Goodie's 'Good Gracious'

On the weekend The Chop Shop played host to Melbourne artist, Goodie. Known for her affinity for eyes and fleshy contorted creations, Goodie’s ‘Good Gracious’ was no exception to that, and a whole lot more.

Goodie took Canberra’s coolest bar for everything it had; utilising the unique warehouse space, showing a mixture of paintings on various surfaces (including the walls of the bar itself), mixed sculpture, zines and one lamp-lit locker littered with little lids (sorrynotsorry).

Upon entering the warehouse you were made acutely aware of the countless wide eyes gazing blankly at you. An unnerving feeling itself, made no less uncomfortable when you begin to notice the bizarre flesh coloured forms and faces these eyes belong to.

One piece, painted on a functioning curtain, featured surreal, Picassoesque perspective, mixed with renaissance realism; as if she took each beautifully painted facial features and fingers, and put them together in a blender.

Size of the works varied, from tiny eyes and noses painted within bottle caps, to the giant ragged piece hanging from the ceiling of the warehouse down and spilling at least another meter of itself onto the ground below.

The unsettling pale and cold colours of flesh seemed to feature in every piece, and her sculptures combined human and object; with detailed cast hands and fingers joined with spray cans, or a set of porcelain teeth surrounding a plastic cup coated in far-too-wet-looking pink forms.

When I spoke with the artist, she expressed some surprise that all her pieces had sold (even the larger-than-a-warehouse-wall painting) because of the somewhat unnerving nature of her work. But it’s no surprise when you consider the technical skill, complex content and subtle beauty within her pieces.

Goodie’s exhibition was like a combination of flesh and fantasy; exploring the intriguing beauty found in the somewhat grotesque.

Upcoming at the Chop Shop:

3rd October

One Night Only group exhibition

Featuring 10 Canberra artists of different style

10th of October

Houl x Mike Watt exhibition,
NOT TO BE MISSED!!

The Chop Shop more than a Small Deal

After months of hard work and overcoming huge unforeseeable obstacles, Canberra's first warehouse bar, The Chop Shop, finally opened it's magical golden doors on the weekend. The bar is the baby of Sancho Murphy of Sancho's Dirty Laundry and Pat Rose of Coy, and it's even more amazing than the completely rad thing you'd expect from two of the most passionate, creative, hard working and inspired people on the Canberra scene.

Sanch and Pat began their collaboration at the end of last year when Pat hosted The Coy launch party, they developed the idea for the arts space early in the year and once they found the empty warehouse (next to the Traders on Lonsdale Street, Braddon) their vision had a home. Together with the help of tens of local artists and creatives in July they ran a successful Kickstarter campaign which raised $17,380 of their $10,000 goal.

Just a few days before their first event, Omar Musa's book launch, they were hit with a stop work notice and all their work was ground to a hault. The very next day the story was in the local media, social media and even the talk of politicians. In a rollercoaster that lasted 42 days the team worked closely with the government to overcome the issues.

Although the path to The Chop has been longer and far more complicated than the team had ever anticipated, the two stuck with it, not just for themselves, but for all the artists they wanted to showcase and support with the bar.

The first event they were about to hold all cosy up in their own warehouse was the debut exhibition of local artist James Smalls "I'm kind of a Small Deal". The exhibition was held Friday, the night before their actual launch party; which saw those lucky enough to get a ticket, party hard with some of the best acts in Canberra as well as Koolism's, Hau Latukefu getting on the mic with Suavess and Hayds.

During the exhibition, Smalls showed a range of works, including street art, prints, spray, paint, stencils, sculpture, line work, and on canvas, skateboards, and some kind of magical hybrid of spray cans and toy guns. Smalls work showed his range of talent, far greater than what's you usually stumble across on the street.



Keep up to date with The Chop Shop on their Facebook or Blog

The Chop Shop Kickstarter

Unbelievably rad things are happening in Canberra!

Introducing, THE CHOP SHOP.

Sancho Murphy from the Dirty Laundry and Pat Rose from Coy are uniting forces to create a home for Canberra’s street culture unlike anything ever attempted before! Taking an abandoned warehouse in the heart of Braddon and turning it into an space made for street artists, musicians, skaters, creatives, designers and all manner of cool people! And they’re doing it all to support the artists, not themselves! So how about you show your support and chuck some pennies to their Kickstarter, it’s a very reachable goal and all contributions come with a treat; one of a kind skate boards, limited edition shirts, tickets, stickers, parties and more! Get Kicking Canberra!

Teaser Post Before all the Goodies

Last week I attended a private paint sesh featuring some of Canberra's best street artists. I can't yet reveal what we were all up to, but I thought I'd give you a little teaser in the mean time. Just believe me when I tell you; something great is coming to Canberra.

Oh oh ohhh, there's so much more to come! Keep posted baby~

The Coy House

Canberra's freshest clothing brand Coy dropped one of the most memorable house parties for their brand's launch at the end of last year. Decked out with live painting, free booze and sweet tunes throughout the night it was an impressive event pulled off by the brand's creator, Pat Rose.

The venue was the Coy House, a once ordinary little house in Lyneham with lush (read: overgrown) gardens and a spacious deck. The party kicked off a warm Summer afternoon, with sunshine flooding the garden; the sideways fridge full of Magners and sangria bathtub went down a treat.

The party featured some of the best street talent Canberra and beyond has to offer; Houl, JRB, King of Nothing, Mr Manok, Sancho, Bugz, Abyss .607, Walrus, Voir, Sprinkles, Wyrm, Goodie, Roskoe, Oh Jessie, Mim, Jess Mess, Alycia and Hams. Each artist had a wall on the inside or outside of the house to do their things to with the help of MTN Australia.

The result was a house with such a diverse range of art (not to mention that amazing party), with spontaneous collaborations happening, it was hard to not become inspired by all the creativity flowing.

Coy is undoubtedly a brand to watch, with a party so huge straight off the bat, there's no signs of slowing down from the brand. Best bet is to grab some fresh, hand screenprinted threads from their website or Sancho's Dirty Laundry when they reopen.

Video produced on the night of the party. Watch it, you won't regret it*.


*Unless perhaps you're prone to seizures.

Mr Manok Interview

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

Well, I create art under the moniker Mr Manok. I like to dabble in a lot of different mediums, I never really like to stay still, I make stickers, posters, I do traditional art, digital art, t-shirts. I made a resin toy one time; that was cool! I just like to do a lot of different things and try everything out to see what I do and don’t like.

How did you get your start?

My start-start? My real start? Happened in 2010, I entered this t-shirt competition that my friend sent to me. They really liked my design, but in the end they chose this really wack design. The design was really shit and it won. They just ended up printed mine anyway, and I didn’t even know any better cause I was 16. I was like ‘Oh my god, they’re gonna print my shirt!’ But in the end they just gave me two of my designs and that was it, they sold the rest. So I wrote an email, I was like “Why you tryin’ to step on the little fishes?! I’m only 16 and still in high school! You takin’ advantage of my stupidness!”

But from there, I just kept winning, at school I kept getting all the high grades. I was very competitive in the art world there. My teachers just kept asking me if I had anything online, ‘cause people were like ‘I wanna see your stuff’ and I’m like, ‘I can’t show you!’ So then I made a Facebook page, and then I found out about Art not Apart and went to that. I met Juliette Dudley, and I was also in a class with Ash Peak, which was pretty cool. Then I was like ‘Oh my god, what is this Us Folk thing?’ And then I went to the exhibition!

Oh my god I’m really ADHD with this interview!
I went to the Us Folk exhibition; that was the first time I was in a real-real exhibition, one that I didn’t have to pay to be in. After that Juliette gave my name to the people at La De Da, so I did an art battle there. That’s how I kinda stuck my foot in the Canberra art community, ‘cause I met Sancho.. Eeeee! And then Voir, and Eugene, and that was pretty rad. And then it kinda grew from there.
I was like, ‘man! I need to do more shit!’ so then I just started doing more shit! I was like ‘I really need to pick up my game!’ and then I’ve just picked up my game! Picked up the ball and just running with the ball. Run Forrest Run!

So what’s the story behind your name?

I’m Filipino, but I don’t speak Tagalog; I only know some basic words. Manok was one of them. I know like ten Filipino words, Manok was my favourite because it meant chicken. I thought Mr Chicken was really funny; only the Filipino people would be like, ‘oh that’s Mr Chicken! Ha ha, Mr Chicken!’ and now it’s just, stuck with me forever! I can’t ever change it! I just thought it was funny... And everyone thinks I’m a boy.. I think I Catfish a lot of women on Facebook. Cause it says Mr and I’m like ‘Oh my goddd, I’m Catfishing all these womennn!’

I feel like people are the same with Sancho

Yeah! Cause Sancho’s a dude’s name!  Yeah! Cause I mean, I was also scared as well, that people would be mean to me if I used my girl name, ‘cause all my characters are really retarded. So like, me going under a different name gives me the ability to do whatever the hell I want. Like I can draw weird ass nips and shit like that.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Umm, cartoons, Pokemon. Other artist with similar styles, 123 Klan, everyone in the Weird Crew, Sheryo, the Yok, Canberra artists…

Which Canberra artists?

All of them!

But which are you’re favourites?!

Awhh, I’m gonna say Sancho. Hehe! Sancho. I like Sancho. I like Voir. I like Houl- I don’t want to miss anyone! I’m scared I’m gonna miss someone, so just put all of them! Just say all of them- cause, it just keeps me going, to be like, ‘oh they’ve put something out, now I have to put something out’. So that’s what inspires me. And.. VINYL TOYS! I like vinyl toys! And toys, and anything like that! I like ice cream. I like, I like, lollies! I like bright colours. And nipples. Just everything that’s funny to me! I like weird stuff…

What's next for Mr Manok?

I don’t know, I wanna do a branch apparel, like, do some trill wear, put my designs on clothing so I can wear it. I’m always like, ‘man I wish I had some, crazy ass, candy coloured clothing!’ I can’t find any anywhere. I think it’d be really cool if I just make my own.

Where can we find more of your work?

I’ve got a website, Facebook page, also have Instagram, but I hate Instagram!

Ginninderra Underpass

Another one of the 26 legal graffiti sites in Canberra is hidden under Ginninderra Drive. Just a few hundred metres before the turn for Charnwood is quite a spacious underpass, split into two main pathways, the spot features 4 long walls to paint, with the centre wall being broken into three main columns.

  Long enough to feature several decent sized tags along the outer walls. The centre columns feature a couple art pieces; a propaganda style portrait of a boy with an unidentified series of numbers, a bit of a dinosaur not yet entire covered creeping round the corner, and out on his own on the back of a pale pink column with a rusted and beat up trolley at it's base, a chiwawa with a spray can.