Places I would buy/live in if I were rich

You have to be rich to buy almost any house in Perth, Western Australia. I am not rich. But that doesn't stop me from appreciating nice houses on the interwebs. I think I am reconciled to the fact that I'll probably never be an owner/part-owner of a house in this city, unless the house is kinda poor. But let's ignore that, and look how beautiful this house in Lesmurdie is:



"Built by well known architect Wally Greenham in the early 1970's, this home has been fastidiously maintained and presents today as a testament and reminder of creative forces at work during this period. Wally Greenham was an important Western Australian architect who, upon graduating from the University of WA completed a study tour in Japan. This piqued an interest in Japanese architecture akin to the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Goff. His work has been described as being loose and experimental and as having great freedom of expression."

Here's a pic of a room in this house, and then a pic of an authentic Japanese interior.




You can really see the influence. The Japanese style really fits well with the bush setting.




I'd never tire of washing dishes with a view like that, but anyway, at a price of $990 000 which equates to $1517 a week for 30 YEARS, this aint never gonna happen.

Our CD Launch tonight.

I totally forgot to mention earlier that the band I'm in (The Ghost of 29 Megacycles) is launching an album tonight. Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm, Location: Velvet Lounge (Behind the Flying Scotsman). $5 entry. The facebook events page is here.

Usually we play experimental drone music, but tonight we will actually be playing SONGS! Hopefully this will work out ok. ^_^

20÷2/10 Exhibition + Tookbegi Korean

The 20÷2/10 exhibition opened last night at Coastal Shelf gallery. The works are by Royce Alido in collaboration with Sarah Rowbottam and Jessyca Hutchens (20 works on graph paper created within 10 days). Coastal Shelf gallery is @ 8 Pier St, Perth.

If you ever go to Coastal Shelf at night (or well, during the day), try and eat at Tookbegi Korean. This place is right next to the Korean supermarket on the corner of Hay and Pier St. They have heaps of stuff for vegetarians... bibimbap, dumplings, noodles, savoury pancakes, and it's all awesome...especially if you like CHILLI!

The use of characters in graphic design (Perth).

As you may have noticed, I have started blogging about instances of character-design usage in commercial graphics. I am interested in the intersection of art and the commercial world, where the priority of design is to catch your attention and imagination in a simple and/or emotive way. Of course I also appreciate "fine-art", but often there is no particular urgency on the part of the artist to convey a specific message and have it understood. Sometimes the artist can't even articulate the meaning of a work to him/herself.

I feel that in the west/or just in Australia(?), that there is a sense that if an artist signs up for work in the commercial world; in advertising, marketing, etc, then they are selling out. Art is something "above and beyond" the commercial; something divine, something that people aren't allowed to touch. I think that this is definitely changing, as these fields grow and more creatives are involved in commercial work. I felt that Japan is so far ahead though, in terms of merging the artistic and the commercial. A lot of "ordinary", mass-produced items such as lunch-boxes, erasers, bowls, chairs etc are so artfully designed. Some of the advertising campaigns / promotions are surprisingly imaginative and thoughtful. "Corporate" doesn't necessarily equate with ugly, square and utilitarian. Artful and aesthetic objects and images are not just hung in galleries, but are pervasive all through day-to-day life.

I think that character design in advertising represents the joining between the creative and the commercial. Art is slowly pervading the corporate landscape, and overall I support this trend because it gives me something more interesting to look at than just the same old text-based signage. So, in this blog, I'll be presenting as many local/Perth examples that I can.

So, without further adieu, allow me to introduce "Teddy". I found this little mascot in the classifieds section of the Guardian Express:

TeddyClean Commercial Cleaning Services provides cleaning services to West Australian commercial and residential properties within the Perth metropolitan area.

The character is quite basic, but it is indeed, a cleaning bear; something just a little out of the ordinary.

My first market - Made On The Left

I finally had my first art stall on Saturday at the Made On The Left market at Hyde Park Hotel. My set-up was pretty minimal compared to many of the awesome stalls that day, but hey, it was my first try. It has inspired me to do some new art and hopefully try selling at a market again. Next time I think I will work at a better display.

Meteor shower this week.

"The Leonid meteor shower occurs from about 14 to 20 November as the Earth passes through an old debris stream left by past passages of a comet. The maximum rate occurs within a day or so of November 17 and is usually less than 10 per hour."

Between 2 and 4am tomorrow morning, there should be meteors visible from Perth. Look North East, about 45 degrees up into the sky and you should see some? Please let me know if this is incorrect.

Here's some more information here and here.

Japanese School Festival / 日本の学校 文化祭

Today I went to the Japanese School Festival in City Beach, Perth. I go there every year to eat dango and buy Japanese children's books. This year was no exception!

ペースにある日本の学校.今日はこの学校の文化祭でした.毎年私は文化祭へ行きます,団子を食べますそしてこどもの本を買います.今年も楽しんできました!

Pip & Pop exhibition at Freerange Studios

This exhibit is extremely cute, I thoroughly recommend you to go check it out!

"Three minutes happiness"
by Pip & Pop (Nicole Andrijevic and Tanya Schultz)
Free Range Gallery
339 Wellington St,
Perth, Western Australia.

The best source of vegetables in North Perth

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Piccadilly Cinema, Perth

Piccadilly's is currently the only operating cinema in central Perth. Does this amaze anyone else? The next nearest cinemas are in Mount Lawley, South Perth(?)... and not sure where else.

The reasons that I like Picadilly's are: its art deco stylings, the feeling that when you enter the doors and walk up the stairs you are actually travelling back through time and of course, it's relative cheapness. The reasons that I don't like Picadilly's are: the seats are often uncomfortable, the floors are often sticky, and they tend to pick up and screen the more crapper of the Hollywood releases. I saw one of my most hated films here: "The Terminal". Under no reasonable condition should you ever subject yourself to this film, for you will surely perish with a seething overflow of wrath.

Pacific By Rail @ Amplifer

Went out last night to Amplifier for the first time in a long time to see Pacific By Rail.

Influences include: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, The Telescopes, Monster Movie, Mojave 3, Sigur Ros, Godspeed, Mogwai, Blonde Redhead, Helen Stellar, Pia Fraus, Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, Ester Drang, Radiohead, The Pillows, Bailter Space, The Jesus and Mary Chain & Auburn Lull.

They're also playing the Artrage Roadtrip gig tomorrow night with Eleventh He Reaches London, Bone, These Shipwrecks, French Rockets & The Tigers.