HELL!

This photo is not entirely appropriate for what I am writing about....but I really like it. I still have no idea what the name of this band is.....I took this picture at the Tooheys Extra Uncharted finals - I think they are an actual band, they were pretty amazing and the light is well just EPIC. I think the photo describes my mood of today. EPIC'ly up and down!

Today is my second last day of full time work.
I am excited but sad at the same time...just because I will have to leave another bunch of wonderful souls whom I got the pleasure to go with.

My day was very much an up and down today....I walked into the office greeted by a splendour ticket frenzy and I had to involuntarily give up my computer to aid my co-worker's attempt to secure tix to the rather (in)famous festival (at least from what my friends have told me anyway). She was not so unlucky on her own efforts, despite having access to 3 laptops....QJump was not feeling the love or the server on QJump was just coping too well with all the instant affection from the desperate punters all wanting a weekend in Byron bay soaked in music and drugs I shall say.

I would be on QJump to embark on such a hedonistic weekend too but frankly the line up just didn't excite me enough for me to sit & virtual fight for these much sought after tix. Accomodation has already proven to be an epic challenge....again from over hearing my mate's phone convo's about dropping a grand deposit on the stay today....it is a bit mad really.

I have just finished Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and I can't help but remember him saying, when our senses are highly aroused....we lose the ability to make rational decisions. It is almost like in extreme intense situations - we become autistic....mentally. That is basically how I felt when I really wanted something, I would imagine that is what the people who really wanted to go to Splendour this year was like in their minds.....how on EARTH...can you sit on the computer and watch QJump mess with your eyes going up and down the queue...that shiznit is insane.

Technology is such a tease sometimes.....things seem so close but yet so far....Basically I started work today at about 1130, which is really crap, because it is my 2nd last day and I still have a lot I need to finalise and sort out before I depart.

Dramas and dramas continue to flow like rain pouring after a humid day....a steak for lunch at 3 was a bit of an upturn for my day...and I was really looking forward to seeing Bill Henson's show tonight at the Roslyn Oxley Gallery.

To my dismay, I called up my friend Benny, since I was already running late from finishing up at work. He told me the Bill Henson show was closed by the police.

I was just like what the?!
It kind of daunt on me when I had flashbacks when I first say the Bill Henson invite for his opening, it had the usual Bill Henson style of low light and provocative shots of young kids. I personally never considered them pornographic - especially when I have seen the work of Terry Richardon or classic Helmut Newtown's body of work....both of them are influential and some what heroes of mine for their established aesthetic having defined a time in photography. Oh and I forgot to mention they love women - often NAKED!

Larry Clark is another artist, I am interested in....his favourite subject without doubt is teenage youth and his films and photos are often controversial for very good reason, because they are frankly pretty messed up. However, the rawness in the execution of his work is undoubtedly powerful and beautiful.

So I have shown my hand and you probably know how upset and disappointed I am that the police has closed Bill's show, which by the way only gets displayed every 2 years so I consider the anticipation to witness his work too hard to comprehend.

All this ranting leaves me wondering....why is media so in love with bad news and putting the finger at something they do not get exposed to everyday?

I am no advocate for child exploitation or sexual abuse...fair from it. But the truth is...there are way more messed up shit out there on the web or secret syndicates promoting this kind of crap every nano second and the legal enforcements often struggle to battle these strange clans.

I love ART... not in a pretentious elitist way, I just respect people who dare to experiment and live life in the open to share with others what they love and see. The whole thing is being blown out out proportion....art should be left as just that - an expression of oneself's ideas. I mean if you are intentionally promoting child abuse through art, that is pretty messed up and you would have a pretty hard time to write a synopsis for your show no?

More importantly who would want to an attend that opening.... even if it was at Paddington?