Project by Duro Cubrilo. Photography and Post by Diego DeNicola.

When a friend asked me if I’d be interested in doing a sculpture for Myer’s newly renovated basement, one main reason why I took the job was knowing that my family had a bit of history in the Myer stores. My mother worked there in the mid 60′s in the Miss Melbourne Shop where she met my father who also worked in the same building for Myer’s advertising department. My Grandmother also worked there in the shoe department in the early 70′s where I remember visiting her when I was a child.

After 3 months of solid work, including building, designing and redrawing a scaled plan-view to work off, I have finally finished. I promised myself this year that I wouldn’t do any commercial so I could focus more on my artistic work… But I didn’t listen. This job was a financial nightmare, pushed my relationship with my partner to the edge and has backlogged my bills and any other work i had waiting… but artistically it has given me more than enough in new ideas and fresh direction.

Should art really be that hard to execute? Maybe only in Australia where respect for art is always at a low… There were definitely a lot of lessons learnt with this one! Anyway if you would like to see it, Myer’s newly renovated basement should be opened to the public tomorrow if all goes well, so go have a look!

I’ve been working on this for about 6 weeks now and the end still seems so far away!

Above. Anatomy (Silver), Run-Up & Art-Official.

This is for the month of July ONLY!

When you purchase one of the three products above, you will receive the choice of another product for free!! This also includes free postage anywhere in Australia!

And if you are one of my previous customers, don’t worry I’ll be emailing you a “50% Off” discount code for your next future purchase.

241 is HERE!!

Above. Mass ‘Murderous’ Services 1998, Enamel on Canvas by Marcsta.

After a lot of time wasting, driving around, ringing people for quotes, I have finally made a start on a new project. It involves 3 letters, cardboard, blades and a lot of glue!

I’ve been working on this stuff all week and finally I have finished my Game & Watch “Run-Up” digital fine-art prints. There are 26 in the edition and each print has a unique colour-way just like the old G&W’s from the 80′s.

All the colours in the series are Here! If you would like one, go Here!

Later that day I received a phone call directly from the Agency producing the TVC asking me why the quote was so high. Some how the total amount jumped to $15,000 after “Someone” included their commission ($7500 “for ringing a few artists, making a few coffees and talking shit”). That “Someone” didn’t realise that I had been freelancing for that Agency for about 7 years as an illustrator and that I had received a call from them directly. I never did get a call back from “Someone” to tell me if I got the job…

The sad thing is, there are so many artists that let themselves get ripped off by people who organise large events, which have large budgets (Government or Corporate), pay the artists peanuts and get most of the credit & finances for doing not much!

For an example, currently there is a project being put together by “Someone” in Melbourne’s CBD, it’s funded by the City Of Melbourne and will have about 50 artists involved. OK lets do the sums… Each Artist will receive 10 spray cans each, have a total of 12 hours to paint and will receive a payment $150 each ($12.50 per hour (That’s below the Award Wage!)).

The rough painting cost for the whole project (Spray Paint – 10 x $10 = $100 + Artist Labour $150) x 50 Artists = $12,500. To me that doesn’t seem that much for 50 artists to paint a very large space. The total budget might be between $20,000 and $30,000 plus. So that “Someone” might be doing very well indeed!

I hate seeing people that take advantage of culture and make money from other peoples hard work!! So next time you agree to be involved in a large painting project, think twice, if you’re getting less than $50 per hour (Minimum), you really should be telling “Someone” to FUCK OFF!!

Above. “Run-Up” Game & Watch Sketch 2002.

Above. “Run-Up” Digital Print Test 2010.

I had the idea for this in 2001 and the finished vector file has been sitting there for about 6 years. Finally it will be used for something!

Above. Absolut Release 2005.

This was a small non-commercial video that was produced by Whybin\TBWA documenting Australia’s “Absolut Release” campaign. It shows the true scale of the billboards painted in Melbourne & Sydney by Phibs and Myself.

Above. TWB 1985.

GS38 has updated some of the content on his site, including 3RRR audio interviews from 1985 & 1988, railway record of interview, comic book artwork and more…

Above. Digital 1998, Flyer.

Above. Digital 1999, Flyer.

GUTS (Global Urban Tribal Streetwear) was an exhibition at Melbourne’s NGV showcasing Streetwear labels of the 90′s. Some of the labels involved were E.C.Y, Hot Tuna, House Of Rex, Konka, Sara Thorn, Mooks, Renegade, Status Symbol, Stussy Sista and Out Of This World.

The above image was painted for the show as a part of the display I did for Renagade Clothing. I used a large cardboard stencil and painted it onto shaped MDF using Black & Grey Buntlack spray paint. After the show I also painted an Ultramarine & Cobalt Blue Buntlack version which I gave to a friend for a birthday present.

I don’t know what’s going on here but it looks like some Dodgy Guy is having some sort of Graffiti Garage Sale? Ha Ha.

Finally my new toy is out of it’s box after a hellish two months of things going wrong while trying to look for somewhere to relocate. These are the first test prints of an edition I’m working on. More info soon.