Sydney artist Petrina Hicks:
Petrina Hicks’ work deals with the tension between perfection and imperfection, the ideal and reality.
In her images of unsullied young people hovering on the edge of adulthood there is an attraction to purity and yet they are contradictorily imperfect. Their imperfections may be subtle flaws (intense eyes, acned skin) or major disabilities (blindness, loss of an arm). The images have an otherworldliness, a stillness and monumental quality reminiscent of the old fashioned portrait.
How much can art teach us about the beauty of difference?
Image over the fold NSFW - even though it’s art, but this photo of Petrina’s is a nude.
This was such a beautiful image that it took a minute or so before I even noticed her arm. It does have a wonderful stillness about it and the look of an old masterpiece.
Isn’t it gorgeous? There was another photo of the same model, Deb, which was in Hyde Park in Sydney last year on a big placard as a part of a big public art thing. I was down in Sydney at the time and got curious, and was so pleased to discover Petrina’s wonderful work. If folks follow the link, there’s much more.
Many many years, I was doin’ the Oz tour in van thing with the girlfriend (if you’re intending on ending a relationship, this is a very successful strategy to follow…) We ended up in Stanthorpe one weekday lunch time, & after being treated with suspicion for asking for wholemeal bread sandwiches at the one cafe in town, wandered off to retail snoop while our ham & tomato on white were made.
There was a garden ornament shop a few doors down, having a new ownership sale, & as the then-girlfriend had an unhealthy regard for little kitsch lumps of concrete, in we went. The items on sale all had little notes explaining their faults
“Missing shovel - half price” “Broken nose - 10% off” etc etc as a forlorn little garrison of the chipped and broken stood unloved on the shopfloor. But there was a second room of this, and at the back, stood the Venus de Milo with a large sign around her neck “Missing Arms - Half Price”
But I really really wanted to be there when the new owner received her next shipment with a replacement Venus……
Beauty is definitely not the same thing as Perfection.
Good photo …..
Not as lovely as you, Kim.
Not all females are ‘armless http://www.stillsgallery.com.au/artists/hicks/index.php?obj_id=folio&image=1&nav=2&PHPSESSID=978c8e3ff8813276962620791b5bced8
CL and Kim - time for a rapproachement?
Totally, Jason. Nice to see you back, C.L. and I’m glad you recognise the superior sexiness of the one-legged girl
A gorgeous image, indeed.
And a rapprochement of that nature would be most welcome.
The phrase “imperfect perfection” comes to mind.
That’s why I’m in love, Kim.
I dug around for the post I was sure I wrote after I saw Petrina’s first photo of Deb, which I talked about in my response to JahTeh’s comment about seeing it on a billboard in Hyde Park last year.
Here’s the image:
And here’s what I wrote at the time:
http://larvatusprodeo.net/2005/10/27/tabloid-terrorises-public-artist/
I like the fact that she has a tat on her stump.
And it’s weird how you go back to your own writing but I was in LA when I wrote that post. And now I’m having all sorts of thoughts and memories about the city of the Angels. Don’t knock her unless you’ve been to Los Angeles! Lots of folks haven’t - there’s sort of an imaginary LA and the real LA. The real LA is very much more interesting. Just being a Californian…
I Love LA…Randy Newman.
“City of Angels” the film, too.
Can almost hear the hum of the choir when there at sunrise.
Hey, Kim, an absolutely fabulous song! Thanks for the comment - it’s now playing in my head!
5am approaches here. I’m using Tom Waits’ excuse.
As I explore the bottom of the malt whisky bottle. Don’t settle for anything less than 12 years old scotch!
From Wikipedia:
Isn’t mordant pop songs a bit wrong? Wry, ironic, maybe? But mordant? How do you get to edit those Wikipedia thingies pray tell?
Sorry, link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Newman
When it gets to that hour, Kim, there’s nothing to do but go with the flow.
Enjoy sunrise and listen for the choir.
I’m asking them to relocate temporarily.
Yes, that’s my feeling, Kim. I’m waiting for the birds to sing. Then I’ll rest my weary head. What’s an hour or two when 5am looms? Fortunately, it’s Winter here so the sun won’t come up til 6 30 ish… and I can dig myself deep into my pillows before that happens.
And I’m remembering two different - very different sunrises - in East LA and Venice - as in Venice with the zip code 90291 not the place in Italy. But my heart belongs to Russian Hill in SF. Or more so, Mendocino County - which is where I’m actually from. Sort of.
Oh yes, films about angels.
Like Wim Wenders’ wonderful film about Berlin. You had to love Columbo being in it. And where’s Brian? He’d like this:
http://www.wim-wenders.com/movies/movies_spec/wingsofdesire/wod-song-of-childhood-german.htm
You remember that song “mendocino” as well?
“Please stay here with me in Mendocino”
I’m off to SF and Monterey in 6 days.:)
Oh yeah!
I might have sung that late one night to a lover. When I lived in Mendocino County.
Dueling SoCal and NoCal songs in my brain now.
“I love ya so, please don’t go..
please stay here with me in Mendocino”
You know what? I might hop on a plane and go to the Mendocino Music Festival:
http://www.mendocinomusic.com/
What’s now annoying me is that I had the idea, and went looking on the web, and if I was there right now there was another festival and I could have heard Arlo Guthrie play last night:
http://www.cumuluspresents.com/
But hey, I can hear the trees singing my name. Going back to CA for a while anyway, I think. I’ll book the tickets now while I still have the thought.
Are you SoCal or NoCal, Kim? I’m NoCal…
http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/06/29/im-in-love/#comment-104311
Just saw that!
Have a drink on Russian Hill for me!
SoCal myself but travel often.
And Arlo? When it gets late, I often listen to his “This Land”
America is just 12 hours away.
The weather must be good. It’s very cold now that dawn is approaching! I’m freezing all five of my toes off!
I’ll see how well my credit card functions! Better than me at this hour, perhaps.
I miss the trees in Mendocino County… just sayin…
“This land is my land”…
Oaks or pine, Kim?
Hate to impinge but you’re faster on cut and paste..
The whole and new Arlo lyrics? You have them?
Not impinging at all, Kim.
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/This-Land-Is-Your-Land-lyrics-Arlo-Guthrie/F166294A1AF8A10C48256C0F001073F0
And the oaks, definitely the oaks. They whisper to me.
I’m going to have to take my tired old body to bed.
Night!
xx
Some Beth Orton. For the mood I’m in, and the soul I’m wanting to honour.
http://www.alwaysontherun.net/beth.htm
Always on the run!
Now, I’m gone.
xxxx
Well, the sun has come up and it’s dawned grey in Brisbane but with streaks of pink. Now it’s very quiet and still, but just before I heard the whispering of the wind through the fig trees.
And I listened.
xxxx
Word.