gulag or goulash?

Ha! There has just been some confusion in my kitchen between 'gulag' and 'goulash'. Sorry for laughing at you Stu. So, if you are ever called upon to make the choice, go for the Hungarian goulash over the Siberian gulag.  Every time!

Which reminds me - over the weekend I became the proud owner of a slow cooker.  And today I acquired my very own copy of the Women's Weekly Slow Cooker book from my local newsagent for a crazy $12.95. What are they thinking? They could charge double for those babies and I'd still be blogging about it! Anyway, I did notice it contains a recipe for a pretty sexy looking veal goulash.  If any of you require further information don't hesitate to email me.  Really.

I know you want more

Aaaah, Sawa. I sigh. Such poetry.

The first two stills are from Dwelling, 2002 and the final one is from Hako, 2006.

Sawa's work can be found at www.jamescohan.com although you'll be hard pressed viewing more than stills from his video work.

I know I'm a sucker for beautifully framed and shot black and white films. Before too long I'll share with you some stills from my favourite films that fit this description. I have loads of images on my computer. Stay tuned.

hiraki sawa

Hiraki Sawa, video stills, Eight Minutes, 2005.

I'm always a little tentative about video art but occasionally I come across something that totally justifies its existence for me.  Again, it's something about the play with scale, not to mention the simplicity and the superbly shot black and white that is really doing it for me here.  Sawa's work was on show at NGV 4 or 5 years ago and something recently reminded me of it.  Long live Google images!

  

movie week

I've been lucky enough to have some time on my hands this week to catch up on a few films I've been dying to see.  It was success and satisfaction all round with the non-stop fun of Iron Man 2 (any time Sam Rockwell dances on screen I'm happy) on Tuesday night and the mind-blowing Animal Kingdom on Friday.  I won't bang on about it, but am still finding myself wanting to re-watch the trailer - how is it that Air Supply can be so right?!  Seriously, check it out on youtube. I love the poster by Jeremy Saunders - the drama of it! Inspired by Caravaggio is the word on the street.  I believe he also designed that disturbing bleeding scissor image for Antichrist.  The experience inspired me to get my hands on The Square by Joel and Nash Edgerton, another nasty crime-fuelled Australian thriller, but I could easily have lived without it; mediocre.  The week was then brought to an end with Charlie's Angels Full Throttle.  See, all you friends of mine that think I only watch films with subtitles - I know how to have fun!  (To be fair though, White Ribbon is next on my list).

what's in a name?

I thought a quick word about the name of this blog was in order since some of you might be thinking it's a bit morbid perhaps?  I don't think I need to spell out to you intelligent folk the reasons why the title is so right for my blog, me being a maker and all.  The initial idea came from the title of a truly wacky and gleefully insane romp of book by J.P. Donleavy called Meet My Maker the Mad Molecule.  Although I read it many years ago, it has stayed with me.  Also aware of its deathly allusions, I did google Meet My Maker to make sure I was aware of the competition.  I shouldn't have been suprised to find that it is not only the title of a song by Good Charlotte, but is the namesake of a hardcore (apologies if I've got this genre all wrong) band.  I think i can live with that. Just. Here's hoping they can too.    

no slave to scale

Yasmin Smith, 2006, If I could come near your beauty with my nails, ceramic with patina.
These images of work by Yasmin Smith and are taken from the fantastic Roslyn Oxley website.  This work please me greatly for a few reasons.  Well firstly, I love all things tool and tool-related and have my own collection of old rusty nails gleaned from the system of laneways near my house. Secondly, there is something about playing with scale that really appeals to me.  I find all things miniature and gigantic captivating and they kind of crack me up.  It's something childish (in a good way).  The Alice in Wonderland factor. So thirdly, it's playful and funny and I think this is very, very important in the oh-so-serious world of art! Nice one Yasmin.

maiden voyage

                                 HMAS Beagle
Morning folks!  Here goes my first entry; my maiden voyage into the world of blogging.  Who would have thought? Certainly not me.  I'm not really one to call attention to myself but, for a variety of reasons (which I won't go into now but may be revealed over time, who knows?), here I am.

The primary purpose of this blog was to showcase my work as a maker of contemporary jewellery and art objects. However, since my making-self is taking a vacation of sorts, I will use it in the meantime to track the journey of my musing-self as I scour the web, and the world, for images and experiences that please me and get those creative cogs turning.  

I can tell you now to expect not only images of other people's art and jewellery, past and present, but lots of film stills and cinema reference in general. Possibly some niece and nephew action.  Some of my own shots, no doubt, of things I come across in my every day wanderings.  And definitely mention of Arnie, yes, Schwarzenegger.  (Witness my effortless transitions from high to low (brow)).  Oh, and did I mention pineapples?  Plastic ones of course. I have a thing for fake fruit. There may be some real food/recipe talk however since I like a meal.  So consider yourself forewarned - art, jewellery, cinema, food, family, Arnie and even books - my favorite things.  Oh, and science and science fiction. Don't worry, it will all become perfectly clear over time (or not).  Hopefully for me too!