A town that's seen better days...

Scenes from the Central Tablelands on the recent trip up north...

More postcards from Bega

Back in the studio after another road trip up north, so 2895 kilometers later trying to remember what I was doing before I left. Well, the short answer is collaborative video work with two exceptional European based artists but that project must remain 'in the wings' until publicly released. Meanwhile, here's a few snaps from beautiful Bega, the 'jewel' of the far south coast..

Force Field

Bob Georgeson, Force Field #1, 2014, Digital print

Been a definite lull in posts this month while I have been working on an exciting collaborative project, which will have to remain an enigma for the moment, but I did manage to whip this one off  between planning and experimentation with my collaborators, and offending arts professionals in my spare time. It does represent a direction I am heading in (the picture that is...). Sorry to disappoint those loyal followers who just come in for the tit and bum...

The Problem with Modern Art #1

Bob Georgeson, Cellular, Date unknown, Photomontage

I had started a whole series of works ages ago under the 'loose' banner of 'The Problem with Modern Art' which referred to my frustration (and annoyance) every time I picked up a copy of Art Forum or a similar art publication and saw what some artists were getting away with (in some cases very successfully!). I describe this kind of art as 'easy', in that it requires little skill or intellect to realize. 'If they can do it then so can I' became the mantra, albeit a bittersweet if not wholly immature sentiment...

But, every now and then I am looking for something and stumble across these never exhibited works and think 'Hey, it doesn't look all that bad!'. And this one has some elements of things I am currently interested in. But I better not give away too much lest you think that I am serious...

In decline

On a recent visit to Sydney I was struck not only by the unsustainable growth of the metropolis, but in particular by the 'dehumanizing' experience of the M5 motorway tunnel, where one is shot down into the darkness (I must admit the first 300 metres caused by leaving on my sunglasses) and propelled like an electron in a particle accelerator toward an uncertain future accompanied by a soundtrack of engines, exhaust pipes and roaring extractor fans.

Late last year I came across a delightful blog that intersected with this experience and it seems like a fitting start to the new year to bring it to your attention. In decline is described as "straddling the line of decay and eroticism" and lists as its interests industrial decay, wastelands, machinery, disorder and of course the erotic. A recent post:

Spare Ass Annie

When I became captain of the town, I decided to extend asylum to certain citizens who were persona non grata elsewhere in the area because of their disgusting and disquieting deformities. One was known as Spare Ass Annie. She had an auxiliary asshole in the middle of her forehead, like a baneful bronze eye. William S Burroughs

Force of Resistance, Stress, Heat, Collapse

Deformity is contrary to expectation. Horror of the dysmorphic invokes the notion that formal conventions are somehow correct and keeps with the classic aesthetic principles. The revolting appearance of a functionally specific aperture, wets the appetite.

Simple deformity breaks no internal rules, it is aberrant for compromising only exceptions. One can violate conventions without appearing deformed, it is only understood as the violation of what is expected or accurate.

 

Eric Tabuchi, Anatomy, 2006, Photography

NOTE: Sadly this blog has been recently removed...I have decided to leave this post anyway as an inspiration to myself if not others...