Where once a Leagues Club Stood

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there used to be Rugby League teams that were known for their singularity, easily identifiable club colours, name and home ground.

These teams also had incredibly impressive "Clubs" where $5 got you an enormous plate of food, schooners were $2 (hence many a long night spent getting ever so slightly addled has been known to occur once or twice in the 2095'ers life) and the sound of poker machines "added" to the ambiance.

Somewhere along the line things got a little confused.  Money was nowhere to be found, clubs merged and became totally NOT what they used to be about and some their respective Leagues Clubs closed.

But for one it was a drawcard where some serious serious streetart was to be found.

It was a wet Saturday afternoon (seems most of the 2095'ers initial jaunts to new territories are somehow predicated with rain....must do something about that!) after work and the 2095'er thought just for a lark she would venture up towards Rozelle and meander around in the hope of finding something new and exciting.

Almost at the intersection of the busy highway, she turned left.  Something was telling her there was a building that needed investigating but damned if she could work out where it was.  A few more steps down this road she spied it.

A HUGE carpark from the rear, scaffolding everywhere but way up high on the top level she saw some colour.  Even more importantly that smell...that heavenly smell of fresh paint meant that there HAD to be something somewhere.

For once in the 2095'ers life she elected to walk around to the front entrance.  Bold as brass, on one the busiest highways in Sydney, car yards to one side, carpet worlds to the other, she walked in to the "helmets only" area, slid around the opening in the scaffolding and was rewarded with the singularly most spectacular piece that had not been tagged or capped.

A few more tentative steps and a slight turn to the left presented the 2095 with another amazing "partner" to her beloved Slug.

It was pure gold...and it was at that moment the 2095'er realised the camera battery was somewhat depleted so it was with stealth and diligence that she continued on this exploration.

There was something about this raw beauty that struck the 2095 chick who was determined to capture not only it, but its essence with very little editing (ie. cropping only).  

One thing the 2095 chick can state with absolute clarity is that she doesn't use any software to "touch up" or enhance.  Yes there is a time and place for "air brushing" and maybe HDR, but why ruin what already is beautiful with over processing to the point you can barely recognise it?  Also she doesn't know how...

As such here are a few frames of what may or may no longer be, in a place formerly known as the Tiger's Club.

While there are more to be seen, the 2095'er is always mindful of how many words and photos are appropriate per article.  So if you want to see more of this amazing place (keep in mind that it was pre sexy EOS110D days so tolerance and understanding is always wonderfully received) simply click "here".

A moon licht bricth tonicht

There are times for the 2095 chick where music and compilations of graff must be shared.  She is not quite sure from where this "urge" is derived.  

Is that she is a "frustrated" artist perhaps?

Might it be that it is simply a desire to express using two of her passions: music and streetart photography?

Or is it that a theme simply presents itself and from there everything magically appears to fall in to place.

Who knows (one could debate the idiosyncratic nature of the 2095 until the end of time, and perhaps provide some head doctors with interesting fodder), but whichever way you choose to look at it, there is one constant in the 2095'ers world: passion and that passion needs an outlet and that outlet results in to the little vids below!

Once upon a time the 2095'er was a member of The Sydney Film Festival and went to a most intriguing talk on how music influences our perception of a visual, whether it be tv, film or even a streetart slide show/montage.

Enjoy and make of it what you will....but there is one thing to keep in mind: the theme. Are you able to work it out?

being a fan of a certain series involving a psychopathic serial killer is pretty obvious here

Take note: what the brain hears may influence the viewer's conclusion as to what the 2095'er had intended when creating...which for the hoi polloi might be the definition of "art".

Thanks for watching!

5 Questions with Mizter Crystalface

My first introduction to Mizter Crystalface's work was (like with most things street-art) and accidental.  I was wandering around the dock yard area of Balmain, it was raining, I was once again getting hopelessly lost, and to cap it off I had the flu: it wasn't a great day.  

Just as I was ready to concede defeat, I spied a weird little freehand on a wall & felt myself being drawn towards it.  Not wanting to defy the street-art-gods & being subject to their wrath, I took my first photo (of turned out to be my then latest and yet still current obsession) Kois.

On the ferry back to 2095 I attempted to get the pronunciation correct: is coy'is or Ko (as in Do Re Me) Is. Eventually shrugging my shoulders with defeat, I got home, switched on my PC (which the 2095 must proudly shout that she now has an Mac!) uploaded the image, entered the tag and that was that.

My next encounter was at Chippendale. Same style but totally different tag name.  

It was breathtakingly beautiful.  A defining moment as I was then presented with another pronunciation conundrum: Soke-eye.  Socke-ee.  Rather than continue with the "how do I pronounce it game", the 2095'er made the monumentous decision: it's Sokei.  Turns out I was right!

Here are my 5 questions with the man behind the Sokei and Kois: Mizter Crystalface

Your work is so intricate, the point of being hypnotic. How long does it take to create a piece such this?

Well making them is very hypnotic.  I get in my own head-space when I'm doing them and I don't really notice how much time goes by.  It's very therapeutic.  I think my current profile image (as seen above) took me about 2 months.  Most works take a couple of months, others (like my latest) too me well over a year AND I'm still working on it.  But I don't worry about the length of time.  I just really enjoy doing them

You also have other personas.  What is the genesis behind each of their street names?

Yes, my other "personas" haha!  I've always liked the idea of hiding behind a strange name and no face.  I became recognisable under was the graffiti writer KOIS.  I wrote Kois when I was pretty down on life and sort of screwed up in the head.

I painted faces without the tops of heir foreheads, or scars across their skulls as though their brains had been altered.

I'd write things like "Kois eats razorblades","kois the psychotic meds junkie" or "i like pain".  I thought that stuff was very funny. And back then graffiti was a great outlet for me.

SOKEI became the new graffiti word when I started getting a better name, more positive understanding on life.  I chose the word "sokei" after I heard about a man who started the first Zen Institute of America.

His name was "Sokei-an".  Later in life he got arrested by the FBI because the American Government though he was an "enemy alien" working with people who orchestrated Pearl Harbour (which he wasn't).  I'd write stuff like "cellar door" next to my faces or "hive mind".

I chose "crystalface" after some amazing experiences in 2011.

I became interested in dreams, meditation, transcendental philosophies, geometric patterns, numerology, mandalas, colours and the subconscious mind.

I decided that I'd try to pursue a career through making pictures and try to incorporate certain ideas in to them.  (I don't actually remember why i chose "crystalface" but I think it had something to do with seeing crystals everywhere).

When you are a on creative roll are you a "do not disturb til I'm done" or do you focus to the point of insanity?

I'm always drawing.  I am drawing when I'm around my friends.  I draw at parties.  When I'm lying down in bed.  When I am on a bus or plane or train.  And I've especially begun to enjoy drawing while I'm camping at bush doofs and festivals.

I would say that creating pictures has become an addiction and obsession for me. I feel I'm wasting my time if I'm not drawing or doing something constructive.  I'm definitely NOT a "do not disturb" kind of person.  I always enjoy company while I work.

You also enjoy collabs.  What can we look forward to in the near future?

Yeah collabs are great.  I've done a few small ones in the past with Cheungha Lim, Slug, Animal Farm, Texas, Joe42, Air Space Ark, Andros, Clint Bautista, Terrible Horrible and a few others.

Painting Grounds 2011

I've also tried to organise some with other aritsts like Yvette Marie Tziallis and an artist from Sweden that I really like to call "Johannek".  Still haven't got around to doing those just yet.

How often do you get back out on the street, or do you find yourself now studio-bound and restricted by time frames?

I've always got time and freedom to do things and I still go out and do a little stuff on the streets....just not so often anymore.

I think my drive to do "street art" has pretty much gone.  I still do commissions and paint people's walls, vans & bedrooms (usually for free if they provide the paint), but I find drawing and making posters, t-shirts stickers for people much more rewarding.

I still love graffiti and using spray cans and paint brushes, although I enjoy using pens and digital mediums a lot more now.

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Massive thanks to Mizter Crystalface for not only sharing a bit of your story but allowing me to use some of your photos in this blog

Mr Crystalface