Thursday 30 December 2010

The Elephant Man (1980) Dream

My most vivid lucid dream yet, in which after becoming lucid, I escaped from captivity by climbing up 4 shelves and evaporating through a brick wall, freed my family, and led them outside into a daisy covered English garden with rays of morning sunlight shining down. "If I'm dreaming, I should be able to see my hands" I thought, and looked at them, dropping them to my sides, and looked at them a 2nd time. The light shone between my fingers in fragmented beams filled with diamonds and precious stones. As I moved my hands, I felt like I would be able to enter another space or dimension via the light beams. I was overcome with joy, but lost focus when I spotted a drunken, rambling Michael Caine at my feet. He kept begging to give me a kiss. Eventually I reluctantly offered my cheek, and awoke.

Thursday 23 December 2010

Lucid Dreaming

Gonzo (2007), Where The Buffalo Roam (1980), Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998) Dream: a giggling teletubby played scenes from the Vietnam War on its belly (straight out of the Vegas hotel suite in Fear and Loathing?), whilst Velvet looked on. I became lucid in this dream and was able to visualise my hands, but wasn't able to grasp objects or walk without sinking thru the floor. I noticed my chipped nail polish though!























Animal Kingdom (2010) Dream: In which I was being directed by Johnny Depp in a movie. The scene we were about to shoot involved a bank hold up, but I kept forgetting my opening line: "Take Heed!" and having to reread the script. I did not like wearing dark colours.























Thursday 16 December 2010

Wikileaks and Julian Assange Dream

A dream I had in the early hours of Tuesday morning. In this dream, I had found an article in a copy of December 1980 Playboy magazine (I have an extensive Playboy collection) in which Julian Assange was being interviewed about the fact that he had been accused of extorsion and framed for money laundering (Julian Assange would've been 9 years old in 1980, but that didn't seem of consequence in the dream). He had been extradited to the US and was sitting on death row (I hope this wasn't a premonition?) Having found this article, I scanned it and posted it on Facebook (I have clearly been spending too much time on there if I'm dreaming about it!). I instantly got a facebook comment from Regan, who posted a link to a database of a ton of surveilance footage and photos of myself from when I had lived in London and travelled on London transport?

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Rope (1948) Dream

A dream which followed the Alfred Hitchcock movie Rope (1948), in which my boyfriend and his brother were larking about onboard the MTB 219, whilst my friend Ruby Blues helped my cousin Amy to try on burlesque outfits. All of a sudden, a storm came and a gigantic whale flicked its tail, creating a tsunami which inadvertantly saved us by beaching us ashore.... oh and the dream contained this random quote: "The sum of a child's education can be contained in a box of sewing thread".

Monday 13 December 2010

My Grandad

A dream I had about going home to find my grandad (who died in 2003) watching Match of The Day, and telling him how much I had missed watching Man Utd with him. I never really got over his death as I was away in London and did not get the chance to say goodbye to him. He inspired my love of classic film and I will be dedicating "I Dream In Celluloid" to him.

Friday 10 December 2010

Two More Celluloid Dreams

Que He Hecho YO Para Merecer Esto (1985) - English Title: What Have I done to Deserve This? The Pedro Almodovar masterpiece inspired some odd dream wanderings in the bushes outside my hometown local pub, in a fabulous red sequined outfit, accompanied by Robert Smith of The Cure, with my teeth rotting and falling out.... The Jazz Singer (1980) culminated in a dream in which a group of petrified small children were thrown from their picnic blanket by bloodsuckers masquerading as The Care Bears.....























Saturday 4 December 2010

Bus Stop (1958) Dream

Marilyn Monroe, Loretta Lynn, deciding on which of my 2 favourite bands to see during simultaneous gigs (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or The Warlocks), and settling for dancing on tables in my blue velvet pink poodle skirt.

Friday 3 December 2010

The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) / Pump Up The Volume (1990) Dream

A very fun Fairground /Adelaide Fringe / Farm mash-up dream with carousels and funhouse mirrors and friends having fun.

Wednesday 1 December 2010

London to Brighton (2006) Dream

This one had a slightly nightmarish quality, involving an attack by a friend's usually placid cat.

Tuesday 30 November 2010

More Dreams

Some dreams following the movies High Fidelity (2000), S.F.W (1994) and Funny Games (2008).













































Sunday 21 November 2010

The Big Chill (1983) Dream

A visual record of the dream I had after watching the movie The Big Chill (1983). It saw my boyfriend and I escaping from bushfire by car, our house being burned, losing our beautiful 60s vinyl couch named Gladys, but all my paintings surviving. The rememberance of being in Fitzroy swimming pool as the Black Saturday bushfires unfolded must've been swimming around in my subconscious.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

First panel for Quilt

Here is the first piece of the giant quilt cover for "I Dream In Celluloid". It was based on a dream I had after watching the movie "Two Moon Junction" (1988). The dream involved dingy London flats, working at The Electric Ballroom in Camden (where I once had my market stall selling all my hand painted tshirts), my mystic friend Laura's fabulous Cowboy boots, and several people named Billy - mainly my cousin's son Billy Reddish and my Norwegian friend Knud's son Billy Kleppe, who are 3 months apart in age and whom I often confuse, but also Billy Idol and an old PC, also named Billy, which died from a virus many moons ago taking 1 year of my scanned university work to the grave with it.

Thursday 28 October 2010

More Dreams

Four more dreams, following from the movies: "Robot Holocaust" (1986), "Angst Essen Seele Auf" (1974), "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) and "Labyrinth" (1986).



































































Thursday 14 October 2010

Dream Sketchbook

2 new dreams, after watching the Frank Zappa movie "Baby Snakes" (1977) and Ghostbusters (1984).























Tuesday 12 October 2010

Last Unsung Hero

Arthur 'Killer' Kane was the bass guitar player for The New York Dolls, one of the most influential yet unsung bands of the early 70s, who shook up the prog rock scene by dressing in women's clothing yet delivering a tough sound that was to set the prescedent for the Punk Rock explosion that followed. Hard partying and the death of drummer Billy Murcia from an overdose lead to the band's split in 1975, and Arthur forged several unsuccessful side projects with fellow Dolls Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan and Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. Arthur relocated to L.A, and aside from a few 80s B-movie roles, faded into obscurity and depression; jumping from his apartment window during an alcohol binge, and being beaten up and left for dead during the Rodney King riots. He pawned his guitars, joined the Church of the Latter Day Saints, lived on disability and volunteered at the local library. In 2004, he got a call from Morrissey urging him to reform The New York Dolls with surviving members David Johansen and Sylvan Sylvain. What followed was the resurrection of Arthur's dream. He flew to London and The Dolls played better than ever to much fanfare, with Gary Powell of The Libertines on drums. 22 days after Arthur returned to L.A, he checked himself into hospital with what he thought was a case of London flu. He was diagnosed with Leukemia and died 2 hours later. A beautiful portrait of Arthur Killer Kane can be seen in the documentary "New York Doll".

Saturday 9 October 2010

Unsung Heroes - 1 more to go

Here is the next to last of my Unsung Heroes: Cookie Mueller. Cookie was an actress and Dreamlander: a member of Film Director John Waters regular cast and crew. She originated from Baltimore and spent the 60's in San Francisco, narrowly avoiding joining Charles Manson's Family. Upon returning home she featured in 4 of John Waters earlier films including cult classic "Pink Flamingos", before heading to New York to work as a go-go dancer and writer for Details Magazine and a health column called 'Ask Dr Mueller' for the East Village Eye. Cookie was a key player in the New York artistic community in the late 70s and early 80's, and like many of her friends, lost her life to AIDS. She featured in photographer Nan Goldin's "The Cookie Portfolio", a collection of 15 photos spanning 13 years; the penultimate of which features a devastated Cookie beside her husband Vittorio's coffin, and the final shot is of her in her own casket.



Tuesday 5 October 2010

My 6th Unsung Hero: Emmett Grogan

Emmett Grogan was a founder member of The San Francisco Diggers - a radical community action group that emerged in the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco during late 60s. Hollywood actor Peter Coyote (E.T, Erin Brockovich, HBO's Deadwood) was also a member, having met Emmett performing with the SF Mime Troupe. The Diggers were famous for cooking and handing out free food daily at the Panhandle area of The Golden Gate Park, providing food for those living in poverty and organising crash pads for the thousands of homeless teenage runaways who came to San Francisco in search of the Hippie dream. Emmett spoke out against the hypocrisy of the Hippie ideals; opening up a Free Store in which clothing, food, furniture and money could be taken at no expense by whomever wanted it. Emmett spoke out against the people he saw to be attempting to gain status and celebrity from the HIP ideals, and was open in his criticism of Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg and particularly Abbie Hoffman - who in attempting to import the Haight mindset into New York, claimed many of Emmett's ideas as his own. Emmett's book "Ringolevio" contains a well rounded account of life in the Haight around the Summer of Love; as well as detailing the life and times of a junkie, thief, and most likeable rogue; and a fascinating, if elaborate, portrait of American life and culture in the mid 20th century.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Large Paintings

I've finally got around to scanning some of my larger works (mainly due to being asked to send some portraits to Taschen for their new illustration book). They have been scanned in up to 24 parts and seamlessly joined together by my fabulous boyfriend.
As follows:

Flora
2006
120 cm x 120 cm

2.4 Children (Janine, Kari, Jordy and Bertie)
2007
60 cm x 80 cm

An Australian Family Christmas (Gillian, Tabitha, Tony, Nathaniel, Jasmine, Kane, Breanna, Hayley and Christian)
2007
60 cm x 80 cm

Dolly
2007
80 cm x 120 cm


































































Sunday 12 September 2010

Venus Xtravaganza

Here is the 5th portrait in my Unsung Heroes series: Venus Xtravaganza. Venus (born Thomas Pelagatti) was a transgender American in the New York City Ball scene of the 1980s, in which contestants 'walk the balls' to compete for trophies under different categories such as 'Butch Queen', 'School girl/boy Realness', 'Hetrosexual Realness' and 'European Runway'.
The Balls were a fascinating homosexual subculture of fashion, style, and glamour, and were the inspiration for one of Madonna's biggest hits: Vogue. Vogueing is a series of gestures and dance moves which take from Egyptian hyroglyphics, gymnastics and mirror the poses in Vogue Magazine, and its roots date back to the 1930s. The ball scene was divided into Houses of 'drag families' often named after the Paris Fashion Houses such as Saint Lauren and Escada - each comprising a house 'mother' and often father. Venus was a daughter of The House of Xtravaganza, was saving up for sex reassignment surgery, and working as a prostitute to pay for the extravagant costumes she put together for the Balls. She longed to be a spoilt, rich suburban white girl, to get married in church and live in a nice home with her husband. Tragically, she was murdered by a trick and her body was discovered 4 days later in a New York Hotel room in 1988. You can see Venus in the documentary "Paris is Burning".


Wednesday 8 September 2010

New Exhibition Dates Announced 2010 and 2011!!!






Group Exhibition: "Black and White Vs Colour"
Opening Night Friday 22nd October 2010, 6pm - 9pm
Exhibition running Oct 22 - Nov 12, 2010
Off The Kerb Gallery, 66B Johnston St, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
http://www.offthekerb.com.au

Solo Exhibition: "I Dream In Celluloid"
Opening Night Saturday 19th February 2011, 6pm - 8pm
Exhibition running Feb 19 - Mar 19, 2011
19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, 19 Karen Ave, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
http://www.19karen.com.au

Solo Exhibition: "I Dream In Celluloid"
Opening Night Wednesday 6th April 2011, 6pm - 10pm
Exhibition running Apr 6 - 29, 2011
For Walls Gallery, Miss Libertine, 34 Franklin St, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/For-Walls/116143241756732?ref=ts

Group Exhibition: "An Homage to Frida Kahlo"
Opening Night Saturday 4th June 2011, 6pm - 8pm
Exhibition running June 4 - 30, 2011
19 Karen Contemporary Art Space, 19 Karen Ave, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
http://www.19karen.com.au

Group Exhibition: "I Dream In Celluloid" (as part of 'Art In Mind')
Opening Night T.B.C
Exhibition running Aug 2 - 15, 2011
The Brick Lane Gallery, 96 Brick Lane, London E1, UK
http://www.thebricklanegallery.com/

Monday 6 September 2010

Richard Brautigan

The 4th portrait in my Unsung Heroes series is American poet and writer Richard Brautigan. Richard grew up in poverty in the Pacific Northwest, his father leaving his mother 8 months before his birth. As a young man, he threw rocks at a police station window in order to be sent to prison and fed - instead he was committed to a mental hospital where he received 12 electric shock treatments. He moved to San Francisco to become a writer in 1954 - a huge ambition for someone of his social class. Richard's involvement with the 60s counterculture saw him give away much of his early writings on the street for free. His works employ a stark simplicity, black humour and hauntingly beautiful innocence, and are both an important cultural account of the 60s and priceless pieces of Americana. He often mentioned suicide to his daughter, Ianthe, and after falling from favour, he shot himself in 1984.

Tuesday 10 August 2010

Next Unsung Hero

Opal Whiteley (1897 -1992) was a young nature writer and diarist from a logging town in Oregon. Her childhood journal, written with wax crayons on butcher paper, was torn to shreds by her sister Pearl only to be painstakingly re-pieced together and published in 1920 to much acclaim. Its date of creation and authenticity were later disputed, as were Opal's claims to being the illegitimate child of a French Prince. However, Opal's diary remains a unique and precious portrait of the innocence of childhood and the overwhelming importance of the natural world.

Thursday 15 July 2010

Unsung Heroes series

I am currently working on a series of portraits of my Unsung Heroes. There will be 8 paintings in the series which will be available from 19 Karen Gallery. The majority of the artists I'll be portraying have remained below the surface of their genre whilst others they have influenced and inspired have received much critical acclaim. I have therefore decorated the portraits in 'badges' featuring the successors.
Fran Landesman is an American poet and lyrics writer who was highly influential in the beat generation, and she has written songs for a vast array of musicians from Miles Davis and Roberta Flack to Bette Midler and Barbara Streisand. I was lucky enough to meet her and listen to a recital of her poetry at The Angel (she now lives in London and is 82 years old.) I have used her lyrics as starting points for paintings in the past as well as quoting her within my work.
Jeffrey Lee Pierce was an influential American blues musician who bridges the gap between the likes of classic Delta Blues era artists like Son House and Howlin' Wolf, and the modern era White Stripes and Nick Cave. He died on my 15th birthday in 1996 of a brain hemorrhage, and a shoebox of his last recordings was recently found in an attic and made into a record called 'We Are Only Riders', featuring Blondie's Debbie Harry and many of his contemporaries. His music has been my in my studio playlist for some years and his autobiographical book of stories has contributed greatly to my ideas.
The next one I'll be doing will be Opal Whiteley. Jeffrey Lee Pierce is ON RESERVE.


Thursday 1 July 2010

Represented in QLD by 19 Karen Gallery

I am delighted to announce my representation in Queensland by 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace. I am currently part of a group show there containing the last remaining works from my "50 Bucks" series, presented in a new format on a candy store assortment of handpainted wooden frames.



















































































































































































































































Thursday 10 June 2010