Many times in 2024 we walked passed a shop window that had on display many ornaments and bric-a-brac. Front and centre was the small statue of the Queen – waving whenever the sun is on her.
Category Archives: cultural
MAph Bowness Photography Prize
Museum of Australian Photography exhibition
An opinion piece about photography exhibitions, the visual arts, and things.
As the title of the exhibition indicates, this is a photography prize exhibition. Maybe a third of the works are not photographs but are contemporary artworks that either use photographic processes or at least have links to photography.
Visiting National Trust Como House
Exhibition: Traces of Girlhood
On Saturday 7th Sept 2024 in Melbourne, we travelled over to South Yarra to visit a National Trust property, Como House. Till 20th October it is open house on the weekend (see times below)
Exhibition Searching for Sanctuary
State Library of Victoria exhibition
The full title for this exhibition is:
Searching for Sanctuary: A journey of survival by Barat Ali Batoor
World of Books
Victoria State Library Exhibition
There are several reasons to go to the State Library of Victoria. It is a great place for research – and – they have very engaging exhibitions. One of their current exhibitions is high up in the dome (4th floor). This one is World of Books.
Melbourne and Graffiti
Graffiti as aesthetic rubbish – not art
Melbourne, in particular inner Melbourne, has a serious problem with graffiti.
(Image above – a composite photo- captured from two train journeys).
Geelong Art Gallery
Top rated three in one
This piece is about an exhibition that closed 28th July 2024. Cutting Through Time—Cressida Campbell, Margaret Preston, and the Japanese Print
Waving the flag
National Colours on display 14 July
It was the 14th July in Ivanhoe and at least one cafe was honouring this important French national day. The cafe was quiet when I took the photograph, it was after hours and one person was inside doing the clean-up.
The Royal Wave
What now for her majesty?
I have been walking passed this royal icon in this high street window for the last six months – ever since we arrived here. She waves when in the sunshine.
NGV Africa Photography
An exhibition within an exhibition
We were visiting the National Gallery of Victoria St Kilda Road when we split up with Gael heading for the paid exhibition of African fashion and I headed in the other direction to check on a couple of 17th century Dutch paintings. A few minutes later the phone tingled with a message that there was an exhibition of great photography within the fashion exhibition. Change of plan!
MAph Built Photography
Museum of Australian Photography exhibition
An opinion piece about exhibitions, the visual arts, and things.
Always up for a drive out to the Museum of Australian Photography at Wheelers Hill – in Melbourne, we drove out through the suburban streets (rather than the freeways) for the pleasure of taking in a range of suburbs on the way. The changes of architecture and the various old and new build environments make the journey worth-while.
National Gallery of Victoria 3rd Floor
Visiting 3rd Floor NGV Fed Square
An opinion Piece about exhibitions, the visual arts, and things.
Our major public galleries now promote their special exhibition/ blockbusters to such an extent that people often overlook what else is on offer. Normally there are fantastic collection and other special exhibitions on offer.
Japanese photographs circa early 20th Century
In my spare time , I have put together a collection of early 20th century photographs from Japan – click here to see the collection (for sale)
A wonderful art gallery with a not so great café
This piece was originally uploaded in June 2023.
Before you wonder what the image above is about – it is a digitally altered photograph of the National Gallery of Australia here in Canberra. I’ll explain later in this piece.
Continue reading A wonderful art gallery with a not so great café
National Gallery of Australia closed galleries
NGA visit with quite a few friends missing
This piece was originally uploaded in May 2023
To more or less quote an art school lecturer, it is great to live in Canberra and to visit the National Gallery to see old friends.
Continue reading National Gallery of Australia closed galleries
Gardening and farming at the National Museum
This piece was originally published in September 2022
A visit to an exhibition at the National Museum of Australia provided the extra opportunity to have a look at the new garden at the entrance and to check out again the Garden of Australian Dreams.
Continue reading Gardening and farming at the National Museum
photography at the National Library of Australia
Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now
This piece was originally published in October 2022
The National Library is staging an exhibition of 125 documentary photographs, “Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now”. Continue reading photography at the National Library of Australia
Visiting ANU Drill Hall Gallery
This was published originally in August 2022
It was a recent photography exhibition by Catherine Rogers (closed 14th August) that brought home to me what a great space the ANU Drill Hall Gallery is.
The Niagara Café and Gundagai
recommended stopover
First a little history: Having not called by Gundagai for many years, in 2015 we called in to check out the well-known Niagara Café. It was a disappointment.
The disconnect between passionate Peter Dombrovskis and the ACT Greens
A Great photograph can bring about a myriad of memories as well as pose more mundane questions such as why political movements fail.
Continue reading The disconnect between passionate Peter Dombrovskis and the ACT Greens
The National Library trees and sculpture festival
How the NCA keeps getting it wrong!
The National Library of Australia forecourt should be a well-designed open space welcoming people to a key national institution. It is, sort of – but not quite!
Continue reading The National Library trees and sculpture festival
photography at the National Library of Australia
documentary photography exhibition
Viewfinder: Photography from the 1970s to Now
National Library of Australia exhibition, Friday 16 September 2022 until Monday 13 March 2023 Entry is free, curated by Matthew Jones
a link to the NLA page on the exhibition – click here
a tour of the exhibition click here
visiting Canberra’s City Gallery
CMAG – a new future
More than three decades ago the local visual arts community advocated for the establishment of a Canberra Regional/City Gallery. Continue reading visiting Canberra’s City Gallery
Visiting the National Gallery in Canberra
When the national Gallery opened in 1988, the exhibitions and their café became frequent destinations – a meeting place for locals, to take in the latest exhibitions while seeing old friends – the fabulous works in the permanent collections. Continue reading Visiting the National Gallery in Canberra
Belconnen arts and architecture
Saturday 30 July was a sunny day that encouraged a walk somewhere else in the city, besides the usual meander through the local streets.
Civic still a bit of a mess
Public art — Civic in Canberra
A media notice from the City Renewal Authority about a new artwork in Civic caught my attention. Continue reading Civic still a bit of a mess
NGA Canberra Sculpture Garden
A place to visit often
There were few people visiting the NGA’s Sculpture Garden when I visited to enjoy the garden’s well-designed spaces and to check out the artworks.
Korean food to celebrate the Queen
It was, as I was reading an online US newspaper on Thursday, June 2, that I spotted they had the streaming of the Queen’s platinum celebration in London. How could I resist?
NCA blocks the axis view
The National Capital Authority has responsibility for the care of the capital’s design features.
Marion Mahony Griffin – What A Life!
Particular major urban developments in Canberra have been promoted to be in line with the plans of Marion Mahony Griffin and Walter Burley Griffin or somehow in the spirit of the Griffins.
Marion Mahony Griffin’s vision for Canberra
and how it is being lost
When Marion Mahony Griffin provided those glorious drawings for the submission to design Canberra, she included a distant view of the mountains.
Continue reading Marion Mahony Griffin’s vision for Canberra
ACT Public Art and inequality
It was stunning to see the images of Premier Dominic Perrottet after NSW opened up on October 11; he welcomed people back to his version of normal – that of blokes, pubs, beers and more blokes. Women were absent.
Kingston Arts Space reboot – maybe
Inner-south community groups received a curious, but welcomed, phone call on Thursday (November 4) from the communications officer of the ACT Suburban Land Agency (SLA).
Public Art in Canberra
When “Seven Days” columnist Ian Meikle remarked in “CityNews” on July 19 that the ACT Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Economy and Gender and Economic Equality is seeking submissions to its inquiry into memorialisation through public commemoration, it did raise an issue or two.
National Capital Authority specializes in being patronising
residents should avoid contact with NCA
I begin this opinion piece about the National Capital Authority (NCA) by going back about 20 years to comments made during a parliamentary committee looking at the NCA.
Continue reading National Capital Authority specializes in being patronising
A day out in Braidwood
Making the time out to visit regionally
Earlier this month we ventured out for the day to meet a friend at Braidwood. She was from the south coast and so Braidwood meant we both travelled just over an hour.
ACT Government ignores Commonwealth Park
Commonwealth Park neglected by government
Attention to a significant piece of national land is being overlooked among the misinformation used to justify the demolition of West Basin.
ACT Government and public sculpture
Need for a new public art policy
Sometime during the last election, a candidate said something about revising the public sculpture program initiated by Jon Stanhope when he was chief minister.
Canberra’s missing arts centres
ACT Government failure on culture
In 2015, the now disbanded Land Development Agency announced the follow up to its 2011 master plan with the go-ahead for the Kingston Arts Precinct.
Floriade Canberra 2020
Flowers in the suburbs
It is all happening again in Kingston and, as with other locations throughout Canberra, Floriade Reimagined saw locals planting more than 8000 bulbs and annuals in May.
Australian War Memorial
It is about people – not war machines
A Reminder: the Australian War Memorial is about people
heritage listing for Dickson aerodrome
There’s a plaque in the Dickson Library that marks the site of Canberra’s first aerodrome.
ACT Government ruins Christmas
When bad design hinders being jolly
When in Civic around 10pm on Wednesday last week we were confronted with what the ACT government now defines as a Christmas tree.
Yarralumla does Christmas
Big Red Bows and a Jolly Suburb
Is there a more significant way of celebrating Christmas than with a tree?
Yes, with lots of trees! How about a suburb of trees? This is what the Yarralumla Residents Association is doing for Christmas this year.
Griffin impugned for the West Basin’s awful future
Good journalism is welcomed and embraced. Journalism that is written to promote bad decisions by government must be called out. Here’s an example of the latter. The author, Tom Greenwell, starts well by making some points about Walter Burley Griffin’s planning for Canberra. But then he commits the crime of using Griffin’s name and visions to justify some outrageous developments being planned by the ACT Government (Urban Renewal Authority again!) that will destroy a wonderful part of the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin. Click here for the article in City News.
and for more about West Basin alternative facts – click here; includes letters from Richard Johnstone of kingston – a supporter of West Basin developments.
And for more on the arguments against what Tom Greenwell has written – click here for a very well informed piece by Penny Moyes, one of the Lake Burley Griffin Guardians.
Summer at the NGA
There’s a lot to be seen at the exhibitions at the National Gallery of Australia this summer – so it’s time to get thee hence – – –click here.
Build more art centres
Where governments spend/not spend on culture
All cities have their city square or equivalent.
Driving between Canberra and Melbourne
clarifying Macron
Just so no one gets confused…
ABC heritage under attack
Floriade – time for change
It has been many years since I have wandered amongst the tulips of Floriade.
Midnight Oil
Canberra Regional Farmers Market
There are many reasons why people trek out to the Canberra Regional Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
Cultural Landscape
The Cultural Landscape Foundation wants to connect people to the places of culture around them. click here
no way to treat a coffee
draft 9 August
There’s been an increase in conversations about avoiding the use of plasticized mugs for take away coffee.
culture, arts and city planning
Venice under stress
Click on the image above
Parliamentary Triangle, Canberra
A tour of the good and not-so-good
Have you taken a stroll around the Parliamentary Triangle recently?
ANCA meeting Place exhibition
Walking in on an artist’s install of their exhibition can be an interesting way to learn more about an artist and their work.
Urban Bites
GANG GANG arrives in Downer
Always good to celebrate when a suburban centre rises again.
Rijksmuseum 19th Century photography
the Rijksmuseum is presenting a major retrospective of 19th-century photography – click here
Looking for arts policy
will we ever have an arts minister?
While Australia is a great country – it has been a long time since we have experienced a government that was actually committed to its culture.
Culture Heist
Book Notice: Culture Heist, Judith White
ART VERSUS MONEY: The fight for the soul of a
great public institution
Books and Reading
click on the banner – and bookmark the page by Jan Bridges.
Anzac Parade – public art doing service
There is no doubt that Anzac Parade is very special.
Photographing Singapore’s public housing
Photographing Singapore’s public housing
There’s an article in Straits Times about photographer Koh Kim Chay and his decades of photographing the ubiquitous government flats of Singapore.
plundering the west – in photographs
Nice online exhibition of photographs – from The Washington Post – click here.
The National at the AGNSW 2017
Exhibition Review: The National at the AGNSW 2017
To link to a review of The National at the Art Gallery of NSW – click here.
church sign
seen in Ipswich – where the cyclonic rains had descended
Philip Bentley and Group M
A history of Group M photographers by Philip Bentley
Back in 1996, Philip Bentley, Melbourne historian, wrote a thesis on the history of the Melbourne photographers, Group M.
Ballarat Foto Biennale – Portrait Prize
Martin Kantor Portrait Prize Entry
Applications close: 31st May 2017
click on image for more….
Ballarat
A place where good things happen
click on the image
Frank Hurley
photo-essay on Frank Hurley images
A selection of photographs taken from one of Frank Hurley’s books…
photography
one of the pleasures of life – relaxing and watching the birds..
Architecture
Architectural vandalism at Parliament House
They have tried before and have failed–but this time they have got their way.
Canberra
a light on the hill
A very good piece by Jack Waterford about Canberra. Click on the image
What is this landscape about
Jonathan Jones on cherishing the landscape
Click on the image to see the point being made – it’s a good one!
Megalo
The visual arts in Canberra is a very active scene. It has been thus for several decades.
Versailles at the NGA–a summer of glitz, cake and unsettled staff
Usually at this time of the year, I am looking forward to the coming visual arts exhibitions at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA).
Continue reading Versailles at the NGA–a summer of glitz, cake and unsettled staff
ACT Heritage Forum – rating the candidates
National Trust of Australia (ACT) hosted a public Heritage Election Forum at St John’s church hall in Reid last Thursday night 22 September.
architecture
click on image for story
contour 556
More news about Canberra’s new public art festival – to run Friday 21st October to Sunday 13th November 2016. Continue reading contour 556
The Art Newspaper – Still Wrong on The Bishop Museum
An update on the issue of a misleading article in The Art Newspaper. Click here and scroll down the page to see the latest on this story
The Art Newspaper – Wrong about The Bishop Museum
An open letter to The Art Newspaper( 29 July) plus correspondence (5 August 2016)
Over many years I have accessed the Art Newspaper and when appropriate have either passed on links or have posted articles online that have links back to the Art Newspaper.
Continue reading The Art Newspaper – Wrong about The Bishop Museum
Turnbull – FIZZA – Arts
Click on the image for a piece on Turnbull avoiding a question about his destruction of the arts
Diane Arbus and more at the NGA
There’s a wonderful exhibition at the NGA till 30th October 2016 – Diane Arbus: American portraits.
Signs of Life and Wonder
Apparently the residents of Gungahlin have had enough of being a lower priority to other areas of Canberra.
Malcolm Turnbull cultural vandal
Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister is overseeing the vandalism of this country’s national cultural institutions. And he smiles so patronising while this is happening!
National Gallery Singapore
click on image above for the story about this very successful new national gallery.
Public Art Festival – Contour 556
Advance notice for a Canberra Public Art Festival for later in 2016.
Contour 556 is to be a three-week public art festival in Canberra 21 October – 13 November 2016 on the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffin (and other locations). Continue reading Public Art Festival – Contour 556
Canberra Sculpture Walk proposal
When reading the latest thought bubbles from the property lobby, it was difficult to avoid laughing out loud. In their quest to improve Civic business activity, the Civic property lobby has recommended that the ACT Government should hand over money to assist in the refurbishment of the Melbourne and Sydney buildings.
Blue Poles at the museum
There is talk in the art world about the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) changes to their permanent collection galleries and how this has included the movement of the famous Jackson Pollock painting, Blue Poles, from its long historic position downstairs to the upstairs galleries.
Australian Art at the NGA
Sometimes a visit to the National Gallery of Australia can deliver a very nice surprise.
Peace for Paris
Kingston Arts Precinct
There’s was a recent announcement that the government is calling for developers to put forward proposals to develop part of the Kingston Foreshore site as an arts precinct.
One wonders what their perception and concept of what is art precinct. Then there will be the issues that the government is looking for a commercial entity to propose an arts precinct.
Dismaland
There’s been quiet a bit of writing online about Bansky’s latest project – Dismaland.
I am not sure what to make of it as theme parks would be something I would not even contemplate visiting. But yet, when irony is the theme, would I go. Still not sure. Meanwhile here’s a bunch of reviews and comments:
First the Guardian has a couple – one here and then another here.
The New Yorker writer writes from her own experiences of her holidays on the coast. click here.
The UK Telegraph liked it – click here.
and after reading all this – and looking at the videos and pictures – I am still not convinced.
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Paul Costigan
Dickson Parklands
Fact checking statements about Dickson Parklands.
There have been inaccurate media statements and comments online by the bureaucracy and others about the actions of residents to save the Dickson Parklands.
Gateways into Canberra
I enjoy the drive between Sydney from Canberra. I do it reasonably often. The mood of the country changes according to the weather, the drought, the latest rains and the time of the day.
Celebrating Landscape Architects
Good to see the work by locals, Harris Hobbs Landscapes, being recognised.
click on the image.
Mysterious placement of public art and memorials
Over the years I have wondered about the placement of public art and memorials in and around the parliamentary zone. Here are three stories.
Continue reading Mysterious placement of public art and memorials
Arts Singapore
There’s an announcement online about a new art fair to be held in January at the same time as Art Stage Singapore, Click on the image for more on this.