In 2003, artist Anna Schuleit was commissioned to create an installation for the Massachusetts Mental Health Centre, prior to its closure for renovation. In the space of three months she filled the multi-level building entirely with flowers in full bloom, including the swimming pool in the basement which she filled with African Violets and the 1950's style PA system was used to broadcast the sounds of footsteps in the hallways, patients voices and doctors conversations which the artist recorded in the weeks leading up to the buildings closure. Her objective was to fill the mental health centre with the colour it was usually void of.

Skagen is a town at the most northern tip of Denmark. From it's famous headland, The Grenan it is possible to see waves clashing together from each side of the beach. At this point the Baltic and North Seas meet and their currents are not able to merge as the densities are different

Chilean artist Maria Aparicio works in collaboration with photographers and weaves multi-coloured threads over the images to create these artworks.

The Running Man - Factual Story Telling Assignment

Have you seen the running man?

This is the elusive question that over the last five years has become a constant speculation and source of wonderment amongst the locals of the Gold Coast. The evasive athlete, The Running Man - renowned for his signature white running attire, white-blonde dreadlocks and pair of worn Dunlop Volleys has become an indigenous icon with an ardent band of supporters along the 40km route he runs each day from his home in Southport to Currumbin Beach and back. Since his maiden voyage in the Volley’s back in 2007, The Running Man has become not only leaner and physically fit but more frequently spotted by driver’s, pedestrians and beachgoer’s along the Gold Coast’s Esplanade – always sporting the simple yet standout white outfit.

The Running Man or ‘Dave’ as locals know him declines all publicity and offers to be interviewed as his daughter simply state’s ‘he just does it for the love of running’ – adding a little more enigma to his allure. However he never fails to miss a photo opportunity, leading to a major online Facebook following and photo sharing on the popular Facebook page “Have You Seen the Mermaid Beach Running Man” (2926 ‘Likes’) in which members make daily photo or text updates on sightings of The Running Man. Bumping into him down at any of his regular haunts; the Nobby’s Beach Smoothie Shack, The Anglers Arms Pub or inside any of the bustling ocean side café’s along the Nobby’s/Mermaid Beach precinct he is always more than happy to have a chat – and if he hasn’t been spotted that morning any of the shopkeeper’s in the community are bound to know of The Running Man.

 (Photo: The Running Man captured on Google Earth)

Stopping in at the Nobby’s beach Smoothie Shack to grab an Acai Bowl after a morning surf I got chatting to friendly owner, Eddie. “Ah, Dave” He grins knowingly, “You’ve just missed him, he stopped in about an hour ago.” I discovered that Eddie used to be Dave’s neighbour and his best friend, Reggie used to run alongside him every day. “He was quite a large bloke when he started off, he was only mustering a brisk walk” Eddie, the health food aficionado explains “but look at him today, he’s a real tribute to the results of persistence.”

 Originally from Sydney, The Running Man was a successful Car Salesman whom has retired to the Gold Coast and now runs approximately 40km a day, sometimes adjusting his routine and incorporating a bike. Each year sightings of The Running Man begin around late January and increase until mid November, beginning at a light jog, followers report increased speed and overall toned appearance in The Running Man as he reaches his peak of running 40km. Asking a waitress at a popular café in Mermaid Beach about The Running Man’s jaunt she explains, “I don’t know if he’s training for a marathon or why he does it but you see him run past after a while and he’s slimmed down and his legs have started to become toned and he seems to be running further, he never ditches that white gear or the volley’s though.”  Although he is not sighted everyday, The Running Man has been known to continue running through extreme weather conditions, with photographs appearing of the white clad figure running through the torrential rains during Queensland’s flood season.

The simplicity of The Running Man’s ‘Forrest Gump style’ venture in his understated attire, casual training times and unpublicized perseverance is contrasted in an unpretentious nature against the often ostentatious sports and fitness subculture on the Gold Coast, wherein designer workout gear, dieting and ‘bulking’ supersede the simplicity of exercise and health. Whilst The Running Man does not reportedly run for a particular cause or athletic event, it is the perseverance and modest nature in which he operates that makes him a distinctive figure of such popularity.

Feats of unparalleled endurance such as The Running Man’s are inspirational and gain public following often due to the simple ways in which they are conducted. In a 2010 venture of more emotive proportions, Australian Fire Fighter and dedicated father Ken Thompson cycled 6500km throughout Europe in a tenacious search to find his abducted son. In 2008 Ken’s former wife, Melinda Thompson, suffering from a mental incapacity convinced herself that Ken was abusing their son Andrew and escaped with him to Germany, wherein she disappeared without a trace for two and a half years. After receiving approval from the High Court of Australia, Ken initiated the global “Find Andrew” campaign, in which he set up a blog and Facebook page detailing the appearance of both Andrew and Melinda, pleading anyone who had information leading to their whereabouts to come forwards to himself, The Australian Police or Interpol – not once did he discredit his former wife’s actions, his sole motivation was to be reunited with Andrew. After months of tireless waiting, Ken took action, donning a jersey that depicted Andrews photograph and read in bold letters “Have you seen Andrew?” he cycled an astounding 6500km throughout Europe before finally his internet presence lead someone to inform the police of Andrews whereabouts in Amsterdam and father and son were finally reunited. Whilst of more contentious quantity, Ken’s plight is similar to The Running Man’s in the way both men uncomplicatedly set out to achieve something, their acts of simplicity and understatement is what arouses such widespread public appeal.

Whilst The Running Man’s expedition is unattainable for many, it is the unpretentious nature in the act of simply running, in the absence of exorbitant running attire – just the classic white outfit with a pair of volley’s that makes his journey inspirational and perpetuates the question; have you seen the running man?

At The Bus Stop

Last Saturday I sat my highly anticipated and fun filled torts exam. I spent a very hurried and stressful hour trying to frantically pen the last seven weeks of legal knowledge into sixty minutes, trying to determine whether 'Heckle and Jeckle's attempt to steal Michelle's dog' was trespass to land or not - riveting stuff. In celebration of my efforts upon completing the exam I decided to return home for the weekend to relax, go to the beach (squeeze in a surf!) and visit some friends, however as usual I found myself in yet another debacle with the highly reliable service which is Queensland Transport, so with my far too large suitcase in tow I settled in for the 45 minute wait in what was probably the most sun exposed station imaginable.

Starting to feel slightly panicked that I would be stuck, drenched in my own perspiration at Boggo Road for the entire evening I asked the Bus Driver who was dozing off next to me (who seemed to working as a traffic informant for the day due to the delays) if the trains were running at all today. Grinning, he gave me a very detailed explanation of the innermost workings of the South Brisbane Bus line, needless to say, I'm now an expert. We got chatting about university, he asked me what I was studying and how my exam went. When I told him I was a little nervous about getting my results back, he told me about his daughter, who failed her first university exam, dropped out for a year, discovered what she really wanted to do and now she works in a leading research facility in Melbourne where she works on discovering vaccinations. He seemed to be doing pretty well for himself too, telling me "I get paid four hundred bucks to sit here and chat to people today." By the time the 209 rolled around the corner I found I was enjoying my sunny little corner chatting to this man whose gruff smile seemed to be his permanent expression. He was the first person who has helped me get my suitcase onto the bus (I really need to pack lighter) and as the bus pulled away I realised just how much friendliness from a stranger can really improve your day.

Martin Smith, a brisbane based artist cuts letters out of photographs to tell a story. The image and the story imposed upon usually are irrelevant, leaving much to the viewers imagination. Suffering from a speech impediment throughout his life, Martin alluded to a world of art to tell his story. I had the opportunity to meet with him last year and he inspired me in regards to my own artworks, he gave me a book of his 'In response to' collection as I graduated and I still look to it for inspiration.

Getting Cultured

Whilst this article focuses more specifically on integrating and understanding within Australian culture in regards to Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander's, it is very relevant to my earlier post. Check it out

http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/the-getting-of-culture/200/

This is a series of photographs I took in Memory Cove, SA in 2011

Artist Sonia G Peters creates artworks that explore the use of found objects intermingled with personal experience. Her artworks from The Paperbag Series feature images drawn or painted upon brown paper bags to give her works texture and dimension. She says that in her personal experience the distinction between feeling, touching and making is indistinct, it is a singular motion.

Freddo Frogs

Lately, living a life of a college student, come Uni student, come athlete, come employee I’ve found myself scrounging for any form of ‘alone’ time  to sit down and blog and even just think without constant noises and distractions at college. So as of late I’ve been putting on my Hermione Granger hat and heading off to the library, not necessarily to study but just get things done in a quiet place, void of disturbance – in fact I’m sitting here right now in my little wooden cubicle.

Now I thought that being at college the library would be a pretty busy place, being the only sound proof room on the grounds but for the last few weeks it’s just been me and the odd law student who will traipse in, face full of resigned stress at the prospect of our upcoming torts exam.  However each afternoon I am joined by a fellow regular, an exchange student the college is housing for six months – I don’t actually know his name but his home is Thailand and he is completing his PhD in Medicine, on visit to Australia to write his thesis. Usually we sit in the mandatory silence demanded by the unspoken code of libraries but occasionally he will chat to me in his fractured English about both of our studies, the university, the ridiculous overpricing of Thai food in Australia and lately has taken to warning me about never pursuing a career as a politician in Thailand – not that I ever had that one on the cards but I think he’s having a go at me.

It’s interesting to hear the differences between the education systems across the world and I’ve begun to realize how privileged I am to live in a country that so freely encourages the pursuit of education and tertiary studies (not saying that Thailand doesn’t, rather that is more of a reality here). It’s also intriguing to observe our cultural traditions from the perspective of a visitor. I’ve begun re-reading one of my favourite novels – Looking for Alibrandi and now that I’m a little older it’s really making me consider the importance of understanding other cultures and mingling with a variety of people with different ethnic backgrounds – you really do learn some interesting things!

The last time I saw my Thai friend in the library was two weeks ago now, we didn’t chat too much as mid-sems were approaching and we both bent over our computer screens attempting to absorb as much as possible, but as he offered my a freddo frog he had bought as a nutritious study snack, wishing me well for my exam. I haven’t seen him for  a while but I’m glad I made the effort to talk to him in the midst of studying, I really learnt a thing or two.

Sound Lecture

My basic approach to interviewing is to ask the basic questions that might even sound naive, or not intellectual. Sometimes when you ask the simple questions like 'Who are you?' or 'What do you do?' you learn the most.       Brian Lamb

Finding myself strangely sprawled out on my bed for a lecture today, I tuned into our audio lecture. It was really interesting to hear Carmel and Richard Fidler’s interview, listening to two such successful and innovative people discuss their experiences was very exciting and inspiring. I find that the more I listen and experience different areas of journalism such as today’s lecture on radio journalism, I seem to broaden my mind to more possibilities in my future career.

As Richard described his opportunity to interview former Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam I was very impressed with the way he remained so collected throughout the interview, easily a sign of good journalism and the conversation was both amusing and intelligent. I became excited at the prospect  of at some stage in my journalism career, interviewing someone of such high calibre and discussing contemporary political affairs – seems like the perfect niche for my journalism/law degree.

Steve Austin was then interviewed and I really connected with what he said about the most important aspect of radio journalism is human connectedness – being human and relating to feelings and emotions of others. He spoke about special moments in journalism in which the interviewee transcends from someone who is being questioned to losing themselves in the story and in emotion. Essentially I think this is what each journalist seeks to achieve in an interview.

Having never considered radio journalism before listening to this lecture  yet being an avid listener of Triple J’s Hack program and ABC radio it has opened up a world of opportunity that I am excited to explore throughout the next three years.

Paul Paper is an artist from Lithuania who has recently through the popularity of his online blog, made the transition from recreational to professional photographer. His work centres around capturing the tiny miracles in every day, boring life.

Public Media

'The difference between commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting is the difference between consumers and citizens" NIGEL MILAN

Entering the realm of public media, we began this weeks lecture by establishing the definition of Public media, which is "media whose mission is to serve or engage a public - it's ultimate purpose must be to serve the public and not to gain a profit in contrast with commercial media. It is a more serious genre of reporting which values importance over interest - Bruce commented that this is why ABC is often the last station to release their news stories. Public media within the Australian media landscape is fronted by organisations such as the ABC and SBS and it's role within a democratic society such as ours is of support of the public and democratic progress.

Personally I found this lecture engaging as I'm all for ABC and SBS related programs and news, being a conscious journalism student, keen to get my fix of the latest, most detailed and unbiased news I often tune in to Triple J or various news programs on the ABC such as Hungry Beast, Catalyst and Compass - the fact that is a form of public media and thus easily accessible makes it even better! Coincidently 41% of Australians join me in my 'tuning-in' to the ABC with 12.6 million Australians viewing ABC TV each week.

Bruce went on to say that public media, essentially should have 'public value,' according to the BBC this includes

• embedding a public service ethos
• value for licence fee money 
• weighing public value against market impact
• public consultation

In accordance with these values the function of public media is to uphold nation building, national heritage, national identity and national conversations.

We then went on to discuss the challenges that public media faces in contemporary society. The predominant hurdle being to retain independence. Whilst the ABC and SBS are not owned by the government, rather held in common by the people they still receive government funding. Thus restricting the degree of independent reporting to avoid 'biting the hand that feeds them.'

 

Artist Leif Podhajsky uses digital manipulation on his photographs to explore the relevance of nature and psychadelic experience. He attempts to alter the surroundings of the viewer to re-align them with their surroundings. His work features on the cover art for bands and musicians such as Tame Impala and Lykke Li.

Mercantile Media

In today's lecture we discussed the role and purpose of Commercial Media within the Australian Media Landscape. Personally, I didn’t find this episode in our journalistic studies as exciting or intriguing as I usually would but it is interesting to see the material nature of advertising and how commercial media really is driven by ‘the mighty dollar.’ Commercial media is essentially license-funded media in which the aim is to sell the eyes and ears to advertisers whom are the real customers. The profit-driven media function is monopolized by major stakeholders such as News Limited, Fairfax Media, APN, Channel Nine, Southern Cross, Channel Ten, Telstra, Optus, Austar and countless others who produce commercial media in the form of regional newspapers, digital media, radio and outdoor advertising. It is delivered in the form of subscription (e.g. Foxtel), sponsored (e.g. Channel Nine) and subsidized (Government funding). We then discussed the role that commercial media plays in our democracy and it’s social responsibility, questioning whether it can deliver both commercial and social functions or if it is essentially just concerned with profit. According to the Hutchins Commission Report in 1947 the modern media has a moral and utilitarian obligation to report ethically and consider the overall needs of society when reporting to achieve the greatest outcome.

We then moved on to discuss contemporary controls on global landscape of commercial media such as the regulating of content by government agencies (e.g. Chinese censorship), which was strongly opposes by the recent Wikileaks organisation and movement against censorship in Australia, State press subsidies and licensed journalism (as seen in Indonesia and East Timor). Bruce outlined how the predominance of commercial media can sometimes lead to the ‘dumbing down’ of news, increased tabloidization and increased ‘desire to please’ which creates a lack in efficient reporting.