SHOW OF THE MONTH

twice as nice

Lucy Folk

Given the brief we are expecting great things from the Pieces of Eight earring show. Twelve jewelers, five pairs each -unlimited scope. That's the kind of curatorial flair we like - choose good makers and see what they can do. (Lucy Folk tempting us with salami earrings mmmmm...)

Elfrun Lach

Both ladies of HML are absolute suckers when it comes to the work of Elfrun Lach and so that's what our eyes and visa cards will be drawn to first

Melanie Katsalidis

And we are thrilled to see new work from POE Director Melanie Katsalidis - her use of colour, the balance and simplicity of form and the wearability of her work always leave us wanting more. Stay on the tram 112 tram til it crosses into St Georges Rd - well worth it and its on til the 26 april so there is plenty of time peeps. no excuses.

SHOW OF THE WEEK

missing the point...

Last year Beck was blown away by the work of young Japanese artist Etsuko Fukaya’s tiny intricate etchings in Tokyo last November when she went to the the Future Beats in Japanese Contemporty Arts at the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi. Fukaya’s minature needlepoint etchings were the highlight of the show, intricate images weaving together the patterning of flowers, plumage, leaves and hair in dark fantasies from the deep, dreamy thickets of her imagination. An almost medieval hallugenogenic land where the falcon and unicorn make friends with flying sheep, perplexed deer and sturdy yaks. In short Genius with a capital 'G'.
Imagine her surprise to find that there was an exhibition in Australia RIGHT NOW where she could see more, and then imagine her dissapointment when she discovered it was actually at in Sydney, and she couldn't get there !!!!! Unnervingly beautiful, immaculately rendered and only in town for three more days. Unmissable. If you're in Sydney of course, if not you'll have to suffer along with Beck and look at these pictures as some small consolation.Etsuko Fukaya 8 March - 5 April 2008

Darren Knight Gallery
Top Floor 840 Elizabeth Street
WATERLOO Sydney, NSW 2017
AUSTRALIA

CRAFT FIND OF THE WEEK

bag lady
Well the wait is finally over, yes Cottage Industry is OPEN FOR BUSINESS! and HML sends big congratulations and much love to the proprietress, really a top drawer achievement. You couldn't have kept us away on opening day and truth be told we figured that if we made it in around afternoon tea time there would probably be cake, and she's tops at an afternoon tea, quite unbeatable. So...were we surprised by it's charm, well laid out wares, delightful displays and general genius? No of course not, we expected nothing less from the Queen of Durstonia.

BUT we were surprised and beyond delighted by our carry bags. Especially Beck, who yelped, squealed and clapped her hands in delight when she realised she was holding a copy of her treasured HIT CITY weekend Hindustan Times IN HER HANDS! (Indiaphiles note that's none other than Ajay Devgan and Kajol, bottom left, starring in the controversial Sangini Diamond ad campaign... hena!)
And even though it was thoroughly unnecessary we cheekily pressed miss penpen for another special hand-made paper carrier because we loved the Hindi handles so much...

thankfully she graciously obliged our greed, and even fed us hot tea and fresh muffins!

SHOWS OF THE WEEK

suffragette cityPersuasive Dissent
After the enormous amount of self indulgence that took place over the Easter break we thought it was high time to lift the tone a little, and what better way to do it than by letting our feminist flags fly. With this in mind we've decided this week's show of the week is the Counihan Gallery's annual Women's Salon, celebrating the Centenary of Women's Suffrage in Victoria. This years show focuses on the various acts of persuasion, dissent and protest undertaken by those plucky lasses who pushed hard against the powers that be so we ladies today could enjoy the rights of citizenship, and vote tools like John Howard out of office. We have much to thank them for, now if we could only get some movement in Women's comparative pay rates and something done about childcare...
Official opening: 6-8pm this Thursday the 27th of March
Exhibition is open to the public from Friday 28th March until Saturday the 20th April.

Counihan Gallery in Brunswick
233 Sydney Road
Wed-Sat 11-5pm
Sunday 1-5pm
03 9389 8622

Birds of a feather

Look, to be honest we don't know much about this exhibition but the invite was excellent and featured two of our favourite things - birds and a wunderkammer. Anne Conron's A Tasmanian Wunderkammer is on at the Smith Street Gallery, which of course also means ridiculously good coffee at Enotecha for anyone making the effort to go and see it. Exhibition Opening 4-6pm Saturday 29th March.

69 Smith Street Gallery, Fitzroy
Wed-Sat 11-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm

Collection of the week

Martha Easter - the early years...

April 1995...

Many have laughed, many have cried, many have thrown their hands up in horror and disbelief. Yes Ramona has a bookshelf (floor to ceiling) dedicated to her Martha Stewart Collection. Beck has tried intervention, subterfuge and gift issues of Wallpaper, Readymade and Elle Decoration to no avail...

April 1998...

Each issue of the magazine is in month order so it is now possible to sit down with 13 years of Easter ideas. The eggs are just the beginning. Luncheons(!), table settings, cookies, flower arrangements -it's all there...

April 1999...

Ramona was lost to us many moons ago and can currently be found in her kitchen marbelling egg shells, tempering chocolate and tying velvet bows on stuffed rabbits...

April 2000...

We can't show you photos of her as it's just too painful. What we can do is give you an insight into the disease (homemade Faberge Egg anyone???) by giving you a brief look at the Easter freakshow that is a symptom of the Martha Madness....

April 2001...
More tomorrow (2001 -2007) including - an amazing Easter toy collection, a perfect chocolate easter basket and a project with those 2 dollar synthetic yellow chickens you see atop Darryl Lee eggs.... sigh. so very very sad people....