Book Review: Quarterly Essay 102, 2026
When you take to reading a book you always have some levels of expectations. With this essay I thought the author would venture into thoughts and places to expand the thinking of AI – something I now use often. Continue reading The God We Made: The Threat and Promise of Artificial Intelligence
We have uploaded information and links to resources to our web site on Pegg Clarke.
We have updated our web pages for three photographers and their photobooks.
Somewhere in the past decade, the original Ivanhoe Town Hall had a complete make-over and the council delivered a well designed complex that consists of a new style library (a great facility), a small gallery (ok but not great), the meeting rooms for the council, and the main building became a venue – a large hall space for weddings and a range of cultural events (looked good!!)
Another good read of a Rebecca Solnit book. This one was Orwell’s Roses, a series of essays that roam through a range of topics and issues that she relates back to the theme – that George Orwell planted roses at his house.
It is amazing how gullible so many people are and have always been; think religion, think Trump, think Australian Prime Ministers such as Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison, think those who still listen to anything broadcasted by or published by the Murdoch empire.
the joys of being in Melbourne; many local government arts centres
Bundoora Arts – click here
the joys of walking the neighbourhood
In late 2023 when considering the purchase of our Melbourne apartment, one of the many considerations was that the building next door was a church.
This book has apparently received rave reviews and is listed as a bestseller. My short response is that it is OK – but not great. I gave it six out of ten stars.
There’s an exhibition at Bendigo with Frida Kahlo’s personal belongings, clothing, make-up, accessories, and medical items on exhibition. Meanwhile a trip to ALDI offered an opportunity to have my own Frida memorabilia. I resisted!
Here’s a link to the Bendigo Art Gallery exhibition.
A highly recommended exhibition – about things floral. The title being Floribunda.
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.
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)
The full title for this exhibition is:
Searching for Sanctuary: A journey of survival by Barat Ali Batoor
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, in particular inner Melbourne, has a serious problem with graffiti.
(Image above – a composite photo- captured from two train journeys).
This piece is about an exhibition that closed 28th July 2024. Cutting Through Time—Cressida Campbell, Margaret Preston, and the Japanese Print
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.
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.
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!
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.
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)
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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?
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.
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
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.
Click on the image above
the Rijksmuseum is presenting a major retrospective of 19th-century photography – click here
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.
click on the banner – and bookmark the page by Jan Bridges.
There is no doubt that Anzac Parade is very special.
There’s an article in Straits Times about photographer Koh Kim Chay and his decades of photographing the ubiquitous government flats of Singapore.
Nice online exhibition of photographs – from The Washington Post – click here.
To link to a review of The National at the Art Gallery of NSW – click here.
Back in 1996, Philip Bentley, Melbourne historian, wrote a thesis on the history of the Melbourne photographers, Group M.
Martin Kantor Portrait Prize EntryApplications close: 31st May 2017
click on image for more….
click on the image
A selection of photographs taken from one of Frank Hurley’s books…
one of the pleasures of life – relaxing and watching the birds..
They have tried before and have failed–but this time they have got their way.
Click on the image to see the point being made – it’s a good one!
The visual arts in Canberra is a very active scene. It has been thus for several decades.
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
click on image for story
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
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
There’s a wonderful exhibition at the NGA till 30th October 2016 – Diane Arbus: American portraits.
Apparently the residents of Gungahlin have had enough of being a lower priority to other areas of Canberra.
click on image above for the story about this very successful new national gallery.
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.
Sometimes a visit to the National Gallery of Australia can deliver a very nice surprise.
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.
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
There have been inaccurate media statements and comments online by the bureaucracy and others about the actions of residents to save the Dickson Parklands.
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.
Good to see the work by locals, Harris Hobbs Landscapes, being recognised.
click on the image.
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
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.
Canberra does not have a history of food carts. The nearest would be a double decker bus that opens at night time at the top of Braddon. Another would have been the now closed Brodburgers that was a very popular red caravan packed on the side of the lake. That was its problem – it was parked on land overseen by the fairly useless National Capital Authority (NCA).
I have been to London many times. Somehow I had not managed to find my way to the Sir John Soane Museum London until my most recent trip.
A few travel photographs from not quite the usual tourist destination. This time we were in Maidstone in Kent. The image above is from within the local museum.
There was much ado amongst the Australian arts heavies with their announcement of a new pavilion for the Venice Biennale.
One of the local manifestations for Centenary of Federation in the year 2001 was the building of Commonwealth Place down on the side of the lake in the axis between Parliament and Mount Ainslie.
There’s a special exhibition at National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. This is this institution’s contribution to the Anzac centenary.
I enjoy the exhibitions at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). However ever since they completed their renovations and now attract more people, something has happened in how some visitors behave.
A visit to the Art Gallery of New South Wales is always worth the trouble no matter what exhibitions are on. I have often said, that this would be one of the easier jobs in the country as the audience comes no matter what the exhibition. But
This is a re-posting of a review I posted to RiotACT last week.
Architecture owns the story. That’s not necessarily a good thing!
The Bendigo Art Gallery is one of the stars of Australian public art galleries. The gallery has built a great reputation through ongoing successful exhibition programs. We visited in March and were very impressed.
ANU Australian Centre on China in the World till 3 April 2015 
This is a highly recommended photography exhibition. It closes 3 April 2015.
The fun things you see as you drive through middle Victoria. A town sign designed by Michael Leunig. (click on image to enlarge)
to quote from a Guardian article: There are more men named Peter in the chief executive and chair positions of companies in the ASX200 – Australia’s 200 largest listed companies – than there are women. click here for the article. and..
click on the image for this great story – we wish them all the best!
A sad story indeed about the woman in the famous Steve McCurry/National Geographic photograph. The original photograph was a 1984 cover for National Geographic.
Sharbat Gula, the subject of the original photograph, is in trouble because she remains a refugee from Afghanistan, but was carrying a Pakistan identify card.
Please click on the image to the right for the link to the story.
A sign of activity by the revolutionary arm of the Dickson Residents Group
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) is always worth the visit to see the collection exhibitions. Right now with a major exhibition on, the other galleries are reasonably quiet which is perfect for sitting and contemplating. If you can find a seat.
This film has been released and I have read numerous positive reviews and much commentary about its making. I have noted the release as I consider going to The National Gallery in London as one of the great joys in life.
I suspect that most people have a fair idea of the individual function of our main national cultural institutions.
This is the second of several posts on planning and development issues effecting the local residents of Dickson in Canberra. The issues are not unique to Dickson. Residential groups around the country share similar frustrations, dilemmas and challenges in dealing with planning and development bureaucracies.
Just before Christmas the ACT Planning Authority (ACTPLA) had uploaded for comment the Development Application for the Dickson supermarket development. The original response deadline was the 27th January.
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Being the best state Art Gallery in Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales looks to become even better.
I always enjoy a visit to this gallery. It doesn’t matter what special exhibitions are on. There is plenty to see and to engage with.
and how the government is squandering significant urban design opportunities
The debate continues on this significant lost opportunity to deliver good urban design in Dickson. Click on image above for a posting on RiotACT.
Walking through a side street in central Vienna late last year, we came across a group of people totally captured by something out of our view.
No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality. The UN has invited men to sign up to assist with achieving gender equity.
click on the image for the story
It was just days before Christmas (2014) when local residents may have noticed that a development application with big ramifications for their precinct was now available online for comment – with a month in which to submit any comments.