Travel Book: Cuba

I recently did a post on Dan Eldon, he inspired me to make my own travel book and in 2010 I did it. These are some pages from my book from when I went to Cuba. Not as dynamic and profound as Eldon's stuff, probably more like a super girly photo album or scrap book on sequin steroids:

One of my favorite clubs in the world: Havana Club. No gimmicks, just straight up raw fun with dirty-sexy locals and uninhibited tourists, dance floor exuding sexual confidence, and music that makes you perspire Cuba. 

Day tour of Havana ending with a show in the legendary 'Tropicana Club' (circa 1939) where legit mobster wives used to watch extravagant performances while their hustler hubbies were being gangsters at the casino next door back in the 1940s. Other greats who've attended include Marlon Brando and Ernest Hemingway.

Tall black Cuban guy on the right holds the record for rolling the longest cigar in the world. Tried some Cuban cigars, concluded it's an acquired taste.

Will try and post some of my Nepal pages from this summer soon.

Your Name in Lights

My name is going up in lights on Wednesday 26 Jan 9:16:40 PM, Australian Eastern Daylight time. It's nothing to do with fame, just registered my name on this website as part of a massive art project:

"Iconic American conceptual artist John Baldessari is looking for people, who want their name in lights, but just for 15 glittering seconds.

Your Name in Lights reflects the changing cult of celebrity in modern society and recalls Andy Warhol's prediction that in the future everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame. Drawing on imagery from Broadway theatre displays and Hollywood films, this ambitious new work will involve more than 100,000 participants.

Register your name and watch it appear in lights on the Australian Museum’s William Street façade.

If you want to join, it's free : http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2011/Visual-Arts/Your-Name-In-Lights-Registration

Dan Eldon

"What is the difference between exploring and being lost?"

Dan Eldon was an English photo journalist who was stoned to death in 1993 at the young age of 22 by an angry mob in Somalia. When I started getting serious about visual arts, Dan Eldon was my first inspiration. I was introduced to his work in my third year of high school by my incredibly talented visual arts teacher. He used to tell me, 'Never fall in love with a dead man' as I'd obsessively leaf through Dan Eldon's pages during our lunch break. I ended up writing it on the side of my sketchbook as a reminder that art stems from obsession. My life motto, 'The Journey is the Destination' is from Dan Eldon. He kept a journal throughout his fascinating life with collages and writings about his travels and experiences. Through his raw pages you you step into the vagabond life of a beautiful women, reckless youth, and intriguing culture. Eldon combines my passions for travel, photography, adventure, and nature into bounded visual masterpieces.


Check out of Dan Eldon's work: http://www.daneldon.org/site/




Here are some pages from Eldon's Journal:

Here are two of my own Dan Eldon inspired pieces from high school:

Honestly I didn't really like these two pieces. I just ripped out some pictures from a National Geographic and used different media to create a collage but I find it superficial because I didn't really have an emotional connection with the statement I was trying to make. But I guess when you're pressed for a deadline and dealing with the wonderful trials and tribulations of the teenage years, shitting out masterpieces tends to be a struggle.

Pencil Sketches

I took art in my old high school. My teacher is one of the most talented people I've ever encountered and played an integral role in developing the artist in me. It's kinda sad how attaining a higher education has gotten in the way of developing one of my passions but I'm a firm believer that it's never too late to be who you want to be so hopefully 2011 will be the year for me to get back to things that genuinely make me happy. Here's some stuff pencil drawings I managed to do in my first year of uni.