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  1. 2011 Inspiration: Marina Abramović

    February 19, 2011 by Tash Keuneman

    It was a complete fluke that on a Saturday morning I found myself squeezing through two naked people with my laptop in one hand and camera in the other.

    It was exhilarating to be so unsure of myself and to challenge my concept of personal space in such a direct way. I brushed against the woman’s tit with the back of my arm and apologised. It must have been over in two seconds.

    This is how I entered Marina Abramović’s The Artist is Present exhibition at the MOMA in May 2010. The naked people piece was called Imponderabilia and it should be noted that when it was originally performed it was the only entrance to the museum and the distance between the two people was greatly reduced, MOMA increased the width in the reenactment and provided an alternative entrance. I was getting personal-confrontation-lite.

    It’s very easy to mock Abramović’s work. She harms herself in almost all of her pieces: she’s carved a pentacle into her stomach, laid naked on ice and passed out due to carbon dixoide. Her longest, most recent piece involved her sitting in a big open space and inviting members of the public to sit across from her. She did this every day for three months for seven to ten hours at a time. No drinking, eating or peeing.

    But there’s a level of calmness in everything she does and I think that carries across to the viewer. Some of her work is quite confronting to watch, even if it’s grainy black and white footage, there’s an intensity.

    Two of my favourite artists, Björk and Lady Gaga are avid fans. Björk sat for the latest piece and her picture is on flickr along with the majority of people that participated. There was an interesting social media bonding that occurred within the participants. They have Facebook groups, tumblrs and an avid fan made a book that he presented to Abramović. It’s interesting to see how this random selection of people have created a sub culture that revolves around her piece.

    I love how Björk seems so human and intimate in this image.

    I’ve been thinking of Marina alot since The Artist is Present. When I went to the exhibition, I knew nothing about her, still don’t, her autobiographical statements are very selective. But her boldness inspires me. More so, the way she continues to test her own boundaries. When I remember her exhibition, I want to do more with my life.

    Category Culture | Tags: | 1 Comment

  2. Things I said I’ll never do, but glad I did

    February 4, 2011 by Tash Keuneman

    People often know me for having strong, severe stances on things. Thus, when I change my mind – I never hear the end of it. But I don’t care. There’s nothing more boring than a person never changing their mind and staying exactly the same.

    Thus, I present to you some of the biggest things I’ve changed my mind about.

    1. Date a Sri Lankan: This was for obvious reasons. Firstly, I don’t eat curry, secondly, Sri Lankans tend to be secular, thirdly, well, how can I put this, you don’t hear “what an attractive Sri Lankan” that often.
      Why I’m glad I changed: Well, the one exception to the rule, I’m still with him and let me tell you, apart from the sometimes awkward moment when he tries to kiss me after chowing down rice and curry, we actually get along.

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    2. Eat Burgers: Believe it or not, dear reader, up until the age of 16 I despised burgers of all kinds, from McDonalds to the gourmet shit you get at fancy restaurants. I distinctly remember my Dad trying to force feed me a cheeseburger at a stop over on the way to the Entrance.
      Why I’m glad I changed:       Do I really need to explain this one? A good burger is my version of Nirvana. A little garlic aioli, spanish onion, baby spinach and a solid piece of mince. My claim is that my huge consumption now is trying to make up for all the years lost. Same applies for: eating rare steaks.

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    3. Visiting the States: I always demonised the States. It’s easy when McDonalds infiltrated our country and we watched from afar the war that was started after 9/11. Three little words showed the worst version of Americans: George. W. Bush.
      Why I’m glad I changed:       Disclaimer: I hated my first year in the States. Goes to show how stubborn I can be. I spent so much time looking backwards at what I left behind in Australia that I didn’t see all the friends I had in front of me. Now I miss the States, in a crazy head-over-heels kind of way. I don’t want to say it’s the center of the universe, but you can get important shit done there with less effort and things are cheaper (because labour is cheap). You know how there’s that idea that Americans think the world revolves around them? Well, it rubs off after a while and I began thinking the same way. It’ll be interesting to see if I think the same way in a year.

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    4. Get Married/Change my Last Name: You may not have realised this one (and if you haven’t, get your head checked) but I am a proud feminist. From the age of ten I was swearing that I would never get married. Invest in a ritual that was created so that men could have multiple wives and multiple kids? Support the fact that only heterosexual couples can get married in Australia? I don’t want to be a part of that. As for changing my last name, when hell freezes over. I wanted my potential spouse to change his last name.
      Why I’m glad I changed:       Well, I really like my fiance. I know it’s important to him that we get married and as long as this means we’re not popping out a kid, I’m ok with it. We negotiated on the last name thing two years ago on a delayed plane to Melbourne. If we don’t get married in a church, I’ll take his last name. Done deal. I chose the lesser of two evils, ha ha. Seriously, he has a cool last name, just as difficult to spell as mine, but once you’ve got it down pact, it rolls off the tongue. Dad, if you’re reading this, I still love Jayasinghe.

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    5. Wear make up: See above feminist rant. Apply it to the make up industry. I’ll only be happy when men start wearing make up and we start shaving our faces. I write this sarcastically, but there’s a thin layer of truth in it.
      Why I’m glad I changed:       I look fucking good in red lipstick.

    What have you changed your mind on? Be proud!

    Category Culture | Tags: | 2 Comments

  3. Happy Halloween!

    October 31, 2010 by Tash Keuneman

    Happy Halloween! It’s a quiet one for me this time, all my Halloween-themed things are in boxes so just imagine I’m writing this dressed as a Stepford Wife.

    BUT! This time last year, I was carving pumpkins and getting my hands dirty with the Johnsons and Mastrangelos.

    Today I made pancakes and poached eggs for ten people, a usual breakfast occurrence, I had some friends I’ve known for half my life drop in on a second’s notice and witnessed my brother do his last night as a barman, dressed as Spiderman. The great thing was, he was hot as fuck underneath the suit but refused to take off the mask for aesthetics. Yup, we’re related.

    I’ve been working on my portfolio, I’m really excited about it. I’ve also been researching photographers in Sydney that I want to work with. Practicing yoga and eating über healthy is heart-warming. I tried to meditate without any audio guidance the other day, it was the hardest thing I’ve done in a while. Longest twenty minutes of my life. I shall keep it up, if only to see if it improves.

    My 16 year old Beiber-loving sister painted my nails black. Hello and have a blast tonight!

    Category Culture | Tags: | No Comments

  4. I miss my comfort blanket

    June 15, 2010 by Tash Keuneman

    Hola from Lima, Peru.

    It´s the second day of the four month adventure. And I fucking miss the internet. I’ve been using my smart phone as a distraction, as a form of entertainment and as a comfort blanket whenever I’m nervous or stressed. And when it´s gone, I’m frustrated. Bit of a hot mess, actually.

    Which brings me to waking up an hour earlier than needed to google the lifespan of a crab on a slow computer in the hotel’s business center.

    Um, what?

    Well, I’m so used to having instant information gratification that when it´s gone (a.k.a paying $20 per megabyte) I go a little crazy.

    I tried to check my email three times yesterday, facebook and twitter once and the temperature twice.  I missed Yelp when we had to pick a place for dinner.

    There was crab on the menu for dinner and I wasn´t sure if they were being over-fished. And I just needed to know, right then and there, the population of crabs in the ocean. It stayed in my head like an itch so here I am, some 12 hours later, googling in Spanish. Turns out they’re not completely over-fished but like anything else in the ocean, levels are generally low.

    - Rant over, holiday stuff starts here. -

    I was a bit (ok, devestatingly) sad to be leaving the States. It’s funny as fuck, really. I spent the first year wishing I would leave and moaning about  and then in the last three months I find the best friends in the world and it was this big rush to spend as much time with them as possible.

    A handful of people changed my whole perspective on a country, amazing isn’t it?

    So the first half of my trip there was plenty of sad faces and long sighs on my end. And then I did some yoga, tried to stay present and it’s getting better, although there’s still things that make me laugh/get sad: exaggerated fist bites, people asking what the time is (1962!) and drinking beer.

    Spent the majority of yesterday travelling down to Peru. The in-laws surprised us at the stop over in Panama City, was a blast to see them a little bit earlier than planned.

    Lima was quite gloomy but we walked around a little. I spotted all of these old cameras in a market and almost died with excitement but I couldn’t go ape shit on the purchases one day in! Dinner was ok, it was a hotel recommendation and quite frankly, I’ve had better Peruvian food in Maryland.

    Off to Arequipa in a couple of hours. But I just had to visit you, internet, and make sure you’re ok since our recent seperation. I miss you, you look good. Now can we kiss and make up?

    Category Culture | Tags: | 3 Comments

  5. My first (and last) keg stand

    June 5, 2010 by Tash Keuneman

    My first keg party from Tash Jayasinghe on Vimeo.

    There are pros that do a couple of keg stands at the end of this video – to give this whole thing some kind of merit.

    Beer from red plastic cups = bliss. I felt like I was in an American movie, like Roadtrip, Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle or Europtrip.

    Mum, aren’t you proud of your daughter?

    Email from my mum the next day:

    I am proud of, been a first timer you kept up to ten, but I’m also glad it was your last. What’s the idea of been lifted up?
    love
    Mum

    Mum, my friends tell me the upside thing is just to make it difficult.

    Category Culture | Tags: | No Comments

  6. New York Pizza and Funnel Cake

    May 31, 2010 by Tash Keuneman

    I love how my friends have all whole-heartedly embraced my quest for American novelties. I’ve been given peeps and attended keg parties (video coming soon). Love, love, love my mates; I say it here because I’m emotionally awkward when I’m face to face.

    The above is funnel cake, which is this thick standard flour/milk/egg batter that’s deep fried and then covered in icing sugar. Got it with Stacey and Todd. The funnel part is pretty simple, the batter is poured through a funnel into the hot oil to create the interlace pattern. I loved the oily goodness but can’t imagine eating a huge one, the monotone flavour is a bit much. But hey, at least I can replicate the carnival food later on!

    Check out my New York pizza slice! The one in the picture is called a “magic square” and I had it at Nonna Apa in the Lower East side of New York. Side note: I hated the touristy spots of NYC but loved Lower East side. It really changed my perception of the city. A good Chinatown will make me swoon. Most people buy tshirts in New York, I left with baby bok choy, scallions and aloe vera juice.

    I was slightly disappointed about the pizza. New Yorkers keep on banging on about how unique the pizza is up there (down here meaning D.C) so I expected different flavours to jump around in my mouth but when I took my first bite, there was nothing…I liked it, it was crispy and the sauce was good but I’ve had better.

    Please don’t stab me New Yorkers.

    Category Culture | Tags: | 4 Comments

  7. No.1 is crossed off!

    May 23, 2010 by Tash Keuneman

    My biggest thing to do in America was to shoot a gun.

    T’was my birthday last Saturday and Wendell surprised me with a trip to the shooting range. At first he told me we were going sky diving and I was so shattered and disappointed (see: rolling around in bed with a sad face) that he confessed to what I knew all along. I was going shooting, bitches.

    I act all tough in retrospect but the truth is, I wore my skull and crossbones belt to the range but felt so intimidated by all the pro shooters that I quickly put my cardigan over my “hardcore” accessory.

    We were only in the range for an hour but that was enough. I bet if I was shooting at moving things it would have been more exciting but then I wouldn’t have felt nearly as good afterwards – my hit rate would have been lowered. The gun was heavy! I was looking forward to having the gun recoil when I fired a shot but no such luck. I’m all into bruises that I can show off but it’s all good.

    And to top it all off, we went to Komi for dinner. Hmm. I can still taste some of the courses and plan on at a minimum, mastering the goat shoulder recipe.

    This was my first go at collecting audio and photos. I plan on buying Soundslide, the demo below worked like a treat.

    Category Culture | Tags: | 1 Comment

  8. The best damn writer in Australia

    May 9, 2010 by Tash Keuneman

    Yeah, you heard me. I’ve been reading Sam de Brito’s blog All Men are Liars for six months now and his articles are always interesting, timely and honest. He’s like the National Geographic in my blog reader, well-researched, informative and something I can strike up a conversation about later on.

    The reason I’m bringing him up is his latest work on the word pussy. I swear, this is not a feminist whinge. It’s written by a no nonsense type of bloke. And I loved every word. The below is taken mid-stream but you should seriously click on this link for the rest. Your brain would thank you for it.

    However, if a person really lacks strength, if they’re a wimp of the highest order, they might attract the next level of aspersion: pussy.

    That’s right, you heard me, you pussy.

    Some would argue this is merely a contraction of the term “pussy cat”, which strikes me as sweetly naive, considering its double-meaning has been mined by comedians for more than a century…

    So, while I’d love to think guys screaming “pussy” at the opposing team at football matches are referring to tabby cats, somehow I doubt it.

    This is kind of funny because so many men spend their lives chasing said pussy, yet, when they want to diminish someone, they label them with the object of their desire.

    Category Culture | Tags: | No Comments

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