Greetings, blog-readers and time-wasters. With the end of the Mid-Semester break comes even more sketches of stairs.... These are sections of a set of stairs linking the upper and lower studio spaces with the central exhibition space for the section that i had modelled on Google Sketchup.

Lecture stair

Shown here are two sections of one of the staircases from the week 2 lecture. It is comprised of very simple geometric forms but is nevertheless intruiging from its unusual arrangement and composition.

Shown here are two screenshots of the Google Sketchup model i made of the below section. The above is simple and untextured, whilst the lower is rendered with textures to suggest what kind of materials could be used. The dome has been rendered in a light grey marble/stone, which points to the alleged rigidity and authority of the law. However, the internal is rendered to be made of steel framed glass, which adds to the insecurity that one would feel on the inside, unnerved by the instability of injustice. The spherical rooms on the below-ground are built from a more coarse stone, suggesting the untamed nature of this process. The corrogated steel walkways indicate that the process of evolution will occur inevitably.

This is the section influenced by Sidney Nolan and Patricia Piccinini's work, which i've modelled on Google Sketchup. The top/above-ground half of the building symbolizes Injustice. It describes the law to be seemingly flawless and equal in every way, embodied in its semi-spherical form. However, the internal flaws of the law become apparnt once one steps inside, and realizes the law is in fact flawed in many ways, unequal, and frankly, uncomfortably vicious. Its jagged form contrasts vastly from its exterior, playing on one's expectations of equality and justice. Linked aesthetically, is the bottom half, which again uses spheres. Suggesting Evolution, the basement is comprised of increasingly large spherical rooms linked by corridors. The increase of size with the decrease of depth is a reference to the fact that the process of evolution does not lie only in the progress of increased diversity, but that it is a process occuring through time.

Sections/Datum studies

After several delays including a scanner software failure as well as the Ozzy Osbourne concert, it's time I got back on track. So without further ado, here are my section studies!

Sir Sidney Nolan
The Burning Tree (with Ned Kelly), 1978-79

Injustice. Crucify. Australian.

Ricky Swallow
The Arrangement, 2004

Trap. Slither. Oblivious.

Patricia Piccinini
The Bodyguard, 2004

Evolution. Respond. Animated.

The Jazzbird

A labour of love. This is a bass guitar that i had built. Uniquely finished and assembled by hand, this instrument represents my progression from love of an art and hobby, to employing another artform to craft something to express that first love through. To be honest, it did not turn out exactly as i had hoped (on a purely preferential basis, mind you...) and is played less than it should. However, it is beautiful not only for its aesthetics and what it represents to me, but also that the process through which it was built was an invaluable learning experience. Whilst the final product is fantastic, it is the joy brought about by the process of its creation that is truely beautiful, this image and the item pictured only embodies and attempts to capture the beauty.

Bank of China Tower
location: Central, Hong Kong

To me, the Bank of China Tower remains an inspirational piece of architecture. Having been born in Hong Kong but raised abroad, depictions of my birthplace through various media in my childhood often included this building. Spectacular and symbolic of the Hong Kong skyline, the Bank of China Tower embodies the very traditional oriental visual element: the bamboo-like motif, which suggests upward growth and prosperity; whilst pioneering in the contemporary, being the first building outside the United States to break the 1000' mark, as well as the first major building in Hong Kong to bypass consultation with Feng Shui masters. For many years, the Bank of China Tower was a goliath amidst the mass of smaller towers. Even though it is now placed at third, the tower continues to be the classic symbol of Hong Kong's collection of impressive skyscrapers.

The Troubadour
Oil on Canvas
150cm x 110cm

Shown here is a my 2006 HSC Visual Arts major work. It depicts an old busker outside the Australian Museum on College St, Darlinghurst. Painted in monochrome and in a photorealistic manner, The Troubadour mocks the connotations and conventions of traditional portraiture, as well as reminding the viewer of the grim reality of the man's situation. The scale of the painting further enhances these effects. Certain elements that were present at the time provide certain suggestions of social commentary, such as the clearway sign ('END') or the carefree passer-by. The assumptions behind portraiture are further dismissed, when it is noted that the busker is putting away a monetary note that the artist had paid the subject, for a photo from which to work.