Arty things around town..

So recently I've played the Sydney tourist, doing things around town and checking out many places/events that are happening at the moment. Whilst doing so, I realised that there's plenty of things you can do on a shoestring (i.e. student) budget, so here's a small list -

1. Check out the 17th Biennale of Sydney. Held every two years at the wonderfully secluded Cockatoo Island, get your dose of what contemporary artists are thinking about internationally. There's plenty of film art to confuddle you (including panoramic sets of screens), an interactive green colander display to make you happy and falling pianos for your bemusement.
2. Visit the MCA or the Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) for free! Most exhibits are free though if they've put a price, they're definitely worth paying for if at concession rates. At the moment, 'Paths to Abstraction' is being shown at AGNSW for $15 students, $20 adults. With works by Cezanne, Monet, Kandinsky, Delaunay, Matsse & plenty others, take a look while you have the chance before it's over! (19th Sep 2010)
3. Sign up to the Arthouse hotel for free membership and get a free entertainment book worth $1000! I signed up so now you can book your first photography session, life-drawing class/other things for free, and even a few drinks to get you warmed up ;) Whether you want to chillax, have some arty fun or meet other creative (or appreciating) types, why not do it when it costs you practically nothing?
4. Check out free exhibition/gallery openings. Often there's free wine/food too, which is a plus. Art, check. Wine, check. People, check. Music, perhaps. It's fun none-the-less.

and now I'm going to leave you with something beautiful by Klimt.

~Louis Tiffon

Moving Brilliance - A Single Man

(Forgive me for venturing into your territory, Hurley Who?, but this film was practically begging me to. And everyone else, please forgive me for the pretentious-educated-cinephile tone that I seem to have adopted. Soz.)





Produced and directed by the fashion designer Tom Ford and despite knowing that this film is based upon the novel of the same name, you cannot help thinking of this film as a portraiture of his relationship with his partner, Richard Buckley. The lead performance by Colin Firth is simultaneously powerful and subtle, but I could nonetheless still detect traces of the socially-awkward-Englishman character that the English are forever typecast in in American films. But Nicholas Hoult has brushed up considerably in both appearance and performance since his Skins days (although the head-wobbling still persists) and Julianne Moore is the perfect addition to the supporting cast as the pining lover wearied by the past and what could have been.

Beautiful score, brings to mind Carter Burwell’s work in In Bruges. Bonus points, too, for hiring the Mad Men production design team.

The synopsis RottenTomatoes.com provides – “A story that centers on an English professor who, after the sudden death of his partner tries to go about his typical day in Los Angeles.” – is largely inadequate, so watch, watch!





- no name -

BIG News!

This month's "The Big Issue" magazine is a cracker; for just $5 ($2.50 of which goes to the vendor) the annual fiction special features tales from Christos Tsiolkas (author of 'The Slap', which I will get round to reading one of these days), Michel Faber (who writes a very charming story about a humble ticket collector on the London Underground), Karen Hitchcock and other talented Aussie writers, plus gorgeous illustrations and contributions from some of the vendors themselves. Highly recommended :)



A lovely whimsical drawing from Catherine Campbell whose drawings feature in this month's Big Issue and which are cut-out-and-stick-on-one's-wall-worthy

c.l.

Bubble Man

Isn't this photo just so... out there?!

It's by photographer Romain Laurent... His other photos are similarly surreal.

That is all.

~ Hurley Who?

ilk

...is a lovely word indeed. like milk & silk

Oh milk, you are so good for us.

Starting off with a list, because it's apparently a woman's thing and David Ogilvy liked to make a mean list, so why shouldn't we:

1. Went to Waiting For Godot with Ian McKellan last Sunday avec Count Lucifer, intriguing stuff which will be posted up in greater detail later

2. If you want to watch a good hearty love story with French quirks and twists, I say to you:

Watch this film before you die! "Jeux d'enfants" or "Love me if you dare" which is its English title - starring none other than the gorgeous Marion Cotillard and scrumptious Guillaume Canet - has beauty and ugliness, comedy and tragedy, love and hate and other rather epic binary oppositions.

3. Some good blogs/websites for:
a. Breakfast (my favourite meal of the day, I cannot fathom it when people say they haven't had breakfast, I have never once in my life gone without eating something first thing when I wake up)
http://simplybreakfast.blogspot.com/

b. Football nuts and perving on fit men (although the World Cup Fever has died down, being hot never will go out of vogue), note especially the Spanish national team and their goalie Iker Casillas
http://www.kickette.com/

c. indie geek chic tees! shirts with canonical literature printed on them can only be made of win:
http://www.outofprintclothing.com/ShopWomens_a/179.html

d. the good-old Guardian, where the Anglophilic like me get their updates on British news, music and various entertainment:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle

Stay tuned! (ah, but what for?)

PS. freak accident of the day: kicked a ball (a rather good neat kick I must say) into the air which in a massive coincidence happened to hit a little boy riding his bike bang on the head. Said little boy swerved and wobbled a bit before crashing and subsequently crying. His father went to comfort him. Am I a bad person for trying to stifle a laugh at the impossible freakishness of the situation? (don't bother answering, I don't really mind being bad, and the kid was wearing a helmet so all was good)

[discoread]

classics, maybe

I'll Kill Her - Soko




Middle of the Hill - Josh Pyke




The Time Is Now (Bambino Casino Mix) - Moloko




Rock 'N Roll - The Sounds




Gone Going - Jack Johnson




Taylor - Jack Johnson



For Jack Johnson, I am willing to overlook Ben Stiller's distressing presence.





- no name -