The Matrix is ten.

The Matrix movie is ten years old!

Here's a couple of cool things I found on You Tube.


It's The Matrix XP, a parody style trailer. They also have an associated website explaining what went on behind the scenes plus downloads. It seems to be a German production.


Matrix Ping Pong is a spoof of bullet time using puppetry.

Easter Sunday Inspiration

Easter Duck
digital photograph
I had some washed egg shells on a saucer and a small plastic duck sitting on my desk as possible art materials for my next sculpture. After finding that the duck could fit inside a chicken egg, I thought 'Why not take a photograph?'.

William Gibson's Neuromancer

While reading it: Really geeky and obviously written by a man. I didn't really get into it at all until halfway through. I found the pace to be a bit slow and at times staccato. In particular the sentences describing cyberspace are jumbled and completely lacking in grammar. It sounds as if he's trying to be profound when it's just confusing. A lot of the time it is too vague as to what the characters are actually doing. They are unsympathetic, I don't care what happens to them. I'm not even sure what they are supposed to be doing to be honest. It's just not clear enough.

This style of writing doesn't do it for me. It feels like a chore to read it but I'm going to finish it. I can't imagine what it would have been like to read this book before The Matrix* existed as a movie but it must have been even more disjointed.Somewhat interesting in terms of the hypothetical technology from a historical viewpoint. Frankly that isn't enough to make me recommend it as a novel. Déjà vu dear readers?**

Finished: I want the time it took me to read this muddle back! It is overly elaborate in descriptions without any clarity or explanation. In the last three or four chapters I decided to skim it I was that fed up and figured it wouldn't make it any less clear. In the end it felt a little pointless.

The emperor has no clothes nor does he hack the Gibson. My opinion remains unchanged see above. I just checked on Amazon and I'm not the only one who feels this way about this book. Apparently Gibson has done better according to reviews there.


*very loosely based on the ideas in this book.
**Choose the Jules Verne instead, the plot is clearer!

Favourite Muppet Show skits

I was chatting with a younger staff member today (actually all of my staff are younger than me except one!) about my favourite Muppet Show skits. These are classic, as entertaining and funny today as they were when they were first screened in the 1970s, and still funny even when you've seen them a few times before.


The Snowths and Mahna Mahna. Snowths puppeteered by Frank Oz, Mahna Mahna voiced by Jim Henson.



Java aka the dancing slinkies skit



Swedish Chef and spaghetti . Chef's head and voice puppeteered by Jim Henson, his hands by Frank Oz). Also check out the doughnut skit.



Marvin Suggs (puppeteered by Frank Oz) and his Muppaphones

I <3 H.G. Wells

Listening to: Anarchy by KMFDM from Symbols.

Recently I have been endeavouring to devour the classics of sci-fi since it is a genre which interests me particularly as a dabbler in steam punk. So far H.G. Wells is my favourite. His writing style is clear and accessible without spoon feeding it to the reader. I like the way he makes the reader think about the moral, philosophical and scientific possibilities evoked within his stories.

The Island of Dr Moreau
From the first page I found it to be page turner. That teamed with being a novella makes it an extra quick read. It's quite visceral, horrific and violent at times. Wells questions what it is to be human or beast, and the merits of each. Nature versus nurture is explored as well as scientists playing God.

The Time Machine
A very thought provoking hypothetical on the eventual state of humanity, the progress of civilisation and industry, and what that could mean for our evolution. The inspiration from Darwin's The Origin of the Species is very strong in this novella - more so than The Island of Dr Moreau. I found my thoughts wandering a few times in a good way because it got me thinking 'What if?'

Off the Kerb - My art in a show

Listening to: 'Jenny was a friend of mine' by The Killers from Hot Fuss (favourite album at the moment)

Off the Kerb , artist run gallery and studios is celebrating its 2nd birthday with a show exploring the theme of obsession. My submitted sculpture - Switch Off to Switch On - was accepted for this exhibition!


Switch Off to Switch On, detail
paper collage, plastic mice, acrylic paint, enamel paint, wood, shellac, damar varnish, ink

My piece deals with a well known scientific obsession with intelligence, and was also created a little obsessively - so many carefully selected and snipped pieces make up the collaged section.

The OCD Show at Off the Kerb
April 3-24, 2009
Opening hours are Thurs & Fri 12:30pm-6pm, Sat & Sun 12-5pm
66B Johnston St, Collingwood, 3066
9077 0174
0400 530 464
info@offthekerb.com.au

If you can't make it check out some of my other art here.

Symbolism in art.

Edward J SULLIVAN
We come up through many slaveries into freedom
ink on paper
from Bibby's Annual, 1918

I have recently seen finer work at NGV's satirical Victorian etchings exhibition but found the symbolism* used of interest.

In classical art from around the world, various animals represent different things as do certain flowers and their colours. The complex vernacular would have been familiar to contemporary viewers though today most of us have no idea what these things mean without a formal art education or a certain religious/cultural background. The modern artist isn't bound by historical symbol conventions.

I can't help but think that as a 21st century artist it is provocative to know some of these symbols and incorporate them where appropriate. Artists are free to invent their own symbols and hope the viewer is thoughtful enough to interpret them, or already be familiar with them. The audience is more educated and with greater access to information than any preceding it. I believe in encouraging an audience to think without being wilfully obscure, to question what they see and seek to understand it.

Further Reading
* This particular piece uses commonly used, highly conventional Christian art symbolism Explained:
Monkeys
Snake/serpents, more complex than just plain evil!
Tortoise or turtle
Skulls, yes everyone knows they are about death and mortality but they can be an affirmation of life.

Bugatti and More: On now at Melbourne's NGV International

I enjoyed visiting both NGV venues this afternoon: I highly recommend the Bugatti show at NGV International! All exhibitions currently on are free so there's no excuse for any art and design loving Melbournian, not to make the time to see both this and the other shows.

Bugatti: Carlo Rembrandt Ettore Jean features Rembrandt's lively, evocative animal bronzes; an automobile each by Carlo and Jean; unique, unusual and beautifully crafted furniture by Carlo. As far as talent goes they were world class - it's remarkable to have so much creatively and ability in one family. I think my favourite piece would be Carlo's assymetrical, throne seat which is part of the NGV collection. There's a touch of steam punk about that and some of his other pieces.

The Satirical Eye: comedy and critique from Hogarth to Daumier, a must for anyone who appreciates vintage satire and etching. Features a number of prints by Goya from his series Los Caprichos.

The cricket and the dragon: Animals in Asian Art is aimed at getting children interested in art so be prepared to squat and crouch a lot in order to see most of this show properly. Other than that small grumble and inconvenience for the rest of us, there are some superb examples of Asian craftsmanship and artistic technique. The poster critter - literally - for this exhibition is a copper alloy, life sized rat holding a chestnut. He's gorgeous, I want him! There's a lifelike crab also made in copper alloy and Japanese but a slightly later period and not apparently by the same artist.

Don't miss the smallest pieces tucked away behind tiny windows, inset in a graphic panel between each of the main showcases. Some of the best stuff is there. Exquisitely carved Japanese netsuke*, and finely glazed snuff bottles will make that awkward stooping worth your while!

One of the netsuke on display is very similar to one in the V&A collection*. Perhaps this is a traditional depiction of quails or perhaps one inspired the other.This one is cuter, rounder and sweeter. Their eyes are shinier [grabby hands].

Magnifying glasses are there to encourage kids to appreciate the details but for those of us who are long sighted I expect they could come in handy for some of those tiny pieces!

Remaking Fashion was okay but not my cup of tea and held nothing that really excited me. I continue to be frustrated by the recessed showcases and lack of visibility they afford. Fashion isn't designed to be viewed from one specific angle but 360 degrees. The strategic use of mirrors perhaps, and an extra freestanding showcase would help.


*I've always sought this type of carving out every since seeing my first netsuke at the Victoria and Albert museum in London back in 1997. I love how compact, detailed, and full of character they can be.

Evolution on Earth in 60 seconds.

You know humans are a blip in the lifespan of this planet.

If you've never 100% grasped how long it took life to evolve from lifelessness to something microscopic and then life as we know it, this is the clip for you. In fact, I'm pretty sure even if you are qualified or just knowledgeable in this area it will still be an eye opener.

This 60 second video, by Claire L. Evans, really brings home Earth's time scale and the gradual evolution of life. It's makes you see how quickly life evolved - an evolution explosion - how recent that is and quite significantly how new we are as life forms. Cool stuff.

via Bioephemera.

Chipmunk snarfing a peanut avatar

I created this GIF ^
and this one with a bit more 'ehn ehn!' comedic action



for use as an avatar a while back.
Please don't hot link (directly link) to it or I will take this post down
Feel free to download it and use it :)
The images came from this golden Cute Overload post if you want to create your own version.

Crop your digital photos yourself because they won't.

Listening to: Bad Boy by Alice in Videoland from Outrageous!

Don't go to Footscray, Kmart Kodak Express: the customer service is APPALLING and they don't care about you as a customer or the quality of their work.

Not only are they rude but they are indifferent. They don't seem to give a **** about their customers. When I went to pick up my photographs the woman was talking in a foreign language to a friend and did not stop promptly or even give me friendly greeting when I stood at the counter. She went and got my photos, plopped them on the counter without a word then went back to her conversation.

Today I went to complain about how the machine had automatically cropped my photos and try to get reprints. She basically blamed me for shooting in digital and not cropping them properly myself on the machine. Some of these images had completely featureless backgrounds which so it would have been obvious that the automatic cropping had made a mistake. Why aren't they checking the prints by hand to ensure quality? Why is the onus on the end user to do this? If it had been a film processed, a human would have checked it make sure the machine did it correctly. No were apologies offered, nor was there any offer to reprint my dozen photographs, help me on the kiosk to crop my images free or otherwise.

If I was her manager I would not tolerate that lack of service. I'd be taking her aside for a serious talking to about customers coming first and basic etiquette (greet, say please & thank you, farewell and the importance of presenting a friendly face).


Tips for helping you crop your digital photos before sending them off to be printed here and here.

****insert your choice of 4 letter swear word ;)

Rainbow Lorikeets

Listening to: Wundervoll by Wolfsheim


Rainbow lorikeets
Rainbow lorikeets in the backyard at my parents' place this morning. I think it's the same pair visiting each day.

Sam Neil is funny!

Sam Neil about his Staffordshire bull terrier called Fire:
"Fire and I share several traits. We're loyal and sensitive... oh, and we both adore a good scratch. We also find great pleasures in simple satisfactions - a run on a nice day, a snooze by the fire. We differ on the edibility of sheep sh*t and the need to lick ourselves, but pine for each other when I'm away."

From A Man for All Seasons, interview with Angus Fontaine, Sunday Life magazine from The Age, February 22, 2009

Maybe, she's just not that into you

Opening Lines and Tips Part 1
For the single lads at night clubs/pubs/parties etc

Don't ask which suburb in this fine city she's from.
It slightly smacks of creepy stalkerdom if you think about it. It doesn't tell you anything about her either so why ask that?

Don't ask if she's out with anyone or on her own.
It feels like you're trying to establish if she's alone and an easy target which is also a bit creepy. If you want to ask if she has a boyfriend/girlfriend, well that's a fair question and it certainly makes your intent clear.

Don't assume that because she has answered 'no' to the significant other question that she must be interested in you.
Maybe she's just refreshing honest and polite.

Don't follow her around the venue like a lost puppy dog.
Stalker/creepy/needy. Do not want! This kind of behavior can get you reported to security by the more savvy lady. It's also a great way to ruin any positive conversation or rapport you might have had with the lady earlier in the night.

Don't be drunk or too tipsy.
You talk crap when you're drunk, you splutter, you get too close, you swear. It's very unattractive. Enough said.

Learn to read basic body language.
If she's doing more than one of these:

• avoiding eye contact with you;
• looking around the room a lot or staring off into the distance not at you;
• keeping a physical distance from you;
• keeping her answers to your questions short;
• being evasive in response to your questions;
• folding her arms across herself or has her elbows jutting out at you;
• walking past and completely ignoring you after talking to you earlier;
  

it's because she's not interested and doesn't want to talk to you, but is too polite to tell you to leave her alone! Cut your losses and move on.

I don't know why but most guys who have hit on me at night clubs use those first two questions as opening lines and they DO NOT WORK. Maybe they are the first things to pop into their heads [shrug]
Having worked in retail, sales techniques (ie. 'professional' pick up lines) do not work so well on me.

Being charming and an interesting person to talk to is what matters.
You could ask her about music, art, movies or what she likes to do in her spare time. These are the things that tell you about a person's character and what they will probably enjoy talking about.

Abe has a peanut!

Listening to: She's in Parties by Bauhaus


Created from a photo taken at work. The peanut is an eraser we sell. A customer seemed to have taken a bite out of it. Abe the elephant is from the game we sell called Animal Scramble, his beard is a fake moustache from a pack a customer helped themselves to and his hat is Photoshopped because I have better things to do with my time than making tiny top hats for elephants ... things like creating silly LOLs and blogging for instance.

The Black Footed Ferret

1939, Art Deco Book Cover

The above is the cover of a 1939, Dutch book my father recently acquired for resale. The title
'Gereedschappen en werktuigen voor de houtebewerking. Deel I handbewerking'
translates* to
'Tools and equipment for wood processing. Part I hand operation'

I just like the vintage artwork on the cover. Detail:

I couldn't get a meaningful translation of the words on the banner under the man. Something about tools and a worker.

* Google Translate Has a detect language setting which is helpful in cases like this when you don't know what language you're dealing with.

Drumstick Summer Parade Commericial

Listening to: Shout by Depeche Mode from Speak and Spell



Drumstick Summer Parade* is chock full of whacky, very Aussie, decadent, CGI goodness which I love - particularly the slightly risqué but cute budgie smugglers. The sunburnt peaches (I think/hope they're peaches...) set the tone, fly swat robot is awesome and the sandman is sweet.

Then that git loudly bites off the tip of his icecream cone and they all follow suit.

Am I weird because I never do that and neither does anyone else in my family? We all eat that last. It ensures the warmth of your hand makes the choc tip chocolate gooey like Nutella and of course you don't end up with a leaky cone. I've never seen anyone bite off the tip of their cone either. Isn't that a recipe for a molten icecream bangle? Am I living in a icecream cone integrity bubble?

*Read about making this TV commercial, by the Iloura agency, here - including some cool concept sketches.

Weird Vintage Cheese

I have no idea what is going on in the above!
I'm not sure when these postcards were printed but it's vintage weirdness which caught my eye. My father had bought them for reselling so I scanned them before he sold them off.



'The Cheese (The Adventures of Gorgonzola)

One night I went into a hotel for dinner;
I had things in season, and things that were out,
I'd sheep's head, and pig's head and calf's head, and cod's head.
I'd ice cream and pea soup, and oysters and stout
And after I'd put away everything,
I said to the waiter, "Just go out and bring -'

Eww. :P Gorgonzola I have heard is a VERY stinky cheese and that is a rather revolting meal. I guess that was the idea!

Paris in the 20th Century by Jules Verne: Reviewed

Listening to: Dressed in Black, by Depeche Mode, from Black Celebration

Background and other reviews here for you if you feel the following review you are about to read is ignorant or blasphemous to the history of sci-fi. I formulated this opinion on my own prior to seeing any other reviews - apart from the glowing ones on the book cover of course - and I feel validated that I'm not the only one to think this way.

In a nutshell: this sci-fi novel was published posthumously and his editor rejected it originally.

There's a reason why his editor originally rejected this forgotten manuscript and I hardly think it was because of the sci-fi technology being beyond its time, especially given that Verne is known for his sci-fi. I think that's just spin from the publishers. I don't think it was the dystopia either although that was highly unusual for the period. The reason is because this is bloody BORING!

Yes there are some startlingly accurate predictions as to technology's progress a hundred years into the future. Verne knows his stuff and is insightful.

An extreme form of feminism is predicted with women being so like men there is no point in them being women any more. It's certainly a dystopian outlook in keeping with the rest of the novel. However the idea of women being replaced with air compressors (WTF?) in human reproduction is VERY far off the mark. I'm guessing biology isn't one of Verne's scientific strengths but rather physics, chemistry and engineering.

There are dull descriptions about some of the organisations and what they do or rather don't do and how they control society in general, the history behind their formation.

There are ridiculously detailed, measured descriptions of things that aren't that pertinent to the story but have been included anyway eg exactly how many centimetres deep a particular body of water froze because the winter was so cold etc etc. I don't care, why are you telling me this?!

One chapter is a flimsy history of French writers in some rather pointless 'dialogue'. If I wanted to read about the history of pre-Victorian French authors I would borrow a book on the subject. The characters' dialogue in general is unbelievably flamboyant. This may or may not be due to the translator's hand.

The protagonist from quite early on is obviously a loser, not a survivor. I had hoped with the friends he made and his desire to pursue art over industry that he would start some sort of small revolution but he was too foolish for anything so clever. His pathetic attempts to move up in the world were so ignorant, they were obviously going to fail so they elicited no sympathy from me. I always feel cheated when the protagonist of a story is not just an anti-hero but a fool who should have seen it coming and could have stopped it if he had a backbone.

At first I felt some empathy with the idea that he and other artists are not appreciated. They want to create and have no choice but to work for money while their soul longs for something better. I could believe that 100 years into the future, Art is squashed out of existence by commerce. I can see how that could happen.

On the whole this felt unedited. You could probably fill only 3 or 4 chapters with the actual story. So much of the rest is superfluous.

Other reviewers have said there is little plot and this should be read and recommended as a historical piece, a remarkable prediction of the future. Perhaps that would have aided my appreciation, and allowed me to recommend this book which I do not: at least as a novel.

In spite of all this I do intend to read at least one of his better known works since at least they were edited. Jules Verne is famous for a reason after all and other reviewers agree; his other works are a far better read!