First Fursday Fail

So I told you about how I was going to go to First Thursdays, right? 

Well I did go with my friend Sasha (who I still have to blog about ok), but little did I realise that you REALLY have to plan when you are going out.

We went around Redchurch St:

And it was all well and good, but yeah it seems like you actually have to really really, really plan where you head for the night. Even though there seems like there is a lot going on over the city (when you look at the big map it's real chocka), IRL it's always a lot further than you think it's going to be!!

A lot of the art was shit. There was one painting show where the painter was trying to be expressionist but it was way too calculated... it was trying to be raw without any of the energy or excitement in the marks. Booooring. Art that is trying to be ART but is (f)art.

BUT - we did come across this. 

Swiiiiinnnnnggggs! YAY! Art that isn't so dry that you feel like you are running your tongue across the Sahara.

This dude called Will Cruickshank made this work called 'Swing Time' at Studio 1.1 gallery. 

We first walked in to the room and saw images like this one below along the wall. Wamp wamp. Looked like boring computer drawings.

Then you see two people on some swings. What's the correlation??!!

TA DA! 

Basically what people do is swing together on the swings that Will has made, and how they swing together dictates a drawing. Two needles get put down on two plates covered with acrylic paint (that's the thing below in the picture), and as the people swing it moves the needles around.

It was just kinda nice, ya know. So the boring drawings at the beginning were actually these lovely works created by a relationship you have with someone. And even though when you first see the drawings it seems kinda lame, it's nice to know that people have this little secret about why this thing is special.

Oh art!

Crazy Cat Lady day two.

I'm gonna call this guy Mr Smoosh. Just cause that's what he feels like he should be called. 

OK another thing that is amazing about London apart from the frequency of cat visits is that you can turn a corner and then BOOM - you are surrounded by art. 

Like check out this little alley way I happened to turn down in to one day. Little dongle ding dongs hanging all down the alley way! Secret art! Fudgecicles I wish I could remember where it was, but all the streets start looking the same after a while. It's pretty disorientating.

I love the mish mash of it all. All old and new stuff just smooshed together like it ain't no thang.

Like this:

SMOOSH. OK maybe I need a better examples. I'll take some photos of the architectural smoosh soon.

I was walking to the Tate one day with my friend Meg and all of a sudden BAM - we walk under a bridge and look up there is a huge net of programmed lights making all these patterns in the underside of the bridge. Wish I had taken a photo but I was a bit spell bound by the whole thing and forgot. London, you get a big YUS from me for that.

Thirst Thursdays

Woah I just came up with that title just now - I'm punny as!! OK I haven't explained the pun yet, but I'll explain on the way and seriously, you will just crack up as much as I did!

OK so it seems that the first Thursday of every month in East London where I live they have a thing called First Thursdays (BOOM! There's the premise of the joke - more to be explained in a minute) which is where art galleries open up late and serve BOOZE (TA DA! Sigh of relief that joke is now fully realised).

Here's the link oi.

I'm coming up to my first real fair dinkum one this week. I'll have to take some pictures and make a b-log about it, but I love it how just in one quarter there can be this huge art event every month! I mean, at the moment I am working in a solo studio space in a building with all artists and musicians!! WHHAAAT?!?!

Me celebrating life with Sasha

I know I should elaborate but I've been running around all week tubing and carrying buttloads of shit. Even though London is great, it totally rinses you out. I've got blisters on me feet and hands just from going to the supermarket. WTF. 

Anyway - gonna watch some BBC now.

Here's a picture of my second visitor (Sasha was the first - more on her soon).

SPOT DA PUSS! 

What a girl wants, What a girl needs

Christina got it, and it seem London totally gets it too oi!

OK so it's not just about what a girl wants, but what people want!

I guess cause there are so many people here, many people don't have back yards, things need to happen quickly and efficiently yadda yadda yadda, etc, that it seems London "gets" what people want/like/need.

A quick example is the CITY FARMS!!!

Oh yeah check that shit out. You can just walk in to one of these dudes and be all "Hey Mr Pig. Man I really needed some down time and hanging out with you is really comforting and gives me some time out from the big city. Thanks for being you." It's kind of like the Cat Cafes in Japan!!

I know it's easy to be a dick and simplify everything, but I remember walking around Wellington and thinking "psh, why are they putting up another crappy block of cheap ass flats that totally suck. Why didn't they put something people friendly in there like a park or ferris wheel or something interesting instead." I KNOW IT ISN'T THAT SIMPLE, but I really think cause of the population and space constraints here that everything needs to be thought about in terms of what people actually really really need. City is big and spread out = need efficient transport system. People don't have lots of space in their homes = need some parks where people can hang out and zoos where people can chill out and hand with some cool animals etc, etc. And I like how it works like that with things and it's an observation ok?

A playlist of NZ songs by Renee, Matt and Me

So ok, the last post was about this shiz, but I decided to make a playlist of all the songs we were sharing with each other cause it was rad. Maybe I'll start doing that some more... P.s. if you have any suggestions for more songs for this playlist comment all up in this shit, or email me or whatever. I am very contactable and I miss you.

Hey hey Renee

Yep it's SWOON TIME indeed!!
My friend Renee is living it up large in party capital Berlin, and every now and again we post songs on each others walls from NZ - today she posted this.



Ugh NZ music is so freaking good.

Time for some more dream time radio!






Oh yeah this shit is so hot.
FUNKY TIMES!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!

Creative Capital oi oi oi

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! ANYTHING IS PROBABLE!

A group called Concerned Citizens who, from what I can tell, are situated in Wellington are starting up 19 Tory St - a radically participatory "...space for open-source art, learning, music, exhibitions, workshops, film screenings, talks, markets and more."

Photo by Arlo Edwards

Fuck it sounds awesome. They have open Google docs (I love that shit) and are wanting everyone who can to get involved. DO IT!

CRACKA BONZA DUDES! Although I love Wellington to pieces, it always seemed like it was a place where you were paid like you were in a small town in NZ, and it charged the prices that Auckland people pay. How are you supposed to stimulate a vibrant cultured city if the rent is so high that you can't even begin to think that you could start an artist run space yourself! Or have a studio to work in! Or buy a coffee at a cafe to sit at, get ya moleskin out and think about ways of conquering the world! LOL.

Thanks to Letting Spaces this stupid rule has been broken, and it seems like the Creative Capital can finally start living up to its name oi.

I know it's unfair to make those assumptions and shit cause I know I could have put more energy into it and done something myself, but I almost felt defeated by it all. Now I'm spoilt for choice aren't I. Aren't I? Something I have realised while being over in London is that if you have an idea, ROLL HARD WITH IT. I don't know why it has taken me a trip half way across the world, but suck it up it did ok?

BLANK CANVAS!

If you are in Wellington you should check out the launch of 19 Tory St. Way to make me jealous of not being in NZ, dudes.