2 Tens & A Tomato
Hi, just a quick note to let you know about a new collaborative show of fresh art and words from myself and visual artist and poet Marina. We have mixed poetry, photography, sculpture and installation into works exploring the written word and visualisations of poetic elements. The show will opened by PS Cottier, renowned poet and local.
The show is titled '2 Tens & A Tomato' and opens this Thursday evening at 7pm at the Front Gallery in Wattle Street, Lyneham ... be great to see you there and show off the works personally ... plus the gallery's attached to a pub and there's a band on too ... art, alcohol, live music and interesting people ... sounds like fun.
In addition, Marina and I will be guests of the July Canberra Poetry Slam the following Friday 25th July where we'll be reading works featured in the show.
The details in point form...
- What: 2 Tens & A Tomato - Fresh art and words from Geoffrey Dunn & Marina
- Where: The Front Gallery - Wattle Street, Lyneham - 17th-28th July 2014
- Opening: 7pm Thursday 17th July by PS Cottier ... that's like this Thursday ... yeah we know :-)
- Poetry Slam Readings: Friday 25th July - 8pm
ps ... my solo show Zoologica is still running at the Kaori Gallery until 2nd August ... it's all go at the moment! G :-)
Zoologica I - selection and hanging
OK so I have been putting together (what I realised is my first) solo show ... titled Zoologica: a photographic study of life through death. Exploring zoological specimens, the works encourage you to ponder the nature of scientific collection, death and preservation. The series comprises 12 monochromatic prints, printed on Canson Baryta Photographique by Stephen Best of Macquarie Editions in Braidwood. The final series of 12 is shown in the gallery below. I've gone with hanging the prints unframed using linen hinges and small tacks. I'm really impressed with the printing quality and the light curl of the paper really adds to the apparent depth of the images. It's a great feeling when you see your own work on a wall ... and a real buzz when there's a series of your own work up like this.
I hung the show yesterday with gallery owner Michael and it looks fantastic ... it'll look even better when fully lit.
The opening is Wednesday evening at 6pm and I'm rather looking forward to it :-)
In Review: Mikelangelo sings Cave, Waits, Cohen - National Theatre, Braidwood - 21 June 2014
Saturday night saw Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Mikelangelo performing songs by Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen in an intimate performance at the National Theatre in Braidwood. Mikelangelo (Michael Simic) brought forth his velvety baritone to create his own versions of tracks by these three masters of song. Singing un-mic'd and accompanied only by acoustic guitar, the small but enthusiastic audience was treated to an intimate and personal show.
The 'stage' was a small are defined by an arc of tea-light candles and two small standing lamps. The atmosphere was at once warm and cozy (even though the temperature wasn't quite what you'd describe as such). Songs included Deanna and The Ship Song (Cave), Black Wings and Pasties and a G-String (At the Two O'Clock Club) (Waits) and Chelsea, Famous Blue Raincoat and Bird On a Wire (Cohen). Of particular stand-out to me was Mikelangelo's cover of Cave's Into My Arms in which I felt I was hearing it for the very time ... thank you for that. Local Rosie Rick (making her on-stage debut!) joined Mikelangelo on stage toward the end of the first set where they sang Henry Lee (Cave & PJ Harvey).
We were also treated to Streets of Melbourne, a new original song of Mikelangelo from his upcoming album.
My friend and I came down from Canberra (about an hour's drive) especially for the show and were very glad we had. We had seen the poster in Braidwood the previous weekend while I was visiting my printer for the upcoming Zoologica show but that's another story... Rain had started falling just as we arrived in Braidwood and it made a lovely sound on the tin roof of the National during the performance. It was the occasion of Winter Solstice and Braidwood didn't disappoint with near zero temperatures and fog beginning to settle after the rain. Ticket price of $25 included a mug of mulled wine (which was magically replenished throughout the evening) and a bowl of deliciously warming vegetarian curry courtesy of Paydirt Eatery. Couldn't ask for more really :-)
Links
- You can visit Mikelangelo
- You can visit Paydirt Eatery
- You can read about the heritage listed National Theatre in Braidwood
Naturey Macro
A gorgeous early winter's day day in Canberra and a trip with friend David to the Australian National Botanic Gardens for some naturey macro pictures. David is interested in purchasing a macro lens so I've lent him my copy of the Tamron 90mm SP to have a play with. The day was cold but beautifully clear but a little on the windy side for nice calm macro shooting ... still, I came away with some nice pictures ... hope you like them too.
In other news ... my preparations for the Zoologica show are progressing and I've completed drafts of the poster, postcard and list of images appearing in the show ... as well as capturing some new images yesterday while out and about. I've also signed up for a joint photos/poetry show which will run in another gallery at the same time as Zoologica ... I'm going to be a busily creative boy ... wish me luck! :-)
Creepy Dolls
Creepy Dolls and the Teddys left behind
Do you find old dolls a little creepy? You know, the ones oft found at garage sales, second-hand shops or historic houses? Like a lot of objects once loved, they embody something of the abandoned and discarded. Their staring eyes, their presence, their often disrobed and dismembered nature, they lie or sit or otherwise propped up ... seeing but not seeing. I don't collect them but I find myself enraptured by their gaze... Do objects retain a sense of the love and devotion poured into them over time? I'm unable to come up with a rational scientific rationale to support it but there's a part of me that believes it may happen and we simply haven't found a way to quantify it. Perhaps it's the way an object, once the centre of such affection and loving focus, now lies bereft of that love.
When I see one I find myself wondering whether the person who owned it is still alive? Did they like the doll? What did they tell it? Maybe they didn't like the doll ... had it forced upon them by an overbearing relative? Perhaps it was a possessed spinning head ectoplasm spewing doll? (wouldn't that be cool!) What happened to their eyes, their limbs, their clothes? Lost? Separated definitely...
I find myself making up stories for them ... perhaps that's why I find them a bit creepy ... kinda like them.
How about you? Do you share this kinda fascination with dolls and the abandoned? Do you make up stories for them? Do tell :-)
Autumn Spirit
Autumn is upon us down here in the southern hemisphere ... well, nearly over as it happens. It's been a beautiful show this year, helped along by late summer rains and crisp mornings. I've not taken the camera out to really record the show this year ... preferring instead to enjoy the colourful spectacle with fine company ... it happens you know :-)
In other news, I have two solo shows coming up later this year. The first is in the Kaori Gallery in the City and will feature my series Zoologica ... that starts in the beginning of July so I'd beat get cracking on that one ... at least the pictures have been chosen and more or less finalised... The second is at the Front Gallery & Cafe in Lyneham and will likely feature a 'Best Of' compilation of series'd works ... more details as I find them out myself :-)
Anyways, here's some drizzly Autumn afternoon leafy goodness for you plus an extra one showing a bleak windy Canberra autumn afternoon by the Lake.
PS Cottier - Poet
Earlier this week I had the good fortune to be asked by renowned local poet Penelope (PS) Cottier to take some some new head-shots for a new collection of poems she's about to publish. After the head-shots were done I coaxed her out onto the street with her fabulous green silk parasol :-)
(did you know that she collects fish vases?)
Links:
- PS Cottier
- She has just had a new work published on Verity La
Late Night Call
A little while ago I was up in the (not so) Snowy Mountains region of south-Eastern Australia, taking the kids on a trip to visit the grand Snowy Mountains Hydroelectricity Scheme's dams and turbines, tunnels and towns ... and the mountains of course. One of the places we stayed was a caravan park on the shores of Lake Eucumbene ... there was also no mobile coverage apart from a 50m circle on a patch of road some 13km back up the hill ... you'd see cars there in the morning, connecting ... there was a little shop in the park office, a petrol bowser and this telephone booth.
I didn't think much of it at the time apart from my initial "haven't seen one of those in a while" ... until after dark when I went for a walk outside; and there it was ... a poignant reminder of communication and connectedness bathed in a pool of it's own making. I just had to take some pictures as you do. Truth be told I wasn't actually talking on the phone but I was missing someone and I imagined I was calling them from a place a long way away ... which in many ways this was ... a long way away :-)
The late night call :-)
Como Collection 2
In response to Petra's comment on my previous post ... here's some more Como goodness :-)
In January I visited some lovely old cottages in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria. Tastefully restored and surrounded by all manner of photographic goodness :-)
Como Collection
In January I visited some lovely old cottages in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria. Tastefully restored and surrounded by all manner of photographic goodness :-)
All of my heart
"Once upon a time when we were friends
I gave you my heart, the story ends.
No happy ever after ... now we're friends..."
ABC - All Of My Heart
Not that my heart is breaking ... far from it :-)
I always loved this song and was singing it this morning ... I think it works :-)
Bad Pharmer
From a quick band shoot I did at the end of last year of local Polish punk band Bad Pharmer the afternoon before their final gig in Canberra and they up and moved to greener pastures in Brisbane (the shining lights of Bris-Vegas!)
I purchased a copy of their EP Where The Wild Bison Roam ... it's very tidy and contains some great tracks :-)
How's about lead singer/bassist Ania and that yellow couch!
Links
- Listen to Where The Wild Bison Roam
There will be a little period where my posts here will not necessarily follow chronological order as I find interesting things to post from the period I didn't update the blog at all ... does this really matter? Likely not... I just figured I'd let you know anyway 
Gettin' the Groove On
I'm shooting a wedding this afternoon ... it has a Retro theme. I thought I'd best try on my outfit this morning and there was music playing and there was a bit of camera gear about and here are some of the results.
The sky-blue linen safari suit was tailored for my father in Penang in 1972 ... it's going to be a fun afternoon and evening Gettin' the Groove On :-)
PS ... I know I've been vey slack in attending to everyone's blogs ... life here has been very full and I'm only just starting to get on top of that ... I'll be around to visit soon :-)
SHOOT!
Well, I'm on the cover of SHOOT! Magazine's September 2013 (Volume #003) edition. I'm also the featured artist and there's an interview in there too. As far as I know it's web only but it's lovely that someone has gone to all this effort over mine and the other included artists' work though the editior assures me a hard copy is on it's way to my post ofice box as we speak! I'm quietly chuffed and I think he's done a great job with the layout. It is somewhat funny and totally cool to see a whole stack of your pictures laid out like this in a mini-collection. Clicking on the cover image will initiate a download of a web resolution (~8MB) copy of the magazine via safe WeTransfer from the host site. If, for some reason your browser doesn't like that I've made a copy for download here ... oh Yeah and the mag is written in German but my interview is in English ... lucky eh?
