Getting PoMo on Oxford St, Sydney
December 6th 2009 16:19
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Category: No Category
I decided that I had been very good this week, and I should celebrate by dousing myself in some pseudo-decadence in Sydney's glittery gay ghetto, like any self-respecting bisexual.
My trip to Thailand has reignited my passion for looking at things from a different point of view, and so it felt like a special privilege to inspect a brand new pub-meets-club space in between "the bookshop" and Kaos Koncepts (or whatever the sex shop next to Coco Cubano is called). I elegantly crept in, disappointed that there seemed to be no-one there, but the music was the right kind of edgy and, as soon as I entered properly, my attention was directed all over the place due to eclectic and fragmented design, which is just how I like my interiors.
There was one asymmetrical wicker couch with white cushions, and one more conventional, but with a striped tiger pattern. Diagonally opposite these two couches was a big loft with lots of cushions, where I discovered a guy and a girl making out (and quickly left them to their privacy). Above them, written in white paint on the dark red wall was 'secret door' - perhaps encouraging the party-goer to imagine their own private entry to an imaginary alternative realm?
Next to the loft was a big cardboard cut-out of an artistic female face and bust cloaked in orange. On the floor there was a sign in black pointing to a red rug, one end of which reached close to the asymmetrical couch, reading 'dance floor'.
The most interesting wall consisted of two panels of white paper being mounted upon a wall, with a sign saying 'Insert Ideas Here' in the middle. People who had popped in had grabbed a marker and left suggestions for decor (or simply left graffiti) all over designated space, creating a very bohemian and postmodern wall.
The sharp red lighting, like a splash of neon/candy red liquer on the white surface, staining most of the square light pink (with long, lovely lashes of red-pink where most of the lighting hit the wall), commanded my focus and imparted a warm, sensual feel to the place. The bar itself was subtly radiating red, and the controls for the sound system were out on the bar-top, almost implying that anyone, if they had the savvy and the inclination, could play DJ for a while.
I introduced Simon to the term 'postmodern' and suggested that he continue with his eclectic decor, purposely creating a room where different style were in merry co-habitation with each other. I was impressed by his introduction of triangular-shaped 'mirrorballs' and silver ornaments with lots of angles, as well as the irregular/jagged lines he had installed on the ceiling, which broke up the uniformity of the rectangular lines in the room, glinting seductively in the dim light. The carpet was also placed diagonally to the walls, creating multiple lines for the eye to follow. I suggested mirrors, and triangular shapes in red tones on the two 'empty' walls. I also suggested a name I thought was appropriate by writing to namethisbar@gmail.com - if you check out Simon's bar, you might like to offer a suggestion as well - after all, it's your space! I really like the idea of the clientele shaping the bar as much as the bar shapes the clientele, and Simon has already noted that he's attracting creative types of people, which he is happy about (I believe the bar has only been open a few nights). A switched on and down-to-earth kind of guy.
Later I decided to walk into Stonewall (which is such an inviting space, with all the bright lights and shining bodies (and I mean both the people and the lighting bodies)], where I witnessed the seamless acceptance of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance into the music video sequence (I really must write about this video, which I consider quite an abomination - it has totally turned me off LG), lots of cute guys (and a few girls, this time), and one of the best shirts I have seen all year:
This shirt is particularly lovely to see in a gay bar, where the men tend to be quite obsessed with appearing stylish and fashionable. It's a simple design that creates a potent impact, and encourages me to think of similar, postmodern questions such as 'What is image?' and 'What is design?'
What is a post on Postmodern Critic? Are there any rules that I keep in mind to abide by, that I still haven't subverted?
And so on... play a game with yourself, asking: How many questions can I ask, and how meta (self-conscious) can I get within them?
My trip to Thailand has reignited my passion for looking at things from a different point of view, and so it felt like a special privilege to inspect a brand new pub-meets-club space in between "the bookshop" and Kaos Koncepts (or whatever the sex shop next to Coco Cubano is called). I elegantly crept in, disappointed that there seemed to be no-one there, but the music was the right kind of edgy and, as soon as I entered properly, my attention was directed all over the place due to eclectic and fragmented design, which is just how I like my interiors.
There was one asymmetrical wicker couch with white cushions, and one more conventional, but with a striped tiger pattern. Diagonally opposite these two couches was a big loft with lots of cushions, where I discovered a guy and a girl making out (and quickly left them to their privacy). Above them, written in white paint on the dark red wall was 'secret door' - perhaps encouraging the party-goer to imagine their own private entry to an imaginary alternative realm?
Next to the loft was a big cardboard cut-out of an artistic female face and bust cloaked in orange. On the floor there was a sign in black pointing to a red rug, one end of which reached close to the asymmetrical couch, reading 'dance floor'.
The most interesting wall consisted of two panels of white paper being mounted upon a wall, with a sign saying 'Insert Ideas Here' in the middle. People who had popped in had grabbed a marker and left suggestions for decor (or simply left graffiti) all over designated space, creating a very bohemian and postmodern wall.
The sharp red lighting, like a splash of neon/candy red liquer on the white surface, staining most of the square light pink (with long, lovely lashes of red-pink where most of the lighting hit the wall), commanded my focus and imparted a warm, sensual feel to the place. The bar itself was subtly radiating red, and the controls for the sound system were out on the bar-top, almost implying that anyone, if they had the savvy and the inclination, could play DJ for a while.
I introduced Simon to the term 'postmodern' and suggested that he continue with his eclectic decor, purposely creating a room where different style were in merry co-habitation with each other. I was impressed by his introduction of triangular-shaped 'mirrorballs' and silver ornaments with lots of angles, as well as the irregular/jagged lines he had installed on the ceiling, which broke up the uniformity of the rectangular lines in the room, glinting seductively in the dim light. The carpet was also placed diagonally to the walls, creating multiple lines for the eye to follow. I suggested mirrors, and triangular shapes in red tones on the two 'empty' walls. I also suggested a name I thought was appropriate by writing to namethisbar@gmail.com - if you check out Simon's bar, you might like to offer a suggestion as well - after all, it's your space! I really like the idea of the clientele shaping the bar as much as the bar shapes the clientele, and Simon has already noted that he's attracting creative types of people, which he is happy about (I believe the bar has only been open a few nights). A switched on and down-to-earth kind of guy.
Later I decided to walk into Stonewall (which is such an inviting space, with all the bright lights and shining bodies (and I mean both the people and the lighting bodies)], where I witnessed the seamless acceptance of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance into the music video sequence (I really must write about this video, which I consider quite an abomination - it has totally turned me off LG), lots of cute guys (and a few girls, this time), and one of the best shirts I have seen all year:
I <3 Sydney when it gets this postmodern!
This shirt is particularly lovely to see in a gay bar, where the men tend to be quite obsessed with appearing stylish and fashionable. It's a simple design that creates a potent impact, and encourages me to think of similar, postmodern questions such as 'What is image?' and 'What is design?'
What is a post on Postmodern Critic? Are there any rules that I keep in mind to abide by, that I still haven't subverted?
And so on... play a game with yourself, asking: How many questions can I ask, and how meta (self-conscious) can I get within them?
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