New beginnings

Beginning the process of truly embracing myself. Only today did I realise that I've already started this process. I feel incredible. I feel emancipated and enlightened from every other previous evil. I really feel like this is a new start for me, a new chapter in my life where my wellbeing is treasured and my mind can reach it's full potential.

Dolcettini

Dolcettini Patisserie at Dural is one of my favourite places to catch up with friends and to enjoy something sweet and a little guilty!

Blanket of Fog

This morning I woke up, pulled myself out of bed while trying to to wake up the cat. I don't usually stray from my morning routine, but for some strange reason I felt compelled to have a peak out of my window while getting ready for uni. Obviously our animal instincts are still kicking around because my whole view was blanked in fog. It was beautiful. And it remained that way til about 1pm in some areas.

One of my uni friends showed me this aerial image taken over the top of Sydney city,you can just see Center-point Tower. I've also included some of the photos I took from inside the city and my own suburb.

Series Finale, May

Just finished watching the series finale of Doctor Who. I don't even know what just happened in front of my eyes. I love being so invested in such an incredible tv show, but man it can be so painful and exhausting! Moffat, you are the worst and the best at the same time.

Studio Time

Studio has really been going well for me lately, touch wood. In a happy place where I feel like I can pump out works that come straight from my guts. Really instinctive and raw. I was having a rough time finding that momentum and peace of mind at the start of the year but now I've found my element and plan to use it to the very best of my ability. Loving it!

Wagamamas

Bit of a girls night. Dinner and dessert at Wagamamas at Circular Quay and then a cute night in. I was huddled by the heater of course.

Cogee Beach

Visited a friend's new apartment at Clovelly during the week. Sat by the beach with fish and chips. Antagonised the seagulls, wasn't my doing though. We have such awesome beaches seriously. Good to be able to have a bit of a relax.

What time?

Life in general has been pretty stressful lately. Had to question my situation when at 10 o'clock tonight I was theorizing virgins stabbing a unicorn. Who am I kidding, I love it. That sort of work keeps life interesting and a little weird.

So tonight I finished my section of a group presentation that's due next week. Tick! One thing off my 'too-scary-to-think-about' list. Next up are two 2000 word essays due in the next few weeks. Don't get me wrong I actually really enjoy writing essays in my field of study. But I have not left myself enough time where I feel like I don't have to stress about it. That always seems to happen in first semester for me..

Right now all I can think is just to keep pushing through. Time is precious and it should be used to it's full potential! (Easier said than done sadly). Just keep truckin.

If only to escape

I need to break free, from this box I've been living in for the past few weeks. To just get in the car, ignore uni and work, and just drive. I don't know where to, anywhere with rolling hills or the beach suits me just fine. Before I completely break.

Anne Wallace

Anne Wallace completed her Bachelor of Visual Arts at the Queensland University of Technology in 1990. She was awarded the Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarship three years later allowing her to complete a Masters qualification at the Slade School, London. Since then she has received the Art Gallery of New South Wales’s Sulman Prize and her included in ‘Hitchcock’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney and in the Brisbane City Gallery's, ‘Private Rooms: Anne Wallace — 10 Years of Paintings’ in 2000.

"Who has not looked into a mirror and been disturbed at the lack of self-recognition, the uncanny sense that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, we do not in fact exist? When the seamless normality of our lives is at times interrupted for whatever reason, the mirror becomes proof that we are the impostor while the reflection that stares back is somehow the ‘real’ us, to whom we have no access."  

http://nga.gov.au/tales/Anne.cfm

'That was long ago', 2005

'Eames Chair', (2004)

'Boudior', (1997)

'Fury', (2001)

'Damage', (1996)

13 Rooms

Kaldor Public Art Projects has brought this exhibition to Sydney after coming from Manchester as '11 Rooms', then '12 Rooms' in Essen, Germany. It 'brings together 13 famous artists and more than 100 performers to present an innovative group exhibition of ‘living sculpture’ within 13 purpose-built rooms. This groundbreaking event will run for 11 days and has been curated by renowned museum directors and curators Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-director of London’s Serpentine Gallery, and Klaus Biesenbach, Director of MoMA PS1 in New York.'

I have two close friends of mine performing in the John Baldessari's 'Thirteen Colorful Inside Jobs'. I visited the show on Saturday and it was mind-blowing. Absolutely incredible. My favourite works would have to have been Laura Lima's Man=flesh/Woman=flesh - FLAT, 1997 as well as Santiago Sierra's Veterans of the Wars of Afghanistan, Timor Leste, Iraq and Vietnam Facing the Corner, 2013.

This is the video we were shown at uni by John Kaldor himself in introducing the concept of 13 Rooms. 

All time favourites

One of my all time favourite songs, it's absolutely incredible and gets me every time! However I have been searching for the actual name of the song for what feels like forever and an age now. Worried that I will wear it out but for now I am loving being able to listen to it whenever I feel.

Tonight by myself

Having a night in by myself while Mum babysits my young cousin.
Listening to the scores from the Lord of the Rings Triology and The Hobbit. Catching up on the latest episodes of Doctor Who and Miranda on ABC iview.
I made my first stir fry all on my lonesome and ate way too much chocolate and peanut butter icecream. To be honest I love looking through recipes and cookbooks but I very rarely cook myself. I have done a fair bit of baking in my time, particularly the last few years. But I really do need to learn to make savory meals and practice techniques more often. I'll have to survive on it one day!

Hong Kong

Took my first overseas trip just last week. Can't say that I enjoy sitting on a plane for ten plus hours but I did enjoy the change of culture and atmosphere! I loved spending the time with my Mum and our close family friend. The shopping, natural landscape and culture was amazing.

After Afghanistan

Art Month Sydney 2013 is coming to a close, it has been a really amazing experience for me this year going to some of the art talks and exhibitions around Sydney, to see what is generating more interest and popularity in our artist sphere. The most pivotal for me was an art talk at National Art School that addressed the topic of Australian War Artists and their experiences and resulting works. Two of which were present and involved in the discussion, Wendy Sharpe and Ben Quilty.  Ben Quilty is one of my favourite artists, both nationally and internationally, I think he is incredible at expressing through visual means as well as verbal. The talk really helped me get back onto the path of discovering what it is that I actually want to create myself, and ultimately what sort of person I would like to continue developing into. The talk was a really fantastic way to bring into light global and local current affairs, with the question of the role of an artist in contemporary society and what we as a general public can put into such debates.

Quilty currrently has his exhibition 'After Afghanistan' on at National Art School in Darlinghurst, sadly it's last day is tomorrow. Unfortunately when I went to go and see the works the gallery was just closing for the night. However it is doing a tour around Australia over the next two years with the first stop being Queensland's Cairns.  

'Ben Quilty: After Afghanistan'

Art Day

Considering every day is an art day for me, the title is a tad off. But it was a big day!
Last Saturday one of my best friends, Freya, and I had a little run around town catching up on some art shows in Sydney. First off the list we went and saw the new Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. It was incredible. His use of scale left me in awe.

Next up we went to ChalkHorse Gallery in Surry Hills to see one of our lecturer's shows, which was also excellent. Then an art debate in Kings Cross questioning whether 'Contemporary Art is a Joke'. And later dinner in The Rocks. Was a rather tiring day, but well worth it.

Back to school, back to school

And so the new university year begins. Admittedly I am a little behind with my updates as it's actually the third week of uni. But I have been unbelievably busy in my defence!

So rather than going intimately one event too deep I'll just do a quick overview of the past few weeks in photo form.