The China Project

In Sydney I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art at which one of Ah Xian's Porcelain Busts is being featured among the museum's New Acquisitions. I am fascinated by Ah Xian's work not only because it is beautiful but reclaims the traditional Chinese patterns stolen and distributed among European dinner tables by the likes of Spode and literally gives them a human face. His work is a statement about the value of tradition and culture to both society and the person in a post-colonial context.

Another of Ah Xian's porcelain casts will be shown as part of the Three Decades: The Contemporary Chinese Collection exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. While you're there, GoMA is already home to to the lotus flower decorated 'Human human' figure as pictured below. The exhibition opens on 28 March and features a number of contemporary Chinese artists who are more than likely to give the term 'made in China' a whole new meaning.

China China - Bust No. 3 1998

Human Human - Lotus Cloisonne Figure 1 2000-01

toys to cuddle (instead of boys) + etsy bushfire appeal

How can this little owl help some very sad people? By being purchased by YOU!

Etsy has set up an online store with proceeds going to the Red Cross to support the victims of the recent bushfires in Victoria. I hope that not too many owls got burnt.

Otherwise you can vote for the item that inspires the most "Aww" in you.

These little creatures are too cute! And the idea of a plush bento box? Genius.



For Valentines Day:


Etsy store: rosieok





Etsy store: lmdalton

Brisbane's dubstep scene no longer a snail but a slug

It's been a long time since I was a wide-eyed indie girl in Manchester, the home of drum & bass, who thought that any song lacking guitar was as relevant to me as a foreign language. Three years later in Sydney I found myself dissapointed about not being able to attend a sold-out Rusko sideshow at Spectrum. I am, however, no longer sheltered from the fact that dubstep is becoming big thing in the real world. And despite hiding underground in Brisbane until now the genre finally seems to be coming out of its shell. This is all thanks to a number of talented and interesting young people who won't let Brisbane stop moving in 2009.

Experience Philly's Starkey at the Step Inn on 7 March and see some local talent with the return of Suckafish P Jones of 4zzz's Forcefed Fistfuls supporting.

The Bug and Laneway

London dubstep and a little bit dancehall artist Kevin Martin (otherwise known as The Bug) was unleashed onto the Step Inn on Australia Day. Dank Morass brought in extra speakers to cater for the breathing-difficulty causing amount of bass expelled from Martin’s laptop (so much so that vibration replaced sound and those who lost 50% of their hearing in the first 10 minutes as a result of not wearing earplugs didn’t need it anyway). Martin showed off his dark, distorted, synthy instrumental work in 'Skeng' while staying true to themes of adversity featured on his latest album 'London Zoo'. In ‘Angry’ Tippa Irie discusses the rape of Africa and Bush's poor response to Hurricane Katrina and Warrior Queen does her own version of 'Mad World' in 'Insane'. The set was eventually invaded by dancehall champion Warrior Queen who asked for cock, had an argument with her own pussy, humped an audience member on stage and, in a throw-back to the ‘lip my stockings’ prostitute from Lost in Translation, flung herself onto the ground, her legs in the air and rode an imaginary bicycle whilst shrieking for help. This tended to fragment the set, particularly when coupled with a few rewinds. But Warrior Queen's mania is a show in itself - and only a naïve audience member could possibly expect the conquerer to behave.



A week later we all trotted off to Laneway. It was a wonderfully homegrown, well-organised and un-crowded affair. Luckily for me all of the electronic acts were situated under the one roof, which helped avoid the usual one-hour-and-i've-got-heat-exhaustion-and-my-legs-hurt-and-I-hate-everyone-here festival routine. I arrived in the late afternoon and had surprise first encounter with Dorian Concept. Later I jerked around to Harmonic 313 and got especially excited when he played ‘Skeng’ by the Bug. Rusko was dressed like a moron but made up for it by playing an awesome set featuring 'Cockney Thug', and Stereolab and Four Tet were nothing less than beautiful. El Guincho (despite having some teething problems) provided a relaxing tropical break from all the noisy dubstep while Buraka Som Sistema ended the night with some body-jolting Angolan techno courtesy of Lisbon, Portugal. I once believed that I would never like techno and there I was having my socks knocked off and being convinced that to do his or her job an MC only has to say two words every five minutes as long as the beats are amazing and he or she is outrageously good-looking (oh, and do an extended remix of Oxide and Neutrino's 'No Good 4 Me').

I don't have any photos yet because my camera is broken and my brother has conveniently popped over to Japan without uploading any of the photos I took on his. So stay tuned.

For the love of all tea-related things

A few weeks ago Dave and I went on a day trip to Montville, a quaint little town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland with a real vintage feel. It's a lovely drive from Brisbane and there are plenty of things to do. As lovers we chose at one point to enjoy a quiet moment in a deserted farmer's lane, but with one store containing enough fine china to fill the windows of my converted shop front and another devoting itself entirely to doilies it was the perfect place for a refined girl to indulge in a simple afternoon tea (and a BIG slice of cake).