Town of Vincent's Administrative and Civic Centre Grounds Corner between Loftus & Vicent Sts Leederville, WA 6007
"Beseech" aka Big Blue Head, is a 3-metre high blue concrete sculpture by Western Australian artist Ken Sealy. The Town of Vincent
commissioned Sealy after being selected among the six entries presented. The project was founded using the Town of Vincent’s
mandatory Percent for Art Scheme, which is a very cool mandatory concept.
The sculpture was initially planed for a commercial development to be built at 375 Charles Street (North Perth). However, the developers showed concerns about the effect of such a
big sculpture on the value of the area, and about the visual impact that it might have. The Town of Vincent was forced to look for a more convenient location for the already in production Beseech. After much deliberation, Beseech found a home on the grounds of the Town of Vincent's Administrative and Civic building. I am convinced that this was a blessing in disguise, because Beseech, being
surrounded by trees and in a relatively quiet green area, away from any commercial building, has got a life of its own.
Beseech's style is similar to the in-vogue marquetry puzzles, created by putting together flat slices of wood to create a 3D volume. Sealy did a very similar thing, but on a giant scale. He used slices of foam, impregnated them with concrete, linked them by metallic poles, and, once they two halves of the head were dry, they were assembled, and erected on its current location, painted with Epoxy, and was inaugurated on 20 March 2013.
Beseech is a beautifully expressive and New Age creature - a true gentle giant. The delicate but pronounced tilt of the head and the fact that the eyes look open or closed depending on the angle you look at "him", give Beseech a very peaceful and egregious air. It makes you wonder. What is he seeking? Why is he looking at? What has caused him to be so very peacefully enraptured? Is he meditating? Is he praying? Is he looking at the moon? Is he looking at the stars? Is he looking inward? Beseech has a metaphysical aura that makes you stop and look up to see what he is looking up. When you look up, you see the sunlight and moonlight shining through the leaves of the trees, the tops of the trees framing the sky, and a space that is beyond what we see, both outward and inward.
Of course, the sculpture is facing the building of the Town of Vincent, but I am sure that Beseech is not interested in mundane affairs at all.
I do not like concrete and fashion colours in sculpture because it makes the sculpture fashionable and perishable, degradable, and consumable as well. Of course, this is a very personal opinion. This is an awesome expressive sculpture that would have benefited from those materials that are Sealy's trademark: Aluminium and wood. I suppose, the small budget (which was, nevertheless, 50 grand) did not allow Sealy to create something of that sort. Nothing lasts an eternity, but it would have been great if the Town of Vincent had added a bit of more money from its own pockets, to guarantee a longer cooler life to Beseech.
I love this sculpture, despite its blue concrete, for its concretist blues.
Fremantle Train Station is an iconic Fremantle landmark, Heritage listed since 2001. The Station has an air of grandeur, with an impressive and charming stone Federation Classical façade, whose elegance and magnificence gets somewhat magnified by its less impressive surroundings. In a way, it feels a bit too grand for a bohemian little town like Fremantle. However, once you enter in, the Station reflects well the laid-back style of the town.
The Station is clean, well organised and fuss free. Only the Fremantle Train Line operates in this station and, although the trains arrive and leave frequently, there is never a huge traffic or big human agglomerations except for peak hours some days. The Station reminds me of those little old train stations you find in some small European villages and towns; if they hanged a few flower plants from the beams, the space-travel-machine feeling would be magnified.
Part of the original
grandeur of the Station can still be appreciated, if you happen to be a lady, at the
surprisingly magnificent eerie toilets. They seem designed for
giants or, most probably, for ladies wearing long dresses with cancans,
awesome feather hats and delicate parasols, who needed to
get from "Lady" to human being in need of physical relief, and lots of space for the gruelling and almost Kafkaesque transformation. They probably have huge bottoms, too. If you happen to have one, congratulations!, this is your place. The chilliness of
the place, the large empty space, the high dark-wood doors and the ultra-white walls create a
ghostly atmosphere that you do not want to miss.
Although the seating area is large and quite comfortable, and the station has electronic info pannels regarding trains departures, the station lacks some facilities that, due to he ample room available, one wonders why are not there. A cosy elegant French-style café could be perfect here, a small newsagent, a colourful flowers stand, and the now absent Info booth. That is my vision. The vision of TransPerth is a bit more Spartan, and at present there is just a little convenience store, and a Security booth, plus the ticket machines, which, of course, have a charm of their own. The security guards at the station are very friendly and helpful if you happen to request their help.
Fremantle Train Station makes you at ease as soon as you enter in. Things change after the lights of the day fade off, but, even then, the Station lives up to its Jekyll & Hyde soul.
When Walt Disney was a person alive making animations movies and not just a brand, he had the dream of making animated concerts mixing his animation with classical music. Fantasia was born. It was 1940.
Fantasia 2000 is a celebration of Disney's vision, an a celebratory anniversary of the original Fantasia. James Levine directs the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in seven new animated short films. Some of them are an abstract mix of colour, light and movement. Some other are a creation inspired by specific musical pieces, while others have a story for which a piece of music was created a posteriori.
1/ An Allegro from Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5", offers an abstract light, colour and abstract birds & butterflies very short short.
2/ Respighi's "Pines of Rome" shows a family of humpback whales playfully swiming from water to air. This is my favourite short, as it is completely experimental, pure fantasia and extravaganza, but still very modern in animation style and feeling. Very New Age, in a way.
3/ Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" inspires a story set in New York during the Big Depression, with moody unhappy characters who dream of having a different life. The animation style is very 1930s and is based in Al Hirschfeld's cartoons. The first seconds of the segment are brilliant, but the whole piece captures the spirit of old-style 2D animation with great mastery.
4/ An Allegro from Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 2" matches a version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. This is the most linear story, and the one I enjoyed the least.
5/ Saint-Saëns's "Carnival of the Animals" offers a colourful flamboyant scene of dancing flamingos that are trying to get a yoyo-obsessed dancing flamingo back into the flock and dancing routine. It reminded me of the Warner Bross old classics cartoons! Delightful.
6/Dukas's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" accompanies Micky Mouse naughty slovenliness in his sorcerer chores in this old well-known piece included in the original Fantasia. Despite its age, the piece is still delightful and fresh.
8/ Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" offers a version of Noah's Ark with Donald Duck and Daisy leading the animals into the ark and into a safe land. 9/ Finally, Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" offers a story of a death and renewal with a spring fairy and her companion Elk.
The movie has, overall, a retro-style that mimics the style of the original. Walt Disney and Disney Factory's old spirit are still here. However, the fact that each short is introduced by different celebrities (Steven Martin, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, and Angela Landsbury among others) rests fluidity to the movie. I thought the introductions were funny and charming, but I would have preferred longer shorts and shorter speeches. The original Fantasia was original in its conception, but also daring and experimental in its visuals and the stories told. Creativity was overflowing. That cannot be said about Fantasia 2000, although the contrary could be expected with the digital revolution allowing Animators to bring to the big screen almost anything. Still, this is a good entertaining movie. Fantasia 2000 is a very enjoyable family movie that can be enjoyed by both adults and children; it might not be fit for small children as some of the pieces are a bit abstract. This is a wonderful movie to introduce Classic Music to children.
The Iron Giant tells the story of the fall into Earth of an alien giant robot, and his relation with a naughty child who lives with his single mother in a small town in the States.
The movie is set in the 1950s, during the Cold War period and the space race, when aliens and robot populated TV shows, comics and the imagination of everybody. The movie is able to reproduce the mood and style of the era, even the animation style, but with all the improvements that technology has brought to animation.
The characters are well drawn psychologically, which is not a surprise the movie being a Warner Bros'. Moreover, the cartoons have a superb body movement and facial expression.
The script is engaging and very entertaining, very funny and lovable. At the same time, the film address serious social and political issues in a simple approachable way, without lecturing: You are who you decide to be, if you respond to violence is your option., it is in your hands to make your own destiny no matter what your past is, your heart is always a great power to connect with others no matter how different they are. Great messages to pass on to children. All the voice actors are terrific, and the movie is never dull, but cheerful and full of life thanks to them. Eli Marienthal is terrific as the little hero Hogarth Hughes. Jennifer Aniston is extremely lovable as his mother Annie (perhaps Aniston's best performance ever...), Harry Connick Jr is very likeable as the quirky Dean McCoppin, Vin Diesel very sweet as the "brute" Iron Giant, and Christopher McDonald terrific as the annoying paranoid Government Agent Kent Mansley.
The Iron Giant did not have success at the box office when first released, due to poor marketing, but it has proven to be one of the most charming, entertaining and lovable animation movies of all times, matching Miyazaki's and other classics of 2D animation because of both the quality of its animation and script. The Iron Giant is a a movie with a great script, characters and old-style animation suitable for both adults and children. Forget the hollow modern movies for children, and show them one that has some substance.
In a world inhabited by locomotive machines and cars, the little abandoned town of Radiator Spring is languishing. The visit of a posh race car, Lightning McQueen, will revitalise the live of the locals and will teach him invaluable lessons on life. The whole film is a long visual feast and you feel like clapping to those big digital artists working for Pixar in this movie. The mate drawing of the landscape and town settings is magnificent. The cinematography and shot angles are truly artistic. The design of the cars is equally impressive regarding animation, colours, texturing and lighting. The night scenes in the open field are among my favourites because of their beauty and artistry.
The voicing of the characters, done by A-list actors (Paul Newman among them, in his last acting role before passing away), is extremely good, very charming and effective, as the viewer really feels that the voices match the cars' personality and give a big cosy feeling to the movie.
However, all of this is not enough to save the movie, which suffers from an absurd point of departure, stereotypical script and characters/role models, and a childish storyline. This will delight small children, guaranteed, but will not engage most adults. I thought that Pixar had lowered their storyline standards and made a movie that would suit more Disney's requirements. No wonder, Disney bought Pixar little after Cars was released.
Cars is an enjoyable movie for kids, with spectacular animation and eye candy colours.
Decalgirl is an American online shop that sells skins for almost every possible gadget in the market, and cases for smart-phones. The business started as a couple's home-business in 2003 and has become a millionaire business with 25 staff members. You will understand their success when you visit Decalgirl.
Decalgirl's website is simple and very functional. You will find easy searching for your gadget, zooming the artwork on display, and getting answers regarding ordering and shipping. I love the variety of artwork they have, and the fact that all the items are available for all gadgets, which is not the case in other decal online shops. Most importantly, you can upload your own photos and artwork, and customise the gadget of your choice. You can choose mate or glossy finish. The only downside I can mention is the lack of a search box based on tags or keywords, which would be handy if you are looking for, say, cars, sports, mermaids, or a specific theme or motif you want for your gadget.
Decalgirl's prices are very similar to the ones you find elsewhere online. Shipping prices for Australia are quite expensive: about 10 dollars for standard post, which can take up to two working weeks; upgraded postal varieties are around 30 bucks. These are ridiculous prices for an almost-weightless product, and only worth paying if you order a bunch of things or you cannot find your item elsewhere. Matte and glossy finish are charged at the same price, though.
After paying and placing your order, you will receive an email with the details of your order and a link to their order status page where you can check, yes!, the state your order before shipping. The shipping of your order can take up to three days; then, you will receive an email with a tracking
link.
Registration is easy. Use your existing Facebook, Twitter or Google Account, and you will be
able to save your favourite pieces of artwork, make your wish list and
save your personal projects. You can create your own profile, save your payment details, and receive the Decalgirl's newsletter if you want.
I love the skin I chose for my kindle. Decalgirl was the only place I found this image, so I put up with the shipping costs. I got my order in 17 working days, and the product was identical in colour and detail to the one in the photo in their website. The decal is great regarding colours and quality of the material used.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT I am very happy with the service provided by Decalgirl, but they absolutely need to make things easier for overseas customers. What about reducing the shipping fees if you purchase more than one item? What about covering themselves the shipping costs if you choose standard shipping? What about offering a better post option for the same price?
Ana (Manuela Vallès), a young hippy talented painter living in Ibiza, is discovered by Justine (Charlotte Rampling), an Arts Patron who invites her to join an independent Arts school. Ana's first troubled love and sexual experiences, and her constant nightmares will get Anglo (Asier Newman) to perform hypnosis on her. Ana's past lives will be open to the viewer, but not to Ana, who will have to deal with her life chaos in unknown painful ways not being aware of what is causing it.
Chaotic Ana is a very
difficult conceptual film to watch, called pretentious and pointless by
many, or challenging and profound by others. You cannot watch it as a
linear story. This film requires of you a willingness to accept the odd,
the chaos and the surprising. This film requires of you a willingness to
embrace Medem's personal intimate story as it is related to Medem's late sister Anne, who was a remarkable
painter.
Chaotic Ana touches Universal themes and myths related to the Female and the myths of the Motherland (from Oedipus and Electra to primitive matriarchal mythologies). In his
odyssey of discovery of The Female, Medem takes us from the cave to the
skyscraper using the Ocean as a linking element
Chaotic Ana is -despite some shocking violent scenes- an ode against male violence and
wars, and against those individuals who start them; however, the film
also shows a blind faith in the goodness of Human Kind despite the
tragedies and havoc that we create.
Chaotic
Ana is both a reflection on Death and the void left by the departed -
Medem's tribute to his late sister.
Chaotic Ana is also an
invitation to see Art as a form of individual expression, a timeless
biography of the living, and a living legacy of the deceased. I especially liked some of visual shows shown in the House of the Artists.
The editing is complex and very dynamic. Every small detail in the film has a meaning and it is intricately related to what is happening in the story as a whole. This is one of those films that you need to watch more than once -if you dare or care enough- to get everything. The film continuously
unsettles the viewer, and there are some gory, violent and shock sex
scenes. The international cast members are just OK in their performances, but this is not a movie for them to shine as the script is what matters, and they are, in a way, just Medem's "mediums". Movies like this are never popular or highly rated, and are hated or loved, nothing in between. I loved it, but some of my friends -who are also fans of Medem- totally hated it. I always love a mental challenge, odd stuff, and artistic honesty, and this film has all of those things. However, the mediocre performances, the intellectual complexity of the script, and the length of the film do not help the viewer to connect with the film at an emotional level, just at an intellectual one, and not always. This is a pity, because that emotional connection is what Medem was looking for in the viewer.
This is a film not for the faint hearted. Not easy to watch. Difficult. Complex. Intricate. Interesting, nevertheless.
