TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Tuesday, February 11, 2003

2:16 PM
Posted by jodi rose

a point in space
somewhere in the universe

today is 100 x better than yesterday. woke up extremely anxious about deadlines and work due that I haven't done.... decided to choose action over anxiety, rang uni faculty admin to see if I could get an extension on the more negotiable deadline. found out that I only have to hand in a couple of pages outlining the work I've done so far, chapter outline and methodology - and the 10,000 words review by circulation I'd been dreading and wondering how on earth I could get it done by the end of feb - isn't actually due until August, 2004. Great, that's a year and a half extension!
dangerous! But I've been inspired and spent the morning at uni looking up material on cables - found a fantastic book from 1877 on suspension cables in this great site digital bridges, which has wild historical documents. very cool.
Slightly different to the 70's community art practise reclaiming our history which seems to have become the mainstream for much of australian sound art, that fascination with nostalgia that makes me want to lie down and sleep for a thousand years.
And on the exhibition front, which is the non-negotiable deadline, have been talking with architects about model-making. Met an ex-architect in my favourite low-key off smith st cafe this morning, where I went to celebrate my extension - philippa suggested drinking all day, but I can't cope with the hangovers anymore. Anyway, he was in there drawing these fantastically detailed almost architectural trees and shrubs, as part of what he described as a picture book, but is more of a graphic novel, with absolutely stunning images that take you on a journey from the city out into various landscapes - I don't want to give any more away, once it comes out you can see for yourselves. But it was lovely to meet someone who was quietly working away at his fascination, with no particular plan, but just doing the work. And gave me some great tips on model-making, using tweezers, quick-drying glue and some places to source materials; then I dropped by Kennedy Nolan architects and had a chat with Rachel about people she knew who may be able to help. Enough to make me decide that since I'm definitely not a meticulously neat person and have absolutely no skill in construction of any kind, the best idea is to use technical drawings, maybe have them printed onto perspex for that precision engineering feeling, which I'm not going to achieve in 2cm high models of bridges - without very great expense.
So, buzzing today with action and possibility and now I'm going to treat myself to a movie about a woman who becomes a belly dancer in tunisia. lush!