to the Silver Mine and Lal-Lal togs and the Dross at theTop

 

Hello Possums,

Shane with Prints

 

We’ve been to a couple of photo shows in the past fortnight, a small festival and a rally about the new Liarbril non government’s asinine denialist views on climate change.

Hence we’re late again.

First up was the Melbourne Silver Mine show in Collingwood “Unsensored13” the Seventh exhibition of analogue photography presented by 43 photographers. Some of the impressive works in this show were

 

Leah Williams, “Sancturary”

Leah Williams, “Sancturary”, Polaroid 220 which nicely explores the textural qualities of the medium…

Suzannah Marshall Macbeth’s “Tecla”

 

..and Suzannah Marshall Macbeth’s “Tecla” delightfully working the limits of a Holga and producing 
images redolent of C19th Impressionism.

Oli Sansom’s “Positano” was a witty tourist/travel shot  on a Yashica 635.

Oli Sansom’s “Positano”

Mel Dixon in “System/Faith, Weather/ System“ presented nice reflection/conceptual takes on subject repetition and subject minimalism.

“System Faith, Weather System“

Malcolm Gamble’s 6x9 pinhole shots were again minimilist but colourful interiors

 

Malcolm Gamble

Whereas Barbara Fischer in “Beach On to Five” has a cool view of figures isolated in

landscape.

“Beach On to Five”

I also liked Cameron Stephen’s Polaroid “Valiant” but my shot of it became a reflected “Selfie” and is not shown here.

The Silver Mine collective was one of the better shows in the “Fringe” at the recent Ballarat Foto Biennale and I think its strength is that the group’s adherence to analogue equipment also focuses their thinking about the “why” of a photograph.

I have to admit though that I was a bit surprised to see so few dark-room prints of the works presented which brings to mind the idea of fetish-photography in the use of old gear.

www.silvermine.org.au

Bacchus Marsh had its Strawberry and Cherry Festival and the Lal-Lal photography group (which has been noted a couple of times at Ballan Festivals) had a show.

 

Lal-Lal photography group

 

Kristina and Allan K.

It has been successful in gathering members (now at around 60) and there was some very solid work exhibited but there was more “Camera-Club” type images compared to Silver-Mine where the thinking about photography is I feel, more sophisticated.

Kristina Kitchingman

 

K Clack

Kerrie Thompson

 www.lallalmooraboolphotographicgroup.org

Part of the festival were street performers like Crazy Pete, The Amazing Illusionist, which he was. 
Very entertaining and affable with Kids of all ages  

Pete the Magician

www.petethemagician.com

Followed closely by Rick Alabaster with his beautiful Grand Concert Organ. Wonderful noise.

The Grand Concert Organ

The music Books

www.australiafair.org

And Ulla Taylor with her fine art.

Ulla Taylor

www.ullart.com

Mrs Wombat and I then headed up to Ballarat to show some solidarity with “Get-Up’s”  Climate Change rally to protest this denialist governments’ repealing of the Carbon Pricing mechanism and it having an inadequate and under-funded "Direct Action" (so-called) Carbon emission scheme in its place.

Climate Change Get-up Group

Abbott in effigy with Jane

Speakers at Get-Up rally with effigy and banner

Wombat Droppings or the Low-down on Oz politics.

“The Coalition ( Liarbril/Notional Party’s) will take a pragmatic approach to trade negotiations and will consult widely with industry bodies and associations to ensure that stakeholder priorities are taken into account. This includes remaining open to utilising investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses as part of Australia’s negotiating position”.
In other words, the public will not know till Damocles sword falls and they find that foreign corporations really do run the country.

CSIRO jobs to be slashed, “without compromising its work”: Arty Sinodinos.

A statement that has as much veracity as Chris “The Whyne” Pyne’s assertion that the use of RAAF VIP aircraft for pollies  “… was probably cheaper than using commercial flights”.

I don’t know of any commercial flights that cost $50,000.00 per hour to operate.

Really, neither does “The  Whyne” but his truth and ethics rarely coincide.

Bronwen “Pompadour” Bishop as parliament’s new speaker says, “Call me Madam…” …and proceeds to act like a tart.

Greg “Ozone-Hole” Hunt, Un-Environment Minister stays away from Climate talks in Copenhagen to swot-up his Wiki research on repealing Carbon Pricing legislation and claims a smaller pollution footprint by keeping his mouth shut.  Also claims that “instinct” is a far better guide to appreciating climate change than all that silly science. Which, he says was proved by Liarbril Guru “Little Johnny” Howard and the Tarot card soothsayer he has employed as adviser.

Prime Miniature, “Rabbott” Abbott says Sri Lanka’s humanitarian credentials will be enhanced with Oz’s gift of two armed patrol boats to assist potential asylum seekers stay in Sri Lanka.

Also admires police-state tactics as a more efficient form of government.

A right thinking family at Climate Change Rally

Scott “Drone” Morrison’s, Thrice Pipped General mouthpiece seems uncomfortable in role of Government apologist. Begins to wonder if the politicising of the military might be better carried out by the military itself, without civilian interference.

“The Drone”, Morrison looks all-at-sea in parliament question time. Believes in quiet diplomacy and that arrogance should be rewarded.

Geoff  “Fiddles” Shaw,  Ex-Liarbril  (soon to make court appearance re  allegations of fiddling his govt. car allowance) causes closure of Tardis State (Where-all-goes-Backward) parliament by upsetting the speaker. Pretend Premier, Dennis “Inutilus Rusticus” Napthine blames Labor opposition for not solving this mess…. denies that being Premier is a position of authority.

Speaker denies closing Parliament to avoid a vote of no-confidence over his partisan behaviour is un-democratic.

Pretend Premier “Inutilus Rusticus” also denies claims that his anti social East meets West tunnel is one-way traffic for commercial profit and that his traffic figures included trikes, pogo sticks and skate-boards.

He says too, that he’ll institute Labor’s Gonski Education reforms, which beggars belief as he has just closed down another TAFE Campus that deals successfully with “At-risk” youth and is being criticised for the sacking of 70 staff who had been again, successfully, assisting schools identify strategies for improving classroom outcomes.

Liarbril imagination …an oxymoron.

Joe “Oh-What-a-Feeling” Hockey wants to solve imaginary debt crisis by increasing debt by $400,000,000.00. Says that when they’ve “fixed” the books they will prove it’s all Labor’s fault.  Assistant Usurer Mathias “Shylock” Corman says cooking up horse-shit is a Belgian speciality.

“Oh-What-a-Feeling” says that taxing low income workers superannuation more is better than hitting the wealthy.

Maurice “Scrooge” Newman, advisor to “Rabbott” and Head of Oz Business Council says that the cost of doing business in Oz is too high and that wages should be cut and penalty rates abolished. Fellow Business council member Gail Kelly probably agrees… as Westpac Head poor thing’s only taking $38, 500.00 a week.

Although, neither will agree to work for tips!

Ex PM x 2, Kevin 07+6 has resigned. He is taking his bat and ball and going home as has couldn’t find a team to play with. All the non players said what a good bloke he was except Pyne “The Whyne” who thinks he should stop playing games.

As it was Pyne ”The Whyne” opining … no-one listened.

Annabel Crabbe wrote a delightful ode about the last leader... which proves yet again, people of talent generally don't go into politics. 
She also gave a lesson in interview technique, leaving Joe "Oh-What-A-Feeling" Hockey open mouthed and gobsmacked when the good lady (7.30,ABC) said in response to one of his non answers ,"I'll take that as a no, then". And promptly moved on to the next question. Crabbe's obvious empathy and interest in the people she interviews was a refreshing change for the two weeks she was on this program.  

And then there was Mark Textor. A Liarbril strategist (allegedly), whose ability to allow hubris to overwhelm diplomacy is only matched by venomous fascist utterances  has single-handedly forced relations with Indonesia to a level probably lower than it was when they were booted out of East Timor by insulting their foriegn minister with schoolboy jibes on twitter. 
Aaahhhh....Liarbril talent, imagination, taste and propriety. Even the trolls are going quiet!

Geoff "Fiddles" Shaw, (ex-liarbril, Tardis State, "Where-All-Goes-Backward") in court over apparently confusing his pollie car allowance with his hardware business activities looks like setting a precedent with his  magistrate deciding not to let him "off-the-hook" with a "diversion' order but investigating all 24 charges against him. 
Pretend premier, Dennis "Inutilus Rusticus" Napthine nearly fracked himself.
That magistrate should be in Canberra. He'd have enough work for the rest of his life!

It's official, Australia can't play Test Cricket. Hit and Giggle Games in funny costumes are their forte'.
Oops...revision....after a six for nine, bowling spell... neither can England

Cheers Petals

Shane.

Oz Philosophy

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