A Man of Many Talents

Image credit: Fecal Face 2008 interview with Alex Lucas. More recent interview here.

So while I was posting my photos of the oil refinery, wondering if I was alone in my love of grimy industrial suburbia, the internet Powers that be decided to make it clear to me just what a silly question that was. I was browsing my love for you is a stampede of horses, where I happened across a post on Alex Lukas. The post describes Lukas as a boy-wonder, and after checking out his portfolio site, I heartily agree. Lukas' most recent works  -- he calls them "disaster drawings" -- feature cities flooded with water or swallowed up by trees, but seeing as I had western suburbs waste on my mind at the time, it was his depictions of industrial detritus that struck me the most. I like the quiet stillness and the delicacy of the colours despite the grimy subject matter, and the luminosity of the skies. I like that whilst they initially appear to be watercolours, a closer inspection (and a read of Lucas' comments regarding his working method), they are revealed to be a skillful combination of silkscreen printing, watercolous, gouache, spray paint, and sometimes collage. Wowsers. A happy and serendipitous discovery if ever there was one.

 Image credit: Lucas' website. 

Oh yeah, and as if he isn't talented (and busy!) enough already, did I forget to mention that Lucas also publishes numerous zines through his publishing house, Cantab Publishing? Is there anything this guy can't do?

Image credit: Fecal Face

Meanwhile take 3: way out west

A month or so ago, Corinne and I went on a photo-excursion to Melbourne's western suburbs, searching for gritty, industrial goodness. The oil refinery at Altona was only too happy to oblige, not to mention the interesting bits and bobs dumped down the road from it (I'm kind of in love with the way this couch looks like it has a face). The rain rolled in and we headed to Williamstown for coffee and shelter, only to bravely (and foolishly?) venture out onto the pier, umbrella at the ready. Another friend, after looking at this set said "I love your photos, but they make want to keep the hell out of the west." I guess not everyone goes gaga when they see broken down industrial buildings and decomposing couches left out to the elements, but whenever I need a jolt of photographic inspiration, I know where I'll be heading!

Santa, are you listening?

To think that I was feeling glum over missing out on a Pentax Spotmatic on eBay...the $100 or so that I didn't spend on the Spotmatic is small change next to this puppy:

That's right, Leica has collaborated with French luxury accessory house Hermes to create the most expensive, droolworthy camera around. The limited edition M7 is clad in leather, either in camel brown, or the signature Hermes orange. Only 100 of each colourway have been made, but something tells me they will be snapped up quicksmart, even with a (HEFTY) pricetag of €7000. Take a deep breath, and read that again. Yep, that's 140 Spotmatics. Doesn't make it any less fantastic or desirable. I guess we can all dream.

PS: Don't you just love the nonchalant way this guy is carrying the camera BEHIND him, completely at the mercy of ye olde pickpocket?

[Via Limited Hype.]

Meanwhile post #2: art-o-matic

 

These photos come from serveral weekends' worth of wandering and looking; evidently my August and September were very art-filled indeed. 

From the top:

1. Looking up, Hosier Lane

2 - 4. Tacita Dean at ACCA (a well-written review, plus some more photos here)

5. Mystery art at Curtin House

6. Zizi and the zig zags, off Hosier Lane

7. Colours and shapes, Smith Street

8. Spring showers on Swanston Street

9. Tai Snaith's studio at the Nicholas Building Open Studios night

10. Flatland by Tim Fleming, Nicholas Building

11. Detail of Clare Whitney's studio, Nicholas Building

12. The Nicholas Building has had some interesting former residents

13. Keith Haring mural on Johnston Street

Where the little people live

I have had a link to London-based artist Slinkachu's blog in my sidebar for quite some time, yet have failed to explain just what it is he does, and just why I like his work so much. Slinkachu is difficult to categorise, in that, despite the city streets playing a vital role in his art (for Slinkachu's 'Little People,' the streets of London are the entire known universe), he doesn't fit the mold of street art as we know it. Where artists like Banksy, Blek le Rat and Shepard Fairey interact with the city in a bold, unmistakable way, Slinkachu invades the city in a way that is as subtle as it is clever.

Shot from closeup, Slinkachu's figures appear to fit with the landscape, but a longer shot reveals them to be miniatures, completely swamped by their surroundings. By playing with disparities in scale, Slinkachu addresses urban isolation and alienation, not to mention making wry commentary about the ammount of attention we pay to the very streets we walk on. A tiny revolution is taking place, but if you didn't know where to look, you could well be excused for missing it altogether.

 

All images from Slinkachu's blog. 

There is also a book, 'Little People,' which I am trying to convince myself I don't need. Needless to say, it's fantastic. Lastly, Slinkachu also keeps a collection of press clippings on a second blog, which is noteworthy solely for the reason that one of the clippings features the best headline I have ever seen. Pun perfection.

So, I have a lot of 'meanwhiles'...

Meanwhile post numero uno, AKA 'the black and white one,' is embarassingly old. It dates from July and August (yes, July!) and features shots from This is Not a Design Market, and the Melbourne Open House, both of which took place as part of the 2009 Melbourne Design Festival. This is Not a Design Market most certainly WAS a design market, showcasing Melbourne's best undiscovered and up and coming jewelery, printmaking, fashion and homewares design. My faourites included book sculptor Nicholas Jones, jewellery designers Lola and Bailey, artist edition homewares brand Third Drawer Down, and the letterpress displays and prints from the Melbourne Museum of Printing.

Much to our dismay, the similarly awesome Melbourne Open House day took place at the same time as the market, leaving us precious little time to take advantage of it. MOH is an annual event held to coincide with the Design Festival, at which some of Melbourne's oldest and most beautiful private buildings open their doors to the public for a behind the scenes view of some of the city's most interesting architectural sights. We had time to see the State Library's Queens Hall, the dome reading room and the Athaneum library before MOH shut up shop for the day. Whew!