Monthly Archives: August 2013

Dogged Determination Followed By Patience

Honestly, patience has never been my strong suit and today (and perhaps Monday as well!) are going to be the kind of days that try me to the limit. I am maintaining the stance of this little dog that I passed on the street the other day — trying to maintain my composure, but showing just a WEE BIT of teeth in a semi-growly look.

It has been weeks since our burglary and we are still waiting for the insurance company to pay us. We’ve been reliably informed that it’s ‘in the pipeline’ and Mark will be able to purchase his replacement bikes fairly soon. We could have had all of this resolved by last week, but that would have meant accepting their replacement package of bikes that were NOT the same brand as what was stolen. But I was doggedly determined and I insisted that a replacement policy meant that they would be giving us like-for-like, not like-ish. We had to go and source another batch of quotes for ourselves, submit them, and then wait. But now we’ve been approved for the ‘real deal’ and it’s simply a matter of having the funds actually arrive.

In the meantime, I’ll join the cute little white dog and sit here (kinda-sorta) patiently as I do a HUGE batch of photo editing and send them off to my favorite agencies.

Come back soon!

Small white dog waits patiently for his owner to return from the cafe.

A Peek Inside At Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia

Following on from yesterday’s photo essay on the exterior of Federation Square — soaring spaces, modern lines, lovely light — all of these are elements that add to your enjoyment of a visit to the buildings of Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia. Here’s a peek inside!

The multi-story high atrium at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia

The descent from street level down into the atrium and toward the National Gallery of Victoria’s Ian Potter Gallery at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia

The lobby of the Ian Potter Gallery inside Federation Square

Fabulously Fractured Facades in Metro Melbourne, Australia

We had just moved back to Melbourne, Australia in 2002 and this contentious and expensive cluster of buildings and paved courtyards were completed that same year. I remember the first time I saw Federation Square (now generally known by the shortened title of Fed Square) and it seemed raw, unfinished looking, and very windy at the time. But over the years it has grown on me and I now find it ‘interesting’ if not beautiful.

Housing the NGV Ian Potter art museum, ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image), SBS Television and Radio Broadcasting Centre, and a range of cafes, bars, shops, and other cultural offices, Fed Square continues to provoke a love-hate response from both tourists and the citizens of Melbourne. Click on the first link in the article to read about some of the controversial decisions, negative reviews, and blow-out costs that surrounded this project.

$The fractured and fragmented facades of the modern buildings at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia are a sharp contrast to the more traditional structures all around it.$

The fractured and fragmented facades of the modern buildings at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia are a sharp contrast to the more traditional structures all around it.

The buildings of Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia contain a cluster of arts organisations, a television and radio broadcasting centre, and several cafes and restaurants..

Another corner of Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne, Australia

Iconic Graffiti-Covered Laneway Gets A Makeover in Melbourne

I was surprised to read in this morning’s newspapers online here in Australia that Hosier Lane, a rather well-known graffiti-covered spot in the heart of Melbourne, has had a makeover this week.

This tiny but historic street is amidst the old garment district of Melbourne and the laneway’s name tells you what was once there — hosiers — makers of socks and stockings. I was just there last week taking the photos below, but now it has had a fresh ‘undercoat’ placed on the brick walls and laneway paving so that the graffiti artists can come back and create fresh artwork on a ‘blank canvas’ of blue paint. Curious, or perhaps intentional, that blue was chosen as the background colour since the laneway has a distinct blue overtone due to the quality of light that sifts into the narrow street as the taller buildings loom over it.

Interesting idea — or simply strange? Some of the previous ‘artwork’ was surprisingly well done. It’s all a matter of individual taste and some people will never enjoy the tiny slice of over-the-top-colourful Melbourne across Flinders Street from Federation Square on Hosier Lane.

Graffiti covered Hosier Lane in the heart of Melbourne, Australia

Graffiti covered Hosier Lane in the heart of Melbourne, Australia with the Federation Square entry to the NGV Ian Potter art museum at the end of the laneway across Flinders Street

Graffiti covered Hosier Lane in the heart of Melbourne, Australia

What’s A Wall For in Melbourne?

What’s a wall for in Melbourne, Australia? Structural support of the building that it is attached to? Decorative element? An item that surrounds a garden?

How about advertising — both old and new?

Whilst out and about in Balaclava today, the next neighbourhood over from us by a mere few blocks, I saw both new and old advertising on the walls of buildings. Some of the truly old adverts were like ghostly presences against masonry walls that told the tale of what had once dwelt within. Here are some samples. Enjoy!

Historic advertising on an old wall in the Melbourne, Australia neighbourhood of Balaclava

Historic advertising on the upper wall of an old building in the Melbourne, Australia neighbourhood of Balaclava

Newer advertising painted on the passageway wall of a cafe in the Melbourne, Australia neighbourhood of Balaclava

Historic Forum Theatre Interior & Reflection in Melbourne, Australia

Go back a few days and you will find the post I made about the lovely old Forum Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. An artist friend of mine, Kate, mentioned that she remembered the beautiful interior of the lobby. So today I am showing you that grandly old-fashioned lobby — followed by a reflection of the marvelous old theatre into the frankly modern exterior of the entry to the NGV Ian Potter art museum at Federation Square which is directly across Flinders Street.

What you can’t really see on the glowing dark blue skies are the tiny stars — and apologies for the slightly fuzzy-focus of the columns. The lighting inside was SO subdued that the camera was having a hard time in all of that darkness.

Enjoy!

Interior lobby of the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, Australia

Ornate columns holding lighting inside the interior lobby of the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, Australia

Reflection of the lovely and old Forum Theatre into the starkly new and modern glass facade of Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia

Photo Of The Day: Fundacio Joan Miro in Barcelona, Spain

Gray and blustery day, monotone concrete building — why not a post in black and white?

I have a more than 6 month backlog of images to edit and send to my agents in London and New York, so I will be feeding a bit of this and that from around the world to this website along the way.

Opened in 1975, the Fundacio Joan Miro in a hilltop suburb of Barcelona, Spain has all of the concrete clad vibe of the modern architecture of that period. This wonderful museum houses an extensive collection of the contemporary art of Joan Miro and should be a highlight of any visit to Barcelona.

An extensive collection of Spanish artist Joan Miro’s work is housed in the Fundacio Joan Miro in Barcelona, Spain.

A Wanderful Life

The Neverending Journey