Amelia goes to Amelia

Feb 5, 2010

belated//beloved

This is far from a recent Holga - it dates from early November 2009 when I braved the running lane alongside the Yarra, armed with not just one but two cameras. I'm sure all the fit and sweaty types thought I was an absolute nutter, but it was worth it all for this, which I think may just be my all time favourite Holga photo:

Got the New York blues

Being more than a little interested in historical photographic processes, I have to admit that I am completely enamoured with cyanotypes. I want to own one for myself very badly. So when I found a set of beautiful blue images on the New York Public Library's flickr stream, I swooned, and then swooned some more. Anna Atkins' Cyanotypes of British Algae is not only beautiful, but also represents two important steps in the history of photography: it is the first published work by a female photographer, and moreover it is the first book produced entirely by photographic means. Even the title page is a jewel-like blue. Whoever knew algae could be so photogenic?

New York Library's flickr stream found via Swiss Miss.

Feb 3, 2010

Cut and paste

Anthony Zinonos, I love colour collections too! Actually for that matter, I love all your work. If only I could have such patience with the scisors/stanley knife. One day.

Anthony found via Black Eiffel, all images from his website/flickr.

Fragile, handle with care

Vietnamese born, American based artist Diem Chau turns everyday objects like crayons and crockery into art which is in equal parts delicate, quirky and surprising. I still can't get my head around how she manages to get the thread through (on top of?) the china, but I guess not knowing is just part of the magic.

Images 1 & 2 from Diem's website; images 3-5 from all the mountains

Feb 1, 2010

Trash and treasure

Snaps from a hot and hectic morning at the Rotary Markets, Camberwell. I think my favourite is the one of the Incredible Hulk, furious to have been left in such un-Hulk-like surroundings, yet powerless to escape.

Jan 29, 2010

Paul Barbera // Nicholas Jones

Featured on Melbourne favourite The Design Files this week was the photography of Paul Barbera, specifically a set of images from the studios of 3 Deep Design. The images come from a series entitled 'Where they Create,' which documents the working spaces of artists and creative businesses in Australia and internationally. As is to be expected of a design firm, 3 Deep work in a truly inspirational space (complete with a custom mural on the ceilng, hello!), but what really caught my eye was a link to a set of photos Paul had taken at the studios of Melbourne based sculptor, Nicholas Jones.

Nicholas works with books, and produces the most amazing, intricate objects, both by folding the pages to create new shapes, and by cutting and contouring back entire tops and sides of books to create new shapes. I first saw his work at the This is Not a Design Market which was run as part of Melbourne's Design Festival mid last year. Still being a poor student at the time, I had quite deliberately rocked up to the market with an empty wallet, and was left quite sad that I couldn't take one of Nicholas' creations home with me. Ever since then, his name keeps popping up - on blogs, in the paper, at Craft Victoria - as if the universe is trying to remind me of my foolishness. One day, I will have to make on of his book-sculptures mine, but until then, Paul Barbera's photos of his studio will have to do.

All images, Paul Barbera

All things bright and beautiful

Presently enjoying the eyepopping colour and tumultuous composition of the work from German illustrator Olaf Hajek's monograph Flowerhead.

Via my love for you

This is why I get no sleep...

chair2 by ~KIM~ on flickr

...Because I discover things like the Polaroid House, on places like flickr, and find them so endlessly fascinating that I spend hours trawling through hundreds of photos, wishing I was cool enough to come up with such fantastic ideas, or, failing that, lucky enough to witness such brilliance in person. Sadly, this is not to be, as is made all too clear by the title of the Polaroid House's flickr pool, 'RIP Polaroid House'.

The Polaroid House is the brainchild of American flickr member, Kim, who found an abandoned house an hour north of California back in 2008. In an interview on www.holgablog.com, she says

"...it really struck something inside me and i knew i would be back. it was so quaint, representing a bygone era in its craftsman styling. the decay of the house and the decay of that era..."

Kim and her friends returned to the house armed with hundreds of polaroids, and covered both the walls and floors with them. A think carpet of photographs, and a polaroid wall ready to be replenished and reworked by future visitors. And they came in their droves, if the sheer number of photos in the flickr pool is anything to attest by. Unfortunately, some visitors failed to respect (or understand?) the nature of the project, and large numbers of polaroids were taken, holes were kicked in the walls. In April 2009, the owner of the house contacted Kim, stating that whilst she had understood and appreciated the installation at first, she was disappointed by the fact that the house was being trashed. The Polaroid House was dismantled, only to live on in the hundreds of photos collected on flickr. And to be endlessly oggled at by one girl on the other side of the world, long past her bedtime.