Matt Duke. Matty Matt Matt. I want to squeeze your face like your Grandma would. Whats not to love here? He's got the whole "sensitive nice guy" thing down pat. Just makes you want to break the kid. Distracted much? Back on track. There is something else aside from Matt's distinctly commercially viable sound. Hes the kind of guy you want to root for. He just sounds like he's cracked the musical code and has got it together. I am looking forward in anticipation to seeing how he "dirty's up" in the big bold world of rock n roll.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Matt Duke. Matty Matt Matt. I want to squeeze your face like your Grandma would. Whats not to love here? He's got the whole "sensitive nice guy" thing down pat. Just makes you want to break the kid. Distracted much? Back on track. There is something else aside from Matt's distinctly commercially viable sound. Hes the kind of guy you want to root for. He just sounds like he's cracked the musical code and has got it together. I am looking forward in anticipation to seeing how he "dirty's up" in the big bold world of rock n roll.
Am I. I have the extreme privilege of being on the recieving end of contact from wonderfully talented people from all over the world on a daily basis to show off thier amazing work. A recent email from UK based illustrator Hennie Haworth led me to her site - and array of beautiful drawings.
Check out her stuff at:
I'm inspired and off to buy a pack of texta's.
A story about the maths that I do know.
No amount of preparation can prepare one for the unexpected.
Timeliness can be described as circumstancial. .A lesson learned is a sum of situation, expectation and appreciation minus anticipation.
Efficiency equals the total sum of energy input minus energy output. If it remains in the positive then it equals efficiency. If it depletes to the negative then it equals time wasted.
Efficacy is the total sum of all parts less energy output (Situation + expectation + appreciation + anticipation + energy input - energy output).
Maths just seems like an easier way to understand things at the moment.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
SAY CHEESE
Once upon a time photos were the way to capture memories and beautiful moments to keep and cherish, and look over in times to come to reminisce and regress upon things that you saw, did, felt or imagined.
But nowadays with the digital revolution, photos are being wasted. I actually feel like people are abusing the cameras they are taking shots on. Perfecting images with photoshop and other like tools, cropping and blurring and having the opportunity to hit the delete button whenever takes fancy.
Don’t get me wrong – we have come leaps and bounds in the fields of photography, and I really appreciate some of these tools that we can use to manipulate and be creative with our images. But I almost feel a sense of empathy for the poor camera. Its hard to explain. But one look at other peoples facebooks and myspaces show the same image taken over and over again – from different angles and in different lights trying to capture the photographers ideal image.
It almost feels like more than half of the worlds images exist as self photos, group party shots, and overly made up images of teen girls at different social soirees. Its boring. I am not into seeing 1200 photos of you, you and mate one, you and mate two, you and mate one and mate two smiling, you and mate one and mate two laughing, you and mate one and mate two falling down drunk.
What I do like to see if one photo of you having a good time, looking perfect or imperfect – whatever the moment encapsulates. One photo of you sharing a special moment with family or friends. One beautiful landscape. One obscure object that when lit from the right angle stirred emotion inside you. Get my drift?
And when I talk about you here. I am talking to the vast majority of you who spend time taking photos for other peoples enjoyment (which seems the driving motivation of the photo albums on places like myspace and facebook). If you are going to share your moments with the world at large, be creative, be individual. Cherish the you that you are, and be proud to share it in all its glory. After all, individuality is what makes you who you are. Don’t be afraid to step outside the boundaries. Don’t feel like you cant break the rules. Do feel like you have something to offer. Do feel proud of your strengths and weaknesses. Do believe that one photo is enough!
I may have traveled way off topic here. But my feelings on the matter are strong. And rightfully so. I bought a new camera recently (the sixth in my growing collection) and I really only take it out when it is warranted. I don’t feel I need to document every single second of my life. I cherish the images that I capture during those rare moments because I believe that I cant get those moments back again.
That’s where the real beauty lies.
Monday, May 19, 2008
VIOLATE OR BE VIOLATED
Got this hilarious email from a friend this week. Apparently he can no longer access my blog due to filtering restrictions. This is the warning page he received.
Not only am I slightly alarmed at this revelation, but I am more than slightly devastated that access to my blog has now been limited to some folks, and that some apparent “god of internet” has deemed my content explicit.
If someone can please point out where on my blog one can find “nudity and risqué” I would very much appreciate this enlightenment.
Meanwhile I am off to compose an email to Fortiguard… whomever they might be to ask them to re-evaluate their concern for the content of my blog.
Standby for further updates
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I HAVENT HAD A GREAT DEAL TO SAY RECENTLY
No harm in that. Its nice going quiet for a while and indulging in fantasy less publicly consuming.
The problem is when you give more, you create more work for yourself in keeping up the momentum. It’s a pendulum like effect. The more it swings, the faster it goes. The fixed point always stays the same – its constant, always there, guaranteed. When you stop it, its not so easy to find the rhythm again.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Art of Humour featuring
Karl De Waal (Qld)
Kim Guthrie (Qld)
Jess Johnson (Vic)
The Long Way Round (UK)
Alasdair Macintyre (Qld)
Jordan Marani (Vic)
Sebastian Moody (Qld)
Takeru Toyokura (Japan)
Martin Wilson (NSW)
May 14 – May 31, 2008
IMAGE ABOVE: KIM GUTHRIE ‘Squash the Arts’ (2007)
Friday, May 2, 2008
Patience
-noun
1. the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain without complaint, loss of temper, irritation or the like
2. an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
3. quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; dilligence
Impatient
-adjective
1. not patient; not accepting delay, opposition, pain etc., with calm or patience
2. indicating lack of patience
3. restless in desire or expectation; eagerly desirous
Today I am officially struggling with the concept of patience. On the one hand, patience (as described above on dictionary.com) seems to convey that one is calm, even tempered, diligent and acting without complaint. I can confidently state that I am this right now.
On the other hand, impatience is described as restless in desire or expectation and eagerly desirous (note these positive statements that endeavor to describe a negative connotation). I also seem to display these characteristics at the moment.
So what am I?
Patient or Impatient?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
WORKDAY WORRIES
Seemingly unimportant but nontheless unanswered questions I come across on a daily basis.
Does ANYONE ever actually use the ever-present half jug of lukewarm pre-frothed milk that a colleague has thoughtfully left behind after making their last brew? (disclaimer: only relevant for those sophisticated workplaces with a milk frothing facility on their coffee machine)
Why is it that when you copy and paste a colleagues EXACT email signature into your own outlook signature editing tool to use as a template, the formatting always messes up and you get double spaced lines that cannot even be rectified by using the “advanced” editing tool?
Why do people seem to use the important/urgent red flag tool in outlook to mark emails with subject lines like “What are you doing for lunch?”
Why is it that you can ask all day for something to happen but it simply never will. But as soon as you want to delay something, it suddenly becomes a priority to everyone else?
Monday, April 28, 2008
IS BLOGGING THE NEW BLACK?
After launching into this thing with gusto, I have come to a frighteningly grinding halt. But it must be said now that blogging makes me feel fundamentally happy. And satisifed. To a degree where I will actually finish this entry, unlike many others written recently that haven’t made it past the “publish post” button.
However. (And there is always a however). I have suddenly developed some anxieties about this sweet blog o mine. Sure, its been a great life changing experience to publicly post my ramblings. But now I have “friends” blagging on about the blog that I am blogging on. And that makes me positively sick with fear.
Like any first time experience - I find myself wondering if my blog is too vain. Was recent entry too long, too short, too fast, too slow? What can I do to make the reader feel better? Does the reader really care about me? Will the reader still love me in the morning? Will the reader come back for more? And, should I talk dirty? Surely the lighthearted-ness is something that readers can see through and share in my sense of humor no?
But no – communication without context is actually harder than I thought. Its interesting shit to me (that which I muse upon) – but is it to you? I am not seeking any form of approval here. That’s not what this is about. But honestly, living in the techno-savvy world I am in – I can see you readers out there – the ones that spend time here, and keep popping back for more and I get a little kick out of you. But the trouble is – I don’t know who you are. Dont leave me feeling dirty and used. Its like a one night stand and I dont know your name. I cant get no satifaction.
If blogging is the new black. And blagging on blogs about anything blog-worthy is blog-tastic, then I’m going to keep doing what I am doing.
But it would most definitely be cool if you still loved me tomorrow…
Thursday, April 24, 2008
I've been thinking in circles lately
I walked between the city scapes
Dont take my hand I dont need it
I'm not done with you yet
I'm not done with you yet
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
AND TODAY IS…. EARTH DAY
Forget Earth Hour… today we dedicate an entire 24 of them to this special place that we call home.
What more reason to reflect on what life on earth means to you in its bigger jurisdiction.
Today should not be a day to be complacent.
Instead to look to the future, make room in your minds and hearts for change.
Celebrate and bathe in gratitude for all that we have, and for what our future generations will have if we look after our home.
Life is abundant.
The experience of living is transplendent.
Take time to stop and give thanks.
And use your voice to create action – for now, and for the future.
STRANGE THINGS I HAVE DONE IN MY SHORT LIFE THUS FAR
(and other oddities)
Eaten dinner with The Doors (remaining members thereof)
Been in the Big Brother House whilst housemates were inside
Hidden reconnaissance style in the middle of a film set photographing a “tornado”
Adjusted the bra straps of some well endowed ladies for a TV shoot
Built and plastered a wall of tiles and attached a toilet roll for a photo shoot
Pressed the live feed button on the sound mixing desk to allow live broadcast of a concert
Served champagne to Gough Whitlam
Bumped into (literally) Mr Big – Chris Noth
Created a 10 meter high curtain of mixed media tape for arts sake
Escorted a TV personality to the ladies and had to hum lightly to drown out the sound
Been heckled at by Josh Kelley
Snuck backstage at a premier industry event to mingle with the famous emcees
Covered an entire two rooms of about 50 square feet in tin foil
Moved approximately 60 different animals from one shelter to another in a day
Written 4622 words in an effort to say three important ones
Sung in front of 10,000 people, but not in front of my mum – ever
Put my hand into a rabbit hole, only to retrieve two baby rabbits who then became pets
Owned a pet echidna
Been a radio announcer reporting on childrens ski activites
Dated a child star… when they were no longer a child star
Monday, April 21, 2008
This morning I logged into the following websites:
Myspace (my two accounts)
Hotmail
Work email
Web Banking
My blog account
My stat report account
My personal email
My editor email
Getty images
My ebay account
You tube
Each one of these places on the www requires a different username and password for logging in. Right now I feel like I should work in the car numberplate industry simply because of the vast amount of number and letter combinations that are stuck away in the recesses of my mind.
Yet another random thought bought to you by the letters A, B and Z and the numbers 22, 176 and 5.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Think big, brave and new
Be firm with what you believe in, but be flexible enough to recognise you may be wrong
Listen to the person next to you, you may learn something new
Play to your strengths, and allow others to support the few weaknesses
Most of all, just enjoy.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
I've been thinking lately about the high costs of communication in the emerging digital era. With the prevalence of text messaging, blogging, myspace, facebook, myface and spacebook (check - they're there) I'm left wondering whether this primarily Gen Y driven digital world we are living in is infact enriching the experience of communication or impoverishing it.
It seems that we have more access to information (and personal information at that) than ever before. We can make contact and be "friends" with almost anyone our hearts desire. But to what degree does this actually facillitate a meaningful and lasting connection? And to what extent can we trust the information we are supplied with when it is user-driven (and thus filtered).
I'm almost certain that a good majority of 'profiles' out there are edited to within an inch of reality. Created to protect individual weaknesses and ugliness from public scrutiny - conversely so to propagate fame, popularity and even profit.
But then, I'm also not a complete pessimist. I actually have faith that, like myself, there are others out there that value reaching out in the prospect of making a meaningful and enduring connection without compromising on the value of the communication, the integrity of the information and maintaining a sense of dignity, self-respect and moderation.
This said, there really is nothing in this world that can facillitate communication better than a person-to-person interaction. A letter written on paper beats a text message or email anyday. Talking rather than IM'ing is just easier to do and doesnt allow for loopholes in understanding, intent, thought and feeling. And looking at a friends holiday photos over a nice dinner and glass of wine far exceeds the experience of clicking through an online album.
Poor old Tom Ford, he just cant catch a break it seems!
Personally I think they are fabulous!
Sorry dude. You may very well be an incredibly well-recieved pop singer and producer extraordinaire... but do you have to encourage the youth of today - the leaders of tomorrow, to use the english language so improperly?
While it may be hip and cool to say things like "wit 'chu" and "floss" I really hold some serious concerns for statements such as "can you handle me the way I are"
Enough of my rant for this morning. Turn up the volume and "get jiggy wit it" if you must.
Nylon, I have waited very patiently by my mailbox for your imminent arrival this month, but to no avail. Why do you tease me with your pretty cover and stories of my current favorites Clemence Poesy, Anja Rubik and Chloe Sevigny? I know you have already released your May issue and yet I still wait for April with such patience. Where in the world are you?
PS: I still want my T-Shirt and I haven't forgotten about that!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Smith’s mechanism for production is quite methodical – even ritualistic. Carefully layering printed text over the chosen image and meticulously cutting into the surface of both layers facilitates the amazingly professional quality of each finished work. As Smith cuts into the photograph he is exercising a societal taboo; destroying printed images that, for some, can be the only visual by-product of life lived, whose value is all more tangible when that life has expired.
When exhibited, these works have a certain fragile aesthetic.
Smith’s works on paper meld the visual and narrative, instantly provoking the viewer to find a link between remembering an image and its associations within their own written or spoken experience.
In a move toward three-dimensionality, Smith has swept up the fallen letters from his wall works and given them new birth as a generally familiar artefact of youth. ‘In response to conversations with a therapist as a narrative device’ is covered fully in the discarded letters of the wall works, and portrays the same tattered surface quality of that of a well-loved toy, conjuring up childhood narratives from the familiar confidant to the discarded and redundant.
‘Are you waiting for the darkness daddy’ highlights the same threads of significance of material possessions, which are all inevitably imprinted with memory and lived experience; recording on its surface ideas of worth and use within the owner’s life. The title however could be conveyed in either ominous or naïve ways, leaving the viewer the ability to formulate diverse meaning from the work.
By Ted Royer, Executive Creative Director of Droga5 New York
Producers are great. They are my favorite people in advertising. And I want to marry one. Since every single person I've met over the last 15 years works in advertising or some related industry, I've realized that I'm destined to marry an ad person. After a brief panic attack, I thought about producers and felt much better. I want to marry a producer.
I don't want to marry an account services person. Sure, they can take lots of pressure and abuse from the world, and they're organized (a definite prerequisite for my future spouse), but we'd quickly realize that while we share many goals, ultimately, she may not care enough about my goals. And caring about my goals, or at least seeming to, is very important.
I'm not going to marry a traffic person. They propel jobs through the agency and thus are obviously good at getting stuff done. But they cry too much. Or they yell too much. Or they cry while yelling. There is crying and yelling at some point in every marriage. I wish to keep it to the bare minimum in mine.
Marrying another creative seems like a great idea. We would laugh together. We would dream together. We would make amazing plans together. But we wouldn't know how to get any of those plans done or how to actually make anything happen. And then we would blame each other.
I could marry one of my clients. We would have a great initial relationship. She would find me really funny and inventive, but over time, she might begin to doubt my motives and commitment. And she'd be right. Am I bored? Am I ultimately looking to trade up? Am I looking for a newer, fresher challenge? I'd be coy and say no. But the real answer would be... maybe.
No, I want to marry a producer. A producer listens to the most batshit crazy idea and doesn't say yes or no or ask why, but instantly asks "How?" She could talk me out of dumb things with grace and logic, or conversely show me what it's possible to do with virtually nothing. A producer realizes that just as business and creativity need each other, responsibility (her) and irresponsibility (me) do too. A producer wouldn't be afraid of different challenges, no matter what form they took. A producer would be tough, fighting battles I'd neither see nor even know about. A producer would plan for a rainy day and not even tell me she was doing it and then, when it started to rain, she'd say, "It's covered, go over to the food table." A producer would stay up all night partying with me, then make sure what needs to get done gets done, while I sleep. Marrying a producer would allow me to be as self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-congratulatory, naval-gazing and "creative" as I want to be.
Of course, I could always date someone outside of the industry and see what the rest of the world is like. But that would be weird.
80 FACES IN A 20 MINUTE LUNCH BREAK
Melbourne photographer Simon Obarzanek’s 80 Faces plays into our fascination with faces. For years he made frontal mugshot portraits of young people, male and female, posed against a grey background. Bare-shouldered or in black T-shirts, there was nothing to distinguish them sociologically, except their hairstyles.
The sitters were not a dispassionate scientific sample – Obarzanek photographed faces he found interesting. Black and white, his prints suppress some aspects of difference (colouration: skin, eyes, hair) to emphasise others (proportions of their features).
Always presented in groups, Obarzanek engages us in comparing-and-contrasting his faces. One face is Aryan, another alien. One refined, another vulgar. One man's lips look rudely pasted on. As we discriminate the classic from the quirky, those we like from the crowd, 80 Faces tells us as much about ourselves, about what resonates with us.
Monday, April 14, 2008
To loyal readers, friends and fans alike… I have recently blogged about my trip into Celebs-ville – also known as “Will the real John Mayer please stand up”. Herein I give you part two of this story… with the hope that following this post, there will be no further future reference to this hilarious case of mistaken identity!
I am now left with absolutely no choice but to reveal my identity as “editor” of this blog. I am conflicted by this admission – as I would have preferred to maintain a sense of anonymity a little longer, but am left with no alternative that I can see fit at this point.
Sure, my initials are JM (with an F on the end for those that know me well), yes I like Art, Culture, New York City and witty blog banter. I also dig on writing music, listening to John Coltrane, and drinking red wine. Whilst I appreciate the undivided attention that has been shown to my blog every single second of every single day, I cannot make it any clearer than this.
But for once and for bleeping all – I AM NOT JOHN MAYER!!!!!!!
I do NOT want to be your wife, I do NOT look sad in my photos, I DO NOT want to kiss you under an umbrella, I DO NOT want to watch your cherry blossom bloom. I AM NOT waiting for the day we “reunite” I AM MOST DEFINITELY NOT your sexy lover man!!!! What more proof do you need from me????
If there is ANYONE out there that can get me in touch with the “fan email” address for John Mayer, or preferably - the man himself, would they please fill me in on this so that I can kindly pass the unwanted attention onto the correct recipient. He may need a potential pre-read disclaimer so that he might understand the history of this unusual case, and understand that by no means whatsoever – have I been intentionally moonlighting as his alter-ego!
85 unmoderated comments and climbing.
Regards,
Your no longer anonymous “editor”
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Yesterday I was in a less than plesant mood. I sat around revieiwng the millions of why's in life, feeling disgruntled at most of the answers. I have always suffered from a bit of self-imposed over-achiever syndrome. Not that I was an over achiever, I just always expected the very best for myself and thus set the bar at a level so high, I would never allow myself the actual joy in jumping over it metaphorically speaking.
There are millions of people in this world that consider themselves a byproduct of their circumstances each and every day, but I challenge you this... How about flipping it all on its head and thus your circumstances being a byproduct of your thoughts and actions. Try it.
One thing in this world is certain - life is finite.
Friday, April 11, 2008
How much of an idiot is Perez Hilton? Honestly. The guy makes a living out of tearing other people down and destroying peoples reputations - his slanderous gossip blog (to which I will not post a link to to avoid yet another means of publicity for the site)is nothing but a waste of www space.
Now, I never intended for this (my) blog to have anything whatsoever to do with celebrity, but I recently came across a link to this document - which I found an interesting and at the same time, pathetic read.
Jason Jaxon is eaually as bad. Between the two of them, they could feed an entire third world countries population based on the advertising profits made from thier respective sites hit rates alone, but yet they choose to engage in petty arguments over who has the bigger *ahem*
The fact that Perez has taken the matter to legal heights is just a sad and sorry way for him to (once again) draw more attention to his lonely and pathetic life, publicise his revolting blog, and further live out a life of complete and utter double standards.
To the pair of you - Hilton and Jaxon - go bitch fight it out somewhere else other than in the public forum. The whole thing makes you BOTH look stupid and hypocritical. And if you MUST insist on using your notoriety to communicate with the world - perhaps think about doing it in a more thoughtful, generous and altruistic fashion.
PS: I can use paint too!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Ultimate Love Triangle
Man loves woman loves computer loves woman. Makes me want to travel back to 1984.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Colour, in all its vivid, effervescent, stimulating glory, is at the centre of the work by gifted artist Heo Wook. Bold and inspirational, Heo Wook's striking pieces are a distillation of his unique vision of the splendid beauty of daily life, where experience and emotion are fractured kaleidoscopically into vibrant, abstract tableaux. His work moves beyond the inspiration of his native Korea to present his viewer with a universal concept of the beauty of the world in the form of paintings and installations.
Heo Wook has been deaf for all his life. Not being able to hear, however, is just a mere discomfort and nothing more. Heo Wook has chosen to face the outer world, the loud, the noisy, and the lively space where he can interact with others. Heo Wook's sense of the visual beauty of the world is heightened by his deficiency, and his work offers an energy that engages each of the other senses.
http://www.heo-heo.com/
Thanks to blank_space gallery for the invite.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
For those of you that know me well, I dig on music, art, creativity, intelligence and culture. One of the musical talents I admire most is none other than that of the currently all-perezz’ed up John Mayer. I have had a keen interest in his music and shared a good portion of my earnings to purchasing quality seats at some of his shows. I have also been an avid reader (although non-commenter) of his blogs – which are effortlessly combined into a brilliant one stop shop on tryjm.com.
Logging into my blog this week I saw I had been inundated with comments. Lovely, kind, and thought-provoking comments. I took a moments joy in celebrating that by placing a url link on tryjm, people might actually be feeling a resonance with my blog and thus all the increased interest in commenting. So wrong.
In the strangest twist of fate, I was scrolling through said comments, and started realizing that some of them were sounding well, strangely familiar, but unrelated to my postings. Why? I wracked my brain to work out why this person thought that they could see themselves walking in the rain with me, and kissing underneath an umbrella???? It was all getting a bit strange for me, and the hit rate was incredible – this person was looking at my blog on refresh-by-the-second basis! I decided to post a blog about moderation – being a double entendre message to this reader… meaning – Do things in moderation, and your comments – all excessive amounts of them, are currently being moderated, by me, “editor”
To no affect. Again at next login, I was overwhelmed at all the new, and increasingly irrelevant comments to be moderated. But now, they were discussing the perils of celebrity and how difficult it must be to be a publicly- represented human being. Strange, I had no public persona – I wasn’t a celebrity (that I was aware of). Nonetheless I kept these comments in my moderation file, because they were starting to get out of hand, and I didn’t want the user to delete them until I could get to the bottom of what was going on.
Then the penny dropped. A quick side-swiping look at tryjm.com made me realize that the person was trying to comment on John Mayers photography – pictures of people kissing underneath an umbrella, taken on a recent trip to Japan (check it out here). The comment about being a celebrity… it all fit. This person thought that I was in fact, JOHN MAYER!
Far from me to be rude about this, I actually posted a very immediate call to action on my blog, inviting this person to email me urgently, so that I could explain the case of mistaken identity before it went too far. An email exchange occurred and now as a result I have lost my most frequent reader!!!!
There are several things I learned from this experience:
Some people can convince themselves of anything
Being anonymous has its downfalls
Some people should pay further attention to what it is they are reading and or commenting on – there is a picture of me on this blog if you care to find it.
Being a celebrity isn’t all its cracked up to be.
John Mayer has some pretty interesting fans.
So thanks tryjm.com, and frequently-visiting aforementioned reader. I am sure my stats will go down now, but I wish you all the very best of luck in your pursuit of becoming John Mayer’s wife. I really do.