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• mikoto after 4 weeks at Paddington Markets
  by mikoto

  I was going to write about my experience at the Paddington Markets...

  I was going to write about my experience at the Paddington Markets after the first week but I though I’d wait till a month passed so that I had a better understanding of how it was going to be overall. Many people had said that it can be very up and down, and the were spot on. The biggest predicament so far has been where they place my stall. the first week there, I was in the ‘platinum’ area where much of the other arts and crafts are. it was a great vibe and the people around me were really friendly. I had a constant stream of interest and sold shirts and badges frequently. The 2nd and thirds week in contrast were not much fun. I was placed adjacent to the food area and on top of the playground. The smell of onion and screaming of kids was really not enjoyable and had a huge impact on the interest and frequency of sales. It was a little scary to get though half the day and not sell anything while watching people walk like zombies towards the irresistible smell of cooking sausage and onion. I made enough of a fuss to get placed back into the platinum area on the fourth week and it was back to where I feel I belong :) It a has so far been a lot of fun and very educational for me. I have said to a number of people that I was thinking about doing a masters at university that can cost upwards of $10,000, but then I decided why not instead invest into a small business idea that will more than likely make me work harder, teach me more, and at the very least earn back a few dollars. In all its a great way to spend my saturdays. My partner shannon is out there and we visit each other regularly and run away from our stall to have lunch together. She has been so helpful in helping teaching me the ins and outs of the markets and its funny to think the we are now “market honeys” Hope you enjoyed reading my account and if you get the chance come say hi! Scotty / Here is a picture of my stall. the Japanese privacy screens at the back really sets my little shirts shop apart / Here is a photo of some of the shirts, the middle 2 were from redbubble and I called them “One Offs” hehe. / I present my badges in muffin trays and have made a habit of buying 2 cupcakes in the morning. Its a great conversation starter and I get to eat them at the end of the day!

• BubbleLAB - eD 3
  by kathleen

  ~Collaborations On Redbubble Forum...

  Collaborations On Redbubble Forum / A practical working space for working together Collaboral Damage / A group for showcasing the best collaborations seen this side of the RedBubble THE COGS HAVE BEEN OILED AND ARE TURNING FAST BubbleLab 3 is here with only a slice of the collaborations pie, or one of those tiny little bubbles that form on the edge of the bubbleverse. In any case, you can see a foray of art floozies, flaunting and flitting around the forum. In this issue you can read about the Feature Collaboration between Heather King and Googa ... the Feature Article – Collaborations, Cultural Copyright and Cash... as well as other bits and bots… The Hub is pumping so make sure you add your collaboration to the forum, that way everyone can see it and be inspired! FEATURE ARTICLE Collaborations, Cultural Copyright and CASH $$$ pinkstinks (member since February 2007) is an urban Indigenous artist from Brisbane in Queensland (Australia). She is well know in her community and is a strong and tireless worker for Aboriginal Australians. She is passionate about promoting the rights of Indigenous artists and educating people about the artistic and legal differences that surround cultural copyright in Australia and abroad. I am privileged to know her and to call her my best mate (yes she seems ok for me say that in public too), and to have a cross-cultural collaboration under my belt. Not something that many can say they have participated in. Before I met Bianca (pinkstinks) I had worked as a corporate Graphic Artist for the Queensland Government in a department known as DATSIP (Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy), the unit I worked for was Marketing and Communications. I can’t describe to you the incredibly nerve-wracking and difficult task it was for this ‘white chick’ to get her head around the cultural design issues I would come across. Needing to represent mainland Aboriginal people alongside Torres Strait Islander people while maintaining corporate branding and only utilising the colours of the defined Queensland Government palette. All that plus understanding that there were only certain marks I was allowed to use as representations of the culture as a whole. Previous to this job, I had had a brief stint in another department known at the time as ‘Native Title Services’, a department that negotiates land rites and title with the government, business and traditional owners. A sad and extremely heavy legal area to work in. During this time I was sent off to do ‘Cultural Awareness Training’, something that every white born Australian should undergo in primary school but training that only a few ‘invaders’ have a chance to understand. These two jobs taught me a very important artistic lesson… CULTURAL COPYRIGHT IS A COPYRIGHT LAW UNTO ITSELF!!! Unless you have collaborative agreement with an Indigenous artist (be it in Australia or abroad), you as the ‘non-Indigenous’ artist contingent, need to understand and respect the dreaming, religion, people, traditions, symbolism and ownership of these peoples. That in short means that you cannot, without the express and written permission of the people you choose to represent (generally you need to actually approach the tribe or elders of the community), sell (or claim as your own) images, including photos, of indigenous artwork or symbols, dancers, performances, artifacts and people. You cannot, for example in Australia, represent the image of a deceased Aboriginal person, it is considered offensive. Major media organisations get a reprieve from the traditional owners of the image by creating a very clear message of content and intent at the beginning of any program that may depict a person who has passed on. This is very important as time passes also, as you may create a piece of work or media with a person who is alive at the time, but down the track that person passes on, do you know how to culturally deal with that type of scenario? This is a sensitive topic and needs to be treated with sensitively, not be stomped on by the well meaning but uninformed. Please don’t live in cursed ignorance, do something positive and pro-active before you execute that well-intended creative urge… do some research… Here are some links: Australian Copyright Council – Indigenous culture & copyright / Arts Law of Australia Online – Indigenous Cultural & Intellectual Property / Aboriginal Art Online I am very proud to present this cross-cultural collaboration piece as a RedBubble born success. Bianca asked me to collaborate with her after seeing a piece I did with Kookylane, I was honoured to re-interpret her pen sketch into a vector phenomenon. This piece was submitted to Queensland Health and accepted (with personal modifications for the client only) to represent Bowell Screen Queensland (ironically), they are giving us $2500. Thanks for the magic Indigenous Bianca… You should see the portfolio of pinkstinks, she’s a kooky chic… Not really representative of her soiree of paintings in my opinion, but you may also like to check out her artists’ collective group proppaNOW. COLLABORATION FEATURE / Googa and Heather King Heather King / I am in love with any and all art forms. / I paint on canvas, digitally, and live for photography. / I am 33 yrs old and have been capturing what I feel on paper and canvas since I was little. / I live somewhere in canada where the art scene and passion for anything seems to be lost. / There is so much beauty out there, people just refuse to open up their eyes and hearts (in this city anyways). / Music as well is EVERYTHING. / attrition, legendary pink dots, black heart procession, lycia, blonde redhead, the cure, the swans, bel canto, etc. Googa / Hello, I’m Googa, I am a father of 4 girls and 2 boys, I have a passion for Music, art and cooking. / I have been inspired by the amazing works of art, photography and poetry on red bubble and have reignite the flame of creativity juices and expression. / Through high school I was inspired by Salvor dor dali as I love surrealism and music by Ozzy Osbourne, Satriani, Vai, Hendrix, / Van Halen and Steve ray Vaughan. / I am very opened minded and straight to the point and love chocolate and phase three GTHO’S / Thank you people of red bubble for your inspiration. / Kind Regards / Googa COLLABORATION CLASSIFIEDS [initiative] / Transitions Book Project / James Piece I’m a better photographer than I am writer, so I want to open up the project to collaboration to writers. If the places in my photos move you, and you can write, be it a poem, a few inspiring sentences or a longer piece about, around or introducing the places or themes in the book please get in touch, either write something and email me or leave it as a comment on the work etc. I’ll start adding things I like as journal entries or into the descriptions of the photos with acknowledgment of course. Anything that ends up online or in the book will be acknowledged and of course you get a copy or two of the book and an invite to the launch. Any takers ? The vibe from collaborating with other artists is so positive. It’s a great way to see yourself from another perspective too. Chill out in the Collaboration Space, it’s getting better all the time… Shout out to Mellissa Vowell for the creation of the Collaboral Damage Group... and her moderator dabble of course. Melissa took collaborations in the Forum to the next level, somehow made it a live active space for people to get excited and test their skills and ideas. Happy days everyone!!! / kathleen APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO RECEIVE THIS MORE THAN ONCE!

• November Exhibition
  by Raven5

  A personal journey of reflection, belief & acceptance, the works are all from deep within the artists mind, reflecting love, loss, pain …

  A personal journey of reflection, belief & acceptance, the works are all from deep within the artists mind, reflecting love, loss, pain & redemption. / Each piece combines the artists Croatian heritage as well as her Australian upbringing. / An emotional and sometimes confronting collection of works. / Although having exhibited before, this is Raven’s first solo exhibition but / certainly not her last; her next exhibition to be held in Paris March 02 to 14 2009 – / a coup for any artist & more so for an emerging artist, demonstrating her National & International market value and her unique & honest approach to art & life. This is a wonderful opportunity to see & purchase original works before the rest of world does-an exhibition not to be missed. All who have viewed her pieces could not but be moved & drawn to them. Working in Water-colour, Gouache & Acrylic on both Paper and Canvas these works have an original style & methodology, much like the artist herself. Having faced & concurred her own fears & demons, she now shares them with us & in so doing opens up the possibilities for us to look into our own thoughts, fears & actions. Her pieces are romantic & beautiful but also confronting and emotional. / Combining a spirituality & freedom of thought with integrity & sincerity. A journey of escapism in the truest sense, escaping from our personal fears of failure & loss. There is nothing more freeing than being true to oneself & this artist invites you to journey with her & perhaps find your own moments of freedom within her pieces. Ochre– Gallery / proudly presents: Inner Reflections Beyond The Conscious / Original works by Raven

• Say Sorry on Feb 13th!!!
  by pinkstinks

  For those Australian’s out in the Bubble world who have switch on the tv in the last week two you will be aware of the governments decis…

  For those Australian’s out in the Bubble world who have switch on the tv in the last week two you will be aware of the governments decision to appologise to the Stolen Generations of Australia’s Aboriginal peoples. In the spirit of reconcillation (as an indigenous australian myself) I would like to invite all interested members of Red Bubble to show there support and create there own Sorry Statement and upload it to the Aboriginal Art group ” and with abit of luck the powers at red bubble will also pick up this idea and theme the home page in the spirit of reconcillation. Please feel free to share this with other bubble members – it would be great to see a ground swell happening & I will make sure that many of the elders that I know will see your sorry statements on Feb 13th. If you need to find a reason to say Sorry read below: THis is an exerpt from an e-mail I recieved recently. / From Crikey: / Mythbusters: ten sorry excuses exploded / Editor of The National Indigenous Times Chris Graham writes: There’s nothing like a little ‘sorry’ debate to get white Australia all red and puffy. Here’s a punter’s guide to exploding 10 of the more virulent myths surrounding a national apology to members of the Stolen Generations: It was done by a previous generation. / Not correct. Of all the Stolen Generations myths, this is the biggest. If it were “previous generations”, then surely there’d be no-one left to apologize to? The facts are that the removal of Aboriginal children continued well into the 1960s and early 1970s. It’s worth noting it was absolutely raging during the late 1950s, when a small, lispy man named John Howard was serving as president of the NSW Young Liberals. Saying sorry won’t deliver better results in health, housing or education. / Here’s a surprising revelation for you—saying sorry is not supposed to deliver health, housing and education. Equally, saying sorry won’t prevent governments from delivering health, housing and education. This particular objection is perhaps the dumbest of them all and is run by conservatives like Warren Mundine, Noel Pearson and The Australian. Its fundamental flaw is that it relies on the premise that Australia is so backward as a nation we can’t deliver practical outcomes while simultaneously delivering symbolic gestures. In other words, we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. I will not be made to feel guilt and shame for something I didn’t do. / In the case of younger Australians who were not alive during the removal practices, the word ‘Sorry’ does not have to be an expression of shame or guilt. It can be an expression of empathy, as in ‘I’m sorry to hear your mum died’ or ‘I’m sorry you got hurt in that car accident’. Personally, I was born in 1972 when government started to abandon the removal policies. I don’t feel shame at my personal actions, but I do feel shame at the actions of my country. As for older Australians, many claim ‘I had nothing to do with it’. Well, that’s part of the problem – bad things happen when good people stay silent. The point is not that older Australians participated in the removal process, but that they did nothing to stop it. Saying ‘But I didn’t know it was happening’ is certainly more than sufficient to keep you out of a court of law, but it’s not enough to excuse you from a collective national apology. If you’re still confused on this front, you might recall that several years ago, John Howard apologized to Vietnam Veterans for their treatment when they returned from the war. Again, having been born in 1972, I didn’t mistreat Vietnam Veterans. But I had absolutely no problem with the PM saying sorry to them on my behalf, because I am sorry (and I ashamed for my nation) that they were treated so poorly. Some Aboriginal leaders have said an apology is not important. / Sure, but almost every one of them (hi Warren, hi Noel!) are not members of the Stolen Generations. Their views on whether or not an apology is warranted are no more or less relevant than your or my view… because none of us are victims. Aboriginal people can’t even agree on an apology. / Wow, Aboriginal people have this amazing thing called ‘independent thought’. The facts are that some members of the Stolen Generations don’t want an apology. That’s their right. But the overwhelming majority do. That’s also their right. It costs us nothing. / Contrary to popular opinion, a national apology will have no legal affect on the capacity of members of the Stolen Generations to seek compensation. As a nation, an apology costs us nothing. Period. I didn’t do it! / No, you didn’t. But you certainly benefited from it. Just as all Australians today, even some black Australians (hi Noel, hi Warren!) have directly benefited from the theft of Aboriginal land, all Australians have benefited from the removal of Aboriginal children. Why? Because almost all children who were removed to government institutions were then forced to work for the government or private citizens for little or no pay. In America, they called that process slavery. In Australia, we called it ‘apprenticeships’. / In December 2006, both the federal parliament released a report supported by the ALP and the Liberals acknowledging the stolen wages scandal. The people who performed the removals were good people who did a bad thing. / Big f-cking deal. Good people do bad things all the time, but that doesn’t mean they’re excused from apologising. It won’t affect white Australia, so why worry? / The removals practice AND the use of this issue by John Howard as a race wedge is a stain on white Australia’s recent past. Just as Aboriginal people need an apology to move on, white Australia needs to apologise to move on. Saying sorry won’t change the past. / Sadly, it won’t. But it will have a massive impact on the future. That’s the whole point. A real apology will mean an enormous amount to Aboriginal people. I still can’t fathom what sort of a nation would deny them one. Thanks in advance. Bianca Beetson / (Pinkstinks)

• Hidden Treasure/Little Green Teapot
  by Karin Taylor

  !ht…

  Today i got two more surprises!!! Firstly my new dear sweet bubble friend udonchow purchased my Hidden Treasure card from my ! and I thank you so much udonchow, i hope you will really like it very much! Secondly a dear old friend i used to play with when i was a young girl has reappeared into my life again through Facebook, her name is Priscilla (or Pris for short) and we both had fathers in the Police….we used to dance ourselves silly to Abba….lol….well, today Pris purchased Little Green Teapot long sleeved tee from my ....and i am really tickled pink!!!! Thank you Priscilla :D I hope you enjoy wearing it!!

• What Cultural Background Are you?
  by Arletta

  Warning: This is meant to be humorous, but, truthful. Sometimes I get asked that, but, most people do not understand, or accept, the …

  Warning: This is meant to be humorous, but, truthful. Sometimes I get asked that, but, most people do not understand, or accept, the answer. I suppose what they really mean to ask is what ethnicity my blood is and was I raised with any of the stereotypical/traditional values of persons from such ethnicities. Still, culture is what they asked, so culture is what they got: I’m Alaskan I wear flannels, by choice. Duct tape is my friend! Racists are for pointing at and laughing about, but not a good reason to leave a party! Unless they are really nasty about it, and won’t shut up, and try to kill people. Then they have to leave the party! So, see? I am Alaskan. That is my culture. It isn’t just where I was raised, but how I was raised, and what land and weather patterns and mixture of other cultures that were brewed together there helped to raise me. We are not like the people from Georgia, Alabama, Texas, California, Florida, etc. And, while I am mostly Irish by blood, I am certainly not just like the Irish from Ireland or the Irish-American sort, either. I wasn’t raised to be any of those things, or American, or anything but myself and in Alaska. That’s what makes me Alaskan. More on racism: Rocks will be thrown at heads. This is why you jump in the ditch. It doesn’t matter if it’s Natives throwing them at white people or vice versa: ditches are your safety zone. It’s not racism, unless children, elderly, or invalids are attacked or until they hunt you down after you jumped into the ditch, or they refuse to even drink with you. If you don’t like it, tough: it’s not your culture! On dress codes: Bunny Boots are to be worn to the Opera, Rock concerts, movies, romantic dates, casual family get-togethers, and the birth of your first child. No, you don’t have to wear them, but if you are wearing them, people should look at you with envy or amusement. If they don’t, it’s proof positive they aren’t Alaskan enough to matter. Only Alaskans can wear ‘Alaska’ t-shirts. We are not Calvin Klein, marking our territory and claiming ownership of people. If we wanted slaves, you’d be allowed to wear the t-shirts; but, as it is, we are the only ones that should be labeled as Alaskan. Go wear a t-shrt that labels you as being from Texas or wherever it is you came from! Exceptions, possibly, are for Hawaii. Yes, we will wear your t-shirts, but only as a joke and a bit of a culturally based Dare. It makes our skin crawl, and that makes us laugh. Exceptions are still, possibly, for Hawaii. D.D.T. is necessary and any environmentalist who does not concur should be immediately shoved into a nearby stretch of woods without it. Dynamite and machetes, both, are tools in the hands of Alaskans. They are not weapons and we do not care about the impact of either on the environment. The fact is, when a 2 ton, or so, enraged bear is coming after us, we want to make an impact on the environment. We don’t care about your silly, puny, little Elephant guns. Get it through your head that we usually stop playing with cap pistols by the time we are five or so! It’s not a blizzard, just because the roof blew off the house and you can’t find it, now, because of the snow that fell in the ensuing two minutes. It’s snow and wind! If it was a blizzard, you’d be in Michigan or someplace like that where they believe in blizzards! Rain is good! Rain means less dust in the air, less mosquitoes in the air, and less smoke from forest fires in the air. The only time rain is bad is when there is ice on the roads! It is not child abuse to walk with your child in the rain, without rain coats or umbrellas. It is child abuse to never let them out in it! Children should work. Adults should play. Also, vice versa. These are some of the many, varied social laws that make up the Alaskan culture. Another one is that only Alaskans are allowed to know these things, as stated herein, so, if you are not Alaskan, you must stop reading and erase your memory of this posting STAT.

• Rebubble D.R.I.P.
  by mikoto

  What does drip stand for? Dividend Re-Investment Plans. Why am I telling you about some stockbroker jargon? because if you sel…

  What does drip stand for? Dividend Re-Investment Plans. Why am I telling you about some stockbroker jargon? because if you sell something on redbubble you get a commission, a kickback, a dividend! My DRIP is going to be to spent whatever money I earn from redbubble back on redbubble. I just got a little dividend and so now I get to go shopping! too easy. Im sure this in not a unqiue idea but I love how its called a drip. funnily enough I got the info from another website with a favicon that is disturbingly similar to redbubbles. see for yourself: http://beginnersinvest.about.com/od/dividendsdrips1/a/aa040904_5.htm scotty

• Talk To The Hand !
  by Crowmanic

  Was working with a “traditional” Aboriginal woman the other week. went to p/u to take home from a “women’s business” program, she had her…

  Was working with a “traditional” Aboriginal woman the other week. went to p/u to take home from a “women’s business” program, she had her young grandson with her, visiting from the Central Lands area. His English was somewhat better than hers, so I asked if he’d interpret for me where needed as I discussed a few matters with his Grandmother. He was more interested in listening to the rap music on the car stereo, and when I persisted in asking him what his Grandmother had said, he turned to me, in his “american mannerisms and hip-hop speak” and said, “Talk to the hand” ! / Oh yes, how far we haven’t come, and saddening to see and hear. (At least for me.) (1 May 2008)

• Punched in the face
  by Samuel Durkin

  That’s right the artist spends everyday struggling with art, trying to make something worthwhile, then on a night out meets the un-cultur…

  That’s right the artist spends everyday struggling with art, trying to make something worthwhile, then on a night out meets the un-cultured person who has a dark and possibly psychotic attitude to artists. Not your average moron this time, but a partial physicist no less. One however that cannot handle the fact I do not care about monetary wealth but care more for art. He decides to spend an hour insulting me in an attempt to rile me to aggression. sure I eventually decide, I do not like him much and insult him back and state that I believe my art is at least as important as his science he eventually looses his cool and punches me full in the face. I take it. I’m a large guy, 6’ 3” and know from experience I can hurt people if i fight back, So i just take the punch and stand my ground. He though throws another and I take that one too, but still do not move or even react. By now the night club I’m in people decide to join my side, as I am evidently not the aggressor and many of them know me. and he’s kicked out. I haven’t faced this level of aggression since my early twenties and then i may have bothered throwing a punch back, but I’m older and wiser and feel my calm response is a growth and strength. And maybe it even proves art and culture is better than science and money :) I at least get to paint naked ladies and create things people will treasure and he gets to look for invisible partials that could destroy the world. I know which I think is the better life and more worthwhile, and don’t need to hti people to find prove it.

• Going Slightly Invisible
  by PhotogeniquE IPA

  This year is Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year, and I’ve signed on to be a volunteer with the Culture Company. This means that, with w…

  This year is Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year, and I’ve signed on to be a volunteer with the Culture Company. This means that, with work commitments as well, I am finding that I don’t have too much time free for photography and RB at the moment. / / So, just to say, I’ve not abandoned you, my RB friends….. I’m just going to be slightly less visible over next few months, but still involved with the NW Group hosting, and still looking-in regularly and keeping in-touch as much as possible. / / Dave /

• Sans Famille - Remi and MB's suggestion - Progress Report.
  by Ozcloggie

  / Took up MB (artworks)’s suggestion. “Do a series” she suggested, after she saw my first version…

  / Took up MB (artworks)’s suggestion. “Do a series” she suggested, after she saw my first version of Remi, the the main character in the book: “Alleen Op De Wereld” (Alone in the World), written by Hector Mallot , with the title: Sans Famille. / / So I chose another illustration from the book and started, at home, the other day. / / Today, I took it to the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre, where I was filling in for another board member and passing the time with painting. / / . / . / / There were _some visitors today!!

• New Group - Pop Art
  by Kitsmumma

  Hello Everyone This is to let you know of another exciting new group, the Pop Art group. / A group f…

  Hello Everyone This is to let you know of another exciting new group, the Pop Art group. / A group for artists of all mediums whose work is inspired by and reflects popular culture. So, all you wonderfully creative Pop inspired artists out there, join the Pop Art group and start adding your work. Yours in Pop Kitsmumma

• so...
  by zarathustra

  Inspiration. Where does it come from? Does the brain juice up chemicals and channels itself to a tune that radically lin…

  Inspiration. Where does it come from? Does the brain juice up chemicals and channels itself to a tune that radically lines symetry and synergy? Shit There is no way to know. I can only say that there is something that definately drives us and in some crazy way makes sense out of what to others may just see as senseless fucking jabber. The beat we march to is different in everyone of us and we should not take that for granted. Pop music composers have what I like to call a common demoninator with the rest of us, or maybe the majority, surely taking in consideration cultural education and all sorts of other outer influences and factors. Its those that transend and stand out and alone regardless of positve or negative feedback from thier sorroundings and fellow brothers, that find true meaning to their time here on earth. Shit!!! For all its worth (To you all, probably not much but, I lost the point I was trying to get across to you) Fuck it, at least I’m not watching primetime television and feeding on the system’s own MSG, and belive me it comes in all forms. The way I see it, either I’m crazy, or I’m a genius… Or I could just be like the majority and just be wishing I was a breed apart. Where do I get my inspiration from, you ask? Well, I think I get my inspiration from pain, the desire to find meaning to what sometimes seems meaningless, love, a pretty smile,the quiet whisper of “I love you “I once heard many years ago from an old girlfriend as I gently Invaded her body. You see, there is no need to be subtle anymore. Until I grow up or give in and realize I can’t go against the wind all of the time or, I thrust to the next level of thinking thus not making my random thoughts I waste of my time and yours, I’ll keep on keeping on. The Good thing about my quest for the truth is that there is no solid answer and as ideas and principles do, the truth keeps changing… I’ll be busy for awhile and I think you should too. Trust me even senseless rants like mine have a meaning somewhere in the universe and in time. See you on top of the mountain my friends and remember if the load you have is too heavy, its not a sign to drop it, but to prove to yourself, you are more than what you are right now. Have a wonderful day. Jonathan Virgilio Baez

• *My Flying Art Series*
  by Mariam Muradian

  ...

  Copyright 2004 Mariam Muradian. All rights reserved. I painted this series after hang gliding at 10,000 feet! / Here is more artwork as a slideshow. Oil pastels , acrylics, and charcoal on canvas. / CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE SERIES SLIDE SHOW!

• Indigenous Cultures, Copyright and the Digital Age
  by pinkstinks

  Indigenous Cultures, Copyright and the Digital Age / By Michael McMahon The development and internationalisation of the `institutionali…

  Indigenous Cultures, Copyright and the Digital Age / By Michael McMahon The development and internationalisation of the `institutionalised’ intellectual property system has occurred without any specific consideration being given to the particular needs and aspirations of the indigenous peoples of the world. In Australia over the past twenty years there has been increasing interest in these needs and aspirations1 but to date little has occurred to assist indigenous Australians through the intellectual property system. The limited achievements have been the result of action by individuals to protect their rights under the existing intellectual property regime.[2] Indigenous laws dealing with intellectual property and endeavours remain unrecognised in Australia and most countries.[3] The need for action to recognise and protect indigenous knowledge has become ever more urgent as the pressures to commercialise information, knowledge and cultures builds and accelerates in what is popularly called the Digital Age. These pressures become harder to resist as technology, transport and travel shift information, articles and people around the globe with relative ease. The rules of the game are changing rapidly and we are all operating into a new context, `one in which borders no longer have their old meaning, rights and powers may not be defined by spatial boundaries, property cannot be protected in traditional ways, and much of the economic, social, and cultural action has been attracted to the upstart venues of cyberspace.’[4] Digital technology-which allows for all previous forms of communication and information, including text, graphics, sound and moving images, to be encoded into strings of 1’s and 0’s and retrievable at an address-is changing the intellectual property scenario at a rapid rate. Some writers and commentators believe that copyright will adapt and survive the latest technological developments in the way in which it has in the past.[5] Others argue colourfully and sometimes persuasively that the copyright system in particular will not survive.[6] If this latter group are right then the main `plank’ of the institutionalised intellectual property which indigenous people in Australia have used to protect their artistic and cultural expressions will become less relevant and difficult to administer.[7] The basic proposition of these writers and commentators is that the very foundations on which copyright developed-that reproduction and dissemination were difficult and expensive and so could be controlled-no longer apply in an environment where information can be created, stored and disseminated in digital form. The ever expanding application of digital technology will continue to have profound effects for all people. Keeping pace with, let alone trying to anticipate, the changes and consequences of the application of digital technology to so many aspects of our lives is difficult. Indigenous communities face particular challenges because of the problems they already have of accessing and applying the existing intellectual property system to their cultures, let alone trying to deal with one which is coming under increasing strain from changes in technology. In any situation there are generally opportunities and the digital age offers some to indigenous cultures, although accessing them may not be as easy as many of the more enthusiastic writers would have us believe. Taking advantage of the benefits of digital technology involves considerable costs which are often overlooked by the commentators such as John Perry Barlow. This is particularly true in the application of digital technology to computer networks—the process which has given birth to the Infobahn. Never before has it been possible to transmit information so quickly and in such quantities as the Infobahn allows. The possibilities sound great but the reality is that costs of computer equipment and software remain beyond the reach of many people, let alone the problem that many remote indigenous communities have no access or high cost access to telephones and electricity. For example, the community of Yirrkala is situated in Eastern Arnhem Land and is well served with utilities. The community has an enviable record of introducing technology and training people in its use, particularly in its model Literacy Production Centre attached to the Community School. However, for anyone in the community to go `on line’ during the day at present to take advantage of the Internet would cost $18 per hour in telephone charges alone to connect to the nearest service provider in Darwin. This means that if the Community School wanted to use the Internet for three hours each day it would cost them about $11,000 per year in telephone charges alone. The present funding environment means that such costs act as a barrier for remote indigenous communities which want to connect to the Infobahn so as to benefit from what it may have to offer them. While there are very progressive uses of digital technology by some indigenous organisations such as the Tanami Network8 and developments in satellite technology will improve the opportunities to `connect’ from a remote location, it is going to take considerable expenditure and investment if indigenous Australians in remote areas are to take full advantage of the Digital Age. As William J Mitchell puts it in `City of Bits’, his `windshield survey along the Infobahn’: `No network connection at all-zero bandwidth-makes you a digital hermit, an outcast from cyberspace. The Net creates new opportunities but exclusion from it becomes a new form of marginalisation.’[9] / Many of the community based indigenous organisations which may be able to provide access facilities are being squeezed for funds and having to adjust their priorities. Purchasing computers, training people in the use of them and getting on to the Infobahn all have to compete with the more immediate concerns of health, housing and sewerage in most indigenous communities in Australia. / Another issue that is often overlooked but which is crucial to indigenous people is that as well as having access to equipment and services at a reasonable cost, using digital technology also involves education and training. There may be real advantages in having communication, reproduction and dissemination of information easier but you still have to know which keys to press on the keyboard or where to position the cursor before you click the mouse. For many people, but particularly indigenous people in remote areas for whom English may be a second language, there are major educational barriers blocking access to the Infobahn. But if these `threshold’ issues of cost and training can be adequately addressed then indigenous communities will be well served by the changes to information technology. In the past indigenous people living in remote communities could be easily marginalised and to a large extent ignored in a world where geography determined so much of one’s destiny. In the Digital Age that need no longer be the case. Indeed, marginalisation will come (or already existing marginalisation further exacerbated) from a failure to understand use the opportunities which digital technology offers. Properly equipped and trained indigenous communities will also be able to take advantage of control over the dissemination of information which digital technology allows, as well as reach a much larger audience than is presently possible. Traditionally indigenous communities have relied on reproduction and dissemination of their information by people outside their communities. This has often lead to disappointments and misunderstandings. The use of on-line digital technology will mean that indigenous people in remote areas will be able to exercise greater control over the amount and nature of the information and material which is disseminated from their communities. This would be welcomed after such a long history of surrendering control over so much of their artistic and cultural information and material to third parties to interpret and present to the rest of the world. Already some communities are realising the commercial potential of the Internet10 http://www.ozemail.com.au/~jukurrp and it is to be hoped that before too long we are reading about communities selling their art direct to American purchasers rather than auction houses.[11] While recognising the importance of such developments it is also necessary to recognise the very real fears in communities of `rip-offs’ of their intellectual property, particularly in the digital environment where issues of protection remain uncertain and the potential uses and dissemination so wide. If William J Mitchell is correct and the economic engine in the `soft cities’ of cyberspace is the `bit business’-the production and consumption of digital information-then indigenous people may be able to participate in ways that have not previously been open to them. They will have access to information which would have previously been inaccessible to them. They will be able to exchange information and develop strategies with other indigenous people around Australia and around the globe. It will be their common interests which will bring them together. Location will no longer divide people. As well as the indigenous specific law reform work referred to above the previous Commonwealth government had begun to address some of the more general challenges to the copyright system through the work of the Copyright Law Review Committee.[12] That work has been given an added imperative following Australia’s participation in the Diplomatic Conference held by the World Intellectual Property Organisation in December 1996. At its conclusion that Conference adopted the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty.[13] http://www.wipo.int/eng/index.htm These treaties will have an important effect on copyright law in Australia over the next couple of years as the government decides whether Australia should amend its laws so as to be in a position to comply with the treaties’ requirements and ratify them. The Copyright Treaty contains Articles which are intended to set new standards for the digital environment, including the introduction of a new exclusive right of `authorising any communication to the public of their works, by wire or wireless means, including the making available to the public of their works in such a way that members of the public may access these works from a place and at a time individually chosen by them.’[14] Indigenous people need to be part of the process of adapting the copyright laws to fit the Digital Age. They will need to articulate clearly their needs and demands for a better system of intellectual property protection or alternative arrangements which will protect their cultures in a fast changing technological environment. They too will have to live in the Digital Age where `intellectual property protection will simultaneously become both more necessary and more difficult to obtain.’[15] At the conclusion of its Diplomatic Conference in Geneva in late 1996 the World Intellectual Property Organisation stated that it wished to do further work on indigenous intellectual property rights and will hold a conference for this purpose in Thailand in April this year. If the Commonwealth Government is serious about its election commitment to address the copyright issues of indigenous Australians it must ensure that it draws on the experiences and work done by indigenous people so that it can play a central and leading role to achieve results at the WIPO Conference. But it should not take the position of handing it all over to WIPO. Considerable work has already been done in Australia and the needs have been largely identified. Those needs are expanding with the increase of digital technology, particularly on-line. What is really required now is the political will to act. Experience in the legislative protection for intellectual property has shown that if the political will, need and impetus are there, change can come. It came when the Commonwealth Parliament hastily passed the Copyright (Amendment) Act 1984 to avoid international discrimination over uncertainty as to protection for computer programs in this country. It also came quickly in 1989 with the passage of the Circuit Layouts Act after pressure from the United States. The need was identified and acted on quickly with the passage of the Olympic Insignia Act 1996. The needs of Australia’s indigenous people for intellectual property reform are no less urgent and are becoming more so in the Digital Age. —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- [1] The Working Party on the Protection of Aboriginal Folklore commenced work in 1975 and reported in 1981 (Report of the Working Party on the Protection of Aboriginal Folklore, Department of Home Affairs and the Environment, 4 December 1981). In October 1994 the Commonwealth published an Issues Paper entitled `Stopping the Rip-offs—Intellectual Property Protection for Indigenous Australians’ (Commonwealth of Australia, 1994). Work and consultations continued although the continuation of the process has become uncertain under the present Government. [2] The recent history of indigenous artists use of the law to protect their artistic and cultural expression is set out and illustrated in Copyrites—Aboriginal Art in the Age of Reproduction, NIAAA and Macquarie University, 1996. [3] See the casenote by Martin Hardie in this issue concerning the action by John Bulun Bulun and George Milpurrurru where the claim includes a claim in customary law relating to the land from which the artist’s work arises. [4] Mitchell, William J, City of Bits—Space, Place, and the Infobahn, The MIT Press, Cambridge (Mass.), 1995, p.168. [5] Stanbury, WT, `Aspects of Public Policy Regarding Crown Copyright in the Digital Age’, (1996) 10 (2) Intellectual Property Journal 131. (Stanbury analyses the arguments of John Perry Barlow in the article listed in footnote 35). See also Collie I, `Copyright is Dead….or is it?’ 1 (1) Artlines 10 and the comments of Schwartz, E., in his Introduction to the `Copyright in the 21st Century’ Symposium, (1995) 13 (2) Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal 13. [6] See in particular John Perry Barlow, `The Economy of Ideas: A Framework for the Re-thinking of Patents and Copyright in the Digital Age (Everything You Wanted to Know About Intellectual Property is Wrong)’, Wired Magazine, March 1994, p. 84; and Nicholas Negroponte, Being Digital, Hodder and Stoughton, 1995, p.58. [7] Courts are sometimes finding it difficult in dealing with the concepts of computing and digital technology. A Federal Court judge recently distorted a long established copyright principle and sent shock waves through the local computer software industry when he found that a single word in a computer language was a computer program in which copyright subsisted. See Data Access Corporation v Powerflex Services Pty Ltd and Others 33 IPR 194. The decision is being appealed. [8] Tanami Network Pty Ltd is an indigenous owned video-conferencing network based at Yuendumu. It has undertaken important work in linking communities and has also been involved in the development of multimedia product. [9] Mitchell, William J, City of Bits—Space, Place, and the Infobahn, The MIT Press, Cambridge (Mass.), 1995, p.18. [10] [ is the Jukurrpa Artists’ web site. This collective of women artists sell artwork from the site. 11] See Sally Blackney, `Sold to the Terminal in the Corner’ in The Weekend Australian, 1-2 February 1997 where it is reported that Sotheby’s put the whole of its Aboriginal Art Sale catalogue on the net and had an American buyer ring up and spend $18,000. [12] Copyright Law Review Committee, `Copyright Reform: A Consideration of rationales, Interests and Objectives’, February 1996. [13] See the WIPOweb site for the full text of treaties and other material: [ 14] Article 8, WIPO Copyright Treaty, 20 December 1996. [15] Rubin H, Fraser L and Smith M, `US and International Law Aspects of the Internet: Fitting Square Pegs into Round Holes’, (1996) 3 International Journal of Law and Information Technology, 117 at 129. —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- / AustLII: Feedback | Privacy Policy | Disclaimers / URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AboriginalLB

• From The Back Of The Closet - #2
  by Ross Robinson

  Welcome to this week’s Back Of The Closet! Another brilliant pop cul…

  Welcome to this week’s Back Of The Closet! Another brilliant pop culture shirt this week from MiniMumma called Yum Yum 80s Retro Three Now, if I have to explain this one to you, you obviously weren’t watching enough afternoon television in the 80s. It is of course, The Goodies!. I apologise to those too young, and those who never saw it, but The Goodies are a cultural reference point for a whole generation. Along with Dr Who, Kenny Everett and Monkey, they ruled after school television. / The genius of this shirt is that just from the hair (and Graeme’s glasses) you know immediately who it is. It’s a triumph of design simplicity. Here’s what MiniMumma has to say about the shirt: My inspiration was only one of the best TV shows ever on, well, TV! My older sister got me into them and from then on we fought over who was the best – she claimed graeme or tim were I was a firm Bill Odie fan. I will still marry Bill one day… Actually, Graeme was my favourite I must admit… Thanx to MiniMumma for letting me showcase the shirt. Tune in next week – same closet time, same closet channel for another episode of From The Back Of The Closet!

• "The Twelfth"
  by Debbie Black

  So what’s it all about? My latest images are from one of the many “Twelfth of July celebrations” that are held all over Northern Ireland …

  So what’s it all about? My latest images are from one of the many “Twelfth of July celebrations” that are held all over Northern Ireland each year. But for those of you who don’t hail from our “wee provence”, it might be a little confusing – bands, banners, “orangemen” in sashes and bowler hats…. Click the link to find out more about the day. Note – the link is to wikipedia and so all info may not be 100% accurate – search for info through any search engine to find out more Enjoy!

• Australian Skateboarding Culture Over The Last Thirty Years
  by reflector

  It seems like a million years ago since I first tried to ride a skateboard – my life has changed, as I have, in so many ways that each ne…

  It seems like a million years ago since I first tried to ride a skateboard – my life has changed, as I have, in so many ways that each new phase of life brought new attitudes and ways of being that were often radically different to those which preceded them. However, most of these changes were more of a gradual evolution than a sudden revolution, and sometimes the changes I was going through were almost imperceptible to me. This is almost exactly how skateboarding has changed over the years from the flowing, surf orientated style of the early 1970’s to the way that people skate today. I have learned so many tricks that at some stages I did not believe I could ever learn, as well as others which I could not even conceive of in earlier times. Skateboarding has evolved because of skaters unstoppable desire to push everything to extremes. Tricks that were once never even thought of, or were considered to be pretty well impossible to land have now become a reality. All the tricks are steadily being taken to higher heights, at greater speeds, and all while skating on new types of skate terrains. We used to skate at as many as half a dozen spots a day on the weekends, spending an hour or two at the best ones. Loud music, unreal tricks, unruly behavior and a lot of fun was had by all. No harm intended. Toronto High school was another one of the most frequented, radical spots in the whole of Newcastle before there were any skate parks. It had manual pads, sets of 2 or 3 steps, small benches and the basketball court banks – they were 3 flat banks with slightly different slopes. The list of tricks that everyone was trying here was expanding all the time. All kinds of boneless ones, ollies, early grab airs, shuv-its, kick flips, and slides were being attempted. People from Newcastle were starting to gradually catch up to the Americans – who had always been a million light years ahead of us because they started the whole sport / culture and were pushing all of the limits, all of the time. They had a huge Pro-Circuit and the largest skateboarding population and industry in the world – they still do. Aussies were like their little kid brother who looked up to them and wanted to be like them because they were cool and they could do things that we weren’t able to do. The Most Popular Skate Gear In The Late 1980’s and Early 1990’s In the mid to late 1980’s there was an explosion in the number of brands that were available for all your skating needs. Powell-Peralta; Vision skate gear & Vision Street wear; Santa Cruz boards, wheels and accessories; Alva; Venture; World Industries; G & S Skateboards and accessories; Schmitt Stix boards, clothes and wheels; and Australian brands like A.T.S, Burford Blanks, Cockroach, Righteous, Borgy, Universal, and Bonzer. There were many other smaller brands who had their supporters like Skull Skates and a few others – many of them have vanished from the scene. Skulls and Skeletons became hugely popular on decks, wheels, helmets, shorts and T-shirts. For a few years there were a lot of really cool designs coming out and some truly atrocious ones as well. In the early 90’s the skull had become old and boring and the whole look of skaters started to change. The skate shoes at this time were all high tops which gave good protection for your ankles and feet, but they didn’t completely eliminate ankle sprains or occasional bruising. They really went to town in the colours and the art that they used on skate shoes – there have never been shoes used for any other purpose that were as colourful or decorated. One version of Vision Street Wear shoes had Blowflies printed all over them, and the Australian company Cockroach Wheels printed their wheels and T-shirts with Cockroaches all over them. The influence of Hip-Hop culture and Hip-Hop street wear started to appear in skateboarding culture in the late 1980’s, and at the time a lot of skaters did not like it at all. Heavy Metal, Death Metal, Thrash, Punk, and Rock and Roll had always suited skateboarding. They all had a lot of energy, and skaters everywhere listened to this high energy music to “psyche themselves up” to attack and destroy skate terrain. The early 1990’s saw Hip-Hop culture blending into skate culture even more – the clothes that skaters wore started to be “over-sized”; Hip-Hop language started to be used by skaters; and people were increasingly “psyching up” with Hip-Hop and Rap instead of Metal and Punk music. To watch a short skate video that I made called Experiments In Inertia please visit my web site by clicking here ” Freedom Movement Energy ” – Digital Illustration

• "Chairman Of The Board" Featured In "Spirit Of The Native Indian"
  by Susan Bergstrom

  I was SO glad to hear of this group… / Spirit of the Native Indian / It was…

  I was SO glad to hear of this group… / Spirit of the Native Indian / It was finally a place to post all of my “Native American Series” artwork… Thank you, Hosts of this group for featuring my painting of a pretty grand man of the Native American Culture. Everyone, check out this new group…!!!

• AustralianReader
  by Kate Smith

  AustralianReader wet ink for hungry minds Submit your work to AustralianReader.com, an online read…

  AustralianReader wet ink for hungry minds Submit your work to AustralianReader.com, an online reader showcasing Australia’s best new writing. General Submissions We accept works that have been published through small and independent presses, and unpublished works. We invite you to submit fiction, non-fiction, poetry and plays for publication. There is no word limit on submissions, but we publish only works that have been written within the last 12 months. Your submission must be: -engaging, entertaining, and inspired / -structured appropriately for the genre / -written by you (i.e. an Australian, or a person residing or staying in Australia at the time of writing) / -penned or significantly revised within the last 12 months To contribute, send us an email containing your submission and a short bio. Note that while AustralianReader.com takes all care in protecting the rights of authors published on this site, like any other online entity, we are unable to guarantee the safety of works from potential illegal reproduction. We pursue theft of work through all available channels, but understand that by permitting the reproduction of work on this site, authors recognise and accept the potential risk involved. AustralianReader.com is run on a purely voluntary basis and does not pay for submissions. / Subscribe to AustralianReader.com and Win! / Each month, we give away a copy of a book featured on the site to a lucky new subscriber. Subscribe for free and receive monthly news, reviews, special offers and more! / / / / Take a Break! / Escape to a faraway land: from India to Italy, our Travel stories are guaranteed to transport you to another place. / / Need to Read? / Get up to 50% off new titles by top Australian authors in our online bargain basement and feed the need!

• Cultural Differences
  by Gregoryno6

  One the one hand, Japan. And on the other hand, America=...

  One the one hand, Japan. And on the other hand, America.

• Racism Sucks
  by littleredplanet

  I was really moved by the post earlier today by Helen Bascom http://www.redbubble.com/people/hmbascom/journal/1193814-i-have-given-up…

  I was really moved by the post earlier today by Helen Bascom http://www.redbubble.com/people/hmbascom/journal/1193814-i-have-given-up. She and her family have been hurt by racism in the real world and even in our own RB community. I think racism sucks and I don’t like to sit and watch it occur. I want to get off my butt and actively promote tolerance and understanding – like Helen has been doing here for many months. I would like to propose that we celebrate cultural diversity and harmony by having a RB theme day centered on ending racists attitudes. I’ve made a post in the RB Feedback and Suggestions Forum: / http://www.redbubble.com/groups/redbubble/forums/3/topics/16765-racism-sucks-theme-day-on-rb Any takers?

• "Hoop Dance" Featured in Dance! Group!!
  by AndShesGone

  Many thanks to the Dance! group for featuring “Hoop Dance”! I am so happy with how these photos turned out!! !http://images-0.redbubbl…

  Many thanks to the Dance! group for featuring “Hoop Dance”! I am so happy with how these photos turned out!!

• "Lone Star"...Featured in "The Patchwork Group"
  by Susan Bergstrom

  Woke up to Lone Star being featured in “The Patchwork Group”! / This is another great …

  Woke up to Lone Star being featured in “The Patchwork Group”! / This is another great and fun group that I found in my explorations one day on RB. I am always on the hunt for a place to post my work so it has a greater chance of being seen by more people. / Take a moment and check out “The Patchwork” group! Thank you to the Hosts of this group…Susan