Monday 27 May 2013

..being a star


 
...being a star…

G’day petals,

We’ve been doing some work for a new performance by Ballet Theatre Australia

video console
Shane editing




which has also included a video for the intermission so here’s a small clip as a taster…

http://youtu.be/0RhZ2XF7nkY

 or

http://youtu.be/ak90VwEL09I





This was an interesting exercise as I felt quite uncomfortable moving in as close as I was to the dancers; normally I would attempt to be more “fly-on-wall” and not interfere in the progress of rehearsal or class.
Another point was shooting with a “filmic” sense and constantly thinking of the rhythm of the whole and not just for a single shot.

program cover
program cover


performance is on June 14th  so check BTA’s website for details.


 The Weekly Wombat Droppings

Asked by the Tardis State’s (where-all-goes-backwards) enquiry into child abuse why it has taken so long for the Catholic church to admit that it had covered up these allegations Melbourne’s Archbishop Hart said with a smile, “Well, better late than never.”
How’s that for contrition and an example of pastoral care?
We await with interest the response from Cardinal Pell.

Liarbrils from the Tardis State (where-all-goes-backwards) at their State conference, oddly, backed away from pursuing the idea of selling off the ABC and SBS.

Perhaps the head clown of the coots with queer ideas (the IPA), John Roskam whose gang came up with the idea in the first place “got the message” from the talk-back t’other day on 774? Of course, it’s harder for him to control the rudeness of constantly interrupting and talking over other panellists, as nasally high-pitched bad manners seem to be de rigueur for the loopy far right.
Be careful of these types who extol democracy and freedom and still follow the economics that gave the world the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Ford is bailing out of Oz. Perhaps their plant and machinery could be appropriated as compensation for all the taxpayer money they have been given over the years?

Cheers,
Shane




 The Australian Index

Saturday 18 May 2013

..finding more lessons...

 G'day Possums

we've had another go at some of those blurry things ....some of which will be used as part of a new video shot t'other day.

Shane on the Tarkette


Please remember that these are only minimally cropped and levels/ tones adjusted.... otherwise they are pretty much straight of of the camera.

Jack and Ally

Jack and Ally Pas de Deux

 think of Glass..?


boing

Tamra, Jete

BTA Rehearsals
I've also begun preparing my prints for the Ballarat International Foto Biennale in August/September and getting the paper to print on has been quite a task.
Seems the stuff I need is not made any more.  Fortunately I may have located a small stash and hopefully will find out in a couple of days whether some is available... more on that front later.


Wombat Droppings

 Wayne has done his Swan Song with some dignity and not a little fiscal rectitude only to be followed by “Rabbott” Abbott’s budgeted speech …well, it was budgeted: it was short on actual detail and long on spun motherhood polemic, but some of it was quite instructive for future reference in the light of recent developments.

“Rabbott” hand-on-heart, told us how much more “collegiate”,  “inclusive” and “for–all” his rabble will be after they gain power and that the people are sick and tired of “the playing of politics”.
Wow! And what have you been instigating for the past two years, Tony? 
Pity they didn’t have the sensitivity to front-up in Parliament for the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s legislative passage.   Insultingly, they nominated Kevin Andrews as their sole representative. As shadow portfolio of Families, Housing and Human Services, this right wing Xtian has shown in the past all the empathy to social and women’s issues as that of a medieval monk.
But at least “Rabbott” could self-aggrandize to rapturous applause during has budgeted reply about his 1000 Km charity ride…what–a-hero…. the very model of what… a wanker?

Then there was the ”Pairs in Parliament” bad manners episode… where a Labor woman wanted time to be with her ill child and requested a “Pair” to balance the numbers in the House. Liabrils refused on the basis that she hadn’t supplied enough info only relenting when it all hit the news and all the detail was there and they were just being mealy-mouthed again. Christopher (The Whyne) Pyne made matters worse being caught out lying about it... Shades of meetings with James Ashby!   (I wonder if he could lie straight in bed?)

It’s a fascinating thing that no matter how many times this malevolent rabble is exposed the stink just evaporates into the ether…. and then on cue, the Bogans go on “talk-back” and blame the other side, remarkably and relentlessly saying, Labor will play every dirty trick in the book!

The apparent Psychopathology of the Liabrils is quite revealing in that they do seem to blame everyone else for what they actually do; lack any shame or guilt when “caught out”;  are manipulative and domineering and also seem to lack any empathy which allied with a grandiose sense of self and a callousness and glibness of manner in seeing others around them as not as people, but only as targets and opportunities.

Paraphrased from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy

But the Bogan Aspirationals don’t care… they’re only too happy to numb themselves watching lowest common denominator stuff like “Celebrity Splash”  (1.3 millions on first episode) and maintaining their misinformed state by reading Boltish pap.

Pretend Premier of The Tardis State (where-all-goes-backwards) Dennis (Inutilus Rusticus) Napthine’s and Social Services Minister, Mary (Snarl) Wooldridge’s disability rip-off; scamming the Feds of funds and the disabled of a decent future again presents us with another example of ministerial titles as an oxymoron!

And let’s not talk of the Tardis State’s commitment to Education … another Private school to be built at taxpayer expense and another tunnel-too-far!

Petals, it’s all like watching an accident happening in slow motion.

Cheers,
Shane






The Australian Index

Saturday 11 May 2013

Art in Hobart and other pornographies



G'day Possums,

MoNA Book with Shane
Shane at MoNA
Mrs Wombat and I took a trip to Hobart to visit The Museum of Old and New Art.
What an exciting place.
The eclectic approach to presenting works by theme rather than by style or chronology was inspiring.

Sculptures MONA, Hobart
Sculptures, MONA Hobart
Many of the works are not labelled; a deliberate choice of the collections' owner David Walsh in a move calculated to force the veiwer to consider the piece in its own context and that of the overall context.
It was interesting just how much this seemed to free you to consider things less rigidly and discover other relationships and meanings that you reflected on later in front of other works.
There are IPads to carry around which can inform you of work details and which have a funny symbol of a penis and testicles if you wish to a read of some curatorial "art-wank", as it is called.
Although very useful the IPads have a consequence somewhat more irritating than traditional labels as people do tend to stand in front of the works reading the bloody thing.
Hobart, MoNA
Patrons with IPads MoNA, Hobart
 The arcitecture is stone, concrete and steel and its lighting allows works to be isolated and considered seperately as you wander this joyous maze of discovery.
Water Sculpturre, MONA, Hobart
Water Sculpture MONA Hobart
This water piece had people spellbound as it "read" the news as it happened from the internet and re-inforced its concept that we only take in about 20% of that we see.
It also reminded me of an idea (ignored) I put forward for image projections on Lake Wendouree for the BIFB coming up in September.

Hobart, MoNA
Video work MoNA, Hobart


And you will never look at "The Voice"  or any more of those "talent" programs in quite the same way after veiwing this video work. It was both excrutiatingly funny, pointed and poignant... rivetting stuff.

Euthanasia installation piece, MONA, Hobart
Euthanasia installation piece. MONA, Hobart
...and a more sobering work that moved its viewers.

Young woman in front of Sidney Nolan's Serpent, MONA
Grace L.  in front of Sidney Nolan's Serpent, MONA
to this young lady Ms Grace L. who happily happened to be in the right spot and kindly let me photograph her.
Go see MONA... this little teaser shows little of the place or the Old Art for that matter and can't show the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff or the attention to detail in customer service.  A great experience.

 In wandering around Hobart some people and things fell within camera range so here you are.
Hobart
Hobart montage

 
Hobart, St David's Park
 St Davids Park, Hobart

 
Hobart
The Verandahcoots, Hobart

 
Busker, Hobart
Angus Webb, Busker Hobart

 
Hobart
A Red-Hatter

Wombat Droppings

And real political pornography.

What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and Tony (the rabbott) A’s current popularity?

Standing on the doorstep of Adelaide Ice Service, (27/4/13) Tony (Rabbott) Abbott claimed the company was one of the "many thousands and thousands and thousands of Australian businesses which is being badly damaged by this toxic tax (Carbon Price)". But what poor old Tony didn't know - or at least didn't say - is that Adelaide Ice was set to end up better off from the price on carbon in the form of thousands and thousands of dollars in industry assistance.

The company was awarded a $90,000 grant as part of the carbon price-funded Clean Technology Food and Foundries Program, which will see a solar power system installed in its manufacturing plant and actually reduce energy costs by up to $20,000 a year. Truth is, Adelaide Ice is better off with a price on carbon.

Tony may still need a coal-powered nightlight, but most Australians have realised that the carbon-bogeyman was just a made up fairy tale.

From: “Get-Up”


Joe (Oh-what-a-feeling) Hockey (alleged opposition Finance Minister} says re: the Fed’s  defict:…  “We’ll all be roooned, roooned, I say….but  I can’t tell you how we’ll fix it…  vote for us… …..please”!
 He and Peter (I-Had-a-Baton) Costello carry on in interview like they are auditioning as replacements for “Zig and Zag”….. and are just as funny ….not.

What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and T A’s current popularity?

Campbell(Il Duce)Newman, probably because of the federal election, has “put-on-hold” Costello’s suggestions of selling off schools and public housing in the Deep North…. Armageddon can wait for a more propitious ide.

What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and T A’s current popularity?

Clive (Titanic2) Palmer wants to be Prime Minister. 
This is not a joke, he does!

What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and T A’s current popularity?

Leigh Sales (ABC’s 7:30) had another “Hissy-Fit” with Treasure Wayne (What’s-a-Surplus?) Swan t’other night.
Pity she wasn’t as even-handed with Abbott “Rabbott” earlier in week.
I’m beginning to wonder if she’s attempting to protect her position after the Liarbril’s romp home in the election and ABC funding gets slashed. 
Then the dead hand of conservatism can say, “Look they can’t produce popular programs, so let’s sell it all off to Rupert(The-Ugly-American) Murdoch.

What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and T A’s current popularity?

Napthines Mantra....

Pretend Premier, Dennis (Inutilus Rusticus) Napthine (ex Liarbril Geoff (Fiddles) Shaw is the real power) thought that the construction union marching to the wall that fell and killed three people to demonstrate workplace safety was in bad taste. Hmmmm,  I supposes he thinks the “buck-passing” between the Tardis State (where-all-goes-backward) Govt. and the Melbourne City Council over who issued the permits for the wall is not? Or having mounted police at the march to make it look like there was going to be a riot is not bad taste either?
“Inutilus Rusticus” has announced a surplus and put some money back into schools and hospitals which beggars the question, if you had a surplus in the first place why did you initially slash funding so severely?
“Fiddles” Shaw looks like getting the bonus he wanted and whilst Teachers, Nurses, Ambo’s and other Public Servants have to dog-fight for salary increases the Tardis State (Where-All-Goes-Backwards) pollies are going to increase their own entitlements which could be as much as $40,000 a year!
This is real political pornography.
“Inutilus Rusticus” has also announced a big new multi-billion dollar road tunnel which solve all our traffic problems for 15 seconds!
Rail is sooooo C19th!
This is to be funded partly by the Tardis State, The Feds and Private investment. Given that governments can borrow at much better rates than private corporations and therefore at less cost to the taxpayer in the long run, you wonder why people still believe the myth of Liarbrils being competent economic mangers or that they have any capacity to think beyond the election cycle and actually Govern for the State.

What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and T A’s current popularity?

Vic police have been franchising their services to Bikie Gangs…. Some-thing smelly in the Tardis State?

Federal Liarbril’s announced their Industrial Relations Policy…. Which means that ''non-monetary benefits'' will become part of your pay. Imagine offering your bank manager 100,000 coffees as a deposit on the house you wish to purchase?
Sound stupid…see page 36 of the Liarbril brochure.

What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and T A’s current popularity?]

Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes complained that the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s 0.5% levy increase was something that would hurt his company's profits: that it was money that consumers would have spent at its stores.
What a hero, what a speciman!
These two Myer workers are probably not smiling as much now as they cop “sprays” from customers about their mindlessly greedy boss.


What is the relationship between 1.3 million people watching “Celebrity Splash” and T A’s current popularity?

Cheers Petals, Hoo-Roo,
Shane