Down with phplist
I have had it with phplist! the amount of issues I’ve had with that stupid program are just not worth mentioning. I have officially stopped being a cheapskate now and have paid for a proper mailing list provider at Your Mailing List Provider. so far they seem to have what I want, their tests have so far come up well, they had an extensive free trial) and I wont have to spend hours mucking with it every time I want it to do something.
as far as I can see, the problem is that my server runs php under apache. it’s not it’s own entity but almost a php simulator- diet php, and phplist seems to have massive problems with that. I could spend more and more hours working on it and get more and more frustrated, but as I see it $40 isn’t that much an outlay for a year of stress free newsletters. plus, paying for it may actually encourage me to send them more often.
I will try to make this changeover as smooth as possible, there will be some to-ing and fro-ing but hopefully you subscribers wont actually see anything but newsletters that work the way they’re supposed to.
friday nude quotes
“What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful that the garment with which it is clothed?”
New Nude: Depth
Depth – 36 x 24 Mixed media on Canvas by Jennie Rosenbaum
This was an interesting new experiment. for a little while now I’ve had these underwater images in my brain and have wanted to play with this same technique but using translucent impasto medium instead of gesso. this is my first attempt. I marbled titanium white through the medium. the challenge was that I was unsure on drying how opaque it would remain so the question was whether I added not enough or too much white to the mix. because I need to work lines over and over I also ran the risk of over blending and losing some of the marbling effect.
All in all I am happy with this first attempt. the medium was delightful to work with, slower drying and with an excellent viscosity -I loved the way my knife glided across the canvas. next time, I would like to see about marbling different colors as well and experimenting with layering and levels of relief. but all in good time- boy it’s fun to play! What do you think of this new take?
Overwhelmed
I’ve been going crazy the past few days. I can’t help it. I’m a perfectionist, obsessive and demanding, I expect only the very best from myself and my personal opinion of myself seems to weigh heavily on whether or not I’ve attained that perfection. considering it’s very hard to be perfect, you can imagine what my usual opinion is.
This exhibition is a catalyst for that. a massive challenge and a massive load of pressure. it all came bubbling to a head yesterday when the stress took over and I cracked for a little while. now that I’ve cracked, and faced the worst I am ready to go on again, building up, pushing further and faster ahead until I crack once more from the strain and the lovely cycle starts over again.
my body is starting to show signs from the pressure and being sick again recently has not helped this. I’ve been warned however and I’m determined to beat this self defeating cycle. that means I have to do something really, really hard. I have to learn to relax. you may laugh, but I just don’t relax. ever. even when i’m sleeping. but I am going to really work at this. so my apologies dear readers if my posting drops off over the next few weeks. I will try to keep up, even if it’s just a short note on a new piece. but if I skip a day or so here and there try not to think too badly of me – I’m probably in the studio because, luckily, painting is something that almost always gives me some measure of peace.
New Nude: Relaxed
I’m using a new impasto surface instead of gesso and it’s really making a difference, sharper lines and I think it has a greater permanence as well. it seems to set slower but firmer and sculpts really nicely. I am going to be trying an acrylic impasto medium as well to play with translucency and so on. I’m really enjoying having the time and reason to dedicate to these white pieces. as always, I work better under a deadline and for a reason.
This piece is a little different to my other white pieces but I think I am starting to get a feel for gravity, and for the new knife I am using after my old favorite met an unfortunate and untimely death..
friday nude quotes
“A body is a living entity. It represents life, freedom, sensuality, and it is a mechanism to carry out our thoughts. A body is always beautiful to me. It depends on the individual work and what I do with it and what kind of idea lies behind it – if age matters or not. But in my group works, the only difference is how far people can go if it rains, snows etc.”
New Nude: Lunge
I admit to some trepidation starting out building up more works for this show, my last attempt at this technique was disastrous to say the least and I’ve had a little bit of a block since then. however, I’m committed now. so I went back through my visual diary to look at previous sketches I did when I was more in tune with this technique and.. well.. this is the result. sometimes you just have to tell the worries to shut up, put on some awesome music (oh yes, it was RENT again, it never fails to get me going!) and go for broke. as usual this is a bit different to the original design, but I am quite happy with it!
Apologies again for the bad photograph, I will take it again in the next few days in a few different locations to try to make the most of this appalling melbourne light. the white ones are especially hard because I need the texture to show up but not to cast a shadow.
Blarney Nudes
Around 1000 people gathered at dawn in Blarney Castle for a naked photoshoot by contemporary artist Spencer Tunick
About 1,000 people bared all early today in the historic surroundings of Blarney Castle in Cork for a massive nude photoshoot by acclaimed contemporary artist Spencer Tunick. Volunteers stripped naked in the grounds of the beauty spot for the dawn spectacle, which forms part of the Cork Midsummer Festival.
Tunick, who has been documenting the live nude figure in public since 1992, has created scores of images in spectacular locations including New York, Amsterdam and Mexico city. His temporary site-specific installations have attracted up to 18,000 participants.
Tunick said he was thrilled with the turnout, which organisers estimated topped 1,100 people, and urged the public to think of the nude form as art. He also praised local councillors for their support. “I cannot believe over 1000 people showed up,” Tunick said.
“I was expecting a little bit lower than that. They are very rebellious down here in Cork.
“I just want to reiterate that it’s very very important that government, politicians and the city council accept the body in public space for a small time.. in order to create art with a nude body.
“The body is not pornography, the body is not crime while naked. It can be art for a short period of time.”
[From ireland.com - Breaking News - Volunteers strip for mass photoshoot]
I am still upset that I missed out on the Melbourne installation a few years back. Spencer Tunick has done a lot for nude art, in the last eight years, his attitudes and installations help to reinforce the idea that nudity isn’t inherently sexual but natural and even fun, a unifying concept that links us all at the most basic level. His works, to me, sometimes seem bleak, almost frightening where all the people look like clones and act like sheep, and others, like the recent Euro 2008 tournament have a sense of fun and whimsy. Tunick’s installation on Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland was awarded Time Magazine’s Picture of the Year last year.
Tunick’s work has been criticized in the past and there have been court orders to try to prevent his installations from taking place, but the very public nature of his work is one of the things that makes it so compelling and the final results so interesting. the installation is not just about the photographs, although that is what most people see, it’s also about people braving the elements, public scrutiny and an artist’s whims clad in nothing but their skin.
Invitations
These are the preliminary designs for the invitations – I thought it would be nice to have two different ones along the same theme. I have not yet decided whether to put anything on the backs of them – probably just a short blurb. what do you all think?
Pressure Mounting
it use to be that I needed pressure, it fueled me and spurred me on. I would rise under it the more I had to cope with. I am sure I will be like that again very soon but I admit I’ve been panicking quietly about this show, once I get into the studio and do some painting I am sure I will relax and start working in my usual pre show manner (in a massive flurry of creativity) but I have to get over this case of nerves first!
to help with that I’ve reverted to my old Project management practices to make sure I know when everything needs to get done, and how, and what I have to do, what relates to everything else and how long everything will take to do. it’s a massive help to see it all laid out there in a chart, just writing it all down and seeing how long it will take is soothing to my frazzled nerves. It’s also nice to know I haven’t lost my touch!
friday nude quotes
Full nakedness! All joyes are due to thee,
As souls unbodied, bodies uncloth’d must be,
To taste whole joyes.”
Drawing Day
Drawing day 2008 has been and gone, I thoroughly enjoyed myself but didn’t create as many pieces as I hoped! I was working on a new technique for me, playing with aquarelles and watercolors mostly. by the end of it I was really beginning to get a handle on the media and having lots of fun doing different things. here are a couple of my favorites from the day. all seven pics I created can be seen here
my photographs are still terrible, the light is getting pretty bad now that it’s winter again. maybe this year I will splash out for some proper lighting.
Upcoming Solo Show – Purity
I am booked in for my first Solo Show! It’s a short term engagement at a really fantastic location in Box Hill. The gallery has wonderful natural light and a really interesting layout that I think will be perfect for my white Impasto works. The opening will be a bit different, to show off the Gallery at it’s best- a Sunday afternoon tea opening.
The interesting thing is how everything comes full circle. this location (apart from being one I’ve always wanted to show in) is just down the road from where Liam and I had our accident. so it makes sense that my first solo should be so close to where it all began, and with my most hopeful and uplifting works. it will also be close to the 4 year anniversary of when it all happened. we will of course be driving the long way so as not to go through that intersection.
So! this is the first of many, many notices on the subject. the details are:
Box Hill Community Art Center Gallery, 470 Station Street Box Hill VIC 3128
August 3 – 8 2008
Opening August 3rd in the afternoon.
Bill Henson’s Nudes are officially not Porn
A spokeswoman for Australia’s Classification Board, speaking on condition of anonymity under board policy, said six photos had been referred to them. The board gave five of them a G rating, and one a PG.
The PG photo — of a 13-year-old girl — was used on the cover of the invitation to the exhibit. It was believed to have caused the initial complaints that led to the police shutdown of the exhibit and investigation into possible obscenity charges against Henson.
The image “creates a viewing impact that is mild and justified by context … and is not sexualized to any degree,” the board found.
I am delighted that the censorship board has cleared Henson’s nude photographs. This strikes a blow for artists and freedom of expression everywhere. it is still uncertain whether the case will proceed or the exhibition will resume, however the key case for the seizure of the photographs and the legal cases pending hinge on the notion that these works were pornographic. as this notion has now been rather spectacularly thrown out, I doubt there is a legal leg to stand on. The newspapers are already reporting it as a victory and that the cases will be shut down.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd still defends his blandishments but states that he wont interfere with the decision, which is at least something. personally I couldn’t be happier at the Classification Board’s findings and I hope that we can see an end to this ridiculous saga. Henson has still not made a statement, which strikes me as a wise idea but I would love to know his feelings on the matter after the fact.
This debate has raised quite a lot of ugly arguments and discussions. more than that, it has raised some ugly feelings towards art in general and nudes specifically, it has seen galleries taking works off their walls for fear of persecution and to people being afraid to express their opinions. it became a case of pedophiles under the bed and an ugly sizing up of everyone debating the issues. Only art can take us to those places, that it can make us debate and shape our society, it can make us wonder, fear, and feel outrage. These decisions made today will shape the course of art and people’s perceptions of art for years to come.
Edit 3:45pm: This just in..
Photographer Bill Henson and the Sydney gallery which displayed his controversial pictures of naked children last month will not be prosecuted after police accepted there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.
Police today said they made the decision following advice from NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery.
Assistant Commissioner Catherine Burn said the matter was a “complex area of law” but police were obliged to launch their investigation after complaints from the public.
“Police did receive complaints and this has been a matter of significant public concern and debate. This is a complex area of law,” she said.
[From Henson in clear: prosecution scrapped - Arts - Entertainment - smh.com.au]
Edit: 6:21pm Henson has made a statement about the past two weeks. details here
New Nude – Shade
Another small painting for the upcoming Small Works exhibition. most of my newer small pieces are still off in Boston so I needed to paint some more, but the joy of these little pieces is they are so fun.
This piece, however, was less fun. I wasn’t as inspired and raring to go as I thought when i started and I don’t know how I feel about it. the light is interesting and I’d like to play with the pose some more but there were elements that were a real struggle, especially on such a small surface that are probably marring my observation of this painting. usually when I’m a little too close to a piece, if I work at it rather than getting into a zen state, I find it hard to separate out the work from the finished product. and that isn’t to say that I don’t eventually fall in love with the pieces that took effort or that the zen pieces are better in some way, I just find it harder to distance myself from the pieces my mind was actually present for. strange but true.
From the mouths of Babes – Bill Henson from the Children’s perspective
A local paper, from Bill Henson’s old stomping ground Northcote, took a different tack in this case by interviewing local children and seeking their opinions on the controversy. what is interesting in my opinion is the fact that the children seem less concerned about the issues purported by the media and more about their own body images and the perception of their peers. I think that it’s sad that that is their first concern but my biggest fear is that all the hype and furor may make the young models feel ashamed of their bodies and nakedness when they shouldn’t. can you imagine the courage it took to model? as a young, insecure child? I remember those days all too clearly and I think that it’s important that no matter whether you agree with the works or not, whether you accept the models choices to pose, take a moment to appreciate the bravery it took and the strength they must need to stand tall in the face of this controversy.
Year 9 arts students from Thornbury High School said they wouldn’t like to see Henson prosecuted but neither would they want to pose for him themselves.
“I wouldn’t (pose for him),” said Mutinta, 14. “Imagine coming to school and you guys going ‘I saw you … ‘ “
Classmate Mary, 14, said the decision to pose was up to the individual. “I think it’s all a personal choice. A naked person is not a big deal for me,” she said.
“If I felt comfortable with my body and whatever, I probably would, but it depends on what you think.”
“I think it’s a bit wrong because the girl’s a bit young,” said Damien, 14.
Mary said she didn’t share her mother’s concerns about paedophiles getting excited by the photos.
But Billy, also 14, said it was something he’d thought about. “Knowing there might be a dirty old man fantasising about it that would scare me,” he said.
And while the students had concerns about the impact of the work and the ability of young people to give consent, they also defended the right to freedom of expression in art.
“I think you should look at art for being art and stop focusing on the negatives,” Mutinta said.
[From Split on Northcote artist's nude furore - Leader News: Melbourne community news]
Apologies
I think my phplist went a little haywire this weekend. I was creating my newsletter mailings as I usually do and it crashed and I think in the effort to try and fix it I may have sent out multiples of the same newsletter to people. if I did I am truly sorry. I have almost had it with phplist. it seems to be one issue after another after another and I’m just not sure I can keep it up – it just looks so unprofessional. still, I guess you get what you pay for…
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