Week 1 of the ArtStart programme has been busy and a tad traumatic. I was in Melbourne for most of it, where I checked out the NGV. There’s some interesting work there – I spent some time enjoying Rothko’s Untitled (Red) from 1956. One of the highlights of the trip was getting to finally spend a bit of time interacting with Ron Robertson-Swann’s Vault. Ron was head of sculpture at The National Art School during my studies, and to finally encounter this work, whose history of controversy is, frankly, startling, was a great way to begin.
The trauma side of things is the discomfort that goes with all change in a comfortable work environment. Due to the photography and digital comics stuff I’m planning to do this year, I needed to upgrade my work mac to Mac OS 10.8 Mountain Lion. After 4 years of a stable 10.6 Snow Leopard system, the changes have been disconcerting. Some things are a definite step back, the Mail and Calendar apps especially. Some are a step forward, such as the Mission Control system for replacing Expose & Spaces, especially with a trackpad to drive everything with gestures.
The bad I can live with, the good I’m really enjoying, so a net positive.
My camera setup is coming together, a pair of Elinchrom RX4 monoblocs with soft boxes, a Nikon D800 with 60mm Macro lens, and mains power adapters. The gear’s insured, and I’ve got training booked for both photography, and SketchUp 3d / Architectural modelling.