Use Me, Abuse Me

The most shocking thing has been happening. People are going around using my images. There are people, who will be named, that are using my artwork for their own promotion and pleasure. 

Shocking as it may seem, these fancy, arty-types are using my  artwork. Take for example below. These young Irish rock guys called  Storybooks for Small Dogs  decided that they would stick my picture on their CD.That's my robot dog. They wanted my dog.

 And they had the gall to ask me first and put a 'cover photo by...' credit.

If it that isn't enough, they sound like some of my favorite bands. 

In another case, my Flickr pictures are just sitting there on the web, minding their own business, when somebody has to ask me if they can publish then in some American zine called Jagazine.

 

 Three pages worth mind you.

When will it end?

The worst offender was the local newspaper publishing my photos of The Reclaim the Lanes festival.

 These smarty-pants 'Whats On' editors think they just have to ask. Disgusting.

Not only was I used on the web site but printed as well. And then,  they have to go and give me a credit too. This just has to stop. That is just free promotion. Don't you hate it when that happens?

X.

Reclaim The Lanes

The Reclaim the Lanes Festival in Newtown over the weekend was a free-spirited event to celebrate and take over Newtown lane ways.

No money was made. No one was in charge. No fizzy-drink or corporate-cafe sponsorship here. No reason, no green-wash funding charity, no tie-in marketing event. No flashy, glossy gate-fold brochure with a proud endorsement by the local mayor.

A big turn out as the rain held off, just for us. 

 

We took over the lanes, as we do in Newtown. 

 

The locals looked on as it festival passed by. 

I posted these pictures to my flickr page last night and was picked up by the local newspaper- The Inner West Courier (News Limited). They were after some photos of the event. They contacted me and it looks like they will be published this week. You can check out all the photos at the newspapers online site here.

Gee, I'm famous. Famous for fifteen miles.

X

rotating vortex-space-thing

I am working on a project.

This is the longest running project of my life. 

Let me explain.

I started putting wire together into a sphere.  Every time I found wire in the street I would build more layers to the sphere. Then I started attaching an old steel tape measure.

The whole thing has been just hanging around the studio, just waiting. Late one night while rummaging through boxes I found the 'missing link'. You know, that moment when it clicks. The moment of YES!

All it took was some piece of street-junk and then there it was. A couple of seconds later and I could say it was 90% finished. (I 'rate' my work on how finished it is-in percentage. Is that weird? ) 

There is a geared motor from an electronic construction kit that sits inside the timber base. The whole piece also rotates on its base.

All I (ever) wanted was a rotating vortex-space-thing. 

As a kid I tried to build stuff like this. I drew plans for this but never had the technical skill and hadn't discovered junk collecting. Most of the kinetic work I do is a nod to those earlier days. The rainy weekends when I would daydream about toys that didn't exist. I would try and reassemble and hack toys.

I remember my mother telling me one of my first words was 'Construction'. I would weave her knitting wool from one chair leg to another, creating patterns across the lounge room. Declaring them constructions.

There is no doubt that I'm just a big kid playing with my toys. The toys I wanted all those years ago. Here is a video of the piece. This 'construction' is 44 years in the making. And it still isn't finished. It is 99% finished.

A Clasp in Time

Despite having a wisdom tooth removed yesterday (ouch!) I managed to do a bit of work today. 

Armed with painkillers, I played around with glue and metal. Soldering with the butane torch was off the cards due to safety concerns, as you can well imagine. Speaking of which I do not recommend soldering metal in thongs.(open shoes) The first and last time I did I dropped some solder on my foot- it landed on the tiny rubber strap above my foot! Close call.

The focus this week has been my jewellery. Made my first bezel, first jump ring and first pendants. And my first clasp. (above)

These pendants are made from embossed paper, old books and bits of metal.

I don't mind a bit of 'spooky' with a taxidermy glass eye (and suitcase clips).

A few more in progress...

I'm already making display/storage boxes for them. I guess I just like to stay organised.

And one more project for this weekend is the 'Missionary-Punk' piece below. I carved the head a long time ago. Just as well I hung onto it. In a pharmaceutical frenzy I 'connected' with my tribal side...

 Carved head, 70's timber bowl, found objects, seaweed, seed pod, nails.

Thanks for stopping by and remember: If you have to go to the dentist make sure they are, like my dentist, hot and write 'scripts for painkillers!*

*Please forgive errors in this weeks post.