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indie art & design blog
win a melbourne semi-permanent experience!
Work by Semi-Permanent Sydney 2011 speaker Moffitt Moffitt (Sydney-based creative direction company)
Over the last eight years, Semi-Permanent has become an institution of the design scenes in Sydney and Melbourne. (In fact, Semi-Permanent has hosted 26 events in total - covering 5 countries.) Students and professionals from all over look forward to the annual line-up of inspirational speakers from both Australia and abroad.
The creative conference covers all disciplines of design, including graphic design, film, fine art, illustration, web design, interactive design, photography, visual effects, animation, graffiti, motion graphics, stop motion, architecture, and its impressive reputation attracts support from the cream of the world's design, art, and media communities.
Work by Semi-Permanent Sydney 2011 speaker Fuel (Sydney-based visual effects studio)
Quite a few years back (in 2005 I think?!), I was fortunate enough to see Beci Orpin speak at Sydney's Semi-Permanent. She documented a day in her life as a designer, and along the way, talked about the process of working with clients such as Burton to take her designs from initial concepts through to completed products. All these years later I still think back to her presentation & feel inspired!
Artwork by Semi-Permanent Sydney 2011 speaker Reg Mombassa (Sydney-based artist and musician)
THIS YEAR'S SEMI-PERMANENT - SYDNEY:
Earlybird tickets still available... The Sydney Semi-Permanent event isn't long away now! It will be held on the 13th and 14th of May at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. The lineup includes:
Kayt Jones (Photographer - London just announced)
Corey Arnold (Photographer - Portland, USA)
Annie Sperling (Production Designer - Los Angeles)
Surface to Air (Directors, Fashion, Agency, Designers - Paris/Brazil)
Reg Mombassa (Artist, Musician - Sydney)
Seb Lester (Typography - London)
Michael Leon (Graphic Design - Los Angeles)
Moffitt Moffitt (Creative Direction - Sydney)
Alt Group (Agency - Auckland)
Fuel VFX (Visual Effects - Sydney)
Earlybird tickets are still available so order yours before April 15th to save $100-$200 (depending on how many days you choose to attend). Student tickets are always well-priced with 1 Day for $90 or 2 Days for $140. (Group discounts are also available.)
THIS YEAR'S SEMI-PERMANENT - BRISBANE:
Will take place on August 5th, 2011. Keep an eye on the web site for lineup announcements...
The Semi-Permanent event pack - yours when you purchase a 2-Day ticket
THIS YEAR'S SEMI-PERMANENT - MELBOURNE:
Your chance to win!... If you're hoping to attend Melbourne's Semi-Permanent later this year (September 23rd and 24th), Eckersley's Art and Craft is giving you the chance to win a 2 day Semi-Permanent Melbourne experience staying at The Art Series Hotel, The Cullen! This trip for two includes return airfares, 3 nights' accommodation at the stunning Art Series Hotel, The Cullen and of course, the 2 tickets to Semi-Permanent. 3 runners up will also win a ticket to Semi-Permanent Melbourne.
To enter, create and design you own typography for the phrase DESIGN TOOLS FOR ALL TYPES in the space provided on the entry form, and drop it into your nearest Eckersley's Store. The competition runs until April 15 2011 - so get creative & happy typographing!
For more info about Semi-Permanent, visit www.semipermanent.com, and for competition and entry details, check out www.eckersleys.com.au.
to the birds
The multi-talented Cath Young lives on a few acres on the edge of a little town in the forest, and makes lovely things for her two unique labels - Chunky Chooky (softies for little treehuggers) and My Bearded Pigeon (through which Cath combines her love of all things old with her love of all things organic).
Ophelia and Fenella Perriwinkle (AU $49.95 each) are two of Chunky Chooky's softie characters, available from her Etsy store. Apparently, among other things, Ophelia loves reading thick novels set in soviet Russia while Fenella likes rolling down hills and making herself dizzy. Both are made from certified organic denim with mock suete eye patches (upcycled from furniture upholsterys offcuts) and wool felt eyelids, and wear cotton dresses.
Pictured above are a couple of cute rattle monsters which are available from Chunky Chooky's MadeIt store, (AU $26 each). With a loud rattles and wooden teething rings, Cath's creations are sure to delight little ones. I love the cycloptic twin-fanged monster - both scary and sleepy!
Cath's latest project is My Bearded Pigeon. She's translated her love of vintage into a range of cushions made from her original organic printed fabrics. (You won't find these prints anywhere else!)
Cath's cushions let you travel the world (and go back in time!) without leaving your loungeroom... Pictured above is the giant "Whole Wide World" pillow cover (AU $125) - ideal for your living room, a child's bedroom or even a preschool or primary school room!
Here are a couple of places I'd love to visit! The cushion on the left features the white continent of Antarctica, surrounded by icy waters (AU $55, cushion cover only), and on the right is street map of the city of Portland, Oregon (AU $55, cushion cover only).
Above left is a vintage map of home (Australia!, AU $55, cushion cover only), while on the right, a vintage map of our neighbours in the Pacific (AU $55, cushion cover only). Our hearts go out to the people of Japan. We can't begin to imagine what those affected by the earthquake and tsunami are going through at the moment. Cath will be donating $20 from the sale of this cushion to the Australian Red Cross Japan Disaster Relief Fund.
To discover more of Cath's creations, check out her blog at http://chunkychooky.blogspot.com.
aurora at lamington drive + pin up
Tomorrow evening the third chapter in Sydney artist Matt Huynh's current body of work will be unveiled at Lamington Drive in Melbourne. His new work "Aurora" (detail pictured above) follows on from last winter's "asperatus" and spring's more colourful "alluvia". His summer instalment takes the form of a mammoth, hand illustrated charcoal scroll running down the length of the entire gallery. The exhibition will give Matt his first opportunity to view the complete work in its entirety. Once installed in the space, he'll experience it just as every guest.
The Aurora myth tells of a mortal artist, the lyre playing Tithonus, falling in a deep and impossible love for the goddess of the dawn. To stay together, Aurora begs Zeus to grant Tithonus immortal life, omitting youth. Tithonus ages infinitely, withering and stiffening until he turns into a cricket.
The work draws upon the Aurora myth as harmonious allegory for romance, divinity and the creative or expressive artistic act. Matt explains, "A man bestowed with a miracle or the divine is reassured of his own place and existence with the shadow he casts from the light of something greater, a reflection or impression. Like paint, like line, we are the interference with the sun’s rays, the marks on the page as evidence of ourselves."
Owned and operated by the friendly faces of illustration agency The Jacky Winter Group (who represents many of the Australian artists & illustrators we LOVE), Lamington Drive was established in August 2008 as a gallery space dedicated to showing the work of those represented by the agency. The gallery exists to simultaneously explore the awkward idea of having commercial art in a gallery space, and as a venue in which illustrators, cartoonists and designers can explore this same art/commercial art tension in their practices.
The gallery was recently relocated to The Compound Interest Centre for Applied Art in Collingwood. Designed by architect Martyn Hook of Something Together, in collaboration with Stuart Geddes and Jeremy Wortsman, the space itself was deliberately set up to reflect the tactile and craft-like nature of Applied Art, with all four walls of the gallery lined in single-ply cardboard, which is replaced and recycled each month.
Those in Melbourne might also be keen to know about Lamington Drive's in-house fine art printing service. New Blank Document uses the latest Epson ProGraphics Large-Format printers. Pigment prints are designed to have the highest archival potential possible through the use of hand-made 100% cotton, acid-free rag and a UV spray coating. To finish, they are embossed with the New Blank Document ‘chop’ (pictured above).
Also being launched at the Compound Interest is next-door-neighbour gallery, Pin-up, an independent project space for architecture and design, established by Fleur Watson and Martin Hook of creative studio Something Together. Its first show, called "The First Show", will feature twenty leading architects and designers.
Aurora and Pin-up celebrate opening night on Thursday March 10, 2011 from 6-9pm, and continue until April 2nd at:
Lamington Drive, 15-25 Keele St, Collingwood, Melbourne.
Opening Hours: Wed - Fri, 11am-6pm and Sat, 12pm-5pm.
polli's biggest ever sale!
EEEK!! indie art & design fave Polli are having their biggest sale ever, with up to 70% off! It's for one week only... starting... now! (1st - 7th Feb) With prices from just $12.25 AUD, and free shipping too, you need no excuse to treat yourself to their lovely charms. Soooo many designs discounted to tiny amounts...
Now... what to choose?! Woven Art Deco Earrings (reduced from AUD $109.95 to $32.99) and Pendant size M (reduced from AUD $179.95 to $53.98) in Granny Smith green?
Or maybe the Stainless Steel Flock Earrings (reduced from AUD $54.95 to $12.25) and Pendant (reduced from AUD $44.95 to $13.48)?
Or perhaps the Gold Pippi Earrings (reduced from AUD $64.95 to $14.61) and Pendant (reduced from AUD $54.95 to $12.25)... Have fun deciding on the Polli pieces you "need" & let us know which ones you choose!
sweet summer gifts
We're back!! We extended our Christmas break for a few weeks to catch up with our four month old, who recently decided to stop sleeping... (Apparently, he doesn't want to miss out on anything!)
I hope everybody loved all the gorgeous Christmas gifts we posted out in November & December - you kept us busy with gift wrapping!
We were also on the receiving end of some great Australian design - including the sweet apple wire tea light lantern pictured at top from Mozi (AUD $14.95) and a gorgeous Wooden Leaf Brooch from Elk (above) which has been hand stitched with white cotton thread "veins" - so pretty! (Mine is in red, AUD $22.)
Elk was popular in my gift-giving circle this Christmas... I couldn't resist this Graduated Resin Bracelet for my sister (AUD $35). It looks gorgeous around your wrist, and you can turn the beads to face all the one way, or vary them up and down. These colours go with any outfit too (of which she has MANY)! Love the Smokey Resin Ring in similar colours too... (AUD $22)
Don't tell her, but I also have an Elk necklace for my Mum's birthday which is in a couple of weeks. I spent a long time choosing between the variations, and in the end I settled on the short Wooden Fan Necklace in white (AUD $30). Hope she loves it as much as I do!
We also dished out some Australian beach designs from Sunny Life - a matching Wategos Beach Umbrella (AUD $79.95) and Wategos Soccer Ball (AUD $29.95) for my sister & her man. (To go with their Sunny Life Wategos Beach Chairs, AUD $59.95 each.) They've had quite a bit of use already with this hot summer weather!