bravo....!

'One dares to think what it would be like to live in a world where ideas mattered more than things. ...One of the by-products of feeling that we live in a world of over-consumption is a renewed appreciation for minimalism....a restrained minimalism with warmth and humanity, feeling and soul. It's a new kind of simplicity where just having what you need is enough, (and)everything is of a quality and character that will last and continue to provide an emotional and sensual connection....It's time to celebrate the artisan'.

David Clark editor Vogue Living, issue July/Aug. 2009

Here Here I say!

Those words are right on the money and they came from such an unexpected place - I mean Vogue Living! But this issue felt different - and those few words set a lovely tone and acted as a great segway to the beautiful pages that followed.

This issue really does venture into new ways of thinking - as it goes into the territory of the hand made and hand crafted - even in its report on Milan.

At the Milan Design Fair this year the overall theme from most of the designers was this notion of getting back to more conceptual hand made work/projects rather than focusing on the next ridiculously expensive chair from the top design houses!

{ps...Megan Morton did a great wrap on the Design Files blog if you are interested in seeing some more images from Milan... and Design Sponge and Design Boom are always good for a summary of all the pavillions!}

But my favourite article in V.Living has to be the 3-page spread on the 'return' of printmaking...

Well - the return for some but for many it never went out of vogue! But it is true - that if you really want to see mark-making and a genuine hand crafted medium in art you can look no further than printmaking!

In the last few years ive seen some great exhibitions of print work by some of the big cats in the Australian art world - namely Mike Parr with his massive Volte Face exhibition at the MCA and in a quieter vein - the work of Elizabeth Cummings at King on William.

Both bodies of work focused on an exploration into line and colour using some fantastic techniques and materials that most people by-pass these days for the more digital... which is such a shame as you just dont get the same intensity of line and expression through a computer and a colour printer!! The old heavy presses are amazing to see in action - especially by the true artisans from Cicada press at COFA and APW in Melbourne ...

Inspired by these people I decided a few years ago to go back and try my little hand at some printmaking at NAS with Andrew Totman - and boy- did I have some fun!!

The acid, the ink, the process!!! If you want to try your hand at creating an inky mark, there are alot of courses out there like this one...

Enjoy the weekend... and speaking of etching - Saturday (27th June) is the last day of Martin King's exhibition Overflow at King on William... Great show which ill talk about soon...