All Things Bright And Beautiful.

Yes, yes, it HAS been a while, hasn't it ?! And I KNOW I said I'd talk about all things burlesque, but I'm yet to collate my thoughts on that, so another film review it is.

ATBAB was a 2009 entry into Sydney's week-long Kino Kabaret, and most recently screened at "Jurassic Lounge" at the Australian Museum. Taking the world renowned 1848 words written by Cecil F. Alexander, the participants of Kino Kabaret give their rendition of this classic hymn in Auslan (Australian Sign Language).

What I enjoyed most about this short was being a participant myself, albeit behind the scenes. Watching the involvement of the participants - from all walks of life, with varying degrees of proficiency in Auslan, and some who carry other "disabilities".

To witness the joy on their faces, then see that captured through the uncomplicated process of point, shoot, edit was uplifting.

Mr Debs once again found a poignant coupling of words and images. The viewing may be simple, but the message is profound. However, and is usually his way, Debs has added his own cheeky twist to the lyrics - see if you catch it.

There is not much else to say about this short except that look once, you see the familiar. Look twice, you see the simplicity. Take a third look, you just might see the message.

To view this, and more short films from Phillip Debs ProVisual, head to his channel on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/phillipdebs, or visit his website : www.pdprovisual.com.au

Enjoy.

Film Review : Torture

Torture is the most significant film offering from its creator, Phillip Debs.

The second in a series of three (prequel "Capture" and sequel "Escape" (both working titles) ), it presents us with the main character seated and bound, being given a beating and interrogated. Images flash from standard view into negative, placing the viewer into a state of empathy for the disorientation and blurred vision one must experience given the same treament.

The film opens with the menacing glare of the victim's torturer, a bare chested, "fists for hire" type who appears to enjoy his line of work. The victim, a seemingly ordinary working class man, seems unaware of the reason for his beating, but uses reserves of energy to try and keep his wits about him. This beating is interspersed with countless slaps in the face by a sharp looking "boss", the crooked cop who also gets in on the action.

On the surface, this all seems like a lead up to what potentially could become a snuff film, however, the real message behind the violence runs far deeper than that.

I'm certain many people with a "diasbility" can relate to the feeling of struggling to find acceptance. Feeling like they hold no power or influence in the world they inhabit. Feeling tortured by the lack of accessibility to the world the rest of us more often than not take for granted. Feeling bound, beaten and bruised by governments and businesses alike that may pay a nominal lip service without providing any real support, or infact, keep these minority groups held back and held down.

Amazing how much can be said in 2 minutes without a word being spoken. On my first viewing of this short, I was deeply moved by the message. Mr Debs has delivered a powerful performance, creative editing, and a winning plot. I look forward to viewing both the prequel and sequel.

To view this, and more short films from Phillip Debs ProVisual, head to his channel on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/phillipdebs, or visit his website : www.pdprovisual.com.au

Up next ? A discussion into all things burlesque...let me entertain you !

I Am The Light Bender.

Visual Gluttony speaks to Matt Drysdale, sculptor, photographer, artist.

Let's jump right into it.

VG : So you describe yourself as an aspiring sculptor and photographer. When did your art start for you ?

MD : Not at high school, I failed Year 11 photography ! I had a good teacher and learnt a lot (thanks Mr Taylor). I got my grandad's Minolta X300SLR when I was an apprentice. From then I was hooked. I bought a few books on photography and started burning film. My metalwork started after seeing overpriced water features in a nursery that my dad sent me to check out. A week later I had made one for mum and a couple of months after that I was selling through a local gallery.

VG : Serendipity ! Can you tell us who or what inspires your creations ?

MD : In the early days I couldn't get enough of Peter Drombovskis and his beautiful Tasmanian landscapes. He was an absolute master of his trade. At the moment I am following the work of another Australian master Shelton Muller, and I'm hoping to attend some of his workshops in the next few years. The constant evolution of my work drives me to create. Making something that I like, then seeing that others do also, keeps me doing what I do.

VG : Indeed. Success breeding success. Your sculptured animals appear almost caricature-like. Is this the result of the materials you use, or simply how they evolve from your hands ?

MD : It has a lot to do with the materials. Every piece has a past life and therefore already full of character. I then bring them together and try to give each work it's own personality or attitude. I get great satisfaction from breathing new life into things that have been discarded. All of the materials in my sculptures are recycled. Copper pipe, brass vases, your gran's 70's copper art, silver cutlery and even the wire off the old Hills Hoist !

VG : You have said elsewhere that you wish your eyes could take photos. Do the images you capture take you by surprise, or are they intentional ?

MD : I was once told to learn to see as if you were looking through the lens of a camera. This was the best advice I have ever been given regarding photography. It changed the way I looked at everything. I still find myself doing this 13 years later without even realising. If the images I currently take are a reflection of what I see, then I want to know who's spiking my drinks !

VG : Indeed ! And what would you say is your favourite subject matter to photograph ?

MD : Everything is fair game. I get bored very easily which always seems to bring me back to abstract work. Watching people trying to figure out the picture is always a satisfying experience. I like to take pictures that haven't been taken before and could never be captured again. I believe I have achieved this with my lightbender work, as I couldn't get the same result twice if I tried a thousand times.....and I tend not to do "cliche" shots - I lived at Ayer's Rock for 3 months and came back without a single sunset photo.

VG : Your work is indeed interesting, and to be able to create something unique in this day and age is quite the achievement. In your photographs, colour seems to be a big feature. How does colour influence what and how you shoot ?

MD : It depends on the subject. At times it is important, others not so. I love all types of photography, and colour can be very addictive. On a different note the colours you get when heating up copper with an oxy torch are amazing.

VG : Now to touch back on light bending. What is it, and what were you hoping to achieve with those images ?

MD : Light bending is a technique I have been developing which is all done in camera, no photoshopping. It involves bending, twisting, folding, compressing and stretching light as it passes through the lens. You can use one, all, or any of the previously mentioned actions to achieve the desired affect. If you get one good shot in 100 it has been a good day.

VG : Sounds like a little bit of science meets art. Finally, what visually stimulates you ?

MD : Take the advice that I was given 13 years ago. Then go outside and look around. If you do this properly you will see for yourself where I find my visual stimulation !

VG : Thanks, Matt. The Glutton wishes you well in all your future endeavours. May your creative energies bring us all more to feast our eyes on.

Matt is an Australian artist and father of three, seeking a network of galleries, dealers, lovers of art and creative minded people from all over the world. His works, through Bent Copper Studios, can be readily found on Facebook.

Film Review : Arts Castaway.

Arts Castaway is the latest offering from the stable of Phillip Debs ProVisual.

It takes you on a visual journey of Cockatoo Island as part of the Sydney Biennele, and saw it's premiere screening at the most recent Kino Sydney open-mic night. Exploring the artworks that lay all over the island, this short features the film maker himself proudly taking a hands-on role assisting Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa with an installation.

Arts Castaway opens with a ferry ride across Sydney Harbour on a gloriously sunny autumn morning. Once you step onto the island, there is interesting artwork all around, and sculptures that are thought provoking and somewhat confronting. The film was made using a Nokia E71 mobile phone, and is accompanied by Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" - a highly appropriate instrumental piece that accentuates the pace of the film beautifully, and highlights the "point of view" technique used.

Debs has provided another short void of dialogue, showing us that there is more to connecting with each other than the spoken word. His cheeky editing sets a frantic pace - something required to take in all there is to see on the island (or repeat visits !), and is a reflection on the pace of life in the hustle-bustle of Sydney. Whilst the appreciation of art may need time and contemplation, Debs leads us on a wild journey through flashes of light and colour. With all the restrictions of a mobile phone considered, this film is another piece of in your face art in itself.

The closing moments of footage are highly befitting the end of the film. Arts Castaway will take you on a cracking ride and send you home with more than a few lasting memories.

For more short films from Phillip Debs ProVisual, head to his channel on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/phillipdebs, or go to his website : www.pdprovisual.com.au

And if you're interested in watching or making independent short films, check out Kino Sydney : http://sites.google.com/a/kinosydney.com/kinosydney/

More reviews to come. Feel free to leave a comment !!

How The Human Eye Works.

Oh, I know I said film review was next up, but hey, it's my blog, I'm allowed to change my mind ! I was pondering the other day, as is my want, about what life would be like without the sense of vision. This got me researching how the eyes actually work. What follows is a BRIEF paraphrase of what I found....

The eyes are the windows to the soul, they say. When your eyes meet across a crowded room, what happens ?!! Imagine, if you can, NOT having a sense of sight...

The eye is approximately the size of a ping pong ball and sits in a socket in the skull. The white of the eye is named the sclera, and is a fibrous membrane that, along with the cornea, forms the outer covering and protection of the eyeball. The cornea is transparent, or completely clear, which allows light to pass through it. It helps the eye to focus.

Behind the cornea are the iris and pupil. The iris has muscles attached to it that change its shape, controlling the amount of light that passes through the pupil. It is the pupil that allows light to enter the eye. Between the iris and cornea is the anterior chamber. This chamber is filled with a special transparent fluid that gives the eye oxygen, protein and glucose to keep it healthy.

After light enters the pupil, it hits the lens, which sits behind the iris and is clear and colourless. It is this part of the eye that focusses light on the back of the eye - the retina. The retina is smaller than a 10cent piece and holds millions of light sensitive cells. The retina's job is to convert light signals to nerve signals so that brain can process what is being seen.

The lens is suspended in the eye by fibres that are attached to the ciliary muscle. It is this muscle that changes the shape of the lens to accommodate the distance at which you are viewing an object. When you look at things close up, the lens becomes thicker to focus the image clearly onto the retina. Conversely, when you are looking at something in the distance, the lens becomes thinner.

The retina uses special cells called rods and cones to process light. There are about 120million rods and 7 million cones contained in each eye. It is these cells that are responsible for converting the recieved light into impulses which are, in turn, carried to the brain by the optic nerve.

So now you know how the eye works - go feed your ocular hunger !!

www.pdprovisual.com.au

An Interview With Mr Rob Farmer, Visual Artist.

Visual Gluttony talks to Rob Roy Farmer about his career as an actor and comedian reaching out to a worldwide audience through visual communication.

VG : Hi Rob, great to have you here. When you read the words "Visual Gluttony", what image comes to your mind ?

RR : To be honest, those are not two words I would readily recognise together ! But I guess when I think about it, it means something like gorging your eyes with visual stimulation.

VG : You began your career as a visual artist through acting, and later started your one-man show, which has taken you all over the world. What do you think makes your show visually appealing ?

RR : Being Deaf, I use sign language as my primary form of communication. In my show, I use International Sign, which means I can communicate just about anywhere. Being Deaf also means, quite naturally, that I use gesture, facial expression, and body movement to enhance what I'm signing, just as hearing actors use intonation, pitch and volume to enhance speech.

VG : That's very interesting. It makes sense that a Deaf person would choose to be involved in anything using the sense of vision to communicate thoughts and ideas. For someone who may never have experienced a show like yours, how would you describe it ?

RR : I am a visual performer - a Deaf, stand-up comedian who uses sign language. My show is a mix of signing and mime and I keep both my Deaf and hearing audience in mind. I do use an interpreter who works from a loose script, but really my goal is simply to make people laugh. I tell stories and jokes relative to the experiences of Deaf people. Some jokes translate really well into spoken language, but Deaf people have a very unique humour that naturally relies heavily on sign language.

VG : You really seem to be a stand-out as a stand-up - lol. As someone reliant on the visual, did you have any comedians or actors you yourself loved to watch ?

RR : I loved to mimic what I saw on tv as I was growing up, and Jerry Lewis was one of my favourites. Slap stick is actually a great form of hearing humour that the Deaf can read well.

VG : And what do you see as the future for visual performance ?

RR : Having travelled the world over many times throughout my almost 20 year career as an actor and comedian, I have seen a steady growth in the number of visual performers, and greater opportunities being created for Deaf involvement. I've also seen the steady increase in audience numbers. So I would say that visual performance is an art that has a healthy future!

VG : Phew ! Thanks for sharing your time with us, Rob. We look forward to seeing many more of your performances. Here's to your continued success.

Rob will be involved in the Deaf Nation World Expo, July 18-23, 2010 : http://deafnation.com/ and is touring Canada, North and South America July - December 2010. To check out more about Rob, go to his website : http://www.robroyshow.com

And what's in store next time I hear you ask ? Film review !

The Little Engine That Could : why the cost of a professional photographer is worth it.

"The Little Engine That Could", is a story that teaches the value of optimism and hard work.

Relevant in all areas of life, and I'll get around to my point, but bear with me. A question was posed to VG recently as to why professional photographers charge as much as they do. Here's the answer :

To start with, with the onslaught of digital cameras and readily available printing out there for every man and his dog to access, it's important to understand that when you engage the services of a professional, you aren't simply paying for someone to point a camera and ask you to say "cheese", then pop down to the local photolab and have prints ready in an hour !

You are paying for their years of experience, their time, travel, set-up, the actual shoot itself (and depending on what this is, may also require the photographer to be "set director", or "stylist" as well).

Then there are the hours spent hunched at the computer touching up all your wonderful images so that they are just right - cropping, contrasting, colouring, sharpening. Of course you need to also factor in consultation time - discussing your requirements, answering questions, throwing around ideas.

When considering all of these factors, you soon realise that a professional is worth the money you pay them. They aren't just taking photos - they are immortalising memories, capturing special moments in time, or making your product look it's most inviting.

It's a tough economic world we live in. Photography is highly competitive. But for those with the drive, the passion, and the determination to succeed, the reward is not only theirs, but that of their clients, also.

If you are a struggling photographer, remind yourself of the Little Engine That Could - repeat after me "I think I can, I think I can." If you are worth your salt, and the proof is in the pictures, you will be paid accordingly.

And for anyone requiring the services of a professional photographer - for weddings, commercial shoots, anything, look no further than Phillip Debs ProVisual. Phillip has had almost 10 years in the industry, and has a fantastic eye for details. For samples of Phillip's work, take a look at his website : www.pdprovisual.com.au. All contact details are supplied on the site. He can also be found on Flickr, Facebook and Twitter !

And next time, I'm looking forward to posting an interview with funny man and visual artist, Rob Roy Farmer, so keep your peepers peeled !!