Sarah-Jane Cook is thoroughly stitched up
Some things are better said in thread, which probably doesn’t make sense unless you’ve seen the extensive stitched work of Sarah-Jane Cook, an Australian visual artist who works primarily with needle, thread and lace trimmed hankerchiefs. Sweet from afar, a brief admiration of Cook’s handiwork gives way to an inspection of the messages embroidered. Ranging from a thank you for the easter eggs note from child to parent, to pro and con lists, scribbled shopping lists, recipes and abusive notes left for housemates, the collection is diverse and reveals much about the unknown characters who probably penned them in haste.
My favourite? ‘Whoever ate my icecream can keep your filthy hands off it’, stitched in bright orange running writing on a cream hanky trimmed with lace. If only I had it on hand to stick to the freezer door when one such unfortunate instance happened at home.
Cook, a chronic collector, hoarded notes and lists for some thirteen years before selecting a precious few to transform into permanent monuments, a kind of social history, which makes me wonder if her practice will ever extend to sewing particularly telling Facebook statuses or late night tweets.
Tagged: lace trimmed hankerchiefs, Sarah-Jane Cook
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Also by SONYA GEE
Last week, a bunch of young Sydney creatives were asked to describe their vision for the city in the time it usually takes to run to the bus stop, boil an egg, or listen to a decent pop song. Three Minute Sydney launched the two week Creative Sydney festival, the city’s first winter festival to celebrate and promote local creative industries. Sydney’s acclaimed but extremely humble comic artist Matt Huynh stole the show with a three minute time lapse video presentation, a speedy sequence of comics created one frantic Sunday afternoon. From the iconic Eternity message chalked on the city sidewalks to scenes from the city’s late night meat-market bars, indie gigs and packed trains, Huynh explored the places and stories of Sydney in black and white. Read more
Bababa International: curries, manicures, pooch shows
Somewhere in a Sydney park, exact location undisclosed, sits a custom built wooden house fit for one. And if you happen to stumble across it, you simply lift it up, climb into the hole dug underneath it and make yourself at home. The makeshift shelter, which loosely resembles a human-sized kennel, is the latest work of Sydney art collective the Bababa International. The trio, consisting of Stephen Russell, Ivan Ruhle and Tom Melick (fourth member Giles Thackway has temporarily absconded to Mexico and is probably wearing a protective swine flu mask at present), say there are plans to install a radio at some point to make the shelter more homely and install similar constructions in parks across Sydney. And they reluctantly offer some hints of this particular houses’ location, saying it’s located in a park in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs, past a hedge and close to a tennis court. Read more
So simple, yet surprisingly effective, a black and white printed poster strapped to a telegraph poll still has the power to entertain, offend and inform. Especially when they deviate from the usual moving sales, lose-ten-pounds-in-four-weeks and public hunts for housemates. A single A4 sheet precariously stuck to a pole caught my eye, a public declaration of love to no one in particular, complete with tear off reminders. It was simple and sweet, especially appreciated during a time where recession, financial crisis and impending doom are mentioned so frequently. Read more
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I’m in love with interior decoration designer Jonathan Adler’s Druggist Pottery collection. It is so old school, but new school, yet edgy. They’re on sale at the moment, so I just purchased a white Anger Jar. I live in New York, so I tend to have a lot of … errr … emotion to store in there.
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German painter Armin Rohr’s works look like stills from Stan Brakhage films, all acid-washed, scratched out, and ethereal like a sudden flood of memories. Read more
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The clever folk at Code Organ made a sythesizer that turns webpages into music. Just enter a URL and listen to the sweet, sweet sounds your site produces.
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A three-lettered ‘wow’ explodes in my mind whenever I look at the work of Sydney-based silkscreen artist Kate Banazi. Her latest work is fantastically dynamic, stylistic and abstract, making clever use of colour-bomb palettes. Read more
The new Runaways movie looks at the formation of the seminal girls’ group which spawned Joan Jett’s career. We have a Runaways prize pack to give away, including Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Greatest Hits CD, the film’s soundtrack, and Joan Jett’s photobook with Todd Oldham. To enter, just leave the name of the city you live in! Read more
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