love; ten things i love this week

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1. Finding out I am one in five finalists for a major art award! YAY. Fingers crossed! LOVE!

2. Eating cupcakes sprinkled with glitter on a train ride heading out of Melbourne! LOVE!

3. Checking out one of the oldest carousels here in Australia in Geelong. It was made in 1895 and is the oldest carousel I have checked out so far. LOVE!

4. Buying this door on ebay for my next work! Will keep you all posted on it's developments! LOVE!

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5. Going to the hardware store and buying up BIG for my next project. Something kinda fun about a trip to the hardware store leading up to an exhibition! LOVE!

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6. Having a meeting with my film crew at the North Melbourne Town Hall Pub over a few pots of beer (thats glasses for ye Americans!). Ahhhhh, Australian Beer Gardens, I missed you! And what a perfect office you make! lol!

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7. Baking. I haven't really baked that much at all this year, preferring raw sweets to baked cakes, but this week, my mum requested my banana cake, which I haven't made in years! There is something lovely about the house being filled with the smell of a cake baking. LOVE!

8. I came across these 'finger monkeys' last week and think they are AMAZING! I can't imagine them actually existing for real but apparently they do! LOVE

9. Watching The Devil Wears Prada on telly. Great to see New York again even if it is on telly and how great is Merryl Streep?!?! LOVE!

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10. Swapping my flannel sheets with summer sheets! It is the sign of summer coming. YAY! LOVE!

pink; (untitled performance) pink tube

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Chicago based performance duo Dutes Miller and Stan Shellabarger have been making work together since they starting dating in 1994.  Whilst doing some research on this duo, I came across a work they did where they held each other in a naked embrace and waited to be sunburnt in this position. As I read it, I imagined the couple lying down in the embrace on a sandy beach, waiting for the sun to do it's thing, but instead, I came across images of them standing, between two vertical sunbeds and for a period of 45 minutes. Hmmm. Not as romantic as I would have liked to see :0(

Untitled Performance (Pink Tube) is an ongoing work the couple began in 2003 and is performed at various locations. Miller describes their collaborative performance as "a matter of fact" which I agree with and love. This work is not about heterosexuality nor homosexuality it is simply about the connection to another human being we either have, had have or crave to have, matter of fact. 

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In this work, the couple knit to be connected, yet knit away from each other at the same time. It's a work that reflects on the opposing forces of love between couples; love and loss, life and death, connection and separation, etc.

I really do like watching lovers create works together. The dynamics between the two performers and the resulting works are always powerful, whether the couple is heterosexual or homosexual. An understanding of human connectivity crosses all boundaries and is a pleasure to see.

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You can read a great article on this work here, see photos of Untitled Performance (Pink Yarn) here, which documents the yarn travelling from Miller to Shellaberge and more of the couple's dynamic practice here.

eat; kale salad with pomegranate gems

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I have this dilemma where I am just about to experience my second summer in a row (I know..."poor me'!!!) which means what is in season here is NOT in season in the States and vise versa! Today, I went through some old photos (taken from Nat's great camera!) to write this post and came across this amazing salad I made earlier this year. If you are in the States right now, Pomegranates are just about to go in season, so all ye folks in Australia reading this post will just have to archive this recipe until next March. It is sooo Christmasy looking and unfortunately, I will never be able to experience serving it at Christmas time as neither Kale nor Pomegranates are in season here in Australia at Chrissy :0( But for today, lets just forget all that and feast our eyes on this amazing looking and tasting salad!

Serves 3-4

What you need;

 1 bunch of Kale

2 avocados

1/2 small red onion

1 pomegranate

juice of a small lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

This salad is really easy to make and the best part is that it will last a few days in the fridge, softening up and becoming yummier as it rests.

Start by finely slicing the onion. When I say finely, I mean really, really fine! Wash the kale and pull out your kitchen scissors, cutting off the curly bits of the Kale from it's stalk as shown in the middle pic. Throw away the stalk. Proceed to cut the Kale into little bit size pieces and set aside. Scoop out the Pomegranate seeds and set aside.

Kale needs to be 'massaged' so that it breaks down and wilts, making it easier to eat (don't skimp on this step or you will be sorry!) Do this by adding the avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to the kale in a big mixing bowl. Simply 'massage' the Kale by squeezing through the avocado dressing for about 4-5 minutes. Yep, your hand will be sore after all that massaging!!!

Once you have wilted the Kale, add the onion and toss it through. Place a serving amount on each plate, stacking it up high so that it looks pretty and like a Christmas tree (as every day should be like Christmas!!!). Sprinkle the Pomegranate gems over the salad and serve. 

Creating this post really makes me WANT a great camera NOW! I have thrown it out there to the universe and I'm expecting to have an awesome camera by Christmas! YAY! In the meantime, enjoy the visuals of this post. I think it's definitely a good looking post if I say so myself! lol!

Buon Appetito!