Why keep all those diaries?

Why do I keep notes and addresses from diaries done nearly twenty years ago? Why do I keep things that have no use or relevance today? The recent National Hoarding & Squalor Conference in Sydney and ABC radio’s Life Matters program, Hoarding Talkback,  raised quite a few issues for both those who are extreme hoarders where the behaviour can become a safety or community concern and just your average Joe Blow collector.

My diaries along with other things, don’t fall into these extreme categories – keepings things rather than collecting or hoarding is how I like to think about it.  No, really I love throwing things out as I can’t stand STUFF and visual clutter – it clouds the mind and bamboozles the senses.

Here, for example, are the directions to a monastery that a friend made in a Filofax diary in 1993/94 when I was living in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. which I did visit with the person who wrote them. It’s a very peaceful place with the monks living in silence a lot of the time and where the Live Oaks form an enclosing shroud over the monastery.

“I-26 to Hwy 52 exit (only one) Goose Creek/Monks Corner (10 miles after exit, or so). Go thru town to Hwy 402. Follow & stay RIGHT. About 2 miles you will cross flat bridge tale a right, follow to Trappist Monestry, called Mepkin Abbey. Try to arrive early 11:00, noon or so. After go back to Hwy 52. Go right to St. Stephen (veer left). Stop in town on a weekday go to St. Stephen Drug Store on main street to buy…Rattlesnake’s Joes (books and ask directions to his house, or ask his wife’s first name – Carrie something – then go find her and buy books if the drug store does not have them”.

As I recall,  my friend mentioned that the monastery was set up by the wife and/or founder of “Newsweek” or “Time” magazine? Henry R. Luce, the co-founder of “Time” (with Briton Hadden) and Clare Boothe Luce bought the Mepkin Plantation in 1949 and donated a large part of the plantation to the Roman Catholic Church to be used by the Trappist Order’s Gethsemani Abbey.

There’s another story that goes with these notes that I’ve carried round for all that time and often tell it as it tells a not so peaceful story about South Carolina. It goes that my friend’s father never moved out of a 30-mile radius of where he was born and that he belonged to the Ku Klux Klan. She also had a nanny growing up and we went to visit her on the way to Mepkin Monastery. She lived in a wooden house – I wouldn’t call it weather-it board as it was very basic– and I think even had earthen floors. It was like opening the curtain on another world that  I’m reminded of whenever I come across these directions.

An architectural competition danger zone – 9/11 and “The Submission” by Amy Waldman

Architectural competitions and community participation are two ideas that could effectively cancel each other out. Whilst many have been successful there are many fraught architects and related consultants who have been severely deterred by the experience of them. I won’t even start, for example, on the history of the recent Barrangaroo international Competition for Sydney’s largest post-industrial project.

“The Submission” uses an architectural design competition as a the means by which to present different people’s ways of reacting and dealing with the aftermath of 9/11. The book starts with the meeting of a jury in Manhattan deliberating on the final two anonymous submissions for a memorial design, and the event of an American Muslim being the designer of the entry that they choose. From this, Amy Waldman explores an alternative memorial to the one constructed ten years after 9/11 through a cast of highly convincing characters that draw you right into the melee of the situation.

For quite a long way into this novel I resisted reading it – it is so gripping and emotive. From years of working on community design programs I know that Waldman has done her research; I found myself arguing with her different characters and their positions. This is a must read both as a reflection on America and 9/11 and the follies of the design process.

Is Job Warehouse really closing down?

For many years a favourite haunt for those enamoured of fine fabrics and a good old hunt for something special in Melbourne was Job Warehouse. It’s history of being established by the Holocaust survivor, Jacob Zeimer (1913-2005) is well documented. Under the management of David Zeimer since Jacob’s death it appears largely unchanged.

On a recent visit though at Christmas last year there was a notice on its’ windows that it was closing down. A quick phone call and I  found out that yes they really are closing – exactly when they can’t say but it’s happening and fabric is going cheap. You will also find not only vintage fabrics but buttons and other haberdashery as well.

Through a cousin in Melbourne who tailored her own clothes, I discovered Job Warehouse years ago and have been returning ever since.  On visiting it in October of last year, I was greeted with the predictable discouraging welcome and no you can’t go into the back rooms. Oh if you could go into those back rooms and try to see what hidden gorgeous fabrics are concealed there? But no, they are closed off and you’d probably need a Bobcat to off-load the weighten rolls of fabric that are collapsing on top of each other in there. At Christmas there were some silks in the window with turtles on them in contrasting red or blue backgrounds – if only we could have stayed longer until the shop reopened after Christmas! Let’s hope that they will still be closing down when I next get a chance to go to Melbourne.

 

 

 

 

Not taking food for granted

Despite many years of evidence  that they are not untarnished white knights, the mining and petroleum sectors appear to still act in an holier than thou fashion in regards to the landscape/environment.  They seem to treat the environment as an unregulated blank canvass for their sole use.

A recent example of the industry’s cavalier attitude is outlined in an article in this Tuesday’s Sydney Morning Herald, Food zones for farmers in danger of coming a cropper that outlines an ambitious initiative and election promise of the NSW State government. It describes how some areas of the state may  be excluded from future use for food production in order to ensure a sustainable food supply; there are ongoing negotiations between relevant parties.

The paper reports that in regards to a plan to define ‘no go’ areas the Australian Petroleum Production Association considers “such an approach is not based on justifiable evidence, scientific assessment of agricultural and conservation values, and nor does it have regard to economic considerations”. Whilst I do not have access to their research, I find such a statement is at odds with what may be seen as objective facts such as that there are certain soils/geographies and climates that are suitable to growing food and others are less suitable.

The state government’s “Strategic plan for sustainable agriculture in the Sydney region” is an example of a regional approach to a similar issue. Whilst zoning has always had its’ issues since it was introduced in the 1920′s, there is a strong case in planning to set aside non-negotiables. They are in effect parameters within which you can operate and develop. Food security zones may save our future bacon and I hope that the mining industry doesn’t get its’ way on this issue.

My best books for 2011 – The Hare with Amber Eyes, Edmund de Waal and more

Recommendations

 +    OK but not that memorable / + +  worth reading / + + + memorable and really worth reading

BIOGRAPHY

The Hare with Amber Eyes – A Hidden Inheritance, by Edmund de Waal.

Recommendation  + + +

This is not what you expect it to be – an unsentimental and moving account of a Jewish family  that spans a century. Told by the current owner of th

ese 264 Japanese wood and ivory carvings, known as netsuke, the author is a ceramicist and expresses the same sensitivity that he has for his working materials in the writing of his family story.

You are taken on a journey of changing fortunes from a salon in fin de siecle Paris in the 1870′s, an intriguing account of Vienna from the end of the 1900′s through WWII and then to Tokyo at the end of the war where the netsuke find their way into the hands of de Waal’s uncle. Whilst the French story is where the story starts with the collecting of the netsuke, and the room with the chair whose significance becomes apparent later in the story, it is  the a

ccount of the rise of the Nazis and how the Jews were dealt with at the beginning of WWII in Vienna that is so compelling.

The story-telling is done so unemotionally  that it makes the scenario even more horrific. De Waal describes the decisions made by family members and their consequences,  graphically and unsentimentally describing how any rights were just ignored by the Nazis and how old acquaintances became turncoats.  With his attention to detail, the family with the best street address in Vienna is reduced almost to a bundle of letters and photographs.

Another lesser known aspect of the Japanese war is what Tokyo was like as it was occupied by the Allies. These insights into unlikely corners of the world at momentous times, fleshed in aspects of history that could probably only be  revealed through a family biography such as this one. It causes you to reflect on one’s own things that have been passed down over generations and wonder what stories lie there. Not in order to write a similar story to this, as this one is incomparable, but out of curiosity and  a generosity towards the past and how it has enriched our lives.

The Great Gatsby is gone

GREAT GATSBY IN THE PARK                                                                                                                                                                                                                      As soon as it was there it was gone! The styrofoam garden walls and gargoyles,the garden beds and the faux house are all dismantled and removed. That little bit of paradise from the past will be sliced together in an editors’ room somewhere and we’ll go see the movie, The Great Gatsby, some time in 2012. Other people walking their dogs in the park look forward to seeing their bit of the world on the big screen and seeing how it is spliced together into the story and all the other settings used to make the film. This includes the vintage cars that were parked in Lang Road and the scenes filmed in Rozelle.

Sculpture By the Sea on the move

Where do all the sculptures go when the show is over? On Oxford Street, Paddington, this over-sized truck was spotted with a rather unlikely cargo on it. The pieces are recognizable as coming from the recent Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. So the sculptures are definitely going somewhere and that the show goes on.  What was visible on the truck may have been the following pieces:

Sang Bong Lee, girl longing for the sea, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2011. Photo Helen Liu

Korban/Flaubert, out

And then there were several in containers where the objects weren’t visible. To see these pieces out of the context of the magnificent coastline of Bondi/Tamarama beaches transforms them into objects with quite different impacts and relationships. In a studio or another setting they will take on other relationships but on the back of a truck, they could be part of a travelling side-show for example?

The Great Gatsby in Centennial Park Sydney

Seeing a picturesque structure being built in one of the favourite dog walking areas of Centennial Park, Sydney, is a curious phenomena. There’s fencing and blue plastic sheeting around it creating an enclosure.Nestled amongst some huge oaks and other magnificent trees on a steep grassed slope overlooking the Federation Pavilion, the house has been slowly taking shape. You know that it’s not a normal structure being built for the public as it is so unlike anything else in the park.

The structure at the entrance to the park opposite the equestrian centre is quite different; it wraps around a heritage water fountain and with its’ little turret, echoes the kiosk near the tennis courts. This structure is being seen in media images of Leonard de Capricio as Jay Gatsby for the shooting of the new film version of The Great Gatsby by director, Buz Luhrmann. This new version of the story also stars Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and is being co-funded by Warner Bros. and the NSW State Government.

What is curious from a park user’s view point is that these structures are so out of context. The park user sees them as part of their park  experience. You are struck by the anomaly between the permanence of the setting and the transience or ephemeral nature of the both the scenes and the film that it is part of.

Whilst many parks are and were designed deliberately as sequential experiences, with a layout that structures scenes that the user passes through, they are part of a series that are edited together. These buildings are out of sequence and unrelated. This is not to pass judgement on the process – it shows how versatile the park is and is doing exactly what a public park is designed for – to accommodate a range of experiences and activities within its’ physical capacity to do so.

If these scenes were permanent, then the response may well be quite different. An imposition on the park in such a way is not how the process works in the public domain.However, with such a light fabrication, it simply adds to the enjoyment of dog walking in Centennial Park.

It may not be asbestos so don’t panic

Asbestos is an emotive word. It conjures up stories of James Hardie, asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma and historic compensation cases against the company. Try relating this to a domestic situation where the facts of the case are:

-       You have an old shed in the garden.

-       The shed is a timber structure with tin and plastic roof sheeting and sheets of a material, that could be asbestos or other material, secured to a timber frame.

Where do you start with an issue like this? There are various authorities and research that you can do that are very helpful but first - DO NOT PANIC.

1. Do not do anything until you establish what the sheeting material is; get it tested by an asbestos laboratory or by people who specialise in testing. It’s not a bad idea to go to people who just do testing as opposed to removals as it is impartial – it is in the interest of asbestos removalists to say that it is asbestos for example. It’s an expensive way to do it but it will save you money in the long run.
2. There are materials that look like asbestos and so it can be confusing; there is sheeting that replaced asbestos and which looks very similar to it for example. In other words, the material may not be asbestos and you can remove it as you would other demolition material appropriately.
3. If it is asbestos, go to your local council to find out their position on asbestos. Some larger structures for example may require a DA to be removed or will need to be inspected as to whether it is a complying structure or not.
4. Check your state government website – the NSW government has an excellent website for renovators and homeowners. There are some very clear guidelines that clarify what is essential to do.
5. If it is asbestos and you are thus looking for a licensed asbestos removalist be very careful when getting quotes. Get a recommendation if you can as there are many people who will inflate the price and rip you off. Check their licenses for the type of asbestos they are licensed to remove as there are different ones.
6. If it isn’t asbestos you can breathe easy.

The new retro of urban spaces

In the 1980’s, brick was a fashionable paving material for streetscapes and street closures in the inner suburbs of Sydney such as Darlinghurst, Surry Hills and Redfern. The rationale behind the closures was, as I recall it, to discourage the clients of street workers (as they were termed) from driving by and doing their business. There were also more salubrious projects such as Macquarie Street which was repaved and Darling Harbour. Many of these are now being revamped as part of Sydney City Council’s overhaul of inner city parks and streets.

Balfour Park opening      A few months ago Balfour Park, Chippendale was opened by the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, and the park has been visibly adopted by the local community. When I visited a few weeks ago, a sculptured scull had been placed at the apex of a brick swale. Another time, toy soldiers had moved in temporarily positioned by local artist, Will Coles, which was welcomed by the park’s designer, Jane Irwin of Jane Irwin Landscape Architects (JILA) who developed the concept plan done by Sue Barnsley Design.

Where it is         The park is located on the interface between the new Frasers Broadway (formerly Carlton United Brewery or CUB site) and Chippendale. This development covers six hectares and will be “high quality, sustainable and mixed use development on Broadway” according to Sydney City Council’s website. The Broadway site is one of Sydney’s major development sites along with the recently commenced Green Square and Barangaroo.

Sydney City Council developed the park for the neighbourhood as compensation for the impact of the new development. It also acts as a transition between a large scale minimalist park in the development site and the finer grain character of historic Chippendale.

Retro bricks  and other materials        JILA has taken Barnsley’s design and added richness and scale. The bricks are a key element that tie in with both the Broadway site and residential areas. Laid on two different axes, they are laid on edge. Irwin explains that this pattern has a hand-held quality to it, relates to what you see in the old brewery buildings and has a sense of texture and craftsmanship. The brick swale with the recent skull, planting and low, arching antennae lighting, has protruding bricks to capture rubbish and slow water flow.

There are other materials used in the project that give the park a robust and urban character to it such as concrete seats and paving. The checkerboard pattern at the end of the swale uses a series of different materials including the local kerbing material, trachyte, bricks and the sandstone as seen in local architectural trims. There is a pattern made  from  crushed beer bottles that reference the local brewery.

The park has a refreshingly modern and honest use of that age-old material, brick, and does it justice. It is appropriately retro without being nostalgic or historicist. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Sydney.