Monday, March 30, 2009
Trashbag Rehab!
On Monday 6th April the Craft Cartel are holding our first monthly 'Trashbag Rehab' event - a hands on radical craft workshop for anyone who's over-dosed on cutesy craft crap. It'll be held in a place dear to my heart - the wonderful Bebida Cafe/Bar at 325 Smith St Fitzroy. Each session we're going to have a different project, musos & a special guest artist/therapist.
Anyone is invited to rock up & use our materials or bring their own craft junk to rehabilitate/swap.
First project : CUNT FLING-UPS!
Plus! We're going to have a special screening of punk-knitting vid - 'Marsha' by sculptural knitting artist Kate Just. Hot.
Plus! Tunes from DJ Super Julie. HOT!
It's four bucks & runs from 5:30 - 9:30pm-ish. Free champagne for early comers. 1/2 price drinks between 6&7.
you should come because it will be awesome. facefuck us if you like.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Fuckin GrauWAHRAUGHAHGRaAAAA!!
I had such a beautiful night on Saturday - the Bankrupt's Ball; theatre & food & wine & dancing & friends & then: ka-splat. I was riding slowly home, enjoying the warm evening air and the lamp light - gathered in still pools red, yellow and white on the empty roads. I've always loved cycling through the night city in summer - it can be so calming, almost meditative. Like swimming laps.
I was halfway down Sydney road when a guy ran out onto the road and started groping my breasts. I have no fucking idea how I didn't fall off the bike. I batted at his hands - pushed them away. It seemed to go on for a long time.
'FUCKING NO FUCKING FUCK OFF' When I managed to push his hands from my breasts he stuck one up my dress and into my knickers.
How the fuck did I not fall off my bike? I think he was grinning. Everything else about him is a blur - he was average height, average build, standard hair chop colour skin bluck. The things I remember are the hands and the snickers.
Then somehow I was past and still on my bike and still cycling and still intact.
'WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?!'
I wish this was the first time something like this had happened to me, to anyone. Most of my close female friends have experienced an assault of some kind. It doesn't do great things for my view of humanity. At other times I have been so paralysed with shock that my frozen lips haven't even opened in protest. My silence has been the source of a small sad shame in me, for not 'sticking up' for myself. So this time I took a bit of comfort that at least I'd been able to bark out something 'FUCKING NO FUCKING FUCK OFF'.
The problem is I don't wander around expecting to be treated like a second hand blow-up doll so it's hard to come up with a pithy biting insult on the spot. Therefore I have decided to prepare one in advance which I can then whip out when the need arises. The best suggestion so far has come from my dear friend, Mzzz Erin Tasmania:
"GrauWAHRAUGHAHGRaAAAA!!" to be screamed with tongue protruded KISS style.
I can only hope potential gropers will appreciate such eloquent poetry.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Between The Cracks Interview cut&paste
Something went wrong with the clicking doovielacker so here is the interview cut&paste. or else you can click HERE and (hopefully!) be directed to .exactly.the.same.story. (but with heaps of other awesome articles too).
Why do you think people are so opposed to the word cunt?
I think most people probably don’t really know themselves why they find the word so offensive. The way it is used has become so established - either spat out in extreme anger and desperation or blotted out to just one letter in the media - that it has taken on a kind of mythic madness and power. People just shy away from even thinking about it - it’s reputation is so distasteful that they don’t seem to realize that this word that they feel is so wounding and disgusting is a word that signifies the wondrous place that we all entered the world from. Of course there are those who think that women and their sexual organs are intrinsically evil and I find it perfectly
understandable why these people use ‘cunt’ as a swear word.
Is that a real cunt tattoo on that young lady’s butt?
I haven’t been close enough to give it the spit-&-rub test but I believe so. It’s not the tat that worries me though, it’s more the expression on her face. Quite disturbing.
Do you think that Greg Taylor in part expected and hoped to have some controversy regarding his show?
I don’t know Greg personally but as I understand it the show wasn’t a conceptual one but more of a happy accident - a clay torso he was making exploded in the kiln and he was struck that the cunt fragment was a powerful piece in itself. Of course he can’t have been naive to the provocative impact his work would inevitably have but I don’t believe that stirring up controversy was his stimulus. I couldn’t say the same of my intentions.
What’s the response been like towards your fling ups?
Bemusement / mild embarrassment / hate mail / high-fives
What’s your artistic background?
I don’t have one - at least not a public one - but I think I would wither away if I wasn’t busy creating something or other. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years scribbling in notebooks and scheming up pranks - particularly with my dear friend Rayna Fahey who runs radical craft group Craft Cartel (http://craftcartel.com) with me.
What do you think about creating a global map that is color coordinated to the level of acceptance of the word cunt?
Digging the epic scale of the idea. Does any place accept the word? I imagine a lot of people would get quite hot and bothered about the results: lovely!
Have you used other mediums other than fling ups to dignify cunt?
Undies emblazoned with ‘cunts: deep warm and delightful - NOT offensive’ (subtlety isn’t something I practise on this topic), ‘respect your box’ boxes, Cunt-Catchers (like dream-catchers but with loftier aims), Cunt cakes with jelly beans or cherries as clits and I keep a blog ‘http:/.blogspot/cuntisnotadirtyword.com’ - I did have a facebook group: ‘I don’t find the word ‘cunt’ offensive’ but it got pulled for being “offensive”.
Any plans to bring cunts to other towns to enjoy?
Sure - if anyone invites me - I’d be thrilled to swap cunt for board.
What do you recommend people do to promote awareness about cunt’s kinder side?
Start using cunt as a compliment - as in - ‘you’re a top cunt!’
Monday, March 2, 2009
Between The Cracks
Check it in Between The Cracks online. So hip right now.
& while you're there you should check out their feature on Billy Pacak's cunt pipe sculptures. What gorgeous company I'm keeping!