art·ist·ry becomes art-is-tree ...

art·ist·ry –noun 1. artistic workmanship, effect, or quality.  2. artistic ability. 

"artistry." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 01 Jan. 2011. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/artistry;

Art-Is- Tree is also a series of events in 2011, one of which I am involved in. I mentioned in my last post that I will exhibit soon ... that will be part of Art-Is-Tree.

The exhibition will be held in a great little art space called Saraghi Art Space at Cafe Lugano in Cowes on Phillip Island.  Phillip Island is best known by Melbournites (depending on yours interests) for it's little penguins, amazing surf beaches, and the Motorcycle Grand Prix.  It's an island to approximately 7,000 people, which booms to something like 50,000 people in summer ... 

And there's little surprise it does, with it being only 90 mins from Melbourne down the Monash Freeway and South Gippsland Highway.  It's a gorgeous little slice of Victoria, at the mouth of Western Port Bay with sandy beaches, wetlands, wildlife experiences, art and cultural events, a mirage of accommodation options, local produce to taste and markets to visits.  I've mentioned my love for urban exploring before ... well this is rural exploring and I'm not necessarily talking about the "tourist" things here ...  

Front Row Seats - Phillip Island, 2010

You can go and see little penguins, seals at the Nobbies, Koalas, feed pelicans in San Remo (just over the bridge to mainland) and if that doesn't satisfy your need to get up close and personal to our furry or feathered friends there a number of wildlife sanctuaries on the island and in the Bass Coast region. 

If history is your thing, then there is Churchill Island, which is accessed by bridge from Phillip Island.  The island is the site of Victoria's first European agricultural pursuits and has been farmed since 1850 and is still a working farm.  There are of course various other options around, both on and off the island, including the Wonthaggi State Mine, the National Vietnam Veterans Museum and Dinosaur Diggings nearby on the Bunurong Coast near Inverloch.

Rock Pools near the dinosaur diggings, Bunurong Coast.

If the great outdoors pulls your heartstrings, then Phillip Island and the Bass Coast will leave your singing with joy.  There are a number of beaches to choose from for swimming, surfing or just exploring.  Phillip Island has a number beaches for surfing including the renowned Woolamai surf beach (warning - Woolamai beach is renowned because of it's strong rips and currents, which I witnessed years ago when an inexperienced swimmer got swept out to sea - he got saved luckily).  If you need assistance on tackling the riding of waves you can even get lessons via Island Surfboards who have been on the island since 1969.

There are also various walking tracks around the island where you can view the coastline, wetlands and native reserves.  If you like history, bird watching, walks and gardens then head for the aforementioned Churchill Island ... and while you're at it ... look out for a fancy wooden carved park bench with a peacock carved into one end, and a boat at the other.   The sculptor, Angie Polglaze ... who is also behind Art-Is-Tree, carved this bench.    I'll tell you more about her very soon.

Phillip Island is also great for those whose taste buds dominate.  For a start there are a number of wineries on the island and on the Bass Coast who run cellar doors.  There's also a great choice of restaurants, cafes and pubs to taste some of the local produce or if you'd rather get closer to the source the area hosts a number of Farmer's markets where you can meet the farmer.  I'm particularly fond of the Kongwak Market in South Gippsland (about 45 mins from the Island), which is held every Sunday.  The hills around this area are stunning and a drive through the countryside around here is highly recommended.

More direct to the island is the highly dangerous Phillip Island Chocolate Factory ... dangerous to sweet tooth's waistlines ... mmmmm.  Very dangerous.  Another special local produce delight for me is the seafood.  I'm not particularly into the idea of going out and sourcing it, but if you are there are plenty of options and I wouldn't say no to helping you consume the catch! I have fond memories of San Remo fish and chips as a child!

If none of that really appeals to you then you are probably someone who's more attracted to some of the events held down here ... like the Motorcycle Grand Prix, World Championship Superbikes and Australian Touring Car Championships ... if you have a need for speed!  You can even do a circuit of the track.

 

There's also events of a more musical nature if roaring engines isn't music to your ears ... like the Pyramid Rock Festival (which is held every New Year's Eve) or the forthcoming Art and Soul Festival, which coincidentally is also related to Art-Is-Tree ... but again I'll tell you more about that as well!!

The Bass Coast region is also home to a number of artists ... and the area has various galleries and studios to visit.  Not surprising to me, since I have been quite "inspired" particularly photographically by the island and the coastline around it.  In fact I need to go back there again ... real soon.  And I hope I've inspired some people to come and visit our exhibition in March. 

Art-Is-Tree will be launched at 2.30pm on Saturday 5th March

Saraghi Art Space

at Cafe Lugano

71 Thompson Avenue

Cowes

Phillip Island

The space is open daily from 9am - 3pm  and you have all of March to view it, it will feature sculptures by Angie Polglaze, ceramics by Sian Adnam and photos by Vanessa Brady (me!).

The Art and Soul Festival will be held on Saturday 19th March where you can also see Angie Polglaze sculpt.  But as I said ... more about her soon.

Early Morning views on Phillip Island, 2010

Is street art, art?

This is not a creative outlet for myself ... but it is for other people and I have a habit of taking photos of good street art ... or graffiti.  Not all graffiti is street art in my opinion ... so is all street art, art?

I am getting quite sick and tired of the "tag" phenomenon, where graffiti or street art just becomes glorified lettering .... am I just getting old or is this boring for other people?  Catching the train into Melbourne a while ago I noticed that ALL of the graffiti along the railway line was lettering ... or tags really.  On some of them, someone has gone to a lot of detail ... but it's just words that don't mean anything to anyone .... unless you hang out with teenage boys and you know who the "taggers" are ...

I must admit I've been looking at graffiti and street art again, since seeing the movie "Exit through the Gift Shop" earlier this year.  Driving through North Fitzroy after, I recognised a sticker on the back of a sign that was an image by US street artist, Shepard Fairey - who features in the movie. 

Shepard Fairey sticker (the face one) on a sign in North Fitzroy.

I guess in some ways using the same image over and over again is some sort of a tag in itself ... it identifies the "tagger" .... but I far prefer to look at sometime like the face than a word an exaggerate dynamic font!!  There's a "tag" of a cat that is literally across the Western Suburbs ... I've seen it all over the place, in Footscray, Altona, Braybrook, Yarraville ...

Cat tag in Footscray on the side of a railway bridge.

And yes I don't mind the cat .... however I still love it when you come across a piece of street art that impresses you ... that really shows the creativity of the person, who, although breaking a law, is sharing something worthwhile with you.  I go looking for them ... rather than walk down a main street in Melbourne CBD ... why not a laneway?  I found the next piece pictured, in the city recently.  It's in a lane that runs from Bourke Street to Little Collins down the side of David Jones.  It's covered in graffiti ... or street art ... I really needed a fish eye lens to capture it properly ... I should go back one day with a different camera.

But does street art become art when it's actually commissioned?  There's no risk .... the artist is either paid for the work, or at the very least given permission to paint the area.  I stumbled across some recently when I took myself for a walk alongside Moonee Valley Creek (killing time before an appointment!).  I can only assume that prior to the artworks, that the concrete under this bridge was a prime "tagging" spot ... and I really do prefer the end results to a bunch of spray painted lettering.

Wikipedia defines art as "the product or process of deliberately arranging symbolic elements in a way that influences and affects the senses, emotions, and/or intellect."  I guess the fact I've even bothered to write about it in the first place ... or taken photos of it ... makes it art.  It must have affected some senses, emotions or intellect in me.  And if we go by the wikipedia definition (yes I know ... not the most academic of references) then the fact that tagging affects my senses (I hate it) ... well even that may be art.  (Big apologies to my friend Zette about this ... who is still fuming about the local tagger who has written "splash" on her fence .... she would really like to deal with Splash.)

So graffiti is art ... and one of my all time favourite pieces of graffiti is now long, long gone ... it used to be in Moor Street, Fitzroy ... I loved it so much I photographed it, which is great as I still get to share it with people.  It's not as paintly as some of the examples above ... in fact it's quite simple ... and witty ... and that's why I still think it's great.
Simple but witty ... a bit like me at times!

Beach Huts

I've been meaning to do a photo session at a little known corner of South Werribee for a while now.  While the South Eastern bay beaches in Melbourne are well known, and frequently visited - the western parts of the bay coast are not so known .... which is why I love them so much.

Admittedly the beaches aren't quite so long ... and often covered in seaweed ... but I love them all the same.  Years ago I knew a couple that owned ("leased") one of the beach huts at Campbell's Cove, and one summers day and night a whole group of us went down there ... and ended up sleeping on the beach ... and I've always intended to go back ...

I eventually did - a couple of weeks ago .... the first sunny day we had had in a while.  Unfortunately I got down there all keen to take photos ... before realising I had left the battery out of my camera .... I did finally get back there ...

The thing about Campbell's Cove is not the scenic beauty ... or immaculately maintained beach huts like you might find on the other side of Melbourne ... but there's a different kind of beauty here ... one of character, history and many untold stories.  It's a secluded little corner of Melbourne which I am almost reluctant to write about ... but I am.

In fact, I wouldn't mind owning one of these!

I

My Campbell's Cove photos were actually taken over two days.  I took a mate of mine down here late one Saturday afternoon .... I think on the way there he was wondering where on earth I was leading him too .... however once there he got it as well and was surprised he'd never known about it.  We took photos until yet again I had battery problems (it ran out!!) and the light was fading fast  Disappointed we returned home ... not without me pointing out to him that there's a nudist beach not far from here!  As soon as I did he slammed on the brakes ... that was until I pointed out that in August it really is too cold for any sun bathing!!

The next morning I woke up to a brilliant sunny morning ... in fact with much better light conditions than the day before ... so I jumped out of bed and headed back down to finish my photo taking.

Pirate Booty

With so many bright colours, left over boating bits and just things to see .... it's little wonder that in under 3 hours I took nearly 700 photos!  Yes - I am a little ummm keen on photography!

If you want to see more from this little Urban Adventure, please see my Flickr profile ... but here's a couple more of my favourites.

I somehow think I will be returning here in different weather conditions ... there's still so much I could take photos of for a start.  Secondly, I seem to have a thing about water ... whether it be the sea, a creek, a river or a lake .... I should probably live closer to the coast.

I hope you like this little corner I've found you ... but shhhh ... it's a well kept secret!

Urban Exploring

Wikipedia defines Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex or UE) as the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities.

However, my definition is a bit looser than this.  Mine is purely exploring ... whether it be urban environments or rural ... I like to see things in different ways - to find beauty where you least expect it, and my eyes and my camera are the tools to share these finds.

Sometimes I will plan an exploration, sometimes I just decide to see where a road or a path leads.  And as I usually have a camera with me, if I find a good shot, out it comes!!

Its amazing what you find, and I've surprised some friends from finding things in their local areas they have never even known about ...

Open a map - throw down stone ... go and explore where it lands!!

Here's some photos from a recent trip.

I have been driving through Altona a lot for medical appointments.  The Petrol Refineries fascinate me ... and some of the wide open spaces around here (which unfortunately are quickly disappearing).  I had noticed some old signage in a field that amused me and that inspired me to try a different road one day ....

Abandoned KFC bucket ... in a field in Altona.

With time to kill before an appointment I decided to follow a road that appeared to go nowhere ... but I had to find out how to get to it first ... and this nicely took me to a different angle of the petrol plant ....

And to the Altona East Soccer Club ...

But I finally found the way to the road I had seen .... and to my delight lead to Kororoit Creek or lower Kororoit Creek since I leave near the creek but much further up.  Slowly over the past 3 years there have been attempts to clean the creek up a bit.  It was once quite clean apparently - up near me there used to be a swimming pool built into the creek - that stopped being used between to the two world wars ... when the creek became mucky with pollution ...

Somewhere in the past year, they have built a bridge over the creek and joined up two parts of Altona ... and alongside the creek they are making walking paths, and planting trees ... but the bit that I loved the most was the public art that had been installed here.  The day I discovered this I was still quite unwell ... massive headaches, dizziness ... I walked only a short distance along the path before realising I just couldn't do it.  I did end up coming back a few weeks later with a friend and her dog and we followed the path.  The following photos are first of the sculpture on first discovery, and then a couple of photos when I shared my discovery with Zette and her dog Peanut.

The Art piece from a distance

I love the effects of the sticks, the red and white and the shadows of the late afternoon.

When we did come back for the walk the thing that struck me the most was how quiet it was ... yes there was industry just over the fence ... and some noises associated with that, but apart from that there was so little other signs of life ... no other people out walking ... just us two and the dog ... oh and a lot of rabbits, which of course got chased!

Unusual growth spied on the walk.

Although late in the day, the bushes were all laced with droplets and sparkled at you as you walked past.

One of my favourite things to see in late winter ... Wattle blossoms ... to me they are a sign that spring is coming ...

One of the neighbours to the creek path.

So that's my exploration of Lower Kororoit Creek - well that section of the creek anyway - there's others!

I'll be coming back here later in the year when it's not raining so much and I'll get more pics.

But of course I have other places I must visit ... other photos to take ...