Cultural Product

Cultural Product
Serving Suggestion

Saturday, December 9, 2006

Brand Identity


Brand Identity 2006
collected plastic bag logos, sellotape
Polite car 2006
cardboard, paint, wood, plastic, police scanner radio (borrowed from Elvis Richardson)
Self portrait 2006
watercolour on paper

Our Lucky Country (difference) 2006
Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and MOP projects

The show was put together as a response to the Cronulla riots.

Friday, December 8, 2006

Polite car

Polite Car 2006
detail

texter and paint on cardboard

Thursday, November 23, 2006

It's a new day




And now...Sim City 2006

Mixed media installation

A residency driven project curated by Sally Breen for Artspace, NSW with Anne Kay, Josie Cavallaro, Lisa Kelly, The Wild Boys (Trevor Fry, Richard Gurney and Tim Hilton)

Pictured; L found mattress, solarised paper R install view

Writings in situ

I could watch the water all day, recording the changes and transitions I observe every time I get the chance. As the tide goes out more piers are appearing, and when it rains I can see the fugue. Rain falling on water seems one of the only times you can see the wind. Emerald gelatinous form, solid...smoothed with light, billowing. The golden purples of the afternoon, the light! The light! Swelling the mass. Harboured in this little nested bay, we are quite still and safe when it is choppy water further out. Am mesmerised by the passing of air in front of me, through me, and out to the H2O. Inside the walls I am hidden, outside I am shared. Public space reveals us, we are on show, sharing each other's breaths.

The coin bag from the bank states "DO NOT MIX DENOMINATIONS". I wonder if Juanita Neilson is buried in the concrete of the buildings on the hill. I fly out the windows and over the bay before me. Gliding and diving through airwaves, washing through the rush.

There is some graffiti on the window in studio#4; "Does the noise ever stop?"

I watch the rain, the salty water of the ocean laps it up. Gray light and haze fills the bay, as it comes down more solidly it washes and soaks. Lucid tranquility pours over us. I see the shifts in colour, intense blooms develop in the water, from bronze and steel come copper, navy green and deep browns getting murkier. A mass of sawdust and floaties arrive, casting a grotesque grunge. At night I delight in the reflected lights.

Today the water is alternately mirrored and glowing as well as shimmering and fractured. When it rains the pavement opposite looks mirrored. A woman in a red dress struts along, and I can almost see up her dress! Watching the crinkly waves lapping the wharf. Tidily re-arranging themselves to subsume, merge and then re-offer their form, irrespective of each other? The accommodating mass pleads and plies, a washing form, virtually alive. Ominous in it's darkness, but so inviting in the light.

Terrific turquoise emerald quality today. I am transfixed by it's iridescence, and flat whole, stretched like a vast mirror to the sky. Lakes of ripples, swollen with oxygen.

Ships disturb and displace the drink, as rolls come toward me, swallowing land. I watch the warships*, and note their appearances, I detail the colours of the cars across the road at the W.

Sometimes it is just play, the residency at the Gunnery. 'Let me try this with that'. I downloaded a Google map of the area and set about doing a rendition of it in locally sourced detritus. And Now: A new day; Night mergers, Offerings and Wishes

* Huge steel bulk with a killing conscience.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

6 week trial










And a dinner
After 6 weeks in the studios, and installing at Artspace, we were rudely kicked out. I got to come back for the night before the closing with a private party. Hosted by Lisa Andrew, Carla Cescon and myself, we created a Grotesque Dinner. Entrees were super-good gazpacho with ghostly croutons (CC), mains, Messy sushi; loads of rice and assorted toppings accompanied by seaweed cut into hand shapes (my own), and finally la piece de resistance, pictured L; ile flotante...by LA; described as an island of meringue floating in a lake of custard, it was truly monumental. Table decor, LA and CC.
Sorry, more pix to come (if anyone has any can they send them to me?).
I think there were 30 guests. Pictured; The fabulous Nobu. Photographs; The great Deborah Vaughan.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Site specific installation

We pay you 2006

Install detail

I needed mirrors to complete the work and used the FREECYCLE service. I can recommend it. It was an adventure going to stranger's homes to pick up their articles. Highly rewarding. The bottom pic has 2 mirror works in it, the far piece, an engraved mirror with the scene from across the water on it, and nearer, a mirror I'd set a hot bulb on, which had cracked to reveal a fantastic harbour scene...oh my good fortune! I have a history with glass, I am very attracted to it, but am such klutz! I break my most precious pieces without fail, and particularly when I am installing. However I have learnt to incorporate this clumsiness into the work. Or I think I have!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Recording details



Top; install detail (the trestle tables were laden with a virtual map of the area)
Center; install detail
Bottom; recordings of warships and car colours parked opposite over the duration of the residency (Chinagraph on card)

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Size reduced




More details...the bottom piece doesn't show it, so I'll have to extract stills from the video I filmed of Richard Gurney dancing in my studio, navigating the city scape all over the floor. I have always enjoyed the giant human myths. Adam Costenoble very kindly formatted it for me on the 11th hour, for which I am eternally grateful.
The top piece, a bit of whimsy. Decorated light globe on a chain. I keep seeing fabulous jewellry and accessories all around me, BLING! I keep making fancy decorative pieces in response to all that.
The entire show, once again seemed to figure on points of synchronicity. Pieces I found were perfectly sized and shaped for the purposes I needed. Everywhere I looked I got confirmation of the work I was making.
[I was concerned that the piece had an ivory tower mentality to it. There I was up in my little kingdom, scrutinising the local neighbourhood, noting details and working with my own devised format...but how could I escape this label? Short of relinquishing my control over the project, I wasn't willing to compromise. However the whole idea of It's a new day...involved collaborative projects in some way.]

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

And now...

The shadows of the glasses revealed Centerpoint Tower!


I used a version of this once in a Canberra show, years ago, and it said; "SUBMISSIVE POLITICAL IDIOT"
(I was talking about myself of course!)
Submissive 2006
hot glue on lightbox
I think about the cool people we got to meet at Artspace while we were there...Minimaxi May from WA...Nobuhiro Ishihara from Tokyo and Deborah Vaughan, Sydney, amongst others.
We had fun with Minimaxi, she had a dinner in her studio one night and since Lisa Kelly's project involved activating the studio area there was a lot of open doors and checking each other's works out. Nobu was really engaged with what we were all doing, and at the end of our stay I got to see what he was up to and it was fantastic in his space. Deborah showed some of her work during the grotesque dinner, eyes projected onto the exterior windows of Artspace, really beautiful and engaging.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Psychiatrist 5c



LUCY from Charles Schultz’s Peanuts: Psychiatric Help 5c
Trial 1
September 2006 Loose Projects


The comic character of Lucy from Charles Schultz’s Peanuts has long intrigued me. As a child, growing up in the USA, I was inundated with Peanuts television cartoons. Every season provided more ‘special’ episodes, and the cartoon was celebrated as ‘clean living’ but slightly awry children’s content. The filler that I enjoyed was purely Woodstock and Snoopy. I loved them, but didn’t care much about the cartoon, except for scenes of the interior of Snoopy’s doghouse. They also had appealing names…Peppermint Patty, Schroeder and Pigpen, and I liked the obsession Schroeder had with his piano playing.
As I got older, I began to reminisce about the ideology of this comic. What did Lucy stand for? Hers was the only way. There was an absence of logic in her arguments, and what has been described on the official website, as “a shining lunacy”. I relate to this, and think, essentially there is an art to her bossiness. In December 1962, Lucy’s character declares to Schroeder “It’s a scientific fact that girls are smarter than boys”. Her big sister claim and motives are rarely pure; in fact she was very selfish and crabby.
As a kid, I really liked the Archie comic series, and fell in love with Betty’s character. Betty is the blonde sweetie, who was always losing out to Veronica’s ‘femme fatale’ antics. It was a battle between blonde, poor, honest Betty and Veronica; brunette, rich and devious. I identified with the wholesome and rarely successful Betty, hating Veronica. Lucy, being quite a nasty piece of work, resembles Veronica’s character. Lucy would whisk away the football she was holding for the trusting Charlie Brown, having promised and lied to him that she wouldn’t do exactly that…a scenario I hated. What a subversive dig at male trust and empowerment! Charlie always fell for it. As did Archie, falling for Veronica.
Lucy’s other role, being the gang’s ‘psychiatrist’ clashed elementally with her status as troublemaker. “Psychiatric help 5c” has such an appealing resonance. Despite all the trouble she caused, she still wanted to give her quasi-advice, assist maybe, and cash in on the trials of existence. She ran a business, calling herself ‘the doctor’- a precocious ego! Perhaps Schultz was making a comment on the plethora of analysists and shrinks common in the West. By having a child acting in this esteemed doctor’s role illustrated his mirth…her lack of responsibility and willingness to capitalise on proffering advice on anything speaks of the American way. Personally, I believe in the essential goodness of couch therapy, and the exploration of the self a noble and necessary modern convenience. Information sharing, story-telling.
The price Lucy charged rose from 5c to 47c in 1992. Even in comic book land there’s inflation. By now it should be $2 at least!
Sarah Goffman 13/9/06
Curated by Carla Cescon
Elvis Richardson in photograph
On reflection
Having tried it, and earning some $5 including tips
It was hard but fun. With people I knew it felt like an everyday arrangement, but with newbies it was all systems go. It ceased to be a camp performance and became charged and demanding. I haven't the guts to go public with this idea yet, as the play on actual mental illness poses problems I am not equipped to handle. I liked the physical proximity I had with my clients, and had to have a 5 minute time limit on the session, but felt really confident improvising on the spot and getting people all to myself for 5 minutes!

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Simulated Accumulation


Simulated Accumulation 2006
Mixed media

Simulation of an actual shelf in my studio with copies and hand made representations of actual materials, books and objects out of paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, paint, texter, hot glue, tape, wire.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

LIST

FROM 2002-04 I WORKED AS A CLEANER AT THE ARTSPACE NSW STUDIOS IN WOOLOOMOOLOO
THESE ARE THE NOTES FROM THAT PERIOD
NAMES HAVE BEEN DELETED TO PROTECT PRIVACY

_____LEFT PINS, STAPLES AND FUR
_____LEFT $1 IN COINS
_____LEFT A NICE GREY SHIRT, STACKS OF EXPENSIVE SHOPPING BAGS, SET OF SHEETS AND SOME POTS AND PANS
_____LEFT A CUBE OF PAYNES GREY WATERCOLOUR PAINT
_____LEFT ME SOME DELICIOUS CHOCOLATES AND A THANKYOU NOTE
_____LEFT A FEW UNOPENED BOTTLES OF EVIAN STILL WATER
_____LEFT VOGUE FASHION AND ENTERTAINING MAGAZINES
_____LEFT SOME COOL ENGLISH LOTIONS
_____LEFT SOME VERY NICE SNACKS IN THE FRIDGE
_____ AND _____LEFT A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART ON THE WALL
_____LEFT HER INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE
_____LEFT A PURPLE STRIPED BEACH BAG, SUN BLOCK, INSECT REPELLANT AND A MERCUROCHROME STAIN ON THE CARPET
_____AND_____AND_____LEFT VOMIT SOMEWHERE
_____AND_____LEFT MASSES OF SHAVING STUBBLE AROUND SINK
_____AND_____SPIT TOOTHPASTE ALL OVER THE BATHROOM TAPS
_____LEFT A VERY BAD TOILET SITUATION
_____LEFT A BIG BLACK HANDPRINT ON WALL ABOVE CISTERN
_____LEFT A HANDMADE CARD WITH A PICTURE OF SPAM PASTED ON
_____GAVE ME A HUGE BAG OF DRIED FRUIT
_____AND_____LEFT STACKS OF MATERIALS
_____LEFT A FANTASTIC ROTRING MECHANICAL PENCIL
_____LEFT DOZENS OF TINY GLOW IN THE DARK SKULLS
_____LEFT A LITTLE BADGE WITH A DRAWING OF A COP ON IT
_____AND_____LEFT CAT FOOD SCATTERED AROUND THE STUDIO
_____LEFT $2
_____LEFT HAIRCLIPS IN HIS BED
_____LEFT UNSET RESIN STAINS ON TABLES AND FLOOR AND RUBBINGS OF LATEST WORKS
_____AND_____AND_____LEFT GOLD LEAF WASTE EVERYWHERE
_____LEFT 2 NEARLY FULL AEROSOL CANS OF ADHESIVE
_____LEFT A FULL CAN OF BLACK SPRAY PAINT
_____LEFT A BOTTLE OF NAIL POLISH REMOVER
_____LEFT ARTLINK MAGS, ART AND TEXT, AND OTHERS
_____LEFT A MIRROR BEHIND AND A BLOCK OF DARK CHOCOLATE, AND A COFFEE AND A BEAUTIFUL POT OF CACTI
_____LEFT POSTERS OF THEIR ART WORKS
_____AND _____LEFT A LOT OF PLASTER DUST
_____LEFT SEWING THREADS
_____LEFT BLU-TAC AND MASKING TAPE
_____LEFT A HUGE FILTHY MESS
_____CLEANED UP AND MADE IT ALL REALLY NICE
_____LEFT SUCH A HUGE ARRAY OF EMPTY BOOZE BOTTLES I WANTED TO KEEP THEM ALL
_____LEFT TWO LIGHTERS AND A BOX OF MATCHES
_____AND _____LEFT STATUES, PLANTS, CARDS, STONES, CUPS, CLOTHS, ARTWORKS AND CANDLES
_____LEFT SOME LOVELY BRIE AND CRACKERS
_____LEFT A BOTTLE OF VODKA
_____LEFT ½ A BOTTLE OF SHERRY
_____LEFT A SMALL WORKING LADIES WATCH
_____LEFT GERMAN SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONERS, ONLY A BIT IN EACH, BUT ENOUGH FOR A SAMPLE
_____LEFT EMPTY CAMPERS SHOEBOXES
_____AND _____LEFT INVITATIONS TO THEIR SHOWS
_____LEFT STUBBIES OF CHARCOAL
_____LEFT A PURPLE ACRYLIC SHAWL
_____’S KIDS LEFT BEHIND A BRACELET, SOME COLOURED PENCILS

_____LEFT A CREAM COLOURED BRA BEHIND
_____AND_____AND_____LEFT ME THEIR CATALOGUES