THE FINAL WORK

a bit more...

drawing i am working on at the moment...

and just another...this time done from life. ink.

This is a series of drawings i recently completed called 'Snagged'. Pip jumped off my bed and caught her leg in the cord that ties my leckie blankie to my mattress. Of course, I didnt go to her aid, I just went 'cool'! and started snapping. Selfish huh?

These are close ups of the individual drawings...

We were driving up Davey street the other day, when I looked over at the car next to me. The woman driving was talking on her mobile phone, with one hand on the steering wheel. As she pulled ahead of us, I read a sticker on the back of her car: 'Dont worry, God's in charge'.
Oh. well... thank dog for that eh?

In the heat of the Hobart bushfires yesterday I came accross this remarkable product... an 'Ice Fan'... WOW! You have these little iceblock removable thingys that you stick in the freezer. you stick them in the compartment when you want to use the fan, and it blows icy air at you... WOW! I probably could have worked it out myself after a couple of whiskeys... but WOW!

Im working on a sound artwork at the moment. I recently recorded myself reading Robert Morris' 'Notes on Sculpture II' for this piece, and burnt it onto disk. When I put it into itunes, the program searched on the net, and decided it was a single by 'The Bad Luck Charms', which is coincidently a local Hobart band.

Lets see what we have here...
Robert Morris, minimalism, phenomenology, my own voice, a dodgy recording, a very small hobart in a very wide world web, a band that one of my flatmates hero-worships...

what's the thing you call it when you cant remember anything?

Second correction... I had managed to publish the link on the sidebar -I just hadnt refreshed the damn page!!! Ive got the L Plater excuse...

I forgot to add in the last post that one of my flatmates is an EMEDIA artist. I did try to publish a link to his blog on the side of my blog, but it just didnt work for me. Ill keep trying (although with luck he'll read this, and do it for me -sooo lazy!), but until then here is his address: http://www.moax.net/blog

But before you emerse yourself in these new art methods at his blog, here is some old media stuff -a couple of charcoal and pastel drawings of Pip

These two are part of a larger 3.5x1.5m drawing (above and below)

This one below is a triptich -each about 90x70cm

I've recently moved into a large share house with 4 other students -2 of whom are computer geeks. Ive never really thought of flatmates as assets, but Im seeing the benefits of choosing them carefully. In the past, Ive considered their material goods only -I have a wok, a couple of frypans, a few manky saucepans, wait for it... an espresso machine, tv.... (you get the picture); therefore in my flatmates, I expect some plates, cutlery, some music etc.

Now, my ideas on assets have changed. I have recently relived the joys of my childhood with a Nintendo Emulator that one of my flatmates has helped me download from the net. The Super Nintendo is no longer material in two senses:
1. It has no physical presence (at least, those that work dont...), it exists only as a funky image of itself on my desktop. It cannot be dropped, broken or dirtied; it takes up no space (fantastic for a space deprived student!); and if it stops working I just download another one.
2. Thanks to the generosity of so many computer geeks, who share the same affection for Super Mario 3, this Super Nintendo console is not for sale. I have been introduced to the world of share ware (please correct me if I have spelt it incorrectly) through my flatmates, and am amazed at this phenomenon that has sprung up. Ive bungled my way through the ROM thing, and have accidently wiped out whole worlds while trying to type in cheat codes (I honestly havent a clue... but Im learning). But one day I dream of creating my own Mario World - a world where Mario has changed into Dog form, and kills the cats, rats and scats... in order to rescue the beautiful Jack Russel Terrier Prince at the end! Ahhhh...

Mountain Festival Sculpture Trail 2006

When is quality sculpture? To me- ephemeral, outdoor installations... they require long amounts of time spent outside in bushy areas, where I can explore, dig, see, wee, hunt (for truffles and magic mushrooms of course)...
Of course, many would object to this argument. Aesthetics, concepts... blah... enjoy the open air, let YOUR dog join us. Its the only way to make art.

Anyhow, this is an image of my human's work 'Arboreal'. Im not in it (I think I was chasing ducks in the rivulet next to the work at the time. Yes, they WERE bigger than me... but I could still make them fly away [smirk]). Apparently when 'recording' artworks, they are to be void of all distractions... including me.
I still got into the catalogue though! [See photo]

Good art?
In the sixties and seventies an art movement started called 'Conceptual Art'. Works by Duchamp -his readymades- although made at the start of the twentieth century, kickstarted this movement. Ideas rather than aesthetics are the bones of the argument; to have aesthetics was at the expense of the concept, and it was argued that they could not live together. Nowadays, it is not a matter of aesthetics over concepts; all art is assumed to have a concept (isnt it craft otherwise?).

My human works with the concept first.

'Arboreal' looks at the relationship between the natural and built environments:
'A desire to reconnect with the natural and pristine would appear to be the motivating force which is driving people to seek their "sea" or "bush change". As a consequence the design of eco-friendly housing is rampant; however, it is often the case that these houses are constructed from materials which have undergone elaborate manufacturing techniques. 'Arboreal' seeks to highlight the contradictions and absurdities created by the above mentioned phenomena and emphasise the discord created between organic forms from the natural environment and the straight lines of dimesioned timber used for building.'

My human collaborated with a mate of hers who is also studying at the University of Tasmania. They won first prize for this work. [of course it was my input that made the difference...]

Family First Senator Steve Fielding and VSU

Do we have room for Christian fundamentalists in a secular government system? From the looks of it, No!

What has been seen in the Australian Federal Parliament in the last couple of days of sitting is enough for us to quake, because we have another 3 years of the Howard government and their pompous, power-hungry, and devastating actions. When they found out that they had the majority in the last elections, they said 'good, now we can push through all the legislation that the labour party and democrats etc. have been blocking for years'... well it was for a good reason Johnny! Now we have upon us things like sedition laws (should I be expecting a knock on my door soon for speaking out agaist the Government?), reduced worker rights, and of course the bee in my bonnet: VSU.

When asked what sealed the deal between John Howard and Steve Fielding, Fielding said he couldnt recall. Really? From the night before? With the Prime Minister? An important meeting like that? If you have such a bad memory, you shouldnt really have the position of power you do mate!

No, rumors have it that the reason he couldnt recall was that he did a backroom deal with John. Fielding gives Howard a vote for VSU, and Howard (like the fair guy he is) gives him what he wants... what would a fundamentalist christian want? Let me see... abortion to be illegal, all lesbians to be burnt at the stake (No really, that was their party line!), oh yeah.. and the abortion pill RU486 to be outlawed (oh, but ONLY because its not safe to women-bullshit! And general anaesthetics are?).

The fact that John howard is willing to comprimise the safety and rights of women by his greedy and swollen head that so desparately wants to get VSU through with no amendments or discussion is absolutely appauling. Why we have so many religious members of parliament (by that I mean CHristians) that have so much power (Tony Abbott, for instance, who never misses a chance to flaut his christian morals and impose them on a largely non-Christian Australian public). For a secular government, they are sure having some difficulties with the line between religion and secular...

But on the other hand, imagine if there were Muslim member(s) of parliament. Wow! wouldn't they have to work hard not to let any wiff of religion creep into their politics.

I guess you can tell the only religion i subscribe to is atheist dog (yeah, we have a specific dog one).

Scary world eh? But tuck yourself in, they are only warming up... they have the rest of the term to screw us up more, and if this year is any precedent we may not even have an election next time.

me and my human. dont i look CUTE!

raining in the land of snow

Can a dog do burlesque? There is a fantastically hung male next door, and I cant help but flirt. Problem is, I have been spade. Does that mean that I cannot do burlesque?

Regulations and restrictions in dog ownership

There has been a lot of media attention in the Tasmanian Mercury lately on barking dogs. A lonely old woman managed to get a full page spread supposedly after years of trying to get the council to get rid of a neighbours dog. This dog would apparently bark all day and all night, and she claims that she is getting side affects, she is sick, stressed, depressed... But the council wont do anything. hmmm...

(It sounds like she needs a dog. Owners are proven to be less likely to be depressed, sick and overweight.)

But no seriously... this desperate plea of attention to the media (strange that no other neighbours have complained) has encouraged many dog haters to write in in support. Talks of extra restrictions on dog ownership, fines etc.

LETS LOOK AT THE RESTRICTIONS ON DOGS VS CATS

-Dog owners pay registration fees every year, otherwise they are fined
-They pay throught the teeth if their dog is outside their property
-and are heavily fined if found walking their dog without a leash, with the exception of a few designated public spaces.
-Even on the leash, they are banned from sitting with their owners outside at cafes (while the smokers at the table next to you give you passive lung cancer), because apparently they carry germs (yeah? and on what evidence? do you know anyone who has caught a germ from their dog? Why do dogs in europe enjoy the freedom of cafe culture, even inside the cafes, and they swan around on public transport like a true man's best friend. Aren't the people of France scared of these 'germs'? And how come guide dogs dont have these concerning germs?)
-Dog owners get fined if their dogs go to open air Salamanca markets in Hobart, even if they are on a leash -apparently for the same reason 'they carry germs...' (yeah, and the dodgy fried food vans dont?)
-Dog owners are forced to have their own private transport, as they are banned from public transport (although in Melbourne, you are allowed to take them outside peak hour. Best public transport system in Australia, very efficient .. off the point..) Too bad if you want to take them to puppy training(!)

So where are the restrictions on cat ownership?
-Cat owners dont have to register the cat
-They dont pay fines if the cat is outside their property (even when they are in other people's property, such as mine, killing all the birds which dont stand a chance because the cat is not wearing a coller with a bell on it)
-They dont pay fines if the cat is out at night (also killing native wildlife), or on the verandah of my house (just outside my bedroom window)making babies very loudly,and waking me up.


I think dog owners and admirers get a raw deal. Its good for people's health to get out and walk their dog. Its good for your mental health and stress levels, to have your loyal companion to talk to and play with. Why doesnt the government and councils encourage dog ownership? God knows, we have so many obese people in Hobart now, who could do with a bit of walking, and every second person seems to be on anti-depressants when a dog can easily do the same trick.

Back to that woman... answer to your problems? Get a dog (and start rallying to the council for dog rights, not restrictions)

If in doubt of someone's intentions, sniff their butt.

Do I look like Yoda?

Human and I have just been to the beach.

Some kind of artist she is... so I am the artist's assistant. I just had to wander around and check that all the hills hoists were standing up straight.

Felt like a big dog, I did, I did.