went to see Dan Boyd's 'Lets stay together' at Uplands. I wanna name droppppp that I went to art school with the good guy - just to say that I wish him all the best cause I am about to say maybe mean stuff, or just make some awkward notes, I got reminded lately that maybe I need say that my 'tude comes from sometimes knowing someones work over a long time. Perhaps this isn't fair game, but I think its important. It's always a hard thing in making work between repeating yourself v's losing the 'thing'. But perhaps seeing similar imagery and allegorys form Dan here isn't even important, this is his introduction to Melbs, so guess there is room to summarise.
Dan's here to stick some Aboriginal history. I recall that Dan finds his white-no beard-pirates pretty funny. But maybe I find it not too funny, or just one funny, not enough funnys, too much of a one liner for a messy mess, but maybe I want to hideout in the multiples in the mess cause I am white as hell. But I don't think my problem with these works is guilt or accusation. I made a work once that said 'I'm white but I'm alright' perhaps not so funny either, but maybe. I wonder if thoughful criticism of 'indigeneous' work is always curbed by doubt or fear.
But I think the saving grace of the show is the exhibition title work, lets stay together. A lion goes to kill a gizelle, spring bok maybe, South African rugby, South Africa, Africa, Lions. It's dark as, with a lttle grin. I think it manages to house an update in race relations. Perhaps 'lets stay together' is what Rudd proposes with his Sorry speech to the stolen generation (I found Rudds speech surprisingly moving, but the stolen generation is just just a little bit of it). Perhaps Dan rekons its a sinister idea, along the lines of 'you want to build a relationship outta this house of cards?!' like a creepy crap boyfriend trying to get you back. I like this work a lot. No more pirates.
Dan's here to stick some Aboriginal history. I recall that Dan finds his white-no beard-pirates pretty funny. But maybe I find it not too funny, or just one funny, not enough funnys, too much of a one liner for a messy mess, but maybe I want to hideout in the multiples in the mess cause I am white as hell. But I don't think my problem with these works is guilt or accusation. I made a work once that said 'I'm white but I'm alright' perhaps not so funny either, but maybe. I wonder if thoughful criticism of 'indigeneous' work is always curbed by doubt or fear.
But I think the saving grace of the show is the exhibition title work, lets stay together. A lion goes to kill a gizelle, spring bok maybe, South African rugby, South Africa, Africa, Lions. It's dark as, with a lttle grin. I think it manages to house an update in race relations. Perhaps 'lets stay together' is what Rudd proposes with his Sorry speech to the stolen generation (I found Rudds speech surprisingly moving, but the stolen generation is just just a little bit of it). Perhaps Dan rekons its a sinister idea, along the lines of 'you want to build a relationship outta this house of cards?!' like a creepy crap boyfriend trying to get you back. I like this work a lot. No more pirates.
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I'm not denying you Katy Perry - I just think your 'spirit' is wrong.
we were little, but we were doing close. She is so pretty and awkwardly smashing blue stuff onto a fowl mop head in a pus bucket. Isn't that window and not floor cleaner? 'Same shit different bottle', this phrase is now really imporatant to me. She was so pretty, I hadn't noticed how much I had seen it, but I was glad she bought the VB's to seduce me, I was glad we were to young to get into pubs, it was good to stay in the kitchen and drink the cooking vino from the cask and pash. Though weird to drive back to her mums, and sleep in the bunck above her and her boyfriend.
sook sook.
It's surprising that we are friends now, we havn't talked about it then.
I teased your best friend. she had a horrid forrid and I used a fist to mine to show her I'd noticed. Voted school captain, but only aloud to be vice. Or so they said, they said they didn't vote for the other one, mum jumped that it was becasue I wasn't catholic, well she used the word Tike. I thought that word meant Roman Catholic until a few days ago.
I didn't mind, it was more to me to be too bad arse for captain, I only wanted to be Head Girl, cause he got Boy.
When they told us we were chosen I asked 'which one' I meant am I captain or vice? He told me vice. he said it in that way when someone hands you something but hangs onto it for a bit, pulls you in a bit by using your grip on the thing, giving it to you like you kinda don't deserve it, usually there's a lovely "scamp", grin and wink to let you know : by the skin of your teeth and its ok, don't change anyway. but that wasn't here, just the pull in. He was so angry that his schooling had produced kids that loved a brat more than a smart and thoughtful girl who deserved this, I had kinda beat him in his territory. I don't know why I listend to his gesture, but I got the message, I shut up, and have been bored.
Its not always so great if a blog turns into an add for yourself. Yawn. But I like what Helen is up to in this, the invite is too dumb not tho share, and she has kindly included me.
UGLY HERITAGE
> Trevalyan Clay
> Oliver Hextall
> Claudine Kraan
> Kate Smith
> Andy Vervoorst
> OPENS THIS FRIDAY THE 22ND OF AUGUST 6-8PM
> Curated by Helen Johnson
> JOINT HASSLES
> 2A MITCHELL STREET
> NORTHCOTE 3070
> jointhassles.com
> jointhassles@gmail
> 0407891334
David Noonan. Markus 2008 at Roslyn Oxley 9
'yeah, the surface is quite rough and over the duration of the show I have recently noticed a few edges on the different layers beginning to peel back... i really like this. The other thing is that the show has quite an intense smell about it... not a bad one but obviously the hessian has a particular odour and so it reminds me of something industrial yet rustic or parochial. its very cool. and there is a large carpet rug in the space to sort of give you the idea that the space is enveloped in this theatre of material and prints and performance. quite cool.'
Peta Bryant.
'yeah, the surface is quite rough and over the duration of the show I have recently noticed a few edges on the different layers beginning to peel back... i really like this. The other thing is that the show has quite an intense smell about it... not a bad one but obviously the hessian has a particular odour and so it reminds me of something industrial yet rustic or parochial. its very cool. and there is a large carpet rug in the space to sort of give you the idea that the space is enveloped in this theatre of material and prints and performance. quite cool.'
Peta Bryant.
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.
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