MAAIKE PULLAR: the Jesus of furniture

Photography by Greta Kennedy

Maaike Pullar is the crazy forager lady of the inner west of Sydney. You may find her swimming in the dumpster outside your apartment block, knee deep in detritus or scavenging derelict bench tops from the freshly evicted heroin dive next door to you. From these unloved chair frames, wrecks of lounges and grime entrenched scaffolds Maaike performs her magic. Furniture resurrection.

The trend du jour of the recycling world is the term upcycling: rather than simply restoring a piece of furniture to its former glory, something is created which is entirely new and of greater worth both artistically and technically. Upcycling is specific to a new function being imposed on an object through assemblage, deconstruction or modifications.

“salvaged goods to art just squeezes in as upcycling, but while I've always thought of my chairs as a canvas, ultimately I want them to still have that function, as a chair, which is why I choose the term resurrection over anything else.”

Maaike’s work transcends the basic repair and re use ethos, finding an artistic voice and definitive style in her practice. “Each new find determines its own identity, demanding the right fabric, the right imagery and the application of a new skin. I may work on commission but I create art”. Maaike’s work has developed a cult following in the villages of Sydney recently, particularly with her text and graphic based works. Frequently splicing choice words or phrases into her furniture, Pullar evokes a sense of ownership to place and time which acts as a powerful bond between the furniture and the household it finds a place in. Past examples of work have used the names of Sydney suburbs, tea towel snippets of whimsical phrases and nostalgic vocabulary. Something as simple as the words tea time on a panel of one of Pullar’s chairs or the suburb names Darlinghurst or Marrickville spliced into an arm piece evoke memories and experiences which are unique to its owner and fuse a strong relationship between object and person.

Not always textual, a common theme in Pullar's work is a gentle subversion of icons and tradition, as if testing our recognition and fealty to deconstructed ideals and mismatched expectations. Pullar spent her early twenties living in Mexico and this is resplendent in her works, seen in her vibrant use of colour and large canvases of Mexican packaging. The evocation of memory make Pullar’s work a desirable foreign trinket; as an impartation of her own personal experiences and as a representation of exoticism.

So next time you are trawling the streets of Sydney and you see what appears to be a woman possessed, rifling through a strangers garbage, trying to extricate a bulky seventies coffee table, give her a hand. She might just turn it into spectacular.

For all things Maaike, including her very lovely blog visit:

www.maaike.com

all images copyright of Greta Kennedy 2011.

NEW BREED

London's creative scene is hard you know.


One can contract many STD's in trying to get into the right creative crowd and cultivating the right connections.

Change is afoot. NEW BREED is a brand new creative talent agency run by the lovely Julia and Lee who are committed to finding genuine creative talent no matter who you are or how well connected you are.

So stop swimming in the rivers of creative bullshit and join New Breed on the dry, fruitful banks of greatness.

www.wearebreeding.com

Image copyright and courtesy of New Breed 2011

HIT AND MISS: TOM POLO

To say I follow Tom Polo’s work with a fanaticism and loyalty reminiscent of a pre pubescent girl to Justin Bieber is a fair comment. So it was with great expectation that I took my giddy self to his new exhibition Hit and Miss at the Parramatta Artist’s Studio Gallery. The exhibition is designed to be a retrospective look at Polo’s work from the last two years.

The exhibition was divided into four ‘galleries’ (for those who haven’t been to this space it is basically two rooms). The first gallery was new work by Polo, the words ‘Self Sabotage’ immediately engaged the viewer with Polo’s world after stepping into the gallery from a busy Parramatta midday. In stark black and white this work is nicely balanced by the thoughtfully placed smaller work ‘Maybe one day’. Similarly in this room is a small acrylic work ‘Hit and Miss’ with the colourful ‘No Idea’; an inconspicuous small painting in the corner. The area is punchy and clean and gives a nice visual introduction into Polo’s practice.

More Better, acrylic on MDF 2009

Walking into Gallery two; ‘Continuous one liners’ is an assortment of slogans, self help mantras and ironic gems. Polo is best known for this work and has been exploring this practice through the two years the exhibition covers. The placement of over sixteen works in such a small space generally detracted from the works as singular pieces. This was only compounded by the garish blue-hued wall the works were hung on. Although this is perhaps a deliberate technique to reference contemporary culture in which we are overloaded with this type of vocabulary; each banner got lost in the mish-mash. I couldn’t help but feel a few choice combinations as seen in the previous room would have been more effective.

Hit and Miss, acrylic on canvas 2010

Gallery three and four contained some more recent works by Polo; ‘The peak of human excellence’ and ‘The new science of personal achievement (Tony)’. These further explored the idea of contemporary self help culture through a subtle homage to Anthony (Tony) Robbins. The works on offer show a nice progression from the text in the previous rooms and it was great to see works by Polo which were not based on words.

For those who are familiar with Polo’s work; there is a nice flow in theme and content. For those new to Polo’s work this may all seem like one giant paint-based installation rather than a two year retrospective. Any small amount of signage or introductory text to the exhibition would have helped this immensely; indeed it would make this exhibition more accessible to the fairly bustling square outside the gallery. This being said; the work of Parramatta Artists Studio in launching early career artists into the sector is extremely valued and sometimes massive warehouse spaces to show works uncluttered and unlimited budgets to create overwhelming press hype is simply unavailable. The location of the exhibition was actually wonderful. Polo’s work addresses and re contextualises the mundanity of everyday routine; no location would be better than the sprawl of suburbia which is Parramatta and its surrounding suburbs.

No Can do, acrylic on canvas 2010

In such an intimate space there is always the unexpected chance of meeting the artist ; as I mumble awkwardly with Polo; I am secretly trying to resist the urge to get down on one knee and beg him for a free work in exchange for slave labor or frankly anything savoury or otherwise in exchange for a canvas. On the train home I couldn’t help but resonate absolutely to Lisa Havilah’s words in the ‘Hit and Miss’ catalogue, (which, by the way is a fantastic souvenir of Polo’s work to have if you cannot take home the real deal) “there is an attractive materiality to Tom Polo’s work that make you want to take it home immediately.”

So yes there are some operational flaws within this exhibition but Polo’s irresistibly appealing retrospective of work is undeniable.

Now we are all waiting for the obvious line so I am going to give it. Tom Polo’s Hit and Miss: A definite hit.

Hit and Miss runs until 1 April 2011 at Parramatta Artist’s Studio Gallery

See more of Tom Polo: tompoloart.blogspot.com

All images courtesy of Parramatta Artist’s studio.

MR PORTER LOVE ME

It has finally gone live. MR PORTER is here. Now you too can wallow in the injustice of not having enough dosh to buy what would look amazing on you- only too find some obese, mid life crisis, rich HSBC banker wanker snap it up. Maybe its time to consider prostitution. happy drooling (over the products not me and not me as a product. right?).

www.mrporter.com

Friends of Folk Festival: ATTEND OR DIE.

Although I am a big fan of any assistance towards the Queensland flood relief; token gestures from 'the man'; donating a 0.5 percent of profit from, I dont know- a four step hair removal system makes me want to place these people on an overflowing river of disgust vomit.


This is not the case with the third annual Friends of Folk Festival in Brisvegas on March sixth. Let me clarify this, the guys who run this event; The Modern Enthusiasts work for next to or if not absolutely nothing and are donating ALL ticket proceeds to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. Not to mention that this festival has a pretty fine line up of Brisbane acts including the always cheerful Gin Club, the Sia -esque Emma Dean and The Flumes. Apart from the music this event has heaps of other events including a selection of Brissy short films including Josh Tanner's amazing film The Foal.

The Gin Club.

Friends of Folk Festival is not part of the new wave of festivals which sees the just- turned -eighteen -set ingesting ecstasy and listening to Kesha. This is about a sense of community and supporting all aspects of Brisbane's local talent in a non for profit context. It's also a chance to mop up some of the mess and get the Vegas going again.

The third annual Friends of Folk Festival is at the Old Museum, Bowen Hills, Brisbane on March the sixth.

FOFF tickets can be brought via the website through Oz Tix.

www.friendsoffolkfestival.com

Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal

http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

FOFF contact: admin@freindsoffolkfestival.com

All images courtesy of FOFF, copyright 2011

All text copyright of somenewplace 2011

Desktop Magazine

Now you can catch me blogging it up for Desktop Magazine as well as somenewplace.

Desktop covers a whole range of fun stuff and is really really swish for moments in the day when you want to kill yourself after realizing you resent being stuck behind a computer all day working for the man.

www.desktopmag.com.au

HOT IN THE CITY

It’s time for Sydney -siders to do what Sydney siders do best- a gaudy display of glitter and glossy goodness.

Angus Malcolm, Boys At The Lumina 03, 2011

Mardi Gras season is fast approaching with the kick off of the annual GLBT Mardi Gras Festival (February 19^th- March the sixth). Beyond the usual antics, my pick of the bunch is to get your self to the Iain Dawson Gallery on Oxford Street to see the group exhibition Hot in the City.

This exhibition puts together the work of some of Australia’s most exciting emerging artists; Alun Rhys Jones and Dan Gladden who will be joined by UK based photographer Angus Malcolm (of naked calendar fame). Dan Gladden’s works in particular is something to behold, tainted with a hint of fetish; his pre dominantly oil based works are strong and punchy, extremely masculine and sexually charged.

Dan Gladden, Cadet Hero, 2011

An art exhibition which centres on sexuality is a somewhat tricky issue. These types of exhibition tend to repeat themselves in their content; a white cube full of muscular torsos and artfully placed hand –over- crotch numbers. In contrast to an exhibition perhaps, which celebrates the work of a gay artist through a wider selection of works. It will be interesting to see what Iain Dawson Gallery has chosen to hang for this show.

However it is Sydney. Mardi Gras. Oxford Street.

So I am expecting a lot of exposed flesh...which is in no way a bad thing, especially when coming from the talented new blood of Australia’s creative’s.

Hot in the city runs from the 15^th of February until the sixth of March

All images are courtesy of Iain Dawson Gallery. Copyright 2011

No text may be reproduced without permission

Opening night: This Thursday the 17^th of February 6-8

Iain Dawson gallery 443 Oxford Street, Paddington.

Alun Rhys Jones, Visual Brand Identity, 2011