Poster 3 (Syke) - Angel Stree / Newtown (Tue 09 Nov 2010)

Poster 3 (Syke) - Angel Street/Newtown - 09 Nov 2010 (picasa)
Stumbled across another Syke Poster. It was just around the corner from the other two (see Poster 1 and Poster 2).

Will take a more bit more of look next week to see if there are anymore around the place.

A few more photos to give an idea of the surrounds.

Poster 3 (Syke) - Angel Street/Newtown - 09 Nov 2010 (picasa)
Poster 3 (Syke) - Angel Street/Newtown - 09 Nov 2010 (picasa)
Poster 3 (Syke) - Angel Street/Newtown - 09 Nov 2010 (picasa)
Poster 3 (Syke) - Angel Street/Newtown - 09 Nov 2010 (picasa)
[Note: This is my 200th post. Will write something about this at later stage.]

Poster 1 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville (Wed 27 Oct 2010)

Poster 1 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville - Wed 27 Oct 2010 (picasa)
This poster has been here for quite a while. It is on part of the building that has hosted the recently featured Legs, part of which has been whitewashed out over the years (the building has had various Development Applications which appear to have come to nothing as yet). This poster seems to have survived for some reason. The top left corner one can vaguely make out the word syke. A google search might give some clues - I don't know really. Found a similar poster across the road and will show it in a future post.


Poster 1 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville - Wed 27 Oct 2010 (picasa)
Poster 1 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville - Wed 27 Oct 2010 (picasa)

Poster 1 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville - Wed 27 Oct 2010 (picasa)

Poster - Erskineville (Fri 07 Jan 2011)

Poster - Erskineville (Fri 07 Jan 2011)
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.

But you are eternity and you are the mirror.

The quote is from Khalil Gibran (The Prophet - 1923) who features in a current exhibition at the State Library of New South Wales.

The poster appeared next to the Syke1 poster featured here back on Fri 29 Oct 2010 (where have the last few months gone).

Poster - Erskineville (Fri 07 Jan 2011)
The rain over the last week or so has made the poster fall apart. The photo below by Gotocab from his 29 Dec 2010 cab shift shows the poster in its original state.

Poster 2 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville (Wed 27 Oct 2010)

Poster 2 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville - Wed 27 Oct 2010 (picasa)
Just across the road from Poster 1 (Syke) on the side of a derelict house which has been awaiting redevelopment for many years. The word Syke is more prominent here. The Acid Midget might be able to give some background on these two posters. The following photos give the poster a bit more context to its surroundings.

Poster 2 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville - Wed 27 Oct 2010 (picasa)
Poster 2 (Syke) - Erskineville Road / Erskineville - Wed 27 Oct 2010 (picasa)

Poster 4 (Syke) - Phillip Street / Enmore (Fri 12 Nov 2010)

Poster 4 (Syke) - Phillip Street / Enmore - Fri 12 Nov 2010 (picasa)
Again, stumbled across another Syke Poster.

Poster 4 (Syke) - Phillip Street / Enmore - Fri 12 Nov 2010 (picasa)

Poster 4 (Syke) - Phillip Street / Enmore - Fri 12 Nov 2010 (picasa)

Poster 4 (Syke) - Phillip Street / Enmore - Fri 12 Nov 2010 (picasa)

Poster - Watkin Street / Newtown Hotel (Thu 16 Dec 2010)

Poster - Watkin Street / Newtown Hotel (Thu 16 Dec 2010)
A ripped A4 Poster pasted to the side wall of the recently reopened Newtown Hotel.

I like this a lot for some reason. The sweeping wave-like hill and it's detailed surface (with figures and all), the weeping willow, and the warrior with his sword and fancy boots to match the curvature of the hill. Seems to have some Chinese influence, but it would appear to be of European heritage.

Poster - Watkin Street / Newtown Hotel (Thu 02 Dec 2010)

My Brother Tim

It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher
Pressure on people - people on streets

Under Pressure (*) - David Bowie and Queen

Recently posted a video of Annie Lennox and David Bowie singing Under Pressure at the 1992 The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium. In the post I included the lyrics as I often can't quite make out what is being sung (which is Okay). On listening to the song, the meaning of the above lines were instantly clear to me.

Today is the 7th of March and this is the day we take as the passing of my younger brother Tim on Mon 7th March 2005.

Sadly, Tim found himself in a position (Under Pressure I guess) where he considered the best option was to take his own life in a lonely spot by the side of Lake Burley Griffin, less than a couple of km's from the centre of Canberra's Parlimentary Circle (and where we will shortly participate for our State and Club at the 2011 AusDBF National Dragon Boat Championships). A remarkably powerful statement to make about how he felt about life.

His sudden death and it's nature had a hugh impact on his Family and his close Friends.

There will be always the question Why?, but that is not really important now. We should look to remembering the time we had with Tim and as well as the relationship we had with him. Remember the good times.

It is important also to acknowledge his silent suffering and the nature of his death (part of the reason for writing this post). Anger and Regrets are futile emotions. For me, the most important thing is understanding and forgiveness, something I asked all to embrace from the very first moments. This is far more productive, particularly when combined with a sense of persistence, determination, courage to live our lives to the full, no matter the circumstances.

How we respond to life's twists and turns shapes who we become. Choose to live life to the full, learn (don't be afraid to make mistakes - lots of them actually - you will learn more that way), and become stronger, wiser and more resilent.

Was planning to write more, but finding it a little difficult to express myself clearly. So what I do in these circumstances, is hand it over to the photos and the memories they contain. Don't have too many actually (he avoided camera's for some reason), but here they are ..

Cheers - Jo, Tim, Geoff, Jenny, David, Jenny - Darook Park / Cronulla (Sun 30 Apr 2000)Tim and Grace - Coffs Harbour (25 Dec 2000)Geoff, Jenny, Tim and Jo - Alexandria (18 Nov 2001)Tim, Thomas and Geoff - Bronte (23 Dec 2001)Geoff, Mum and Tim - Wagga Wagga (19 Jan 2002)Tim, Grandpa and Geoff - Malua Bay (07 Dec 2003)Tim and Aunty Erica (*) - Batehaven Book Exchange / Batehaven - (07 Dec 2003)Mum, Tim (London Bound) and Lynn - You must be somewhere in London - Sydney International Airport (01 Jul 2004)Mum, Tim (London Bound) and Geoff - You must be somewhere in London - Sydney International Airport (01 Jul 2004)Photo Poster 1 for Tim's Get Together - Griffith / Canberra (Sat 12 Mar 2005)Photo Poster 2 for Tim's Get Together - Griffith / Canberra (Sat 12 Mar 2005)Photo Poster 3 for Tim's Get Together - Griffith / Canberra (Sat 12 Mar 2005)"Despair" - Canberra (Sat 12 Mar 2005) )
Together Again

One year later I would place the Ashes of Tim and my Father at Canberra's Norwood Crematorium. I had my Father's Ashes moved from Wagga Wagga (another story in itself). Jenny, Jo, Lynn and Erica were there also. Tim travelled a lot and my Aunt always said that he was searching for his Father. After all his searching I could now say to her that they were together again.

Tim and Tom - Norwood Park / Canberra (Fri 10 Mar 2006)Jenny, Geoff, Jo and Lynn - Norwood Park / Canberra (Fri 10 Mar 2006)Jenny, Geoff and Joanne - Norwood Park / Canberra (Fri 10 Mar 2006)Tim and Tom - Norwood Park / Canberra (Fri 10 Mar 2006)-->
A tree overlooking them .. - Norwood Park / Canberra (Fri 10 Mar 2006)

stay calm and go as hard as possible - Cadel Evans - Sydney Morning Herald (Sat 23 Jul 2011)

"All you have to do is stay calm and go as hard as possible" (*) - Cadel Evans - Sydney Morning Herald (Sat 23 Jul 2011)
From today's Sydney Morning Herald (*), Cadel Evans (*, *) told Rupert Guinness (*) before last nights epic stage:..

All you have to do is stay calm and go as hard as possible from the start to the finish. It's quite simple, [..]

You are only riding a bike from point A to point B, but in terms of technique there is so much in terms of pedalling and breathing, and there are the corners. Just concentrating and riding out beyond your limit is very taxing.

Cadel's pre-stage words were almost prophetic.

Brillant ride by Cadel last night. He had a mechanical (*) and did not panic or get upset (as most of Australia did). He worked out the problem, kept riding until his team car caught up with him. Unlike David Millar from a few years ago, Cadel gently dropped his old bike and quietly mounted his new bike and got on with the job. Inspiration stuff and a lesson to us all.

Cadel, is doing this on his own. No French or Spanish friends in the Peleton like the rest of them.

Love the transformation in your attitude Cadel. All the best for the Time Trial (*) - the Race of Truth (*) - tonight.

Go Cadel - you are on the Edge of Glory (*).


Random Recollections: Reminds me of the poster and a book I bought in Ealling, London back in Sep 2009 (I bought the book just after taking the photo of the Pink Bike - it's a classic book - had not laughed so much in a long time) ..

Keep Calm, Carry On Poster (*)

Poster - Inchang-Dong / Seoul (Tue 11 Sep 2012)

Poster - Inchang-Dong / Seoul (Tue 11 Sep 2012)

Stevenus Coliberty (1 of 2) - East Village / New York (Wed 17 Aug 2011)

Stevenus Coliberty (1 of 2) - East Village / New York (Wed 17 Aug 2011)
A Google search (*) reveals a bit more about the Red Poster/Print on the door ..

Mysterious prints of the "Colbert Report" host were spotted in the neighborhood earlier this year, featuring the bespectacled funnyman in a riff on Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell’s Soup can painting.

Now, posters of the mock newsman reimagined as a mash-up between the Statue of Liberty and Boticelli’s iconic "Birth of Venus" painting — accompanied by the words "Stevenus Coliberty" — have appeared inexplicably on mailboxes and walls throughout the East Village.

Fri 05 Aug 2011 - More here (*)

The poster in the Top Right corner says Yours Truly ... A.S.A.P.

On Success and Searching - Bruce Wrighton (1988)

Poster Boy - Erskineville Road / Newtown (Wed 13 Feb 2013)
Bruce Wrighton (*) makes the following observation On Success (*):

Success is, of course, as an internal factor – a connection that we, or I, have made with whatever I am searching for.

Sometimes it can be elusive.

Sometimes it can be immediately self-evident.

The expression. The pose. The posturing. There can be windows that open up that are surprises.

But it’s that connection.

It’s the connection between having a sense of what you are working for, but not really having it defined well enough, so you always have to search, you always have to dig a little bit, it’s always a little bit unknown what you are looking for.

which leads onto a rather interesting observation about the relationship between Success (*) and Searching (*):

If you know what you are looking for I’m not sure what the value of finding it is.

That is to say, I’m not sure what’s the value of doing the search. At that point that part of you has been ‘played out’ so to speak.

If I find myself making the same images over and over again,

I begin to suspect that I have to dig a little harder or deeper to find what the next level of mystery is in a particular subject matter or go on to a different one.

via INTERVIEW: “An Interview with Bruce Wrighton” (1988) (*) by Sean Phelan.

As always, Bruce is talking about his experiences with photography, but these simple observations can be applied to all aspects of our lives.

Gerald the Dog - Yellow - SLUG - Buckland Lane / Newtown (Sat 20 Nov 2010)

Gerald the Dog - Yellow - SLUG - Buckland Lane / Newtown (Sat 20 Nov 2010)
A recent photo before the Gerald the Dog (with Yellow Skin) finally disappears. Quite a few additions to the piece with the introduction (to me at least) of new character. The new character can be seen near the top center of the recently featured, SLUG PASTE UPS poster.

The above piece has been there since at least Feb 2010. In that time there have been a few additions. I will put up an early photo when I have time to find one.

A new Character - SLUG - Buckland Lane / Newtown (Sat 20 Nov 2010)

On Observation - Yogi Berri

Abstract - Uni Of Sydney (Thu 17 Sep 2015)

Mike Peters on Observation:

You can observe a lot by just watching

via The future is not what it used to be. by Mike Peters.

Such a simple and true observation.

Did not even notice the face in the background when I made this photo. Only later did I observe it. Reminds me of this Poster I took on the T Station at Harvard in Boston in 2011.

Favourite Photos - Newtown 2007 - King Street - 'Communication'

Communication - King Street, Newtown, Sydney - Wed 14 Mar 2007 (picasa)
Second photo from a collection of favourite photos.

I had been to the Dendy Cinema to see a movie a few days earlier and was struck by the light and this scene when I left around 6pm. The late afternoon light in Sydney is beautiful this time of the year - interestingly enough it is almost 3 years ago to the day this photo was taken. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me at this time, so I made a mental note to come back at some stage in the near future - which would turn out to be just a few days later.

On the day this photo was captured, I had taken a half day off work, in the afternoon, so that I could attend one of Jenny's medical appointments at St George Hospital. I was in my car on the way to meet Jenny and Joanne for the appointment when Jenny called to say that the appointment had been cancelled due to unforseen circumstances and that we should meet at Dragon Boat training that night back in the City.

I had a few hours to spare, so I thought I would go back to Newtown and have a coffee at Urban Bites (a favourite haunt for me, but the opposite end of King Street to the Dendy) for a coffee. When I was there I remembered the photo I wanted to take and I realised I had my camera. Decided to take the 10 min walk back to the Dendy to take this photo which had similar lighting to what I had seen a few days earlier.

I guess what I like about this particular photo is the composition. I only took a couple of photos and really did not look at it closely until I downloaded it to my computer. There I could see all the detail - things I really had not noticed when I took it.

I saw all the signs - things telling us what to do (the "No Stopping" and "No Entry" signs [1], "One Way" and parking signs), and the signs that identify things. For instance the Map of Africa and all the countries identified, the graffiti tag and the nice frame around the Map, the number plates that identify the motor bikes and scooters, etc.

A couple of other things I liked were the:

1. Pole Poster where you see the word "Pixels" - the smallest element of each digital photo - you can see it between the "No Entry" Sign and the white pillar (might have to look at the large version to notice).
   
   
2. Person in the centre of the photo - particularly his position and the shadow area of the background he fills as well his position between the foreground shadows. I also love the tattoos on his arms and legs, and the fact that he is communicating with someone using his Mobile Phone. His T-Shirt and bag have some text and logos on them. Also like how the shadow of the Bike Rack just catches his foot - I did get lucky [2] in many ways, as there is no way I could have planned all of this.
   

As you can see, many things can found in a simple photo that is captured in a fraction of a section. It is also interesting how circumstances sometime conspire to allow a photo to be taken.

I entered this photo in the 2007 Sydney Life Competition (unfortunately can't find an archive of the official page though I found a media release here). I always try each year to make an entry to the competition as it is open to all photographers, though it is virtually impossible for non-established photographers to make the final 22-26 images. Will keep trying though :-)

There is another story about this location which will come in another favourite photo at a later date.

[1] I would always say to Jenny a good photo always has a little bit of red in it and this is a theme you will see in many of my photos.

[2] Also would often tell Jenny, there was a lot of luck in taking photos (though like all things involving luck, you often make you own luck) and that if you take enough photos you are bound to end up with a few your like (i.e. keepers).

Dog UB77 - Newtown (Wed 11 Feb 2004)

Dog UB77 - Newtown - Wed 11 Feb 2004 (picasa)
Following on from yesterday's post featuring a purple and green cat, here is a dog photo.

I drove past this the night before I took the photo. Thought I saw a dog painted on the wall in the darkness and made a note to myself to come back on the way to work the next morning. Surprisingly, in the daylight it revealed itself to me as a ripped poster for a band UB77, I am guessing. For some reason, I have always seen in this photos a dog with attentive ears and a wagging tail.