Monthly Archives: February 2010
Buffet 2010
This weekend is host to the Acclaim Magazine / Fashion Exposed Buffet street lifestyle industry showcase. It comprises 3 days of tradeshow, party, public expo and discussion forums. Your host took to the event to get a sneak peek at the latest streetwear and accessories trends and to chat with a few of the freshest up-and-comers in the field.
I caught up with Shelley from Super Special screenprinting -we had a chat about the grand possibilities that were available in regards to creating the freshest tee’s. This company has what I’d regard as the highest quality screenprinting for clothing anywhere in Melbourne. Their gold trimmed and detailed garments were certainly a sight to behold! Super Special of Spotswood (Spottiswoode?) are definitely one to contact if you’re after some custom made tee’s and no doubt they’ll hook you up with a competitive quote. e: info@superspecial.com.au
Next up, I checked out the myriad of international brands featured at Booth #15′s True To Life Clothing -purveyours of such fine goods as those of Diamond, 10Deep, Upper Playground, Zion and Society (among others). These guys know their shit, check: truetolifeclothing.com.au
Continuing on, I perused the New Era stand, rad designs by Sup (Singapore) and some excellent t-shirt prints from locals Quiet Riot (Thornbury). However, after a little longer wandering around I found an outstanding new upstart by Sydneysider Asher in his Sabotage label. Asher is a native of Manly NSW, from the Northern Beaches part of Sydney. His designs mirror that of some of his various tattoo’s in the Mitch O’Connell / classic tatts sense. I got chatting with Asher and he was a great fellow; eager to peruse my own INFX designs and always scouting for contributors. He let it be known that he wants the label to comprise broad tastes and to promote a lot of different styles; So if you have what it takes & are looking for an outlet with your off-the-wall designs, give Asher a holler at Sabotage: sabotage101@live.com
Craig Dermody @ TCB Gallery
Mr. Dermody shares a couple of qualities with his art: notably, that he is quite jovial and also of the sun-bronzed skin colouration. However, the similarities end there. I was able to catch Craig down at Chinatown’s TCB Gallery in Waratah Place, on the day after the night before. He tells me the opening night gala kick-off was an excellent triumph; and with half a bottle of cleanskin red at his table, he was contemplating a return to the taste of last night’s success.
Craig is a self-taught artist, has had “no formal education” and as a result his works are both unique and free-flowing. His use of kitsch pictures as the background for his work is commendable but not so much as his painting onto holograms -definitely something to check. TCB Gallery is an Artist Run Initiative (ARI), which translates as a gallery space for young up-and-coming artists; operated by the artists themselves. Craig tells me his PR secret agent has worked tirelessly with him to provide exposure for his shows and that TCB was also instrumental in drumming up the opening night crowd.
……………………..And now -The Interview:
-Rock The Boat
Faith No More – Melbourne 2010
Right! Just got in…
A fine show. Certainly, the prelude of Andy Kaufmann alter-ego inspired babble proved a continuous farce; but the set list was spot on.
I was inclined, though to flirt with the idea of a down-tempo approach to this live outing and the subsequent adherence to fans and their mode of life. Actually, to be honest these ideas made me think of the Rolling Stones playing ballads to geriatrics. Fear not though! That isn’t to define the quality of songs and performance, in toto.
Personally, I vied to hear ‘Crack Hitler’ but without which the bulk of songs from King For A Day and prior releases certainly satisfied. On lesser thoughts however, it’s Tony Clifton’s said invocation that may well play into Patton’s seemingly endless entertainment satire. Well done!
.
Too many Freeways?
As an avid spectator of cartography, admirer of the aesthetics of freeway design and a Melway enthusiast; I am certainly hard-pressed to critique the development of a limited-access road.
However, with VicRoads’ latest release of an Outer Ring Road survey comprising imminent land acquisition, I am in awe of the proposed engineering feat while sceptical as to the worthiness of the project. The freeway, spanning the Donnybrook-Sunbury-Rockbank-Werribee urban sprawl (or chasm) has spurred my thoughts thus: Non-plussed in the extreme.
Certainly, Melbourne’s freeway network is already (and only recently) at its apex? A second Western Ring Road and the accompanied Footscray Westlink tunnel, also coupled with the mooted North-East Link tunnelling below the Greensborough Highway and Heidelberg would turn Melbourne into a cesspit of thoroughfares which would do nothing to complement the social and indeed civic fabric of our revered communities.
VicRoads says: “The Outer Metropolitan Ring / E6 Transport Corridor is being planned to accommodate a 100 kilometre long high-speed transport link” -could 100 km of new freeway with multi-tiered junctions with the M31, M79, M8 and M1 really be justified in the face of chronic public transport crises, as even now the train network is at capacity and severely lacks in maintenance, infrastructure and investment? Surely, the money (as that of the failed Myki card) could be better spent on establishing a rapid transit system; a high-speed underground train network planned entirely from scratch.
Images Courtesy of The Age
In short, too many freeways can be a bad thing. Ask Londoners about their brush with epic Motorway disaster.
Map of the proposed Ring Road here: http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/RoadProjects/PlanningAndProposals/Melbourne/OMRE6DetailedDesignMaps.htm
GOOD VIBES – Interview with a Norwegian
So… this 24 year old Norwegian girl came bumbling in on our little group in the queue for a vodka slushie. She had tears streaming down her face and said ‘Don’t you just hate men?‘. She didn’t get much of a response from us, just small nods of polite agreement, but we thought at the time she might be good to interview. Weaved in there between Busta Rhymes and Salt’n'pepa, she gives a nice little peephole view into the modern woman’s woes of wooing.
.Good Vibrations 2010 with your on-the-spot reporter: Smigroid .
.
Utopia Now
During the past week I have visited the ‘Utopia Now’ media art exhibiton at the Black Box on Southbank a few times and cannot get enough of these profoundly sick-arse media arts exhibits.
The exhibition is composed of interactive and video imagery installations that both confound and amuse. And it’s FREE.
Upon arrival you are confronted with a giant dissected Michelin Man straddling the exterior. Once inside, a jungle of plants with hyper-sensitive electronic sensors greets you with jungle sounds when brushing your body against their plastic flesh. The sensors are triggered by the body’s own electric charge (or aura). Following is a plethora of viewing and touching and feeling material; with my personal highlights comprising the video shorts. The works include engrossing 10min film pieces by Patrick Bernatchez, Rowan McNaught and David O’Reilly that are certainly a-typical of what I like to think is “the shit”. Also, an interactive shadow and movement piece by Shilpa Gupta is quirky and very amusing. Go on, check it out (did I say it is free?) -the exhibition is on for another 3 or so weeks. And make sure you have ample time or return to the fold, as there is so very much to take in. Shitloads.
Check the website too if you like: http://www.experimenta.org/
-Rock The Boat
Projector Love
Last night was a real money maker. After throwing a few digital images around the bio box, I was able to whip up a stop-motion short involving 2 parts of a 100+ year old projector that has recently been decommissioned. The Bauer projector’s demise is a smirk on the face of the digital cinema technology that is becoming prevalent as the norm in cinema exhibition.
.
A synopsis of the short film (Francais):
2 ont diffame’ des parties de l’amour qui est la rencontre de projecteur de film quelques anti-heroes de canaille qui essayent d’assassiner ces 2 individus. Le resultat est la creation d’un amour obcene et wonderous. Un conte epique du combat pour former un coeur de 2 a brise’ des morceaux.
-Rock The Boat
.
.
