Wrestlers

…they deserve their own close-up, don’t you think?<

What I did with my December

…and a bit of November too.

These were the gifties and things I was making for my family and friends for Xmas. My pal Pip taught me how to use the virgin unwrapped Gocco print system I’ve had sitting in its box in the studio back in November, so that got a pretty good Xmas workout. Expect more Gocco fun in the future!

Clockwise from top left:

1) My solution for what to make for small boysie-boys – wrestling action figures (Gocco print on recycled fabric – stuffed). One little fella I know crams them into the driving seats of trucks and trains and pops them astride plastic dinosaurs. Hmm… maybe boys don’t get enough dolls…

2) New Year cards (Gocco print on recycled card) – I’m just not sure about ‘Christmas’ as such but I was more than happy to see 2009 roll around and a new year is something EVERYONE recognises regardless of faith or lack thereof so New Years cards it is! Please also note the NY motifs of crabs and moths. Underused until now I feel…

3) What my brother, Chris has dubbed ‘Flankys’ since receiving his. Recycled flanny shirt hankies with hand rolled hems and gold chain stitch monograms. Some have still yet to be given to their noses-to-be – sorry noses-in-waiting.

4) Squeaky pigs. Stuffed Gocco print on recycled fabric (my old pyjamas actually) with recycled squeaky inside). For the little, little ones on my list. I like how these turned out.

5)A non-gift aside to use up left over ink in the Gocco screen – Wrestler cards on Chickenfeed card blanks. Black on black and red on red.

NOT pictured – I also made a couple of little personalised pencil cases for two of my nephews, Marcus and Michael, but forgot to take a photo ’cause I was working down to the wire (ie: Chris was on his way here to do the pre-Xmas gift exchange as I was still finishing embroidering Michael’s name – phew) but I then assume you know what a pencil case looks like…

As I said before – I thought about each person while making every stitch and it was a great feeling.

I really like youse.

Twinset

Lookie. A sneaky-peek at the first new video work shot for 2008. A long way from finished but as you can see a big widescreen two-parter.

It’s for Victor Medrano’s Lucha Libre show at Inflight in March. As I will be kicking up the slush in Montreal at that time I had to get cracking NOW.

The chap with me is the everfresh Witchlord Andrew Harper (fellow Tasmanian artist, performer and shit-stirrer) who kindly agreed to wrestle me for an evening. We didn’t hurt each other once. This is a happy outcome but also quite amazing really.

I am proud to say he and his own work currently feature in the latest edition of the Fortean Times in an article on occult film. Nestled up next to Jodorowsky and Kenneth Anger, no less. Impressive connections n’est pas?

Harps will also be performing a new work called ACRID at 6A this Friday (Jan 25 from 8pm). Matty and Mr Scott Cotterell will be backing him audio-wise but the planning seems a bit hush-hush so it will all be news to me when it goes off. I imagine there will be some cursing (not cussing… well, actually…) of a Brian Blessed-ish volume and something to do with film and something to do with wee. But I may be wrong… Actually come to think of it , I reckon I may be the first person ever to get Harpie in to speak some lines and then direct him to remain subdued… Yay for me… breaking the rules…

Art and some vibes – 6A Friday. It’s good for you.