two in a row
Now Playing: ani difranco - revelling
Topic: exhibitions



It's continuing to be a busy, busy time for me!

I did another client portrait shoot this week: an author photo for Lisa Dempster's forthcoming book, Neon Pilgrim; and received my new book in time for the first Melbourne Blurb meet.

I went to see Salvador Dali: Liquid Desire at the NGV last week. I spent four hours absorbing this comprehensive retrospective of his work, bought a catalogue and am thankful that I bought an unlimited entry ticket to the exhibition as I'll definitely be going back to soak it all in more.

I also had the chance to drop in to see Three Fantasies at Obscura Gallery in St Kilda, which was beautiful. Some amazing work from Deborah Hally, Sayraphim Lothian and Tebani Slade.

My lovely friend Claudia Phares seems to be gathering a little collection of my "dead things". I went to her engagement party last night and was proud to see prints of Every Living Creature Dies Alone and Feathered Friend hanging side by side at the top of the stairs on arrival. We both mentioned last night that we must do a collaboration before I leave, so hopefully when she is back from her trips to WA & NT we will come up with something :D

Yesterday Feih and I drove down to Colac to deliver Truth Lies Beyond for exhibition in the Corangamarah Art Prize 2009, wandered around Colac Cemetery taking photos, then dropped into the Otway Estate Winery & Brewery to check out the space where my work will hang as a finalist for the second year in a row. I'm making plans to be able to attend the exhibition this year, and if you're interested and in Victoria, tickets are $20 and include fabulous food, a complimentary glass of wine, music, art and Wine Game. RSVPs are required to be received by Julie Rippon at Colac Area Health by 31 July, so if you need any further information or want to purchase tickets drop me a line and I can pass on more details :D

And as you can see from the invite at the start of this post, the night before that opening, I will have a piece in unsensored09 at the Collingwood Gallery! All details you need to make it to the opening if you live in Melbourne are included above. Hope to see you there!

you're a doll
Now Playing: nofx - ribbed
Topic: exhibitions



For those in Melbourne, just letting you know that the Totem: Dolls with Souls exhibition extends beyond the Melbourne Fringe Festival until the 12th of October. So head to Fracture Gallery at Federation Square any time, day or night, to check out the creations of some awesome artists.

Don't forget to stand back and look up, and also get close and seek out the smaller dolls. You won't see everything on first glance, I guarantee that.

chance steers the hand
Now Playing: lamplight - the fish will walk
Topic: exhibitions



"We are able to find everything in our memory, which is like a dispensary or chemical laboratory in which chance steers our hand sometimes to a soothing drug and sometimes to a dangerous poison.”
- Marcel Proust

I have an image in the latest round of the Saatchi Showdown. You can vote for it here.

And a final reminder: if you are in Melbourne you can see this image and three other self-portraits from the asylum, plus a portrait of me by Paul Louis Villani, plus many, many other wonderful photographs at the closing night of the Brunswick Street Gallery Picture This Prize from 6-9pm tonight.

Hope to see you there.

oh formalde, what is happening to you?!
Now Playing: stone temple pilots - core
Topic: exhibitions



Say hello to Formalde. Formalde, say hello to the internets.

This is my alter ego created for the Omnific Assembly's exhibition Totem: Dolls with Souls which runs from 24 to 30 September at Fracture Gallery, Federation Square, as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

"Totem is a collection of dolls created by artists to reflect how they truly feel themselves to be. These dolls are more than just simple children's toys, they are powerful symbols of who we think we are, the internal workings of the human mind given form and are honest, heartfelt expressions of self."

There is a great little article about the exhibition in The Age, and there is a photo of the curator Sayraphim Lothian having tea with her inner self here.

If you're in Melbourne come on down for the opening between 5:30 and 8:30pm on Thursday 25th September 2008. The exhibition is open 24 hours a day for the duration of the Fringe Festival.

to dream more, to dream all the time
Now Playing: the cure - wild mood swings
Topic: exhibitions



"If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time."
- Marcel Proust.

Just a reminder to those in Melbourne that I have four images in the Picture This 08 prize opening tonight at Brunswick Street Gallery, as well as appearing in one of Paul Louis Villani's images. There will be a number of Flickrites and Bubblers about, so come on down!

Also, if you'd like to see a bit more about Aradale Mental Hospital, there is a video on YouTube put together by Hudcomm at the recent photo weekender there. Myself, Karen and Greg can be seen in the car park at about 50 seconds in, and then I'm the short girl with hair flying across her face, a clothes rack under one arm and a strangely husky voice talking to camera straight after. Oh dear :P

Speaking of videos, there's a nice little piece about RedBubble (Brent Chandler's favourite online shopping site) on 9am with David and Kim. Scoot forward to about the 5:20 mark to cut to the chase.

truth lies beyond
Now Playing: tv on the radio - desperate youth, bloodthirsty babes
Topic: exhibitions



"We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond" – Marcel Proust.

Four self-portraits I created at Aradale Mental Hospital this past weekend will be included in the Picture This 08 Prize opening at Brunswick Street Gallery at 6pm on Friday 12th September.

If you're in Melbourne please come on down and check out the show. If I'm not mistaken there will also be a photograph of me in the show taken by someone else *shock! horror!*

Also, there is now a People's Choice Award within the Photography.Book.Now competition that I have entered my book "darkness & light" into. You are only able to vote for one book in the competition so registration is required, however if you've already bought a copy or have created your own book you'll have already registered on Blurb.com, and if you are going to buy a copy then you'll need to register, so it's not too big a deal ;o) Voting is open until September 10, so get to it!

morning ritual
Now Playing: john zorn - cartoon chamber music
Topic: exhibitions



Last night I went to the opening of the Melbourne Silver Mine's second annual Unsensored exhibition at Collingwood Gallery.

The place ended up full to the brim with admirers of the wonderful images created by 30 members of the group, all taken using analogue cameras.

If you're in Melbourne I highly recommend you drop by and check it out.

exhibitionism
Now Playing: isaac hayes - greatest love songs
Topic: exhibitions



My work can be seen in three shows opening over the next nine days:

RedBubble at the Rialto opens Monday 4th August. Featuring 40 works from artists in the Melbourne & Victoria Group, the exhibition can be viewed in the plaza between 7am and 6:30pm Monday to Friday until Friday 15th August. All work is for sale.

My Life Inside A Box, a new InnerNortherns photography exhibition, opens at the Northcote Town Hall on Tuesday 5th August 2008 and runs until September 2nd. The show can be viewed in the display area on Level 1 of the Northcote Town Hall, 189 High Street, Northcote during business hours and all work is for sale.

The Corangamarah Art Prize opens at the Otway Estate Winery & Brewery on Saturday 9th August and runs until 17th August. The exhibition is open from 10am to 5pm every day and all work is for sale.

You can also vote for one of my images in the latest round of the Saatchi Showdown.

And buy my book!

my life in a box
Now Playing: tegan & sara - this business of art
Topic: exhibitions



More exhibition news!

The above image and "The Nights You Stayed Always Ended this Way" will be included in the next Inner Northerns exhibition "My Life In A Box", which will take place in the display case on Level 1 of the Northcote Town Hall from August 4th until September 2nd.

I also found out just today that "Mannequin" has been selected to be included in an exhibition showcasing Melbourne and Victoria Red Bubble work to be held at the Rialto Towers for two weeks in August.

I'll post opening times and dates as soon as I know.

Oh, and since I have your attention, I'd love it if you could vote for "The Nights You Stayed Always Ended This Way" in the latest round of the Saatchi Showdown...

the letter
Now Playing: the walkmen - a hundred miles off
Topic: exhibitions



I received notification today that the above image was not chosen as a finalist in the Olive Cotton Award, so now that it no longer has to be an unpublished artwork to qualify for that, I can publish it online :D

Phirebrush Release #63 is also online as of today, sneaking out a little earlier than usual. I have five images included: one image in the featured section, and it and four other images on the first page of the photography section.

By the way, for those on Facebook, you can show your support for my photography here.

Buy my book!