museum of me: sandra eterovic

If you've spent some time flipping through issue 71 (over here, in case you missed it!) you might remember our Museum of Me spread, where a few frankie friends were asked to archive their lives. Sandra Eterovic's offerings were overflowing with eye-pleasing goodness, so we thought we'd give you a gander at some of the extra bits and that didn't quite make it into the mag (damn you, finite amount of space!). Read on below for a selection of books that made a lasting impression on the local illustrator's life.

How Buildings Learn

One of my favourite pastimes is to walk down an inner city street and observe how a row of once-similar buildings have been adapted for individual use. The author of this book, Stewart Brand, argues that, like living forms, buildings should be designed so that they can evolve. This book is great fun, with a vast number of photos of buildings as they first appeared, with detailed captions about how and why they have changed over time.

Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy

In the early 1970s, Michael Baxandall introduced the concept of “the period eye”, which was revolutionary to the study of art history. He believed that, in order to understand an artwork, one should learn as much as possible about the context in which it was made. It may seem simple now, but in the third year of my arts degree, this book was a breath of fresh air.

The Student Chronicles

Alice Garner was my contemporary at university. My childhood bore no resemblance to the freedom with which she roamed the world, but we enrolled in Arts with a similar sense of excitement. Just picking this book up again makes me want to relive her charming journey to adulthood, so that I can relive my days studying at Melbourne University, too.

Women's Weekly Cakes & Slices Cook Book

Modern cookbooks are incredibly glamorous, but nothing beats an old budget-priced Women's Weekly cookbook. My copy of Cakes & Slices (published in 1987) contains enough dried globs of batter to make up an entire torte, and I still haven't explored every chapter. Make the pink coconut ice cake from page 47 and your friends will love you forever.

David Hockney

I found this book at a remainder sale. It contains hundreds of beautifully executed pencil drawings, paintings, designs for theatre, photos and countless other experiments. I love Hockney's style, but what I find most inspiring is that he continues to experiment and evolve.