Rocklea Sunday Markets

I went to the Rocklea Sunday Markets a little while ago, and I found the mixed bag of vendors and attendees to be quite entertaining, so I've put together a humble collection of what I saw. 


Also, evidently, a lot of beautiful flowers. I shan't apologise. 

This dude was a sudoku fiend. I have a sneaking suspicion he dons a red suit for
kids come December, I mean, that beard needs to be put to use!
Then again, he also had some badass tatts...

So yeah, never underestimate your local flea markets as a source for portraiture practice. There are also Saturday morning and Wednesday night farmers' markets with tons of wonderful fresh produce - and a lovely flower/florist market across the road too. I'll say it again - I love Brisbane. 

a cool person bought my work! (at Lust for Life)

Well well well, I bark at you now as a very happy little dog. As you know (read: as I informed you earlier) my work was showing at Lust for Life's 'Viva La Femme' exhibit. I don't know where that dog thing came from just forget about it. But don't forget this: a cool person paid money for something I created.

I've only been back for a couple of months, but even so, this was the first time I'd ever (read: as in, my whole life) shown my work to a professional standard in a for-fucking-real setting. The exhibition opening night was a fantastic evening, and I got super drunk because I was so damn nervous. Seriously, the calibre of work on show was simultaneously awe-inspiring and terrifying. My favourite work was that of Symone Male and although Sarah Hickey was one of the big-name drawcards of the evening, all of my friends were drooling over Emily Devers' work. It was withoutadoubt exemplary. Go check her out. 

So now to the crucial information: the person who actually worked to earn money which they then spent on something that came from me. I was lucky enough (read: as soon as the red dot went up I madly dashed to the curator begging to be introduced to my patron) to meet this wonderful woman who, as it turned out, I have a shitload in common with. It was almost insane - the level of detail of similarity in our lives. To the point where we both eat from a Chairman Mao dinner plate. HOW INSANE IS THAT!?!!? SHAZAM. Her name is Eleanor and she does so many awesome things in Brisbane, please have a poke around her site. You won't regret it.

  

  

My friend Dan and I at opening night.

 

 

Also, I just want to say here that this really is a big deal for me. Regardless of the fact that four differet people (including the purchaser) told me my work was underpriced, it is a very profound thing to suddenly realise that other people might really truly actually value what you do. And value it enough to spend their hard-earned money on it. I never imagined my photograph would sell, and in fact I already have the screw in the wall where I was going to hang the piece upon its return home. (I'm looking at the empty spot now and it's the epitome of bittersweet.) I digress. I just want to really clarify, that I don't think I will ever forget this landmark. It's experienced by all artists and writers and creative others, and it is just so fucking validating. The honour of being included in this exhibition was enough of an ego-boost, but selling my work has kicked me into overdrive. I have such vigour and such new thirst to be super-saiyan levels of productive. Like I'm on speed or something. Like I'm on Crash Team Racing and I just drove over one of those lit-up arrow panels that give you a shitcrazy boost. Just like that.

 

 

PROOF.

  

So we had a brilliant evening and finished at The Brunswick Social for Mint Juleps and dumplings!

Oh - and the exhibition will be up on the walls and showing for about 2 more weeks, so head on into Fortitude Valley and support locals artists.

  

my work showing at Lust for Life's "Viva La Femme" exhibit.

Holy shit this is SO DAMN EXCITING. One of my photographs will be showing at the "Viva La Femme" exhibition being held by Brisbane tattoo studio/espresso bar/gallery Lust for Life. Go right ahead and click on their link and check out why I'm spazzing with excitement. Shazam, guys. This is it. So zazzy.

This is their media release for the event:

Lust For Life gallery is proud to announce the successful artists and exhibition launch date of Viva La Femme - A Celebration Of Women.

In March Lust For Life invited women of Brisbane to submit their artwork for inclusion in the gallery’s first group show since launching in November 2011. After receiving an overwhelming response to the callout, curator Melanie Mason and the Lust For Life team selected a total of 19 artists to showcase a striking variety of paintings, photographs,drawings and mixed media works to communicate their shared perspective of celebrating all things woman.

'Viva La Femme’ - A Celebration Of Women launches on Thursday 3 May from 7pm - 9pm at Lust For Life located at 176 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley. Men, women and children are invited to attend this free, all ages event.

‘VIVA LA FEMME’ EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Sarah Hickey, Braidy Hughes, Symone Male, Anna Day, Caitlin Sheedy, Febe Zylstra, Skye Baker, Belinda Sinclair, Amy Tanner, Beatrice Oconnell, Joanne Brooker, Clarissa Bones, Kellie Jagoe, Gill Pyke, Michelle Aguis, Martine Cotton, Vikki Roy, Bri Lee and Nikki Morgan Smith.

So... the opening is this Thursday night and there will be cool drinks and cool people and cool weather - so please try and make it. A small covern of my foxy friends will be coming with me, and the more people the better.

I have one photograph on show, an image from my time in North Korea. I'm really proud of how it turned out, and I'm flattered to be showing beside such seriously talented artists.

  

Autumn on Shandong University Campus

Kashgar - Epilogue

Here marks the conclusion of the Xinjiang journey. In the process of travel itself I always itch to write, and for weeks after I return home, I re-live the adventurous events over and over in my mind. When I look at the pictures I’m taken straight back, as we all are, transported to another place and another time. Such is the interaction between human mind and the process of documentation.

I was looking back over the list of things I wanted to write about from the trip, and having covered all the important bits, I took one last look over my massive file of photos from the trip and saw some favourites that for one reason or another, I hadn’t yet posted. I apologise if you have, in fact, seen any of these in previous posts, but so far as I can see they are mostly, if not all, new to your eyes. As usual, just click on the smaller ones to see the bigger version. You know, if you want. Or not. Whatever.

In terms of something to say to mark the end of my writing about Xinjiang, I have nothing more that really needs to be said. It was, all of it, bloody fantastic.

 

 

Oh, and thanks for reading about it all! Or thanks for looking at the pictures of it all!

Gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to know that people apart form my mum and Hanna actually read this.