INTRANSIT 2026
OCTOBER
I wished to see and hear live gamelan music as I had dreams and ideas about percussionist orchestras. I also had a few ideas about drawings, jackfruit and the cosmos. The difficulty would be to join all my thoughts and dreams into something coherent, which I must say is an ongoing chore. The desire to speed up the arrival of summertime was also on my mind. These days I feel the cold more so than I did in the “good old days”. When the good old days were I am unsure but they were some days ago. Back then I was immune to the cold, now I feel winter chills shuddering my bodies extremities. On some evenings I even wear socks to bed. A trip northwards to warmth was the answer. Carolina and I found two cheap tickets and flew that way.
Here in Java they dont do cold unless you trek up one of the high mountains or sit semi naked in a hard core full blown executive air con train carriage for hours. Kretek flavoured warm air wraps around us as we search for things we do not know. The city of Yogyakarta is made up of 400,000 people and it seems that many of the men smoke clove cigarettes. I try not to smoke but the spicy smell tempts. A few packets of these evil things will end up in my luggage for sure, to spice up my life. In fact I have a slight tradition to smoke clove cigarettes during festive seasons. Traditions are hard to break.
We eat Gudeg (jackfruit stew) while ambulating about the city. Walking is the only way to see detail. In many cities across the world pedestrians are sadly overlooked. Rich of poor walkers seem to be allotted much less space than vehicles. I stomp about as much as I can unmechanised.
We tumble over pavements like fleshy uncertain roller coasters. Up and down, up and down over broken cement, tree roots, under dangling aerial roots, over polished tiles, chessboards of pebbles, archaic litter, dusty flat portions of rat, faded lines and the occasional puddle. Zigzagging heat worn tracks, avoiding shards of brickery and deep fried street foodies. Concealed grand mothers in the shade and sparkling kids in pressed uniforms watch us wander about lost. Graffiti or street art rules here. From shadow puppet intricacies to slashy neo tag speak, even cute rats are depicted magnificently on bankrupt walls. Its a visual trip and I try not to trip but I eventually do and mess up my ankle for a few days. Gotta look where you are going is the lesson. That rubber neck tourist trap got me. Too much to see and texture never bores. A lack of car honking horns is much appreciated and smiles seem to be easy to tease out of the most toothless grumpy elders.
We drink cat caca kopi or palm civit (lewak) coffee after a visit to the enormous ancient buddhist Borobudur temple where too many visitors seem to be excited by something called sunrise, which I hear happens each day at some places.
We tumble over pavements like fleshy uncertain roller coasters. Up and down, up and down over broken cement, tree roots, under dangling aerial roots, over polished tiles, chessboards of pebbles, archaic litter, dusty flat portions of rat, faded lines and the occasional puddle. Zigzagging heat worn tracks, avoiding shards of brickery and deep fried street foodies. Concealed grand mothers in the shade and sparkling kids in pressed uniforms watch us wander about lost. Graffiti or street art rules here. From shadow puppet intricacies to slashy neo tag speak, even cute rats are depicted magnificently on bankrupt walls. Its a visual trip and I try not to trip but I eventually do and mess up my ankle for a few days. Gotta look where you are going is the lesson. That rubber neck tourist trap got me. Too much to see and texture never bores. A lack of car honking horns is much appreciated and smiles seem to be easy to tease out of the most toothless grumpy elders.
We drink cat caca kopi or palm civit (lewak) coffee after a visit to the enormous ancient buddhist Borobudur temple where too many visitors seem to be excited by something called sunrise, which I hear happens each day at some places.
Snake fruit called salak, sour sops, sate sticks and street stalls all delights which kept us going. We eat enough or too much or not enough.
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A train to Malang then more walking, writing and sweating. More snake fruit, spices and bright dragon fruit juice that turns my tongue purple. Rainbow painted river villages, a fabulous bushy low key cafe, too much smog to see the sun clearly but its there and cooking. Non stop rivers of traffic and green green pandan cakes keep appearing on my plate. I like Malang with its sweet sludge-like strong kopi, its Indonesian characteristics permeating old Dutch architecture, the volcanic mountains outlining the horizon and a general feeling of - “unity in diversity” or was the feeling more like “somehow we continue.”
The gamelan world of music was investigated, ever to the heavy metal versions which had a fascinating grubby urban aroma. We watched musicians pluck, sing, clap and bang away on gongs, genders, pencos, sarons, bonnags and kempyangs. Members of the orchestra wore curly daggers called kris tucked into their cloth belts possibly ready for any audio conflict from pathetic pop music or other unpleasantness. I did dream of becoming a percussionist but best if I stick to what I know, whatever that is. Listening to live gamelan was magic and dreamlike in itself so I shall listen to plenty more. Applause to the bands!
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Our short spicy taste of a mess of 17,000 islands was extremely limited nevertheless those gamelan beats continue to tinkle away in my head as I tap my pen on the table and scribble this text. Terima kasih.
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AUGUST
It is cold in the studio as no heating at all but it's not like a polar cold so I put up with it. It is just that chilly cold to be found in the south western part of Australia. No blizzards in sight. I do wear a hat to stay warm and I may even look for my fingerless gloves as I type these words. Sitting down mostly playing with wax, coloured mud and a keyboard is not the best way to keep warm. I dream about warmth. I felt warmth in that Bangkok studio some months ago. It was actually hot and sticky and looked a bit like this - https://vimeo.com/1196882059. I think I shall watch the short video to keep me warm.
Back to here and another year zips along, In fact 50% of 2026 has already slipped away. My focus at the moment seems to be on new work, some of that happens on paper, some on old carpets and some on my laptop. I wrangle with some words as it is a medium I am friendly with but not too friendly. We actually don't talk that much but I feel close to many words. There are many of them that is for sure. Some words are totally charming others are really nasty bits of work. My chore is to place a selection of them in a group without making them baffling and bothersome. I think I must try. The brain seems to be in the mood once it is enticed out of slumber and slothfulness with a few cups of coffee and bribes of spiced fig jam on toast.
Recently it was time to have a break from the cold studio world as Carolina and I had to do birthday business which meant a yum cha feast and a bottle or two of fermented liquids. We said things like WWhhoohhooooo and chhhheeeeers and then I woke up with a blaring headache. Oh well…Silly me, Now back to the studio.
Creativity seems to be not a bad thing to continue doing as I have been sipping on that teat for a long long time now. Looks like I will continue to do so over 2026 as someone has to do it.
Making something from nothing is tricky and perhaps that is actually impossible. The latin term “creatio ex nihilo” refers to creating something out of nothing but I feel that things are more complex. I know that I feed off all the bits and pieces that surround me. All the views, colours, news, smells, lights, thoughts and flavours swirling about. That rich raw sea of stuff is far from nothing and from that bundle of stimulus I create from, not nothing. I cannot even comprehend what nothing actually is. Something is easier to comprehend that is for sure. Seems like time to do something now.
All I have to do is stay warm, doodle, cull, consider, paint, type and drink another cup of coffee.
Back to here and another year zips along, In fact 50% of 2026 has already slipped away. My focus at the moment seems to be on new work, some of that happens on paper, some on old carpets and some on my laptop. I wrangle with some words as it is a medium I am friendly with but not too friendly. We actually don't talk that much but I feel close to many words. There are many of them that is for sure. Some words are totally charming others are really nasty bits of work. My chore is to place a selection of them in a group without making them baffling and bothersome. I think I must try. The brain seems to be in the mood once it is enticed out of slumber and slothfulness with a few cups of coffee and bribes of spiced fig jam on toast.
Recently it was time to have a break from the cold studio world as Carolina and I had to do birthday business which meant a yum cha feast and a bottle or two of fermented liquids. We said things like WWhhoohhooooo and chhhheeeeers and then I woke up with a blaring headache. Oh well…Silly me, Now back to the studio.
Creativity seems to be not a bad thing to continue doing as I have been sipping on that teat for a long long time now. Looks like I will continue to do so over 2026 as someone has to do it.
Making something from nothing is tricky and perhaps that is actually impossible. The latin term “creatio ex nihilo” refers to creating something out of nothing but I feel that things are more complex. I know that I feed off all the bits and pieces that surround me. All the views, colours, news, smells, lights, thoughts and flavours swirling about. That rich raw sea of stuff is far from nothing and from that bundle of stimulus I create from, not nothing. I cannot even comprehend what nothing actually is. Something is easier to comprehend that is for sure. Seems like time to do something now.
All I have to do is stay warm, doodle, cull, consider, paint, type and drink another cup of coffee.
MAY
In France we stayed at a fantastic small hotel called DOMAINE DU MEUNIER. Built in1893 this charming bed and breakfast looks out to the port of Mortagne-Sur-Gironde. A little north of Bordeaux. (domainedumenier.com) This lovely small town is a little off the radar but with superb multi lingual hosts who go the extra mile with hospitality and ample extra touches including a charming garden, local walks, musical festivals, film evenings, 25 pin ball machines, big breakfasts, chickens running about, a model railway set chugging around the dinning room, fresh oysters and fish straight from the local boats just in front of the hotel… it is well worth a visit. If you are near Bordeaux I suggest a few nights here.
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In Europe I became a Flâneur of sorts. I refer to a 19th century privileged character who strolled around Paris or other cities without a specific target or reason. To be a city dweller who sips apertifs and watches cities do their thing is ok for a few minutes but I personally need some form of artistic focus or end game to make sense of all that lackadaisical coffee fuelled observation effort.
I was not a solitary walker as I strolled with Carolina and two Scottish friends in Mortagne which was a very fine planned reunion. We all wandered, reminisced and contemplated our combined and separate routes in future locations. We each loved to walk and exploration was always on the menu. Markets, buildings, people, galleries, the sky and pit stops in cafes were all added to our daily flâneuring.
I was not a solitary walker as I strolled with Carolina and two Scottish friends in Mortagne which was a very fine planned reunion. We all wandered, reminisced and contemplated our combined and separate routes in future locations. We each loved to walk and exploration was always on the menu. Markets, buildings, people, galleries, the sky and pit stops in cafes were all added to our daily flâneuring.
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I think I went to Luxemburg but I am not sure if that place is real. I did visit Bordeaux, Berlin, Amsterdam, Wageningen, Den Haag, Porto, Barcelona and back to Bordeaux to finally pick up our luggage. A mad rush about Europe is a mad thing to do as all those places and many faces to see in each city all in three weeks is tricky but we were very lucky to be able to do such things and to see such things.
While rushing about I heard chants, football songs, church bells, many forms of music and I watched a full moon with old friends. I tried hard to see many people in many locations but a small stomach bug killed a few days and many of my plans. I was infected by a nasty brown belly virus probably due to airport or inflight coffee drunk somewere on the trip. The cost alone of airport coffee anywhere is enough to make anyone sick and the taste is often similar to stale powdered tree bark. Airports are gaudy intense small towns these days and the never ending lines of people make travel not as fun as it was.
I did eventually repair my belly and my mind after some days and I must thank those in Europe who kindly looked after me when I was off colour.
While rushing about I heard chants, football songs, church bells, many forms of music and I watched a full moon with old friends. I tried hard to see many people in many locations but a small stomach bug killed a few days and many of my plans. I was infected by a nasty brown belly virus probably due to airport or inflight coffee drunk somewere on the trip. The cost alone of airport coffee anywhere is enough to make anyone sick and the taste is often similar to stale powdered tree bark. Airports are gaudy intense small towns these days and the never ending lines of people make travel not as fun as it was.
I did eventually repair my belly and my mind after some days and I must thank those in Europe who kindly looked after me when I was off colour.
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It is now time to savour all those bits of memories as we settle into a southern hemisphere winter. Here in Western Australia it is nothing like a northern European winter but cold is cold wherever you happen to be. I must buy some fire wood as I think about what happened where, with who and what I actually did the past three months. Already March and April 2026 have become fabulously blurry zones in my mind-scape.
APRIL
Did I have fun in Melbourne.? Yes indeed as there are far too may fabulous people there. Some I have been drinking beer with for decades!
After Melbanian beers I fell into Bangkok which I was recently told has a formal ceremonial name that is far from short. wanderlustBangkoks full name is - Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. ( กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบูรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์ )
This elongated name somehow sums up the city and makes it clear to me that I am in a massively rich nation with a long history and I will never be able to get a strong understanding of the complexities, colours, cacophony and cultures that call this city home. The other noticeable thing about locals here is that they are very fond of food. If they are not eating some snack, on the way to grab some street food or actually cooking they are thinking and planning the next snack or meal. I totally understand why as Thai food is exceptional. If lucky I may be able to have a fairly good excursion into the cuisine of this marvellous city of angels but beyond that I am just a lost Farang.
I am working at the MATDOT art centre in the old part of town and it is a well run ship. Comfortable, busy and stimulating. Thanks to the main man -Tawatchai Somkong who is the founder of MATDOT. He and others have built an incredible art hub in busy Bangkok. Studios, art activities, art business, a small shop, a cafe, accomodation for artists both local and international, networking possibilities and more all in a fabulous part of the city. Noisy, hot and wild yes but it is a city of somewhere between 6 and 12 million people so that is to be expected.
The great MATDOT team include - Sananchoi Naumnuai, Chalotorn Anchaleesahakorn, Sarana Wiriyaprasit. Not Jenketrakarn, Natkamol Jaisan, Jiraporn Chareonprasobsuk and Saisuree Mesiri. Plus the fabulous baristas (Cheers, Noon and Ball) in the cafe who fed me coffee daily and kept me smiling all did a sterling job. I also thank the charming and very creative Choosri Pothong or Ji Ji. I thank everyone for looking after me while I was installed in the Cabin room.
There was also a number of contacts to see including the charming Charlee Sodpresert in his rambling and ever changing artist space studio. Thanks Charlee.
I am working at the MATDOT art centre in the old part of town and it is a well run ship. Comfortable, busy and stimulating. Thanks to the main man -Tawatchai Somkong who is the founder of MATDOT. He and others have built an incredible art hub in busy Bangkok. Studios, art activities, art business, a small shop, a cafe, accomodation for artists both local and international, networking possibilities and more all in a fabulous part of the city. Noisy, hot and wild yes but it is a city of somewhere between 6 and 12 million people so that is to be expected.
The great MATDOT team include - Sananchoi Naumnuai, Chalotorn Anchaleesahakorn, Sarana Wiriyaprasit. Not Jenketrakarn, Natkamol Jaisan, Jiraporn Chareonprasobsuk and Saisuree Mesiri. Plus the fabulous baristas (Cheers, Noon and Ball) in the cafe who fed me coffee daily and kept me smiling all did a sterling job. I also thank the charming and very creative Choosri Pothong or Ji Ji. I thank everyone for looking after me while I was installed in the Cabin room.
There was also a number of contacts to see including the charming Charlee Sodpresert in his rambling and ever changing artist space studio. Thanks Charlee.
If I combine all my past trips to Bangkok the total time spent here must be at least 18 months which is a bit more than I thought. I consider extended stopovers, a friends wedding, a reunion or two, three long periods where I set up studios in the Thon Buri neighbourhood as well as other short visits which all indicate that I like the place. There is a flavour to Bangkok that lures me back. Is it the people, the buddhist ambience, the food or just the crazy mega city vibe that seems to all work? The city has many political, economic, religious, military and royal problems that I know but here I am once again wandering about captivating Bangkok with its sticky air, sticky rice and its sticky charm.
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I held two public talks at MATDOT for an assortment of University students where I spoke about my art practice, my wanderlust and exotic Antarctica. Students from Silpakorn Fine Art University and MA students in ASEAN Studies for Sustainable Development as well as PhD students in Multicultural Studies at Mahidol University. A leading centre for interdisciplinary research on language, culture, and society in Asia. Students were from China, Myanmar, Laos, Japan and of course Thailand. One final talk was held at Chulalongkorn University to a large mixed group of students engaged with art, communication, culture and penguins. Some students possibly dreamt of holidays in cooler climes as Bangkok was getting super warm and the heavy humidity seemed to increase each day. Luckily the Songkran water festival is very soon.
I thank MATDOT and the Australian Embassy in Bangkok for arranging these three artist talks while I was in town.
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Tawatchai Somkong and Adisak Somkong (aka Bomb) were both working hard to create new work as was I and it was a pleasure to meet these two artists. Other creatives came and went as well during my stay which made the residency active but it continued to primarily be a working space for me and most other creative persons passing through the doors.
I managed to complete two sets of small works on paper which was actually a plus for me as my plan when landing at BKK Suvarnabhumi airport all those weeks ago was to begin working on a set of short stories. I did spend tons of hours writing, reading and moulding semi fictional stories but screen time on a lap top for longer than two hours is painful. I often ran up into studio 2 to experiment with colour, water, textured paper and lines. Another place I ran to was a local cafe that served a great range of Thai food interestingly named- Steve-cafe. I just had to go there at least once a week. Soon I will jump on a plane and head northwards to Europe where I will no doubt visit a few other cafes.
I managed to complete two sets of small works on paper which was actually a plus for me as my plan when landing at BKK Suvarnabhumi airport all those weeks ago was to begin working on a set of short stories. I did spend tons of hours writing, reading and moulding semi fictional stories but screen time on a lap top for longer than two hours is painful. I often ran up into studio 2 to experiment with colour, water, textured paper and lines. Another place I ran to was a local cafe that served a great range of Thai food interestingly named- Steve-cafe. I just had to go there at least once a week. Soon I will jump on a plane and head northwards to Europe where I will no doubt visit a few other cafes.
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Studio 2 at MATDOT with works on paper. BANGKOK STEPS.
FEBRUARY
We survived the incredible sights as well as the horrid hazardous air of New Delhi and somehow the festive season in W.A. which involved the evacuation of our town as a large bushfire got very close to our home. Getting this text message below during the festive time was not jolly at all nor was watching massive smoke plumes blow our way from our front verandah. Feeling a wild hot wind with 40C temperatures made Xmas extremely stressful. I thank all the fire fighters who perform one hell of a job and saved the town from going up in flames.
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Now it is late February 2026 and our town seems back to normal except for the massive 40 square kilometres of burnt out area nearby. Bushfires are indeed part of every Australian summer so we must expect and prepare. The bush will regenerate.
The festive season was connected to a religious tradition that celebrated someone in the middle east who was born roughly 2000 years ago. The holiday has something to do with an invisible man in the sky who made a baby with a human virgin. The baby grew up and gathered some fans but then some other humans killed him but incredibly he got better and then went to live in the sky. He is also everywhere, loves everyone, is omnipotent and if you believe in him you can also live happily in the sky with him but if you do not believe in him you will go to a nasty big bushfire place called Hell. Which is a town in Norway I think. It is all very confusing this religious business and business it often is. Many people still debate and kill over who and why and what this chap in the middle east said all those years ago. It really is all very sad and very silly. This festival/holiday thing also involved a large chubby guy in a red suit that has some form of flying vehicle oddly powered by reindeers. There seems to be some major problems regarding all these Xmas tales especially if one likes facts.
Back to reality where unhealthy, unequal, unclear geopolitics and hard core late capitalism all reshape our world into a volatile sloppy mess for billions of people. Geez we humans need to get our shit together in a hurry. I do not think any gods will be helpful so please forget the praying bullshit and consider that we are all in the same boat. The current capitalistic system is really not working and religion lacks credibility so lets try and change our ways.
I try to avoid the madness, shopping, fear, stupid beliefs and greed by using my brain as best as I can. I also contemplate and create in the studio and I try not to harm anyone. What else can one do? Maybe a good wallow in the Indian Ocean is needed.
The festive season was connected to a religious tradition that celebrated someone in the middle east who was born roughly 2000 years ago. The holiday has something to do with an invisible man in the sky who made a baby with a human virgin. The baby grew up and gathered some fans but then some other humans killed him but incredibly he got better and then went to live in the sky. He is also everywhere, loves everyone, is omnipotent and if you believe in him you can also live happily in the sky with him but if you do not believe in him you will go to a nasty big bushfire place called Hell. Which is a town in Norway I think. It is all very confusing this religious business and business it often is. Many people still debate and kill over who and why and what this chap in the middle east said all those years ago. It really is all very sad and very silly. This festival/holiday thing also involved a large chubby guy in a red suit that has some form of flying vehicle oddly powered by reindeers. There seems to be some major problems regarding all these Xmas tales especially if one likes facts.
Back to reality where unhealthy, unequal, unclear geopolitics and hard core late capitalism all reshape our world into a volatile sloppy mess for billions of people. Geez we humans need to get our shit together in a hurry. I do not think any gods will be helpful so please forget the praying bullshit and consider that we are all in the same boat. The current capitalistic system is really not working and religion lacks credibility so lets try and change our ways.
I try to avoid the madness, shopping, fear, stupid beliefs and greed by using my brain as best as I can. I also contemplate and create in the studio and I try not to harm anyone. What else can one do? Maybe a good wallow in the Indian Ocean is needed.
In Melbourne the first major Australian Antarctic art exhibition now on display. CREATIVE ANTARCTICA - AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS AND WRITERS IN THE FAR SOUTH includes work from a mixture of Australian creative types. Artists and writers who have visited or made work dealing with that large white continent south of Tasmania. The show includes -
James Batchelor, David Bridie, Maria Buchner, David Burrows, Stephen Eastaugh, Lawrence English, Kirsten Haydon, William Hodges, Frank Hurley, Nicholas Hutcheson, Keith Jack, Leila Jeffreys, John Kelly, Janet Laurence, Nel Law, Phillip Law, Alison Lester, Sue Lovegrove, Bea Maddock, Douglas Mawson, John McCormick, Adam Nash, Miranda Nieboer, David Neilson, Sidney Nolan, Lin Onus, Charles Page, Judith Parrott, Christian Clare Robertson, Sally Robinson, Philip Samartzis, Jörg Schmeisser, Jan Senbergs, Polly Stanton, Charles Turnbull Harrisson, K. Verell, Martin Walch, Sean Williams.
I personally have been lucky to visit Antarctica nine times. I have held over thirty Antarctic exhibitions including two exhibitions on the Ice at Mawson and Davis stations and I have in many ways been an Antarctic ambassador since 2000 so I was pleasingly included in this unique group exhibition at RMIT. The opening was busy, very well curated and a well hung show sprawled across two large gallery spaces with a variety of works - photographs, works on paper, prints, paintings, mixed media, text, sound scapes and film. Bravo to all those involved.
18 Davis Station Buildings. Antarctica.
2003. Oil-stick on salvaged wood. |
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After catching up with or trying to catch up with many Melbournites I must soon slip away to Bangkok which is a bit warmer than Melbourne and nothing like Antarctica at all. March is not the best time to visit this urban tropical location as the Thai capital really cooks most months of the year, especially during March-April. Nevertheless I will buy a fan and install myself at the MATDOT art centre - https://www.matdotart.com/ in the old town zone. Time will be spent researching ideas, doodling, considering, rejigging, walking about and writing. I will no doubt indulge in many plates of Som Tum or green papaya salad while I swim through the steaming Bangkok air.