Photographic Nation: Part 1

So my creative side has been focusing on the photographic lately with the lead up to an Exhibition in August and I thought I would start sharing them on here.

Nude Auction, University of Wollongong 2009

Ok, I know ive been away for a while, but i havent been just sitting around doing nothing, so there will be some catch up posts coming, but for now the Annual UOW Nude Auction for 2009.

Incase your unfamiliar the University of Wollongong, each year the Faculty of Creative Arts hold an auction of Artists/Student and Teachers art work, all based around the nude. Now this can be based around the human form or a play around the word and application of the word nude. All proceeds of the auction go the the 2009 Art and design Graduation Exhibition, this year called 'Grad Wrap'

At the request of a friend, this years artwork comes as a set of two prints, 594 x 840mm

Ive always been interested with the concept of the degradation of an image, and my submissions to the nude auction over the last few years has tried to reflect this.

Click image for closer view

After the auction a limited run of these prints will be available through redbubble, details will be released in a future post

Branding Motion Test

Ok, so I havent really filled in whats been happening this year. This year im studying a Masters degree in Graphic Design, in which i will be researching and exploring design for High Def/digital tv. For the practical side of the course I am applying this research in to a branding exercise for a fictional music channel called BEAT.

Heres the first tv spot ive developed

I suggest you load it up in its HD format at full screen, looks much better

$5.50 pints and karaoke

Ok, so i went for a job interview up in north sydney the other week, it went for two hours, ive never been in an interview for longer than 20 minutes, it was weird and im not sure whether it was a good or bad thing that it went so long. Anyway, when i finally got out it was about 5pm, so i messaged my friend whos still studying at a Sydney uni, I asked him if he wanted to hit up a pub for drinks (we are not ones to pass up an opportunity for a few drinks) , so we found a pub called paddy maguires on george st near china town. We walked in, Australia was playing footy on the tvs, they were selling Pints of Carlsberg - one of the smoothest, best tasting beers in the world for $5.50 a pint. After knockin a few pints back we discovered that the sacred art of karaoke was occurring in the opposite room. Needless to say we were all geared up to take part, we did a couple of single songs, then we started doing the duets. Before long we were getting compliments from the ladies and soon after that encores, for the life of me i cant think that anyone could of received encores for Karaoke! So with that in hand I have dubbed myself, and my friend the Kings of Karaoke.

(Sorry for the ramble)

Everything and nothing (my music muse)

so what have i been up to in the last 3 months... well as the title suggests ive been busy with nothing.  but what i have been up to (other than partying), is racking up new music, starting a new degree and building my dvd collection.

so my music muse for March 2009 is...

Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP

 

I found out about Bon Iver through his first album 'For Emma, Forever ago' in 2008, beautiful album, very touching. Any way a friend and i went to see him as part of the sydney festival, to cut a long story short we thought the starting time was the doors open time, needless to say we missed most of the concert, bar two chords of the main set and the chorus. The day after i saw that encore i went and bought this ep and i must say it is phenomenal, four tracks of absolute gold!

While i wont go in to much detail, a lil while ago i had a music swap with a friend of mine. I probably got about 1500 songs off him, he got around 2500, needless to say it was worth it. As a result i am recommending you listen to Patrick watson - his song ' the great escape' is absolutely beautiful, also have a listen to ida maria. Apart from that take a page from Matt Costa's 2008 album 'Songs we Sing' and go nuts with it

The 2008 Graduate Exhibition

Welcome to 'The Rabbit Hole' The University of Wollongong's Art and Design Graduate Exhibition of 2008. Ok so why am I showing off other peoples work rather than just my own, well its rather simple. Not only am I proud of the work of my peers but I was on the organising committee for the show, I was a curator of the show and a designer on the show. Which should explain my absence from blogging over the last what 16 or more weeks.

Anyway here is a slideshow of some of the works from the show, I hope you enjoy them. If you have any questions about the Artists or their works shoot me through an email on polaroid_ghost@y7mail.com, I wont give out the artist/designer's contact details without their permission, but I will seek their permission on your behalf.

Oh and just so you all know, I've applied for my masters, so with any luck a year from now the slideshow might be of my masters exhibition.

If you happen to be passing by Wollongong, why not stop by the uni and have a gander at the show, its up till the 19th of december in building 25 (faculty of Creative Arts)

Who needs 3d graphics when you can have pop up books...

Pics of my gradshow are coming soon...

3 years =

3 years = 90 weeks = 312 days = 624 classes = 1 314 hours = unemployment. Hears hoping my math is out!

Thats right, as of now i am free from uni, and yes while there may still be the grad show to set up for (which you are all welcome to attend) I can finally get back to what I do best... random non nonsensical illustrations that serve no purpose but to post on my blog and appeal to my own off balance sense of humour. That being said i think i owe you all a look at some of the work ive been doing... turning my illustration into something worth while ALBUM ART!

Dont forget to keep checking the website for my gradshow 'The Rabbit Hole' in the next week or so the current temporary site will be torn down and replaced by the student profile site for the exhibition. Which as it so happens runs in the FCA from the 21st of nov. to the 5th of Dec. at the University of Wollongong Building 25, 7:30pm.

Theif!

New T-shirt design to vote on up at popdeck.com for you to vote on. Its called 'Theif!' for obvious reasons...

Word...

I'm exploring hand crafted illustration for my grad project, but instead of showing you photos of the development I've decided to release lil tid bits of the design without giving away the overall look of the work. That way when I do show you the end product, its all a new experience.

So... the first aspect to glimpse at is TYPE, I love experimental type. These typographic forms were developed through using paper to create layers and making the negative spaces around letterforms positive.

But heres a vector illustrator I made to show it off.

My Music Muse...

Ok, so I saw this clip on rage a month or so ago, really loved it but forgot the details, I just had a jumpstart to my brain and I remembered. 'Caravan Girl' by Goldfrapp. The video features a surfer girl skating around free to do whatever she likes, it really made me want to dust of my ol' board and go for a skate, or even just design and order a one of deck for my own use.

The 2008 Nude Auction

The nude auction is an annual event held by the Faculty of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong. The event is one of the few occasions where works by both Students and Teachers hang together. All proceeds go to the 2008 Graduation Exhibition 'The Rabbit Hole'.

I've decided to enter a digital print to this years exhibition, here it is:

So if your in the Wollongong Area this Thursday (4/9/08) around 12:30, swing by Building 25 of Wollongong Uni and have a bid, who knows you may pick up a student piece that will gather value in the years to come, or you might pick up an established artist print on the cheap (Like the 3 prints Jeff Carter donated - which usually sell for $2000 give or take)

My Music Muse...

Ok so I really haven't bought any music this month, well apart from Albert Hammond, Jr.'s new album 'Como Te Llama?, which frankly I don't think it matches up with his first album 'Yours to Keep'. So this episode of My Music Muse... is brought to you by my favourite albums.

These albums were selected because every song is excellent

So in no particular order...

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake Its Morning (2005)

Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff (2005)

Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)

Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Like Bad News (2004)

I'll hold it there for now, if i did all of my favs in one hit it wouldn't fit on the page - i'll have to make an anthology of it. I highly recommend that you go out and find these albums and have a listen

Icarus toy!!!

Thanks to The Toy Society, Icarus has turned plush! Look how awesome he is...

Dare to venture down...

The Rabbit Hole is my end of year graduation exhibition. Its an exhibition at the University of Wollongong, show casing the major works of the graduating Art and Design students.

There's a temporary website up with information on the event, we are also using it to document the fundraising process. This will eventually be replaced by a student showcase site.

www.therabbithole08.com

Stick it!

I made stickers for sticking, lol. They feature some of my favourite characters/illustrations ive designed over the last year and a bit.

Having my moon and eating it too...

and other adapted metaphors. Once the moon was conquered the Polaroid Ghost sets his sites on the not so distant planet of Earth.

The new blog advertisement...

My Music Muse...

The music I'm currently musing over and gathering inspiration from

Sigur Ros - Meo Suo I Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust

The latest album from the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, I dare say this is their best yet. While still maintaining the soft melodic style they have become renowned for Sigur Ros have managed to transform their music into something much more, this album reflects their roots by being beautiful and soft, yet at the same time have managed to transform it to a new level of energy with poppy beats and untamed crescendos.

Simply - This album is amazing.

Songs worthy extra note

Their new single - Gobbledigook

Track 4 - Vio Spilum Endalaust

and

Track 7 - Ara Batur

Or if you just prefer to watch naked people run around in wild, untamed utopianism you should check out the Gobbledigook music video

http://myspace.com/sigurros

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Kinda think of this album like The Sleepy Jackson were in a head on collision with some killer synth and wicked beats. This album has some catchy riffs and the vocals of a folk singer.

Songs worthy of extra note:

Track 5 - Kids

Track 2 - Weekend Wars

http://myspace.com/mgmt

Upcoming Releases

Not sure of the release date but Albert Hammond Jr's second album release is coming up this month and is currently on the Splendour in the Grass line up, so look out for some side shows.

Meet Icarus...

Icarus is the person who forgets they have to walk (or at least jump) before they can fly, he currently takes the form of a t-shirt design at redbubble.com, a skate deck at popdeck.com and soon he while become a sticker and a plush toy with the help of the toy society!

check out the new Icarus deck...

http://popdeck.com/submits/1438

oh and dont forget to vote for it

NEW DECK - The Gigantomachy

Yep thats right, theres a new deck for you all to vote on at popdeck.com, so check it out, sign up and vote!

http://popdeck.com/submits/1426