Road warning signs are fair game for graffiti artists. Of course there are equivalents in every country in the world, but here are some gems from my turf.

While Montreallers are enjoying a fresh round of snowfall, the flip side, Australia is still roasting hot. People have probably heard about the horrific fires that are happening around Melbourne at the moment, Perth and Adelaide have been scorching in the heat also. Temperatures have been up over 40ºC (110ºF) for days on end and this street art was spotted (artist unknown) in the suburbs of Adelaide. Guess no ice-cream means hitting the beach instead.

Callum Morton is known for his large scale architecturally inspired installations and sculptures.

Hotel, Callum Morton

Born in Montreal, but living and working in Melbourne, Australia, Morton’s most recent work is a piece of urban art that many locals are calling ‘graffiti’. Hotel by Morton, on the EastLink between Greens and Bangholme Rds, is a large-scale model of a high-rise hotel comprising of a steel structural frame with concrete and glass panels, standing 20 m high, 12 m long and 5 m wide. Some of its windows are lit at night with solar power, but it’s not real…

"Motorists will view it from the car as an actual hotel and perhaps over time as a strangely de-scaled prop that has escaped the theme park or film set," Morton said.

Obviously public art is often controversial, I think that in itself is a great thing- gets the people talking. Have a look at this link to see more works along the highways.

The inaugural Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards exhibition showcases outstanding works by sixteen Indigenous artists from across the nation. Each of the artists brings a unique vision to the Awards and, placed together, their work reveals the dominant and emerging mediums, subjects and experiences shaping contemporary Indigenous art today.

The winner of the richest Indigenous art award in Australia, the non-acquisitive Western Australian Indigenous Art Award, which is valued at $50,000, is Patrick Tjungurrayi.

You can see his work below and the other finalists in the exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia , in Perth WA. The exhibition runs from 1 November 2008 - 11 January 2009. Or take a look online here .

Moomba Birdman Rally: Where man and bird (sub)merge

Melbourne is sending out the call for entrants in the Moomba Waterfest Birdman Rally, taking place on Sunday, 8 March 2009. They need people with ingenuity, imagination and a touch of insanity. The rally invites you to soar/plunge your way to (local) legendary status for the chance to win fantastic prizes.



Since it’s establishment in 1955, the festival has become something of an institution, unfolding in the city’s parks, along the streets and on the waters of the Yarra River. It holds the title of Australia’s largest free community festival



All entry fees will be donated to your choice of charity, so if you think you can fly, then try.

Modular People is a record label based in Sydney, Australia. One of their most popular acts right now is The Presets , a Sydney-based electronic dance duo, consisting of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes. In 2005, they released their debut album, Beams, to a positive critical response. Their second album, Apocalypso, released in April 2008, was a commercial and critical success, winning the ARIA Awards for "Best Dance Release" and "Album of the Year" that year.

Modular Recordings and Universal Music Australia have launched an innovative widget to coincide with the release of ‘Talk Like That’, the 3rd single by The Presets from the album Apocalypso.

The link below, should take you to it: http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/48e30dc74ff0a340?p=48eb3fbc289dd4ce

The widget invites people to leave messages for the band and one another in real time. The concept is the first of its kind. It’s almost like a huge instant messenger, where the messages appear simultaneously on every site the widget is placed. It also relates back to the website http://www.talklikethat.com , where clues are placed for participants to win prizes.

I like the song Yippiyo-Ay and the subtle aussie lyrics.

Take you from the 80’s - Bimbos rock the latex - Dingos catch the babies - Oooh stop……..

Write a message , have a listen , and enjoy.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, was established to fulfill the museum aspect of the visionary bequest of Australian expatriate artist John Power (1881-1943), who left his personal fortune to the University of Sydney to inform and educate Australians in the contemporary visual arts. The MCA was officially opened in November 1991.

Primavera is an annual highlight in the MCA program, it showcases the work of young Australian artists aged thirty-five and under. Throughout its seventeen year history, this exhibition has provided valuable exposure for Australian artists at the early stages of their careers and plays an important role in bringing young artists to the attention of a broader audience.

For Primavera 2008, guest curator Hannah Mathews has selected thirteen exciting artists , including three artist collaborations, from across the country. They are: Marcus Canning - Danielle Freakley - Tarryn Gill & Pilar Mata Dupont - Ariel Hassan - Mark Hilton - Paul Knight - Moya McKenna - Ms & Mr - Gemma Smith - Soda_Jerk


Check out the MCA site for more info, and if you’re in Australia, you only have another 2 and a bit weeks to go- and it’s free.

19 September - 30 November 2008

Greenpeace has been promoting the message that kangaroos are greener than you’d think. In a release touting the Australian icon as the perfect protein for the environmentally conscious meat eater.

At home in Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corp. have funded a strategic plan to improve the image of kangaroo meat worldwide by publicizing its health benefits: low fat (under 2%), most of which is polyunsaturated, and only 98 calories per 100 gram (3.5 ounce) serving.

The controversial Greenpeace report is claiming the main reason kangaroo meat is ‘green’ is because the animals don’t ‘break wind’ as much as other farmed animals. Cows and sheep release higher quantities of methane through belching and flatulence, which means if only 20% of beef consumption was cut in favour of kangaroo, it would reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by an astonishing 15 megatons by 2020. They need less food than sheep or cattle, are better adapted to drought and are far less damaging to the fragile topsoil than their sharply-hooved bovine counterparts

Personally I think this is going to be one of my one million acts of green… (See Donnelly’s post from Oct 23rd) http://green.cbc.ca

Read more and see what you think http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/skippysizeme