| dew drops and holidays - left in a cafe, Philsophers Trail, Kyoto |
[01 Nov 2009|01:52pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
It's been a very long time, again but here it is! The latest box. My buddie Haline Lypicked up this tiny book on a trip to Melbourne. Apparently there's a lady who just makes books that fit inside of matchboxes. The robot pic comes from my friend Michelle, we've been in the process of collaborating on a robot zine for a while now - she does all the illustration and lay out and I did the writing. I tried to help with the stenciling but seems I don't have the skill of writing straight or neatly for that matter. But I tried so very hard! Hopefully there will be something material for you to see very soon. I've also been working on a very fun project with comic artist Matt Huynh, which has involved spending our weekends at skilltester parlours in the city. We're making a documentary of sorts which will be shown at Carriageworks at the end of November. It's been simultaneously exhausting and hilarious.
The work season is fast winding down, I've only got one more show to do and then I'm off to Japan with Tony! It'll be my first time in Japan, our first overseas trip together and I'm psyched! I've been counting down the days for a little over two weeks now. Seems the more I count, the longer it seems. We're headed to Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and Hiroshima. I've been following the advice of Tokyo expert Hello Sandwich, who's help point out some very cute hostels and things to do. Hopefully I'll get my act together and make a whole stack of matchboxes to take with me!
I just got word that some of the matchboxes taken from my ACP show a while back have been dropped off! Firstly in Germany and then these on the border of Western and South Australia. I love that they included themselves in the pictures - so cute! Thank you to Annie and Doug for taking the matchboxes of their trip.
Thanks for checking back, I've also started a newer less project-related blog here.
Happy November!
X
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| the very beginning of spring |
[20 Sep 2009|03:45pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
I took a little break, accidentally, letting work get the better of me and ignoring the matchbox aisle in the supermarket. But I'm back, with my lovely SLR functioning once more! Tony and I have only recently become weekend people, which means we can finally participate in all the activities arranged for Saturdays and Sundays! Thankfully, the weather has been most accommodating. On our first weekend off together we were slightly too enthusiastic and turned out for an artist talk that was in fact scheduled for the next week. We did however manage to shower alfresco on this rooftop, as part of the latest Bababa International offering. I haven't shrieked so much in years, the water was so freezing!
A few weeks ago on Fathers Day, I met my newest baby cousin Jet for the first time. He is very adorable and though I didn't get to hold him, I did spend close to an hour watching him sleep. He's so cute! His parents gave me a belated birthday card, which contained these cuties:
I think Crumpler does them every year but a little different each time? Wouldn't like to light one of those matches though!
Other things I'm crazy about at the moment are.. the quiet return of one favourite food blogger, visiting the sparkly page of Hello Sandwich, the GEEK issue of ID mag!
I picked up this crazy cute postcard by Lauren Hill, picked up at the COFA spring fair, along with a lovely purple balloon and have seen so many movies - Ponyo, Up!, Inglorious Basterds and Valentino: The Last Emperor. We liked Valentino the most. So many pugs! I also saw District 9. That was two whole hours of grimacing until I eventually fell asleep.
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| the traveling matchbox |
[05 Sep 2009|09:42pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
My show ended at the ACP gallery ended a couple weeks ago and whilst I'm sad to have it end, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to show there. I loved the shows that were in the other galleries (so much so that I ended up doing a story on one of them for work, my first video story - watch it here!) and the staff were so encouraging and supportive.
Check out the final destination of some of the boxes here:
View full Matchbox Treasure Hunt! in a larger map - they really did make it far! To the US, UK, Iceland, Denmark, Dubai and to most states and territories in Australia. Thank you to everyone who helped!!! And for letting me know where you left the boxes, glad everyone was able to participate and have fun.
One particularly enthusiastic visitor has done something very interesting with a matchbox. My Dad emailed me after visiting the gallery to let me know that he had left 2 boxes in his travels and had decided to keep a third, which he now refers to as the traveling matchbox. Much like the gnome in Amelie, he makes sure it travels far and wide, documenting it at every chance. It's really quite comical, but then that's my Dad for you.
And so here is a small sampling of where the box has been so far. Maybe one day he'll leave it for good but for now, it will continue to travel.
Happy Fathers Day!
x
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| wish upon wishes |
[22 Aug 2009|12:25pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
*Last week of blurry photos! Picking up my camera baby today!
A little box appeared on top of my bag at work the other week. It was tucked inside a plastic lolly bag, tied with a thin pink and green ribbon. Inside there was a custom covered matchbox with a magenta bow around it. I looked around, everyone was still busy typing and talking. So I proceeded, with excitement and caution.
Inside I found 3 coloured candles, pink, yellow and blue, one matchstick and a chain of letters, which once freed from their box spelt out HAPPY BIRTHDAY in multicoloured patterned card. I gasped. I spend a lot of time making matchboxes, the last few weeks I've averaged around 100 boxes per week with the ACP show but I never expect to receive any back. Especially this elaborate. I proceeded to question likely suspects in the office, did they leave this on my bag and sneak away?? No one knew who it was, I felt happily beaten at my own game. It struck me later that night at dinner, it was Bryony!! What a lovely surprise.
My 25th birthday lasted well over a week. There were cupcakes at work (they came in this box with a heart shaped window so you could see them!), a day off on my actual birthday, which my boyfriend planned, a dinner with my family, a birthday party at the Victoria Room (which ended with a 2 hour trek back home, mainly walking in stilettos) and a birthday dinner with Tony's family. I felt bad by the end of it but grateful at the same time. And I resolved to be more excited about other people's birthdays - to not pike out of birthday drinks, to make the effort to bring cake, because these little things sure made me feel special.
My dad's recently started this thing, I guess you could call it an offshoot of the project... He calls it the 'Travelling Matchbox.' Basically, it's like the travelling gnome in Amelie, he takes a box with him and photographs it wherever he goes. He said if it was too silly, to tell him and he'd stop. But I love it and so the pictures arrive, usually three at a time, every couple of days.
Over the past 5 weeks, the boxes have traveled far and wide. From Paddington to the US - Ohio, Pasadena, California, Michigan, NYC to Europe and all over Australia. I didn't expect them to go this far and I'm absolutely stoked that they have. It seems I'm not the only present enthusiast. Thank you to everyone who dropped a box!! And to the ACP for giving me a space for this experiment. I had so much fun.
View full Matchbox Treasure Hunt! in a larger map
xxx
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[10 Aug 2009|04:31pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
One of my most favourite matchboxes I've ever received, was this arty little one from Scotland, my favourite thing about it, the tiny grains of sand on the side where you usually strike the match. Hundreds and thousands is hardly as organic, but it's festive. It's my birthday this week and contrary to many people's belief that you stop counting down when you turn 12, I've been steadily counting down for weeks now! The day itself is on Thursday and my plans so far are unknown. My boyfriend has planned activities, so until then I have been warned against snooping (it's my specialty), to be dressed casually and be up and ready to go by 8.30am. I am hoping the day will include one of my many favourite cafes, an animal documentary and a GIANT cupcake. But I'm open to surprises.
The matchboxes continue to spread from the ACP and beyond. In the past week they've travelled to Singapore, to the Northern Territory, to Bondi Beach and some are very nearly in NYC. It's been an excellent experience, everyday I receive emails from new matchbox leavers, detailing their chosen locations and experience of abandonment. The best thing about it, is having these miniature interactions with people I don't know. For example someone will email and say they've still go the box safe, but they're waiting until they go on holidays in a couple weeks until they leave it. So I find myself writing emails like - Thanks Bill! Enjoy your holiday! It's completely surreal and I love it.
There are a few changes this week that I'm excited about. A new little cousin was born, baby Jet, I'm yet to meet him but I'm sure I will soon. And I've joined the Monday to Friday club.. had my last news shift on the weekend and will now be a real full time current affairs worker. Looking forward to it, and weekends!
View full Matchbox Treasure Hunt! in a larger map
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| ready, set, go! - matchbox world tour |
[02 Aug 2009|02:27pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
It's been a crazy couple of weeks for me and the matchbox project! These past two weeks in particular have seen more and more emails trickle in from people who took boxes from the ACP show and have started dropping them around the world. Literally! Initially I was hoping that the matchboxes would spread around Sydney, outside my usual work-home-favourite-places radius. I was stoked when I received emails telling me boxes had been left in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Freemantle in Western Australia, in Byron Bay during Splendor in the Grass and close to Wollongong. This morning I awoke to find an email telling me that a lady had sent one to her son in Copenhagen, Denmark and that he would drop it near his home or place of work. In Denmark!! I also know that some boxes are on their way to New York City and England. So the map continues to become more and more populated, as people send in their locations and pictures.
Thanks to Georgina, Dawn & Phil, Val, Liz and Judy for sending me pics, I've put them all on the map!
The Sydney spread looks a little like this:
View full Matchbox Treasure Hunt! in a larger map
The week just passed saw me travel interstate for my first official trip with work. The program I work on was filming an outside broadcast, so I went with the crew to Queensland to film the show. It was a very intensive experience , it was incredible to see the set transposed in a community hall, to work with producers and reporters who make me want to be a better journalist and gave me some great opportunities and feedback. The use of Google maps for the matchbox project was actually inspired by an online feature I made for the show - which I'm very proud of!
I'm currently making about 100 matchboxes per week to keep the ACP stocked. The thing I love best about having helpers is their enthusiasm for the project. I love that everyone is getting really excited about leaving presents for strangers, trying their best to leave the boxes in exotic locations (I had a lighthouse this week!) or in their everyday patterns.
I was most chuffed that my boss who's always been very supportive of the project decided to leave some in his travels and write about it on his digital media blog. Thanks Val! And also to Sydney writer/radio broadcaster/sub-editor Lee Tran Lam who wrote about the project on the Inside Out blog. Having this blog and making little gifts to leave around each week has brought me a ridiculous amount of joy in unexpected forms. Last week I also received an email from Don B, who made this digital work inspired by the project that he called Miniature in Gee Minor!
Excited to see where the boxes go this week! x
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| Mystery Tea - left on my doorstep for a friend to take to NYC |
[20 Jul 2009|10:27am] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
Check out where Matchboxes are being left on this map!
Follow the Matchboxproject on Twitter
I once made an entire box of mystery teabags for one Mr T. It involved removing the cardboard labels of about 50 tea bags and replacing them with my own cardboard cut-out labels, complete with a question mark. I cannot claim credit for the idea, a man I think by the name of Ken used to serve Mr T surprise tea at his uni cafe. Upon presentation, Mr T played the game and tried to guess the type of tea he had just bought, often based purely on smell. He would tell me how well he'd gone, picking out Russian Caravan and Earl Gray with ease, not tricked by the subtle replacement of English Breakfast with the Irish variety.
With his uni days were over and most tea now consumed at home or in his studio, the game continued via an orange box of handmade mystery teabags that sat on his pantry shelf.
The game is much easier to play in a matchbox - the smell of the tea gets trapped in the little shelf and by the time you open it you can smell its type immediately. Nevertheless I still think it's fun! Although I must admit when faced with the prospect of a 'SURPRISE' pizza at Love Supreme the other night, I couldn't do it!
The experiment with the matchboxes, a Google treasure hunt map and a Twitter account is going well! Slow to start but I have faith that it'll pick up. Heaps of boxes have been taken from the ACP (thank you to Malcolm for including me, the opening night was so lovely) and I'm going to re-stock today. A lady even gave me a free dumpling card when she took a box, so stoked!
X
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| the favourite person box - left on Riley st, Darlinghurst |
[13 Jul 2009|10:03am] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
Check out where Matchboxes are being left on this map!
Find out where boxes are being left and be part of the treasure hunt:
Follow the Matchboxproject on Twitter
It's been much longer than a week or even two since I've left a box for a myriad of ridiculous reasons. There was the Hunter Valley with friends, then I accidentally killed the Internet at home by watching too much TV on my laptop (or maybe by typing google into google ), then my cameras remained unfixed, then Melbourne to see the Dali and the John Brack show, which was excellent.
I like this box. It's the favourite person box - the idea is you keep it with you so that when you suddenly need to celebrate, you can open and dispense it enthusiastically. Probably whilst shouting YAY!!!
I've also embarked on a second project that I've become quite obsessed with.. I volunteered to decorate all the disposable coffee cups from Cafe Giulia in Chippendale for a week. Initially I wanted each to be different before I found out they turned over around 2000 cups per week. So instead, we have faces! I'm hoping to make everyone's morning coffee/tea experience more animated and have taken over the kitchen bench at home, which the boys have been very nice about.
 
Tony's been pretty busy organising his new poly-venue artist-run gallery Watch This Space which has grown exponentially in the past few of months. Some matchbox pics were included in this extremely experimental show they did at World Bar a few weeks back and I'm always chuffed to be involved in anything the boy gets up to, even if it does require sitting still for quite some time for his latest speciality - iPhone finger paintings. I also got interviewed by ABC radio about the matchbox project a few weeks ago - so stoked! It was strange being interviewed over the phone when I knew it was live on-air and I got pretty nervous as the time got closer. But it was great fun and just last week at work I learnt how to record interviews in the radio booth, which was awesome, only I hung up on my talent on first attempt :)
This week I'm going to have about a hundred little things in the Australian Centre for Photography in Paddington, as part of a small show called 'Tiny Acts of Civil Disobedience'. It'll be open from July 16 (come for the opening, I think it must be from 6pm) until August 5. I'm trying this new thing where you can pick up a box, leave it wherever you like then email me its location - I'm going to see how far we can spread them in 5 weeks and map it on a Google mash up map! Come and play!
X
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| cute things only - left at clippers cafe, glebe pt road* |
[08 Jun 2009|11:02pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
It's an itty bitty knitted finger puppet of a lama that I thought I'd lost somewhere in the horrible mess that is my bedroom. Haline bunnies gave it to me a couple months ago and it made me so happy but still did not prevent it being misplaced. Haline Ly is a good buddy of my friend Matt, a smiley girl and a very talented illustrator. We met last year when I was helping out with some artist talks at their old high school. I like her, she looks like what photos tell me my mother looked at her age and she is so very friendly. We started corresponding only via mail and it's always a nice surprise to hear from her.
A couple weeks back I went to see Three Minute Sydney, which was the opening night of the Creative/Vivid Sydney festival. Matt gave a talk and his time lapse illustration video was incredible. Two thirds of the way through I was super surprised to see a sketch of a matchbox present appear on a massive screen in front of everyone. One of the most beautiful surprises ever.
* new favourite cafe :)
X
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[27 May 2009|08:41pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
I convinced myself for a total of two seconds that this recent spate of blurry photos was kind of endearing because it gave the boxes a nostalgic feel. I then resolved to take my two broken SLRs to the repair store on my next day off, hopefully next matchbox will be in focus!
It's been a lovely busy week with lots of matchbox activity. This project has legs :) It was nice to meet everyone who came to the zine fair on Sunday - thanks for coming and introducing yourselves. I'm always chuffed to find out that people follow this site. The latest box was actually found at the zine fair and comes from a girl called Riyo who has recently moved from Japan to Australia. The stamp is actually handcut and I was torn as to whether to keep or give away. But only for a little while because Tina Tran, of the Popperbox family who we were sharing a table with, ducked across to buy me one for myself.
The Readers Digest in Australia has just published a little page about me in this months issue. I did the interview a little while back and on Friday found myself sitting across the aisle on the train from a girl who was reading the article! So surreal! Am really thankful for the write up, my grandfather will be so proud. Tony's taken to carrying a copy around in his bag so he can show it to people at any given moment. On the right is the zine I made - a collection of my written work from the past year or so, mainly art/design profiles and features. I have a few copies left, email me at sonya.gee@gmail.com if you want a copy and I'll fill you in with more details.
And for some strange reason, I'm missing the cat that used to hang out in my bedroom in Lewisham. Baxter, he'd just show up out of the blue, wonder into my room when I was busy typing and generally freak me out. I liked him in the end, he was fat, furry and stubborn.
Also! Creative Sydney started this week, a winter festival of free creative activities - talks, shows, events etc at the MCA and the Roxy. And there's been word that they're going to include a few pics from this site in the Salon bar at the MCA!
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| sweetpea - I need your love and light - left at Cafe Ella, Redfern |
[18 May 2009|10:39am] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
I've been wanting to make this particular box for quite a while. I started investigating it last year when I was working on a show, only to be told that few plants had shallow enough roots to be able to fit happily in a matchbox and that maybe alfalfa sprouts were the only way to go. For some reason, I haven't been able to track down seeds for such sprouts but on Friday night, whilst gleefully shopping at the Autumn Finders Keepers markets, I stumbled across sweetpea plants for sale at the Two Thousand stand. It reminded me of tiny plants you spot all round the place and I had to be super gentle carrying it home.
The weather's been particularly beautiful this past week, all blue skies and crisp winds. The less extreme in-between seasons are definitely my favourite, especially because there's less practicality involved in getting dressed.
That said, there's still much fun to be had indoors, with the Double Take new media award show at the Art Gallery of NSW worth the trip. It's quite a diverse show, some parts were utterly hilarious and others subtly beautiful. I'm mildly obsessed with skill-testers also, being one of the ultimate most ridiculous test of masculinity. There's this space above the Capitol Theater which is full of brightly coloured singing machines, filled with stuffed toys. I've recently discovered Tony can win toys on demand, which is excellent. So far we've acquired a sheep dog and some plush bananas. This week will be busy.. MCA Zine fair is coming up this Sunday the 24th! Yay! And I plan to make a collection of my written work.. and a Making It zine with Tony. We hope not to be stapling and folding at 6am on Sunday morning like we did last year.
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| well rested - left at Finders Keepers markets, Carriageworks |
[04 May 2009|11:24am] |
It's been a little while because I got sick and spent a few solid weeks in bed and then decided to make up for it all when I was up and well. Last week was such fun! I got to go the Australian fashion week with a work buddy of mine. We went for 'work', meaning he had filed a story for it already and these were spare tickets he had. 'Did you bring a notebook??' he asked on the way over, just in case we needed to look like we were working. I saw the TV show, I'd never heard of them before but the show was loud and colourful and we were seated right across from the buyer for womens wear at David Jones so I spent a good deal of the show sending her silent messages to please please please buy the cosmic jumpsuits and playsuits because they were incredible. We went to the Jayson Brundson show next, quite a contrast as it was was very lovely and elegant, despite all the waiting and pushing. I've just finished watching season 2 of Mad Men (sigh!) and it was very Betty Draper appropriate. More jumpsuits, but this time, man-shirt style, my two favourite things combined!!
The next day I found myself interviewing a recently discovered art collective which I very much admire, the Bababa International, stories to come soon. We had initially planned to meet in a park, near a tennis court but our plans got rained out and it was a cafe instead. And suddenly it was Sunday, my favourite day of the week, the start of my weekend and my only full day with Tony. It's formula is always similar and its effect consistent. Breakfast out, retail therapy, gallery/show, trash tv. This weekend I brought home a new baby, a SHINY SILVER MACBOOK and I am so happy. Silly but it is motivating me to work like nothing else. Check out the blog we're co-producing... And watch lots of Arrested Development.
X
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| shrooms - left in the hand of a girl just graduated and wearing yellow shoes |
[22 Apr 2009|03:16pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
Deviating from my usual cut and paste job of matchbox decoration and getting my hands covered in glue and paint for last week’s show was a very good thing for this project. Because I’ve started dreaming up slightly more ridiculous 3D boxes of late and feeling fairly competent about making them.
And so armed with a big ball of Fuzzy Wuzzy forest green wool (the actual brand of wool, not my own words), some scissors and glue, I made this latest box.
My good buddy Michelle gave me this hand painted toadstool pendant last week. It came simply wrapped in a tissue and I was petrified I’d lose it or accidentally blow my nose on it. It reminded me of these lovely mushrooms I’d seen in Queensland late last year and so the grass box got born.
There was something very Gondry about making it, it was simple yet hilarious to make and I love that underneath it all, which no one will ever see, is a red glittery bottom.
Thanks M!
X
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| the bids are in, the game is up |
[18 Apr 2009|06:28pm] |
SPOLIER ALERT! If you bid for a box and won and you don't want to see what's inside, hit the little x in the corner now!!
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
The exhibition was a sell-out yay!! Was stoked that people bid up to $50 for boxes they wanted very badly - the tuxedo and the sprinkles box (my two faves) proving the most popular of the night. The day of the exhibition I made tiny cupcakes with lemon icing and sprinkles to scatter throughout the space for the night. The leftover ones got left in the kitchen in the mad flurry and were devoured by ants, not the nicest thing to discover the next morning. The show was fun, I've been battling this ambiguous illness for the past week so it was a little trying at times to get up (there were nearly tears at the install..) and to stay standing upright at the opening (even with no alcohol allowed for this medicated bunny) but it did and I'm glad.
Many many thanks to Tony and Dan from The Wall for giving me the space for the night and so much encouragement!! Thank you to everyone who came along and appreciated the tiny boxes and congrats to Lee Tran, Myles, Katie, Jess, Brett, Sean and Tony for winning their bids! I'm always overwhelmed by how much people like the project, it definitely makes me want to go on for a very long time. There was some exciting whispers about the upcoming Creative Sydney event in Winter. So curious to know more.
Here are some shaky pictures of the mounted boxes.. taken in a poorly lit hurry as Japanese across the road beckoned, the one on the left is a miniature chocolate box.
And so with the night over, everything got packed in a box and taken home (I snitched a poster with my name on it!) and it was back to bed.
We're moving studios to a bigger and better place! Well it's really just the room across the hall, but it is at least two times bigger, I'm going to get my own window and we're going to have a balcony! Now I have to clean up the millions of hundreds and thousands I've dropped on the floor. Enjoy your weekends.
X
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| Bid-a-box this week at the Wall! |
[13 Apr 2009|07:04pm] |
This is arguably one of the most ridiculous boxes I've ever made. It took all of about a minute and I have since started covering everything in hundreds and thousands, bobby pins, my usb stick.. Last night I got to work covering a box in a yellow ruffled shirt that used to belong to a finger puppet. I've been busy making ten limited edition boxes because I have a show coming up this Wednesday at The Wall, World Bar, Kings Cross.
I've been wanting to do this particular show for ages and thankfully my boyfriend extraordinaire Tony Curran could hook me up with a space! Our studio is currently littered with matchsticks, matchboxes and errant hundreds and thousands. There was a minor disaster on Friday night, when I mistook the white oil paint for white acrylic... and I didn't realise until I'd painted my entire left hand with it because I thought it would be funny. It wasn't when it didn't come off, I looked like Mickey Mouse and had to have my hand scrubbed by metho by a certain-someone who kept saying 'why did you paint your hand with oil paint???' like I knew what I was doing. Pffft! Tonight we mount boxes into tiny frames!
Anyway! It's going to be a silent auction, so if you like it, you don't have to find it, you can bid on it, only catch is, you're not allowed to know what's inside.
Hope you can make it along!
Many thanks to Kluster, Lost at E Minor and Making It for their love!
XX
p.s I got interviewed for the Readers Digest this week, am stoked that people keep finding this blog and like it!
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| mini matchbox! |
[06 Apr 2009|10:53am] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
It's been a rough couple of weeks and over the weekend, I had this fairly devastating realisation that I had either forgotten or misplaced the things that I enjoy doing, the things that make me happy and excited. So I took myself off to the markets and found myself nesting once again, in an attempt to make my newest home feel like my home. It's silly but I assumed that once you move, the new place automatically becomes your home but have since realised that more effort is needed that the physical moving of stuff (my most favourite leather jacket going missing in the moving process did not contribute to happy feelings of home!).
So I acquired a teapot with little mary janes, which will surely help the settling in process. At the end of the day, after work and all of the things I have to do, I just want my life to be comfortable and a little bit beautiful. And so today I plan to go in search of a cake tin to make a coconut cake I've been talking about for ages, pick up a small bunch of preferably pink flowers and fill in all the missing Beatles catalogue on my iPod. The Beatles is a default for whenever I'm feeling melancholic, especially Rubber Soul. And I hope to stay in search for happy colourful silly things...
I'm also on twitter like the rest of the world! Sometimes I have to twitter for work and I get mega paranoid that I'm going to tweet something dumb under the news tweet. Like I want a fingerbun or something! So far I've managed to tweet a news headline to my followers, but I guess the other way around doesn't matter so much. It just made me look like I was mad into the G20 or something.
** Thank you again to Nici at Blackbird Corner for sending me this little bird pin! She's on twitter too!
XX
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| show's over - left on a window sill of a pub, abercrombie st, chippendale |
[29 Mar 2009|10:19pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
If this project has taught me anything, it's that there is an abundance of ridiculous stationary out there. These little clip men look like they'd glow in the dark, I'm yet to check!
It's been quite a week and by Friday I'd shriveled up in the corner of the gallery that I was sitting, getting sick after working 10 days straight. It wasn't so terrible, I got a few days rest and was taken very good care of.
This week I got a new role at work that I'm super stoked about!! I start in two days and I've got that very familiar excited/terrified-I-may-be-crap feeling in my stomach. Fingers crossed everything will be alright. I also opened my first solo show, which was one of the best nights ever. The gallery itself was inside a historic house in the suburbs where I grew up. It was very stately and made setting up and gallery sitting feel pretty grand. My bestest friend Tony Curran curated and made my work look and feel so clean yet shiny and I was stoked to work with him again. After much debate, his design for my exhibition worked and I couldn't have been happier. In addition to his technical support, he also doubled (tripled?? quadrupled!) as a photographer, speech minder and wardrobe assistant on the night. Thank you Tony, I couldn't have done it without you.
The highlight of the night was having Federal MP and ex-journo hero Maxine McKew show up and open my show. She is one classy, charming, smiley lady. And she knew stuff about me! Awesome. In the end, I can't believe I got paid to make that project. I was so happy with how it turned out! I think it may have been one of the best things I've ever made. And I got to meet two high school girls who read this blog who made it along on the night. It was lovely to meet you.
The show's still on and will be open Wed-Thur (1-2 April) from 11-4pm at Brush Farm House, 19 Lawson street, Eastwood. More pics and reviews here!
XX
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| happy birthday mama bear |
[20 Mar 2009|03:52pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
There's nothing like a bit of competition to motivate! I went to check out the Vanishing Point gallery in Newtown today with the boy, and the Matchbox Projects were showing. I'd heard of them before and people often confuse this project with theirs, which is more of a travelling capsule collections type show. I was busy sticky-beaking at their specially made matchboxes (apparently you can get them from Japan but have to order 10,000 at a time! whoa, I think I'm sticking to cut and paste!) when the boy asked whether they'd heard about the other matchbox project. They had and suddenly it was excitement all round. Our projects are very different so it's not really competition but they've got a new concept coming up, where they're asking people to put stuff in matchboxes and submit them for a collection of theirs.
One of the twins behind the project was describing how they had to fit inside the parameters of the box, how the box had to close and giving me many suggestions. And I had to laugh because that exact creative predicament has been following me around every week now for about 2 years!
This little gift comes from the Blackbird Corner again, so generous ladies! You make my work easy!! This one will be given though, as soon as I saw it I knew exactly who it belonged to. It's Mama bear's birthday on Sunday and she used to have a doll just like this (with an accompanying husband boy doll) in our house when I was growing up. Plus she's more into mobile accessorising than I am!
I got written up in Coolhunting.com today! Which was a very nice way to start the morning, especially cos I had the day off.
Next week's a big week for me, I'm having my first solo exhibition. I'm excited but will be a little terrified also until it opens. This time it's not the Matchbox project but a combined local history and photographic project I've been working on over the past few months. A very gentle work that seeks to explore on a very personal level, what it means to belong to a physical place. It's all about suburban espionage and it was great fun making. I got the photos back today and I'm stoked! If you're in the area please come along, ex journo and now Federal MP Maxine McKew is opening it! I might just try and hug her..
x
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| mega laziness continues |
[23 Feb 2009|07:36pm] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
I seem to be quite good at packing and photographing matchboxes but rather terrible at leaving them around the place of late. I think it's because I generally go to the same places and forget a bit. But if you have any suggestions about dispersion or distribution, I'd be keen to hear them! I currently have about 3 or 4 packed boxes in my purse. Just waiting....
This itty bitty pirate puzzle comes from Blackbird Corner, so thank you again N!
x
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| love and donations |
[18 Feb 2009|11:41am] |
Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels. It's a random act of semi-artistic kindness aimed at disrupting someone's day in a tiny but positive way. That's if they dare to pick it up...
On Valentines Day there were loud protests all around the place from people who claimed they didn't 'do' the hallmark holiday. I just wanted to give them all a chocolate and tell them that everything was going to be okay.
A week before, there was a knock at the door and I left my apple pie to find a small package with large curvy handwriting on the front. My friend Anna who I met at uni had made me a box! Yay!! Ever the perfectionist, she had waited about a year until she found the right thing. I wrote saying thank you and she replied, saying she liked that it had eyes. I have some really great memories of doing little things with Anna, like listening to shells she brought back from overseas and eating jelly beans in Hyde Park.. after she saved me all the colours that I liked (red and white). Thank you Anna!
I've been writing a bit for Lost at E Minor, which has been great fun cos I can write about anything really, like this gnome repository I found near my home. It's my last week at my house, I'm moving on the weekend so have said goodbye to the black neighbourhood cat that likes to wander uninvited into my bedroom and even left a fresh gnome for the local collector. But I'm mega excited about the move, I'm going to have internet access again! YAY!
x
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