Tag Archives: Australia

Profiles: Australian Ceramic Artist Nicolette Johnson – “Enigmatic And Timeless” Objects Of Art

From a Yatzer.com online article (March 14, 2020):

Hand-crafted through a laborious, almost ritualistic process, which sometimes has Nicolette individually sculpting and applying hundreds of protrusions to one vessel for days, her work transcends the dichotomy between artefact and artwork. 

Nicolette Johnson Ceramic ArtistWhether it’s a reaction to the intangible aspect of our digital age, or a consequence of the trend-setting power of Instagram, there’s been a resurgence of ceramics in the last few years, both as an art form and a hobby. Perhaps it’s quite telling then that London-born, Australia-based ceramic artist  Nicolette  Johnson  recreationally begun taking pottery classes just a few years ago as a counterbalance to her day job as a photographer.

Fast forward five years and Nicolette has distinguished herself as an acclaimed ceramist artist through the enchanting sophistication and painstaking craftsmanship of her work that channels ancient forms with contemporary precision.

Read full article

Nicolette Johnson is a ceramic artist whose work explores symmetry, motifs, and the importance of the artefact.

Nicolette was born in London, England in 1990, grew up in Texas, USA, and today is based in Brisbane, Australia. Working in stoneware and employing wheel-throwing, coiling, and sculpting techniques, Nicolette applies a modern aesthetic to re-imagined ancient forms. Her work is included in the permanent collections of The National Gallery of Victoria and the Museum of Brisbane.

With a background in photographic art and social documentary, Nicolette began studying ceramics in 2015 and is continuing her practice-led exploration into functional and sculptural ceramic vessels, hand-making and firing each of her works in her Brisbane home studio.

Website

Interview: Scientist And Inventor Mark Kendall – “Nanopatch” Replacement For Vaccination (Podcast)

Monocle 24 Pioneers logoRocket scientist-turned-immunology expert Mark Kendall talks about his Nanopatch, which could revolutionise vaccinations and eradicate some diseases.

Mark Kendall (born 1972) is an Australian biomedical engineer and innovator. He is an Entrepreneurial Professor of the Australian National University. His field of research is the delivery of immunotherapeutics to the skin without the use of a needle or syringe.

In 2011, he co-founded the development company Vaxxas with an investor syndicate. The company’s technology, called Nanopatch, is intended to serve as a needle-free vaccine delivery device. In 2011, Kendall and his AIBN team received the Australian Research Council Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research by an Interdisciplinary Team. In 2012, he was awarded the Rolex Awards for Enterprise for his “pioneering efforts to expand knowledge and improve human life”.

Website

Future Of Housing: Off-The-Grid “CABN” Tiny Homes In Australia (Video)

CABN was established to provide people with a means of disconnecting from the mayhem we have brought upon ourselves. CABN is designed to be completely off-grid, sustainable and eco-friendly relocatable; transforming some of Australia’s most stunning and stimulating landscapes and offer an ideal escape.

This CABN is named Jude, after CABN founder’s mother. Jude is warm, caring and inviting and has always welcomed everyone into her home and life. It’s those same feelings that you can expect when you stay. Adventurous, warm and welcoming – the perfect tiny escape.

Website

Top New Travel Videos: “Aura – Images From The Kimberley” In Western Australia By Dan Proud

Filmed and Edited by: Dan Proud

The Kimberley is Western Australia’s sparsely settled northern region. It’s known for large swaths of wilderness defined by rugged ranges, dramatic gorges, semi-arid savanna and a largely isolated coastline. The mostly unsealed (unpaved) Gibb River Road runs 660km through the region’s heart, passing by Windjana Gorge National Park, which has towering limestone cliffs and pools where freshwater crocodiles gather.

The Kimberley was one of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with the first arrivals landing about 41,000 years ago.

In 1837, with support from the Royal Geographical Society, Lieutenants George Grey and Franklin Lushington and 12 men sailed on the schooner Lynher from Cape Town, reaching Hanover Bay on 2 December 1837. The party started inland on 19 January 1838.[4] Leaders and men were totally inexperienced, progress was delayed by flooded country, many stores were abandoned, and the party was constantly split up despite the presence of large numbers of hostile Aboriginals. On 11 February, Grey was speared and became critically ill, but after two weeks, continued the exploration. The party found and named the Gairdner River, the Glenelg River, the Stephen and Whately ranges and Mount Lyell before returning to Hanover Bay in April. There they were picked up by the Beagle and Lynher and taken to Mauritius to recuperate.

The region was named after John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley, who served as Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1870 to 1874 and 1880 to 1882.

From Wikipedia

Science Podcasts: CRISPR & Immunotherapy, Ice Age Cave Art Dated With Wasp Nests (ScienceMag)

scimag_pc_logo_120_120 (2)On this week’s show, Staff Writer Jennifer Couzin-Frankel joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about Science paper that combines two hot areas of research—CRISPR gene editing and immunotherapy for cancer—and tests it in patients.

Sarah also talks with Damien Finch, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne, about the Kimberly region of Australia and dating its ice age cave paintings using charcoal from nearby wasp nests.

Website

Top New Science Podcasts: Australian Fires, Isaac Asimov’s Robots And The Coronavirus (Nature)

Nature PodcastsListen to the latest from the world of science, with Benjamin Thompson and Nick Howe. This week, establishing climate change’s role in Australian bushfires, and revisiting Isaac Asimov’s thoughts robots.

In this episode:

00:46 Behind the bushfires

Researchers are working to establish the role that climate change is playing in the bushfires that are raging across Australia. News Feature: The race to decipher how climate change influenced Australia’s record firesEditorial: Australia: show the world what climate action looks like

10:02 Research Highlights

The debate around how Vesuvius claimed its victims, and an ancient mummy speaks. Research Highlight: Vitrified brains and baked bones tell the story of Vesuvius deathsResearch Article: Howard et al.

12:21 Asimov’s legacy

This year marks the centenary of Isaac Asimov’s birth. We reflect on the impact of his writing on the field of robotics. Essay: Isaac Asimov: centenary of the great explainer

21:00 News Chat

The latest on a new virus from Wuhan in China, and social scientists’ battle with bots. News: Coronavirus: latest news on spreading infection; News: Social scientists battle bots to glean insights from online chatter

Healthcare: U.S. “Total Hip Replacement” Costs Were $32.5K In 2017, Up To 4 Times The Cost In Europe (Chart)

From a Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) release (12/17/19):

iFHP 2017 prices Hip Replacement Costs in USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, UAE, Switzerland, South Africa and Holland Health Costs Institute December 2019 chart

 

  • Holland had the lowest prices for hip and knee replacements with prices less than 25% of the US price. Prices for hip and knee replacements in the United Arab Emeritus (UAE) were the closest to the US at 71% of the price.

Read more

 

Top New Camper Trailers: All-Electric “ERV” From Retreat Caravans

Electric RV - ERV logoNow with an energy-efficient thermal rating construction and revolutionary energy supply, you can live in your caravan just like you would at home! Use what you want, when you want, where you want!

ERV-interior-2

ERV solar panels on roofWith an unprecedented 2033* watts of factory-fitted PV Solar, integrated automotive-grade 14.3KW/Hr battery, coupled with a 5000-watt Smart Inverter, this holistically engineered, self-generating, battery energy storage system will revolutionise your “truly off-grid experience”.

Website: https://www.e-rv.com.au/

Top Restaurants: Sydney’s “Firedoor” Leads Fiery “Australian BBQ” Trend

From a New York Times online review:

Lennox Hastie Chef of Firedoor Photo by Con Poulos New York Times“Australian barbecue” is not, however, what Lennox Hastie, the chef at Firedoor, would use to describe his own cooking. Nor is it a term that’s been used much by anyone to describe any type of cooking. Here, the word “barbecue” is generally synonymous with the American term “cookout,” and, much like the cookout, it remains an integral part of Australia’s national identity.

Firedoor, which opened in 2015, is a prime example. Wagyu with Onion at Firedoor Photo by Con Poulos New York TimesThe kitchen is powered entirely by wood — there are no electric or gas ovens, burners or microwaves. Mr. Hastie came to this style after working five years at Asador Etxebarri in the Basque Country, where the chef Victor Arguinzoniz cooks local ingredients over fire using multiple types of wood. Mr. Hastie takes a similar approach, but with pointedly Australian ingredients.

One of the restaurant’s most thrilling dishes is a whole marron — a large freshwater crayfish native to Western Australia. The marron is grilled, split open and smothered in sea blite, a coastal plant related to samphire, and sunrise lime, a hybrid citrus created by crossing the native Australian finger lime with a calamondin (itself a cross between a mandarin and a kumquat). There are plenty of smoky, charred meats on the menu as well: pork chops, duck hearts and Wagyu all get their turn on one of the many grills.

To read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/dining/australian-barbecue.html