IMAGE: Shortlisted entry by Sarah McNeil

Rise And Fall, with entries from over 200 artists have put together the International Skull Drawing Competition and an accompanying exhibition which opens tonight.

The comp has attracted an eclectic collection of interpretations of an age-old icon and all the skulls will be shown in the stairwell of Curtin House. Although the subject is a symbol of death and piracy (of the seas not dvds) the whole feeling of the project is that of spontaneity. Along with the winner being announced, tonight’s festivities will also include a live skull drawing by Melbourne artist Al Stark, projections on the Rooftop Cinema screen and skull-drawing free-for-all in the lift itself.

ISDC Skull Crowning
April 30 (Tonight), 6pm - 9pm
Lift/Stairwell/Rooftop
Curtin House
252 Swanston St, city

Remember how good colouring-in books were? And there was usually two types of kids, those who meticulously filled between the lines with a rainbow of colours, and those who just scribbled all over the page.

Either way you drew/draw, VA Editions has just published SHORT, a limited edition colouring book for little and big kids alike. The publication features contributions from an amazing line up of established local and international artists, including Stefan Marx, Genevieve Gauckler, Misha Hollenbach, Mike Giant, Josh Petherick, Dylan Martorell and Will Sweeney.

With only 1000 copies worldwide and distribution backing from Japanese high-end fashion and design retailer BEAMS, it’d be a smart move to come to the launch at Utopian Slumps this Sunday (27.04) from 3pm and get a copy of this black and white gem before they disappear.

Crayons not included.

In his recent exhibition ‘Boolean Values’, Jonathon Zawada reflects on the legacy of George Boole (the creator of Boolean Algebra) and his impact on today’s digital experiences. The resulting imagery is at first an exercise in intricate and precise illustration, but like all erudite bodies of work possesses a deeper relevance and critique on our immediate world. There is something elegant about this collection of works and a quietness that contrasts many of his more recognized pieces. Coherent, well-measured, but not without humour, ‘Boolean Values’ appears indicative of an artist whose output and input seem perfectly balanced and his Desktop-Desktop alludes to how imagination and environment can fold wonderfully in on each other.

‘Boolean Values’ opens Thursday 10th April 6.00-9.00pm at the Lee Gallery, 491 Chapel St, South Yarra. Until April 30.

Click images to enlarge

There’s no time to waste. All details can be found here.

PHOTOGRAPH: JACK MANNIX

Featured artist and musician from Issue 01 of WON Magazine Alex Vivian (aka Always) will be opening his show “Ye Medieval” at Joint Hassles gallery in Melbourne this Friday. Alex is also co-curating a group show ‘Informal Rituals’ with Helen Johnson which open this Wednesday at TCB. Artists include: Jessica Lucas, Andrew McQualter, Nick Selenitsch, Laresa Kosloff, Elvis Richardson, Matthew Brown, Mark Rodda, Jess Johnson, James Deutsher, Sean Bailey, Damiano Bertoli, Josh Petherick, Alex Vivian, Helen Johnson, Christopher LG Hill, Jordy Marani, Kate Smith, Lucreccia Quintanilla, Madeline Kidd, Oliver Hextall, Kristina Tsoulis-Reay, Lisa Radford, Alex Vivian & Harriet Morgan, Starlie Geikie and more…