Friday, September 18, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Morning Commuter Blissbomb Meditation Practice
Clear your Mind
The real Bliss of a morning aboard a bicycle is the delightful freedom you can obtain from all conscious thought. It can be like childhood, every minute full of incident and interest, and no consciousness of thinking about it. You arrive with a feeling of satisfaction, with a mind swept clean, full of landscapes, and speed, and winds, and lights, which have settled in unnoticed, while it rested. It perceived, but did not think: the thoughts slip through, meeting no obstacle of logic; not even reaching the stage of being articulate: and that is the real holiday...
Winter's nearly gone, go outside and absorb it. Sydney is beautiful.
A psychogeographical adventure
All in the Mind takes you on an extraordinarily ordinary journey across the mental and physical terrain of a big city. For many the ideal method of urban travel is straight out of Star Trek—teleporting. But in the 21st century city there are flaneurs and commuters savouring their journeys, on foot and by bike. They're taking in the smells and sounds of back alleys, recalling emotional memories at intersections and celebrating stacks of shipping containers. Join us on a 'psychogeographical' adventure, and discover the impact of the city on your psyche.
Via Stephen Burstow
Listen to it here
Bicycle Ticketed for Excessive Awesomeness
When photographic artist Leanne Eisen left the Scotiabank Theatre on Monday following a screening of Ponyo, she was surprised to find this piece of blue paper wrapped around the handlebars of her vintage bicycle. At first, she only saw the words, "Your bicycle has been ticketed because…"
Instead of an official citation issued for some sort of parking infraction, however, what she found on the ticket were charming compliments from an anonymous flâneur, who declared the chassis "badass" and "unique."
And it is! Eisen's ride is a classic Dutch Batavus city bike inherited from her grandmother, which she says constantly attracts attention from complete strangers who shout out comments as she rides past. "It's not just the appearance of the bike that pleases me so much," she told us, "it's just a really comfortable ride. I can sit with my back straight and take in my surroundings."
Eisen is so protective of the bicycle that she employs two U-locks through the frame, an O-lock on the rear wheel, and a cable lock through the front, with her boyfriend's decrepit beater often also secured with a heavy-duty chain to one side. "I know it's overkill," she says, "but I can't afford to buy a new one, and it's all I have left from my Oma."
The mysterious ticket was particularly delightful to Eisen because cycling is a very serious part of her life, and it's featured prominently in her artistic work. She also tells us that this is not the first time she's discovered odd little anonymous messages.
Leaving notes on other people's property can sometimes be an act of passive-aggression, and with frequent animus (sometimes deserved) aimed at cyclists in Toronto, it's nice to see someone issuing some unsolicited esteem for the simple velocipede. "I love this kind of positive public outreach," Eisen declares. "It's lovely."
Mist
Lost in the mist. Felt slightly afraid: unreasonable, as there was no real possibility of losing a road I ride twice daily. But it is an eerie feeling - the silence, helplessness, and the white moving curtain round you: the wet black bitumen hisses quietly by under your pedals, so plain and all outside the narrow circle, which moves as you go, so absolutely impenetrable.
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Cycologists
The Cycologists are a three man bicycle band from Australia fronted by acclaimed instrument maker Linsey Pollak and also featuring Ric Halstead and Brendan Hook. For their impromptu, outdoor live performances, the band ride up on their bikes and remove the seats in unison to reveal modified clarinets made entirely of bicycle parts. After they've finished performing, they take a bow before hopping back on their clarinets and riding off into the sunset.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Locoride
By Sarah Collerton @ ABC online
Two mates have found a novel way to make the most out of old rusting railway lines.
A few years ago Julio Mottola and Michael Albert hatched a plan to create a unique bike that could be ridden on rusting tracks.
Enter the "locobike" - two bicycles joined together with a solid aluminium frame with four little polyurethane wheels attached.
The wheels then lock the bicycles to the railway tracks and away you go.
Secret and illegal trials of the prototype, on the disused Casino to Murwillumbah rail line on the NSW north coast, were a success.
"It's a very safe and simple design and it's very easy to use," Mr Mottola says.
"It requires less muscle work than riding a bicycle on the road because the tyres sit on top of the rails so there's very little friction."
It took the pedaling pair two-and-a-half hours to locoride from Mullumbimby to Byron Bay.
"It was quite exciting because the country is amazing," Mr Albert, who lives in Melbourne but visits Byron Bay regularly, said.
"And we did raise a few eyebrows when people spotted us."
All aboard
Mr Albert says there is far more to their ambitious plans than just "skylarking"; The duo believes the locobike offers plenty of transport and tourism potential for the region.
And if all goes according to plan and their machine becomes legal to use on the tracks, they will hand over the locobike concept to the local council.
"It would be a real feather in the Byron district's cap" Mr Albert said.
"It could be a fantastic landmark of Byron Bay," Mr Mottola, who moved to the coastal town from Argentina eight years ago, said.
Both say inventing the locobike has nothing to do with finding fame and fortune.
"Nobody is going to make money," Mr Mottola said.
"Michael doesn't want to make any money, I don't want to make any money. We just know it's our idea and hope it will help the community."
Speed bump
But lantana growing throughout the region has currently stopped the prototype locobike in its tracks.
"The lantana's very thick and the locobike, being very lightweight, just can't get through it on the tracks," Mr Albert said.
But the pair have a way to stamp out the "filthy weed".
"It dawned on us that the locobike is perfect to clear all the lantana," Mr Albert said.
"The locobike will carry a load and you could put a basket in the middle and put your gardening gear in that.
"It's got wonderful potential for land care as well as for community groups."
And if the locobike gets that final tick of approval, the pair reckon the sky's the limit for their device.
"There's potential for it everywhere, even in third-world countries where the trains don't work and they've got unused rail lines," Mr Albert said.
Mr Mottola also spruiks the endless possibilities for doing the locomotive.
"You could even have honeymoon locobikes," he said.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Happy Birthday TAP
There's always so much to do in a big city like Sydney, it's easy to miss out on things but last nights party at TAP Gallery was an event I wouldn't have missed for the World. Arriving in the upstairs gallery was like stepping back in time to the Bohemian 1920s. Poets poured out their passion, Peacock Fans unveiled tattoos and a naked man did paintings with his bum. There were even people in the audience wearing berets! The comedy acts were fantastic with lots of participation from the audience, I laughed till I cried.
Lesley Dimmick is the curator of Sydney's best underground gallery.
Pterodactyl Man performed comic haiku.
Maggie gave us two quintessentially Australian poems and sung "Summertime." She had a fabulous voice.
We were pleased to see the performance artists arriving by bicycle
Lesley enlisted the support of Kit to express her opinion on the Sydney Art Scene with some naked arse painting.
I went along with some of the SBAR crew as our Artwork "Bicycle Triptych" is on show in the 20th Birthday Exhibition downstairs, if you want to see it you had better be quick because there were a few people interested in purchasing it. We have set a pretty low price so it can't last long.
We've decided to start work on a new concept too, it will take a while to make it happen but we will let you know on here when it's ready. Here's a clue to the concept we are working on.
Some info about the Gallery
Tucked away in Darlinghurst is an artist-run gallery known as TAP. For the last 19 years many of Australia’s foremost artists, including Andrew Logan, Carlos Barrios, Mark Hanham and James Powditch have launched their exciting careers, with many more artists are preparing to exhibit in the future.
The TAP Gallery’s vision is a simple one, and that is to support Sydney’s arts scene by providing a workable and an affordable space for artists to exhibit. TAP supports all forms of art at a grassroots level making it a popular destination for artists and art lovers alike, which exemplifies TAP as credited with being voted the Best Art Gallery in Sydney for artworks under $5,000 in 2008.
TAP stages regular Art Prizes and group shows to give artists an opportunity to participate and be involved. Situated in close proximity to the CBD, TAP provides a flexible space with two levels, comprising different exhibition rooms. The gallery operates on a space hire basis, and includes a theatre showcasing the work of many fresh playwrights. Although TAP has over 900 sq metres of fantastic space, it can be adapted to any size with the use of movable walls to cope for smaller or larger shows.
TAP offers an opportunity for the community to meet artists, actors, film makers and playwrights. It is a well known meeting place which also has a café/bookshop for relaxation.Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Come to this!
Merryn and I have an Artwork in this exhibition (bicycle themed!) love to see you there.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Helmet Laws
One of the great impediments to bringing in a public bike share/rental program here in sydney is our anti bicycle helmet laws. The Danish parliament has just overturned an attempt by some misguided politicians to bring in helmet laws in one of the World's safest cycling countries. This at a time when Danish people are getting fatter and cycling less! Bringing in helmet laws would make cycling seem dangerous and lots of people would stop riding. Luckily it got voted down.
The United Kingdom's National Cyclists Organisation, succeeded in lobbying against a similar law and published a brochure that they sent to politicians in which they wrote 7 reasons to oppose a child helmet law:
1. The principal threats to children's lives are obesity, heart disease and other illnesses resulting in large part from inactivity. Cycling has a key role to play in preventing these illnesses. Less cycling through a helmet law would aggravate the situation.
2. Cycling is a healthy activity, and the likelihood of serious head injury is widely exaggerated.
3. Cycling becomes safer the more people do it. Encouraging cycling is by far the most effective way of reducing risk of injury.
4. Helmet promotion deters cycling and leads to poorer health.
5. The benefits of helmets are greatly over-stated.
6. Many other everyday activities could benefit more from helmet-wearing than cycling.
7. A helmet law would make it a crime for children to take part in a health giving activity.
Via Copenhagen
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Driver sought after two cyclists knocked down
Police are seeking a motorist who knocked down two women cyclists in Sydney this morning.
Police say the women, both aged 42, were hit from behind while riding south on South Dowling Street near Todman Avenue at Kensington about 6am (AEST) on Sunday.
The male motorist stopped and told the injured pair he would get an ambulance, but didn't return.
Other motorists stopped to help the women, who were treated by paramedics and taken to St Vincent's Hospital.
One suffered soft tissue damage and the other a suspected fractured elbow.
Investigators are looking for a man aged in his mid-50s, possibly of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, with dark hair and wearing a dark-coloured jumper or vest.
"He was driving a small white car, possibly Corolla-style with four doors," police said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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