Pencil fetish...

It started many years ago and I didn't realise until quite recently that I have a bit of a thing for pencils, but the 'thing' is that they need to be found. I have subconsciously been holding onto found pencils that I have picked up here and there for as long as I can remember. Now that it has become a conscious thing I've decided to document it. The furthest back I can knowingly trace my current collection to is 2005, Israel, so here it begins...

WHEN: April 2005

WHERE: Negev Desert, Israel

WHAT: HB

WHEN: October 2010

WHERE: St Vincent's Hospital HDU, Melbourne

WHAT: 2B 

WHEN: June 2011

WHERE: My mailbox, Fitzroy

WHAT: 2H

WHEN: October 2011

WHERE: PLNE, The Parlour, Preston

WHAT: 2B (made from paper, not wood!)

WHEN: November 2011

WHERE: Greeves St., Fitzroy

WHAT: coloured pencil - red

WHEN: November 2011

WHERE: Flinders Lane, Melbourne

WHAT: HB (run over only a few times...)

Artist in Residence program

For the last few months I have been hanging out with a bunch of really talented 14 & 15 year old artists. It's been a blast.

Every Friday morning I've been up bright and early (maybe less of the bright and more of the early...) to head off to Strathmore Secondary College in Melbourne's northern suburbs to join the class of 24 for their Artist in Residence program.

The program involved, in a nutshell, me talking about my art practice and then showing the students how to do what I do. Not that these guys needed too many tips in the drawing department, I was not making work any where near as good as most of them when I was their age!

My time there evolved into one big paste-ups workshop, which I have to say was pretty cool. Our first exercise was pasting up small artwork around the school - which was received with excitement and enthusiasm by teachers and students alike.

As we planned our next project and started working on new designs we took a short trip into the city to see what other artists had been doing on the streets as well as checking out the Space Invaders exhibition at RMIT Gallery.

 Checking out a Drab paste up off Drewery Place 

Union Lane

Sniders Lane

Feeling very inspired, the students spent the next couple of weeks working really hard (lunchtimes and afterschool!) to finish their paste ups for the wall they were to collaborate on. We did a paste-up collage on the fence at the Corner Café on Woodland St in Strathmore. Some students worked in small groups of two or three, others flew solo, but the wall as whole looked pretty amazing after the first week of pasting!

Most of the larger paste ups went up on this first week of pasting, and some more were added last Friday. I will snap some shots of the updated artwork next time I am up that way. The locals are loving it and the beauty is that it will continue to evolve.

Sadly though, Friday was my last day. I was spoiled by the class who bought me a really big bunch of flowers and made me one of the best cards I've ever received - 4 pages of really lovely messages from each of them as well as some photos of their paste ups.

A big huge thanks to Lauren, the co-ordinator of the Artist In Residence program for inviting me to be the artist for the last semester. I had a great time and I felt pretty lucky to be surrounded by such a great group of young artists, who I'm sure we will see around in the not too distant future.

Film clip goodness!

About a year ago my mate Joe over at Pots and Pans recorded a catchy little tune called Against the Grain (plus a few others) for Melbourne based muso Hudson. I then did the artwork for the EP titled Open Up Slowly.

 

 Just recently Hudson teamed up with Dropbear who put together this amazing clip. Given my love for pencils, I gotta say this could easily be my favourite film clip of the year (and I've had a few faves!) Nice work guys!

In other music video news, but still in Melbourne, we have a very cool clip by Bright Knights. Over a thousand people contributed to the making of the clip to This Love. I have a frame in there somewhere. A great collaboration, it takes quite a few views to take it all in!

Street Advent paste up

Having found a killer spot in the city for my Street Advent piece, I couldn't resist the urge to be the first artist in the line up!

This piece is located in Centre Place in the heart of Melbourne's CBD.

On December 2 we had Year of the Shorts contribute some nifty pieces around the Brunswick area, today we revealed Phoenix's piece off Franklin Street outside the Blender studios in the CBD. I've had a sneak peek at tomorrow's piece already and it's a quite fun and festive work by one of Melbourne's favourite street artists, so keep a watch out on the Street Advent website for photos! The participating artists are (in a completely random order to keep the good ol element of surprise)

Rena Littleson
Benjamin Reeve
skulk
Guz
Mason (Canada)
Mishap
Dopio
I & The Others
Year of the Shorts
Phoenix
Kaff-iene
Blomtrog
Decycle (Germany)
Andros
Olive47
Klara
Jinks
Terrible Horrible
Pete Daniells
Birdhat
Nommric
Facter
James Belveander
Fezwitch
Internet

Can't wait to see a new piece every day!

New paste ups

It was great to get out on the streets of Fitzroy & the CBD this week, on a warm balmy night (which seem to be few and far between these days) and paste some new work with my ever reliable and enthusiastic pasting pal Christy. Here's a taste below, more images and locations on Facebook

Christmas approaches: Street Advent!

"What!?" I hear you say "An Advent Calendar on the streets? Crazy!"

Yes, a little crazy, but what a fun way to play with the city in the lead up to Christmas! My good mate Matt and I are rounding up 25 artists to partake in this calendar project. Each day in December, until the 25th we will be revealing a fresh new piece of street art to the world, just as those little perforated doors revealed Rudolph, candy canes or maybe it was just Santa's shiny red face. No red faces here though, just talented artists!

Head to our website for the full brief and to register interest in getting involved. Of course we are on Facebook too. Spread the word!

Outpost & Paste Modernism 3

Tonight is the opening night of Outpost on Cockatoo Island in Sydney. This festival is set to be the biggest celebration of street art Australia has seen. Running for 5 weeks and involving over 100 artists, both Aussie and international it's going to be an event not to be missed.

As part of Outpost, Paste Modernism 3 celebrates the humble paste up. Running for it's third year and curated by Ben Frost, Paste Modernism 3 involves over 250 artists and countless paste up art.

I sent my package of paste ups north to Sydney a couple of weeks back and am hoping to make it up there between now and the 11th of December to check out the amazing display of work.

More images can be seen via the PM3 Facebook page

Charge Group

Last Friday night here in wet and cold Melbourne town, Sydney band Charge Group had a single launch at Gasometer in Collingwood. The gig was great and as well as selling their brand spankin' new single Run, they were also selling T's designed by yours truly. 

I'm loving the new tunes from these guys, the clip for Run is also pretty damn awesome. Looking forward to the album in March!

Why We Fight

I've started working on a new body of work for a solo show, but recently got side tracked after watching the video clip for This is Why We Fight by the Decmberists.

 

This clip inspired me to create a couple of new pieces. The first of which is currently showing at Egg Gallery on Johnston St, Collingwood.

 

 

And the "sister" piece to this, just finished today:

Paper cut paste ups

I have been reading a book that refers to wolves a lot, which is conjuring up lots of wolf related imagery. Combine this with the view of St Mark's church out my kitchen window and some patterns inspired by old crochet patterns and the below paste up is the result!

Hello, goodbye

The next two group shows I'm involved in are the opening show for Egg Gallery and the closing show for For Walls Gallery.

Egg is a bright, creative, affordable, no hassle space in the heart of Collingwood dedicated to supporting emerging & established artists across a range of mediums. Egg believes artists should be able to profit from their work, therefore, we are working on a NO COMMISSION basis. Their goal is to facilitate an open, fun & supportive space for artists & friends to create & exhibit freely. Their opening show is a group show entitled Egg and opens on Friday September 23 at 66a Johnston St Collingwood. Check their website out for more details.

Next up will be the closing show for For Walls Gallery.

Over one year and a half For Walls has hosted over 20 shows with hundreds of artworks on display and beers consumed. Sadly it’s time for the gallery to close it’s doors - which means a massive group show with the artists who did a solo show as well as a few other specials.

I will be doing a bit of a collaboration with my good friend Matt who curated the A3 Small Art Show last year.


The show opens on Wednesday October 5, 6pm at Miss Libertine, 34 Franklin St, Melbourne. Show your love on their Facebook page.

Seed Pod - Live Paste-up!

This Sunday I'll be down at Noise Bar in Brunswick for Seed Pod. It's a "fun-raiser" for Burning Man Australia. You can check out all the activities and what not on their website. It starts at 3pm and I'll be doing a live paste up. I believe Heesco, Itch & Facter will also be doing live artwork and all the works will be auctioned. There will be other things up for auction plus music, beer, performances etc - more details on the website!

In HAIRent Sameness

My good friend and talented artist Christy Shapley has her first Australian show opening at Off the Kerb this Friday, August 19.

Using hair as her medium Christy has sculpted wearable masks and collaborated with photographer Pippa Dodds to beautifully document the masks as well as masks made from hair still attached to her models!

Strikingly presented on PanelPop frames with some extra hairy final touches this show is definitely NOT the same as anything I've seen before! Opening night will feature a performance by a masked dancer among other surprises!

InHAIRent Sameness seeks to disturb our systems of body identity.  Shapley plays with ideas of personal comfort and space through the juxtapositions of attraction and disgust. By placing beauty, intimacy and repulsion in the same place, Shapley attempts to dissolve the acceptable perimeters between living and dead, human and animal, clean and defiled, male and female, natural and supernatural.

Opening Night Friday 19 August  6pm – 9pm
Off the Kerb Gallery & Studios
66B Johnston Street, Collingwood

High Views

Some images from my installation at Soük Lifestyle as part of the Northern Exposure Festival.

 

 

 

  

Studio snaps

I relocated my studio at the end of summer, setting up camp at Fivere Studios in Collingwood.

 

 

Exposed Fennecs

It's been a long week, the long weekend saw me locked away in my shed working on my installation for Northern Exposure Festival.

And the last two days have been spent up at Soük on High St Northcote setting up the installation that consists of salvaged wood, pressed metal, vintage wallpaper, cut paper & sand.

 

Also along High St I have thrown up some small cut paper paste ups of a floating Moroccan skyline.

 

Northern Exposure opens tonight at 6pm with lots of things happening all along High St and the installation will be up until early July.