Entertaining the E Word : Barrie Kosky's On Ecstasy [A Review]

A review of Barrie Kosky's essay, On Ecstasy : Most of us describe the E word as a pleasant, out of this world experience—a type of boundless, artificial joy, deliberately induced by some kind of technicoloured drug. For others, it is that “lovey dovey” feeling. A spinning ceiling. Anything Lindt. For sensualist and soup connoisseur Barrie Kosky, it is easier than this. Being On Ecstasy involves, quite simply, his grandmother's chicken specialty—something warm and golden, surrendered with vegetables and a side of transcendental bliss. “A soup that took you to the beginning and end of time itself. A dazzling, pure, clear rhapsody” (7).

Death by Drowning : Gary Bryson's Turtle [A Review]

Accused of being autobiographical, as many debut novels often are, Turtle, upon first reading and further prying, does read as a story wrenched out of Gary Bryson’s own life. In a recent interview with Mandy Sayer, however, he was quick to deny all sorts of archetypal allegations. “Any resemblance to turtles living or dead”, Bryson explained, “is entirely coincidental”. Regardless of the many parallels that align author with protagonist—both were born and raised in a grey-skied Glasgow, both grew up in self-described dysfunctional families, and both returned to the colourless city to attend their mothers’ funerals—the narrative combines bruising black comedy with moments of magic realism. The result is an unlikely but often surprising concoction of twists and turns, each of which mixes the fallibility of memory with the slippery nature of truth. This playfulness between the material world and its metaphorical counterpart raises questions, not only about the curse that poisons its characters, but about the ethical implications of blurring fact and fiction...

Once Upon a Misconception : Mark Juddery's Busted [A Review]

Forget Disney's timeless tales of rags-to-riches. Princesses are the most overrated public figures of all time. Apparently. Cinderella, after all, was 'a calculating, sinister go-getter' who murdered her step-mother at the instruction of a jealous governess (88). Sleeping Beauty was raped as she slept, woken not by the wet kiss of a handsome prince, but the kick and punch of twins stirring in her belly. Over the centuries, only the pea-detecting princess has remained herself: hedonistic, melodramatic and 'still perhaps the most pampered, precious wimp in the history of fairy tales' (88). There are, however, shards of truth to be salvaged from the fractured lives of these glassy-eyed women. After all, even Princess Mary worked in real estate.

Thelma and Disease : Susan Gilman's Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven [A Review]

In the nineteenth century, when female travel narratives of miss(adventure) were still read as excursions rather than expeditions, it was common for women travellers to preface their writing with an apology or admission of guilt—a type of disclaimer that excused the author for engaging in such inappropriate activity and bothering the reader with their trivial endeavours. Susan Gilman’s Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven offers no such thing. Instead Gilman begins her memoir with a confession about its lack of lies, half-truth and spin. ‘This is a true story,’ she writes, ‘recounted as accurate as possible and corroborated by notes I took at the time and by others who were present.’

More Move, More Loss: Lloyd Jones's Mister Pip [A Review]

A review of Lloyd Jones's Mister Pip; winner of the 2007 Commonwealth Writer's Prize and shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize.

Lucky or Lagging? Anne Summers's On Luck [A Review]

Described as 'The Lucky Country' over forty-years ago, Australia continues to play on and onward with a fervent belief in luck, her people often described, usually by themselvess, as 'graced' or as living in 'God's Own'. With our comfortable lifestyle and isolated location, white sands and soft mangoes, it is easy to see why we embraced the term so eagerly. Where else could you win the lottery twice? While these national stereotypes are an essential part of the romance that drives and defines us, the idea that luck is the central motif of Australian culture has become a cliche, and a dangerous, almost disastrous one at that. In On Luck, Anne Summers observes, "You hear it everywhere: in all sorts of conversations, in Qantas ads, from the mouths of travellers returning from overseas trips full of complaints about the climate, the crowds, the uncivility of other places".

Reproduction, mediation, and experience : virtual reality, motion capture and early modern theatre

This article investigates virtual reality representations of performance in London’s late sixteenth-century Rose Theatre, a venue that, by means of current technology, can once again challenge perceptions of space, performance, and memory. The VR model of The Rose represents a virtual recreation of this venue in as much detail as possible and attempts to recover graphic demonstrations of the trace memories of the performance modes of the day. The VR model is based on accurate archeological and theatre historical records and is easy to navigate. The introduction of human figures onto The Rose’s stage via motion capture allows us to explore the relationships between space, actor and environment. The combination of venue and actors facilitates a new way of thinking about how the work of early modern playwrights can be stored and recalled. This virtual theatre is thus activated to intersect productively with contemporary studies in performance; as such, our paper provides a perspective on and embodiment of the relation between technology, memory and experience. It is, at its simplest, a useful archiving project for theatrical history, but it is directly relevant to contemporary performance practice as well. Further, it reflects upon how technology and ‘re-enactments’ of sorts mediate the way in which knowledge and experience are transferred, and even what may be considered ‘knowledge.’ Our work provides opportunities to begin addressing what such intermedial confrontations might produce for ‘remembering, experiencing, thinking and imagining.’ We contend that these confrontations will enhance live theatre performance rather than impeding or disrupting contemporary performance practice. Our ‘paper’ is in the form of a video which covers the intellectual contribution while also permitting a demonstration of the interventions we are discussing.

Animateur : participatory studio-based learning in computer graphics animation

The impact of digital technology within the creative industries has brought with it a range of new opportunities for collaborative, cross-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary practice. Along with these opportunities has come the need to re-evaluate how we as educators approach teaching within this new digital culture. Within the field of animation, there has been a radical shift in the expectations of students, industry and educators as animation has become central to a range of new moving image practices. This paper interrogates the effectiveness of adopting a studio-based collaborative production project as a method for educating students within this new moving-image culture. The project was undertaken, as part of the Creative Industries Transitions to New Professional Environments program at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane Australia. A number of students studying across the Creative Industries Faculty and the Faculty of Science and Technology were invited to participate in the development of a 3D animated short film. The project offered students the opportunity to become actively involved in all stages of the creative process, allowing them to experience informal learning through collaborative professional practice. It is proposed that theoretical principles often associated with andragogy and constructivism can be used to design and deliver programs that address the emerging issues surrounding the teaching of this new moving image culture.

Cultivating Innovation through Social Relationships: A Qualitative Study of Outstanding Australian Innovators in Science, Technology and the Creative Industries

In this chapter, we describe and explore social relationship patterns associated with outstanding innovation. In doing so, we draw upon the findings of 16 in-depth interviews with award-winning Australian innovators from science & technology and the creative industries. The interviews covered topics relating to various influences on individual innovation capacity and career development. We found that for all of the participants, innovation was a highly social process. Although each had been recognised individually for their innovative success, none worked in isolation. The ability to generate innovative outcomes was grounded in certain types of interaction and collaboration. We outline the distinctive features of the social relationships which seem to be important to innovation, and ask which ‘social network capabilities’ might underlie the ability to create an optimal pattern of interpersonal relationships. We discuss the implications of these findings for universities, which we argue play a key role in the development of nascent innovators.

Ways of telling : research methodology for fashion textiles design

Research methodology in the discipline of Art & Design has been a topic for much debate in the academic community. The result of such avid and ongoing discussion appears to be a disciplinary obsession with research methodologies and a culture of adopting and adapting existing methodologies from more established disciplines. This has eventuated as a means of coping with academic criticism and as an attempt to elevate Art & Design to a ‘real academic status’. Whilst this adoption has had some effect in tempering the opinion of Art & Design research from more ‘serious’ academics the practice may be concealing a deeper problem for this discipline. Namely, that knowledge transfer within creative practice, particularly in fashion textiles design practice, is largely tacit in nature and not best suited to dissemination through traditional means of academic writing and publication. ----- ----- There is an opportunity to shift the academic debate away from appropriate (or inappropriate) use of methodologies and theories to demonstrate the existence (or absence) of rigor in creative practice research. In particular, the changing paradigms for the definitions of research to support new models for research quality assessment (such as the RAE in the United Kingdom and ERA in Australia) require a re-examination of the traditions of academic writing and publication in relation to this form of research. It is now appropriate to test the limits of tacit knowledge. It has been almost half a century since Michael Polanyi wrote “we know more than we can tell” (Polanyi, 1967 p.4) at a time when the only means of ‘telling’ was through academic writing and publishing in hardcopy format. ----- ----- This paper examines the academic debate surrounding research methodologies for fashion textiles design through auto-ethnographic case study and object analysis. The author argues that, while this debate is interesting, the focus should be to ask: are there more effective ways for creative practitioner researchers to disseminate their research? The aim of this research is to examine the possibilities of developing different, more effective methods of ‘telling’ to support the transfer of tacit knowledge inherent in the discipline of Fashion Textiles Design.

1960s Fashion Minimalism

Fashion in London in the 1960s is often remembered as an exciting time of experimentation and bold choices, as well as the simple tailored lines of the mini skirt, A-line dress and trouser suit. Join Angela Finn (PhD Candidate) for a look at iconic designers from the 1960s in relation to the development of fashion ‘minimalism’. This lecture is part of the Material Culture: Illustrated Lecture Series run in tandem with The Valentino Exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia.

That's a rap : the making of an Australian hip hop integrated musical film

To date, the majority of films that utilise or feature hip hop music and culture, have either been in the realms of documentary, or in ‘show musicals’ (where the film musical’s device of characters’ bursting into song, is justified by the narrative of a pursuit of a career in the entertainment industry). Thus, most films that feature hip hop expression have in some way been tied to the subject of hip hop. A research interest and enthusiasm was developed for utilising hip hop expression in film in a new way, which would extend the narrative possibilities of hip hop film to wider topics and themes. The creation of the thesis film Out of My Cloud, and the writing of this accompanying exegesis, investigates a research concern of the potential for the use of hip hop expression in an ‘integrated musical’ film (where characters’ break into song without conceit or explanation). Context and rationale for Out of My Cloud (an Australian hip hop ‘integrated musical’ film) is provided in this writing. It is argued that hip hop is particularly suitable for use in a modern narrative film, and particularly in an ‘integrated musical’ film, due to its: current vibrancy and popularity, rap (vocal element of hip hop) music’s focus on lyrical message and meaning, and rap’s use as an everyday, non-performative method of communication. It is also argued that Australian hip hop deserves greater representation in film and literature due to: its current popularity, and its nature as a unique and distinct form of hip hop. To date, representation of Australian hip hop in film and television has almost solely been restricted to the documentary form. Out of My Cloud borrows from elements of social realist cinema such as: contrasts with mainstream cinema, an exploration/recognition of the relationship between environment and development of character, use of non-actors, location-shooting, a political intent of the filmmaker, displaying sympathy for an underclass, representation of underrepresented character types and topics, and a loose narrative structure that does not offer solid resolution. A case is made that it may be appropriate to marry elements of social realist film with hip hop expression due to common characteristics, such as: representation of marginalised or underrepresented groups and issues in society, political objectives of the artist/s, and sympathy for an underclass. In developing and producing Out of My Cloud, a specific method of working with, and filming actor improvisation was developed. This method was informed by improvisation and associated camera techniques of filmmakers such as Charlie Chaplin, Mike Leigh, Khoa Do, Dogme 95 filmmakers, and Lars von Trier (post-Dogme 95). A review of techniques used by these filmmakers is provided in this writing, as well as the impact it has made on my approach. The method utilised in Out of My Cloud was most influenced by Khoa Do’s technique of guiding actors to improvise fairly loosely, but with a predetermined endpoint in mind. A variation of this technique was developed for use in Out of My Cloud, which involved filming with two cameras to allow edits from multiple angles. Specific processes for creating Out of My Cloud are described and explained in this writing. Particular attention is given to the approaches regarding the story elements and the music elements. Various significant aspects of the process are referred to including the filming and recording of live musical performances, the recording of ‘freestyle’ performances (lyrics composed and performed spontaneously) and the creation of a scored musical scene involving a vocal performance without regular timing or rhythm. The documentation of processes in this writing serve to make the successful elements of this film transferable and replicable to other practitioners in the field, whilst flagging missteps to allow fellow practitioners to avoid similar missteps in future projects. While Out of My Cloud is not without its shortcomings as a short film work (for example in the areas of story and camerawork) it provides a significant contribution to the field as a working example of how hip hop may be utilised in an ‘integrated musical’ film, as well as being a rare example of a narrative film that features Australian hip hop. This film and the accompanying exegesis provide insights that contribute to an understanding of techniques, theories and knowledge in the field of filmmaking practice.

Sharing with Creative Commons : a business model for content creators

Creative Commons (CC) is often seen as a social movement, dismissed by critics as a tool for hobbyists or academics who do not sell their creations to make a living. However, this paper argues that the licensing of creative copyright works under a CC licence does not preclude commercial gain. If used wisely, CC licences can be a useful tool for creators in their quest for commercial success. In particular, this paper argues that the sharing of creative works online under a CC licence allows creators to circumvent traditional distribution channels dominated by content intermediaries, whilst maintaining a level of control over their copyright works (i.e. explicitly reserving some rights but not all rights). This will be illustrated by case studies on how CC is being used by content creators and intermediaries respectively, and how successful their respective methods are in harnessing this tool.

Evangeline Series : An interpretation of Classic Gothic Lolita

This series comprises three artefacts described below: Evangeline: Classic Gothic Lolita [3 piece garment]. Evangeline 2: Classic Gothic Lolita Pullip Doll Costume [2 piece garment]. Evangeline 3: Classic Gothic Lolita Mini Pullip Doll Costume [3 piece garment]. The series was part of an exhibition curated by Kathryn Hardy Bernal entitled: "Loli-Pop: A downtown Auckland view on Japanese street fashion". The exhibition explored the connections between gothic lolita fashion and popular culture. This work reflects on the aspect of collections in respect of the work of Hardy Bernal in relation to the connection between the japanese classic gothic lolita and the doll culture surrounding the movement. The pieces are interconnected and intended to communicate these aspects through a doll like dress worn by a model (Evangeline 1], carrying a doll wearing the same dress [Evangeline 2], carrying a smaller doll again wearing the same dress [Evangeline 3]. The artefacts appeared appeared as a central piece in the exhibition which was held at the War Memorial Museum in Auckland, New Zealand (15 September - 25 November 2007).