This week...

Bit mellow this week, sorry guys!
Have to admit upfront my mood is like this shitty Melbourne weather- kind of grey and miserable....so here's some of what I am listening to:

Nobody does/did melancholy quite like good old Elliott Smith, this is one of my favourite songs for these rainy days


Boards of Canada, perfect for some downtime mulling over your thoughts


This is brilliant, Brian Jonestown Massacre's 'Anenome'. Love this song.


Some 90s love with Mazzy Star


Cat Power, this is not an official video but is alright all the same. Great song.


Radiohead is a must this week (my personal favourite album is Amnesiac which is blasting as I typ e this) , but all their youtube stuff cannot be embedded. This is the link for the AMAZING 'No Surprises' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbtuVoXkOFg&feature=related


Bit of Dirty Projectors for good measure



Been listening to a fair bit of Blur again, a lot of people only know Blur for 'Song 2' and are really missing out.

oh the splendour (or pain) of it all!

The 2010 Splendour In The Grass lineup has been announced and has all of us drooling over it. The 10th annual festival is featuring the likes of Grizzly Bear, The Strokes, Pixies, Ben Harper, Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine, Hot Chip, The Drums, the list goes on and on of amazing talent that will be heading to Byron Bay for what is bound to be one of the best festivals Australia has ever seen!


photo: Hot Chip

The painful thing is I know I cannot afford to go! arrghhhh! But maybe some more reasonably priced sideshows can be done, which is some sort of consolation prize for me and those in my (poverty-stricken) position also!

See: http://www.splendourinthegrass.com for tickets if you are richer than me and/or more info

Books? Sculptures? Both? Melbourne artist, Nicholas Jones answers my questions!

This is an Q and A I did for X and Y magazine:
http://www.xandymagazine.com.au/x/articles/24/4/424/2010-04-15/ART:-Nicholas-Jones-XWhy/

Nicholas Jones 'X&Why'
By Annie Mullen


How would you describe your art for those yet to see it?

My artwork is intimate sculptural work made entirely from second-hand books. I address each book individually and attempt to create unique sculptural objects which highlight the poetic nature of the book as form. The viewer is confronted with a book, which has been cut, torn, folded or had some sort of operation performed on it. There is the quandary which emerges; is it a book or a sculpture?


Did you choose to be an artist or do you think that art chose you?

I would say that I definitely chose to become an artist. As a first year student of Art History at La Trobe University, I had my road to Damascus moment in the middle of a very dry lecture on Attic vases. I decided that I needed to really pursue my own creativity, rather than to study the exploits of others.

You are always working with books- what is your all-time favourite?

It is difficult to pinpoint one book which is my favourite I have worked with, but there are particular signifiers which I look for in a book. The quality of the paper, binding, typography, colour and many others things. I made a work for my Masters which was the combining of two copies of "The Story of San Michel", by Axel Munthe. Both had the same cover, but were in two different languages; English and German. I folded these books together and in a way, created a cross cultural conversation which was back to front and upside down. All the information was the same, but wasn't, very much at once. Art and Philosophy inspired by Derrida's reading of Rousseau's famous statement, "Il n'y a pas de hors-texte": There is nothing outside the text.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by life and the absurd nature of everything. Walking around the city like something of a modern day Flaneur brings a deal of inspiration. Walking through the Fitzroy gardens and looking at the majesty of tall trees and the miniature aspect of their fallen leaves and seed pods. Then wandering down Flinders Lane or Collins St and wondering at the beauty of architecture and how scurrying humanity fits into this landscape. Things need to be taken slowly.

Who inspires you?

I am inspired by my friends, who are generally very creative and driven people. Sculptors, jewellers, fashion designers, musicians. Music is greatly influential for me. People like Arvo Part, Erik Satie and other composers seem to be able to transpose thoughts into music, which is a skill I would love to have.

What do you do when you're not creating art?

I love to spend time reading and looking through junk in op-shops and bookstores. Watching movies and quality TV shows. Seeing bands, visiting galleries: the usual stuff.

Describe yourself in 3 words:

Inquiring, Francophile, Amused.

Which are your favourite galleries in Australia?

I love the NGV, AGNSW, NGA, ACCA, Heide, Craft Victoria, MARS, Ian Potter Gallery, Block Projects, TCB, Uplands and many others.

Describe the Melbourne Art scene in 3 words:

Inclusive, exclusive, confusing.

If you could give one piece of advice to emerging artists what would it be?

Keep going. Meet as many people as you can, but understand the multi-tiered nature of the art world and that hard work pays off. There can only be a few people who succeed quickly, for the rest of us it is all about persistence. Never give up.

Jones has work in the show In the Kitchen Sink that opened last week at MARS. See www.marsgallery.com.au

photo credit: Michael Clayton-Jones

MICF: Des Bishop

Des Bishop ‘My Dad Was Nearly James Bond’.

Irish- American comedian Des Bishop wants everyone to know his dad was nearly James Bond back in the day. He also wants us all to know that while cancer is no joking matter, the crazy family antics that the diagnosis of cancer are a welcome side-effect and worth joking about. They say laughter is the shortest distance between two people, Des Bishop’s brave and heart-warming comedy show confirms this notion.
By sharing relatable and hilarious stories of his childhood growing up in Queens (including the story of finding his father watching porn) Bishop shares with the audience a major aspect of his life; his relationship with his father. While Bishop is not very well known in Australia, he assures the audience he is famous in Ireland. He also assures the ladies in the crowd that despite his loss of one ball to testicular cancer it’s all still working down there!
Bishop is open, clever, genuine, honest and most importantly for a comedian; extremely funny.
If you have a free night this week definitely head to Trades Hall on Lygon Street and laugh along to a show with heart!

Des Bishop plays the Trades Hall New Ballroom as part of The Melbourne International Comedy Festival until Sunday the 18th of April.
See www.ticketmaster.com.au for tickets.

This week

I am kicking back with some cruising pop and folk, including the likes of

She and Him
Zooey is so very cute, and talented too!


and Crayon Fields
They are playing Northcote Social Club on the 24th of this month.

Bad news for Powderfinger fans

Aussie rockers Powderfinger have announced that they will be doing one last National tour this year and then calling it quits.
After 20 years, and many hits they have quite a following here so many Aussie music-lovers will see this as a huge loss. I was never the hugest fan so am not too devastated, however many will be no doubt. Some are saying that this is a good thing, that the band were only headed downhill in the last couple of years, but fans will need to block their ears to this kind of talk. Lucky for the fans out there they can check their beloved Powderfinger out one last time, and have several albums to remember them by.

Larger than life: Ron Mueck at the NGV

Amazing Melbourne-born artist, Ron Mueck is currently filling the NGV in Melbourne with giant and tiny (detailed down to the smallest of wrinkles) life-like sculptures bound to interest and amaze everyone who sees them! This is one for all ages (there is nudity involved, but is non-sexual and quite harmless)! The collection will be in Melbourne until April 18th.
From The NGV the exhibition will be heading to Queensland Art Gallery then on to Christchurch Art Gallery. Must not be missed! If you're in one of these lucky cities; trust me, go!
This work is truly astounding. You cannot help but stare and stare, and stare at the beings Mueck has created!
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ronmueck/