I received my copy of the 2010 WORKBOOK Illustration annual the other day. A great spread on page 287. This book is choca block full of some of the most incredible illustrators from across the United States. Some familiar faces and some humble newbies like myself making up a whopping 495 pages of illo madness about to land itself onto Art Director's desk's across the globe. This is old school illustration promotion at it's best. Grab a copy from Workbook http://www.workbook.com/get_workbook
As my milkbar polaroid collection grows bigger by the week along comes this beaut exhibition of photographs by Natalie Jeffcott, Gemma Jones, Miikel Doomernik and a selection of my said polaroids, as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. I think I'm more excited to be in this show than any other as the subject of Milkbars gets me all hot and bothered like a mum taking ice cream orders for all the kids at the front beach kiosk, on bitchumen and in bare feet. Showing at Arthus Circus opening night Tuesday 22 September from 6 - 8pm.
I have never really explained my polaroid obsession before. It's really quite simple, i've used 35mm SLR, Digital SLR, shitty Digital, Holga, Diana, Slide's but none of these formats ever stole my photography (he)art like the Polaroid did. A few years back well before I found out the devastating news that film production would cease at the end of 09, I visited Pearl and Alf Donnelly, my Grandparents. Asked Grandma if she still had that old Polaroid in the cupboard from when I was a kid. Of course she did - the Donnelly's never throw anything out! Since then i've probably taken 700 + polaroids, which has eaten a nice hole in the old back pocket but has been worth every penny. Pearl didn't recognize her camera after i'd covered it with Advance Australia, I love Melbourne stickers, a custom tripod super glued block of wood on the bottom, and various cellophane filters blue tacked on when needed for some extra yellow haze, her words "i didn't even know you could still get film for it?"
I ♥ the way it can be so unpredictable (like most photography formats) but sometimes a batch will turn out super warm, others cold, colours can be saturated or bland, and depth of field rarely exists. The white framing, the square print area, add to that the instant quality of it and the vintage / retro history of the format and it's you beaut bloody bonza - the Polaroid is Tops! And it is film, which is of major importance. If anything I think the announcement of film production has reignited the love of Polaroid across the globe, and fingers crossed, it will hopefully make some fat cat buy the rights to reproduce the Sun 600 film, or Polaroid will backflip on their decision. This little aussie battler has his fingers crossed and is going to eat all his peas.
Michael Pham over at Lifelounge mag emailed me this beautiful advert from the Polaroid archive on youtube this arvo. If only I could have got my hands on an SX-70 and some film. This vid made my day. Thanks mate!
