All the Best to Anastasia for their entry into the International Visualise Your Thesis Competition Final!
Join us to celebrate Anastasia Suraev, the winner of the University of Sydney competition and our runner for the 2021 International Visualise Your Thesis Competition Final!
Anastasia’s From prohibition to prescription: Cannabinoids as novel sleep aids will now compete against 24 finalists from six countries and have the chance to win up to $5000!
Visualise Your Thesis is an international competition that challenges HDR students to present their projects in a 60-second, eye catching, audio-visual digital display. By creating a “visual elevator pitch”, participants describe their research to a non-specialist audience while developing crucial employability skills, such as effective communication and storytelling.
How we can support Anastasia – “Trending on VYT”
“Trending on VYT”, the Visualise Your Thesis Viewers’ choice competition, is back and will award the creator of the entry with the most views as recorded by figshare. Join us and support Anastasia’s From prohibition to prescription: Cannabinoids as novel sleep aids by sharing their entry as widely as possible from Monday, 4 October to Sunday, 10 October 2021. All the best Anastasia!
Lockdown Discoveries is an exhibition currently on display at Rare Books & Special Collections in Fisher Library. Due to COVID restrictions preventing access to some people, we’ve created a series of blog posts to ensure no-one misses out.
The Lockdown Discoveries exhibition presents highlights from the Ron Graham Science Fiction collection, handpicked and curated by the RBSC Cataloguing Project Team. This is Part 1 of our blog about the exhibition. Read Part 2 and Part 3.
Ron Graham’s collection
Ronald E. Graham collected science fiction for more than 50 years and his collection contains almost complete holdings (up to 1979) of commercially published American, English and Australian science fiction magazines.
Graham had encyclopaedic knowledge of early science fiction; he was the publisher of Vision of Tomorrow magazine and the co-owner of the first science fiction bookshop in Australia, Space Age Books (originally named The Space Age Bookshop), until his death in 1979. Fisher Library is very fortunate to be the custodian of Graham’s extensive private library.
Mass printed books can occasionally become valuable when a copy is inscribed by the author or perhaps a famous owner. Attributes such as autographs, inscriptions, bookplates and decorations may provide insight into the life, friendships and personality of authors. Take for example, the inscriptions written by the author, Ben Bova, to the science fiction enthusiast, Ron Graham. There are more than 40 Ben Bova books in Graham’s collection, many of them signed with a personal message. It is gratifying to observe how friendships develop between an author and a fan.
Flight of Exiles Ben Bova, 1972 New York: Dutton Graham SF 7168
Exiled from Earth Ben Bova, 1971 New York: Dutton Graham SF 07167
Escape! Ben Bova, 1970 New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Graham SF 05440
The Duelling Machine Ben Bova, 1969 New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Graham SF 07165
The Weathermakers Ben Bova, 1968 New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Graham SF 07176
Discover more inscriptions
There may be more hidden inscriptions in books ready to be discovered. You can find books with unique attributes in the collection by using Advanced search in the Library’s catalogue. Enter the call number Graham SF and the keyword inscribed (or bookplate, depending on your interest). This search will retrieve a list of titles that have these attributes.
Bookplates
A bookplate, also known as ex-librīs (Latin for ‘from the books or library’), is a printed or decorative label inserted into a book, usually on the front endpaper to indicate the name of the book’s owner.
What fascinated me while cataloguing the Graham SF collection were the bookplates. I adored the artistic designs, some simple and others with amazing detail. The thought that the item once belonged to a certain person, made me wonder about the history of the book. How it was housed? In a large personal library or in a box sitting in the basement? Did it travel around before it landed in Ron Graham’s collection?
Often, bookplates reflect the owner’s position in society, or in this instance, their passion for science fiction.
Here is one of Ron Graham’s personal bookplates. The designer of the bookplate is not known.
Children of the Atom Wilmar H. Shiras, 1954 London: Boardman Graham SF 01028
Another bookplate for Ron Graham was designed by the artist, Virgil Finlay. Finlay was one of the most popular illustrators for pulp magazines, particularly Weird Tales and Famous Fantastic Mysteries. The bookplate illustration below was also used as the cover of the fanzine The Mentor, number 19.
Tom Swift and his Rocket Ship Victor Appleton II; illustrated by Graham Kaye, 1954 New York: Grosset & Dunlap Graham SF 01325
Not only is this bookplate aesthetically pleasing but it reveals that the books previously belonged to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1916-1922). David Lloyd George was one of Britain’s most well-known figures of the 20th century, best known for guiding Britain through the First World War. Lloyd George had a personal library and part of that collection is now housed at the University of Kent.
Black Light Talbot Mundy, 1930 London: Hutchinson Graham SF 09280
The bookplate below caught my attention as it has a ‘royal’ look to it. Sir William Gordon-Cumming 4th Baronet was a friend of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as King Edward VII). Interestingly, Sir William Gordon-Cumming was involved in the great baccarat scandal of 1890 that ultimately changed the course of his life.
Sunrise Stories: A Glance at the Literature of Japan Roger Riordan & Tozo Takayanagi, 1896 London: K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Graham SF 09555
Aside from Ron Graham’s bookplates, the bookplate I have seen most often is that of John Carnell. Carnell was a British editor, especially known for New Worlds (1946-64), New Writings (1964-75), and Science Fantasy (1951-64). John Carnell is known to his friends as either Ted or John which is evidenced in quite a few of the books in Ron Graham’s collection, with inscriptions from countless authors addressing him as Ted.
World Aflame: The Russian-American War of 1950 Leonard Engel & Emanuel S. Piller, 1947 New York: Dial Press Graham SF 07876
Great women of science fiction
In what has long been perceived as a male bastion, women have made their mark and continue to shape and challenge the limits of the science fiction genre. Let’s look at three of these amazing women and their contributions.
Andre Norton (1912–2005)
Andre Norton
Andre Norton (Alice Mary Norton) was a female writer who chose to adopt a male pseudonym to compete in a predominantly male market. The first female Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master challenged gender barriers introduced new ideas to the genre, and went on to become one of the most prolific science fiction writers of all time.
Aimed at a young adult audience, Norton blended the genres of science fiction and sword and sorcery in her highly successful Witch World saga. Spell of the Witch World, a collection of three short stories, provides a good introduction to the Witch World.
Spell of the Witch World Andre Norton, 1972 New York: DAW Books Graham SF 17825
Ursula Le Guin (1929–2018)
Ursula Le Guin
Ursula Le Guin, one of the most influential writers the science fiction genre has ever known, was declared a Living Legend by the U.S. Library of Congress in 2000. Le Guin was strongly influenced by her interests in anthropology and feminism throughout a career that spanned almost 60 years.
In The Left Hand of Darkness, an envoy is sent to report on the inhabitants of an icy planet, only to find a people who have developed only one gender. This novel delves into the themes of sex and gender. One of the genre’s first feminist novels, and considered its most famous study of androgyny, this book led to a new progressive era in science fiction.
The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula Le Guin, 1969 New York: Ace Books Graham SF 13916
Joanna Russ (1937–2011)
Joanna Russ
Joanna Russ was a true pioneer of feminist science fiction who believed the genre was a perfect platform for radical ideas. Written with an undertone of anger and wit, there can be no doubt of the focus on gender and sex in the more than 50 short stories and novels penned by this award-winning author.
The Female Man is the story of four women from parallel worlds. When they cross to each other’s worlds they explore and question the constraints of gender in their imaginary societies. Considered one of the most influential works in feminist literature, this novel will expand your notions of the science fiction genre.
The Female Man Joanna Russ, 1975 New York: Bantam Books Graham SF 15501
Lockdown Discoveries was curated by the Rare Book & Special Collections Cataloguing Project Team: Vicky Chiu, Simon Cooper, Tonia Fossey, Chingmy Lam, Hiyori Ogawa, Phuong Pham, Liz Ray, Theresia Sandjaja, Dannielle Williams & some other guy.
The Lockdown Discoveries exhibition is located at: Rare Books & Special Collections Open: Monday to Friday, 11am to 3pm Phone: +61 2 9351 2992 Email: rarebook.library@sydney.edu.au
Detail from Reflection and Respite by Ross Richardson
One of the simplest and most immediately accessible ways to lift your mood is a walk in the countryside or along the beach. Can spending time in front of a piece of art have a similar effect?
Influenced by recent research work on biophilia and ecopsychology, artists Emma and Ross propose that observing, drawing and even colouring in natural forms can help to reduce blood pressure, improve immune responses, and help alleviate anxiety. Art and nature in this sense combine to provide an antidote, and looking at images of nature can enhance a calm meditation. The concepts of mandalas, symmetry and balance are explored in the context of compositions which promote reflection and respite from the busyness of everyday life.
Reflection and Respite exhibition, Fisher Library by Dr Emma Robertson and Ross Richardson
This exhibition in glass vitrines is on three levels of the Fisher Library at the University of Sydney, and the installation is also inspired by the setting of the Library, and the conventions of scientific illustration. Quotations from books relating to anxiety are integrated into the displays.
Supported by Scientia Education Fellowship, UNSW and The Fisher Library, The University of Sydney.
Detail from Reflection and Respite exhibition, Fisher Library by Dr Emma Robertson and Ross Richardson
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Reflection and Respite is part of the Big Anxiety Fesitival, Australia’s largest mental health festival.
The Big Anxiety brings together artists, scientists and communities to question and re-imagine the state of mental health in the 21st century.
A radically new kind of international arts festival, in which every project is an open conversation, designed to promote curiosity, awareness and action, The Big Anxiety presents events across Sydney, tackling the major anxieties of our times, as well as the stresses and strains of everyday life.
Whether through hi-tech interactive environments or one-on-one dialogues, our goal is to create the rich engagements we need for our collective mental health.
The Big Anxiety is an initiative of UNSW Sydney in association with the Black Dog Institute and partners in the cultural, education and health sectors.
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Artist Biography
Dr Emma Robertson is an award winning artist, whose work is in seven public collections in four countries. The Hospital Trust for Scotland purchased two works for their permanent collection, which were commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council for the exhibition Wordworks. Emma’s work has been competitively selected for a public art commission for a Hospice, for the Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, the JADA, and four International Biennials of Drawing. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Scientia Education Fellow / Associate Professor at UNSW, and a previous Artist in Residence at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Her expertise in education relating to entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity at University and Executive Education levels has seen her win three prestigious teaching awards. Her PhD at The University of Sydney explored biophilia, ecopsychology, and artistic, nature-based antidotes to anxiety.
Ross Richardson studies illustration at the University of Edinburgh, and he is inspired by the natural environment, people, patterns, and landscape. His work has been competitively selected three times for the Mosman Youth Art Prize. He has received Highly Commended notifications for the Camden Art Prize, the Nan Manefield Youth Writer’s Award, and the Young Archies. Ross has also been selected for the Hunters Hill Art Exhibition, the Waverley Youth Art Prize, the Royal Art Society of NSW Youth Artist Prize, and the Hornsby Art Prize. In 2015 he won First Place in the Wollongong University Design Award for NSW. His work in this exhibition features watercolours, and also polymer clay three dimensional forms.
In June 2018 PhD student Daniel Howell was fortunate to work with Cambodian farmers as part of his Biology Honours year undertaking research linked to an ACIAR project “CamSID”.
The project explores the adoption of new technologies for
sustainable intensification and diversification (SID) in the lowland rice
system in north-west Cambodia, contributing to increased income for farmers and
stronger businesses that are more sustainable and resilient.
During Daniel’s studies and visit to Cambodia, one of the farmers
with whom Dan worked, Mr Wanta, fell ill just when Dan returned to Australia.
Mr Wanta passed away late July 2018 and in December 2018 Daniel and Rosanne
held a fundraising exhibition – HARVEST – for Mr Wanta’s family
as a celebration of Mr Wanta and his family’s generosity.
The current exhibition is a digital reoffering of the HARVEST exhibition. Images include sections of rice grown by Mr Wanta himself and photomicrographs derived from our own campus flora.
Daniel Howell is a PhD student within the School of Life and
Environmental Sciences. Dan’s research is based in the rice-growing regions of
northwest Cambodia where he is investigating potential cultural, chemical and
biological disease management strategies in a bid to reduce the negative
impacts of rice blast, a virulent pathogenic fungus.
Associate Professor Rosanne Quinnell has a research background in the biochemistry of symbiotic systems where the symbiotic relationships are sustained and maintained by effective communication between the partners. Rosanne currently remains active in biology research and also conducts research in education.
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Visit
the HARVEST Exhibition at ThinkSpacefrom Monday
30 September – Friday 11 October 2019
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The
Library’s ThinkSpace 16:3 aspect
digital wall – is a tool to enable creative teaching, learning and sharing in
our technology-driven, creative play-space.
What
would you use our digital wall for? We are looking for creative ways to use
this technology in teaching, learning and sharing. If you have an idea, reach
out to: thinkspace@sydney.edu.au
Explore the evolution of knowledge about the human brain through Rare Books and Special Collection’s latest exhibition ‘The beautiful brain: the exacting detail of anatomical art’.
See the exquisitely
detailed anatomical art which assisted medical students through centuries dating
back to the 16th century
The display
includes early anatomical atlases and medical texts including Vesalius’s
illustrations of the brain in the Fabrica (1543).
Curated by neurologist, Catherine Storey, the exhibition will fascinate everyone. See records of historical & scientific disputes and discoveries attempting to answer questions like: how many pairs of cranial nerves in the human brain?
Recently, the Library’s ThinkSpace installed a new 16:3 aspect digital video wall – a tool to enable creative teaching, learning and sharing in our technology-driven, creative play-space. Peer Learning Advisor Levi interviewed Andrew Herman, international student and freelance photographer at the University of Sydney, who is using the ThinkSpace video wall to display a selection of his work.
It was a warm and humidly sunny Sydney afternoon when I interviewed Andrew Herman about his work – and the journey that brought him to this point. I had known Andrew, in passing, for about two-and-a-half years. He was a regular user of ThinkSpace and was present from the moment it opened back in early 2016, before we had even had a hard launch for the space.
Back then, ThinkSpace was a tiny infant. It was hampered and restricted, limited and bumbling in its movement. Still learning to walk. Still learning to crawl. We had leased it in agreement with the Student Centre, who had stipulated that they would hold court in the space at the beginning of each semester, which meant that we would have to vacate premises like vagabond squatters, packed and herded off to the outer realms of SciTech Library.
At the time, ThinkSpace still looked like an off-shoot of SciTech Library – a spare space for study with a series of computers for students to access and a somewhat random, and extremely temperamental, 3D Printer that made it very clear that it would be working on its own terms. Soon, a wayward Carvey joined the ranks (and almost set fire to the space… literally not figuratively). Near the resident PC’s were two iMac computers, and these were what Andrew used in the space. He had been working on photography at the time and was experiencing difficulty with PC’s around campus because they simply did not have the processing power required to adequately support the full Adobe Suite.
Fast-forward to the present day, when ThinkSpace has blossomed and bloomed into quite literally everything that it was envisioned to be – cue here a background refrain of Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love” cascading over the scenery. ThinkSpace is effectively zoned with spaces demarcated for 3D Printing, Virtual Reality, a Design Hub of iMac computers, and a 1-Button Recording Studio. Life is good. I sit with Andrew at one of the iMac computers, sunlight streaming in through the windows behind him and casting light on the frantic movements of someone enjoying some virtual reality. Andrew’s demeanour is calm and relaxed in contrast. He tells me about what first drew him into ThinkSpace, detailing that the space was always well spread-out, with lots of students – but that it never felt cramped. He affectionately tells me that the space is unique and that the equipment it offers can’t be found anywhere else on campus. He says that because the space is so full of energy and is busy with workshops as well as consultations, he has learnt a lot about 3D Printing and some of the other tech the space offers, simply by being present.
I ask him about his current projects and to tell me what he’s been working on, and so we start discussing his work in photography.
“Well, I’ve done a lot of work for clubs and societies with USU. I’ve done grad photos, couples photography for people that met at uni – which is really cute, they’re so adorable – and I do a lot of photography of the architecture of USyd.”
Andrew Herman on location at a shoot
He counts these things on his fingers, as they stack up and it becomes apparent that the scope and history of his work is long and large. But when he mentions the architecture of USyd and the photography he’s been doing on it, his eyes light up, and I know we’re about to get into something special and significant.
“I take these shots – these perspective shots – from the point of view of people walking around. Usyd encompasses a long history of architectural styles that compliments its long history as a university, with spatterings of neo-gothic, brutalist, and many other styles of architecture ranging over decades. And these things are around us all the time, but the sad thing is that because we all get into a routine of walking from class-to-class, or from class to work, we become blind to all these amazing architectural landscapes around us and they fade away from our awareness.”
“So would you use the Adobe Suite – Photoshop in particular – to sort of bring these details out? Like, sharpen them up and bring them forward, sort of?”
“Mmmm, not really. I don’t really tamper with or change the image or edit it in any way. I try to make sure I capture what I’m really looking at in the actual photography itself. So, I make sure I get the right angle and capture the essence of the moment in the picture. My aim is to try to have an image that is just so real and with resolutions so high, that you can almost feel like you could just step right into the frame.”
“If I can capture a moment, and show you the image without any context, and have you feel some sort of emotion in response to it – then I’ve done my job. And if the emotion you feel is something like what I was feeling, then even better.”
“Ah, yes. So, you really like to let yourself sink into the moment and take your time in it. That’s really quite fantastic, and you know, I feel like I’m starting to get a sense of what these images might be like, and I’m quite excited by the sound of them!”
“Yes, and I really only use Photoshop and editing tools to compliment what I’ve captured – not to change it or edit it. The main thing I like using it for is exporting my work into a variety of formats.
My work has been featured in large billboard-size images around campus, and if it wasn’t for the Photoshop tech in ThinkSpace, I couldn’t have my images displayed at that size – at that high a resolution. Which is really exciting! I didn’t have these things available at my old university, so it’s amazing to have it here and it’s really opened up my range of possibilities.”
“Ah! Where was your old university? Was it in the States?”
“Yea, it was in North Arizona and it was nestled in, like, a mountain and forest region. Like – you know Narnia? Have you ever read Narnia, or seen the first movie?”
“Oh yes. Oh my God, I think I know where you’re going with this, and I love it.”
“Yea! You know when they first come out of the wardrobe and into the snowy forest area?”
I whimpered affectionately at the memory and made a mental note to indulge in some escapism by re-watching the movie later on in my evening. “Ye-es!”
“Well, yea, it’s basically like that in winter. Just absolutely beautiful. And so I started doing photography then as a way of – as an outlet – alongside studying because I was studying so much! Like, 18-hour days. And so, to keep myself balanced, I would go on long hikes and take pictures of the landscape as I went, and that’s where my love of photography was born. See, I didn’t go to school for photography or anything like that. A lot of my friends have, and their approach is completely different. They tend to snap their cameras and try to get a bunch of images that they can edit later – and the editing is where their art is. But for me, it’s more important to try to get it in the moment. The editing is just to put finishing touches on and to export into different formats. So my love and practice for photography started at home, and then grew here – in ThinkSpace.”
A selection of Andrew Herman’s photography work on exhibition at ThinkSpace
“That’s amazing. And so, which directions do you think your love and practice will grow in the future?”
“At the moment I’m really heading towards videography and video work. I love photography and still images, but there is only so much you can capture there. I want more. I want more emotion and feeling, and I feel that with video you can capture movement and therefore more emotion. I can do what I aim to do with my photography – which is to make you feel a certain way, without giving you context – but through movement captured in a format that can be exported to other formats and resolutions. And that’s why the video wall really interests me. I’m really interested in seeing how my videography can be ported over to it and displayed.”
“And your approach to your videography – is it the same as your approach to your photography? Are you ‘creating the magic’, so to speak, in editing?”
“Oh, I’m still trying to capture as much as possible – as a closely as possible – in the moment of filming. But I’m still learning how to do that with video. I’m still at the stage where I’m concentrating on getting the technical aspect right, so because that pulls a lot of my focus, I can’t really be fully in the moment yet and keep an eye on making sure the tech is going right. I was like that with photography at first, and then when I got comfortable with the technical side of it, I was able to relax into the moment more. I’m working towards that with video, so the artistry is there in both aspects – in the filming and the editing. But editing video is a lot harder than editing photography, so there’s a challenge there too.
But I really want to have something up and ready so I can play around with the video wall because ThinkSpace really is an amazing and unique space, and it’s a gateway to other possibilities. I mean, a lot of the challenges I’ve faced in my work have been overcome by combining multiple skills-sets, and I think that sort of open and multi-skilled approach is something that ThinkSpace really represents. I feel like it used to be – in previous generations – that people developed really niche skills-sets and specialised in those, whereas now, it’s more about the sharing of knowledge. That is basically what ThinkSpace does and what it facilitates. I mean, look at me – my interest and area is photography, but I know a bit about 3D Printing now and VR, and I’m branching out into videography. It’s enabled a lot of growth!”
“That’s amazing to hear, Andrew, because that was part of the original vision. I remember whenever I’d answer the top question people used to ask me in the early days – which was ‘what is ThinkSpace?’ – I used to say that it’s a space that promotes cross-disciplinary conversations through the use of creative tech. So to hear that it’s kind of allowed that for you is like – boom! Mission accomplished, for us.”
We have a bit of a laugh here and I notice Andrew’s expression change slightly. Then he pulls out his phone. Must’ve had a buzz – possibly someone else vying for his time.
“Ah, ok, so I just have one more question to ask you.”
Checking his phone, he says “Sure! I’ve just got to message this person back – it’s a photography job that I need to run along to – but fire the question at me real quick.”
“What is your current, and most favourite, project?”
He looks up at me, smiles, and puts his phone away, clapping the cover shut over it with energy and enthusiasm before answering the question.
“I’m trying to put together a photography series I’ve been working on over the past 4 years. It’ll be 4 years of hi-resolution photography, with an environmental spin – so it focuses on the process of glacial melting and feeding into rivers and waterfalls, which is a very gradual process. The pictures have been taken in Colorado and New Zealand, which are similar high elevation environments. NZ has a large diversity of different environmental systems, but the ones I am comparing are of glacial and ice lake runoffs. However, similar to my shots of architecture around USyd, these have been taken from the perspective of someone walking, through parks and trails for example. There are also some aerial shots to provide a different perspective. So it’s basically landscape photography in natural areas, but in an environmentally-minded way. And I haven’t been able to put it all together and work towards displaying in a format like the video wall in ThinkSpace, until now.”
“Wow. That sounds absolutely wonderful and fantastic, and I can’t wait to see it Andrew.”
“Thanks Levi.”
And this is where we exchanged our farewells as Andrew quickly needed to run off to his photography gig. No rest for the wicked, of course –
And of course. That’s the price of popularity. I won’t ever hold it against him. And he is really great at what he does.
And so he disappeared into the humid afternoon light, right behind the student who was still flailing about in enjoyment of virtual reality. I looked out through the sun-drenched windows and thought to myself “my gosh, ThinkSpace has come such a long way.”
If you’d like to get in contact with Andrew Herman, or view some samples of his work, visit his website.
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Join us for the exhibition opening of ‘Nature of Design’ by Andrew Herman & the official opening of our new ThinkSpace video wall
You can also visit the ‘Nature of Design’ Exhibition at ThinkSpace from 1st May – 10th May 2019.
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What would you use our digital video wall for? We are looking for creative ways to use this technology in teaching, learning and sharing. If you have an idea, reach out to:admin.library@sydney.edu.au
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