"Hope You Have A Good Time At The Murder House" - Short Film (1998)

Now that the weekend is upon us, time for a little relaxation. How about a movie?

Why not hop up into the chair, lie back, rest your head on the soft headrest.... rinse and spit, and visit The Murder House (a.k.a the school dental clinic):

The Murder House, (1998) 

A short film directed by Warrick 'Waka' Attewell, written by Ken Hammon, starring the diabolical Tina Cleary. Made available by NZ On Screen.


This blogger remembers each and every instrument that appears in the dental clinic in this film, and he can hear the sounds and smell the smells of the Murder House as if it were, well, (a scary) yesterday,  in an age without novacaine. The horror, the horror...

Film trivia: the car that enters the driveway in the opening moments is the same make & model as kuaka's first car, a Fraud Anglican as we used to call it, better known as a Ford Anglia.

Fly Fishing in New Zealand - M A Poulton - 1936 - Travel Poster

Fly Fishing in New Zealand - M A Poulton - 1936 - Travel Poster, Government Tourist Department.

Click on picture for larger image

Len Lye - Kinetic Sculpture

Len Lye talks about and demonstrates his kinetic sculpture in this 1987 documentary.

Hope you enjoyed this Len Lye mini festival!

Len Lye - The Peanut Vendor (1933)

A somewhat freaky peanut vendor...

Len Lye - Free Radicals (1958)

Len Lye - A Colour Flight (1938)

Len Lye - Swinging the Lambeth Walk (1939)

Len Lye - Art that Moves: The Work of Len Lye, Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland

Since it might otherwise be "buried" under comments and not be seen by readers, here is a note from Roger Horrocks on the Len Lye exhibition opening later this month in Auckland.

Sadly, this kuaka's wings have been clipped for the Southern summer months so no trans-Pacific flight in the offing to attend the Lye exhibition amongst other Kiwi treats in the next few months. We shall await reader reports instead, living vicariously through their experiences, with only fond memories of the homeland to tide us through the frigid Northern winter. What else is a poor kuaka to do?

Roger Horrocks wrote:

"You may be interested in this free exhibition of Lye's work opening soon in Auckland.

The Gus Fisher Gallery presents 'Art that Moves: The Work of Len Lye', an exhibition of films and kinetic sculptures, on display from 27 November 2009 to 6 February 2010. This is the first exhibition of Lye’s work at a public gallery in Auckland since 1980.

The exhibition explores Lye’s intense engagement with what he called the ‘magical mystery’ of motion. In addition to films and kinetic sculptures, there are paintings and photograms to represent other areas of his work and to illustrate the implied movement in his static images. Among the five kinetic sculptures in the show, there are two that have not previously been seen in Auckland.

The exhibition is linked with the publication of two new books: Art that Moves: The Work of Len Lye by Roger Horrocks (AUP), and Body English: Texts and Doodles by Len Lye (Holloway Press).

It's at The Gus Fisher Gallery, Kenneth Myers Centre, 74 Shortland Street, Auckland city. Admission free.

From Friday 27 Nov 2009 to Saturday 06 Feb 2010. (Closed Sundays and Mondays.)"

Len Lye - A Colour Box (1935)

Len Lye - A Mini Festival - Kaleidoscope (1935)

And now for something completely different.... A Len Lye mini-festival of kinetic art & film.

New Zealand artist, Len Lye (1901 - 1980) was an innovator in kinetic art and experimental film. Like many creative Kiwis, Lye moved abroad in 1925 to develop his talent, first to the UK, then more permanently to the US. A biography may be found at the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. The Len Lye Foundation and archives with more information about his work at the Govett-Brewster gallery in New Plymouth.

Enjoy!

Cass - Art, Nature, and the Engineer

Cass, circa 1936, by Rita Angus. courtesy of the Rita Angus estate & the Christchurch City Art Gallery. Transcript of an introduction to Angus' "Cass" here.

As he pulls through Cass, does the loco driver catch the railway shed in the corner of his eye? Does it trigger thoughts of one of New Zealand's best known paintings by one of her best known artists, Rita Angus? Does he muse upon the contrasting vertical and horizontal lines of man-made structures and the swirling clouds and rolling hills? Or does he stare fixedly at the signal up ahead - dare one say it, with tunnel vision - as the on-coming coal train enters the west-bound track of the Cass loop?

Double header coal train eastbound through Cass on a hot summer's day, 2007.

Gone within 5 minutes from this scorching hot, dusty place the trains part in opposite directions leaving behind the mute, solitary shed.

Cass is 116 kilometers northwest of Christchurch in Canterbury. The Midland railway line was extended from Christchurch to Cass in 1910. With the completion of the Otira tunnel through the Southern Alps, between Otira and Arthur's Pass, the Midland line connected Canterbury and the West Coast by rail for the first time. The six day stage coach journey at the turn of the century was replaced by a one day train journey, increasing the flow of people and goods in both directions.