The Dream Under the Overpass

Oblivion :: Helga Viking // Claunch 72 Monochrome // No flashThe other day I was trawling through my photo archives and came across this photo of a drawing I did over a year ago. I had forgotten all about it, and how I laughed when I saw this picture. It brings to mind Callum Morton’s sculpture Hotel that sits surreally beside the EastLink freeway in Greater Melbourne. (I chuckle every time I flash past it.)

Hotel, Callum Morton 2008I often have very vivid dreams, many about travelling, but I might have forgotten all about this one if I hadn’t made this drawing the next day. I am not sure if it’s a fragment of the one where I was also travelling by bus through the snowy wastes of Russia. Here I had stepped off the road (note the striped roadworkers’ tape in the foreground) to view some sunken apartment buildings just beyond an overpass. I was warned by a fellow traveller not to step nearer because the ground was unsafe. Oh really? I never would have noticed. I didn’t care though – I needed to take photographs of this extraordinary sight. I am absolutely certain I would do the same thing in real life!

Now that I’ve found this photo (goodness knows what happened to the original sketch) this shall have to be turned into a proper drawing I think. 

The Alchemist

Untitled void sculpture, 2012; fibreglass, paintIt’s been about three weeks since I visited Sydney so that I could attend the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. And still the first word that springs to mind at the thought of the experience is, “Wow!”

I cannot help but respond in a visceral way, for his work is so profoundly and immediately moving in its bold simplicity, in its enormity, its silence that resounds so loudly in one’s being, that speaks to one’s spirit. It is mesmerising, transcends its surroundings so that one is oblivious to the crowds around. And yet some pieces are also delightfully engaging, so invitingly tactile and tempting to touch, to explore and discover the truth.

his work is so profoundly and immediately moving in its bold simplicity …

One envies the child that instinctively reached out to brush the blue pigment of My Body Your Body – the hand smudge is clearly visible in the bottom. Another deep-blue wall sculpture, Void, floats like an abyss before one’s eyes, mystifying, fascinating.

My Body Your Body, 1993; fibreglass, pigment

The exhibition catalogue states:

Anish Kapoor has created bodies of work that push the boundaries of sculpture through his explorations of the nature of perception in relation to space, form and mass. His ability to transform material into astonishing and often perplexing works of art which raise philosophical questions about the world and our position within it, has led to comparisons with alchemy, the ancient magical power to transform an ordinary substance into something of great value.

Last year when I visited Sydney the MCA was closed for renovations, and it was interesting to learn that the museum’s architects and curators had extensively consulted with Kapoor and his studio team regarding the spaces that would house his work – some of the rooms were specifically designed for this exhibition.

If you can get to Sydney before 1 April, I would strongly urge you to see this exhibition for an unforgettable experience. You can also read a previous post about Kapoor’s work here. I’ll shut up now and let some of my pictures speak a thousand more.

Untitled void sculpture, 2012; fibreglass, paintUntitled void sculpture, 2012; fibreglass, paint(Left) When I am Pregnant, 1992; fibreglass, wood, paint. (Right) Oracle, 1990-2002; sandstone, pigment.Oracle, 1990–2002; sandstone, pigmentA man contemplates Void, 1989; fibreglass, pigment It is irresistible: he must lean in. Void, 1989; fibreglass, pigmentSide view, Void, 1989; fibreglass, pigmentMemory, 2008; Cor-Ten steelMemory, 2008; Cor-Ten steelS-Curve, 2006; stainless steelThat’s me on the left, reflected in C-Curve, 2007; stainless steel

I’m Melting, Melting!

Little Tin Man :: Loftus // C-Type Plate // No flashIsn’t this tin toy ice cream man just the cutest? He is a little find from a quaint little doll shop in Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains. I felt greedy buying two, and was torn between the blue and white sailor-themed carousel (you can just make it out in the right of the photo below) and this little man. The imminent arrival of my train forced me to hurriedly choose and the primary colours and the blooming cheeks of the ice cream man won out.

Tin Toys :: Tinto 1848 // C-Type Plate // No flashThere was also a sweet clown on a tricycle tempting me, but the front wheel seemed to be missing, so that discounted him. There was a large selection altogether, including the classic tin robots and monkeys on bikes, all remarkably inexpensive. I remember I had some as a child – possibly a ladybug, or something else that skittered constantly across the kitchen floor.

Meanwhile, Melbourne shows no sign of cooling down by much yet – I feel like I’m melting in my extremely hot apartment, a bit like this melting ice cream truck. This brilliant and witty piece of sculpture, called Hot With the Chance of Late Storm, is by The Glue Society, and was unveiled at the 2006 Sculpture by the Sea exhibition in Sydney. No chance of a storm here and now though, apparently.

Hot With the Chance of Late Storm, by The Glue Society, 2006

Knit Wit

Knitting gets a twenty-first century makeover when crafty folk take to wrapping the streets with their handiwork. No object, stationary or not, is too small or too large, from trees to cars to park benches – a yarn bomber will knit with wit.

We are so used to seeing graffiti sprayed on walls, we’ve become blasé, but we can’t do that with yarn bombing just yet. It’s not flat, it’s three-dimensional and that is what’s so wonderful about it. It’s surprising, makes us laugh with astonishment, and feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside to think that we can add to the beauty of nature – or beautify the ugliness of our urban environment – with something that is colourful yet harmless. Thank you all you crazy and dedicated knitters out there!

Read more at Jafagirls.

Sculpture at Heide

Rings of Saturn, Inge King, 2005–6A couple of weeks ago some friends and I visited Heide to view the Less is More exhibition. It was a very wet and dreary day, so we did not spend the time wandering the sculpture garden, but I did manage to get a few snaps of a few pieces.

Inge King’s imposing Rings of Saturn (2005–6) is made from stainless steel, and sits atop a little hillock; the ‘big balls’ scattered below were added to the lawn to complement this sculpture. They are by Xenian Living Light, a company providing architectural lighting to commercial projects. They look far more effective glowing in the dark (when the nearby carpark is cropped out).

Xenian big ballsThe three-piece sculpture Pebbles is by Wona Bae, an artist and florist, whose designs are inspired by the cycles of nature. Pebbles is constructed from Victorian cork, an inviting and interactive piece. The three giant bales are scattered in Sunday Reed’s garden of the rustic cottage housing the Heide I gallery. 

Pebbles, Wona Bae, 2012Pebbles, Wona Bae, 2012