I’m working in the city at the moment (for pay!).
At lunch time I like to go to Hyde Park and just hang around, maybe listen to an audio book (this week I’m part way through Barbra Streisand’s autobiography – it’s making my tear up to hear her describe the emotional journey of becoming the legend we all know).
But it was too hot for being outside, so I popped into the Kinokuniya bookshop and browsed the art books.
Here are some ideas that I’m filing away for some time.
- For my collage: there’s a series of books with copyright free images of hands, hats, fashion accessories, victorian architecture and such. at $30 each they would just add to my collections of books and I have plenty to be going on with, but I could go find some copyright free hands online I’m sure – when I’m doing stuff like this I sometimes have to cut hands, and that’s a good thing, but it would be nice to juxtapose a victorian gloved hand with a totally different style hand.
- Rooftop Paris is an idea I have tried before, and could try again (i couldn’t see inside, but I found it on amazon). basically a concertina, with the twist that it’s 38 metres long if unfolded, and shows Paris from different vantage points at different times of the day. I think I could mine my photos of Paris from my several visits and collage something quite cool, and 38 metres isn’t that much of a challenge, right?? Here’s my Paris tag on this blog.
- Wish you Were Here is a book of post it notes written by artists, with the facing page translating the handwriting (sometimes necessary), and profiling the artist. Avril Makula made Miller Street a few years ago. I think here is better.
- Audubon’s birds of America is in my world because it’s mentioned in the Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger, the author is also a paper artist). The original bird book was large format and hand-tinted and in limited series. They have one at Melbourne Library, which I visit whenever I visit the Dome (which is most times I visit Melbourne, even for a flying visit). Now, if i were a bird person, i could have this mini-version for less then $35! I’m not a bird person, and i’m in the process of weeding out my books, turning them into new objects or recycling them in the street libraries, so i’m not acquiring any right now.
- Stuart Davis is someone whose works have haunted me – in Chicago, in New York. I browsed a book which I did not photograph with his works and some outputs from a seminar he ran (i wasn’t much interested in that). But it made me think I’d like to do a Stuart Davis inspired mural (or large piece if i chicken out – there’s something so permanent about pasting to a wall, but i’m accustomed to not being precious about works on cardboard or paper). I use a particular Dulux blue throughout my house (Buster). My stairs, some of my cupboards, a few windows are highlighted or totally coloured by it. Contrasts beautifully with the warm kauri wood of the stairs and the maple stained pine in the lounge room and staircase. I’m thinking I could paint some of the old wallpaper samples I bought but haven’t used for anything yet with Buster (and a few other contrasting colours), and do that Matisse/Davis thing of cutting out and positioning shapes. The wallpaper will have some tooth and some texture too, so that will work nicely. I’ve also been planning for a hundred years (before I get out of bed most mornings) to upgrade the pale grey blind I have in my bedroom with blue inks, but maybe I cut shapes from fabric and glue them to it?
Anyway, here’s the photographs of the Kinokuniya books I didn’t buy, but now I have a record of what I might do with them / around them.
