Well, today was the day to pick up my works from the framers. Low and behold, it was raining heavier than I have seen in a long time. I love the rain, it was nice to be out in it, but not with the art work, art tends to not agree with my policy on rain, but that is ok, we got a cab. It’s only the third time I have been in a cab since being here. Which I am impressed with.. The transport and bicycle routes are too good here to be wasting money on cabs. Anyway. Got to the gallery and to my surprise (and happiness) we were able to hang the works today. Gene and I were both a bit sleep deprived, we fumbled here and there and I got a little bit grumpy (I am terrible with hanging shows when I have had sufficient sleep), but Carsten, (who runs The ARTer) came out and gave us a few suggestions. Which was the end to that. It is always easier to work with someone who runs the space as they are more familiar with it and have a certain trained eye..
Anyway, it’s up! I got a big stack of flyers that I will tape around the city, and the ARTer’s catalogue (hard cover, very nice) with five of my works published in it…SWEET..I’ll post pictures of that soon. I can’t do it now, I’m so tired. There is also an A-frame out the front of the gallery with a poster of my work in it..I will photograph that soon too. I am excited, especially now that I have my wonderful friends, Jeremy and Siobhan coming.

To top off an unexpectedly productive day, I made a kick ass curry (mainly to thank Gene as he is a Geneios when it comes to hanging art) and that was yummy. I burnt my finger on the oven, but I still win, I have a full belly and am happy like a cat. So, fuck you oven.

*The photo above is of me when I first got to Berlin as I was doing some tests to see how this image would work*
New photos, soon.

*over and out*

The Arter Gallery likes to have trailers for their upcoming exhibitions, which I think is really cool, so Gene made this. It was his idea to shoot the time lapse. The time lapse took two hours and nearly killed my back, but it was well worth it. Gene is very clever at this sort of thing. He has been working in the film industry since he was 16 years old!
Here are his show reels, take a look at them, there is some great stuff there. When I first knew him I had no idea that he did this sort of thing (he is not one to brag) but I think he should.
Reels
Here is some more info on his work: IMDB

Mêlée trailer from Lily Mae Martin on Vimeo.

I have been playing around with Gene’s camera so I have better photos of the things I see here in Berlin. There is a cemetery about a twenty minute walk from where I am living at the moment that I wanted to try the camera out in. The lens is cheap though and it tends to give a soft haze over everything which is a little annoying, but what can you do.
I don’t want just crappy happy snaps of this trip as I think when I finally settle somewhere were I have an income and money, I would like to paint Berlin. So I want to have good source material.
This place is amazing. There are broken crypts that you can see into. It’s over grown. There are unmarked graves and bullet scars. It is also a very peaceful place to be. Adolf Menzel’s grave is there too.

Gene was kind enough to show me how to use the his camera a bit better the other day, as well as take this of me. My friend Bron (who is currently doing my website) did the photoshop effect on the other one.

Interview on an online magazine

Here

The Arter Gallery

Opening hours Wednesday and Thursday 19 hour to 23 hour
Fridays 14 hour to 21 hour

Address: Hagenstraße 56
10365 Berlin

In July 2009 Australian Artist Lily Mae Martin will be showing her first European exhibition ‘Mêlée’ in Berlin, Germany. Lily’s work draws on her recent journeys throughout Europe; from post-war Berlin to the hyper-sensitivity of security and terrorism in London. Lily portrays her subjects as confused, chaotic and frantically searching to grasp some form of control and stability within their world through her drawings and paintings.