Friday 7 December 2012

Hollywood Nailz Episode 1


Created by and starring Seth Bogart from Hunx and his Punx

Friday 23 November 2012

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Forbidden Fruit, A Clockwork Orange: A documentary



"A With Out Walls Documentary from 1993 About A Clockwork Orange which was Still Withdrawn From Public Viewing In The UK At The Time Of Making, At Stanley Kubrick's Request. " 




Happy halloween! x

Sunday 28 October 2012

"MANDY! YOU'RE DAUGHTER IS A BEAUTIFUL FEMINIST"

Quick thoughts on Feminism
 I was recently fortunate to engage in a discussion with one of my parents friends who were a homosexual couple about gender issues and feminism at my father’s birthday party. The flamboyant and significantly more intoxicated individual of the pair exclaimed to my mother “MANDY! YOU’RE DAUGHTER SAYS THAT YOU DON’T SAY YOU ARE A FEMINIST!” to which she replied “I am not a feminist, I am a woman and therefore I am naturally a feminist”
 Misogyny in our patriarchal society has been around for thousands of years, and feminism is only a reason 100 year old advent. It is going to take a lot longer than 100 years to change deeply embedded patriarchal values. This is why I think it is important to identify as feminist. If you don’t continue to protect your rights, the walls of the establishment will slowly close around you. And my parent’s friend Tom was quick to retort, gay rights, women’s rights any rights can be taken away in a second.


one of my favourite women’s liberation photographs. Vale street 2 by Carol Jerrems, the necklace she is wearing is the symbol Ankh symbolising the ancient power of women and the age of Aquarius

Sunday 21 October 2012

Me + Noel Fielding =

 I was aware Noel Fielding was in Sydney as my friend had spotted him perusing the Museum of contemporary art where we both work (alas I wasn't there that day)

Anyway, bummed that I wasn't able to bump into him, I soon found out that he was  having a signing in my city and I felt like I simply had to go. If only to honour my 15 year old obsession with him and his shiny boots. 

I didn't have anything for him to sign so I printed off an old photoshop I made of us and got him to sign it. He found it hilarious and it was great


Part of the reason I went to the signing was just for the novelty, I mean he's a cool guy but there were girls there CRYING. I mean he's just a dude... you know?


My awful posture and I justifying the picture.

"I used to be obsessed with you.. I mean not really.. I mean I thought it was funny... do you think it's funny?"

"Is that.. .Allison" 

Monday 15 October 2012

What I have learnt about feminism from a junkyard record



Last weekend I took a visit to my very un-local junkyard to try find some bits and bobs for my art and perhaps a colour parade costume. Rummaging through the trunks of pieces of fabric, old school folders and unused raver candy, I stumbled upon a box of old vinyl.

In this old box of vinyl I was fortunate to come across this fantastic “I am Woman: A compilation of 20 BEAUTIFUL songs” It was admittedly the bright orange cover that caught my eye, but I couldn't help fall in love with the records title track I AM WOMAN and gloriously fabulous woman on the cover.  


The record was a compilation of woman-power and relics of 70s feminism and disco. As I held the record in my hand, I felt this warm rush throughout my body to think that there was a time in history when this record was enthusiastically hung on the walls of Australian feminists everywhere.  

I then handed the record to my father as he checked out all the other goodies we had picked up that day and I can't help but giggle at the thought of the check-out woman’s face when he handed her the “I am woman” record.

However, as much as I love all things kitsch and womanly, it wasn't until I arrived in my bedroom and placed the needle on the record when I really began to understand second-wave feminism and the mistakes I might have made about my own.



As the title track “I am Woman” Proudly blasted through my bedroom windows, I pranced around to Helen Reddy’s glorious war-cry , “I am in invincible!” and threw my arms open at the final “I AM WOOOOOOMAAAANN” To me this song is exactly what feminism means to me, powerful, passionate, strong and melodic. However I was thoroughly caught off guard when the next song “Misty Blue” played. What does this have to do with feminism? I thought. Apart from the fact that it was a female singer, I was incredibly critical of the lyrics that tell the story of a woman’s heart-break at a failed relationship. Where was the strength? Where was the anger and passion? I was honestly slightly offended by the fact that a song about a woman crying over a MAN made it to MY feminist compilation record.  


But then something clicked. As the sappy kitsch love songs flowed on, I was reminded of a part of feminism that I may have forgotten and needed to be reminded of. Part of the movement is to understand and respect the fact that as women/humans we are emotional beings. These love songs were justified in the way they portrayed women and feminists as still having emotional attachments to people and men and most importantly reiterated the fact that as women and feminists, we still have HEARTS. Perhaps it’s because I have become so exhausted by the fact that I have needed to defend my feminism so long that I have become a... heartless, almost angsty feminist? Maybe I've internalized the angst/angry feminist trope unintentionally and found myself forming into the very being that most teenage girls unfortunately have come to resent about feminism. Cue the common: “I don't like feminism because I like men”
Le sigh.  

By throwing my cynical attitude away I was able to enjoy “Dance Little Lady Dance” with a huge grin on my face. This record had taught me a lot about feminism that I had forgotten, that feminism can be fun, emotional but most of all, strong.






Monday 8 October 2012

Profumo Affair


The Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo who was the Secretary of State for War. He was alleged to have had an affair with call girl Christine Keeler who was the reputed mistress of  an alleged Soviet Spy. Profumo had previously denied the affair by lying in the House of Commons but he was later forced to resign as he had damaged the reputation of the British conservative Mcmillian government. The affair caused a stir within the British public as it revealed an almost hedonistic aspect to the British aristocracy. This was also symbolic within the atmosphere of the "Swinging sixties" as it represented the downfall of conservative ideas and ideology amongst British public. 




In my day, there was a sense of style about the whole thing, you know. Christine Keeler, Mandy Rice-Davies… Gorgeous little women who kept their mouths shut and just looked gorgeous, and gave the whole thing an air of dignity. - Patsy Stone


Cool documentary on Profumo Affair! 





Liebster Award

Liebster Award

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile and this post is hardly content-heavy or anything but I was nominated by Lovelier Words WHICH IS SO NICE and I feel obligated to acknowledge it. Only due to the fact that I rarely get nominated for anything, I feel as though this is a momentous occasion. 
Please do not feel obligated to read this, It's a break from my usual pop-culture posts and I rarely talk about myself or my life on my blog. I will answer all questions with utmost honesty. 


Apparently you answer 11 questions and then nominate 11 people with 200 followers or less.


What do you think of my blog?
LovelierWords? Well I think you're super sweet and lovely and that you have a great taste in books and films and music! I wish you all the best in your future blog/life/posts?

What do you think of the blogosphere?
As much as I try, I don't feel like I particularly "fit" into the blogosphere world. As with most things, I'm kind of content skimming the surface and meeting the people that cross my path, without necessarily diving into it and engulfing myself within the world of bloggers. I think it's because I find it hard to really define what my blog is and I guess that makes it harder for me to find blogs/other bloggers that are into the same things as me. I feel like energy is best focused to creating and finding content for my blog which means keeping my antennae up at all times. I really do love however connecting with other bloggers when I do, but it's not the most important thing for me. That said I do appreciate all comments and acknowledgements! 

Most beautiful thing?
I love the feeling of riding on the bus in a beautiful sunny day and passing the marina and beautiful sydney parks on my way home from a good day. I also love beautiful films with honest characters and storylines.

Main objective?
To connect with people and create a life for myself that exceeds my imagination. I know that's weird, but I would really love my future to surprise me and to look back and be like "WOW I would never have guessed this would have been my life 10 years ago AND IT'S AWESOME" That means taking every opportunity that is given to me and always keeping my eyes open to new possibilities.

Biggest vice?
Probably being too self-critical and critical of others. Maybe it's a virgo thing but I tend to place incredibly high expectations on myself/others and feel incredibly betrayed when people/I don't exceed those standards. I'm also in a constant state of self-doubt which prevents me from achieving what i probably can. 

Favorite song?
Ah!!! I don't know! I really love the song When we was fab by George Harrison. 4eva.



What do you hate most?
I hate hate! I really dislike negativity and bad-vibes. I'm not interested in people who are constantly bringing me/themselves down. Just get that negativity away from me!!

Best Quality?
Oooft! I don't know! Maybe my self-doubt can be productive at times? But it is by no way my BEST quality. Maybe good study habits and good organization skills? I'm also really enthusiastic to learn about new things and love learning.

Defect?
I have insulin intolerance which means I can't digest sugar and will most probably develop diabetes in 10 years and I need to exercise a lot. 

Idol?
Sebastian Bach. 

Are you happy?
At this moment, yes. I have an awesome job, good friends, an awesome kitten, food, a good support system ALL GOOD THINGS.

Who I nominate:
Gap-Teeth for sure. Probably one of my earliest followers. I absolutely love/admire her blog. She hasn't been posting recently but I really like the mutual support/fangirlyness.
Leah - Because I admire her honest posts and she makes the best fucking mixes ever
Roma - Because she's also one of my earliest followers and likes cool shit and I'm contributing to her zine SOON OKAY.
CAELAN - How could I chose my favourite blogger people without mentioning her? I'm constantly appreciative of her support and altogether loveliness
Nevena - because she's awesome and we both like similar things.
stone-age stomp - Great blog for inspiration and beautiful things! And music!
the red telephone - Probably one of my all-time favourites. Her posts are INTERESTING and cool and beautiful. I would love for my blog to one day be up to this standard. She finds the most interesting things, definitely inspirational. 
googirls - beautiful, cool, awesome, FUNKY girls! They also have friggen cool hair and seem like they would be cool chicks to hang out with!

Thursday 20 September 2012

Midnight Cowboy 1969





I've seen this film about 4 times this week and it's probably my new favourite film ever. I have never even felt a directorial film orgasm before this film and the beauty of this film is so insane that it's just like WOW ORGASM the entire movie. In a completely non-sexual way. 
The photography and directing is so amazing and beautiful. From the scenic visions of the Texan country side, to the beautiful scans of the New York city lights at night. 




The film features Jon Voight as a runaway cow boy named Joe Buck who has left his Texan ranch to pursue a hustling life style in New York City. He soon meets Dustin Hoffman's character, Ratso and together they form a tight companionship with Ratso taking position has Joe's Pimp. 




However New York City hustlin' life turns out to be disastrously unlike Joe's preconceived fantastical notions and what begins as a prosperous partnership between the pair, soon turns out to be tragically horrible. Unable to get any hustling jobs and without any home, Joe begins to rely more and more on Ratso who is equally as desperate. Their relationship is formed out of hardship, loneliness and a need for dependence on one another. Despite this, they are hopelessly hopeless and frequently seek solace in  allusions to their futures of success in Florida. 



The use of non-diegetic and diegetic music is so wonderfully incorporated in this film. Joe's hand-held radio follows him throughout the film and when he becomes so desperate for money and he sells the radio to a pawn-shop AND WHEN THE PAWN-SHOP MAN TURNS OFF THE RADIO MUSIC. It's just like wow, heartbreak. 




The film also features the iconic and improvised "HEY I'M WALKIN' HERE" scene from the great Dustin Hoffman. 



 It's use of fast-cut and flash-backs that allude to Joe's previous lover back in Texas throughout his prostitution jobs are heart-wrenching. The film also frequently interchanges between black and white photography and extremely vivid images to convey emotion, time and speed. When I first saw the way the film also features black and white photography I almost fell out my seat. IT'S SO AWESOME. Cleverly alluding to the time in 60s film history where film makers were transitioning from B & W photography to technicolour.

The film also features a warhol-esque party scene, which for me definitely makes the film.






The film ends on a melancholic note, much like Dustin Hoffman's The Graduate where the characters reside in the back-seat of a bus and you get this strange feeling that you are with the characters, painfully empathizing with their predicament. 



Great film GREAT SOUNDTRACK... even if Hoffman's accent is a little annoying



Sunday 16 September 2012

EVOLVE ALREADY



A documentary made about my friends Casio and Anto and the colour parade that they organize. The film captures a certain time in recent Sydney history which I think is really a vital part of the Sydney art scene. Even though the film captures the last days of The Avory, which was their party/home for a while that is long gone, the film also covers the colour parade that is still happening to this day!

Even though I met Anto and Casio after the Avory days, when I was about 15, this film stirs up a lot of memories as most of the people in it have moved to Europe now :(
Also, Anto is the one who's art show is featured in my photography entry from a few weeks ago!

Saturday 1 September 2012

Electric Shock Rock



During Lou Reed's teen years he was sent to a mental hospital, where he was forced to endure electric shock treatment and drug treatments for his 'homosexual tendancies'. His family were jewish conservative and he found himself at odds as his family were unable to accept his unconventional attitudes and sexual ambigious behaviour.
Much to his parent's dismay, he pursued a career in music and his highschool experiences have become embodied in the 1974 song "Kill your sons" and has been quoted saying

"They put the thing down your throat so you don't swallow your tongue, and they put electrodes on your head. That's what was recommended in Rockland County to discourage homosexual feelings. The effect is that you lose your memory and become a vegetable. You can't read a book because you get to page seventeen and have to go right back to page one again."

Johnny Depp on Jack Kerouac


I like to think that I would have had a chance with Johnny Depp now that I have Winona Ryder hair

Friday 31 August 2012

Forever



Jesse sings 'Forever' to Rebecca in Full House.

Pinnacle of my life.

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Around April







1 & 2 At my friend's art show in April
3. Aidan and Fiona at a friend's party
4. Calum in a lamp-light
5. My sister in a onesie with a detachable bottom

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Parachute


Sébastien  Lenormand jumps from the tower of the Montpellier observatory, 1783. Illustration from the late 19th Century.

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Classic Rock, Really Classic?




Listening to The Byrds song 'Turn Turn Turn' brings me back to the days of Jewish high-school, when on religious days the school would blast this song through the auditorium speakers. Not only for its convenient allusions to the bible, but also for its “vintage cred” as my school wasn't a regular Jewish school; it was a liberal reformed jewish school. Cue Regina George’s mum – “I'm not a regular Jewish school; I'm a cool Jewish school!!”
How Jewish high school can be at all cool or appealing I fail to understand, but props for trying... religious institution. (Also have I mentioned Jewish enough in this article? Okay once more. Jewish.)

Okay Jewish-ness and mean girls references beside (I'm sick of mean girls just as much as the next person, but am I seriously the only person who constantly has this quote on rotation in my mind in relation to ANYTHING? It's like the best quote. It is so totally tangible; you can relate it to anything.)

Anyway, I remember the first time my evangelical Jewish studies teacher played the song in class and she turned to me and said “Alexa would like this one”.  It’s important to note that by this point in my high school career I had been duped the “chick that likes old shit” by both my teachers and peers which I honestly didn’t mind too much. Later on in the record of ‘Turn Turn Turn’ around the part of the song where they say something about living and dying, a student swivelled around on his strategically placed chair to me and said “How can you like this old shit?”


“How can you like this old shit?”


That’s it. That was the point in my life where it was clear to me that there was a divide between me and the rest of the kids in my class. I was the one in the class that could stand old music which, as my classmate so eloquently put it, was apparently “shit”. I guess what irked me the most was that this person had had such a closed mind that he could call something he had heard only about 45 seconds of shit, and would thus think I would have any right or concept of what good music is/was. What also frustrated me is that because I openly liked classic rock that put me in the jar of having to like all kinds of classic rock, which frankly isn’t true. I listen to a wide variety of music and just because I happen to have a few (okay maybe a bit more than a few) Creedance clear-water revival albums on my iPod doesn’t automatically mean I love every single album that was released within the decades of 1960 and 1970; because I don’t.

Anyway, much time has passed since that incident. And the poor soul that had said that disgustingly ignorant comment to me now spends his time in his parents’ house smoking pot and playing video games every other weekend. However, this has brought up a whole new issue for me. What does my generation have against “old” music?

I remember listening to an interview with Pamela Des Barres where she commented on how sad it was that the rock ‘n’ roll music she used to “rock out” to is now labelled “Classic” and is given its own separate genre. I can understand where she is coming from, it is sad to see that by music progressing and aging, we as a result feel as though we need to recognize this aging. But it is important to recognise the development rock music has a genre has progressed since the 70s, and it would simply be unfair to new rock bands trying to find their own musical legs without separating them.



 Despite my own opinion on the rock music scene these days, I do understand both where Pamela is coming from but also the way music culture works now. I suppose it isn’t a really great boost to the ego to realise the music you connected to so much in your youth is now duped “classic” meaning that she is becoming a “classic” i.e old, traditional, outdated and irrelevant.  I suppose this is a sad truth no one would like to ever come to terms to. (I don’t however; mean to say Pamela is any of those things)

The word classic is associated with words such as old, traditional and typical. So therefore it is completely understandable why my classmate had taken such distaste to a song that was written over 30 years before his birth. Western youth culture has this fundamental need to reject the past in order to create a more diverse and interesting art; this is the culture in which original rock “n’ roll music developed out of.  So therefore it is only natural that my classmate rejected the song, because it is his inherit rite to have the attitude that he did. To him, the music that is being produced now is new, fresh and innovative. If new music is being produced all the time, why should he have to listen to music that to him is completely irrelevant? 


Because of this distinction between old and new music, there has been a divide created between fans of the old and fans of the new. As well as this distinction, there have also been fans that have been able to recognise that good music is simply good music; and have as a result been able to embrace both genres of music by not alienating one over the other.


A really fascinating article I read a few weeks ago discusses that, for the first time, record sales of old records have preceded that of new records. This means that more people are buying older records over newer records than ever before. The article speculates that this is because the youth of today are “finally realising what us oldsters already know: new music is rubbish and it’s only the old stuff that’s worth listening to”. 
In my opinion, I doubt this is the reason. Sure there is overwhelming evidence that large majority of youth have a real enthusiasm for older bands (exhibit A: Me) But that does not mean that we prefer older music over newer music. In fact, in my opinion the reason why older record sales have risen is probably because newer music is so much more accessible online that people don’t feel like they need to pay for it.
 Especially during recession times, people are more likely to spend money on products they trust are reliable and what is more reliable than a classic Led Zeppelin record? 

In this day and age, with the music business being as fickle as it is. Is it really any guess that people would much rather be spending money on a band that has had such powerful cultural resonance over a band with a few hits that may OR may not fade into obscurity within the coming years? 


xxx Alexa

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Hype! 1996



Hype! Is a 1996 documentary documenting the rise of the Seattle Grunge scene during the late 1980's and early 1990's. It follows a community of musicians who, with their grass-roots approach to both recording, performing and producing music were able to create a music movement of their own. Grunge was the answer to a generation that defied commercialism and capitalist values, to the kids of grunge, anything 'mainstream' sucked and independently organised music production "ruled" no matter how shit bad the quality.
However, as grunge music gained popularity within the youth culture of the 90s, capitalist forces demanded their own slice of the success and thus many original grunge bands found themselves and their friends becoming exploited by the very system they were ideologically against.

The film features rare concert footage and rad interviews of TAD, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Coffin Break, The Gits, Love Battery, Flop, The Melvins, Mono Men, Supersuckers, Zipgun, Seaweed, Pearl Jam, 7 Year Bitch, Hovercraft, Gas Huffer and Fastbacks.



Friday 27 July 2012

More Cowbell SNL skit



Blue Oyster Cult parody on Saturday Night Live  featuring Christopher Walken... so amazing

"I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell"

Tuesday 17 July 2012

George Brassai

I'm currently reading 'Spy in the House of Love' By Anais Nin. I had been meaning to read Anais Nin's romantic novels for a while as I had recently completed devouring her book on philosophy entitlted 'Book of the future'. I stumbled upon the book whilst perousing my friend Kecilli's fabulous book collection and instantly became drawn to the book cover..



What mainly drew me to this photograph are the angles in particular. The way the photograph taken on an angle, subtly revealing a portion of mirror that hints to the man's expression otherwise unrevealed. The woman's head is angled upwards, her gaze is both coyly seducing yet powerfully assertive, it's almost as if she is 'looking down' on the man who is drawn into her alluring expression. There's no question as to why this image was chosen as the cover for the book, the photograph was taken in the 20s at a time when female empowerment flourished socially and politically and this essence of the power of women is particularly reflected in Nin's work.

Upon closer inspection, written in fine line at the back of the book cover was the name Brassai. Brassai was a hungarian born photographer, who later attained a french citizenship. He was part of the generation of prolific artists,writers and poets living in Paris in the 20s and his contemporaries comprised of Picasso, Salvador Dali, Henry Miller, Man Ray and Hemingway. Brassai had been living in Paris where he had been painting and drawing. In fact when he decided to adopt photography, Picasso famously discouraged Brassai and warned he was "giving up his gold mine of painting for a salt mine of photography"




Brassai was particularly inspired by the dazzling streets of Paris at night and organised a collection of photographs entitled Paris de Nuit. His collection of images taken in the early 30s perfectly encapsulate a period lost in time. Paris in the 30s with it's fascinating array of prostitutes, pimps, madams, transvestites and assorted 'cold-eye pleasure-seekers' all woven together to create an atmosphere of seamless beauty and hedonism.






Apparently,Brassai was unhappy with the results of his photographs depicting Paris. I suppose a city as spellbinding as Paris would be hard to encapsulate in mere images... 










thanks and thanks