It provides some background information about the creation of the Gayviation entry for the 1997 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.
It provides some background information about the creation of the Gayviation entry for the 1997 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.
I recently embarked on a paint tin disposal program which involved checking each and every paint tin in the workshop to see if their contents were still usable. I was not surprised to find many had contents that had separated, skinned over or solidified into jelly. Some could be revived with some dedicated stirring while other tins had rusted bottoms and developed leaks when stirred. In all there were about a dozen or so tins that were beyond saving while the rest, after being stirred and date marked, were put back into the paint cabinet – for possible use in the future.
Paint tin disposal is a messy business. Correct disposal involves emptying any leftover paint onto newspapers, letting it dry and then discarding the newspaper. Before the tins are discarded they should be left open for a few days so any remaining paint can dry out. Garbage collectors are not impressed if two or three litres of Arctic Mint acrylic is released into their load and, more importantly, when it all ends up in a landfill paint tins eventually corrode letting their contents leech into the soil and contaminate the environment.After following the correct procedure I was left with a dozen empty tins which could not fit into the rubbish bin. Since the majority of the volume of the tins was air I decided to flatten them. Now I guess I could have done this with a big hammer but I wanted to do it with a bit more style and finesse. A steel frame was made up that bolted onto a modified 12 ton hydraulic pipe bender as shown above right. It only took ten minutes to crush all the tins into flat discs that made their disposal a breeze. It was also tons of fun.
The Greatest Wonder of the World exhibition is being held at the State Library of NSW from February 23rd to May 12th 2013. The exhibition showcases the work of Beaufoy Merlin and Charles Baylis who documented everyday life in the gold fields, towns and cities of Australia in the 1870’s.
In 1951 a cache of 3500 glass wet plate negatives were discovered in a garden shed in Chatwood. Now known as “The Holtermann Collection” they were scanned in high resolution by the Library which revealed a wealth of information about the times. It was through Bernhardt Holtermann, part owner of The Star of Hope gold mine in Hill End and “discoverer” of the Holtermann nugget, that Merlin and Baylis were able to create this legacy which is the subject of this exhibition.
We were approached to build a replica daguerreotype camera and a 2D replica of the Holtermann nugget for the exhibition which are shown in situ below. More detail on each prop can be found by following their links.
Driving past several weeks ago I noticed that the sign had been painted over with a bland new advertisement. Such a pity for such a prominent site.
The sign can still be seen on Google street view. An image of the Jalopy Shoppe sign is reproduced from streetview below.
Two new works from the Sydney Dance Company premiere on March 23rd 2010. The first work by Rafael Bonachela, “6 Breaths”, is set to a newly commissioned score by Italian composer Ezio Bosso. The second, “Are We That We Are”, is a physical exploration into the existence of altered states of consciousness within human experience created and performed in by Adam Linder. The costume designs were realised by Jordan Askhill.
The costume props for the production were produced by DecoWorks in close collaboration with the designer.
Below is a short video excerpt taken from the production.
Opera Australia shows its appreciation to employees who have worked for the company for 20 years or more by holding an annual Twenty Year Hanging ceremony in the Green Room at the Opera Centre in Surry Hills.
Photographs of long serving staff members and performers are hung on the walls of the Green Room.
David Wilson left Opera Australia after twenty years service in 2009 to start his own prop making company, DecoWorks. David was one of several Opera Australia staff who were recognised at the 2009 Twenty Year Hanging ceremony.
David is pictured here beneath his photo on the Green Room wall with the Technical Director of Opera Australia at the time, Chris Yates, after the ceremony.