Adam Hill's Art

I love this artist Adam Hill, he's an Australian Aboriginal artist who has created some very moving pieces. He feels compelled to take a step away from traditional Aboriginal art and instead take on an art form which represents the thoughts of his people.

Adam has a family history of artisans and grew surrounded and nurtured in art practices. He draws inspiration from many contemporary Australian artists both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous. Mostly influenced by landscapes, Adam is also a keen advocate of social justice. The two are often combined in his works as you can see.

I watched an interesting documentary on him recently and am now on a mission to find some of his artwork too.

Little Shop Of Horrors

My darling boyfriend sent me an email yesterday saying "Oh cr*p I forgot I booked this for us" in his usual romantic way, forwarding on tickets to Newtown's production of Little Shop of Horrors the very same day. Obviously this rendered a few other evening plans abandoned but worth it all the same (and there's a lot to be said for last minute theatre trips).

I suppose having performed the same show at The Palace Theatre 7 years ago - I can't believe it was so long ago - aside from singing a long to all the songs, I also appreciated a lot of the technicalities of the performance. The story itself is great, a green plant appears on Skiddrow, Downtown, and persuades its ambitious owner the geeky, gawky Seymour to feed it fresh blood in exchange for his fame and fortune although you soon realise that this inevitably comes at the cost of his relationships with those around him.

The performance was really, really good. It was funny without trying to force bad jokes and superbly entertaining. The play has its homage to old school sci-fi and quirky stereotypes. I loved the whole 'edgy cool' place the characters came from. Very fitting for a Newtown audience. I can't say I was wholly convinced by the acting but I think it added to the charm of the performance, it's not meant to be taken too seriously.

So a really nice evening all in all. I squeezed in some time at the gym beforehand (a first in a long time) and we sniffed a pizza in the taxi on the way there to ensure I undid any good I did on the treadmill. It did make me wonder how do people juggle their lives ensuring they get fit, work hard, are fed and entertained along with a good nights sleep all in one day!? I mean, my life's pretty simple at the moment, I don't have children, my works a 10 minute walk down the road, I live in Sydney (as opposed to my previous London habitat), my responsibilities at present are pretty minimal. Its a scary prospect. It seems we live in a world where its normal to be doing more than one thing at a time. Sit on a ball at work, watch TV whilst on a treadmill, eat on the go... there must be a solution... that said, there's something satisfying about a fast paced existence as long as you get a break once in a while.

Kubrick & The Age of Information

There's something about Kubrick, his films I mean, they've all got that "weird and wonderful" element with a dash of maverick camera techniques and strange story lines.

I stayed up Sunday night to watch Space Odyssey and I have to admit I was a little mesmerised by it. The classical music, spacial and clever filming. The story itself is a little bleak in many aspects and massively open to translation but its forgivable.

That said however, something I really appreciate is this website which in a really nice way captures and explains the underlying themes of the movie: http://www.kubrick2001.com/

This movie cleverly depicts the rise and fall of mankind. I don't necessarily believe in it but there are some elements which you can appreciate:

In 1968 (the year this film was made), the focus was on technology, logic, science, precision etc. that which writer Daniel Pink calls "left-brain thinking" which gave us the Information Age where "if you were good at math and science, become a doctor. If you were better at English and history, become a lawyer. If blood grossed you out and your verbal skills needed work, you'd become an accountant."

Now they say, comes the Conceptual Age - thus ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion. Quite a leap from the Information Age but equally dependent on the fact that those previous developed machines, computers, automation etc. to do the left brain thinking for us (if not better) leaving those "creative types" in their element. Creating ideas. Philosophising possibilities. Doing things that a computer can only facilitate and not do.

Its an interesting time... As Pink says: Last century, machines proved they could replace human muscle. This century, technologies are proving they can outperform human left brains - they can execute sequential, reductive, computational work better, faster, and more accurately than even those with the highest IQs. (Just ask chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov who as the world champion has played and lost to chess programs).

I chose not to pursue a Law career after spending 5 years studying the subject. In hindsight I think I was a good public speaker who enjoyed a good argument which in fact was probably more reliant on my ability to empathise and be creative with the facts as opposed to regurgitating rules around them.

Anyway, Mr Kubrick RIP.

Some musical finds...

I go through spouts of music crawling, looking for some new songs to entertain my ears. My taste is pretty eclectic. But I'm always keen to share the love.

So. Here are three of my favourite for a Sunday:

The Be Good Tanyas


The Beautiful Girls - In Love


Cake - Frank Sinatra

Water Is Life

I watched this short doco on an African band called Tinariwen, I won't repeat whats already said but I personally found it quite revealing. I've listened to a lot of their music (which is a must - whatever music you're in to) and I've often wondered what they're actually singing about. But now I know, I reckon in a way you don't need to understand the lyrics to have an idea of the sentiment behind their sound.

We were with a friend last night who's heading to Ghana in order to set up eco centre style accommodation... this also led to enlightening chats about how to pooh green-friendly. Think - buckets etc.! Anyway, It was interesting chatting to him about some of the terrible things that have happened and still are heppening in Africa and yet sadly, rarely even crosses our minds. The guy's incredibly ambitious and with a heart of gold which I think is what the place needs - if not the world.

Right, well... that's me, over an out.

Newtown Festival

A note to show my appreciation for the Newtown Festival. Newtown can be hectic, its alternative and has a lot of character. Its also one of those places which I feel that people try really hard to be different that they end up looking the same.

By the by. Newtown festival was really fun. Having not expected much, I was pleasantly surprised by it. They paid special attention to detail, had lots of good food and interesting cabaret style bands on. The only downer was that you seriously have to watch for those women with prams who are the dangerous drivers of family festivals, I just have to remind myself that I will get a turn one day. Then you have guys like that below who make Michael Jackson look good.
Still quite impressive. There were also gymnasts trying to collect funds for the Nationals and some good people to enjoy the weather with.

the festival story...

I left England quite spontaneously 11 months ago with my boyfriend Chris who I met at Bestival Festival a few years ago, leaving legendary friends and family in the cold and rainy place formerly known as home. Our new home is Sydney, a long way away from the previous. Chris and I went to Bestival this September, you may have heard - it was an absolute glasto wash out. We celebrated our anniversary in a mud ridden tent, wrapped in bin liners and sliding dance moves in knee high mud. Serious. But you know, thats love for you.

Bestival 2006 was a different story. I was single. It was sunny. I'd just graduated. I was poor after gambling the last of my overdraft at Monte Carlo casino on a holiday with friends in Venice (lesson learned).

Fern and I were two ladies on a mission to make the most out of the little we had. Which was... a borrowed tent, sleeping bags, tickets to the festival, transport and big smiles on our faces. We had absolutely no supplies. No alcohol, no food, nothing fun to play with except an old pack of cards and we literally both had a mere 15 pounds to spend over the whole weekend.

We hitched a ride to the festival site whilst being treated to beer by the toothless countrymen driving a converted ambulance and made our stake on a 45 degree slope on dried cow shit. Note: Not that we cared. It was sunny and we had our mascot James the parrot (who was later kidnapped, renamed Ian, given a MySpace and still remains unreturned)
The most embarrassing thing that happened to us was when we went to pick up our tickets. We were told that we had to donate twenty pounds EACH to charity in exchange for our tickets. How do you tell someone you have shown up to a music festival with your best mate and a mere thirty quid to survive between you!? Cheeks flushed as I looked up at the lady with worried eyes looking for some kind of understanding... "We err.. don't have 20 pounds" silence fell. To our relief not a question was asked, we looked around embarrassed as we realised we'd been surrounded by bands and press all with a wad of coloured notes in their back pockets and a status to follow it. Not something for we mere students to contend with really, o no. Still. Blessings are in disguises, as the gate lady pulled out 6 glowing colourful wrist bands, which we later learned were AAA passes!!! Legendary.

Desperately hunger driven, Fern and I decided to set up a healing massage stand at the Bollywood tent. So for five pounds a go or 'whatever you think its worth', the sore backs of the festive crowd could have an exclusive back massage - Fern elbowed bottoms and I walked on backs (do not try this at home). We earned enough money to pay for a tasty thai dinner and later on 2 vodkas at the "Hidden Disco".

Its amazing what one does when under the pressure of mere human survival.

The Hidden Disco was I suppose a highlight of the spontaneously fun and exciting weekend with Fernie T, as this is where I met Chris thanks to his best friend (Chris) Pound testing his skills in female engagement with "beautiful" Fern.

Unfortunately for him Fern was already with someone but things turned out pretty well for the two side kicks myself and Chris... Whom of which are still together now... and living happily in Sydney.

Time waits for no-one

So time is always of the essence. I've really realised that recently. Suddenly I'm turning 24, which is practically 25, and am taking note of the fact that;

a) life has shot by at a ridiculous rate (albeit I have relocated to 2 major cities since graduating so I can't say I haven't accomplished much) and,

b) I don't have a 5 year plan...

A 5 year plan!? Seriously? I mean sure we can have aspirations, hopes and dreams, career and personal ambition but actually formulating a plan seems absurd to me.

The world can change. Your world can change. The whole fixation on a "Five Year Plan" really presumes that everyone matures at the same rate, we lead uneventful lives (except those which we factor in) and it seems that if you don't have one you're placed in the "fickle or unreliable pile."

For me, one minute I am landing an amazing job in London, the next my man's got a fantastic and better job in Sydney - not great for the ego but easily consoled with sunshine - the next month we're relocating our London life to somewhere that couldn't be further.

I'm trying not to be so self reflective but I have to say impulse and "not knowing" can be the most exciting and interesting things in life and as I grow up I learn they become more and more rare and obviously less and less favoured by employers, parents in law and the like!

I say be inquisitive, relentlessly raise the bar, be charismatic, chat to strangers, pick minds and don't be afraid of change.

Blah over and out

pop!

There goes my blogger cherry!

Was it good for you?

Probably not as the content is a little lacking but these things take time...

Sit tight.