Art by bicycle

Four favourite things collide: art, Portland Oregon, bicycles, doing stuff.

Papergirl Portland from abraham ingle on Vimeo. Via f-letter,

Take that, public art!

Len Lye's Wind Wand. Off for some 'spit and polish' as the local council put it.

Hi, I'm Zach

I've been mulling over a post investigating the art collection habits of the in-house toddler for a few months now, but just haven't quite got round to it.

The aim was to counter the endless mass-media articles about 3-year-olds painting expressionist works (ah, but can they do realism?) that invariably get taken to art dealers who are nervous to dispel the work in case the media are trickign them into dissing a long-lost Monet.

Surely we need to look into where the next generation are vesting their interest from a collector and not just artist perspective if we're to keep the art industry afloat.

Observations based on the domestic subject over the last few weeks since we shifted house would indicate that current hot buttons are:

• Anything with an animal in it, unless it's a fish.
  Current favourite is Matt Couper's Healthy Specimen, but that might be prompted by its location near the dining table.


• Small bright abstracts.
  Showing his Taranaki roots it's not uncommon to find him standing under Peter Peryer's Mandala, pointing and chanting "uuh, uuh, uuh." I know exactly how he feels.


• Eyes.
  Peter Stitchbury for the win, though how could you not fall deeply into those big eyes, with their infinite stories. On that, I was browsing through Vimeo co-founder and general cool-guy Zach Klein's Flickr channel, as you do, and came across this compelling tale of stardom, portraiture, small town connections and big-town art fairs.

Pic: Peter Stitchbury, Zach Klein

Welcome back.

BBQs on decks watching the sun go down. What summer is all about.

Sale of the Century

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen an exhibition at a public gallery and developed a burning desire to have one, some or even all of the works on exhibit. Apart from a curious 'emerging artist showcase' in the foyer of City's last Prospect, following up tends to be a bit laborious, with the delay in being able to get to the right dealer usually dowsing any sense of urgency to acquire work that the show may have created.

In most cases even the book of the exhibition is still months off, and a postcard just doesn't seem to cut it. The ability to walk out with more than a mental picture or stolen out-of-focus camera-phone shot is limited to the programme or invitation, and even then I've noted a worrying trend away from images.

Not so with one of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery's current exhibitions. Ever the innovators, the GBAG has DVD copies of Mieke Gerritzen's A Beautiful World on sale at the front counter for the low low price of $25.00. Join the Friends of the Gallery while you're there, and it's even cheaper.

Who said contemporary art was exclusive.

Thinly veiled excuse

Puddle Finishing School, Part IV Church Protocol from Momentum Studios on Vimeo.

One of the many 'projects' that have conspired to keep me from the blog of late, this year's 48Hours effort has made it to the Interweb. As you'll see, a slightly greater role this year than last, when I just lined up the location. A fun way to spend a weekend, good excuse to drink way too much V and hang out in a stunning old church, and fantastic to work with people who actually knew what they were doing. And we even made the regional finals.

Benefit of doubt

This billboard has recently appeared on the New Plymouth Fire Station, part of their nationwide campaign to cut back on the number of cooking-related fires. I'm at odds as to whether it's a shocking indictment on the state of spelling and grammar in current-day New Zealand or quite brilliant advertising creativity.

Of all the billboards and signs in and around town at the moment (and as anyone who has driven into New Plymouth from the airport recently can attest, there a an awful lot of them), it's the only one that anyone can remember, and certainly the only one that I've had cause to discuss with more than a few people (even if most of those discussions start for the wrong reasons).

I'm keen to run the 'thing of brilliance' line, as I'd imagine the Fire Service has a fairly limited advertising budget, and redoing signs is an expense they don't need.

Will be interesting to see if it gets amended any time soon.

Photos out of aircraft windows 5