Tetherd Cow Ahead

Here’s a little geeky web pastime. The object is to go to Google Image Search and find words that result in a full page of pleasing patterns of some kind. I found these for ‘colourwheel’…

…’lemon’…

…and ‘fern’.

Have fun! Report back with your best efforts!

This morning at dawn in the city of Sydney, before the espresso machines of Leichhardt had sputtered into life, Violet Towne, HeWhoHears, Kezza and The Reverend headed off towards the Western Suburbs to witness the launch of the 2007 Festival of Sydney with a performance of Luke Jerram‘s beautiful Sky Orchestra.

Yes, we really did get up at 5am.

Words simply don’t meet the task of describing the wonder of seeing and hearing these seven hot-air balloons rise into the light of the rising sun, and drift off across suburbia singing their haunting songs.

All I can say is that if you ever get a chance to see this inspiring work, make every effort to do so. You won’t be disappointed. Luke Jerram is a genius. I’ve said as much before, and I see no reason to change my opinion.

I thought you might like to see one of my favourite and most valued treasures – an 1884 edition of Edgar Allan Poe‘s dark and beautiful poem The Raven, illustrated by Gustav Doré.

This is an imposing large format book about 380mm x 470mm (15in x 18.5in) and is profusely illustrated with Doré’s astonishing engravings. The cover is detailed in gold leaf.

Doré famously used a technique of overprinting with white ink to make his bright areas glow. The method is not in use in his interpretations of The Raven unfortunately, but this means that the images are even more marvelous for the incredible dynamic range of brightness and darkness they achieve.

Well, I know I said I’d bring you video pix of the launch party, but, well, to tell the truth the video stuff was just a bit dull. Lots of people milling about yakking and looking at the work – you know the kind of thing.

So here’s a still of the exterior of the gallery toward the later part of the night with the true stalwarts (or the freeloaders if you prefer) waiting to be booted out.

Still, fun was had, and the show has been extended for a further two weeks until November 27. If you’re in the vicinity, drop on by!

Well Cow Fans, ‘Insincerity‘ has been hung and except for a few small technicalities (like, er, one of the pieces not actually being printed…) we’re all shipshape for the launch tomorrow night. The bad news is that the anticipated webcast won’t be possible. Not for want of trying on the part of my technical genius buddy and good friend hewhohears, who peeked and poked* his way into Telstra’s convoluted e-bowels but was eventually thwarted by their chronic constipation.†

So we’ll have to video the event and bring you the highlights at some later stage.

Anyway, here are some pix of the setup, I hope to see yez all tomorrow evening!

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*I salute anyone who understands what I am talking about here. Ave fellow geek of longstanding!

†I apologize if you are reading this metaphor at breakfast.

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Luke Jerram is one of my favourite living artists. His works are clever and amusing and have a delightful ‘cool’ factor that always finds me saying ‘I wish I’d thought of that!’

His Miracle Toaster is no exception. Made as a gift for ‘a friend who believes in miracles’, Jerram says that an image of the Virgin is guaranteed every time the toaster is used.

Considering my interest in toasters and simulacra, I feel that I should add one of Jerram’s toasters to my Christmas List right away.

I urge you all to go visit Luke’s site. Amongst other things you will see the ring he made for his fiancé (etched with a spiral engraving of a message of love that can be played on a small reproducing device in the manner of an old cylinder recording), his awesome Sky Orchestra, and a net for catching meteorites.

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Don’t forget the ‘Insincerity‘ launch – October 31st!

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