“Fun On The Beach”

by Carl (CAKUart)

Oil on Canvas – 50 x 40cm

        

“Nice Catch”

Oil on Canvas Panel

40.6 x 50.8 centimetres

        

Oil on Canvas Panel

40.6 x 50.8 centimetres  (16″ x 20″)

        

Title: “On The Beach With Mooshy” by Carl (CAKUart)  -  Oil on canvas – 60 x 50 cm

        

The Quaint Lighthouse – Oil on canvas – 40.6 x 50.8 centimetres

        

McLaren Vale Vineyard – Oil on canvas panel – 30.5 x 40.6 cm

        

"East End" by Carl (CAKUart) - Oil on Canvas - 60.9 x 91.4 cm

Adelaide’s East End is where it all started for me; both as a musician and a visual artist.

I once played a gig at the Exeter hotel in Rundle Street with my band, Main Offender, back in 90’s, and the security from across the street wandered over to inform the security at the Exeter, who then informed our sound engineer, who whispered into my ear in between songs; that we had to turn our volume down.

Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Of all the requests to be made of a Rock’n'Roll band eh?

I told the other guys in the band. We all laughed together, then kept playing… without dropping our volume one little bit.

“That’s a first”, said our sound engineer; referring to the fact that he had engineered the sound board at the Exeter many times; and never had he been told to turn the volume down.

“We’ll accept the notoriety” I replied to our engineer after the show.

Our first ever gig in the East End was at the Botanic Hotel. We had to unload our equipment via the outside stair well (on North Terrace) that was soaked in vomit from the previous nights activities, and for which also had no lighting to help us see what we were doing. Real cute. But…we donned our “In It For The Rock’n'Roll” hats and soldiered on and rocked the joint out.

Our last ever gig years later was up the street a bit and around the corner at the Crown and Anchor. It was probably the best show we ever played. I think I remember seeing sweat on the walls.

Years later I changed hats and first started exhibiting my artwork in the East End.

If you were to ask me, I’d tell you that the East End of Adelaide is really where the creative heart of Adelaide beats. It is a culinary courtyard of culture. Despite the odd establishment that reeks a little of “uncool, trying to be cool in a cool area” it’s still vibrates with a reasonable amount of honesty.

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When there is a gap of silence now, it reminds me of just how loud it is normally. That’s okay, I can deal with that. The immediate noise in my life has always been and will always be louder than any noise the neighbours could make – not that I’m provoking a challenge though.

I don’t pretend to have big plans for my kids. Their heads are full of their own ideas as it stands. They don’t need much persuading; just the support to see their ideas through.

I once read that art is important because reality is really just an illusion. Heavy stuff? Perhaps. But what I get from that quote is that we can try to pave the way to ensure our kids have a successful academic future, but the real source to fulfilment is encouraging their creative output into the world.

There’s nothing wrong with your kid being an accountant; just make sure he or she comes home from the office and plugs a Fender Stratocaster into a amp after dinner.

I often wonder if the cause of a lot of people being unhappy is because they live most of their life inside their own head and don’t offer anything to the world in terms of creative output. Instead they spend their life resisting the urge to “paint the valley” or learn that 12 bar blues on the piano.

I’ve chosen to live by the same philosophy as my Pa – and that is to leave the LP record cupboard open and show the kids how to use the turntable. Let the kids conjure up their own ideas to create with free access to the tools that make the journey of life all the more worthwhile.

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Our Lady Peace by Carl (CAKUart) Acrylic On Canvas 90 x 90 cm

Quite often I’ve come across an artist statement where they mention their primary desire or reason for creating art is to escape.

Or their art is a form of escapism.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, but the thing is… I don’t really get it.

What about this…and this is just me writing while I try to understand it a bit better.. but what if what they were really trying to say is that they produce art to actually better understand life, walk through life easier – rather than escape it.

I’m of the belief that the past really has no power over the present if you can really be present.

Just as the future (worry, doubts, i.e. mental forecasting) has no power if you can be present.

All that exists, and will ever exist is the present.

It aint always easy to realise this just as it aint always easy to be present, but it’s possible and essentially it is the truth.

It’s my understanding that the energy we personify as a human being can never be anywhere else in time but right here right now. Just like the song says (thanks FatBoy).

Oh here is where that guy at the back stands up and says, “Who are you Carl to vomit guru jargon only to sound like you are undermining peoples primary reason for creating?”

Er… I’m not Mr Man, my disclaimer is that I’m just trying to understand it. Psst.. that’s my art form by the way;  trying to understand stuff (wink).

To really create you have to be present – truly awake for the moment in other words. So in many respects you have all the power you need to create by being present and therefore; don’t really need to escape anything at all. We are talking consciously of course, not physically – just wanted to clear that up before we trundle along any further.

I think a better word or art form title for artists to use would be “refocus”.

“My art is a form of refocusing – and I accept life’s realities, harsh or pleasant”

How good does that sound? Lots good.

The issue I have with escape as an art form is that it sounds to me like someone is at the danger of ignoring life. I think the goal is to try and get better at living, rather than trying to escape it. It aint always easy, but it sure is possible by gosh.

        

Rather than fire me on the spot he simply pointed at me and brashly told me, “It’s not boring… you’re boring!”

Ouch!

It would have hurt less if he had just fired me instead.

I learnt a very valuable lesson from my senior subordinate that day. Almost anyone who knows me well, will tell you that I never state that I am bored. I cannot remember a time when I was last bored.

I once read that the cure for boredom is curiosity. In other words, get curios about more things in your life and you will eliminate boredom.

Stop waiting around for other people to entertain you.

Boredom is simply being totally absent from any good ideas.

I always quietly laugh to myself when I hear people state that they are bored. In fact, I think it’s funny enough to mention a few antidotes for the “restless bore”… and they are as follows:

Walk down your local mall with your laptop held to your chest so everyone can see your monitor screen that says, “I Really Cannot Believe How Sexy I Am”

Put on a huge afro wig and head to the hairdresser and tell them you want it straightened

Go to a fancy restaurant and sit at a table on your own and look around at people with a pair of binoculars

Go to the supermarket, and start a fierce argument with an aubergine (eggplant), “What do you mean you wont go into a curry!”

See how many pie floaters you can eat in half an hour

When a telemarketer rings answer with, “Hello, This is Maurice, welcome to “How to deal with telemarketers helpline”, can you please state your full name, origin, mothers maiden name, your favourite football team, political preference, the last movie you watched, suggest a great name for my sisters new baby and provide your waist measurements before we begin. However, to hear this message again please press 6, to continue, please press the receiver…”

Spend a whole day starting every sentence with, “Well, it’s like this Barry…” to everyone you come into contact with.

Measure your Weinus (the flabby skin on your elbow) and email all your friends the measurements – “Hey Chuck, guess how long my weinus is…”

Ring one of your friends and when they answer tell them, “Yeah, look I’m busy, I can’t really talk right now” and then hang up.

Go up to a fellow worker who is quietly working in their cubicle and shout, “Duncan, for crying out loud, can you PLEEEEASE keep it down!” even if their name isn’t Duncan.

Make a sign that says “Does my butt look big in this?” and hold it up to the surveillance camera at your local mall.

Get on a bus and every time someone gets up to hop off, hollar, “Hey Barbara, this is your stop, no really, it is… it’s your stop. Say hello to the family for me…” even though chances are, their name isn’t Barbara.

Kindly offer people in the elevator, “What floor do you need?” and then press the wrong one.

When someone tells you “Have a nice day” reply loudly, “Please stop telling me what to do, Margaret!” even if their name isn’t Margaret.

Next time you see your friend posting how bored they are on facebook or twitter, provide them with a few of these or your own ideas to help break the boredom in this world. We aint got long you know – 80 years thereabouts. Why spend any of that time being bored. Just sayin’ (wink).

“Perhaps the world’s second worst crime is boredom. The first is being a bore” – Cecil Beaton