Imaginary Cities NYC

Photos taken in New York City as part of my Imaginary Cities project. Braved intense humidity and heatwave conditions in the Big Apple, donning the PVC coated suit and taking snapshots of myself infiltrating numerous NYC landmarks and tourist spots. Thankfully, New Yorkers paid little heed to my bizarre travel suit shufflings. Only one woman queried my actions and gave me her and God's blessing.

Photos by Joe Van.

     

Well Suited

Imaginary Cities

'The city they speak of has much of what is needed to exist, whereas the city that exists on its site, exists less.' 
Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino

Imaginary Cities is a sculpture/sound piece exploring the concept of real versus imagined cities, specifically in relation to New York City.

The project focuses on the myths and fantasies that characterise the Big Apple and the construction of these hyper realities through pop culture, travel guides and literature.

The project involves creating an anti-contamination travel suit using woven fragments of Lonely Planet Guides, novels by New York writers such as Tom Wolfe and Brett Easton Ellis, and National Geographic articles about the city. The project also includes a soundscape inspired by the New York of popular culture, and created using samples from films and songs that have the Big Apple as their focus and have shaped my idea/expectations of the city.

For the second part of the project I will take the suit and soundscape to New York City and will document my interaction with the city from within the protective shield provided by the travel suit/sound piece.
    
 

Sui Zhen

Multi-talented lady! 
 http://suizhen.hotglue.me/

High Steaks

Currently exhibiting at Polymorph Gallery, Enmore.

Photographic series focusing on the relationship between advertising and the meat/dairy/leather industry. Central to these sewn steaks is the concept of a ‘sacred cow’, i.e. something which cannot be tampered with, or criticised, for fear of public outcry. As a recently converted vegetarian, I decided to explore my concerns regarding industry practices through stitching ironic slogans into raw meat.  These images are intended to encourage the viewer to consider the link between their daily consumer choices and the source of these products.

Does the end product justify the means?

Spencer Tunick - The Base

 

http://www.mardigras.org.au/

The Spencer Tunik Opera House photo was finally published this week. As one friend pointed out, the nudes en masse resemble a bunch of king prawns laid out at the fish markets. Reclining naked across perfect strangers' legs, shoulders, elbows and other protruding appendages on a fresh Sydney morning was indeed a pungent experience, but also an unforgettable one. Mexican waves of shivers as the morning breeze buffeted 5 000 naked bodies, awkward embraces and averted eyes, and the creepy tall guy who cartwheeled, cavorted and thrusted with a sizeable hard-on before being booed off set. Ahh, the memories!