Blue Lights and Big Brothers

It feels like another blog post is well overdue, so here are some sneak peaks of current works (and occasionally don't-works).

 The blue lamp is a piece called 'Blue-light Disco'.  I never went to one, but I'm told blue light discos used to be put on by the police for the benefit of under-ages, on the misguided assumption that this would meet their need to have fun without having to sneak out and be naughty.  I feel like most of the society we now live in is a blue light disco.  Cameras everywhere, our movements tracked on the web.  We're constantly barraged with advertising telling us to be self-obsessed and have fun, but we're constantly under surveilence to make sure we're only having state-endorsed fun.  So for this piece, I've made a  mirror-ball head that rotates with the aid of an old microwave motor, so that it can keep an eye on everyone.  You feel safer now?  Me neither, so the other leg (which I forgot to get a photo of) is frozen in the act of escaping.

The illuminated mannequin abs are my gift to my beloved other half Hillary.  I figure if she's got these to look at then I won't have to work at getting abs of my own.  I'm still tinkering with it, but you can dimly see (maybe) that when the piece is illuminated a red heart emerges from within.  I started it on valentines day, and might have it finished in time for next valentines.

 
 Finally, the last piece is reference to contact juggling, in which the performer creates an illusion of stillness in a symmetrical object while moving their hands around it (think David Bowie and his round objects in the Labyrinth - no, the other round objects).  I've always loved juggling and circus, but I can't get into it myself because the sort of people who are into juggling also tend to be fun loving, sociable, happy, fit, spontaneous and full of life and laughter.  So you see the problem.  I haven't finished the wiring on 'Contact' yet, but when I do it'll light up on the top and bottom, which will be a first for me, and has turned out to be even more painful than I expected.

In other news, I've talked my way into the 'Hidden' show at Rookwood cemetery later this year, and the Swell sculpture festival in Queensland.  Busy times ahead.

Cheers,
D.

Curb Collective Update

As our regular followers will know, last year nearly 20 students graduated from Reuse Repair Recycle Furniture - A partnership with TAFENSW Outreach and The Bower designed to teach skills to the local community.This year many of those students are continuing their study, workshopping ideas and business models to build a social enterprise that suits them. They also meet weekly to continue to hone their repair skills, working on a number of chairs and small foot stools in need of reuse and repair love.

Last week the group completed their first commission. Karen's chair was a street find - she saw the potential but didn't find the time to restore it herself (Sound familiar?!). Curb Collective also saw the potential for a contemporary new look for the piece and set to work stripping the yellow paint and upholstering the seat.
Although they bought fabric to complete the job, the group was keen to stick to The Bower's waste not ethos, and selected a panel of discontinued designer fabric from a remnant warehouse.

We couldn't be more excited to see what the group will come up with next, or how they will evolve, so stay tuned!

If you have a question, a query or a commission for Curb Collective send email to curbcollective@bower.org.au.

- Maaike

DIY Gift making workshop

Christmas is a great time for all the people who love to receive and offer presents! But do you really want to buy your friends and family another pair of socks or a new novelties tie? We have the solution!

The Bower and Alfalfa House are organising a DIY Christmas gift workshop together this Saturday to help you offering more sustainable presents this year! Come to learn how to make boxes, notebooks and luminaries out of reused postcards, paper and thread. They will be great unique and handmade presents for everyone!

So don't forget: the workshop will be held at the Eco-Library of The Bower, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville, on Saturday, December 10^th, 2-4pm. There will be a $5 donation for the material.

See you all there!

Fabric Fantasies - Week 12

Time is a funny thing. It feels like we're only just getting started, but we're already on the home stretch to exhibition. By the end of next week we should have most of our chairs finished.

Miki and Fiona are working on a 50's timber arm chair. Last week Miki found a lovely blue and lemon stripe she wanted to use, but there wasn't enough to cover the whole chair. We were fortunate to find some new duck egg blue linen to help our reuse fabric stretch the distance. It's hard to believe but this will be finished next week, Timber arms and all!

Speaking of timber, Sam and Jeanette got stuck into the choc-walnut stain, giving our ever-growing dining suite a brand new look. 5 of these chairs have Street banner seats ready to go, and a very similar looking pair have elegant neutral seats. We're waiting till that stain is totally dry before we put the seats in place though!

Min & Leslie started a sample swatch patchwork for the timber plantation chair. In their absence, Emmanuel chipped in, completing a third section of patchwork for the outer back of the chair. Next week this will all suddenly be finished too!

And finally, we attached and covered the backs of some chairs, an d learned about using hot-glue-guns (scary stuff around fine silks!) to apply decorative trim so the backs of our parisian triplets could be completed.

There are other projects in the pipe line - a small table that Leslie is going to laminate, a pair of steel table legs sprayed up and attached to a new (recycled) timber top, and a bedside unit or two - proving we can break the chair mold!!

Can't wait for next week?! Stop by The Newtown Festival and say hi to Curb Collective and The Bower This Sunday 10-4

-Maaike