BERLIN - Hamburger Bahnhof Gallery

I recently went on a four day trip to Berlin. I met up with Australian artist Jane Lush and we endeavoured to find as much contemporary art as possible. We learned very quickly, you really need to do alot of research on underground art before you leave on such a short stay as just finding you bearings takes time. Approaching the gallery Hamburger Bahnhof Gallery was a building site - building work is continuous in this city.


After a lengthy reconstruction by architect Josef Paul Kleihues, the Hamburger Bahnhof reopened on 2 November 1996 as the Museum for Contemporary Art.
 The building was erected in the mid-19th century as one of the first terminal stations of the rail system.

 In the early 20th century, the structure was converted into a museum of transport and construction. The station's architecture, its impressive Neoclassical façade, flanked by two towers and the grand industrial hall of the entrance area.

'Mine' by Rauchenberg

This was a print / painting that got my attention. The bare, raw canvas square in the middle suggests
a space for the self, a place of respite. It also suggested a window, a void. 

Joseph Beuys fat appears to creak open and is constantly restrained and contained
by the steel belt with which it is harnessed.

Keiffers led plane is laden with books on the wings. A powerful and thought
provoking image. For me it conjurs up thoughts of 'the burning of the books'
during WW2. or is it the need to be more learn-ed and reconsidering options eg. warfare.

fat lays around like huge armchairs of cheese -  wheeled out for the occasion

Keiffer - small childrens clothes and dolls clothes are
embedded within the kaos of ash,led and tragedy.
This is a landscape of death and disaster and things left.

The detail of Keiffers large work -
the placing of imagery over the top of one another
and the glazing and glueing and texture



Andy Warhol - vast screenprinted flowers

Warhol - Mao. The colours are extraordinaryly beautiful. The blue and green mingle
This work is vast in size and towers above ones head. I particulary like the green jacket
and the facial colours. There is something about this that leaves you with the sense
you have been looking at a clown the notion someone is having a laugh.

The Last Flight of the Space Shuttle

This new series of prints are the result of seeing visuals that were so exquisite I could not stop myself from taking photographs. Anyone who enjoys taking photos will know what I mean. 

Technically I am enjoying the process of half tone screen printing however you have to be very conscious the whole time. This is because there are a lot of issues to consider. Registration being one of them. Keeping all the bolts tight and clips straight. Consistency of the ink - if it is too liquid it will drop straight throughout the screen, too thick and it won't print or may dry out into the screen. Choosing the correct mesh number for the screen is also important. The screen has to work with the DPI so it actually prints.


I am attempting to break down the image, allowing layering and texture to spontaneously happen. I still reflect on John Cage and the element of 'chance', as I am working. 


Documenting visually the space shuttles last flight  is an exciting image to work on, because it is contemporary and happening now, in our lifetime. It is a huge part of a very powerful era for mankind and his exploration of space. Now the Shuttle will become a thing left behind, an object within museums of NASA.

Retrieval Rememberance Remnants

the crypt in the cathedral 

left over posters - Berlin

During the last few weeks I have been travelling and documenting 'things left behind'. I Travelled  to Los Angeles over Xmas and New Year then home for a quick stop and off again to Berlin.
The galleries and alternative apaces were very interesting and engaging. I will talk further about these exhibitions in my next blog. This entry is more concerned with all the objects I captured over these two journeys and more.

L.A. trousers



London - paper cut outs



L.A. University

L.A. - Boxing day at Venice Beach

L.A. - paper on the beach

L.A. - shoes

London - light and street markings

Berlin - message taped to street pole

Wales - rust on a discarded beach tractor

a rose I pressed