Happy New Year!

To all my readers and friends I wish you everything you desire in the new year.
May 2010 be a great year for the arts.

Last year I saw in the new year in Taiwan at the 101 building, the previous years in Amsterdam, and this year its Sydney again. In Amsterdam they combine cracker night with NYE and its like a war zone. There are huge fireworks displays in every major square in Amsterdam but my favourite spot to be is outside the church where Rembrandt was buried, see the video above.

Things have been quiet here in the past few months as I have been very busy in real life setting up my home and studio in Sydney. I resolve that 2010 will see an increase in posts to former levels, a continuing focus on the best in international art and a resumption of my own art practice. Look out for the next print exchanges and a Blakkbyrd exhibition in 2010.

all the best to you all

Blakkbyrd

Blek Le Rat in Melbourne

Blek le Rat needs no introduction. He's finally showing in Australia.

see exhibition at Metro in Melbourne
Metro Gallery presents a retrospective of Blek le Rat from December 9-24.

Article in the Age

"Blek, born Xavier Prou, is in Melbourne to open a retrospective of his work at Armadale's Metro Gallery. Yesterday, in recognition of Melbourne's vibrant street art culture, he left his mark in Hosier Lane with a stencil of his Man Who Walks Through Walls. A collaborative mural, it also drew on the talents of local artists Ha Ha, Vexta, Drew Funk and Reko Rennie."


Feature article on Bellebyrd (2006)
http://printaustralia.blogspot.com/2006/04/blek-le-rat.html

intro movie

blek's work

videos of blek at work

first website http://bleklerat.free.fr/
second website http://blekmyvibe.free.fr/

Blek on Blakkbyrd
http://blakkbyrd.blogspot.com/search?q=blek+le+rat

Blek on Facebook

Blek Le Rat is a member of Print Australia

Plagiarism - a USA definition

The code defines plagiarism as, "...the representation of someone else’s words, ideas, or work as one’s own without attribution. Plagiarism may involve using someone else’s wording without using quotation marks—a distinctive name, a phrase, a sentence, or an entire passage or essay. Misrepresenting sources is another form of plagiarism. The issue of plagiarism applies to any type of work, including exams, papers, or other writing, computer programs, art, music, photography, video, and other media."

from American University's Academic Integrity Code.


All students are governed by American University's Academic Integrity Code. The Academic Integrity Code details specific violations of ethical conduct that relate to academic integrity. By registering, you have acknowledged your awareness of the Academic Integrity Code, and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the code. All of your work (whether oral or written) in any and all classes is governed by the provisions of the Academic Integrity Code. Academic violations include but are not limited to: plagiarism, inappropriate collaboration, dishonesty in examinations whether in class or take home, dishonesty in papers, work done for one course and submitted to another, deliberate falsification of data, interference with other students' work, and copyright violations. The adjudication process and possible penalties are listed in American University's Academic Integrity Code booklet, and is also available on the American University website. Being a member of this academic community entitles each of us to a wide degree of freedom and the pursuit of scholarly interests; with that freedom, however, comes a responsibility to uphold the high ethical standards of scholarly conduct.

The full code can be found at
http://www.american.edu/academics/integrity/code.htm

====================

I can name a number of sites and individuals guilty of plagiarising from the Print Australia sites. You know who you are.

There's also incidences where my work has been published online without attribution. The saying is that "imitiation is the most sincere form of flattery."

Le Cheile - touring SA

Le Cheile is a collaboration between artists from the Regional Print Centre,Wrexham,Wales and the Leinster Printmaking studio,Clane, Co. Kildare.

With the touring programme organised by Country Arts SA Le Chéile is reaching a wide audience as it travels throughout South Australia. The exposure in this substantial exhibition form adds to the central theme of the project, that of distant communication through printmaking; ideas flow between art work and exhibition viewer as individual and cultural connections are discovered and reinvented. The exhibition has been reviewed in Imprint, December 2009 edition.

full story

A group of artists from the Regional Print Centre, Wrexham and Leinster Print Studio, Clane responding collaboratively to the connections between Wales and Ireland.
See previous notes on Le Cheile,
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=161357008531
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=59044493531
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=59043893531

the official Blog Spot for information on the artists,
http://www.lecheileprintproject.blogspot.com/

info from the exhibition at Dublin Graphic Studio,
http://www.graphicstudiodublin.com/gsg/exhibitions/2009/03_le_cheile/index.html

Country Arts SA touring show,
http://www.countryarts.org.au/catalogs/whats-on/events/le-ch%C3%A9ile-223665.php

and the blog on a-n artists talking.
http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/432128

on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=118814&id=43298646858

more info

here

Justseeds

Justseeds Artists' Cooperative is a decentralized community of artists who have banded together to both sell their work online in a central location and to collaborate with and support each other and social movements. Our website is not just a place to shop, but also a destination to find out about current events in radical art and culture. Our blog covers political printmaking, socially engaged street art, and culture related to social movements. We believe in the power of personal expression in concert with collective action to transform society.

http://justseeds.org/

History
Justseeds was originally started in 1998 by artist Josh MacPhee as a way to distribute his art and the Celebrate People's History poster series. He slowly expanded Justseeds to include the work of like-minded artists. In 2006, MacPhee reached out to a dozen like-minded artists and previous collaborators as well as the political street art blog Visual Resistance in order to re-envision Justseeds as a cooperative effort. Justseeds was transformed into Justseeds Artists' Cooperative, an artist/worker owned and run cooperative and blog, that launched in the summer of 2007.

http://justseeds.org/blog/

Blakkbyrd News

Festive Greetings

Its that time of year when you take stock of your achievements for the past twelve months and look ahead to the new year. Its just over twelve months since I packed up my Amsterdam studio and headed back down under via Asia. I was berating myself about how little art I had made this year until I started reviewing what I had actually done, living from a suitcase.

Four months in Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. The Taiwan and Singapore Biennales, Museums, exhibitions and meeting artists. Photoshoots, 'halls of fame' Taiwan, Hong Kong, Melbourne. Reviewing the Sydney and Melbourne art scenes. Conferences. Reviewing the Sydney real estate market, locating and purchasing new premises. Lawyers, conveyancing and removalists. Packing and shipping a full studio around the world.

I'm unpacking the old Sydney studio and its an interesting exercise. Its a snapshot in time, an art practice suspended for six years. So little of it relates to the new. Unpacking the Amsterdam studo with its new promises and new works.

Through it all the Aviary continues. 156 posts to Blakkbyrd, 200 posts to Bellebyrd, over 500,00 hits to both blogs. Over 300 posts to Lyrebyrd and significantly, Lyrebyrd will turn 10 in January. That's ten years of active participation, discussion exhibitions and art projects.

All very exciting. In terms of new art made, very little. In terms of building infrastructure and setting up a new practice, huge progress.

So now its time to take a festive rest and look ahead to what the new year holds.

Print Australia is undergoing a revival. New members, new impetus, new projects.

For my own art practice, new works and exhibitions forthcoming. Curators note, I brought back five year's worth of art works from Amsterdam, ready for exhibition in Australia.

Stay tuned.

Blakkbyrd

Subject Index - November 2009

The Aviary

Its been a very busy month establishing the new Studio Dalwood here in Sydney. The new year looks very exciting. Stay tuned for 2010.

Subject Index - October 2009
Editorial

Theory
the artists studio - Titian

Books
Animated Book - NZ

Artists/Exhibitions
John Kaldor - Interviews
Jenny Holzer - Basel
Tracy Emin - NY
Botticelli - Frankfurt
Stephanie Syjuco - Frieze Art Fair
Hanging Fire - NY

Printmaking
How to Engrave Video
Printing's alive
Daniel Kelly - Japan
IFPDA Print Fair - NY

Urban Art/graffiti
Guerilla Art - ABC2
asylum seekers - Melbourne
May's - Jumbo & Zap

Film
metagraffiti - film

Music
Dr D - Zoo Tv