Friday, October 2, 2020

New miniature - Gould's Books in Newtown, Sydney

 Well it's been rather a long time between posts, but 2020 has been a kick in the guts for everyone. COVID-19 has meant that I have been home-schooling my daughter for the last six months, and there has been very little time to actually produce my miniatures. But the good news is that I have a new one released into the wild today - Gould's Books in Sydney!


Bob Gould's book store in Newtown, Sydney



A Sydney institution, Bob Gould’s bookshop was part of the city’s life for decades. Gould was a famous anti-Vietnam  activist and bookseller who opened his first bookstore in 1967. The Newtown store was his largest – a labyrinth of secondhand books, videos, magazines, records and ephemera. I have fond memories of spending hours and hours there when I was at uni in the 1990s. If you were searching for a particular title you faced a Herculean task in the chaos, but if you were content to browse and discover whatever came along it was magical. Bob Gould was always behind the desk, always irascible, and always accompanied by cats (a window at the back of the store was left open for the cats to get in and out – that window ledge was the only surface in the entire building not covered with stacks of books).

Originally built in 1889 as a metalworkers, the building was abandoned in the 1980s until opened as Gould’s largest shop. The bookstore closed at this location after Bob Gould’s death in 2011. My miniature captures Gould’s as it looked in its final weeks, during its final sale. There are several retro and suitably left-wing protest posters hidden in the piece, as well as a bird nest for the truly eagle-eyed to spot.  


Video is embedded below, but in case that doesn't work here is the link:
Old book store in miniature - Gould's Books in Newtown, Sydney


Cheers,


Dave


Thursday, April 9, 2020

My miniature art exhibition - "SMALL ACTS"

Goodness it's been a long time between posts. I mostly put that down to the fact that I was preparing for an art exhibition of my miniatures, held in an art gallery here in Melbourne. The exhibition, "SMALL ACTS" was the culmination of just over a year's work, showing ten miniatures of buildings and urban scenes I love here. Attendance was phenomenal, with about 1000 people coming to view the works.

SMALL ACTS art exhibition of miniature art Melbourne 2020



In these times of Coronavirus and national lockdowns, a lot of people weren't able to make it along. Plus I know a lot of you are international followers, not in my home town. For all of you, I've put together a video walkthrough of the exhibition.

It was very gratifying to see people so enthralled with my work. It's been consuming my time for the last few months in particular, so it was wonderful to see people's reactions to it.

SMALL ACTS art exhibition of miniature art Melbourne 2020


Video is embedded below, but in case that doesn't work here is the link:
Miniature art exhibition, Melbourne 2020 - urban decay and weathered buildings

Cheers,

Dave