April Fools

I spent last week in the studios of various painters drooling about the dribbly stuff.

I didn't wanna make listerners jeanous about stuff they can'tgo and see so we stuck to discussing LUCZOID's current project in Petersham.

We even managed to get the radio talkback thing happening via the foam lined studio next door - to see what lucazoid is up to.

Bascially Lucazoid is spending all of April and May within the local government boundaries of Petersham. He wanted to see what it would be like to situate himself actively and consciously within and around his residential location, whihc he's described as mainly a place to eihter sleep or drink.

This time last year he was doing a similar thing in Kellerberrin, a small wheatbelt town in WA. (see http://www.squatspace.com/bilateral/?page_id=16) Kellerberrin is geographically isolated and so more easily identifiable as a distinct commmunity than the commuter contagious transitional zone of an inner city sydney suburb. So far Lucazoid said the main form of cummunity interaction revolves around DOGS. He's borrowed hisniehgbours pooch to get with the street life.

but is it art?

Lucazoid's residencies are part of a broader cultural concern which is a bit of a hottie in the contemproary art scene with space, and social networks. Everyone is wetting themselves nowadays about how art, being err.... being err.... being, a series of activities, thoughts and processes........ can actually be used not only to represent, but to shape and intervene in existing forms of cultural and social activity.

In Kellerberrin, Lucazoid was doing stuff like getting schoolkids into fluxus activities, and working on a s eries of games, or structured activities...... theses were ways of interacting with peoples social habits and formations. Its a kind of cultulra experiment I guess.

anyway - you cna check it out fer yerselves on:

http://www.squatspace.com/petersham/

I also offered a listeners challenge: if anyone can drag lucazoid out of petersham before June - and supply evidence. dunno about prize money though......


I didn't wanna plug art shows this week BECAUSE IT TIME TO GET SERIOUS. Phillipe played a story about Howards decision not to allow asylum sekers form Easter Papua to obtain refuge in Australia, and this Easter weekend will feature a national convergence of refugee activists on the detention centre at villawood. It promises to be colourful cultural, meaningful and probably fun and ahell of a lot cheaper than the great escape music festival..... If you are going to the latter - then Nobody form squatspace is gonna organize a live video hookup between the protesters and the partiers - so bascialy epople cna have their cake and eat it too.

Check out:

http://www.racnsw.net/

for more info and updates.

I'm heading off into regional australia tomorrow to do a tour of small country galleries and explore my cultural roots in bad landscape painting, and even work on the thesis, so I'll be back on the 24th April to blab more.


In the meantime I won't be able to attend the show at G&A studios, above the olde knot that opens thursday night. Official Address is 203/242 Elizabeth Street, surry Hills. It could be anything. I got a text from a graffiti artists and a joint email from jessie cahcillo/craigwaddell.com. I'd recoomend taking a packed lunch coz the takeaway food in that area is frightening.

While doing a studio tour last week - I also came across some bloody amazing stringy charcoally humanoid tree-like works on paper. They belong to Raelene Marr -who has a show oepning at the Dept Galery at Danks - this week as well. Nortmally I'd steeer clear of Danks for fear of Pru&Tru contamination from the cafe - but these drawings looked great, and if she can stick em on a wall without some scary mounty framey boxy shit - they'll be tops.

Lucazoid metnioned the new stuff at Loose. Loose apparel is a group show of the funky young things that have shunted on into the Scott donovan space - whihc is upstairs from the moricave. (find some stairs at 168 Day street, in the city across form Darling harboar). Apparently loose are everything that first draft promises to be but ain't. Artist with street cred, doing good curating of , as dale from cyclic defrost puts it 'proper culture'.
Cheers

mayhem