“Are there any photographers other than Trent Parke?”, I asked my friend Kate tonight. As noted, I have decided the best way to “tackle” Sydney Contemporary is to spend a day/night exploring a particular medium. And so tonight, I decided I’d “tackle” photography.
To be brutally honest, there wasn’t a lot which impressed me. Indeed, there wasn’t a lot of photography generally. I know photography can be a real issue for collectors – images fade – but it’s an important, and really amazing area of contemporary art, and so I was disappointed there wasn’t more.
Don’t get me wrong. I really liked the photography I saw, and here are my favourite works, about which I feel passionate about. I just wished there wasn’t more.
Troy Emery, Woof-WoofPaul Dibble, Rabbit Fights BackGuan WeiCaroline Rothwell, Weather MakerTim Storier, The Histrionic WayfarerAlex Seton, Someone Else’s Problem
And so I started looking at video art, and there wasn’t a huge amount of that either. Yikes.
Not really me sitting on the toilet, this was an “interactive” installation or just a good “photo op”.
Tomorrow, I’m guessing I’ll look toward paintings and drawings, and I’m hoping there’ll be more to inspire.
Our morning in Wuxi began with a stark reminder of how weather can change even the best-laid plans. It was the final day of the Dragon Boat Festival public holiday, and our first stop was a park by a lake. We could see stalls set up and decorated, ready for bustling crowds, but the paths were eerily empty. The reason was the rain—a persistent, soaking downpour.
I donned my trusty plastic poncho, which I’d ironically picked up at Big W in Sydney a couple of weeks ago, noting its “Made in China” label. As I stepped off the bus, I immediately realised the ground was incredibly slippery. For me, every step was a calculated risk, and I was genuinely worried about falling over.
I took things very, very slowly and even took a photo out in the rain to document the moment. But as I watched the rest of the group head off in their rain gear, I had a moment of clarity and asked myself, “What in God’s name am I doing here in the rain?”
I decided the risk of falling was far too great. While the others went on to explore what they later said was a beautiful view of the lake, I remained on the small vehicle. I was perfectly happy and secure in my choice, content to enjoy the peace and quiet and, most importantly, stay upright. It was a clear reminder that sometimes the smartest decision is knowing your limits.
From that wet and challenging start, our next stop was an indoor one: a visit to a local Pearl Factory. The tour gave us an insight into China’s significant freshwater pearl industry and the cultural importance of these gems, which have been a cherished export since the Han dynasty. We learned all about the cultivation and intricate processing required to produce the lustrous pearls.
This was definitely one for the women of the trip. While the men showed genuine interest in the manufacturing process, our eyes collectively glazed over once we entered the sprawling showroom filled with finished jewellery. The tour guide took one look at me, and he smiled and pointed me directly towards the coffee stand—a suggestion I happily accepted. Meanwhile, many of the women were in their element. A number of them even ventured into the exclusive VIP room, where we saw some truly exquisite pieces, including one breathtaking pearl necklace with a price tag of around $200,000 AUD!
Following the factory visit, we settled in for the 200-kilometre coach journey to our next destination, Hangzhou, a city renowned for its stunning natural beauty and historical sites.
Following on from my previous post about German language hits of the 1980s, I’ve been completely awash in the sounds of Italo Disco!
While German electronic music certainly had its allure, there was something undeniably fun, glamorous, and just a little bit camp about Italo Disco that absolutely captivated me in the 1980s. I was young, gay, and hitting the nightclub scene in Brisbane, Australia, and it was a great accompaniment.
Here are some of my favourites from the time.
Yes, yes, Laura Branigan’s version was huge, especially in the US, but for me, the original Italian version by Raf is where the magic truly began. It has that unmistakable Italo swagger and a slightly darker, more mysterious feel that I just adore.
You hear that iconic “oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh” and you know exactly what it is! Baltimora’s “Tarzan Boy” is one of those ridiculously catchy, instantly recognisable tracks that defines the era.
And even though he was an American, “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back to My Room)” by Paul Lekakis (1987) was produced by the established Italo Disco production team of Miki Chieregato, Tom Hooker, and Roberto Turatti.
What a hunk!!
Somewhere in my collection I have quite a few Italo Disco records.
I spoke recently with Richard McCarthy for The Limb Shift podcast, and his story will appear when the series launches later this year, during Amputee Awareness Week.
Richard McCarthy’s story began with a motorcycle accident at a roundabout; sensing a car was not going to stop, he “laid the bike down to avoid hitting it or being hit”. Initially believing he had only sustained minor injuries, he was soon struck by a severe infection that led to his status as a left below-knee amputee.
The road to recovery was arduous. Richard spent six months in hospitals across Toowoomba, Warwick, and Stanthorpe.
Beyond the physical struggle of learning to walk again, Richard candidly describes the psychological toll. In the early stages, he battled intense depression, often isolating himself by “closed the door to my room and lock[ing] it at times so that I wouldn’t be bothered because I wanted to be by myself”. He emphasizes that this period was deeply difficult, noting: “I mean, still now I sometimes slip into depression, but I can. I’ve learned to sit with it and to understand it and work out and have a think about things and pick myself up and keep moving because, um, I think that’s the only thing to do”.
A significant turning point occurred when he attended a Limbs 4 Life https://www.limbs4life.org.au/ conference in Canberra. This experience, combined with the support of his peers, provided him with a new sense of energy. During this time, he decided to pursue an activity he had always wanted to do: skydiving. Regarding the jump with his children, he recalls that because the instructors were “a bit worried about my leg falling off,” they used a jumpsuit to “tape, tape, tape the leg up so that if it did come away, it wasn’t going to fall”.
Richard’s life post-amputation has been marked by a series of significant adventures. Driven by a desire to contribute, he traveled to Cambodia multiple times with a group called Roar to help “build[ing] infrastructure in villages outside of Phnom Penh for some of the local people”. He describes these experiences as “a real eye opener”. Among his many personal highlights, he notes that “Charlie, My grandson being born” was the most important event.
Furthermore, Richard’s determination to reclaim his independence led him back to riding. He purchased a Suzuki Burgman 650, which he describes as “a scooter on steroids”. He recounts the experience of getting back on the road: “I tell people, if you see me being able to ride away from the shop where I got it, if I hadn’t had a helmet on, my smile would have been, you know, half as wide as my head”.
Reflecting on his experiences, Richard offers simple but powerful advice to those currently facing similar hardships: “keep your chin up” and remember that “nothing’s impossible”. He encourages others to “look for people who can help you in any way,” “stay away from negative people,” and “enjoy life,” adding: “You only get one shot at it, eh?”. Through every challenge, Richard has chosen to keep moving forward, proving that with the right mindset, life after a major injury can be full of purpose and adventure.
What are the chances of an aircraft having not one, but two flat tyres? Not ours. The one hemming us in at Sydney Airport this morning.
When our captain (who had a very sexy voice, by the way) first told us about a flat tyre on the Pacific Blue flight (which had hemmed us in), he sounded reasonably philosophical about it all. But when he informed us of a further delay because the flight had TWO flat tyres, you could hear the sense of frustration in his voice. The problem, he told us, was that we couldn’t move until the Pacific Blue flight had their tyres repaired.
And so we sat and waited. And I read the paper, tweeted about the inconvenience, and sent some emails.
The delay also gave me some time to reflect on some of the interesting things I noticed at the airport. First, the automated flight information announcements with the American accent. Second, that although the urinals now are “eco friendly” by using recycled water, the taps in the hand-basin are those press button ones which deliver a torrent of water that you can’t turn off. One seems to defeat the purpose of the other eh?
And then came the good news: the sexy-voiced captain told us they were able to maneouvre the other aircraft in such a manner that we could “squeeze” through and take our place in the queue for take-off. There was a massive, collective sigh of relief when word came that we would soon be on our way.
Being possibly the world’s best plane sleeper, I then managed to sneak a brief “power nap” in the minutes before take off. Deep in sleep, I snored loudly and woke myself up, as we took to the air only 60 minutes after originally planned. A slight delay only adds to the drama of it all, though, doesn’t it?
And I love the sense of “occasion” associated with overseas travel. You’re in the queue, you have all your documentation ready (well, I do, though some people in the queue in front of me struggled to locate theirs). You’ve filled in the departure card. You’ve gone through Customs and Security, and then you just have to sit and wait.
It ain’t gonna change soon, although recently Richard Branson did mention he thought two or three hour flights between Sydney and London were in the realm of possibility within our lifetimes.
So what did I think of Air China? The first thing you notice in economy (at least) is the fairly “dated” inflight entertainment system. The screen had seen better days. In addition, there were just a few movies to watch. As none of them particularly interested me – a combination of Chinese soap operas and B-grade Hollywood, I mostly watched the flight map. Having read a review which mentioned how crap it all was, I had also loaded my computer with some of my own inflight entertainment.
The food and wine? The food was good, though not great. I had some chicken with vegetables for lunch. It was “enough”, though I would have liked a little more. I would have also liked a second glass of wine with lunch, but that wasn’t to be. Dinner was beef with rice, and finally a Chinese bun with a meat-like filling. After the wine came out for lunch, it was never to be seen again. In fact, I swear there were only two bottles of wine on board the entire aircraft, and they were both consumed at lunch-time.
The service was good, though not great. Everyone spoke some English, and all they smiled when I responded in Chinese with “please” and “thankyou”. Best of all? No babies. It wasn’t until we were somewhere over the Molucca Sea that I noticed there wasn’t a single child on the aircraft. Almost everyone travelling was from an Asian (assuming Chinese) background, with just a few Caucasian faces on board (including a group of “grey nomads” who are members of the Australian Tai Chi Fitness Group, according to their name tags).
I shared a seat with, at first, a middle-aged Asian woman from Sydney, and then later a younger woman, though I have no idea of her story. She just looked young and surly. My favourite neighbour on the flight from Shanghai to Beijing was a bloke with three mobile phones: an i-phone, a blackberry and a nokia. I assumed was a communications businessman of some form until I noticed he was just using the i-phone to play games.
Despite the late start to our flight in Sydney, the turn around in Shanghai was seamless: we were in and out of customs in a couple of minutes. I even had time to sit down and give Kate an update call.
A few hours later and I was safely ensconced in Kate’s place, as we sat and chatted until late in the morning.
Have just been to see a preview of Destination Arnold, a soon to be shown on ABC-TV documentary, produced by my friend, Michaela Perske. I never thought I’d be interested in the world of female bodybuilding, but it was absolutely brilliant. I cared about the women involved, and loved the honesty of the emotions and experiences they shared.
Yes, very busy. I didn’t see you, but there were thousands and thousands. I spotted a guy from work, but he was gone in an instant. He said, he probably saw more bars than he saw art works!!
Major purchase? Cool!! I took a look at The Other Art Fair during lunchtime today, and it was interesting and affordable! The most interesting things for me were photographs by http://www.sarikaguptaphotography.com.au/
A doctor who travels around the country doing NGO work, takes photographs and then donates the money raised from sales back to the NGOs. Though some photographers deal in what you would losely call “poverty porn”, Sarika really shows the strength and integrity of the people visited.
Very affordable, and I think I’ll buy some.
Having a rest tonight, but absolutely love there’s so much art-wise to do right now.
I feel like the last (and first) Sydney Contemporary was a little more diverse, there were definitely more video works (and I think more sculpture).
We’re now contemplating making a major major purchase (scary).
Were you there last night? I saw Kate a couple of times from a distance, but it was aa bit of a zoo.
We’re off to the other art fair on Saturday – should be an interesting contrast!
Yes, very busy. I didn’t see you, but there were thousands and thousands. I spotted a guy from work, but he was gone in an instant. He said, he probably saw more bars than he saw art works!!
Major purchase? Cool!! I took a look at The Other Art Fair during lunchtime today, and it was interesting and affordable! The most interesting things for me were photographs by http://www.sarikaguptaphotography.com.au/
A doctor who travels around the country doing NGO work, takes photographs and then donates the money raised from sales back to the NGOs. Though some photographers deal in what you would losely call “poverty porn”, Sarika really shows the strength and integrity of the people visited.
Very affordable, and I think I’ll buy some.
Having a rest tonight, but absolutely love there’s so much art-wise to do right now.