bringing home, but not quite, what I always saw as an Grand Canyon kinda place, a generic movie space, even that knocked out pastel pallete seemed kinda international school of painting maybe (term being used about, not even ure how to apply it?) . Well in these ones with the Australia the colour just sems high noon instead.
So if you stop and think Australia + picture = you get this swanston street souviner stuff. I saw a Countdown rerun on Rage the other night from 1982. It had The Gonna Band do Solid Rock in from of a Uluru backdrop, which I guess was Ayers Rock at then. They sung it ominous and warning. Then Kate Bush did Aborigine (?) Is how she sings it a rip off of an Australian accent? She dances at dawn with idigenious dancers, not so typical moves, there is lasers an outta space in the 80's too. So I guess Austrliana was big in the 80's. We have just had that whole fowl 80's things, so I guess it roles up naturally that kidz now tote bags from those Swanston St shops, hell I want one, and Ken Done, despite that listing in the top 3 worst on the art life - is gaining shaking ground - they didn't really want to slam him. Ken's been a bit of a Canberra favourite for a while. Unlike the artlife I would like to wear Done toggs and bed under Ken Doonas, that what its good at, I even had a calander at that was good at other stuff.
So anyway the cringe is good and not just ironic I hope. Trevs doing that uncomfortable aboriginal thing a bit. We have a recent RMIT graduate just moved into the studio and she is going hammer and tongs at the swanston street rip off of 'the dot', who owns the dot? ouch! Tim Price did some works last year calling the crass paintaings, pronounced like grass, Tim does this buyiny the newspaper each day, painting a pic from it, last year he was intervening, a noose might tether Howard on that fucking morning walk etc. So anyway the cringe is good and not just ironic I hope.
preparation 500, the vortex and mums garden
Modern Britain and the NGV is a good show. The grot and even the gesture is pretty refreshing, kinda links into my pet topic at the moment, the post war time, when platis was inventended and an exciting prospect from a great new future maybe. Unlike it is now, the default bad guy ruining our precious future. The house at mums n dads was built in the Modern Britain times, when they ripped up some out lino they found some Womens Weekleys that had been used as lining, there was a great article in one talking about this amazing invention called plastic. Now we are banning the bag.
Replay Marclay finishes up on the third of Feb. Its been nice to have it around as a reminder to make art about what you love and stuff it. Marclay loves music/sound and thats enough. Its funny how dated the tricks seem, but tat kinda cool, its becomming history.
shreddy christmas
So the galleries are closed and only the big ones open, its been an olden days / family time latley. Modern Britain at the NGV is really good. But I might write about that another time.
Our christmas tree from the last couple of years has been this thing made out of barbed wire, good bit of farm art rustica from mum, the star though, is a star of David, made out of barbed wire, do you see what I mean, that's not quite right. Mum doesn't know what she's done. My brother kinda gaps at it, cracks a few jew jokes, mum reminds us that our great grandad was called hezakia, ( spelling) we look at dads nose, oh dear, its all pretty bad really. But that's what happens there, stuff just gets jammed up wrong and all together despite the best intentions.
I do like christmas at home though, I like that there are only 5 people and not lots of presents. My brother and I speed wrapped, we usually try and do something dumb with the wrapping, making it really hard to get into, elctrical tape is pretty good! this year it was doing it and getting them to the tree as fast as possible, its silly and sought of undermines the whole thing and It's a bit of luxury to wrap nice stuff like crap.
So a garden shredder was a big hit this year, Dad got a saw too, so he and Jock went a bit nuts sawing bits off trees just to put them through the shreddy, even the shredder packaging got a go, shredded cardboard looks pretty good might try and use it sometime.
old masters (shut up po mo jerk)
peps ask me if I am going to do masters, that's ok, I should just get a better answer, like when people ask about comming from a farm and making art I should answer better, well I have one but it's really long, and if someone doesn't get that they are perfect for each other, dad spinning around on his heals in his workshop trying to find a solution asap is pretty familar, and that second generation intellectuals suck, creativity is a bit lame and adaption better and everyones parents are something else, well it would just take to long to help them get it maybe.
But Masters, I would like to do it if I could get a scholarship. I guess a double degree feels like a lot to have done so I havn't thought about masters, but miss art school a lot. I was not very good at research at art school, in that I would not go to the library with a topic and found the catalogue unsatisfying, the library as a whole was kinda more my topic, I would look at what people had looked at and left on the trolleys, I didn't really like looking at artists who my teachers directed me to casue they were making similar stuff, they suggested artists based on materials not ideas, Its disappointing if your not making in a realtionship to materials way, I kinda needed more advice on artist's as writers and text in work.
Masters seems lonely maybe? And too much navel gazing maybe? Though perhaps I wont be taken seriously unless I do it. Any advice would be welcome, I think their is a secret mannual someplace. I think I have convinced myself I should.
But Masters, I would like to do it if I could get a scholarship. I guess a double degree feels like a lot to have done so I havn't thought about masters, but miss art school a lot. I was not very good at research at art school, in that I would not go to the library with a topic and found the catalogue unsatisfying, the library as a whole was kinda more my topic, I would look at what people had looked at and left on the trolleys, I didn't really like looking at artists who my teachers directed me to casue they were making similar stuff, they suggested artists based on materials not ideas, Its disappointing if your not making in a realtionship to materials way, I kinda needed more advice on artist's as writers and text in work.
Masters seems lonely maybe? And too much navel gazing maybe? Though perhaps I wont be taken seriously unless I do it. Any advice would be welcome, I think their is a secret mannual someplace. I think I have convinced myself I should.
wednesday night
http://www.victoriaparkgallery.com/main.html
Victoria Park invites you to the opening of
'ART$MASH' VPG's 2nd annual fund raising show.
Opening Wednesday 19th December 2007 5.30 - 8.30pm. Exhibition runs 20th - 22nd December 2007.
250 Johnston St, Abbotsford
Wed - Sat, 12-5
Victoria Park invites you to the opening of
'ART$MASH' VPG's 2nd annual fund raising show.
Opening Wednesday 19th December 2007 5.30 - 8.30pm. Exhibition runs 20th - 22nd December 2007.
250 Johnston St, Abbotsford
Wed - Sat, 12-5
http://www.danielmcunningham.com/artist.html#funeral_songs
the catalgoue of songs that people chose is neat-o.
the catalgoue of songs that people chose is neat-o.
SAM GEORGE
a kind soul has let me know that Sam George made the -up the stairs to a fan piece at the VCA grad show, I wasn't sure who had. I wish I could have this one, I'd walk up the steps each morning and get my eyes dried out and be reminded not to be an idiot today.
bells and whistles
'bells and whistles' is something a friend says and I try to keep in mind. I hope she doesn't mind. This is what I think she means. Bells and Whistles talks about being florid. Florid in that from the push-pull between information and decoration, technique and device outdoes. Or in the other way an idea knows all about itself with certainty. She uses it about her time in New York, that art there was full of these bells and whistles. It could mean scaling up and down or hyper real . Jeff Koons puppy ......maybe. Or more like "Katie Moore creates ‘wooden’ objects using various materials, none of them actual wood" (from MCA Primavera notes). So bells and whistles can act a quip/tag to explain a practice, perhaps making a galleriests job easier. Though I think I might like Moore's stuff as the notes go on to say "The imitation woodenness of Moore’s sculptures is not sufficiently convincing to reduce the art work to a mere confidence trick". And b&w includes paintings trying hard not to be paintings, or like Tim Doolan's chrome ceramics not looking like ceramics, a kind of po-mo avantgardism. A system that seems to dislocates the object from having been made, in the usual maky way and what its made from.
I wanted to have no name for the blog, but it wont let you. 'White Child' was loaded and I kinda need to be on hand to explain it, I was getting hits from Texas, you know what I mean, and 'Daughter' is so Freud and Pearl Jam. So Bells and Whistles will do it for now.
http://www.mca.com.au/default.asp?page_id=10&content_id=3068
I wanted to have no name for the blog, but it wont let you. 'White Child' was loaded and I kinda need to be on hand to explain it, I was getting hits from Texas, you know what I mean, and 'Daughter' is so Freud and Pearl Jam. So Bells and Whistles will do it for now.
http://www.mca.com.au/default.asp?page_id=10&content_id=3068
Ed RuschaJaggy Daggers, 1977Pastel on paper23-1/8 x 29-1/8 inches (58.7 x 74 cm)
I am not sure who made a work I liked at the VCA graduate exhibition. It was a piece where you climbed to look in a slot and your eyes got dried up by fan burrring back and forth, sought of caught me before I could close them and get out of what was happening. Dry your eyes mate maybe .... I am guessing that it belonged to either Julian Medor's car bonnets or Tully Moore's paintings from photographs of graffiti on brick walls installed on a painted brick wall. David Griggs. I liked it cause it was light and dumb in amongst a whole lotta weight. I kinda expected to turn back into the gallery and the work that was there to have turned into a surprise party.
I also enjoyed Gennet Makonnen's oil on canvas, in a way again cause of their refreshing ability in that context, and that's cause of their painty-Matisseness. They almost seemed brave in a po-mo world. But I am a bit pro paint at the moment.
There were some tankstand/shed farm photo's that got me sentimental and were actually quite straight and crisp in amongst the angstorammma, sorry I can't match what I remember with the catalogue, so no name. I didn't see the drawing department, but apparently its pretty strong. Printmedia is it's own infinity in a grain of sand, I only say this as a drawing and printmedia graduate.
Ross Coulter's Waiting for Ted is so funny. This piece seems to have gently developed as a reaction to Ross' honours year, Ted is Ross' honours supervisor who seems unable to keep an appointment, leaving Ross stranded in the studio, straddling staying or going and what will I do in the mean time.
I am going to get a copy of Tim Hiller's DVD At Sea. When I got to this work I near walked straight away. fashion youf jacket paints need pulling up all the time. But then my friend started telling me about this particular jacket's cost and texture and by default I ended up watching the piece. It saved itself with an old little boy boat. When the boat gets tangled in reeds and he wades out to get it, its pretty endearing. It just tied in for me with a kinda boyhood thing that I read into Matthew Bradley's stuff and others, I mean he is meant to be THE bad guy right, affluent little fuck, he will grow into a white-male-fat-cat right.
There is a forum at Gertrude St. on Monday night called Feminisim never happened, or something like that. Amita did a good raunch culture show at CCAS called Oomph . I hear there was talk of a boy protest (he he) what, yups it did?
it's hard to explain. And not as oversimple as this camparison.
Anna Schwartz Gallery, the work is by Jan Nelson, (it's not about Jan Nelson)
Studio floor
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