Head to my Montreal Blogspot to read about the Frenchies:

http://carli-montreal.blogspot.com/

Carli. xx.

Last Night in Chicago

Tonight is my last night in Chicago. Maureen and Susie left to go back to Australia today so i was in town to see them off. In the afternoon i went to the cinema to see 'Saw III', yes, they have made another one, and yes, it is pretty much the same story line.


I am not doing much tonight, just relaxing and packing up my bag. Tomorrow i am catching the bus to Montreal. I depart at 11:45am and arrive at 4:55pm, the next day. Yep, a long bus trip, it's lucky i have plenty of books to read.


Talk to you from Montreal, goodbye Chicago!


xx.

Kingston Mines

Last night we headed to the Kingston Mines, a jazz and blues bar just around the corner from where i am staying. The bouncer eventually let me in after not really believing i was 21. To make it obvious for the staff he wrote in a fat texta on both of my hands 'N/A' and tagged my wrist. He then called up another security guard to escort me inside and introduce me to the bartenders.

The place was fairly small, with two main rooms with stages and one bar, it lived up to the reputation of a seedy blues bar. The guy who was in charge was a big fat mafia guy who got up before each act and outlined the smoking and fire exit rules etc. During the act this man would smoke and block the exits with his big belly and little numerous women dirty dancing around him. The music was great, unfortunately i'm not sure how the beer was, but the atmosphere was good too.

Earlier that day i had a big ol' lazy wander around. I went to the pancake house for lunch which was a lot like the setting of the beginning scene in Pulp Fiction. The waitress kept on filling up my coffee, which now in America i drink black with lots of sugar. I accidently veered into a recycled clothing store and came out with a funky bright green cardigan.

Later on i headed into town to visit the Museum of Contemporary Photography and The Institute of Art in Chicago. At the Institute there is an exhibition called 'So The Story Goes', a group exhibition featuring Tina Barney:

Philip-lorca Dicorcia:



Nan Goldin:



Sally Mann:



and Larry Sultan:


all photographers that i have studied the past two years so it was great to see them in a gallery. Especially Nan Goldin's work 'The Ballad of Sexual Dependency', I own the book of this work but did not realise that it is a slide show with a soundtrack, a very powerful and moving piece when presented this way.

Monday

Today i found my suburb, a newtown-esque place called Belmont. I didn't have much time to explore so i'm going back tomorrow. It is about half an hour from where i am staying. I have started taking lots of photographs and it feels good. It is getting quite cold, i hope it snows before i leave. Oh well, lots of snow in Montreal and Halifax. I booked my bus to Montreal for the 16th, it takes over a day to get there! The hostel i booked is a 200 year olf restored building.

Talk to you soon.

xx.

Last Day of SOFA

Well, today is the last day of the exhibition. So far it has gone really well. Last night i sold my first big piece of art, a little drunk on the free australian beer at our exclusive australian private reception that evening. They served kangaroo, admittedly something new for me.

The weather is getting colder, it was meant to snow yesterday but just rained, i hope it snows before i leave.

Last night i drank warm sake with artists and collectors. I have been talking to a couple of galleries from Montreal who have invited me over and they say they'll introduce me to some young photomedia artists.

Three more days in Chicago, then to Montreal.

Carli.xx.

First picture of Chicago.

xx.

Wednesday

I started the day today yesterday, very early around 11am when the manager came into my dorm and started shouting my name, Maureen was on the phone. I headed into the city on the little bumpy train in the fog (yes, at 12pm) and wandered down to the Navy Pier. We set up our entire stand that day, which was very efficient, and was invited to dinner at the Hilton Hotel Homewood Suites, where Maureen and Susie (one of the artists) are staying. Andy, a Chicago local and eccentric gay, came to dinner with us. After dinner i had to prepare the price lists and labels for the pieces, this could be an easy and quick job, although with Maureen...when it got to 1am i thought it best not to catch the train home and stay in their hotel room.

Back at the Pier this morning, on a very clear and sunny day in chicago, the stand was cleaned and prepared for opening night on thursday.

We sold a set of two pieces today, and artists named Holly Grace, before the show even begins!

I'm a little afraid of the scary american collectors...

Carli. xx.

Day One in Chicago

I arrived in Chicago yesterday around 7pm. The Hostel i am staying at is called the Arlington International House, in Lincoln Park. The area is similar to north Syndey, lots of young professionals in expensive houses although the buildings are really nice, turn of the century castles. I really love the fallen autumn leaves which cover the street and sidewalks.

I caught my first train this morning, they are quite old and noisy and sparks fly off the tracks. My local station is above the street and in areas the platform is wooden rickety boards about 1 metre from the train. The subways are quite old aswell, the lights often flicker and go off, a little scary. But very cool.

The coffee is awful, and really big...i wonder if they have a branch of Campos here in Chicago...although they might serve an espresso in a mug.

Today i wandered through Manchester Avenue, where a lot of the expensive designer stores are and along the Navy Pier, where the exhibition is being held.

The weather is not too bad, around 10 degrees today, the floors are heated in the bathroom and in the bedroom so i am just wearing a shirt inside. I askes the taxi driver yesterday when it usually starts snowing and he said it could snow anyday, i hope so! today it was a little rainy.

I have taken lots of photographs although will have to get them developed and then digitised so maybe not till i get to Montreal atleast.

xx.