The tempo is the suitcase.

A witty and charming idea (very shiftazine actually) that must been swirling in the ether above Australia, 
and was grabbed onto by some abundantly inventive audio designers.  
They take an old suitcase, like the one that is always stuffed full of things one has forgotten about, empty it out and 
then fill it with wires and speakers and all that other stuff that allows one to have music, of the type that is a rich, full sound that curls your toes with delight.  

Never look at an old suitcase the same way again.

If you want one of these groovy speaker suitcases email MELBOURNE VINTAGE AUDIO at melbournevintageaudiocase@gmail.com

The title of this article was adapted from ‘You, everything, too’ by Daniel Barenboim

A suitcase full of Joy_JoyDay

Stop! Don't throw that old suitcase out!  Think about how you could shift its reason for being.  
Say for example...who would have thought to make a suitcase into a tiny pond upon which one could sail tiny metal and plastic boats that are powered by burning tiny twigs. How wonderful lateral imagination is! 

JoyDay is rapidly approaching, only a few weeks away.  
Remember to celebrate the thing or one of the things that brings you joy on the 25th November.

A scope for creativity: The humble plastic colander

The humble plastic colander was the heart and soul of a Sydney Festival popup installation. 
Inventing a fantastic visual vehicle for a temporary Japanese eatery at Sydney’s Carriage Works was no strain for 
Andrew Birley with the use of bright green plastic colanders found in Sydney’s Chinatown.

This is simple kitchen aid worked effectively as a suspended installation setting the tone of the eatery as well as 
sitting comfortably within table settings functioning as a table accessory.

Murals: No middle man

You need courage and imagination when you engage in producing a mural. 

Murals often trigger a strong response from the viewer and they often inspire many to think about creating one at home.  
(Few manage to realise this idea.)

mural : noun_a painting or other work of art executed directly on a wall.    

adjective [ attrib. ]_of, like, or relating to a wall : a mural escarpment.

ORIGIN late Middle English : from French, fromLatin muralis, from murus ‘wall.’ The adjective was first used in mural crown ; later (mid 16th cent.) the sense [placed or executed on a wall] arose, reflected in the current noun use (dating from the early 20th cent.).

Shiftazine Issue No.7: 2 weeks in Berlin

GarageSaleTrail_This Saturday, the 26th October!

In the past 3 years, GarageSaleTrail has redistributed one million items from potential landfill, helped raise $3 million in local fundraising, and 
helped 800,000 people to meet their neighbours in Australia.

The following copy is from the official GarageSaleTrail site.  
Thought you might like to read it here but there is a heap of additional information on the site. 
Just remember, its all about sustainability, community, making a little money, and recycling.  
Go and have some fun. 

Whether you’re looking for some retro bargains, want to de-clutter, or just to get to know the neighbours, Garage Sale Trail is for you.
Garage Sale Trail organises communities around Australia to hold Garage Sales on the same day, this year Saturday October 26th.

We’re into sustainability, by redistributing great stuff and saving it from landfill.
We’re into community, by making a great occasion for you to connect with people in your neighbourhood.
We’re into you making some money from stuff you would otherwise have thrown away, for you or your favourite charity.

You can't buy Joy...or maybe you can

I love gelato...not ice cream but gelato.  
Now some may say its the same thing, but its not because every time I think 'gelato', 
I think of Italy and all the glorious days and nights I have spent there.  
Gelato makes me feel I am closer to the Amalfi, or to Rome or to a great little town called Peschici in Gargano 
where I had a green apple gelato that simply can not replicated.  
Do something that brings you JOY on the 25th of November. 

Retro on Regent in Redfern

Walking down this strip of Regent Street between Redfern and Ragland Streets, 
is like jumping into a big delicious assorted chocolate box full of the best surprises. 
This collection of wonderful ceramics and glassware is a great example of what awaits you.  
And after all that shopping, a drink at Arcadia Liquors will finish the outing perfectly.

PAIR OF CHAIRS: Classical, vintage, industrial. 
Reborn iconic furniture from the 50s to the present intended as one-off works of living art. Specialists in vintage, retro and industrial. 
80 Regent St, Redfern_0416 016 151

CHEE SOON & FITZGERALD: International and Australian designed home furnishings. 
Acclaimed designer homewares, expert interior advice in home furnishings, wallpapers and over a hundred exquisite fabric samples from greats such as Marimekko and Jim Thompson.
173 Regent Street, Redfern

FINISHING TOUCH RESTORATION: Retro & vintage restored furniture. 
Regent Street's first mid-20th century design specialist, 
Alan Graham's experience in restoration brings out the best in collectable pieces. 
All hand done, his work is complimented by wife Linda's knowledge of all things retro. 158 Regent St, Redfern_9699 9972

When is an icon, an icon?

Icons are symbols which represent an object in a literal sense.  
But over the past several decades due to the rising fascination with the notion of celebrity, 
the word ‘Icon’ has come to represent or encapsulate qualities of a person whose talent or persona is charismatic to the masses.

The theory of semiotics, which includes the definition of an icon, was developed in part by Charles S. Peirce in the late 19th century. 
It states that: an icon uses shape, colour, sound, texture, and other graphic elements to create a recognisable connection between an image and an idea. 
Icons are likeness that convey the idea of the thing they represent by imitating them -
 such as a photograph or illustration of something.

Of late, shiftazine keeps coming across pictures of religious icons...primarily that of Jesus.  
Examples of this ‘holy’ image have been found in second hand clothes stores in Berlin, a car boot market in Melbourne and in interesting ‘tat’ stores like Seasonal Concepts in Sydney.

They are strange in that they are not a secular object, and represent supposedly a philosophical belief, and yet 
there they sit, in very secular situations waiting to be bought by some person who sees their beauty other than a religious one.  

Is there a theme happening here?  Is there a need for a sense of ‘mystery’ in people’s lives?

Berlin Colours: No. 4 The 70s

The 1970s was such a graphic time.  
The colours could be restrained but their always played their part in making strong visual statements.  
It was about the Bauhaus vision. 

Its a sign of the times: Wallism September

Hand lettering, sign writing, the beautiful unconscious consideration of type was the norm in the first half of the 20th century.  
These examples are still around the urban landscape but they are rapidly fading and peeling away before our very eyes.  
Take photographs of these Wallism examples before it is too late, 
and love and draw pleasure from them while they are still here.