Melbourne, Australia in summer can get hot. Very hot. As the desert centre of Australia heats up during this season, the weather cycle brings occasionally brings a wind that drags those conditions south east, scorching the city as though you are standing in a hair dryer. The past summer in Melbourne has been mostly milder…
Where to begin with this tale is a tough one. Of all the jobs I have had, working in the The Northern’s Maternity Unit is going to be one of the places I will forever be most proud of working in. But the why this is, isn’t simple. I’ve worked in Children’s Oncology and a…
In every inch of its existence Venice’s history stands in contrast with commerce. The deep laneways are a wonder to wander with discoveries to be had around every corner. It is a city that grew in an era of non-existent town planning, and is all the more astonishing for it. Between the weathered walls, glass…
Earlier this year one of Melbourne’s more prestigious auction houses cleared the belongings from Mirka’s studio in Richmond. Calling the auction “The Magical Studio of Mirka Mora” ,they rebuilt much of the studio in their auction house in tribute to the artist – with the help of William, one of her sons. Mirka was…
I’ll just say this. There comes a point when you are spending so much time with the great classics of art, that you find yourself really grasping what modern art is all about. Gosh I love history, but while I was surrounded by such breathtaking pieces of art I felt myself desperately seeking a breath…
The flying time from Melbourne, Australia is brutal. I watched the sun rise as our plane took off at 6am, only to see it set 22 hours later as we commenced our descent into Leonardo Da Vinci – fiumicino Airport. On the way we stopped by Dubai for two hours, providing a stark contrast in…
In this jet-lagged episode I visit an exhibition in a gallery in Rome, Italy, where the art of Olivetti’s design, as well as the company’s past and future is examined. In the Filthy Labs segment, I revisit my 2012 blog on 3D printing a typewriter. As usual, my podcast is available on iTunes podcast: Or…
Portions of this text were originally written on typewriter and converted to electronic text, while other parts were originally electronic and then re-typed. There’s original typed and electronic sections as well. This is the trailer for the modern re-making of the Anime film. The Major is the lead protagonist in a team that investigates cyber-crime and…
Early in September I had an opportunity to visit a country I have always been quite fascinated by. While its colonial past seems relatively peaceful, Singapore became a major flashpoint during the Second World War that had huge implications for the region, including Australia. It is an island that shares a waterway with the south…
The Filthy Platen 